Ch.29Masquerade Ball

# 1.

Balkan thought.

‘Asha has disappeared.’

She threw herself into the subspace where Hestia was trapped and vanished.

He wasn’t worried.

The magic that Marin had cast, which allowed them to know each other’s status, whispered that she was safe.

‘Then what about Hestia?’

To be honest, he didn’t know.

There was a high probability she was safe since Asha would be with her, but their opponent was the <Black Wolf>.

Despite the confrontation lasting only a few dozen minutes, Balkan had already assessed their strength.

‘They’re probably a bit weaker than us.’

A different conclusion from Asha’s.

While he felt the power of the Black Wolf and its members was as threatening as Asha’s, unlike Asha who evaluated enemies based on information, Balkan trusted his instincts.

That led him to think:

‘The Black Wolf. On the surface, he seems as strong as Asha, but… somehow he feels beatable.’

He couldn’t explain it.

He didn’t know why.

Even after thinking hard, he still didn’t know.

But it was like… a feeling that one wrong move could get him killed.

In any case, even if they were slightly weaker, the <Black Wolf>’s forces were formidable.

‘They’re probably similar to or even stronger than those considered the world’s top 10.’

With Hestia kidnapped by such people, following their instructions would be the safest option right now.

‘…I should sacrifice myself.’

As Balkan was steeling his resolve, momentary confusion flashed in his eyes.

Come to think of it,

‘…I only have one life?’

He had only one life to give, but now there were two people to save.

While Balkan was pondering and asking various questions, the Black Wolf abruptly stated:

“If you fight for us, we’ll release her.”

Fight.

Hestia gets released.

…And possibly Asha too.

‘You’re smart, Balkan.’

Praising himself, Balkan reattached the shield he had planted in the ground.

“Who’s my opponent?”

“…We’ll decide that for you.”

Looking somewhat resentful and hesitant, Nahan turned his head toward Luna.

“Face him, Persona.”

“Yes, Leader.”

Calm, deep emerald eyes.

-Smile brightly, that’s how you survive.

-That’s right, smile a little more.

-Brighter, smile until your mouth tears.

-That’s how you survive.

Eyes forcibly curved upward.

-Don’t tremble, that’s how you survive.

-When it’s too hard, wear a mask and cry.

-Try and try again.

-Until someday you can smile even with a mask on.

…Step, step, step.

Her fixed footsteps moved toward the man holding the shield.

Step.

When her final step stopped, the two faced each other.

“The rules?”

“Just fight. Until I stop it.”

“Understood.”

Balkan nodded and lowered his stance, while Luna turned her head to look at Nahan.

“Leader. Permission for release.”

【No.4 – <Persona – Luna(A)> begins her masquerade!】

【Warning!】

【No.4 – <Persona – Luna(A)> requests release of restricted power!】

Nahan, reading the anxiety in her eyes, nodded and approved the release.

【Restriction release approved.】

【No.4 – <Persona – Luna(A)>’s rank returns to its original level.】

【(A) → (S).】

Whether she had grown stronger in the past few days, her rank that had fluctuated between S- and S was now fixed at S.

Luna’s mana, once like a gentle breeze, became as calm as the eye of a typhoon, dominating the surroundings.

Simultaneously, numerous masks appeared.

Dozens of masks emanating Luna’s mana were displayed in the air like exhibits in an art gallery, spaced at regular intervals.

After materializing all the masks, Luna stepped back twice, then bowed slightly like a performance host.

“I’ll begin now.”

A voice both refreshing and clearly filled with killing intent, reflecting an obsession with life.

“…So you were hiding your strength after all.”

Sensing something from Luna, Balkan’s expression grew more serious.

Watching the two glaring at each other as if ready to kill, Nahan thought:

‘I should have done this from the start.’

He had been confused by the mere description of “Balkan,” but now he understood perfectly.

‘Anyway.’

Nahan lowered his gaze in silence.

【Bad Ending – <6. Return of the Hero> in progress.】

A blue glow in the corner of his vision—a bad ending that would be completed the moment the two clashed.

And then:

【Skill List – <Yellow Dragon黃龍>】

-Passive: Sun’s Blessing(Ex).

-Skill 1: Sun Annihilation日光殲(EX). (New!)

-Skill 2: (Access Restricted). (Condition – 6/15)

-Ultimate: (Access Restricted). (Condition – 10/15)

【Skill List – <Black Wolf>】

-Passive: Black Wolf(Ex)

-Skill 1: Black Curtain黑幕(Ex)

-Skill 2: (Access Restricted). (Ex) (Condition – 6/15)

-Ultimate: (Access Restricted). (Ex) (Condition – 10/15)

The key to unlocking the second skills of <Black Wolf黑狼> and <Yellow Dragon黃龍>.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

He had managed somehow with just the passive and first skill, but having another new skill would make things much easier.

“…Smilebrightlythat’showyousurviveright,smilealittlemorebrightlysmileuntilyourmouthtearsthat’showyousurvivedon’ttremblethatshowyousurvivewhenit’stoohardswearmaskandcrytryandtryagainuntilsomedayyoucansmileevenwithamaskon.”

Caught up in his quiet anticipation, Nahan missed Luna’s muttering as he raised his hand, dreaming of a better life.

“Fight with your life on the line.”

With those final words, the signal was given,

“【Crushing Charge】”

“【Masquerade.】”

BOOM!!

The battle began.

# 2.

“【Crushing Charge粉碎突進】”

Balkan’s first skill, defined by the world but unrecognized by them.

【Skill 1 – Crushing Charge粉碎突進.】

◆Effect:

When colliding with an enemy within 50m straight-line distance, has a 50% chance to crush the opponent.

The most representative skill reflecting his simple, brute strength was activated against Luna.

BOOM!!

With barely any preparatory movement, his massive body shot forward in a straight line.

The edges of the broken shields in each hand swung as if to slice Luna’s neck.

A fastest and strongest strike that would have caught her unprepared had she not released her power.

Barely perceiving it, Luna forcibly pulled up the corners of her mouth.

“【Masquerade舞蹈會.】”

Luna’s first skill: Mask Masquerade.

【Skill 1 – Mask Masquerade舞蹈會.】

◆Effect:

Displays <Souls> stored in passive as masks throughout the surrounding area. When wearing a <Soul>, you can use the <Ultimate> possessed by that <Soul>.

The power of the ultimate used is proportional to how much the owner of that <Soul> loves you, and is amplified by that amount.

Simply put, it converts and stores <Souls> she has collected into masks, spreading them around for her to wear.

Luna grabbed one mask from the air and put it on as Balkan approached right in front of her.

【Wearing <Swift Ciel(C+)>.】

【Ultimate – <Wandering流浪(B)> activates.】

【The power of <Wandering流浪(B)> increases proportionally to this soul’s feelings.】

【<Wandering流浪(SS-)> activates.】

Swish.

Her robed body became translucent, and by the time Balkan reached her, she had already disappeared.

CRASH!!

Confirming this, Balkan quickly drove his right hand into the ceiling to stop himself.

CREAK!!

His arm bent as if about to break as he scraped along the ceiling, finally managing to stop his body.

‘Just now, she was equal to me or even stronger.’

Sensing the power of the mask with his beast-like instinct, Balkan considered two options.

Should he charge in?

Or keep his distance?

But while he was merely thinking, his body had already begun to move.

‘I’ll fight. Hestia will live.’

Casting aside even concern for his own life, he held onto only the thought of Hestia’s survival and emptied his mind.

Charge, change direction, charge again.

Using his forward-leaning center of gravity, he lunged like a predator for her throat, swinging his bladed shield to strike at vital points.

When he was a shield warrior, he had maintained some rationality, but now with his shield as a weapon, his fighting style resembled that of a hunting beast.

“…Leader.”

Dalan, who had been observing the battle, carefully asked before leaving his position.

“Shouldn’t we help?”

At the worried voice, Nahan’s vision expanded once more.

…Indeed, we’re still far from being their equals.

“Wait.”

Nahan, who had been watching the battle absentmindedly, finally gathered his wits and assessed the situation.

“You’ve got quite the bag of tricks!!”

“…!!”

Luna avoided threatening attacks at all costs, but accepted follow-up strikes.

While she narrowly avoided fatal wounds, minor injuries accumulated.

‘Dalan is right.’

Balkan’s power was SS-rank.

Luna was the same, but her growth was forced and temporary through skills, so she would eventually reach her limit.

If the situation continued like this, Luna would soon be killed by Balkan.

But why?

Nahan’s “survival instinct,” honed consistently since the previous world, began to draw a completely different conclusion from the situation.

‘…Why does Balkan seem more dangerous?’

An eerie sense of foreboding.

The anxiety of making a mistake due to not knowing something important.

He should trust the situation, but his survival instinct kept pushing the opposite conclusion.

However, there wasn’t much time to think.

“This is the end!! I’ll kill you, Black Wolf!!”

Balkan, who had stomped on Luna’s foot to immobilize her, swung his shield blade toward her.

‘If Luna dies, I die too.’

Just as Nahan finished his thought and turned his head toward Dalan:

Dalan sighed as if things had become troublesome and muttered:

“Oh dear, it’s too late.”

Too late?

“If we kill a hero already, it’s going to be quite a headache going forward.”

A hero dying?

Balkan, not Luna?

As the confused Nahan turned his head back to face Balkan and Luna:

“…No. I won’t die.”

Swish.

In what seemed like frozen time, Luna reached out and grasped an ashen mask.

Unlike the clean masks, this one looked like it had been stitched together from something mutilated.

The moment Luna put that ominous-looking mask on her face:

【Changing mask.】

【<Mask 1 – Swift Ciel(C+)> changes to <Mask 0 – <Mother(S-)>.】

【Ultimate – <Whisper(S-)> activates.】

【The power of <Whisper(S-)> increases proportionally to this soul’s feelings.】

【<Whisper(Ex-)> activates.】

“【Don’t move.】”

As dark red energy poured out, everyone around froze in place.

Only Luna, the caster, could move within it.

Step, step, step.

Luna, who had somehow freed her foot, approached Balkan and extended her hand.

“【Give it to me.】”

“…Of course.”

As if entranced, Balkan removed the shield from his left hand and held it out to Luna.

She naturally took it and placed its edge against Balkan’s face.

…Rip.

A wound tore along the blade, blood trickling down the cut.

The slowly moving shield finally rested against Balkan’s carotid artery.

…Smile.

With bloodshot eyes, Luna forced a smile and asked in a sad voice:

“【…Die for me.】”

For my sake.

“…Of course.”

Balkan’s thick neck gradually tilted toward the pointed shield edge.

…Drip.

As the surface tore, bright blood flowed down.

Simultaneously, Nahan’s fading consciousness snapped back along with his survival instinct.

‘I must stop this.’

Luna,

Balkan,

Hestia.

None of them should die.

If Luna dies, I die too, and if others die, who knows how the future will change.

But his body wouldn’t move, as if paralyzed.

‘What am I going through all this trouble for…!! Damn it, move…!!!’

As he was screaming internally, searching for a way to escape:

【Congratulations!】

【Bad Ending – <6. Return of the Hero> has been prevented!】

【The 7th Bad Ending – <7. Butterfly Effect> is being set up.】

【A reward will be given!】

Along with the blue-green system window, black and golden system windows appeared.

【Condition met (6/15)!】

【<Black Wolf黑狼>’s second skill – <???> has been unlocked!】

【Condition met (6/15)!】

【<Yellow Dragon黃龍>’s second skill – <???> has been unlocked!】

‘…With this.’

After checking the additional skills, I activated one without much deliberation.