Ch.304100. Why Does Someone Like You Exist Openly on This Land! (3)

“How dare you!

-Insolent creature!

The fairy couldn’t believe that she had felt intimidated, even for a moment.

This was her domain.

There had been those who once called themselves powerful who dared to challenge her.

But not one of them had ever achieved their desired outcome.

All of them had become her prey, nothing more.

Or they became her servants, offering their liver, gallbladder, and even their hearts to her.

Among them were kings of nations, world-renowned warriors, and wizards.

Even dragons.

-This simply cannot be overlooked!

Therefore.

This is unforgivable.

I don’t know what just happened, but it wasn’t reality, was it?

Anyone can make threats.

Anyone can intimidate.

But taking action is an entirely different matter.

A heart only spills its fabric when pierced or crushed, and only then does it stop.

“You seem quite angry?”

Aseth turns to Kariel with a fresh face.

“……”

Kariel remained calm, but.

The lake water had risen and begun to take shape, some forming human figures, others taking the form of massive beasts.

-In my territory, you will not be able to retreat a single step. There will be no forgiveness, no more mercy…

“Is that so?”

Aseth remained relaxed.

Though she was called the demon of the lake, the power that was essentially her source—the curse—originated from that fairy.

In other words, it would be correct to say she had no room to maneuver.

“……”

Nevertheless.

Without a trace of hesitation, reluctance, or fear.

The trust and faith reflected in her transparent retinas were intensely deep and unwavering.

-You still refuse to beg for forgiveness! Your arrogance truly reaches the heavens!

Finally, the shapes formed by her gestures began to approach the two of them one after another.

From warriors wielding swords to knights in armor.

Some appeared to be soldiers carrying spears, while others aimed bowstrings with sharp, translucent eyes fixed on Kariel’s brow.

The giant beasts roared and charged forward.

It resembled a legion at first glance.

Their numbers were so immense that the water level of the vast lake had changed.

The prairie was wide and expansive, so the sight of them filling every space was incredibly free-flowing.

Shapes that led the way, advanced, rushed forward, and continuously replenished their ranks.

“……”

Kariel watched them intently.

He took one step, then another.

He began to move forward slowly, as if to meet them.

“…Hmm.”

Aseth neither questioned nor encouraged him.

That would be unlike her.

If you trust someone, shouldn’t you watch until the end?

If it hadn’t seemed promising from the start, she wouldn’t have brought him along and would have fled long ago.

Despite appearances, she was extremely practical in nature.

With her quick thinking, she avoided stepping onto losing battlefields whenever possible.

‘Still…’

There was a hint of anxiety.

Though she typically didn’t dwell on such feelings, she felt it slightly.

Aseth was quite satisfied with this.

Her emotions were stirring.

Even if only slightly, minutely.

But that was something!

Yes. To express this feeling simply!

I am thoroughly pleased!

Delighted!

‘Is this…’

The feeling of omnipotence?

Just by being able to trust someone.

Does the world become… this light?

Does everything become… this easy?

‘Look.’

A single person colliding with an army.

Splash!

Made of lake water, yet within this territory, within her domain, it’s harder than steel and tougher than plant stems or vines, and also flexible.

Even those in human form effortlessly spout water streams from their chests and projectiles from their facial areas.

Each of these attacks could easily pierce through a human body.

Deadly strikes overflowing with malice.

And yet.

Swoosh!

Without a single collision or hit.

He deflects them.

He evades them.

And look.

Splash!

Though he merely passes by, just by being within a certain range, the army is instantly devastated.

Water streams and fountains soak the ground.

Even as they try to regain their form.

The rate of destruction exceeds the rate of recovery.

Above all, his offensive is neither a line, nor a point, nor a plane.

If one had to describe it… it’s everything.

Splash!

The water streams split.

As if freezing, or like white steam rising when touching hot iron, countless forms instantly evaporate.

That’s not all.

Sssss—

A black dot appears in midair, and suddenly everything is sucked into it.

Thus tightly clustered, they are instantly dispersed.

The countless water sprays and projectiles fired at him never hit their mark.

It was as if the space around him was slightly distorted.

Perhaps that’s why.

Slightly, situations that seemed to miss continued in succession.

Even when a massive water bomb targeted his entire body, exploding from all directions.

-…What kind of person is this?

Not a single drop of water touched his body.

Even though the ground he stood on was soaked with water.

Not a trace of moisture had penetrated his shoes or soles.

What kind of magic is this?

What is happening right now?

Aseth didn’t know.

The fairy had no way of knowing either.

But their states of mind were polar opposites.

Even though hostility and killing intent were being projected unilaterally from the fairy’s side.

It was the fairy who trembled with anxiety.

Having lived for over a thousand years, and having been entangled with Lutania for hundreds of years since the founding of the land…

‘I’ve never seen… anything like this.’

Magic?

Even the great archmages couldn’t do this.

No, perhaps they could do something like this.

But this clearly looked different from the manifestation of phenomena using mana, and the manipulation, control, and regulation of phenomena derived from it.

Even if it were possible, it would be impossible within this domain.

In this domain, in this territory, she is the god, the master… and the only being who can perform divine miracles.

Why did the Demon King of Wisdom not invade Lutania?

It must have been because he couldn’t overlook her existence in this territory.

“……”

Whoosh!

A fierce heat wind scatters all the approaching forms.

Yet as they absorb the moisture and regain their shape,

The intense heat wind suddenly transforms into a raging fire that burns everything around.

That flame was as dark as pitch black and ominous,

But it didn’t burn the greenery of the prairie; instead, it only burned and evaporated the moisture, the humidity that filled the surroundings.

-What kind of catastrophe is this? Human, who exactly are you?

Still, her lake had not dried up.

As long as it wasn’t dry, the newly created army would overwhelmingly outnumber the scattered forces.

But somehow, that alone didn’t seem enough to handle him.

-Ugh!

The fairy clenched her fist, biting her lip in humiliation.

Then all the lake water surged upward.

It began to take the form of a massive dragon.

Like another miniature version of this world.

That enormous being was so vast that it seemed capable of crushing them all with just the blink of an eye.

Without even a gesture, let alone a flap of its wings.

With just a breath, they would be swept away like ants, even smaller than ants.

…Compared to it, human beings looked extremely shabby and insignificant.

“……”

But.

Like Aseth, in Kariel’s eyes as he faced it, there was no hesitation, no threat.

Not even a trace of fleeting illusions that might have crossed his mind.

Before such a massive creation, primitive and feeble creatures could only feel awe and terror.

Yet these primitive beings, these insignificant creatures, showed no fear whatsoever.

-Let’s see how long you can remain so proud…

ROARRR—!

The massive water dragon roared.

Just opening its mouth created a gust of wind that swept through the surroundings.

Even the grass, heavy with moisture, was swept away by the pressure, helplessly trembling.

Their clothes fluttered, and banners unfurled in the air like flags attached to poles.

“——.”

Though the sound was engulfed by the pressure.

Aseth merely raised her arm to slightly shield her eyes, without making a fuss.

Then, slightly spreading her fingers to cover her eyes,

She followed his dark back.

Though his hair fluttered wildly like a horse’s tail,

He stood firmly on the ground as if nailed in place.

His black clothes, especially the sleeves, fluttered continuously.

But he still didn’t move, just raising his head to observe the spectacle.

…Even from behind, his state of mind was readable.

He seemed to find it curious, rather than threatening or despairing.

Did the fairy side also perceive this?

-That proud! That arrogant posture ends here!

Finally, the dragon began to swing its massive claw toward them.

It’s not fast.

Or is it? Is it incredibly agile for its enormous size?

But just swinging its claw makes the air and space tremble.

When it reaches its destination, what kind of impact will it have…

‘Isn’t it magnificent?’

Nevertheless, Aseth was half-interested in the enormous being.

It was just, somehow cool? Exciting?

How to put it, these aren’t things you see every day, right?

Even Aseth, who had seen real dragons before, a dragon the size of not just a mountain but a mountain range!

This kind of thing! It’s not something you can easily see in a lifetime!

“Ahahahaha!!!”

She cheered.

Though her voice was immediately swallowed by the pressure cutting through the air.

The joy, the cheers didn’t stop.

What if she died?

Then that’s just the kind of life it was.

What matters now isn’t anything else.

It’s this moment of emotional exhilaration!

‘That’s the most important thing!’

Isn’t that right?

Kariel?!

“……”

Though he hadn’t shown much movement until now,

This time, perhaps needing to concentrate, he raised his left hand.

After a few seconds had passed,

The dragon’s massive claw covered the sky as if the sky itself was falling on them, becoming a disaster demanding their annihilation.

Even before this awe-inspiring sight that pressed down on their entire field of vision,

Kariel, with his still indifferent and dry golden eyes,

Directly faced the spectacle.

“……”

Mikate.

With a small resonance,

Above his left hand, pitch-black and white light formed a circle, mixing together,

Then that unified entity instantly transferred to the massive descending claw without warning.

At that moment.

———!!!

A silent, extinction-level radiance that swallowed even sound and space consumed the world.

For an instant, a world of white night and extreme night alternated,

And eventually, every area illuminated by the radiance returned to nothingness without a trace.

All that remained was empty space.

The dragon’s massive claw, from the hand to around the shoulder, had completely vanished.

Even the water that formed its shape, even that moisture… not a single particle remained.

Everything had been annihilated.

-Aaaaah!!!

The fairy screamed.

She didn’t understand the phenomenon just now.

Yes. She didn’t understand.

She didn’t understand, but…

One thing she knew.

That was…

Effortlessly, it could annihilate her very existence and foundation, a destructive phenomenon. The embodiment of a nightmare. Such a phenomenon.

She… realized it the moment she witnessed it.

For example, it’s like this.

He might have been able to deal with her anytime.

“……”

Look.

Despite demonstrating such an absurd power, such an ability,

He remains so nonchalant.

-This is impossible. How could this… Are you a descendant of the gods? This age is not the age of myths. The descendants of gods… cannot possibly manifest!

Even the fairy herself couldn’t invade the real world, the middle realm, unless she was in this domain, in this place.

But to show something like that.

This doesn’t make any sense!

-Why is someone like you walking freely on this land?! This is cheating! It’s absurd!

Even the Knight of Radiance who defeated the Demon King of Wisdom wouldn’t be this powerful.

Well, perhaps it’s possible!

…But at least not with such ease!

Moreover, that power…

Holy power and magical power.

And various other foundations, and the actual derivatives of such foundations.

That is, the power of the source.

And something unleashed by harmonizing the powers at both extremes of those sources.

For instance, the harmony of order and chaos.

Those who don’t know might simply marvel at it as an incredible, absurd ability, or express fear.

But the fairy, who saw the source, trembled for a different reason.

How can he do such a crazy thing… such an abnormal thing… so effortlessly?

“……”

In another sense, it was another aspect of despair.

The fairy felt herself trembling involuntarily.

What’s there right now, perhaps… perhaps…”