Ch.338Chapter 338 Epilogue – The Way Back (3)

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Urgent. Anyone could see it was an urgent pace.

The moment she spotted me, my sister approached with such swift footwork that I wondered if it was even humanly possible.

“Cal!!”

Loud and resonant. And within that resonance was a strange emotion that couldn’t be contained by volume alone.

Joy, relief, urgency, tension.

To think that a single utterance of my name could condense so many emotions at once.

I wanted to wave my hands and express my own joy at seeing her, but…

The situation wasn’t ideal for a boisterous reunion.

So as my sister approached, nearly reaching me, I brought my right index finger to my lips and…

“Shh.”

I suggested she temper her overflowing energy.

I didn’t want to disturb Shizu’s peaceful slumber as she rested against me, giving her tired body and mind a much-needed break.

Fortunately, my sister quickly understood my signal and, while maintaining her swift movements, stopped calling out to me loudly.

*Tap!*

When she reached me, I couldn’t help but notice the rhythmic sound of her footsteps, but knowing she had already reduced the volume considerably compared to her usual pace, I couldn’t blame her.

As she stopped, her gaze shifted to my back.

I could see her eyes widen slightly as she finally noticed Shizu’s presence—something she hadn’t caught when she first spotted me from afar and rushed over.

An even deeper relief than what she’d shown upon finding me washed over her face as she saw Shizu, who, being asleep, had virtually no presence to detect.

“Phew…”

After exhaling a sigh filled with various emotions, her gaze shifted from Shizu to me.

“So Shizu is with you too.”

She spoke in a voice that maintained clarity but was lowered in volume, expressing her relief at finding both of us at once.

How should I describe it? Though we hadn’t seen each other for just a few days—no, merely a day—it felt like we’d been apart for over a year.

I wanted to express my joy at our reunion, but…

“…”

Before I could, I devoted my visual attention to observing my sister.

The expression of deep relief she’d shown upon discovering Shizu had quickly reverted to the one she’d displayed when first spotting me from a distance.

I wanted to understand why she wore such an expression.

As I mentioned earlier, I couldn’t discern the reason behind her reaction just from her expression, which was a mix of joy and unmistakable urgency.

My observation didn’t take long.

Not because my keen eye quickly identified the nature of the urgency in her expression.

“This whole area is unstable. It looks like the ground could collapse at any moment—we need to get to the entrance of the mountain range quickly and escape!”

It was because my sister provided the answer before I could even ask.

I hadn’t felt any issues with the ground beneath me as we were leaving these ruins, but…

Knowing my sister’s character—she never joked about such matters—my course of action was clear.

*Tap tap tap!!*

With a sprightly step that I had intentionally avoided while carrying Shizu, I quickly ran toward the entrance of the Dragon Claw Mountain Range, which had just come into view.

My sister followed closely behind.

“Good decision.”

A brief compliment for my immediate action based on her words, and…

“It would be fine if the ground doesn’t collapse, but it’s better than getting caught in a landslide if it does.”

She added this with both calmness and composure, offering a mild apology for forcing me to hasten my steps.

Her voice showed no signs of the physical and mental exhaustion she must have experienced from her fierce battle with Adorator, though perhaps not as intense as what Shizu and I had faced against Desire.

Though she moved quickly, only her slightly dulled footsteps—compared to mine as I carried Shizu—revealed anything about the difficult battle she must have fought at the entrance to the magical realm.

I have no doubt that if Fafnir had seen my sister in this state—showing no signs of fatigue except for her slightly dulled steps—he would have showered her with praise.

By now, I was growing curious.

I had been captured by a being from the magical realm.

Shizu, upon regaining consciousness, had immediately headed to this magical realm to rescue me.

And my sister, refusing to shy away from the forced march to get here, had come to save both of us.

Throughout her journey, she must have prepared herself for the bloody battle that awaited her upon arrival.

Yet instead of a fierce fight, she had only briefly engaged with Adorator before the situation abruptly ended.

This must be quite bewildering for her.

I wondered what thoughts were running through her mind as she continued walking.

Sure enough…

“Seems like you’ve been through a lot here…”

As if reading my thoughts, my sister, following closely behind me, suddenly mentioned the magical realm that had undergone so many changes.

I had nothing to hide, and since it would take a considerable amount of time to reach the entrance of the Dragon Claw Mountain Range, I was about to briefly explain what had happened, but…

“It’s not so urgent that you need to talk while running—I’ll listen when we have time.”

My sister cut me off before I could even begin.

Right, what’s more important now is escaping this magical realm that could collapse at any moment.

With that thought in mind, I continued my vigorous pace.

Despite carrying Shizu, a clear sense of purpose seemed to provide strong motivation to my weary body and mind.

*Tap tap tap-!!*

The sound of my footsteps was surprisingly sprightly for someone whose legs should have been exhausted from battle, creating a perfect harmony with my sister’s powerful strides.

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*BOOM!! RUMBLE!!*

It happened just after hearing my sister’s warning about the ground potentially collapsing.

The sound reached us just as we barely made it to the entrance of the Dragon Claw Mountain Range, away from the effects of ground erosion.

There’s no need to explain what the sound was.

This tainted area—where the magical realm, the Obsidian Palace, and all traces of the dark magical energy that Desire had rooted in this land—was now…

*CRASH!! ROAR!!*

With a noise that could never be described as merely “loud,” all those impure traces were disappearing from this world without leaving a mark.

The spectacle of nature’s might, impossible to replicate artificially no matter how hard one tried, was both magnificent and terrifying.

Had I been a little slower in meeting up with my sister and still carefully making my way, Shizu and I might have been caught in that collapsing magical realm.

So before I could feel awe at the sight of the magical realm vanishing without a trace, I heard by my ear:

“Mmm…”

A soft murmur indicating that Shizu, who had slept soundly even through my vigorous movements, was now waking up.

It seems that even Shizu, who had found my footsteps lullaby-like, couldn’t sleep through this majestic roar of nature’s power.

“…Cal?”

“Awake?”

“Yeah… I woke up because of the sudden loud noise.”

“I see…”

“…What’s that sound?”

To Shizu, who still looked sleepy but also slightly startled by the sudden noise, asking me what was happening…

“It’s the sound announcing the end of all impurity.”

I explained the scene unfolding before us with the most delicate expression I could manage.

Though she couldn’t properly see what was happening while being carried on my back, she seemed satisfied with my explanation.

“I see…”

Shizu quickly accepted my words without questioning further, and then…

“I’m sleepy…”

Still showing signs of drowsiness, she buried her face against my back.

Being carried, she had no choice but to lean against my back as there was nothing else to rest on, but…

“Hehe…”

Her faint laughter, traveling through my back where she had buried her head, told me that what seemed like her only option was actually her preferred choice.

The warmth that came with her laughter seemed to completely dispel even the cold that the flames enveloping my body hadn’t fully removed as we left the chilly magical realm.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling.

*Thump-! Thump-!*

Just like when I heard Shizu’s sweet voice whispering that she loved me earlier, my heart once again maintained a powerful, rhythmic beat, raising my body temperature.

So it couldn’t be attributed merely to a feeling.

How should I put it?

Just hearing Shizu say she’s grateful to me, and that she loves me…

This situation where happiness wells up throughout my body in the form of warm energy…

It’s both bewildering and overwhelmingly joyful.

A small worry about whether this is too good to be true fills my mind, but right now…

“Am I… not too heavy?”

As if realizing she’s been carried for too long, she shows an apologetic expression even as she’s about to fall asleep.

“Remember what I told you before? I’ll carry you as many times as needed. You’re not heavy, so don’t worry.”

I only wish for you to enjoy this situation without any concerns, with no distance between us.

The tragedy that unfolded when I became a puppet of a transcendent being, repeating like a hamster wheel countless times, is now over.

From now on, only happy days await you.