Ch.55Raid, Irefi! (2)

The wind ceases. As the radiance adorning the night sky faintly illuminates the world, only she exuded a complete presence.

Her hair, now stained black, has lost all traces of its original pure white. The malice that had sprouted seemed to have transformed Irefi into a completely different being.

She spoke in a low, cracked voice.

“All those who interfere with the world’s destruction, all, all, all…!”

Irefi’s index and middle fingers overlapped to form a sword seal. Her eyes, now closer to dark blue, emitted an unusual light.

An ominous dark red energy gathered at her sword seal, flickering like flames.

Irefi drew in the air with her sword seal. From the trajectory of the long straight line, energy took form and gained physical force.

A blood-red greatsword in the shape of a nodachi, larger than Irefi’s chest height, materialized. Thanks to the transcendentally condensed energy density, the sword’s form wasn’t even translucent.

“Turn to ashes and become fleeting decay…”

Finally, screams escaped from both my throat and Zikharun’s.

“Here comes the Mountain Splitter!!!”

She raised the crimson greatsword high above her head. With a majesty that seemed capable of piercing the Milky Way, she glared at the world.

Woong-!

In an instant, the world split in two within my crimson-tinted vision. Irefi’s blade tip sliced vertically through the air.

A two-dimensional line connecting right and left. I marveled at the void in space created by the slash.

Under the starry sky splitting vertically. In this world cut cleanly in two, our option wasn’t to evade.

“Now, Zikharun!”

“Hold on tight, Marquess!”

Puhwak!

Hot energy swept through my entire body. From behind, Zikharun’s hands supported me as he released the spirit’s blood with all his might.

A formation where I became a meat shield wearing armor of reflection made from spirit blood. This was our strategy to counter Irefi’s Mountain Splitter technique.

A desperate measure only possible because of immortality. But it would surely be effective.

The slash flickered like satellite light and dispersed like a wave. Facing the Mountain Splitter, I held back an absurdly ridiculous scream while rolling my eyes.

“Urgggggggh…!”

“Hmm, is this the limit? Bartlant!!!”

At Zikharun’s call, the large man leaped toward the sky-piercing slash. Bartlant swung his massive Conqueror’s Sword in a full swing with plenty of openings. He strained his veins with a desperate battle cry.

“Khaap!”

Kwajajajak!

Bartlant’s monstrous strength amplified by battle aura. Combined with the immortal meat shield’s performance, the power of the Mountain Splitter rapidly lost its form.

Kuluk!

“Huk… Kheut…”

A blood-boiling voice leaked out with coughs packed with pain. From none other than Irefi.

While I would eventually regenerate unless minced like meat in a grinder, she was different.

There was no way to avoid the accumulated reflective damage from the spirit’s blood. Her pupils trembled, seemingly astonished that her lethal strike had been blocked by such an unexpected method.

“Haha, even the Destroyer is nothing before a Korean’s friendship shield.”

“Don’t say such things, you crazy bastard!!!”

Or perhaps she felt cosmic horror witnessing the true madness contained in our formation.

But all this nonsense was for Irefi’s sake, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Cut me some slack. The spirit’s blood isn’t infinite. It’s best not to rely on reflective damage anymore.”

“…Right. Let’s press on according to the plan while we have this opening!”

Information about Irefi’s patterns had already been shared. Based on knowledge of the original work, we had reestablished the most realistic manual possible.

One of those was the friendship shield, which might look pathetic but was the best choice.

Using all these manuals flexibly, we aimed for just one goal.

‘To induce Irefi’s final technique, Heaven and Earth Splitter.’

I didn’t know how much recoil young Irefi’s body would suffer. However, as if blessed by heavenly luck, she was far from normal condition. I had a feeling she might be comparable to her elderly future self.

‘We can definitely do this!’

◇

Kwaaaaaaang!

Under the moonlight, a young man and woman intertwined. On the broken and crumpled ground, the girl’s white hair fluttered ceaselessly.

The girl’s height barely reached below an adult man’s chest. Yet the “something” she held was closer to a blunt weapon that exceeded her height.

Clang!

The metallic sound of the blunt weapon falling from the girl’s grip echoed.

“Miren!”

“Haa, haaa… Arnel.”

“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

“No, it’s still not enough. If I don’t exhaust my strength for brother Nepy… What about you, Arnel? Aren’t you tired?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Arnel was reassuring with his calm confidence. He had been accompanying her from lunch until late night without complaint, despite not knowing the reason.

It was fortunate that someone like Arnel had become her friend, accepting her absurd claims without doubt.

Yes, absurd claims…

[Perhaps… no, I’m almost certain. Sister Elfi’s power is being unilaterally shared with me.]

This change had definitely occurred after being released from the golden chain’s binding. Though she didn’t know why, she had no luxury to question it.

Once she sensed the unity, she couldn’t help but know. The vast heat of her sister’s power. Its unreasonableness, as if born with some mission as a living creature.

There was no way to win. Even at her young age, she could make that judgment.

Therefore, she rampaged freely based on the shared power, trying to diminish her sister’s strength even slightly. Since she couldn’t see it directly, she wasn’t sure how effective it would be…

‘More, I need to consume more! But I can’t draw any more because Sister Elfi is using her power so strongly…’

“Miren. I think you’ve reached your limit.”

“No, that’s not… I can… do more…”

Miren couldn’t continue speaking. She experienced dizziness as the world suddenly seemed to flip.

‘No, am I the one flipping?’

“Miren!”

Tadat!

Arnel’s response was swift. He gently embraced Miren’s swaying back and lifted her legs above the calves.

Finding herself naturally held like a princess, Miren’s face contorted in bewilderment.

“Ah, ah, Arnel?! Put me down! And, and I’m sorry!”

“I’m sorry too. I can’t put you down. If you keep overexerting yourself like this, something terrible might happen to you.”

“Ugh…”

She had vaguely sensed it. After gradually losing control of the power, her physical condition had rapidly deteriorated.

Her knees ached and her wrists screamed in pain. Even her palms, covered in blisters from skin abrasions, had lost their afternoon healing power.

“Then at least somewhere to sit…”

“No. Let’s go to the bedroom. I’ll call the doctor too.”

“You’re being unusually strict.”

“I’m sorry. It’s my selfishness, because I’m worried about you.”

“Ugh.”

That’s unfair. When he says everything is his fault, how can she argue? Especially when his excuse is for a friend’s well-being…

She looked at Arnel’s profile while being carried. Brown hair and green eyes like any other Chester human. If there was any difference, it might be his gentle impression, unrelated to conflict.

‘Arnel… you were a surprise.’

When she was rampaging to consume power since the afternoon, Arnel had made a direct proposal.

He told her to attack him. Saying it would increase her activity and drain more power that way.

Arnel had only been brought along to supervise her. According to Enella, exercise wasn’t even his hobby.

She hesitated for a long time, but after a few attacks, she realized that Arnel’s proposal wasn’t mere bravado.

The way he deflected earth-splitting impacts to the side and twisted downward strikes upward into the sky seemed like watching a performance of wonders.

‘And he doesn’t even get tired… I was deceived by his puppy-like gentle appearance. Why does he hide his abilities?’

And why did he reveal them to her without reservation?

She stared intently at Arnel’s face. She wasn’t sure if she expected to find an answer there.

Noticing her burdensome gaze, Arnel met her eyes. Then he silently gave her a warm eye-smile.

“Mmm…”

“Miren? Is the position uncomfortable?”

“No… it’s not.”

It’s hot. Indeed, it’s hot. Despite the cold season, sometimes it gets hot. Like right now. Surely it’s because she’d been overexerting her body all day.

If that’s the case, is Arnel hot too? He should be, she’d like him to be. No, does he have to be hot? Being cool is nice too. No, that’s not right. Then he might catch a cold.

‘What am I thinking right now!’

She placed her hands on her heated cheeks. She thought she heard the sound of heat dissipating—pushuuu. Finding that somehow strange, she glanced sideways at Arnel.

Arnel apologized quietly as he looked at Miren.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Just, sorry if you don’t like it.”

“It’s not really…”

“Okay.”

Arnel’s eyes formed another arc. That eye-smile that spreads warmth just by looking at it. It must be because of that that her heart feels uncomfortable.

“Don’t do that…”

“Do what?”

“Don’t smile like that in front of other people.”

Surely other people would feel uncomfortable too. Definitely, they would… It must be because of that… It’s consideration for others…

“Okay. I understand.”

Despite the unreasonable command, Arnel neither questioned nor argued. That somehow made her feel both relieved and annoyed, so she averted her eyes.

Until they entered the mansion without exchanging any more words, the celestial bodies brilliantly illuminated the two.