Ch.84Concert (5)

A discordant sound that violated the eardrums.

Following the unpleasantly resonating melody, the blood-filled surface shook as if an earthquake had struck.

Immediately after, it became a massive tidal wave crashing against the shore.

We who stood on the sandy beach hesitated and stepped back.

Boom-!

The ground trembled.

As if trying to reach the sun in the sky, the dark red wave rose so high it was beyond sight.

The surging blood water was bubbling.

Given the terrible concentration of Demonic Energy it contained, it was already no different from hydrochloric acid.

The moment it touched anything, that existence would dissolve completely.

“We need to block it.”

“Yes.”

Sharlotte stepped forward with the response.

She gripped her sword with both hands and took a step toward the pouring tidal wave.

Not a trace of agitation showed in her transparent pupils.

As she concentrated mana at her fingertips.

Soon, a brilliant light burst from the blade’s surface.

“Cut.”

Her lips moved lightly.

Immediately following the slash drawn through the air, an intense sword energy shot through the blood-colored mist.

The single flash of light collided head-on with the massive tidal wave.

And.

Kwaaaang!!!

The oncoming wave shattered into pieces.

The blood water scattered, becoming tiny foam.

Only a few drops that were closest to the shore fell above our heads.

While I protected myself by creating an umbrella with shadows, Sharlotte, who was avoiding the drizzle beside me, spoke breathlessly.

Despite just one clash, she seemed to have consumed quite a bit of energy.

“This… hurts my hand.”

“The power is concerning.”

“I gave it my all, and barely managed to block it.”

Sharlotte flexed her tingling hand open and closed.

Seeing the girl’s strained reaction, I muttered as if troubled.

“It seems they put a lot of power into making this one.”

The power exceeded expectations.

The conductor’s thought entity.

Originally, it should have been easily subdued by Sharlotte, but perhaps because it was returning after a long time, it seemed to have prepared intensely.

It felt quite unexpected.

Using this much power would have been a burden for that being as well.

Deep in thought, I said:

“This won’t be an easy fight.”

“Indeed.”

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”

“No problem. More importantly, do you know anything about these strange occurrences?”

“Well…”

I knew about the conductor.

I had encountered it countless times in the original work.

Nightmares become reality wherever its music lingers.

Melodies covered in Demonic Energy bewitch people, corrupt their essence, and turn them into beings that can no longer return to God.

The victims become monsters, repeating only slaughter and performance.

‘It wasn’t called the worst catastrophe for nothing.’

An ability optimized for massacre.

Of course, things don’t flip to such an enormous scale from the beginning.

It starts from a narrow seed.

‘The Concert’

A virtual space created by the conductor.

It traps several hosts inside.

Then waits until they absorb enough Demonic Energy.

Once complete mutation occurs, it releases them outside the domain.

The ferocious melody spreads like a virus, turning the surroundings into wasteland.

The cathedral where we were now was also in the same state.

Like a time bomb that could explode at any moment.

If we failed to defeat the boss in time, the accumulated Demonic Energy inside would go berserk.

It would easily wipe out at least one village.

No.

Since it seemed to have used more power than usual, this time it might even devour the surrounding villages.

Considering the damage that would occur, we had to stop it.

‘The method is simple.’

The conductor’s domain is maintained through a ‘thought entity.’

It’s easier to think of it as the strongest host, with most of the Demonic Energy condensing around this being to increase its size.

In other words, it could be considered the heart of the concert.

Therefore, when the thought entity is neutralized, the domain loses its balance and collapses.

I pointed to the woman visible ahead and said:

“We just need to subdue that person.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Will it be difficult?”

“Killing her might be barely possible.”

“Haha… please refrain from that. Despite appearances, she’s someone who has helped me in various ways.”

“Can’t be helped. Capturing her alive is beyond my abilities.”

Sharlotte shook her head.

Then she tilted her head as if something seemed strange.

“Is there even meaning in capturing her alive?”

“Hmm?”

“She’s been consumed by Demonic Energy. She’s already in an irreversible state, so why bother capturing her alive?”

“Just follow my words for now. You’ll understand soon.”

“I see… I’ll try my best then.”

The girl fidgeted with her sword.

Perhaps because the impact of the first collision was stronger than expected.

Sharlotte was holding her aching wrist, but the crazed opponent wouldn’t consider such circumstances.

The woman standing in the middle of the sea continued her performance.

Screech-!

She placed the bow on the strings.

Following the elegant hand movement that followed, an unpleasantly discordant melody rang out.

Could such a terrible pitch come from a violin?

“Here it comes.”

Boom-!

The surface shook once more.

The bubbling blood water scattered.

It slowly rose into the air, then hardened into the shape of sharp swords.

Hundreds of blood swords were staring at us.

The scene of red swords gathering against a red sky above a red sea was truly overwhelming.

Nevertheless.

“……”

The girl exhaled calmly.

A posture without disturbance.

Thud-!

She thrust her sword into the ground.

As the blade sank deep into the sandy beach, Sharlotte firmly gripped it and exploded the mana within her body.

A rapturous light flashed over her blue eyes.

With the surging aura behind her, her reddish lips recited the activation words.

The words to unfold her domain.

“Sword, be stained.”

-Sharlotte-style Domain Swordsmanship Fifth Form-

‘Ash-colored Garden’

Boom-!

Steel vines sprouted from the ground, swirling around us.

The stems intertwined and cut each other.

Thus, a massive landscape was created.

A splendid garden of roses.

As Sharlotte lightly twisted her sword, thousands of blades fluttered like petals.

They shot forth riding the ensuing storm.

Kwaaaang-!

The beach trembled.

Each storm advancing fiercely soon collided and mixed intensely.

Blood and petals splattered everywhere.

“Haah…”

Amidst the fierce bursting sounds, she aimed her sword.

In Sharlotte’s once transparent pupils, the image of a woman playing discordant music was now reflected.

***

Sharlotte and the conductor’s thought entity.

The battle continued fiercely.

The thought entity pushed forward with an overwhelming quantity of Demonic Energy, and each time, Sharlotte neutralized the crisis with appropriate defense or counterattack.

Especially whenever sword energy struck from a distance, the waves shook greatly.

“……”

I was observing the situation.

In battle, I only played a minor supporting role, not attempting direct hits.

I wanted to assess how much Sharlotte had grown.

Only with a good understanding of the present can one execute plans for the future.

Sharlotte didn’t particularly challenge my behavior.

-I don’t intend to reveal your identity. You don’t seem like a bad person.

-I’m just… curious about you as a person.

Knowing about my power, she seemed to think I knew what I was doing.

The girl was simply focused on her own battle.

Clang! Crack…! Tung!

The conductor’s thought entity.

Sharlotte was engaged in an evenly matched battle.

Originally, this was an enemy that should appear around the second year, but it was encouraging that she could match it despite being only a first-year.

Moreover, unlike the children I had directly intervened with for growth, Sharlotte had developed entirely on her own, truly deserving the title of the greatest genius in the story.

Of course.

‘That doesn’t mean she’s perfect.’

Being only a first-year at this point, there was a difference from the third-year Sharlotte I remembered.

Her swordsmanship still had room for improvement.

And her ultimate technique, ‘Ash-colored Garden,’ hadn’t yet been properly colored.

These aspects would likely be resolved with time.

‘She’s a genius after all.’

At least regarding growth, it seemed I didn’t need to worry.

Of course, there were complicated issues related to the ‘rose,’ but those were contents I could resolve without much difficulty.

I organized the situation in my mind.

As I was lost in thought.

Suddenly, Sharlotte who stood in front staggered.

Judging by her kneeling on one knee, her stamina seemed to be running out.

Disturbed breaths flowed over her lips.

“Haa, haa…”

The girl’s domain was half-destroyed.

The once solid garden was broken, and the steel roses were snapped.

Even the undergrowth was withering, perhaps due to lack of mana.

Sharlotte caught her breath for a moment, then looked at me expressionlessly.

“Sorry. I’m at my limit now.”

Was subduing it impossible after all?

A declaration of surrender reached my ears.

I nodded.

“You were excellent, Your Highness.”

“I think I could have killed her, but capturing her alive was difficult.”

“It’s fine, you’ll become stronger in the future.”

“You asked me to buy time. Was this enough?”

“More than enough.”

“That’s good.”

Sharlotte smiled faintly before sitting down completely.

She didn’t seem particularly scared.

No, it felt more like her emotions themselves were shallow.

She was a girl existing in multiple dimensions in many ways.

Leaving the tired princess behind, I took a step toward the thought entity that was glaring at us.

The woman was still standing in the middle of the sea, playing her violin.

“Will you be okay? She’s not just ordinarily troublesome.”

“No problem.”

“Yes. With your power, it should be possible.”

“Though the sea full of Demonic Energy is tricky, I just need to cross it in one go.”

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“Just draw her attention for a brief moment, please.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll signal you.”

I brought up a blue screen in the air.

Checking the remaining output.

-Ding!

[Current remaining output: 82.7%]

A comfortable figure.

After lightly flexing my fingers, I immediately gave a word to the girl.

A signal determining the timing to act.

“Now.”

“Yes.”

Shing-.

Sharlotte grasped her sword again.

She closed her eyelids as if concentrating briefly, then scraped together all the mana remaining in her body.

Blue aura swirled around her.

Whoosh-!

An unnecessary gust of wind rose, covering the sandy beach.

A brilliant light emanating from the sword tip.

A radiance dyed pure white.

Like defying the blood-red scenery, a slash of the sword rained down as a snow-white banner.

It was a dazzlingly splendid scene that caught attention.

“Kiaaaaa!!”

Perhaps noticing the unusual current?

The thought entity widened its eyes.

Rotten blood dripped like tears down her lifeless cheeks.

The woman readjusted the bow she had been lowering. She seemed to be preparing for the incoming attack.

Only platinum blonde hair was reflected in her blackened pupils.

But.

“That’s just a diversion.”

A feint with all her might.

It was just a light emission effect with no real danger, using all the remaining mana at full power.

In other words, a bluff with all her heart.

The real thing was behind.

Clap-!

A crisp sound of applause.

The next moment.

I was standing behind the thought entity.

She turned around in surprise, but I was faster in grabbing her neck.

Thud-!

“…!”

Dead lips couldn’t even scream.

As I held her neck as if about to break it, the thought entity struggled, flailing her limbs as if trying to shake free.

It was a meaningless struggle.

The shadow I had already unleashed had bound the woman’s body.

Like a figure caught in a spider’s web.

“…!!”

Was this her last resistance?

She plucked the violin string.

Ting-!

A bitter noise rang out, and the Demonic Energy spread across the sea began to swirl.

The dark red traces mixed into a massive wave.

It seemed intent on swallowing us into the sea.

Rumble!!

The waves convulsed with a bizarre sound.

The Demonic Energy scattered in the air gathered at a certain point, then formed a dark red cloud, settling as a massive storm.

It was a fierce energy incomparable to before, befitting a final stand, but.

I remained unmoved.

“…Heh.”

I merely sneered.

It was a gesture that was vain, futile, and without any meaning.

I felt a meager pity.

“Hear my call.”

I recited the incantation calmly.

“And immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.'”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

And when they got into the boat,

“The wind ceased.”

I lifted my eyelids.

Transparent, snow-white pupils.

They flickered desolately, containing light and darkness.

Following the sacred verses of the gospel, the sea that had been raging like a storm had calmed down.

A quiet scene without even slight noise.

“I call the lost lamb.”

I placed a lie at my fingertips.

The shadow creeping up stained the surrounding air black.

And.

“Shatter.”

A direct word tying up all sins.

Large cracks appeared in the sky above.

Crack, crack-!

Like a mirror breaking.

The background covered in blood mist shattered, and through the fragmented gaps, the blue sky began to appear.

The body of the woman being held also gradually regained vitality.

Medro Gardnier.

Her pupils blinked blankly.

As if she couldn’t distinguish whether the current scene was a dream or reality.

Because she had been immersed in a nightmare until just now.

“Dan, blind man…?”

A faint voice.

I quietly embraced her.

Then whispered in her ear.

“Let’s go back, my child.”

By now.

We were standing on the blue sea.