Phantom Luna (2)

Thump. Thump..

Shoooosh-

A little while later.

“First of all, what would be the best course of action?”

“Wha-what do you mean..?”

Maker, watching the rain from under an umbrella.

He opened his mouth while wrapping Phantom Luna’s wound with a bandage.

In response, Phantom Luna unconsciously closed her legs and trembled.

Her face was currently very flushed.

Swish. Swish.

She was so distracted that she couldn’t even feel any pain from her wound.

And either knowing or not knowing Phantom Luna’s state, Maker calmly brought up the main topic.

“Those foreign villains from before. Considering how they kept attacking us even as we fled, they seem quite determined.”

“Ah, aah..! That’s right!”

Ahem ahem.

At the mention of foreign villains, Phantom Luna quickly collected herself and began to focus on the subject.

In fact, according to her original plan, she had intended to hold out against them.

To hold out until backup arrived.

She had believed that was the only option available to her at the time, and she was confident in her ability to hold out.

‘Of course, I lost my communicator at some point. And if I had stayed until now, I would certainly have died..’

Anyway, that had been her original plan, and since she had contacted them before fighting, by now they should have had more than enough time to arrive.

Meaning the chances of suppressing them safely had increased compared to before.

“……”

After thinking deeply, Phantom Luna opened her mouth.

“Well..let’s go to the hospital together first.”

“Will that be alright?”

Maker’s words meant whether it was okay to not worry about the two villains.

Phantom Luna shook her head.

“I’m evacuating a ‘civilian’ first. We can quickly go and then rejoin the others. Right, ‘Manager’?”

Not Maker, but Manager.

She was saying that for now, she would treat him as a citizen, not a villain.

At her firm words, Maker nodded.

“Let’s start moving then. Phantom Luna, are you ready to call your flying friend?”

“Yes! I’ve recovered enough mana, and the resummon time has passed!”

“Good.”

Confident Phantom Luna.

Just as they were about to move quickly…

Shoooosh-

KUWOOONG-!!!

A loud explosion heard nearby.

“Manag-“

Tup.

Fearing they might be discovered, Maker pulled her into his arms from behind and covered her mouth.

Though startled and struggling briefly, Phantom Luna quickly assessed the situation and began to hold her breath.

And not long after, the men’s voices could be heard.

“[Aah..another empty search?]”

“[Hmm.]”

By some coincidence, the middle-aged men were circling around Phantom Luna and Maker.

Fortunately, thanks to the rain, they hadn’t noticed Maker and Phantom Luna, but if they continued to stay nearby, they would eventually be caught.

As she was pondering what to do…

“[By the way, the level of young heroes these days is really disappointing, isn’t it? How could they not catch the two of us even when they attacked in groups.]”

“[..Even the single girl we fought at the beginning was better than them.]”

Along with the men’s casual conversation, Phantom Luna’s eyes caught the blood on their bodies.

Her eyes grew cold.

‘..What should we do?’

From what she could assess, the backup she had trusted was already completely shattered.

Even if she considered additional support, the possibility of being discovered would likely be greater than the time it would take for them to arrive.

Phantom Luna looked up at Maker with a serious expression.

“What is it?”

At her gesture of tapping the back of her hand, indicating she had something to say, Maker removed his hand and quietly asked.

Phantom Luna hesitated briefly, then slowly opened her mouth.

“Maker, I’ll draw their attention-“

“I refuse.”

Maker’s rejection came before she could even finish.

This time, he quietly opened his mouth.

“Rather, I’ll draw their attention-“

“Are you crazy?”

This time, the rejection came from Phantom Luna.

Phantom Luna looked up at Maker with a sulky expression.

No matter how she thought about it, he seemed to think of her as too unscrupulous.

‘I haven’t even repaid what I’ve already received, and you want me to accept more help?’

Of course, it made her happy in a way that he would go to such lengths for her.

At some point, she had wished for a prince who would proudly stand in front of her and protect her.

But this wasn’t right.

She needed someone to lean on, not to burden them with everything.

And she wanted his recognition because she didn’t want to remain weak like this.

“I’m going to protect you no matter what.”

As much as you’ve helped me all this time.

Just like you’ve protected me.

“Ms. Chise..”

“..Stay here, Maker.”

She would protect him no matter what.

Phantom Luna began to walk out of the alley one step at a time with trembling feet.

“……”

Tremble..

Honestly, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t scared.

It was natural.

She had just been utterly defeated.

No matter how strong a person was, if they physically felt an overwhelming difference, their spirit would instinctively be crushed.

While walking onto the street, Phantom Luna turned her head and looked at Maker.

And immediately in her sight was his wound, which he kept clutching.

‘Even if you said it wasn’t a fatal wound, the injury was in your abdomen..’

Unlike her, who could move without major issues thanks to just a slight graze on her shoulder and the pressure of bandages, Maker was in an ambiguous situation for both escape and combat.

Ultimately, Phantom Luna had to move, whether it ended well or poorly.

There was no regret or resentment in her action.

However.

“Maker.”

She needed a little more courage.

“Can you do me a favor?”

---

Shoooosh-

“[Where are you~ Where on earth are you?]”

Near the alley where Phantom Luna and Maker were hiding.

The men were having a hard time finding Phantom Luna, whom they were ‘asked’ to find.

This was because they couldn’t see well due to the dark clouds and increasingly heavy rain.

Even though ‘he’ had directly told them the location, they only knew she was hiding somewhere nearby.

“[Haah..huh?]”

“[Look over there.]”

Just as they were wondering if they might not find her at all.

Contrary to such worries, the men turned their heads to a doll they glimpsed.

It was none other than Phantom Luna standing right there, the one they had been looking for.

The corners of the glib man’s mouth turned up brightly.

“[Who do we have here? Isn’t it the lady who ran away with her boyfriend earlier?]”

“[Be careful.]”

Unlike the glib man with his characteristic playfulness, the taciturn man looked at Phantom Luna with a serious expression.

“[Her aura is different from before.]”

Meanwhile, Phantom Luna looked at the men before her, briefly adjusting the cloak on her shoulder.

“Summon.”

She stretched out her hand and activated her ability.

Woong-

Mana began to boil inside her body.

‘Hm?’

But something felt strange.

It wasn’t bad, just…

‘Why does my body feel so light?’

The mana inside her body was moving fiercely, and considering her injury, she had an unusually abundant amount of power.

Woong-!

Better condition than ever before.

Phantom Luna began to call her summons one by one.

WOOOONG-!

“Bear Bear.”

-BEARRR!!

Bear Bear, a bear-shaped summon specialized in defense.

“Sylphie.”

-Piiit!

Sylphie, a wind fairy summon specialized in support and attack.

‘And..’

Woong-!!

She could naturally feel it.

That it was possible now.

“Griffin.”

-PIYOOO!!!

Griffin, a summon specialized in movement and surprise attacks.

“[She summoned three at once?]”

The men also showed signs of tension.

This was different from before when she summoned two.

It wasn’t just about having one more opponent.

‘If she wasn’t hiding her strength…’

‘It means she’s grown in that short time.’

An abnormal growth rate.

With that, the glib man’s composure disappeared, and his eyes flashed brightly.

And, as he saw it.

Perhaps…this wasn’t the end.

Because it was very clearly visible in his eyes.

‘..Monsters.’

With the heavy pressure and the monsters screaming to be let out from within, there was no way he could have the stupid thought that this was the end.

And Phantom Luna felt the same sensation.

Only she felt a warm energy rather than pressure.

Bear Bear, Sylphie, Griffin.

Even after summoning all three summons she could control, she instinctively felt that something else remained inside her.

‘It’s calling me.’

She didn’t know the exact reason.

She just felt something calling her, and she was certain she could summon it.

Rustle.

While the strange fear of its majestic aura was felt, even though it wasn’t heavy, she felt the cloak that had been disheveled near her shoulder being placed back in position.

“..Maker?”

Maker, who had somehow slipped out of the alley and was now tidying her clothes.

‘No, I told him to stay hidden, why did he come out!’

Just as Phantom Luna was about to say something to him out of anxiety…

“It’s alright.”

Maker spoke first, before she could.

After being briefly confused by his sudden words, Phantom Luna quickly understood what Maker was saying as he continued.

“They won’t harm you.”

“..How do you know?”

It was ambiguous in meaning.

It meant both how he knew about what was inside her.

And how he knew these things wouldn’t harm her.

To her question, Maker simply shrugged his shoulders.

“I just see what I know.”

Though he spoke lightly, there was a strange certainty in his words. That his thoughts were surely not wrong.

‘..Come to think of it, you’ve always been this kind of person.’

A moment of silence followed.

Phantom Luna slapped both her cheeks and smiled at him.

“I’ll believe you.”

“You can believe me for a lifetime.”

With Maker by her side and the enemies watching the situation tensely.

Phantom Luna stretched out her arms and drew up mana.

KUNG-! WOONG WOONG-!!

The momentum that seemed ready to burst out was a bit frightening, but Phantom Luna decided not to worry.

‘The new one won’t harm me either.’

More accurately, ones.

It wasn’t a single summon.

One and many, a cluster of monsters.

WOONG-! WOONG-! WOONG-!

As if demanding to be let out, they knocked with mana.

In Phantom Luna’s mind, she naturally knew their names.

Then, all she had to do was welcome them.

“Come out.”

Phantom Luna called their names in a low voice and opened the passage.

“Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of a Hundred Demons).”

ㅡThe moon of all demons had called them.