Chapter 193

Chapter 193

I Proposed While Drunk and Now the Princesses are Obsessed.

Episode 193: Steeplechasing, Double-dealing, And Unfair Trade (15)

There was no signal announcing the start.

Paaang!

The energy of the two masters violently collided in midair.

Herta’s unique tingling energy was spreading everywhere. Jaekiel felt a change inside his body.

‘That technique from before. The flow inside my body is speeding up.’

Herta’s lightning forced a rampage. From now on, if he didn’t act properly, he would self-destruct.

Kwa-ji-ji-ji-ji-ji-jik!

Herta gripped a long lightning bolt like a longsword.

Saying she wanted to die as a glorious thunderbolt was no idle talk. Herta didn’t waste time feeling out her opponent with half-hearted techniques.

From the start, she clashed with her full power.

Ppa-ji-ji-ji-ji-jik!

Just the sensation of touching that overwhelming energy was enough to make Jaekiel feel nauseous. With three types of energy wildly circulating all at once, his head was spinning.

‘Focus on the cold energy.’

He concentrated on applying the principle of Gyeol to himself. By freezing and slowing down a specific point, he could also slow the speed.

But there wasn’t much time for calculations in his head. Herta had already charged.

Suddenly, Jaekiel abandoned his defensive thoughts.

‘No, not Gyeol. Let’s go the opposite way.’

If he started defending, it would be endless.

He decided to just accept his rampaging body and unleash his power with all his might.

Hwaaaaah!

The forcibly rampaged cold energy spread out around him. He immediately understood why the Dullahans had collapsed so quickly.

If he hadn’t steadily increased his total mana through training, he would have collapsed immediately, too.

If he was going to be forced to consume so much energy, he shouldn’t drag the fight out.

Jaekiel’s conclusion was simple: end it in one powerful strike.

Kwak!

When Jaekiel clenched his fist, the giant upper body of an ice spirit behind him also clenched its fist.

Perhaps due to the rampage, it was nearly the size of a mansion.

Pajijijijik!

Even seeing the size of the ice spirit, Herta didn’t change direction.

She simply, straightforwardly, continued her charge while gripping the lightning.

Kwaaang!

In midair, the giant ice fist and the lightning collided.

Golden-hued ice flowers scattered everywhere.

Biiiiiing.

A severe ringing immediately overwhelmed Jaekiel.

After the clash, the energy consumption had increased even more.

The mystery within the lightning itself was one thing, but its sheer power was tremendous.

At least, it was the first time Jaekiel had seen his ice shatter so easily.

‘This is already the realm of a Tower Master.’

Jaekiel swallowed that thought inwardly.

Successor to the Tower Master? No, her level was already such that he could believe she’d long secured that position.

But he wasn’t just admiring her.

He quickly calculated the information he had absorbed from the recent clash.

If using only cold energy wasn’t sufficient, he considered which other energies he could mix in, analyzing Herta’s movements… then suddenly had a realization.

From there, it was pure chaos.

Bang! Bang! Kwaaang!

Because both were rampaging, their tremendously powerful techniques clashed in the air.

The impact was so great that all the clouds gathered in the sky scattered.

Herta’s lightning was best described as a thunderstorm.

Golden lightning and thunder coexisted.

It rushed in from all directions at tremendous speed, with the sound bursting a few beats late, confusing the opponent.

Kwaaang!

As a lightning strike narrowly missed Jaekiel’s side, he also chose close combat.

He closed the distance even more towards Herta.

Pajijik! Kwaang! Bang! Bang!

Ice and lightning shattered several times at extremely close range.

It was a deadly distance for both—one wrong move meant death.

Just when it seemed like it would become a drawn-out battle…

Suddenly, Herta muttered.

“…Now.”

“Huh?”

“Right now. Please.”

At the same time, Herta’s clothes and hair shot up toward the sky.

She had raised her energy by severalfold.

Kwa-jijijijijijik!

The principle was shocking.

The force she once used to force her opponent into rampage, she now directed entirely at herself.

If golden lightning took the form of a woman, it would be like this.

It was a surge of energy beyond description.

The woman gripped and swung the lightning.

Kwaaaaaaang!

The power and sound were on a completely different level than before.

As Jaekiel barely succeeded in defending and was pushed back, he suddenly locked eyes with Herta.

Her narrowed eyes were now wide open, glowing golden.

Those eyes were earnestly speaking to him.

That the next technique would be her full power.

“Please, deliver a brilliant ending.”

Thump! Thump!

Jaekiel immediately began drawing up the power within him.

The three energies mixed appropriately.

And then, finally…

Paaang!

The distance between Jaekiel and Herta began to close instantly.

Herta, having transformed herself into a single bolt of lightning, began her full-force charge.

With the lightning sword she gripped tightly, it felt as if space itself was compressing.

In a fleeting moment, Jaekiel recalled.

The technique Demon Lord Valetta always demonstrated through her movements.

Before he realized it, she had already extended her hand—that movement; now he could imitate it.

He immediately prepared to extend his right hand.

Three energies were already swirling around his palm.

Kwa-jijijijijijik!

!!!

The closer the lightning came, the more the sound disappeared.

It had surpassed the level the ears could perceive.

Finally, when the two were right next to each other, Jaekiel stretched out his right hand with all his might.

Scatter.

But unlike before, when he simply emitted cold energy.

It was a master technique that exploded all three energies at once.

“!!!!”

Whether it was a battle cry or something else, the last thing Jaekiel saw was Herta opening her mouth with all her strength.

Finally, the two magicians collided.

!!!!!!!!

The sound was beyond the level that could be heard.

The entire area shook as if an earthquake had struck.

All the clouds in the sky scattered and vanished, and the ground of the training field split apart dramatically.

Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

First came the ringing in the ears and the shaking vision.

“…”

And then, heat.

Jaekiel felt a maddening heat.

The cause was simple.

Herta’s lightning sword was lodged proudly into Jaekiel’s left shoulder.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t dodge.

He simply didn’t want to dodge.

“…I wonder if it reached you. My sincerity.”

Herta whispered softly.

Even though it was a very faint voice, he heard it clearly.

Because the charge had been so deep.

They were so close it was as if they were embracing.

“Kgh.”

Herta’s chin rested on Jaekiel’s shoulder, and from there, hot liquid flowed uncontrollably.

The scent of blood was thick. She had vomited an incredible amount of blood.

Only then did Jaekiel check his surroundings.

“…”

He thought maybe his attack had missed.

Because he hadn’t felt anything hit.

But that wasn’t it.

It was simply too light and mercilessly thorough for him to feel it.

Jaekiel’s right hand had completely pierced through Herta’s chest.

His mastery had grown without him realizing it.

“Haa… haa…”

Even so, she was still breathing. It was a wonder she was still alive.

“Mm…”

Herta struggled to steady her voice.

It seemed she still had things she wanted to say to Jaekiel.

“My ears… I can’t hear very well…”

She continued to breathe heavily several more times.

“Can you… tell me how the Purple Tower is reacting…?”

“…”

Even in this situation, she prioritized the Tower’s reaction.

It was no lie that she had prepared for death.

Unlike Zeta, who had been filled with fear when danger struck, Herta calmly confirmed what she had achieved.

Jaekiel immediately focused on the surrounding sounds.

“Herta! Herta!”

“Aaaaah, what have we done?!”

“The lightning we’ve pursued all this time… what have we…?”

The Purple Tower’s side was full of near-wails.

They were deeply moved by witnessing Herta’s lightning.

Without any tricks, this was the level she had carved out on her own.

She had proven with her life that the pursuit of advancing the lightning element alone was enough.

Jaekiel parted his lips with difficulty.

“Your lightning must have left a deep impression.”

“…Mm.”

Herta closed her eyes and opened them again, seemingly satisfied.

“I heard you have the nickname ‘Snow Ghost.’”

Strength was gradually leaving Herta’s body.

Jaekiel supported her body and listened quietly.

It was his final courtesy to the Tower Master.

“Having a nickname… I envy it. I lived telling myself just to keep training day by day, but now I realize I never had any name of my own.”

“Do you want a nickname?”

Herta very slightly shook her head.

“It’s because I feel sorry for my lightning. I want to call the golden friend who stayed with me all my life by a name. What would be good… what…?”

Come to think of it, Herta had never spoken the names of her techniques.

He had thought it was for tactical reasons, but now he realized there had never been any names to begin with.

Jaekiel suddenly looked around.

“Lady Herta…! Ah, Lady Herta…!”

“To think such lightning existed in the Tower… It’s truly regrettable. If only those Tower bastards hadn’t committed sins!”

“We were wrong! Lady Herta! Please stay awake! Lady Herta!”

The brilliant golden lightning had led the first chorus.

Now, the Tower’s magicians were following in chorus.

Jaekiel suddenly spoke the name that came to mind.

“Thunder Chant.”

Thunder Chant, the Song of Lightning.

“Your lightning’s song made all the magicians of the Tower weep. Yes, Thunder Chant is the perfect name.”

“Thunder Chant…”

Herta’s eyelids slowly closed.

But her lips were gently curling upward.

“I like that name…”

“Your death definitely had meaning. It’s not just the Tower’s magicians. Everyone seems to have been moved. All of them are praising your lightning.”

“Mhm.”

Herta gently nodded.

“Thank you… truly, thank you…”

The faint laugh the woman let out was her last.