episode_0236

The White Lotus party infiltrated White Face Castle one step ahead through Tamiel’s space jump magic.

Before they started moving in earnest in White Face Castle, they used Tamiel’s ‘cognitive interference magic.’

The cognitive interference magic meant that when someone other than the designated target looked at the affected target, they would not recognize the existence and pass by.

“…Are you sure this really works?”

“Of course~.”

In response to Seollin’s words, Tamiel answered with a nonchalant expression and moved away from the gloomy corner of the hallway where other monsters did not pass by.

“Wait, just a moment!!”

“Lady Tamiel! There!!….”

But there happened to be a passing maid there.

In a normal situation, it would have been obvious that they would be caught, but the passing maid ‘didn’t seem to see’ Tamiel and passed by without any reaction.

“See?”

“….”

“Umm….”

Everyone, watching Tamiel directly prove her words, stared at Tamiel, speechless. Anyway, it was proven that Tamiel’s ‘cognitive interference magic’ was effective, so now it’s time to go find the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird who were kidnapped here in earnest.

“Ah, but I want everyone to pay attention to one thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“For now, as long as this cognitive interference magic is in place, most people won’t be able to recognize you, but there are a few exceptional situations where the cognitive interference magic won’t work.”

“E-Exceptional situations?”

At Leviya’s question, Tamiel wiggled her finger.

Then, a simple drawing-like thing unfolded in the air with magical light.

“First, the moment you make contact with the other person, the cognitive interference magic is released, limited to that target. So, be careful not to touch anyone other than the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird. It’s the same even if you brush against things like the collar of your clothes, not just simple skin contact.”

“Hmm…. We’ll have to be careful about that.”

“Secondly, it doesn’t work from the beginning on those who have sensory abilities that exceed my magic’s abilities. Of course…, I’m confident in my skills, so there shouldn’t be anyone like that, but if it’s a fragment of the Demon King, even if the distance is far, if they get close or directly enter their field of vision, they’ll be able to figure everything out, so be careful.”

“I, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Leviya nodded her head vigorously.

Tamiel shrugged her shoulders and took a step back, as if she had said everything she wanted to say.

Seeing that, White Lotus looked around at everyone else and said.

“Everyone…. Thank you so much for helping me rescue my mother. But, if your life is in danger, prioritize your own life first. My mother is important too, of course…, but as much as the time I’ve spent with you all, you are also precious comrades.”

Everyone except Tamiel smiled at White Lotus’s words.

And Seollin opened her mouth as the representative of everyone.

“Don’t worry. We’ll save both White Tiger and Vermilion Bird, and we’ll all be safe.”

“Haha…. Hmm, I guess I said something too lacking in confidence. Then let’s all move.”

“Ah, I have a suggestion there.”

Lucy raises her hand slightly.

As everyone’s attention turned to Lucy, Lucy shrugged her shoulders and said.

“This place is incredibly large, and I think it’s a waste of manpower to have everyone moving around in a group. So, let’s divide into two teams.”

“Hmm…. I feel a sense of déjà vu, but…, how are you planning to divide the teams?”

“White Lotus, Seollin, and I will be one team. Leviya and Tamiel will be one team.”

“You’re surprisingly not saying you’re on a team with Leviya? I thought you’d be following Leviya around.”

Seollin looked puzzled at the unexpected team combination.

Lucy shook her head, as if she couldn’t help it, and said.

“Well…. First of all, Seollin-nim seems uncomfortable with Tamiel…, and White Lotus-nim and Seollin-nim have been working together for quite a while, so I thought it would be good for the two of them to act together. And we need to have at least the minimum number of recovery personnel on both sides…. With Leviya-nim’s skills and Tamiel’s power, who used to be a fragment of the Demon King, I thought it would be enough even without a vanguard, so I formed the team.”

As she said that, Lucy looked at Tamiel.

Tamiel smiled silently at Lucy’s gaze.

At that sight, Lucy frowned slightly and said.

“I’m entrusting the Holy Woman to you. Protect her even if you die.”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

Lucy sighed at Tamiel’s playful answer.

Lucy, having calculated that she could trust her because she was sure of her skills even if she said that, approached White Lotus and Seollin.

“Leviya-nim. Don’t overdo it. You can even throw Tamiel as bait if necessary.”

“Ahaha….”

“Oh my, what a sad story.”

* * *

White Lotus & Seollin & Lucy Team

“Do you feel anything?”

“Hmm….”

After parting with the Leviya and Tamiel team.

The group was trying to find the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird by using the senses that White Lotus had.

“I do feel something, but…. I should say it’s a bit scattered…. It’s difficult to pinpoint one place accurately.”

“Really? That’s too bad. Then should we look for them directly?”

“Still, there are a few places where I feel it strongly, so I think it would be good to look around those places.”

“That’s a relief. If we were to search this wide place one by one, we’d be caught sooner.”

White Lotus and Seollin nodded in agreement with Lucy’s words.

Then, they decided to go towards the presence that felt closest and moved.

“Hmm….”

“Lucy? What’s wrong?”

“Tamiel and the Hero both predicted that the reason the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird were kidnapped was because the Yo-ma wanted to make them her subordinates. And several days have passed since the White Tiger was kidnapped. If…, what if the White Tiger became a subordinate of the Yo-ma by some means?”

“Ugh….”

White Lotus, whose most worrying part was poked, flinched.

Then, after thinking for a while, she answered with a firm voice and expression.

“I don’t think my mother would do that, but…, if that happens, I won’t just stand by and watch, so don’t worry.”

“Hmm…. I understand White Lotus-nim’s determination. I don’t think the White Tiger will easily become a subordinate of the Yo-ma either, but we don’t know what tricks they’ll play. Let’s hurry and find them.”

“Um, let’s do that.”

They began searching, avoiding the maids who were walking around, or the soldier monsters who were stationed in White Face Castle.

While continuing the search after a few misses, Seollin discovered something.

“Huh? Isn’t that…. Great Sage Equaling Heaven?”

“!”

Seollin, White Lotus, and Lucy discovered the appearance of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, who clearly said he would ‘clean up’ here.

Did they finally come here? They thought, but something was strange.

“Why is the Great Sage Equaling Heaven here?”

“Looking at her appearance…, there are traces of battle, but….”

This is White Face Castle.

To be exact, it’s in the middle of enemy territory.

Why is the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, who declared that he would clean up first, in such a place?

“Could it be betrayal?….”

“If not that…. Maybe she’s already become a ‘subordinate’.”

White Lotus and Seollin shuddered at Lucy’s words.

Her combat ability was confirmed during the Holy Kingdom incident.

The appearance of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, who showed overwhelming power despite being in a ‘weakened state’, still remains in their minds.

She has become an enemy?

At least Leon, and perhaps Tamiel, are the only two who can stop her here.

“Let’s back off for now. Contacting the Great Sage Equaling Heaven in the current situation is too dangerous….”

At that moment, Lucy felt that her eyes met those of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

No way, that can’t be.

Right now, we shouldn’t be recognized because of Tamiel’s ‘cognitive interference magic’….

“Ah!….”

At that moment, Tamiel’s warning flashed through Lucy’s mind.

‘It doesn’t work from the beginning on those who have sensory abilities that exceed my magic’s abilities.’

‘If it’s a fragment of the Demon King, even if the distance is far, if they get close or directly enter their field of vision, they’ll be able to figure everything out, so be careful.’

“Everyone, run away!!….”

Swaaaaaaay!!

A heavy wind is felt.

At the same time, a sense of pressure that crushes them.

White Lotus, Seollin, and Lucy could easily know what the identity of the pressure was without thinking deeply about it.

“….”

White hair sparkling with white light.

Golden eyes shimmering with golden light.

There, a woman with large horns reminiscent of cow horns, holding a huge halberd gleaming with silver light, was swinging it towards them.

It was too late to avoid it.

It is also impossible to block it.

Such an absolute power of a blow.

There is only one thing that they, who have witnessed the blow, can do.

To minimize the impact on themselves as much as possible.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An impact like a bomb exploding covers the body.

The shock that strikes the whole body is so painful that even the mind becomes confused.

“Keugh!….”

Clearly, she shouldn’t be affected by the physical impact due to ‘intangibility’, but pain still rushes in.

‘She…, attacked the entity!….’

Come to think of it, when attacking the ‘demon’s’ intangibility in the World Tree, I remember hearing that the Great Sage Equaling Heaven could also attack intangible targets.

It failed to inform the Hero about that….

“White Lotus…, Seollin…, si….”

With a sensation like her internal organs were twisting, she barely called out their names.

The last scene she saw in her mind, which was blurring and losing blood all over her body, was the sight of the Hero Leon blocking the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.