Chapter 367 |
A ferocious energy, like a shimmering heat haze, began to flow in from nearby like an incoming tide. It wasn't clearly visible, but I could feel a cloying, unpleasant sensation.
"Kim Su-hyuuuuun!"
Just then, I heard a familiar voice call my name. I saw a part of the formation surrounding my brother and me collapse. It happened in the direction I had come from. As if the miracle of Moses had returned, the seamless wave of enemies began to part to the left and right.
"Soohyun!"
Without hesitation, my brother and I started running through the gap that had opened. Even as I ran, I didn't stop scanning my surroundings.
The summoning must have been completed, as the water spirits had now taken their full form. They were about 1.5 meters tall. Water flowed over their entire bodies, and they all had the form of women holding tridents. Pointed ears poked out from between their long, flowing, water-colored hair, giving their upper bodies the unmistakable appearance of fairies. Their lower halves, however, were fish tails, and a mystical light flowed over their bodies, making them look much like mermaids.
After a moment, the spirits all turned with solemn expressions and began to stare in one direction. A faint anger flickered in their eyes, and they looked utterly furious.
It was then.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Their torsos and arms were human, but their faces and lower bodies were those of goats—the form of a demi-human. Two horns of a murky color rose from their heads, and they were clad from head to toe in dark red heavy armor. The deep crimson glow emanating from their eyes as they approached was enough to make one think of a 'fiend'.
"I'll save you now!"
And from between their orderly ranks, a uniquely clear and resonant voice rang out.
"Show yourself! Satyrus!"
In that instant, a black fog seemed to settle over the area, and a massive, six-meter-tall demi-human abruptly appeared. It was three times larger than the other fiends; this one was likely the legion commander leading the army before me.
"Wipe them out!"
Kieeeeeeeeek!
Vivian's harsh command fell. The goat fiends roared with boiling rage. A crimson light exploded from their eyes, and they charged forward in unison like beasts consumed by bloodlust.
La la la la la....
The water spirits, not to be outdone, began to sing in chorus, raising their tridents, which flashed with an aquatic light.
And so, as water and darkness clashed, the battle between the spirits and the fiends began.
While the spirits engaged the fiends, my brother and I were able to escape the encirclement. When we finally reached Vivian, I saw that she was soaked to the bone.
"Good, I wasn't too late, was I?"
Vivian spotted me and gave a refreshing smile, waving a hand. It was a sight that didn't fit the battlefield, but for some reason, I found it beautiful.
"These fiends... did you summon a legion?"
"Yep. The 9th Legion. The Satyrs of Execution. They go crazy for women, so they'll be a good match."
At her words, I turned my head. The place where my brother and I had just been was now a scene of utter pandemonium.
Where I looked, a single fiend was swinging its halberd with a tremendous shriek. The halberd viciously struck a spirit's neck. But the spirit didn't fall. Instead, liquid trickled from the severed neck, and its upper body, which had been slightly detached, reconnected.
The fiend quickly gripped its halberd again, but this time, the spirit was faster. Its long hair suddenly extended and wrapped tightly around the fiend's hands. Then, with the fiend completely immobilized, a water-colored trident plunged deep into its chest. The fiend let out a scream of agony.
Hearing the cry, its nearby comrades rushed over and unleashed a barrage of attacks with their halberds. Unable to withstand the combined assault, the water spirit was crushed into fine droplets in an instant.
However, the spirits did not just stand by.
A volley of at least ten beams of aquatic light shot out from the front lines and struck the gathered fiends. The beams seemed to have sharp edges like a Water Cutter, as the fiends they touched were instantly torn to shreds, dissolving into black smoke.
The battle had only just begun, but it was already showing signs of intense ferocity.
And the situation before me was almost a stalemate. No, surprisingly, the fiend legion was slowly gaining the upper hand.
Objectively speaking, the spirits were individually superior to the fiends. Compared to the fiends who charged recklessly with only their strength, the spirits fought with a variety of abilities, effective at both close and long range.
Despite this, the fiends were leading the battle because of the presence of 'Satyrus'.
CRASH!
Every time the halberd, twice the size of its wielder, slammed into the ground, several spirits burst into splashes of water, soaking the earth. 'Satyrus' was on a literal rampage. Spurred on by its might, the other fiends fought the spirits without a hint of retreat.
Of course, if the 'Spirit King' appeared on their side, the tide of battle would turn. But it seemed they had exhausted their reserves with the number of spirits already summoned, as there was no sign of the Spirit King appearing.
"Vivian. Can you leave this legion here and retreat?"
"Huh? Hey. Of course... ah, no. Yes! I can. Control usually gets harder the farther away I am, but since I got this, my range has increased a lot. See?"
Hearing the conversation, I turned my head to see Vivian holding up the Ordo of Order. My brother nodded, a look of relief on his face despite the dire situation.
"Control...? Range...?"
"Ah."
It was just for a moment. The instant I heard Vivian's words, a series of thoughts, starting from the giant pieces floating in my head instantly clicked together like a puzzle, forming a single plan.
"The legion is fine. I only have a little magic power left, but I can fully recharge it once using the Ordo, you know?"
"That's a relief. The enemy's war cries are getting louder. Let's leave the legion here for now and fall back quickly. Soohyun?"
"....."
"Soohyun? Soohyun!"
Waaaaaaaah!
For a moment, my mind went blank. We had been running back this whole time, putting distance between us and them. But just as my brother said, the enemy's shouts were growing louder. Because we had delayed here for a moment, the enemy had once again closed the distance.
"Hyung."
In this urgent situation, I called out to my brother reflexively.
I slowly turned to look at them both. My brother's breathing was ragged, and Vivian was looking back and forth between the battlefield and me with a sense of urgency.
Looking at them, I opened my mouth quietly.
"You and Vivian go back first."
"...What?"
"There's something I have to do."
"What did you just..."
"I said, you two go back first!"
Smack!
In that moment, I felt my upper body jolt. The instant I told them to go back, my brother reached out his right hand and roughly grabbed my shoulder.
"You... what did you just say...?"
Seeing his expression, I knew I had to explain.
I quickly continued.
*
I explained as briefly as possible, pressed for time, and it wasn't a very complicated plan to begin with. So, I was able to finish quickly.
"Soohyun? What... What did you say? You're going to assassinate the Spirit Summoner?"
"Just like I said."
"Are you crazy?"
For the first time, my brother swore at me, asking if I was crazy.
I bit my lip for a moment, then calmly shook my head.
"No. I'm not crazy."
"Wh... You... now..."
He seemed utterly dumbfounded. No, it was more than that; he was furious. His trembling voice was mixed with a strange, metallic rasp.
I had summarized the plan and spoken as fast as I could, so it was disjointed. But the fact that he reacted this way was proof that he had understood my plan perfectly.
This time, I looked at Vivian.
"Vivian. You remember this too. What I said before, you have to remember..."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
I was about to get a promise from Vivian as well, just in case, when my brother shouted at me, something he rarely did. At the same time, a faint pain shot through my captured left shoulder.
"Are you kidding me? Came all this way to get you... and what? You're going back in?"
"I told you, Hyung..."
"I know what you said! But...! Even so!"
Hearing my brother's shout, my heart ached for a moment. It felt like a needle pricking my chest. But I showed no sign of it. I just stared at him in silence.
"Do you think this is your playground? Who do you think you are, some kind of hero? Why would you do that? Why go in? No. Why does it have to be you? Are you doing this because you're part of the contingency response team?"
"That's not it, Hyung. I just thought it was absolutely necessary in this situation."
"Ha. Oh, really? I see. Right. Because it's a necessary job. So you're telling me just leave my little brother, who's about to walk into the jaws of death, and run away by myself? You're telling me to just stand by and watch?"
Squeeze!
My brother's voice was no longer his usual low tone; it was like the growl of a beast. He was gripping my shoulder as if to crush it. It felt like he was expressing his will to never let me go.
Th-th-th-th-thump!
I couldn't hear the war cries anymore. Instead, the sound of footsteps was vivid. I could sense it instinctively. They weren't just close anymore; they were close enough to be seen with the naked eye.
I spoke quickly. It would be a disaster if they followed me, so I felt the need to persuade him one more time.
"Hyung, listen carefully. We've already as good as lost this battle. The enemy is closing in fast, and we still haven't gotten our bearings. Reinforcements? The communications are down. Even if they figure out the situation, get organized, and come... it'll take 20 minutes at the very least. No, it'll probably take longer. Right now, what's important isn't winning. It's surviving. Isn't it?"
"Right. Surviving is important. And the one who knows that is acting like this?"
"You know that's not what I meant."
"You'll get yourself killed, you damn fool!"
I couldn't face my brother's shouting anymore, so I squeezed my eyes shut. But I didn't stop talking.
I spoke in a louder, more clipped tone than before.
"That's why I asked you, Hyung. To create an escape route. If a situation like before is created, and your abilities are added to it, a path will open. And if a path opens, I can get out on my own."
"Do you think the enemy are blind fools? Huh? Let's think about this logically. If I leave, how in the world are you going to create an escape route for yourself?"
"....."
"....."
"I really don't know what you're doing this for, or who you're doing it for. Soohyun. It's not too late. Let's get out of here right now. After we get out, we can look for another chance later. Wouldn't that be better?"
I shook my head from side to side. That would be too late.
"Soohyun... please..."
Sensing my firm resolve, my brother's voice suddenly turned pitiful. My heart wavered for a moment at his desperate tone, but I immediately steeled myself.
If he asks what for, I'll answer that it's for myself.
If he asks who for, I'll answer that it's for him and everyone we know.
I composed myself and slowly opened my mouth.
"You can do it, Hyung. I trust you."
"Kim Soohyun!"
"Hyuuung!"
As I finally shouted back, I saw my brother flinch.
For a moment, my mind was a jumble. I suddenly felt that this would go on forever if I let it. In that case, I had to say the words I didn't want to say. No. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say they were words that were still difficult to bring out.
"I didn't want to say it here..."
In that fleeting moment, countless worries crossed my mind. But I soon made a decision.
It was time to say it.
I opened my eyes again. My brother's face, which made my heart ache with affection, came into view.
Looking at him, I finally spat out the words.
"Just this once, use the power of the Thunder God."
And in that moment, my brother's lips, which had been open as if to say something, snapped shut. Then his sharp eyes widened like saucers. His expression was like he'd been struck hard with a hammer.
Since I'd already started, I took the opportunity to speak again.
"Use the power of the Thunder God. With your unique magic control combined with the Thunder God's power, you can definitely do it."
"You... how do you... That's... a secret... that only Hyo-eul and I know..."
I could hear my brother's voice, stammering in his shock. After I finished speaking, I gently placed my hand on the back of his, which was still gripping my shoulder. A cold, yet comforting, sensation spread through my palm.
Then, I gently wrapped my hands around his.
"Soohyun!"
Knowing I was about to pull his hand away, my brother called my name in a desperate voice. Unable to meet his eyes directly, I spoke softly.
"I'm sorry."
"Soohyun."
"I'm really, really sorry, Hyung."
"What... what are you sorry for..."
A faint tremor ran through the hands I held.
The moment I felt it, something suddenly welled up inside me, and I felt a lump in my throat.
"I'm sorry, Hyung."
I wasn't just sorry for throwing his concern back in his face after he'd come all this way to save me.
I was sorry for everything.
"From the first time I saw you, there was so much I wanted to say."
There was so much I wanted to say when I first saw him. But in the end, I couldn't.
Even now, I couldn't tell him the details. There was simply no time.
"What... Ah, never mind. Fine. Rather, I'll go instead. For now, no matter how I think about it, you..."
"Absolutely not!"
The remaining distance was now just over 100 meters. I glanced to the side. The enemies were flooding in, filling my vision like a swarm of black ants.
"I know your heart, and I know what you want to say. I've never once doubted your feelings, Hyung. But we're really out of time now. We really are."
"....."
"....."
"When I come back... I'll tell you everything later. So, just trust me this once. Give me one chance."
FLASH!
Suddenly, a huge explosion erupted, and a flash of light burst forth. I heard something flying violently through the air. The spirits' song grew clearer. Along with it, I heard the screams of Satyrus and the fiends.
Hearing all the sounds at once, I swallowed hard. I raised my gaze and stared intently at my brother. And I repeated to myself in my mind.
"I'll protect you from now on, Hyung."
Then, ten seconds that felt like ten years passed. I felt the hand on my shoulder become very, very weak.
Was it because he heard my sincerity? Was it because of the shock? Or was there another reason? His hand was still on my shoulder, but I could clearly feel that his grip had loosened, however slightly. And without hesitation, I brushed his hand down.
And then.
"....."
"....."
"I'm going."
I could feel Vivian's gaze shooting at me from the side, but this was truly the final line. I immediately brought a hand to my ear and gripped 'Victoria's Glory' in my empty left hand.
"I'll trust you, so trust me."
With those final words, I immediately turned to face the enemy.
From now on, I had to use every ability, every piece of equipment, everything I had.
[Unique Ability, The Third Eye (Rank: S Zero), is activated.]
[Special Ability, Sword-Human Unity (Rank: EX), is activated.]
[Potential Ability, Melee Combat (Rank: A Plus), is activated.]
[Potential Ability, Indomitable (Rank: A Plus), is activated.]
[Potential Ability, Mind's Eye (Calm) (Rank: A Plus), is activated.]
[Potential Ability, Blessing of the Battlefield (Rank: EX), is activated.]
[The latent ability in 'Victoria's Glory,' King's Dignity,' is activated.]
"Soohyun...!"
For a moment, I felt as if my brother was reaching out for me again from behind. So, before he could grab my shoulder again, I quickly kicked off the ground. Then, drawing on my maximum magic power, I began to run forward.
Soon, the surrounding scenery began to blur past me.