Chapter 535 (2) - The Academys Weapon Replicator |
'I see.'
It was a simple plan.
Just as Frondier was contemplating a counterattack against the Gods, they too saw him as a thorn in their side.
One they would gladly eliminate given the chance.
'I know who the culprit is.'
A God who wielded Eclexis, whose power was deeply tied to death, and who had a vested interest in Frondier himself.
'Thanatos.'
The God of Death from Greek mythology, with his golden eyes, black wings, and youthful appearance.
Thanatos, who had tried to kill Frondier by placing a trigger on his Weaving activation. From their very first encounter, it was clear they were incompatible adversaries.
Knowing the culprit and their objective.
Frondier spoke, his face a mixture of relief and something else entirely.
"How thoughtful."
"... "
Even his allies were silenced, chills running down their spines at the chilling glint in his eyes.
Bzzz—
As if on cue, Frondier's phone rang.
Checking the screen, he saw an unexpected caller.
'Revet de Rishae.'
Revet, Elodie's brother, was calling.
'What is it?'
As Frondier answered the call, a frantic voice boomed from the other side.
[Frondier, get over here right now!]
Without any greetings or pleasantries, Revet cut straight to the chase.
"Where are you talking about?"
[Come to Tyburn! Hurry! There's something I need to show you!]
Frondier furrowed his brows.
"...Are you unaware of my current situation? I'm in the middle of something important."
[Yes, I know!]
He knew?
As Frondier tilted his head in confusion, Revet continued.
[You want to save Azier, don't you!]
"...!"
[Hector asked me to come to Tyburn a few days ago. Even in this freezing wasteland, news travels fast! I heard the gist of it. That Azier dropped dead in the middle of the street!]
Revet's voice was laced with frustration and grief.
Before Frondier could respond...
[That's bullshit!]
A single sentence that stopped Frondier dead in his tracks.
[There's no way Azier would just kick the bucket like that! Frondier!]
"...You're right."
[So, get your ass over here right now! There's no time to waste!]
Come to think of it, Revet’s voice had been laced with urgency from the beginning. As if he was running towards something, or being chased by something.
"What's going on?"
[You'll find out when you get here!]
He was right.
Frondier agreed and hung up the phone.
"It seems I must go. Revet called me about Azier."
Philly nodded. At this point, they needed to gather every piece of information they could if there was a chance to save Azier.
"Be careful, Frondier."
"Of course."
As Frondier prepared to take flight again, someone grabbed his hand.
It was Aten.
"...Aten?"
Frondier questioned, but Aten remained silent. She simply clung to his hand, her eyes darting back and forth.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. It's just..."
Aten bit her lip and looked up at Frondier.
Though she didn't speak, her eyes spoke volumes.
Don't go.
For reasons unknown, she felt he shouldn't go.
However, he knew that was simply not an option.
"...It's alright."
Frondier said, trying to reassure her.
"I'll be back."
* * *
Frondier's flight speed was unmatched among the humans of the Empire. This was because his Obsidian not only served as his wings but also emitted aura from its entire structure, boosting his propulsion.
However, this meant his aura consumption was faster than others. Normally, possessing the mana of Helheim meant he wouldn't have to worry about depletion, but this time was different.
He had already traversed the continent once, gone back and forth between the mansion and Azier's incident site repeatedly, and now he was flying to Tyburn.
"...Huff... Huff... Whew."
By the time Frondier arrived at Tyburn, he realized he didn't have much aura left. He was physically exhausted as well.
"The designated location was here, but..."
Revet had shared a specific location through his phone. It pointed to a spot beyond Tyburn's barrier.
For ordinary people, it was an incredibly dangerous area vulnerable to monster attacks, but for the current Frondier, it was of little concern.
"...Is it that cave?"
Frondier looked around and soon spotted a cave. His instincts told him that something was inside.
He lightly leaped towards the cave.
But the closer he got, the stranger he felt.
The first thing that hit him was the familiar scent of mana. At first, he thought it was natural since Revet was supposed to be waiting for him.
However, he soon realized that it wasn't the familiar mana he was used to.
The moment Frondier stepped into the cave, he instantly recognized the nature of the mana.
"...Why are you...?"
Standing inside the cave was a woman.
With sunset-colored hair and eyes that reflected a serene lake.
Beside her lay Revet and Hector, both unconscious. Judging by the gentle rise and fall of their chests, they were merely knocked out.
"Hello, Fron."
The woman greeted Frondier with a soft smile.
"Elodie."
Frondier's body tensed as he laid eyes on Elodie.
It was undoubtedly Elodie standing before him. It wasn't an illusion or a trick of the light.
Elodie, who had flown all the way from Agoris, across the continent, was standing right before his eyes.
At that moment, a premonition washed over Frondier.
This was going to be the toughest fight of his life.
"Fron, I'm sorry."
Elodie's lips curved into a small smile.
"I can't let you go."
"Elodie."
"Even if the whole world lets you go, even if they know you're doing the right thing."
Divine Power Release.
Rudra, Agni, Indra, Chandra.
Simultaneous Four Symbols Deployment.
Designation,
Inies.
A tempest of divine power erupted from Elodie, threatening to consume everything in its wake.
Bathed in the vibrant, multicolored light, Elodie looked at Frondier.
A faint smile graced her lips.
─Protect Frondier. How much are you willing to sacrifice to achieve that one goal? Is it more important than your own life? Is it worth distorting your entire destiny? Or perhaps, is it a priority that outweighs the balance of the world itself?
"I'm sorry."
She said with a smile, and then,
Elodie cried.
"I have to protect you."