The next instant, hundreds of Drath were closing in on us like hungry beasts.
They packed the entire cave in front of us.
A few of them gripped tightly to the wall, their petal-like mouths opened wide.
"Nella!"
Lowering my body, I yelled, gripping the hilt of my katana with both hands, bringing it parallel to my face.
But even though there were a lot of them, the cave wasn't big enough to let them pass through all at once.
"I will support you from behind!"
She said, knocking an arrow in her bow.
I nodded, noticing the first batch rushing toward us, a group of five Drath.
Taking a deep breath, I prowled towards them.
My speed was faster than anyone could ever achieve within my rank.
Because of using Neplh and Muspelh to temper my body, I had already broken away from the norms of ranking.
Drawing in mana from the surroundings through my runes, I accelerated my speed, leaping off the ground.
Two of the Drath leaped with mouths wide open, their elongated claws rushing toward my side.
I spun my body to evade the claws before twisting my katana and sweeping it across their faces.
They tried to pull back but weren't fast enough.
A clean strike severed their heads from their bodies, and they fell, their lives slipping away.
Three arrows clad with mana rushed past my head, hitting three other Drath in their vital areas.
They fell over the previous dead bodies, clogging the way.
With an enraged roar, another round of Drath rushed and crashed into the dead bodies but didn't let that stop them.
Looking around, I noticed two more Drath jumping from the cave's ceiling.
I weaved through the claws of the two Drath in front while keeping an eye on those flanking from the side.
"Naqsal."
I whispered, using my blessing to freeze those around in place.
Without thinking much, I slashed my katana around, cutting them above their abdons.
Their greenish blood spilled onto the ground, with so soaking my clothes.
"Neplh."
Stretching my hand forward, I whispered softly.
A chilly breath escaped my lips, the rough surface of the cave starting to cover with a thin layer of ice.
The Drath howled, slipping on the ground, unable to balance themselves.
Without delay, I made the ice grab onto their limbs, rendering them immobile.
"Huff…"
Letting out a frosty breath, I bent down a little, placing my left leg forward.
Willis.
Dada.
I took a step forward, my legs petrified before crumbling, transforming into legs resembling those of an angel.
SWISH!
My vision blurred, dust rose as I moved, slashing my katana between the Drath, making wounds deep enough to slowly kill them.
"Huff…"
I sighed, turning back and looking at the Drath lying half-dead on the floor.
I propelled my body back, using the ice to place the dead Drath between and the rest, blocking the pathway.
...This should buy us so ti.
Turning my gaze, I looked at Nella, who was dealing with a few Drath trying to flank .
'Hmm?'
I squinted, looking at her face.
...Her eyes.
They were white, with the blood vessels around them clearly visible.
'She is looking at the mana pathway.'
I concluded, already knowing how it works.
She fluidly evaded all their attacks while using her bow to plunge arrows into their vital parts.
Within seconds, she took care of them.
"We should change our route." Walking towards her, I said, gazing back as the makeshift barrier started to break.
She nodded, averting her gaze so as not to show her eyes.
I looked around, finding a different path wasn't hard.
The whole structure of the cave resembled an ant colony, with the Drath queen acting similarly to an ant.
But she is just a lot bigger than an ant.
'Co to think of it, I've been thinking about my life on Earth a lot.'
I thought, gazing around the dark cave while taking deep breaths to calm my uneven heartbeat.
Even though my body is a lot stronger than before, the internal damage already done is taking a toll.
"Are you alright?" Nella asked, concern in her eyes.
"Yeah…" I replied, straightening my back. "I can do this all day."
"I seriously doubt that." She replied, observing from head to toe. "...And now I'm worried about your wife's love life."
I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "You don't have to worry about her."
"...Right." She replied, looking ahead. "Hope your stamina can keep up with her demands."
"Like I said." Using the hilt of my katana, I lightly hit her head. "Don't worry about it."
She winced, rubbing her head and glaring back at .
Ignoring her, I looked around. The dark, gritty walls were dripping with water.
"Why is it so quiet here?" Nella asked, her voice booming within the cave.
"They are gathering in one place." I replied, looking around. "Their only priority is to keep the queen safe, so they're gathering around her."
"I see." She whispered, nodding her head. "...So we're going to face a lot of them."
"You can still turn back—"
"Have you ever been slapped?" She asked, changing the topic. "Like a really bad one that left swelling?"
"A lot of tis." I shrugged a little. "Especially from a certain bitchy princess."
"You can't call your empire's princess a bitch." She groaned, glaring at .
"But she is bitchy."
"Why?" She asked. "Because she refused to sleep with you?"
"I an, yeah, kind of because of that—"
"Kill yourself." She grumbled, showing a middle finger.
"Why are you acting like this?" I asked, tilting my head. "It's not like I'm insulting you."
"I'm sensitive about anything related to the princess."
"Why does it matter?" I replied, glancing at the light at the end of the cave. "...She's nothing but a tool for the empire anyway."
"...People don't choose who they want to be, Azariah." She replied solemnly. "So things are beyond control."
I remained silent.
In so ways, her situation is a lot like mine.
...Just like , she's carrying a burden she doesn't want.
And I always wonder how she would have turned out if I wasn't there in her childhood.
...Maybe too broken to even talk to others.
"...What is your dream?" After a long silence, I whispered quietly.
"Why do you ask?" She questioned, gazing back at .
"I don't know." I replied, shrugging. "Maybe I can help you achieve it."
Her steps halted as she looked at , an absent look on her face.
"What?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Nothing." She replied softly.
'Hmm?'
Maybe it was because of the lack of light...but I think I saw her blushing a little.
'Am I seeing things now?' I wondered scratching my cheek.
I an, the last ti I saw her blushing was when were children.
...She used to blush at my every touch.
'Co to think of it....her current self is more of her usual self.'
....Without the mask of the prefect princess this is how she looks.
"Hey, At least tell what your—"
"Kill the queen, and I'll tell you." She replied without looking back.
A thunderous roar echoed within the cave as we reached the source of the light.
"I'll take you up on those words." I replied, taking a deep breath. "...Ti for maximum effort."
I stretched my body while a sun disk began to erge behind —illuminating the place with a golden hue.
"Igul."
...
...
...
Droplets of rain poured down on her, soaking her entire body.
Her silver hair, soaked with water, stuck to her face, making her look like a ghostly figure.
Her crimson eyes stared blankly at the deadly forest around her.
Kill him before he makes you love him again.
A voice echoed in her head, a soothing voice calming her restless heart.
"...Where are you, Az?" Shyamal whispered softly, gazing around.
Her once-blank eyes now filled with murderous intent.
"Why did you leave ?" She whispered again, the air around her trembling violently.
Her hand tightly gripped her scythe.
With every step, misty blackish aura started leaking from her body.
...Wherever she moved, everything around her began to age rapidly.
A dark, ominous bridal dress began to erge on her body, her gaze turning increasingly inhuman.
Listen to what I'm saying, my good child.
The voice in her head echoed again.
Kill him.
He is the one holding you back.
"Why did you abandon ?" She whispered again, her voice turning chilly. "...Why, Az?"
A solitude slowly began to erge behind her.
A solitude of a goddess.
Her green orb-like eyes gazed down on Shyamal, her feathery wings shielding Shyamal from the rain.
"Kill him." She whispered, a smile adorning her otherworldly face covered with fog. "...Kill him and let yourself be mine and only mine."
"Azariah." Shyamal whispered, her voice breaking. "...Help ."
...The Goddess of Corruption and Misfortune, Taishareth.
...Her vessel, Shyamal.
...Is now on the verge of awakening...
...Again.
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