The Palace of Red and Black.
The interdiate stage leading toward that place.
Sharp sandstorms raged, and the gloomy landscape was covered in dark, blood-red clouds. Honestly, the phrase end of the world couldn't have fit this scene better. The atmosphere was even harsher than the Floor of Death.
As the sand kept obscuring his vision, Eduan waved his hand roughly to brush it aside and complained,
"I really don't understand Yurin's taste. Why would she make a stage look like this?"
Hon responded to Eduan's grumbling with a gentle smile.
"At least she has a clear sense of style. Better than you, who wreak havoc without discrimination."
"...I clearly said that was the outside version of …"
A grinding sound ca from Eduan's teeth.
Is this what you call reaping what you sow? A case of karma that wasn't quite karma. The situation was so ironic that I couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
At that mont, Eduan turned his head toward . As expected of a Family Head—his senses were frighteningly sharp. Panicking, I quickly tried to change the subject and spoke to Maschenny instead.
"Maschenny, want so water?"
"Give it here."
Honestly, I expected her to refuse, but she took my bottle without hesitation. Back then, it was kind of cute how she always pretended to refuse. Lately, though, I could see more of Ranker Maschenny's personality coming through. Well, that coolness suited her too.
After walking a bit farther, a palace finally ca into view in the distance—so extravagant that it felt completely out of place in this desolate wasteland. That must be the Palace of Red and Black where Ha Yurin resided.
"That looks like the Palace of Red and Black. Should we fly from here?"
"Oh, it's really there. Let's hurry."
I spread my shinsu wings and took off into the air. Eduan and Hon casually manipulated shinsu to float up as well. Together, we headed swiftly toward the palace.
...Wait.
Soone's missing.
"..."
"…Ah… hahaha, Maschenny."
Maschenny was staring up at from the ground with a clearly dissatisfied expression. Right—she couldn't fly. Honestly, that was only natural. Flying itself required exceptional talent, sothing most people couldn't manage unless they were Rankers.
Eduan, who had already flown ahead, noticed I wasn't following and turned back. Seeing hovering in the sky and Maschenny standing motionless below, he quickly understood the situation and returned.
"What? You can't fly?"
Maschenny, who had been glaring at , suddenly changed her posture and lowered her head.
"My apologies… I cannot."
Eduan casually shoved the responsibility onto and flew back toward the palace.
"Tch. I can't teach flying tricks here anyway. Hoaquin, you handle it."
Cold to his own daughter, as always.
I landed on the ground and extended my hand toward Maschenny with a kindly smile.
"Take my hand."
"Feels like you're looking down on ."
"Haha, not at all, Princess."
Grabbing her hand, I spread my wings wide and leapt back into the air.
With and Maschenny, Eduan, and Hon all together again, we cut through the sandstorm and flew toward the palace.
The palace, once no more than a dot in the distance, gradually grew closer. Then, a red light flared from its direction.
…Hm?
Why is it glowing red?
Sothing ca flying toward us, and I was the first to realize what it was.
"Dodge!"
KWA—AAAANG!
A high-output shinsu blast filled with violent power exploded past us. Dark crimson in color, it barely missed our formation. The color of the shinsu, the sheer power—there was no need to guess who fired it.
And then, another shot.
This one was aid directly at .
With no other choice, I drew Baekya. I found the point where the shinsu blast's tension was weakest and swung with all my strength. The attack split cleanly in two. The violently surging crimson shinsu divided, shooting uselessly toward the sky and the ground.
Seeing that, Hon's eyes glinted briefly.
"Impressive. Still, it seems our visit isn't exactly welco."
"Tch. Ca all this way just to see her face, and this is the reception?"
Unlike before, the next shinsu blast didn't co imdiately. After a brief pause, though—as expected—another shot followed. This ti, it was aid at Maschenny.
I quickly grabbed her hand.
"Maschenny, excuse ."
Flap—
I pulled her into my arms and spread my shinsu wings even wider, wrapping them around us. This was the defensive mode of the shinsu wings I'd devised using my knowledge of the original story.
As expected, their defense was outstanding. The powerful crimson shinsu blast failed to pierce my wings and was completely neutralized.
And of course, we took zero damage.
The red light pouring out from the palace grew even brighter. I could feel the ambient shinsu in the air gradually being drawn toward the palace. This clearly wasn't a normal shinsu blast anymore—it looked like she was preparing to unleash an actual technique.
The crimson glow, now even infused with shinsu origin, intensified rapidly.
"Looks like soone's in a really bad mood today," I muttered.
"Bad mood or not, just standing here and getting hit doesn't suit my temperant," Eduan replied coldly.
Eduan—whose patience was never abundant to begin with—finally stepped forward. Electricity wrapped around his body, and the shinsu gathering around him was gradually converted into lightning. The surrounding space began to tremble violently with crackling thunder.
KWA-RA-RA-RUNG—
Khun Eduan Style Spear Throwing: Spear Higher Than the Mountains — Montana Azul
Within the lightning-wracked space, Eduan extended his hand and concentrated his shinsu. A spear began to take shape. Judging by its form alone, it was unmistakably ant to be thrown—a massive spear easily more than ten tis his own height. As expected, Eduan grasped it and took a throwing stance.
At the sa ti, an ultra–high-output shinsu blast was fired toward us. Compared to the previous attacks, this one was on an entirely different level—
"That's way too much for a greeting!"
URRRRRUNG—
With a roar, Eduan hurled the gigantic spear with all his might. Like a bolt of lightning crashing down, the spear tore through the air with a violent thunderclap, heading straight for the dark crimson shinsu blast.
Their shinsu collided head-on.
A massive explosion erupted, ravaging the surroundings as blinding light swallowed the entire area.
"Maschenny—close your eyes."
I covered my own eyes with one hand and Maschenny's with the other as I surged forward. I'd experienced this kind of blinding flash once before, back when I clashed with Hon, so handling it wasn't difficult.
Not wanting to just stand there and take hits applied to as well. I'd heard she had a bad personality, but I hadn't expected her to start firing shinsu blasts right from the very first eting.
"…?"
Leaving the suspiciously staring Maschenny behind , I gathered white shinsu into the sky as well. Fair's fair—what you give, you get back.
Fifteen shinsu swords ford using shinsu origin.
Each blade began devouring the surrounding shinsu as if inhaling it, rapidly growing in size.
Hoaquin-Style Shinsu Control Art: Heavenly Judgnt Sword
It didn't take long before fifteen massive shinsu swords revealed themselves at my side.
I'll keep one in reserve.
Maschenny frowned slightly when she saw the enormous blades, but I paid it no mind and adjusted their trajectory toward the palace.
This wasn't the sa thod as before—dropping them from the sky—but rather forming them beside and firing them directly.
Haven't used this in a while.
I hadn't really used it since the Workshop… incident.
"Fire."
The mont I gestured, all fifteen massive swords moved at once. Their target was the palace.
As I flew forward alongside them, the palace quickly ca into clear view. And there—standing atop the palace roof—was a woman.
Seeing the incoming blades, she leapt down from the roof to et them head-on.
A red shinsu began to seep out from her body.
It looked almost like blood—up close, it felt disturbingly ominous.
Then Ha Yurin released an even greater surge of shinsu.
"HYAAAH—!!"
She threw a powerful punch into the air.
To be precise, you could say she punched nothing but empty space—but after what followed, that description didn't quite fit.
Her fist struck the air, and a massive crimson shockwave erupted, intercepting the incoming shinsu swords.
One by one, the blades shattered as they failed to break through the shockwave.
The attack didn't stop there—it continued straight toward .
I swung Baekya nonstop, forming a barrier of sword light to keep Maschenny from being caught in it.
This seed like a form of air shock technique—sothing akin to an air wave strike—but one that could be launched remotely without direct contact.
Before Ha Yurin's shockwave technique, the swords flying in head-on were completely destroyed.
The swords flying in head-on.
....
Sensing sothing terribly wrong, Ha Yurin hurriedly looked up at the sky.
Too late.
My massive shinsu sword was already falling toward the palace.
Recently, the number I could control had increased to sixteen.
"Nooooo—!"
KUUUUNG—
Her desperate scream rang out uselessly as the Judgnt Sword rcilessly slamd down onto the palace.
I didn't expect her to react that desperately… maybe that was a bit too much. Suddenly, I felt kind of bad.
At that mont, Eduan and Hon flew back to my side. They took in the sight of the screaming Ha Yurin and the partially collapsed palace.
Eduan suddenly muttered sothing utterly nonsensical.
"…?"
His reaction felt… off. When I looked at Hon, his eyes were slightly widened, his expression stiff.
Eduan glanced at cautiously. His eyebrows seed to twitch ever so slightly.
"…Why does the palace look like that? You didn't do that, right?"
"…I did."
"Wow."
"..."
Eduan was visibly flustered, and Hon was completely silent.
Hey—why are you guys reacting like that? You're making nervous.
Hon finally spoke, wearing a gentle smile.
"Hoaquin."
"Yes?"
"For the next few hours, we are strangers."
"…What?"
"My daughter—get out of his arms. Pretend you don't know him."
"E–Excuse ?!"
Eduan hurriedly grabbed Maschenny and vanished in a flash of lightning.
Clinging to hope, I turned to Hon.
"F–Father?"
....
Gone.
He had already disappeared sowhere. Only a lonely breeze remained where he had been.
And then—
THUD!
KUUOOO—!
Behind , I felt violently surging shinsu accompanied by ferocious killing intent. Even without turning around, the chill crawling up my spine was unmistakable.
For so reason, it felt like it would be even scarier if I did turn around.
"HEY!!"
A sharp voice, dripping with what felt like blood.
Ah. I'm screwed.
"…H–Hello… haha…"
Please just spare my life.
User Comments
0 comments from readers