TL/ED – Miso
“Sorry, I’ll see you later. Stay here and talk with Mother for a while.”
Elysia looked slightly flustered as she watched Jern walking out the door.
Surely everything was fine, surely everyone was happy.
Yet for so reason, Jern was angry.
…Why?
She couldn’t understand. As she was mulling it over, a clear voice like rolling jade beads on a tray called out to her.
“Ely, are you okay?”
“Huh, huh?”
“You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine! I’m really strong, you know!”
Whatever.
Elysia embraced her warm mother, who was looking down at her with concern.
Even though [she must have been seeing her every day], sohow she had missed her. It felt like it had been a long ti.
“Hehehe, Mom…”
“What’s gotten into you today? This isn’t like you.”
[Elysia’s Mother] gently stroked Elysia’s head with a soft touch, though she seed puzzled.
“That was the friend you talked about, right?”
“Yeah! He definitely wasn’t supposed to co here but do sothing else, hmm… His na was…”
Elysia furrowed her brows as she tried to recall.
Why? Just a mont ago, it had been in her mory, the na…
“If it’s hard, you don’t have to think about it.”
“…Is that okay?”
“Of course, you’ve been through so much. Just rest well today.”
“Sniff… o-okay…”
Tears welled up in Elysia’s eyes as she hugged her mother once again.
It was sad. It was hard. It was lonely.
She had lost her mother, had been ostracized, kidnapped, and her father was hurt.
So, she wanted to tell everything to the mother who had returned.
Just for today, she wanted to cry her eyes out, cling to her, pour out everything she had gone through, and be comforted.
“That’s right. Mom. You know, I’ve really had it tough…”
At that mont.
Elysia fell silent as she saw sothing strange.
“Go ahead, keep talking.”
“…Mom, your hand… there’s blood.”
“Hm?”
Elysia’s mother tilted her head as she looked at her hand, which was stained with red blood.
“Oh my, what’s this? Did I get cut sowhere?”
“…”
Elysia,
suddenly rembered that her mother had grabbed her shoulder just a mont ago.
She carefully touched her shoulder. Hot, still-wet blood was sared there.
Her mother fussed and brought over so nearby cloth.
“Oh dear, it wasn’t , you’re the one who’s hurt? What’s going on all of a sudden?”
One step.
Elysia stepped back and refused the cloth.
“…I’m not the one who’s hurt.”
“What are you saying?”
Elysia slowly opened and closed her eyes, staring at the blood.
Just now, not only her mother. There had been one more person who had touched her shoulder.
From Elysia’s lips, a small, forgotten na slipped out.
“Jern.”
*
“Wahaha, hahaha! This is fun!”
The severed head kept laughing. Like a madman, it laughed while spewing blood from the neck stump.
It was an extrely unpleasant sight, so I narrowed my brow and asked.
“You still think this is a dream?”
“I don’t know, maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t!”
“…?”
I didn’t understand. Wihwa, slowly turning pale, answered.
“This must be the 1,023rd ti or so, right? It’s the first ti since the Emperor that I’ve died by decapitation.”
“You’re saying you were the Emperor?”
“In the last dream, I was. Gah, cough… If I want, I can be an emperor of a nation, or a woman of unmatched beauty. I can beco anything I desire! But… at so point, even after waking and waking again, I couldn’t return to the original… keh.”
“…”
How terrible.
In exchange for living a life of omnipotence, he had to live with the fear that all his current years might just be delusions created by his own brain.
No relationship holds aning. No evil deed is accepted as evil, such is that burden.
“Cough, gah… what’s next… I wonder?”
“There won’t be one.”
There is no next.
Wihwa died still not realizing that the life he had now was the real one. He lived a false life, died dreaming of a next.
I looked away from the laughing, frozen head in disgust.
I had no energy to waste on sothing like that.
“What do I do now…”
I let out a sigh as I looked around at the surroundings, now in much deeper tones of color.
Maybe, if I had wanted to, I could have done this long ago.
Ever since I learned what Deep Fusion was, I knew there were countless possibilities. Just as one can see a bird for the first ti and still know from its wings that it is ant to fly, things kept coming to mind on their own.
But I deliberately erased them from my mind. Because I didn’t know what might happen.
Now I understand.
Maybe I should co up with an activation word. I’m not particularly good at naming things, so I muttered while looking at the railing.
“Sever.”
– Shhk!
The railing was neatly severed and fell deep down to the ground. As I watched it drop, I felt cold sweat soaking my back.
Even when I used it just now, I vaguely realized, this is an absurd ability.
It doesn’t matter where. An invisible slash can be created anywhere within the range my current sense reaches.
The terrifying part is that this is only a fragnt of it.
When I press down with the water pressure generated in Deep Fusion, it’s so strong that even I would explode and die, so I narrow the pressure range to the extre. Thinner than a strand of hair, I apply an instantaneous, brief force.
Then that water pressure shoots out as a thin blade. In Earth’s terms, it’s like a water jet.
That is Sever. And, of course, it’s not the proper way to use it.
This is just a very small portion of the power, rely a way to bypass the pressure limitation.
…That’s what frightens .
Just how terrifying a burden is waiting for ?
When I release this Deep Fusion, will I simply be crushed into a pool of blood?
I’m not exaggerating. The Deep Sea is Fair, it always takes as much as you use. It’s always been that way.
But in the end, I must face it.
If I stay like this, it’ll only get worse.
“Phew…”
A deep breath. Then I looked at Wihwa’s cold, severed head.
I too had to pay the price for using my power.
Slowly, I detached myself from the Deep Sea.
“Gasp.”
I prepared myself with all my strength.
For the pressure, the temperature, the vision, and everything else.
About thirty seconds. I tensed my body, trembling, enduring the torture of surviving deep within the Deep Sea with a human body.
But.
“?”
Nothing happened.
The pressure that should have easily crushed a human, well, not that it wasn’t there, but it wasn’t much different from usual.
My vision narrowed. It was cold, sure.
Just the sa burden I’d always felt. That’s all.
I didn’t know why, but I was relieved. I turned my head toward where Elysia was.
I needed to bring Elysia back to her senses, and treat Alletus.
What a hassle. Did I really have to?
…No, I did. Sure, it was irritating, and no matter what I did, nothing would change, the only future waiting for was being crushed to death, but still, what must be done must be done.
“-What is this.”
I stopped in confusion.
Sothing felt… incredibly, disgustingly wrong. Negative emotions boiled violently in my chest. Far too much.
Burden! I quickly checked again. Was the pressure inside my body increasing?
…No. There was still no physical burden at all.
My hands and feet began to tremble. I couldn’t even stand anymore, and collapsed to my knees, falling to the ground.
“Ugh… urweeeeek- blegh!”
I vomited up everything in my stomach onto the ground. When I wiped my forehead, it was drenched with sweat, far more than I thought could co from my own body.
I had to stay calm. Forcing myself up, I leaned against the railing and examined my condition.
There was no physical burden, confird. Then what was this? What part of was reacting like this?
If my feet were crushed, I could bla the pressure. But this trembling of my limbs, this rising panic as if I were about to die any second, what was it? Claustrophobia? Or so kind of thalassophobia? Did I sohow develop a fear like that?
“Kh.”
That wasn’t all, again and again, suicidal urges welled up.
Everything in the world felt aningless and horrific. That’s what it felt like.
I clenched my teeth, gripping the railing, resisting that sensation.
And suddenly, a ridiculous thought ca to mind.
“No way…”
I furrowed my brows and shook my head in denial, but still turned my current sense slightly.
Once I could make out the terrain and surrounding objects,
the panic subsided just a little.
Of course, the feeling that I was going to die didn’t go away. Still, I was able to be certain of one thing.
As ridiculous as it sounds, I was currently suffering from withdrawal.
“Heh.”
A hollow laugh slipped out.
While in Deep Fusion, when I was one with the Deep Sea, I was safe.
The five senses were such primitive sensations. I could see everything, know everything.
More than anything, the Deep Sea was no longer my enemy.
It was a new sense that protected , my sanctuary, my ho.
But once I released it, I collapsed to the ground.
Seeing with my eyes, hearing with my ears, walking with my feet… I beca like an insect.
A existence that could be easily trampled to death if I were one with the Deep Sea.
…Now, is there really a need to struggle with other matters?
If I just take this hand and lt into it.
“…!!”
Snapping back to my senses, I imdiately picked up a chunk of wood nearby and drove it into my thigh.
Squelch… I gritted my teeth through the pain of flesh tearing. I bit the inside of my cheek several tis, whipping myself back to reality.
“Get a grip, you bastard! What did you co all this way for?!”
In Deep Fusion, I was practically invincible.
Just like how I easily killed Wihwa, who was stronger than , I could unleash my power without any burden.
It’s not a good thing. Not at all. Not even a tiny bit.
Now that I know the price, even more so. If I remain lted in it for too long, I’ll lose my human body.
Lose the identity of ‘Jern’ the human.
Be degraded into a ‘phenonon’ called the Deep Sea.
…So that’s it, I’ve realized sothing new. The group that calls this act Transcendence, is that Crimson Circle? That’s why they use power beyond cognition.
No, this isn’t the ti to be learning anything. I reached out and got as far away from the railing as possible. My head spun. If I stayed here any longer, I really might throw myself over.
If I did, I could beco one with the Deep Sea, so wouldn’t that be good.
“No!”
Worst, no matter how many tis I go over it, it’s the worst. I played the worst possible move.
I had no choice but to survive, but I used a power I can never truly bear.
It felt like my heart dropped.
Now I can’t even run away through death.
I’ve beco sothing like that.
This is the Abyss.
A world that resents its master.
Suddenly, the Deep Sea where I was hiding looked far too vast and hollow.
I felt lonely.
“…Just a little bit.”
Now there’s really no choice.
I need to open Deep Fusion just a tiny bit. To get through this mont.
…Are these my own thoughts?
Or are they the howls of instinct, cast down from a transcendent being back to a human?
I don’t know. I just let go.
– As my consciousness slowly lted into the sea, the last thing that entered my vision was.
Wihwa’s severed head, smiling even as it stread tears of blood.
*
“Mom, Dad got hurt.”
“…Huh?”
Elysia smiled like a girl her age as she looked at her slightly flustered mother.
“I’m sorry. Since you weren’t there, I should’ve protected Dad instead. But I couldn’t. Hehe…”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Your father’s right over there, cooking for us.”
No sooner had those words left her mouth, the door to the next room was loudly knocked.
[Dear, Elysia! Just wait a mont! I’m making the perfect honey pie!]
“Ufufu… He could’ve asked the servants, but he insists on doing it himself.”
Elysia etched her mother’s smiling face into her mind.
She didn’t want to miss a single part, she wanted to rember it all.
She slowly opened her mouth and confessed her feelings.
“You know, after losing you, it was really hard for . I got bullied, I was kidnapped… I felt like everything was my fault, like the world hated .”
“Mom is right here. I love you, my daughter.”
“Mm-hm, Mom. I love you too!”
Elysia answered with a smile.
“But I t soone who had it even worse.”
“He said he grew up in an Orphanage. And as soon as he turned ten, he was faced with a fate of death. If it were , I’d have just cried and given up right then and there, but he learned magic, rescued us when we were kidnapped. He beca the disciple of a sowhat scary Archmage and endured that grueling training, and even comforted .”
A grave ca to mind.
Seeing the curved line at the corner of Elysia’s lips, her mother smiled.
“He must be a good person. Do you want to be like that?”
“No. I don’t think I could live like that.”
Jern, had struggled so hard that even she, just watching from the side, could tell.
So hard that sotis she wondered why he even tried that much.
He had always been honest with himself. He never lied…
“I can’t be soone like that.”
“Then-”
“But if I can… if I could help even a little, I want to lend him my strength.”
“Why?”
Her mother asked, truly as if she couldn’t understand.
“Is it really worth going that far?”
“Yes!”
Elysia shouted with confidence.
“Jern always cos to find when I’m having the hardest ti!”
“…”
In her clear, unwavering eyes, sothing only children of that age can have, was a firm determination.
[Elysia’s Mother] smiled gently.
“Go on.”
“…Okay. When I co back later, let’s talk about the rest then!”
“Fufu, I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Elysia wiped her eyes.
There was no sound, no light, no anything.
Her mother had suddenly vanished. The room had beco a ruin, and the bed was nothing but torn rags.
“…”
Elysia didn’t panic and placed a hand on her shoulder.
The dried blood was still there, definitely.
As those monts ca flooding back.
“Ugh…”
For a mont, tears seed ready to spill.
But she put on a strong expression, patted her cheeks, and held them back.
‘I can’t stay here like this!’
All her mories had returned.
Her father was probably locked up in the room next door.
And Jern- Jern had definitely co to rescue her.
Elysia was, in her own way, convinced. That Jeren liked her so much he didn’t know what to do with himself. That’s why he kept coming to see her.
If he couldn’t confirm she was safe, Jern would never leave.
‘First, I have to save Dad…’
Sohow, she needed to get out of this roaring tower and let him know she was safe.
After taking a deep breath and firming her resolve, Elysia carefully opened the door.
“Kyaaah!! Jern!!”
Imdiately overco by a sinking feeling in her chest, she ran.
Jern had collapsed unconscious in front of the door, bleeding heavily. Ignoring any risk of enemies nearby, Elysia rushed to him and lifted him into a proper position. She pressed her ear against his chest.
Then her heart sank for a second ti.
“He’s n-not breathing!”
Was he dead? No way, that couldn’t be!
Her hands and feet trembled. She had finally made up her mind to help, but the one she wanted to help was dying?
“…No!”
She did her best to press down on his chest with her tiny, childlike hands.
She had learned a bit about it sowhere, but it didn’t go well.
“Jern, wake up! Co to your senses!”
As a last resort, Elysia began slapping Jern’s cheeks repeatedly.
And then.
“…”
“You woke…up?”
Jern opened his eyes.
It should have been a good thing.
But those eyes, no matter how she looked at them, were not normal.
Even normally, his gaze wasn’t overflowing with kindness. But today was different. Far too different.
They looked less like human eyes and more like sothing that gazed at inanimate objects.
Swallowing dryly, Elysia cautiously reached out her hand.
“A-are you o-”
–Slam!
Elysia flew across the hallway and crashed violently to the floor.
“…!”
It wasn’t even the kind of pain one could scream from.
It felt like being struck all over with an iron club.
“Ah… ow…”
Thud.
While Elysia writhed in pain, Jern’s body collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.
“…Urgh.”
Elysia gritted her teeth and forced herself up.
She didn’t know what had just happened. Even she knew she was closer to a fool than a genius, and she couldn’t even guess what kind of magic she’d just been hit by.
So instead, she relied on sothing else.
“J-Jern…”
Staggering to her feet, Elysia approached Jern.
Because her leg was broken, it took Elysia a long ti to sit beside Jern again.
There was no hostility or anger in Elysia’s expression. Instead, she showed a proud smile.
“You said it before, didn’t you? That maybe I could save you. You always say the right things, so I’m sure this ti will be the sa.”
She didn’t believe in herself, but she believed in those words.
She placed her bruised arm over Jern’s chest and took a deep breath.
When she first heard that she couldn’t manifest Magic because she had this kind of thing in her inner world, she thought it might be a cursed power.
Even now, that thought hadn’t changed much. But.
If this power could help Jern now… then maybe she could think of it as a blessing.
“I-It’s working… right?”
She gathered to the fullest extent all the power of her ability that rejected magic. She didn’t stop, even when it felt like her heart would burst or her blood would boil.
“Nggh…”
With groans of effort, she gave it her all.
Even if nothing seed to change. Even if it looked like it wasn’t working.
For over ten minutes, she gave everything she had. To the point it almost killed her.
“…Heh… haah…”
To the point she couldn’t even feel joy when Jern woke up.
She used every last bit of strength she had, down to what she had since birth.
For so reason, Jern vomited up a large amount of water. He held his head in pain as if suffering from a splitting headache, slowly raised his upper body, and looked at her.
“Where is this… Elysia?”
“Mm…”
She didn’t even have the energy to respond. When she spoke in that dying voice, he was so startled that he grabbed her shoulders and shook her limp body.
“What is this- wait, your bone is broken… Who did this to you?!”
Jern shouted as he looked at the battered Elysia with a gaze tinged with anger.
Elysia truly didn’t have the strength to say anything.
But seeing that the injured Jern was angry on her behalf sohow gave her a little strength.
So, she managed to say at least one thing before fainting.
“You’re the one who hit , you stupid idiot…”
“??”
Even as her consciousness faded, seeing the look of confusion on Jern’s face, was pretty amusing.
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