Chapter 91: [Oracle of Past] [12] [End]
Chapter 91: [Oracle of Past] [12] [End]
A flower with sharp petals formed, ready to kill her in an instant....
"...Look carefully," Delwyn remarked, making me face towards Inës.
"She would have been alive if not for you."
The flower in his hand began to spin, its speed increasing with every second.
Just as he was about to clench his fist...
"Hey," I whispered softly, catching his attention. A small smile etched on my lips.
"...Muspelh."
BOOM!!!
The blood soaking his suit ignited crimson before exploding right on his body.
The Kinetic energy from the explosion was enough to throw my body helplessly a few meters away from him.
"Cough... Cough..."
Coughing violently, I stood up, my entire body burning with agonizing pain, but I didn't have the luxury to scream.
Strengthening my back, I took a deep breath and looked forward, my hand firmly clasping the axe-hammer I retrieved from the ground.
I braced myself once again, my back shielding Inës.
And from the burning flames...
A silhouette of a person walked out...
Unscathed...
I gulped down the blood that started to fill my mouth as I looked at him walking towards me.
"...What is this?"
he questioned, his gaze on his body that appeared to be burning but was actually covered by a thin layer of mana, keeping him safe.
"....It's burning mana itself..." he muttered loudly, his confusion evident as he looked closely at his body... the mana covering it.
'...Still no... damage.'
Taking a deep breath to control my shallow breathing, I examined his condition and... there wasn't a single notable damage on his body.
'...Fuck.'
Then I examined my own condition: broken ribs, body pricked with spikes, and a few fractures throughout.
Skin cracking open and blood trickling down from it.
"...There should be nothing in this world that could burn mana," he mumbled again, with a wave of his hand extinguishing the flames. "...What power is this?"
Ignoring his comment, I lowered my hand, the blood that was leaking from my damaged hand starting to soak the axe-hammer.
'...Wait! Kinetic energy!!'
As if something clicked in my mind, I focused on my body again.
'.....'
Sefīgá was still doing its work, and since Inder started fighting with Delwyn, it had been storing all the energies and converting them into mana.
And that's also the reason my body is in such a deep mess.
"...Is it perhaps something you inherited from your mother?" Delwyn questioned again, walking closer.
Muspelh
But his expression hardened as he looked warily at my hand while I summoned Muspelh again.
I blinked, his body blurred, and a sword made of red crystal aimed straight at my throat.
Neplh
Bringing my left hand forward, I blocked the attack.
The sword pricked my hand, blood turned into crystalline ice but it quickly shattered as the sword dug deep into my hand.
"Arghh!!"
A groan escaped my lips as the coldness of the blood-soaked crystal made my hand numb...
Muspelh
Gritting my teeth, I thought as my blood started to burn crimson, engulfing the crystal sword before reaching his hand.
He stepped back, avoiding the flames while I pulled the sword out.
Scatter!!
His body blurred again as he spun and kicked me in the ribs.
The kick connected, making me roll on the ground several times before I collided with the wall.
Runes in my body glowed brightly, filling themselves with the mana converted from sefīgá, but my body wasn't strong enough to convert it all.
Nausea filled my mind, sapping the strength from my body as I tried to stand up again before falling to my knees.
I pressed one hand to my side ribs, feeling the burning, itching, cracking pain that made my mind numb...
"Haaah..."
I took a deep breath, gulping down the blood filling my mouth again as I stood up once more.
"...Why are you trying so hard?" he questioned, looking at me with confusion. "...What do you get from saving her?"
"Fuck."
Cursing, I dragged my arm, firmly clasping the axe-hammer up again while my left hand hung limply, helplessly.
He tried to take a step again, but his steps halted midway. Silently, he looked up, his eyes passing through the glass tomb above us.
"...Looks like we can't continue," he whispered as he shifted his gaze towards Inës.
Changing his direction, he took a step towards Inës, arriving right beside her.
Extending his hand, he touched the barrier, cracks forming on its surface.
Inës inside the barrier took a step back, terrified at how fast the barrier was cracking.
"Huhhh."
Letting out a deep breath, I grabbed the hilt of my blood-soaked axe-hammer with both my hands.
Bringing it over my head, I used all the mana that had been accumulated in my body towards both my hands.
The silver runes glowed brighter than ever before.
Schatter!!!
"INËS!!!"
As soon as the barrier shattered, I shouted at the top of my lungs, making Delwyn snap his head towards me.
Taking advantage of it, Inës closed her eyes, sending all her mana into the brooch that I gave her before.
Her body blurred, disintegrating before materializing right beside me.
Muspelh
I grinned widely before I thought.
The axe-hammer in my hand lit in crimson flames, and the next instant, I threw it towards him with all the strength I could muster.
SWISH!!!
It cut through the air, leaving a trail of crimson in its path as it hurtled towards him. Extending his hand, he made a big four-petal flower of red crystal, spinning it to form a barrier.
BOOM!!!
The crimson axe collided with his barrier, making a resonating sound.
The kinetic energy released from it was enough to create cracks in the surrounding areas.
The collision made Delwyn take a step back.
After a few seconds, my now melted axe-hammer fell to the ground.
"...."
Silently, I looked at Delwyn, unscathed even after I gave my everything in the last attack.
"....it was a nice tr—."
"...Times up." I interjected, pointing upwards, making him halt his words and look up as well.
There on the glass tomb, faint cracks started to form, visible to the naked eye.
"....We will meet again, [Exiled Prince]." He shifted his focus back as he firmly asserted, "....until then, may the God Sabaoth watch over you."
His body disintegrated into nothingness as relief washed over me, making me stumble back onto my knees.
"Azariah."
Inës, standing beside me, wrapped her hands around my waist, stopping me from falling face-first.
"Arghh!!!"
And the very next instant, I was in control of my body again.
But the pain of my entire broken body didn't help much as I glanced at my bloodied hand.
"H-hey!!"
I shifted my focus as I looked at sobbing Inës beside me.
"...Why are you crying?"
I asked, reaching out and wiping her tears, staining her face with blood in the process.
My own vision blurred, but I bit my lip to stay conscious.
"W-why?" Inës asked, tightening her grip on my waist.
"...Arghh...stop, stop!!" I groaned in pain as her body pressed against mine.
"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered, loosening her grip and grabbing the end of her gown to clear my blood from it.
'El'
I shifted my focus as I heard Inder's voice, even though it was painful.
[...Yes?]
'...I saved her.'
[...Yeah]
Hmm... Did I miss something?
Why are they talking like they know something and they don't want to share it with me?
'...Azariah.'
Y-yeah...
'...The magic circle that I used to summon El—do you remember how you got that?'
Now that he mentions it....
I don't remember anything about that magic circle...
It's all blurry in my mind...
Like someone....
'...Forcefully added those memories.'
I nodded my head gently in agreement.
It's odd how I remember that magic circle so perfectly when I want to forget anything related to that time...
"...W-we n-need h-help!!!" Inës stuttered, tearing her gown and wrapping it around my injured hands.
"...I won't die," I whispered weakly.
"...You are dying, you big idiot!!" she exclaimed, glaring at me with her teary eyes.
Looking at her, one question echoed in my mind...
What will happen to her now?
'...She will be fine.'
Why so sure?
'...Inës was mentioned in the game.'
Huh?
When?
We both have the same memories of the game, right?
'...She is one of the cursed princesses.'
My body stiffened as soon as I heard his words.
Fuck!!
'...She is that woman's niece and the reason she stood against your mother.'
Crack!! Crack!!
I gently looked upwards as the glass tomb started to crack from all directions.
Schatter!!
The glass shattered, and the heavy rainfall entered the hall.
"Azariah..."
Inës meekly called me, but my gaze remained fixed upwards.
Rumble!!
A thunderbolt erupted in the sky, illuminating the scene above, and I saw her....
The silhouette of a tall woman levitating in the air, her pale yellowish eyes with vertical slits fixed on us as she slowly descended.....
Her dark hair, almost like the night itself, framed her face.....
At one glance, I immediately recognized her....
Malenia Drakex....
The youngest Archon and Nylaria's holder....
And...
The [Forbidden Heroine] of the [first game]....
She was the last thing I saw before my consciousness slipped away....