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[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 249: Unique Mindscape (2)
I didn't understand Kazen's words.
The moment we met each other's eyes in silence, I couldn't read anything in his gaze.
It felt as if time had stopped, like only the two of us existed in the world.
A gaze as calm as a lake.
I couldn't read it, but I could understand.
Somehow, my heart ached as if it would tear, because I knew Kazen wasn't truly calm.
He was simply not showing it.
He wasn't showing me the emotions churning within him.
Kazen watched me with steadfast, unwavering eyes.
It was difficult to guess how many emotions and questions churned within his heart, but I could tell one thing.
His gaze, fixed firmly upon me, told me.
It was belief.
"Stop them!"
Paaaaaaang—!
It was then that the forces of the Divine Clans and the Vassal Families simultaneously surrounded the front.
Mercenaries who had remained outside and other prestigious families also joined the battlefield.
As Ragnarok completely shattered, fragments of light scattered in all directions, and through the gaps, a terrifying wave of demonic energy surged in.
"What in the world..."
"What is..."
Remnants of pitch-black demonic energy slowly writhed, forming shapes.
They were demonic beasts.
Demonic beasts were flooding in.
"Dark Light."
Hearing the voice, I looked to my right.
Markutan Arihama.
Iris Seren.
The two Clan Heads, having confirmed the terrifying wave of demonic energy emanating from the surging demonic beasts, let out low groans.
"I misjudged."
“……”
"...This wasn't a problem that would end just by stopping the mastermind."
The eyes of the Guardian Knights, who had raised their shields to the front, were filled with tension.
The surging wave of demonic energy was so terrifying that even those who had reached high realms felt their bodies stiffen.
"For now, stopping them must be the priority."
Before anyone knew it, Julius, who had finished staunching the bleeding in his right arm stump, appeared.
The moment the forces of the three Divine Clans advanced towards the front simultaneously, the battlefield instantly turned into a scene of pandemonium.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
I looked past the surging demonic beings towards one spot.
The battlefield instinctively reminded me of the final stages of the Land of Death.
The Demon Flowers blooming all around and the surging waves of demonic energy were the same as back then.
However, the sense of unease came from the fact that the level of the incoming demonic beasts was somehow lower than expected.
If they were at the same level as back then, it was obvious that the current Divine Clans could never handle them.
Because even my past companions, who had broken through that hellish expedition, had barely managed to endure it.
But the current situation on the battlefield….
They were clearly being pushed back, but it wasn't yet at a level where the battle lines would completely collapse.
"Commander!"
"Clan Head!"
The Crazy Mage Squad, the White Horse Knights, and the Elders approached, checking on my and Kazen's condition.
"Brother!"
Before I knew it, Daisy and Wolf, along with the Brotherhood and Hector, also drew near.
Elder Norman Joo, leading the Elders, looked towards the front with a complicated expression.
Everyone clearly looked confused.
Because the forces of the Divine Clans, who had been threatening Samael just moments ago, were now uniformly forming a defensive line at the front.
I looked at Taylor, Daisy, and Hector.
"All of you stay here and protect the Clan Head."
Then, I looked at Makan and said,
"Makan, you stay too. The rest will move with me."
Kazen shook his head.
"There's no need for that, Ruin."
Ignoring Kazen's words, I looked at the Elders.
"Please take care of the Clan Head."
"Don't worry."
It was then that an intense storm of demonic energy erupted from the front.
Deploying a powerful shield around Kazen, I kicked off the ground and leaped.
Paat—!
The squad members followed me, deploying the Crazy Mage footwork.
The source of the demonic energy storm that had just erupted was the Solscar and Jik families.
As the demonized forces of the Vassal Families began attacking their allies, the battle lines instantly started to be pushed back.
It was then that the Heads of the Divine Clans simultaneously unleashed their full power.
Just three people.
The divine might displayed by the transcendent-level knights changed the tide of battle in an instant.
When Julius swung his sword with his left arm, the sword aura vertically split the horizon.
When Markutan raised his shield, a pressure as if the heavens were collapsing crushed the demonic beasts on the right.
Iris's spear strike pushed back the left flank, taking the form of a golden dragon.
At that very moment, I looked up at the sky.
In the void completely dyed in darkness, an insane amount of demonic energy swirled...
...and intense demonic energy rained down upon humanity, like thousands of lightning bolts striking.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang—!
And in the very center of it all, he appeared.
* * *
A single move.
Everything changed.
A wave of demonic energy so intense it could make humanity lose its will in an instant.
The divine might displayed by the three Divine Clan Heads was nullified in a moment.
The demonic beasts knelt and kissed the ground.
Humanity stared with blank eyes at the shadow shrouded in mist.
[Kneel.]
A voice like a divine edict echoed throughout the entire area.
[Bow down.]
I made no attempt to suppress the boiling rage within me.
The form was different, but I knew just by sensing its presence.
[Revere me.]
It's him.
Verkes, that son of a bitch.
Wheeeing—!
Eight circles rotating in reverse.
The moment the overwhelming demonic energy spewing from the mist-shrouded figure tried to swallow humanity once more.
Faster than that, an explosion erupting from within the mist helplessly extinguished the demonic energy.
The figure, directly hit by the spatial explosion, scattered in all directions before gathering again.
A voice filled with disbelief flowed out from within it.
[Human.]
As I slowly approached the figure, a low voice emerged from within.
[...Where did you learn that magic?]
“……”
[You, don't tell me...]
"Verkes."
Verkes.
The moment I uttered that word, the demonic beasts that were kneeling simultaneously began to tremble like aspen leaves.
Another voice flowed out from within the figure in the mist.
[Unbelievable. Are you saying you were truly alive?]
"Yeah, it's been a while. You son of a bitch."
[How on earth can that be?]
"That's what I want to ask."
Although the circumstances so far had suggested Verkes was alive.
Now that I was actually facing him, I couldn't control my anger at all.
What exactly remained at the end of that hellish expedition?
An expedition no one remembers.
Even that sliver of solace, that we had defeated the Demon King and protected humanity, could no longer be held.
[I do not understand. You couldn't possibly have deceived the eyes of this king.]
"That silver tongue of yours hasn't changed."
I glared at the figure in the mist.
"You should have definitely died back then."
[…….]
"Who is behind this?"
Verkes.
No matter how this bastard deceived me, the spatial explosion that hit his head was real.
"You should have been annihilated. Who saved you?"
Suppressing my anxiety, I asked quietly.
"Is it really Pelleer?"
[…….]
A moment of silence passed.
I could feel the mist-shrouded figure staring intently at me, as if trying to pierce through me.
It was a short while later that he spoke again.
[It seems you don't know after all. How amusing.]
"...What?"
[Are you saying you planned this alone?]
The trembling in the voice coming from the mist subsided.
Following that, the voice, like a divine edict, once again echoed throughout the area.
[My kin can simply be created anew. How pathetic, human. Did the contract seem so laughable to you?]
“……”
[The contract is immortal. No matter how you struggle, you cannot escape despair.]
It was then that the kneeling kin let out monstrous screams simultaneously and charged.
Beyond the widely corrupted land, other demonic beasts began to appear.
The moment the watching knights and mages formed a defensive line.
The mist-shrouded figure of Verkes soared high into the air.
Wheeeing—!
I fully opened the circles in my heart.
Eight circles rotating in reverse.
Mana of the Yin dimension.
8th Circle, Supreme Transmutation Spell.
Domain Explosion.
Peopeopeopeopeong—!
Explosions continuously generated throughout the entire area covered by the mist surrounding Verkes.
The moment I sensed him breaking through one spot.
I immediately rotated the circles in my heart once more, localized the area, and cast Overlapping Explosion.
"I'll annihilate you."
[Watch closely.]
Threads of demonic energy fell towards the ground from within the completely dispersed mist.
The moment I looked down, I instinctively realized what Verkes was aiming for.
Advent.
It can't be.
It makes no sense.
The situation I had denied until the very end was becoming reality.
Did Pelleer really... intend to sacrifice a future Clan Head?
Time felt like it was slowing down.
Shaaa—.
In that instant, Julius's Heart Void Style, tearing through space, aimed for Kazen's heart, but.
Just before that, the Ten Thousand Swordmaster wearing the White Heron mask appeared in the path of the Heart Void Style, his heart pierced instead.
From the left, the unhinged bald man and Kant, who were mixed in the crowd, rushed at Kazen, but.
The shield created by Hector and the spear strike swung by Makan blocked their assault.
Kwakwakwakwang—!
Wolf, Daisy, and the rest of the mercenary group swung their swords at the threads of demonic energy descending from the sky, and the magic stones thrown by the Elders covered the area above, but.
Ultimately, a single strand of demonic energy descended, seemingly piercing through Kazen.
During all those moments, I couldn't move.
Kazen was looking at me until the very end.
The moment our eyes met, and seeing his gaze as calm as a lake.
I realized.
＊ ＊ ＊
Wheeeing—!
A mindscape blooming within.
It hadn't started in this moment.
Even back when I noticed for no reason that the one-eye held his sword with his left hand, when I instinctively knew Taylor had reached the 6-Star realm, and even in the moment I sensed Black had reached the realm of transcendence.
No, even further back than that.
From the very moment I was reincarnated into this body.
That mindscape existed within me from the very beginning.
I looked at Kazen.
Wheeeing—!
The moment the eight circles rotated fully in the forward direction, the mindscape blooming within me fully blossomed.
It was my mindscape, and his mindscape.
—Commander. I think there's a mistake in the roster. I'm still only 2-Circle.
—...Ruin. There were special instructions from the Clan Head to include you on the list.
From the time I was forcibly drafted into the expedition team when I felt I had no talent whatsoever.
—You're crazy, Ruin. As expected, you belonged in the Crazy Mage Squad.
—Crazy Mage Commander, Ruin. We need you to see the end of this journey. Only you can do it. So, you must survive.
Pelleer's intentions behind the incomprehensible words he spoke to me at every moment of the expedition.
I finally understood them now.
Pelleer had already known.
Unique Mindscape, the Mind's Eye.
A Divine Wall of Iron, like Mount Tai formed in the sky, pressed down on Kazen.
Geugeugeuk—!
What emanated from Kazen's body as he endured the pressure of the Divine Wall with his completely destroyed mana circles was unmistakably the Mana of the Yin dimension.
Kazen, consumed by demonic energy, looked at me.
I looked back at Kazen. Staring into his completely blackened eyes, I could understand what damn Pelleer had done in the final moments.
Saaaaah—!
Kazen's body began to writhe and transform.
Kazen, his entire body slowly turning black, looked at me.
[...It's been long. Hasn't it?]
A completely different voice.
It was Verkes' voice.
I said nothing and closed my eyes.
Recalling all of damn Pelleer's mindscape, I sensed him.
No one could block the mental interference Pelleer manifested without being defenseless.
8th Circle.
Unique Mindscape, Release.
[...?!]
[...Y-You bastard. What have you done?!]
In that moment, an incredibly horrifying scream echoed out.
When I opened my eyes again, Verkes, who had been ejected from Kazen's body, was staring at me with a face of disbelief.
A naked, entirely black body, spewing strands of demonic energy from all over.
A familiar form.
It was identical to the last image I remembered of him.
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[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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