112 – Please
– Goooooh…
“Ah…?”
As the blue smoke, which looks ominous just by looking at it, completely swallows the sky over her river, Ariel starts to back away from her with a dazed look on her face.
– Tzuzuzuzuzuzu…..
“…….!”
However, as soon as she witnessed the rapid decay of the walls and floors touched by the aura, she began to look shocked.
“Oh no…”
Before she even has time to think, she starts reaching out her hand to save the smoke-soaked sky of her river.
– Swoop…
But before that, an emaciated hand sticking out of the smoke.
“Ugh, ugh…”
What appeared at the same time as her hand was the concept of death, which began to emit grayish smoke from none other than her body.
“…What, what?”
She was, of course, something that Ariel couldn’t help but be embarrassed about.
Of course, it wasn’t that she didn’t know the information about her ‘concept of death’ at all.
It was because I had seen her ability several times while repeating it over and over again to reach her current point.
‘It must have been the ability to take the life of the being it touches?’
In the beginning, when she didn’t know her abilities, she was hit with the ability to take the life of her opponent at the slightest touch, so she re-tried several times.
However, once she figured out the ability, she was able to subdue the concept of death relatively easily without touching it by burying it in a pile of rubble.
– Go oh oh oh…
However, the current concept of death was a little different from what Ariel was familiar with.
– Chii Iik…
The unidentified smoke she was exhaling from earlier was corroding even non-life things.
“Death… I see…”
Every time I touched the feet of the concept of death that was walking forward muttering incomprehensible words, the rotting floor was a bonus.
“What is this…”
In a situation where the reason is not known at all, Ariel was walking backwards while she was sweating profusely.
“…Ah.”
In her mind, the image of Kang Ha-neul, engulfed in smoke, comes to mind.
“………”
And at that moment, she stopped walking backwards, clasped her hands tightly, and began to look at her smoky smoke all around her.
‘…I have to save it.’
It was still a situation where all the information obtained from the conversation I had with Kang Ha-neul had not yet been organized.
We couldn’t rule out that the conversations we had so far were all lies they planned in advance, and we couldn’t ignore the possibility that Kang Ha-neul had other ulterior motives.
But what was certain was that it was impossible to just watch the situation as it is.
Because, it was because I couldn’t let Kang Ha-neul go like this, even in order to verify the facts of the conversation we had had so far.
– Tuck, Tuck…
Because of that, Ariel Everleigh started moving forward with her teeth gritting.
– Go oh oh oh…
The concept of her death, which seems to have lost her reason, and the blue smoke she is driving, start to get closer to Ariel.
– Swoop…
But she didn’t give in and started raising her fist quietly.
“…Suck.”
It was at that moment that she took a deep breath and tried to push her regime forward with all her might.
– Wow…
“…….!”
Another hand that appeared from the smoke grabbed the head of the concept of death that staggered forward and knocked it to the floor.
“…Ughhhhh!”
Ariel, who stopped trying to throw her fist at that sudden situation, soon opened her eyes.
– Pajik… Pajik…..
It was because the river sky, caught in her smoke, rode on top of her with bloodshot eyes, spewing tentacles from all over her body.
– Shaaa…
– Kyaureuk, Kyaureuk…..
Just like that, the smoke of the concept of death and the tentacles of the river sky began to intertwine.
“……Ah?”
In the field of view of Ariel, who was looking at the figure with awe-inspiring eyes, a strange scene was captured for a moment.
– Sssss…
It was because in the thick smoke, shadows on two horses began to appear.
“That’s…”
– Giying…!!!
But before Ariel could check it in detail, a bluish cold and flash of light began to erupt between the two.
“…Ugh!?”
Caught in the aftermath, Ariel, who flew to the wall behind her, watched the situation in front of her with her eyes wide open.
“What, what…”
The two shadows that had been entangled in the smoke were mingling and becoming one.
“”………””
After that, only the shimmering sound of a flash of blue light echoed through the ruins for a while.
.
.
.
.
.
“………”
The fierce blue light that seemed to never go out eventually died down, and a deep silence began to linger over the ruins.
– Swoop…
Ariel stood up in the silence and started walking forward.
“…Cool, cool.”
In her field of vision, the blue smoke from her body and the spitting blood of the river enter the sky.
“Go, don’t come any closer.”
Ariel, who was looking at his ruined figure, took one more step in front of her, and she hurriedly stretched out her hand in front of her, and her river, the sky, restrained her.
“…What did you do?”
“………”
“Answer me.”
When Ariel urged an answer to that appearance, which was unusual even for a person who did not know anything, Kang Ha-neul, who stole the blood flowing from her mouth, started responding in a low voice.
“…Sealed the concept of death within me.”
“What?”
“There was no other way… If left alone, it would go on a rampage and swallow the whole area.”
The eyes of Kang Ha-neul who said that were gradually loosening up.
“Well then… What about you?”
“…Me?”
Ariel threw a question with a trembling voice, feeling that his lips were drying up by itself at that precarious figure.
“It’ll be fine, maybe…”
“…….”
“So let’s get out of here… It’s big.”
The river sky, which had muttered so much, closed her mouth and forcibly swallowed the blood that was about to burst out.
“…Sorry.”
“………”
“I tried to trick you again…”
Then, he smiled and opened his mouth again.
“…The seal is temporary. It will probably run rampant again in a few hours.”
“Then…”
“I should go to a quiet place where there are as few people as possible and end my life.”
At that calm voice, Ariel, speechless, stared blankly at him.
“Since I was already engulfed in smoke, there has been no hope. Even now, it feels like the cells in my body are dying in real time…”
“…….”
“So please don’t come any closer? It’s a big deal if you get caught up in it…”
Staring at her gaze, Kang Ha-neul calmly continued her words.
“Cool…..”
Ariel’s body begins to tremble as he finally can’t stand it and vomits out handfuls of his blood with his eyes wide open.
“…Is it because of me?”
“Huh?”
“Did you go that far out of fear of getting caught up in me?”
A cracking voice emanated from her mouth before long.
“…I can’t help but feel sorry for you.”
“…….”
“I finally mustered up the courage, but to see the end like this…”
Kang Ha-neul’s voice, which is still calm but can’t hide the sadness, pierces her ears.
“Still, I’m glad I saved you.”
– Wow…..
“…At least, I’ll have a day to see Justia.”
Kang Ha-neul, who had been muttering with an expression that was slowly starting to get hazy, smiled at Ariel, who was gnashing her teeth with tears in her eyes.
“Come to think of it, she said you would become a hero who would surpass herself.”
“…….”
“So, Ariel. Whatever happens, don’t give up. You will become greater than any hero…”
And while leaving what would be her last cheer, Kang Ha-neul suddenly stops her words as her eyes wide open.
“…Ugh.”
The next moment, the blue flash of light that had been leaking from his body began to become clearer and clearer.
“Ha ha ha…”
Thanks to that, Kang Ha-neul was breaking out in a cold sweat and trying to pull out the tentacles from his body.
“…….”
However, realizing that even his own tentacles are discolored and twisted in that blue color, he closes his eyes tightly and thinks.
“Ariel… El.”
“………”
“…Hey, you know.”
After such a long time passed, Kang Ha-neul looked at Ariel with a very sorry expression and opened her mouth again.
“Anyway, it seems to be minutes, not hours.”
“….. Huh?”
“I’m so sorry that I’m burdening you until the very end, but can I ask you a favor despite your shame?”
A single tear flowed from his eyes.
“…Kill me before it’s too late.”
And at that very moment, a message appeared before Ariel’s eyes.
“Ah…”
Ariel, who saw the message, stopped even breathing and she stiffened.
[Will you defeat the final boss?]
[Y/N]
It was because he realized what this bizarre ability he had been given was for.
“…No.”
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, at that time. The entrance to the half-destroyed and ruined Dominating Hands hideout.
“Hey, this is it.”
“…….”
“The place where the sky is…”
Kangmaru, who had reached the entrance with Himari Minamoto, was muttering with a nervous expression on his face.
“This is your last chance…”
“…A chance?”
“Maybe it’s not too late…”
“…….”
“Ji, if you treat me well from now on… Maybe go back to normal…”
After saying that, Himari, who staggered and looked at Kangmaru, who was entering the hideout with anxious eyes, soon muttered to herself and moved forward as well.
‘…Maybe, I still have a chance?’
The bright atmosphere created by the flashes of blue that covered the sky in the hideout somehow gave them hope, albeit vaguely.
lol am i suppose to feel bad for mc here?