12. Flowing Star – 09
It was a sight no different from the second coming of a myth.
The sky was cracking and the ground was collapsing, and a roaring sound that seemed to shatter the heavens and the earth was echoing in all directions. The clash between the four transcendental beings who have reached the pinnacle of present-day humanity and the strongest absolute being in this world had that much weight.
“witch-!”
The princess’s ‘Sword of the Sky’ swings at the witch, and from above, Bianca’s ‘Sigh of the White Flame’ strikes her directly from above the witch’s head. And as if following them, 9 barrages filled with the spirit’s power glide through the space like rays of light to bite the witch.
It was a linkage that fit like cogwheels, and there was nothing that wasn’t a lethal blow. In the past year, the members of the expedition did not just kill time without meaning while traveling north. In other words, in preparation for the battle with the ‘Witch of Winter’, who may be an absolute being that will never be seen again in the world, I have come together over and over again.
All the efforts so far, for this one moment, none other than!
However, while facing the attack with the will to kill herself head-on, the ‘Witch of Winter’ just-
“It’s fun.”
was just laughing
“…uh?”
And, as I was watching their battle from behind, a dumbfounded sound came out of my mouth. For a moment, I couldn’t understand the scene I saw. No, I didn’t want to understand. Just now, the Witch of Winter, the blow that everyone concocted with all their might-
“…And, it’s so light. To be honest, I’m pretty disappointed. It’s only about this much.”
With just a light flick of the finger, everything was returned to nothingness.
Only then did I realize The ‘Witch of Winter’ was a strong force that easily surpassed our imaginations. And, indeed, everything is meaningless in the face of overwhelming power.
At most, they only exchanged one hand between the other, but everyone in this place found out. That we can never defeat the ‘winter witch’.
“AA AA AA-!”
As if to shake off her fear, the princess swung her sword again without hesitation. Magic blooms from Bianca’s fingertips, the saint’s blessing surrounds everyone, and Kyrie’s bullet-like arrow attacks the Winter Witch. And to their attacks, the Witch of Winter began to show proper defense by responding to each attack towards herself.
It was a seemingly very tense battle. However, this could never be called a ‘fight’. Because, in the first place, they don’t even think of ‘fighting’ with us. To her, this would be nothing more than a game. As before, the fact that he did not nullify all the attacks and responded honestly was proof of that.
“…Damn it, eat…”
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Me too, I have to do something. Know. That the act of interfering in the battlefield they are fighting is nothing more than an act of suicide. No, on the contrary, it was only a nuisance to them, and it was of no help to me.
…That said, I didn’t want to just watch their fight. Many people died. The servants who had been with my family for decades also died, and my one and only sister also died. All of them died to save me. So, you can’t make their death a dog death. I have to do something for them too.
But what can I do? The opponent is a monster that nullifies even the attack of the princess, the strongest swordsman in the world. There’s no way someone like me could win against such a monster…!
But, that was the time.
“aagh-!”
The tearing voice of a woman cuts across the middle of the battlefield. When I looked that way in surprise, I saw the image of the princess with both her feet and her right hand completely shattered, her entire body covered in blood.
“Your sword, it just annoys me so much. I’m sorry, but you have to get out of here.”
death sentence falls Dark clouds begin to roll over the princess’s head with the sound of crackling sparks.
Kurreung-!
that’s dangerous I felt it instinctively. If that hits properly, the princess will evaporate without a trace and Marira-!
“Goodbye. princess of the empire. Your role ends here.”
The witch’s fingers descend from top to bottom. and at the same time.
aang-!
The moment when a bolt of lightning, bigger than the body of any building, was about to pierce her—
“Iris-!”
It was a title of honor for the royal family, and it was Nabal, and I was myself who intervened in front of her, shouting her name without even knowing it.
Fortunately, it’s not too late. However, at this rate, the number of victims will only increase from one to two. A thunderbolt of absolute death was thrusting down at me. I saw death a second later.
“under-“
For a fleeting moment, as if time had stopped, I glanced at Iris lying unconscious behind her. grit it I can never leave this place-
The next moment, the sword in my hand draws a circle, drawing a flow. flowing stars. A swordsmanship that can control the flow of all energy within a certain area regardless of its type.
‘Flowing Star’ was a success as it was natural, and Iris and I escaped death as a result of spilling the lightning bolts fired by the witch into the surroundings.
and at the same time.
“Quaa”
A sharp pain as if his whole body was being crushed came over him. It was the price of arrogance to deal with the ‘flow’ that far exceeded the limit of the energy I could accommodate.
“Ku, ah… Ha, ah…”
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My brain was so deprived of oxygen that my head was spinning. Without realizing it, I was panting like a dog.
blow. In a single blow, my mind collapsed before my body. I didn’t face the magic that the Witch of Winter shot at me head-on, it was just a sideways attack.
not reach With Cain von Estel’s power, it is impossible to oppose the ‘Witch of Winter’.
“…Really, what a pitiful man. Why is this man in a place like this?”
The witch’s eyes sighed softly and looked at me. I was like a tortoise frightened by the millipede-sized murderous intent she sent toward me.
“Don’t worry. I will let you go without pain.”
The witch’s slender finger points at me. With just that simple movement, I had a gut feeling of death.
“…ah.”
and the next moment.
Quaang-!
“What are you doing, you idiot! Put her on your back and run back quickly!”
Right next to her, there was Bianca, who had thunderbolts all over her body and punched the witch in the side!
“Oh my, savage punching for a wizard.”
“Ha, it doesn’t matter. If I kill you on the spot, the witnesses will naturally disappear too!”
Perhaps it was the judgment that a frontal firefight was no match for the “Witch of Winter”, Bianca was running through the snowfield with lightning all over her body, and her body collapsing in real time with the blessing of the saintess. It must have been Bianca’s plan to accumulate damage to the ‘Witch of Winter’ by using her superiority in speed as a weapon.
…But, in the end, Bianca’s tactic is nothing more than an excuse to buy time. Even when four transcendentalists attacked at once, they were no match for the witch at all. No matter how hard Bianca and the saintess try their best together, it will never lead to our victory.
Winning or losing was as if it had already been decided. All that remains now is to deal with the defeated soldiers wearing the guise of battle. Perhaps we will all die here. Everyone will die at the hands of the Winter Witch. Yes, no one left, all of them.
“…Gee, the situation is more serious than I thought.”
I was startled by the sudden voice behind me, and when I turned around, I saw Kirie standing there. It was hard to say that she was also in a normal state. The whole body was covered in blood, and it looked terrible with one arm and ear missing somewhere. However, she opened her mouth to me with the same languid tone as usual, as if she didn’t really care about her injuries.
“At this rate, we might all die. It’s really unexpected. She had never been this strong, so what was the variable?”
Kyrie, who uttered words that were completely incomprehensible. I couldn’t understand most of her words, but I did know what she was trying to say.
“… are you going to die? all?”
Even Kyrie, who was much stronger than a guy like me, sat down, giving up all will to fight. The Kirie I know is not a weak woman who would willingly hang her head and wait for an enemy who is trying to kill her, so there must be only one reason why she is behaving like this now.
She was telling me that there was no point in resisting anymore.
“…Yes, at this rate, I mean.”
Those words that are no different from a de facto death sentence. However, I was able to read subtle nuances in Kyrie’s answer.
“…just like this? If so, do you have a ride plan?”
To my urgent question, Kirie nodded obediently.
“Yes, there is. There is only one way, though, that still remains.”
“what is that? What is that method?”
“miracle.”
“…What?”
The moment I was about to ask her what kind of nonsense that was, I realized. The fact that Kyrie’s words had a literal meaning, not any metaphor.
“…..”
The Witch of Winter was the very embodiment of death that we couldn’t overcome with our own strength. In order to defeat the witch, in order to achieve an end that could not be reached by human power, a miracle was needed.
…But, I know. That salvation, which cannot be reached by human power, requires a price appropriate to it. The reason why Kyrie dares to say these things to me is probably—
“…how am I going to be?”
“You have to sacrifice a lot. At the end of it, you will die. maybe.”
Kyrie’s words are true. I don’t know what method she tried, but it seemed that the end was my death, an irreversible fact.
…But if nothing is done, everyone will surely die. everyone is doomed Like the people I couldn’t save in the Duchy of Estel, I’ll die.
Cain von Estel. Hello, do you want to repeat such an ending?
“…..”
…The answer was as if it had been decided from the beginning. It was just a matter of determination.
I glanced at the princess lying unconscious behind me. She was now a wreck. I quietly stroked her disheveled hair and muttered this.
“My master. How long are you going to just sit there like this? We will not be able to change anything if we sit still like that.”
Those were not words to tell her, but words to strengthen my resolve.
Iris el Devhart, my great teacher. i want you to live
In the past year, after losing everything, I found someone precious to me. I want to live As much as you, who taught me the sword, smiled at me, and shared many things with me, I want to live until the end.
…yes, that was enough.
I took a step towards Kyrie. With eyes prepared for everything, I look straight into her eyes. Kirie nodded at me with a faint smile as if she had read my determination.
“…Be prepared. From now on, I’m going to strengthen the ‘connection’ of the string. 50 years worth of memories from the past and future will swarm in your head, so please don’t go crazy.”
Kyrie’s small hand caressed my hair like that-
next moment.
The world has collapsed.
****
Suddenly, I came to my senses. When she opened her eyes again, there were no more roaring noises that shook her surroundings, nor the killing blows that lightly shattered the space.
In the distance, he sees Bianca and Ariel lying in the middle of the snowy field, covered in blood just like him. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be dead, judging by the slight undulations in their chests, but those two weren’t in a state to fight anymore.
There was only one person standing on the ground with two feet on this snowy field, the ‘Witch of Winter’. Yes. The battle had already ended. That too, as the ‘Witch of Winter”s, flawless victory.
“…Ugh…”
He tried to get up, but he remembered once again that both of his ankles had already been crushed. He was no longer in a state where he could fight.
It was cylindrical. My heart hasn’t broken yet, but my body is broken and won’t listen. Hello, is this the end of everything? Was mankind destined to freeze to death in the cold?
But, just then-
Turbuck-
Right next to her, a certain sound of footsteps is heard.
“…Have you finally regained your sanity? You shouldn’t overdo it already. The princess is no different from a patient on the verge of dying.”
“…Cain.”
Why the hell are you still here? run away I can’t help you anymore There is no reason for you to die here either. So go ahead and run away. Even you, before you get killed. hurry.
“Do not worry. Now, I will take care of it.”
“…what?”
what do you mean now do you know Does that mean that it is possible? that’s a monster It was a monster that I could not even scratch even if I poured all my strength into it. So, please stop making weird noises and run away. Cain, please-
“…You know what? I think I liked the princess a lot. So, please watch till the end. Because this is what I wanted to show you.
It was strange. The person in front of him was the Cain he knew, but at the same time he felt as if he wasn’t Cain. It’s okay if you don’t save someone like me, so I wanted to tell you to run away quickly, but for some reason the words didn’t come out.
I was afraid. It seemed like you would disappear just like this. It seemed like it would fly away like this and disappear.
But in the end, Iris couldn’t catch Cain’s back. And, that was the end.
Turbuck-
Leaving behind Iris’ gaze at him, he takes one step forward towards the ‘witch of winter’. And in the eyes of the witch looking at him, a different color appeared.
“…Who are you?”
His existence was beyond her comprehension, but somehow she was vaguely aware of it. About the fact that the unsightly man from before was a completely different person now.
“…aria. Looking at it this way, you really have matured a lot.”
At Cain’s words, the witch’s eyes widened without realizing it.
“…What? What are you saying-”
However, no answer came back from Cain. Unfortunately, the current girl is his enemy.
The sword in Cain’s right hand began to draw something and build a certain flow.
It was not a flowing star. It wasn’t even the bright god.
The sword he wants to wield now is the crystallization of nothingness that ‘his self at every moment’ has pursued throughout his life, and will continue to pursue.
It was the fantasy he wished for, and the realization of his mind itself.
For a moment, Iris saw an illusion. On the ground, a distant fantasy of a twinkling star radiating a brilliant light. That the starlight was so brilliant and noble that he would be captivated by that light for the rest of his life.
“Goes.”
The sword is swinging. It wasn’t until a flash of light that there was no way to escape was right before it pierced her that the Witch of Winter realized it. Who is standing in front of you?
“…Cain, Nim-”
“…ah.”
Iris was amazed inwardly.
Like a sign, everything ended in an instant.
In the middle of the witch’s abdomen, Cain’s sword is embedded in her eyes.
“…you.”
Blood flowed from the witch’s mouth. However, instead, she smiled softly at Cain and only stroked Cain’s face once. As if stroking a priceless treasure that is incomparable to the world.
“You were the end of me.”
With those words, the witch closed her eyes, and at the same time, as if all her strength had been exhausted, Cain’s model also collapsed.
So, the whole story came to an end.
The winter that covered the continent ended like that, and spring came again to the world.
happy ending.
…But for a woman named Iris, spring never came.
Now, she just stood alone in the middle of an endless winter where he didn’t exist.
It was the beginning of a long, harsh winter.