Chapter 384
Chapter 384
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 384
Chapter Title: 2-6. The Red and White World (4)
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Reflection.
The perfect word to describe my current state.
I'm not talking about the phenomenon that happens when you shine light on a mirror or a shiny bald head.
That's the most famous one, but what I mean is the 'unconscious reaction that occurs regardless of one's own will.'
The voice echoing from above my head.
The giant's characteristic low, resonant tone instinctively excites me.
"Haaah..."
I took a deep breath.
Even though I'd been bracing for this since hearing the explanation of the parallel world, I couldn't calm down easily.
My heart was pounding like mad, and my pupils were contracting.
My senses were so heightened that I could almost hear my beard growing.
"You okay?"
"Probably."
Lin was even the first to worry about my condition.
It was understandable.
The only thing that ever drove me this crazy was Adeshan untying the ribbons of her negligee.
Ah, damn it.
I already miss her.
"Eek!"
Luthancie freaked out.
She seemed to have realized what was happening up there too.
Suddenly, the body that had been surging up with psychokinesis stopped.
It was a reflexive action, just like mine.
Of course, I had no intention of tolerating such nonsense.
I kicked off the wall and grabbed her from behind.
Then, pressing the blade to her neck, I murmured.
"Go up."
"W-We’re all gonna die! Didn’t you hear that voice?! They’re here!"
"Then die here."
I twitched the hilt ever so slightly.
Her delicate skin bled the instant it touched the blade.
Just a light pull, and Luthancie's head would come off like the pudding I'd just made.
"I-I don’t know...!"
Her decision was quick.
Luthancie squeezed her eyes shut.
With a twitch of her remaining four right fingers, our bodies began floating up again.
The moment we passed through the hole, bright sunlight poured in.
The landscape was mostly the same, but one thing was different.
About thirty meters up in the sky, a four-winged giant was looking down at the ground.
"A name I’ve heard somewhere before."
The corner of my mouth lifted.
If memory served, this was the guy who got taken out by the alliance before the war even started.
Did Grandpa Zaifa kill him?
A flying bean paste brat lording over us didn’t sit right with me.
"P-Please forgive me!"
Suddenly, Luthancie bowed her head.
I could hear her teeth chattering from here.
She shouted like a machine gun while catching her ragged breath.
"I was dragged out here under threat! This guy arbitrarily cut off my restraints... no, my work tools! So, so...!"
"You brat. You begged me to free you."
I was floored.
Despite the blood still dripping from her ears and fingers, she was stabbing me in the back.
The giants must terrify her that much.
"I can’t fathom what kind of guts it took to try destroying the world... You know that bald head over there is one of the lowest scum in their species, right? If the big boss with eight wings showed up, I might understand, but."
"P-Please forgive me... have mercy..."
Luthancie didn’t respond.
I sighed, looking at her quivering butt.
These fanatics were hopeless.
Pathetic bugs who couldn’t even own up to their actions.
"What, punk?"
"Ah. Thought it was something else."
I wondered why this irrelevant punk was responding.
Seems my words had struck a nerve.
A worm like me mentioning their supreme dignity would irk them.
"Touchy personality. Why should I?"
I shoved my hands in my pockets and tilted my chin up.
I was going to tell him, but his demanding attitude pissed me off.
That signature condescending glare made my blood pressure skyrocket endlessly.
Basagia extended his arm.
Particles of light began gathering at the center of his massive white hand.
Might be my imagination, but it seemed much larger and more threatening than before.
Had it grown by sucking the life out of this planet?
This is interesting.
"Fun. Throw it."
"A-Are you insane?!"
Luthancie whipped her head up in horror.
Her forehead was red from how hard she'd slammed it.
The spear of light left Basagia's hand.
It shot like lightning.
My vision turned pure white in an instant.
Luthancie froze, not even thinking of dodging.
"Not bad."
My guess was spot on.
He was definitely stronger than before.
But that didn't matter.
I silently drew my sword hilt.
A long vertical line slashed from top to bottom.
My white-tinted vision split in half, revealing the sky again.
The bisected spear of light crashed into the sea.
Kwaaaaaang—!!
Two water pillars shot up to the heavens.
The spray soaking Basagia's barrier rained down on me as red droplets.
Disbelief shadowed the giant's stern face.
I get it.
First experiences are always like that.
Anyway, now that I'm an adult, time for a proper declaration of war.
"First, let's get on the same eye level."
I gripped the hilt.
A vivid crimson rose along the white blade.
A color that evoked all sorts of nostalgia.
Sunset.
My family.
The hill of four seasons, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Adeshan.
My aura, resembling the setting sun.
Sunset Aura
Pulls in massive targets
"Come down here, bean paste."
The color exploded into a flash.
Basagia's body was enveloped in sunset light.
The colossal form was yanked down before me like iron filings to a magnet.
"Kya aaah!"
Luthancie screamed.
Her clumsy butt-plant was amusing.
But the funniest was the bald head kneeling on one knee before me, trembling.
"Shut up for a sec."
The vanished blade returned to position.
A blue line traced over Basagia's throat.
Pfsh!
Blue blood like summer sky splashed across my face.
He pitched forward, unable to continue.
"Hey. Can everyone see this?"
I waved in front of Basagia's face.
Thanks to their racial sensory sharing, every bald head was probably watching.
Scratching my head, I spoke.
"Where to start... Hmm, my name's Ronan. The guy who just skull-fucked this baldie. As you can see, I can tear your precious barriers like toilet paper."
Basagia groaned.
He stared blankly at the planet's blessing dissipating as he lost form.
He couldn't stand even if he wanted to.
I'd severed all the tendons in his limbs when I slashed his throat.
I stepped back and swung my sword several times.
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
All fingers except the middle one on the root crumbled.
"Oh my god!"
Luthancie gasped.
She finally believed I'd destroyed the root.
Of the five beams, only the one from the middle finger remained, casting its glow.
A vulgar yet holy sight.
"I fucking hate you guys. Probably the most in the world. But hunting you down one by one is a hassle, so come to me. No more pointless bullshit. If you manage to catch me..."
This was the key part.
I cleared my throat and continued.
"I'll tell you where your missing kin's Foreking is."
Change finally crossed Basagia's face.
His muscles bulged, wounds reopening.
Blue blood poured out, but he collapsed again without rising.
Good effort.
Who do you think sliced you?
"That's all. Over and out."
Declaration of war complete, I swung my sword.
The tearing sound was smooth.
Basagia's head slid along the cut surface.
The light faded from his eyes.
The headless body crumbled like a sandcastle.
White bone gleamed inside the clean cut.
Gushing blue blood mixed with the red sea.
"The invader... taken down so easily..."
Luthancie muttered.
She gazed up at me with eyes half fear, half awe.
I pulled my pipe from my inner pocket and lit it.
'Hope this works out.'
My first smoke since arriving in this parallel world.
Now all the giants' attention would be on me.
I couldn't guarantee it, but it was almost certain.
They'd been desperately searching for their Foreking even during the war.
The ancient bald head that fell and died after battling Seniel.
The sword hilt whimpered as if worried for me.
"It's intentional, so don't worry. I can take a thousand of those baldies."
"I'm hungry, that's why."
"Ugh."
A ridiculous answer that drew a hollow laugh.
I dipped the sword tip into the pool at my feet.
My face flickered on the blue surface.
"Don't leave any. It's precious blood."
"Yeah. This is special."
The blue blood dwindled quickly.
Giant blood was a delicacy for Lin.
I exhaled the held breath.
The smoke dispersed into the air.
"Y-Yeah. S-So... earlier..."
Luthancie was sweating bullets, eyeing me nervously.
Must feel like sitting on pins and needles.
Serves her right for that betrayal.
I tapped out the pipe and spoke.
"Hey."
"Y-Yes?!"
"Are there still living people in this world?"
"Th-That’s..."
Luthancie stammered.
I swung my sword at her like swatting a fly.
The sword energy grazed over her head and struck the lone middle finger.
Kuuung!
It exploded and crumbled with the blast.
Luthancie flailed in panic.
"There are! Probably! Resistance rumors reached us just three years ago!!"
"Right. There was something like that. What's the resistance?"
"The ones who fought the invaders to the end! Most died, but a tiny few survived and fled, I heard! Th-They were... what was it... Ah!! Led by Navardoje!"
"What."
I nearly dropped my pipe.
Such a familiar name.
Red Dragon Navardoje.
Her most famous moniker: Mother of Fire, likely the strongest being on this planet.
She'd definitely survive.
The word 'hope' flashed through my mind.
"Guide me."
"...Pardon?"
"Guide me. To where those resistance guys are."
"I-I don’t know exactly... H-Hek! Got it! I will!"
I crooked my finger, and Luthancie spasmed.
Terror of me etched deep into her bones.
Fortunately, she wasn't completely stupid.
With a whisper-like incantation, our bodies floated into the air.
"Normally, I'd chop you up. Don't forget why your head's still attached. You're my personal flying squirrel from now on."
"Sniff... Hic... Y-Yes..."
"What am I?"
"Flying... squirrel... Hic!"
Tears streaming down her cheeks were pitiful.
The great Archbishop of Nebula Klazie had fallen to mere mount.
Honestly, not much better than her last job, but she obeyed meekly.
'What can you do. She wants to live too.'
We headed inland, leaving the bald corpse behind.
Glancing back, I saw the root spewing water from the hole.
"Oh."
This time, it wasn't red water.
Clean seawater surged over the massive hole.
With the transmission tower gone, it seemed to have lost function.
It'd take time, but the sea around here might return to its original color.
"...Nice."
A strange sense of fulfillment washed over me.
Odd, isn't it?
I hadn't smashed the rift or caught Akasha yet.
Soon after takeoff, a vast white land appeared in the distance.
The earth that might still hold life.