Chapter 327
Chapter 327
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 327
Chapter Title: The Cradle's Collapse (12)
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"What? My brother?"
[Yes. It seems like you need to come quickly.]
The arriving Lucy urgently sent a familiar, and Sun, receiving the message, tilted his head in confusion.
"That can't be right."
[......It's my fault.]
"Tell me. As detailed as possible."
[Well. I don't really know. The two National Trees that the master fought... they have a kind of power that's hard to understand...]
Sun hurriedly left the room and started running with Lucy.
Traces of desperate struggle were left everywhere in the corridors.
"Even so, how could you lose with you right there? You're a high-ranking spirit."
[It was an environment where I couldn't use magic. I could have, but it would've been too wasteful there. I followed the master's orders.]
"It's the Authority, huh. Ah, be more careful."
Sun's face was filled only with regret as he grumbled.
"Looks like they came prepared on purpose."
As Sun's body drew closer to the arena, the golden barrier visible in the distance gradually faded.
Two presences ahead.
The two National Trees staggered up to him.
One was a bloodied yellowhead.
And one was a snotty-looking brownhead that looked in really bad shape.
"What the hell are you two?"
"......Talk about bad luck."
Bell clicked her tongue the moment she saw Sun.
She had poured top-grade potions all over her body, so she was drenched, but she had regained consciousness.
[Those are the two.]
"Ah, the ones who messed up my brother?"
"......"
Avi, supporting Bell, subtly curled the corner of her mouth.
Sun's brow furrowed.
"I should be the one smiling, so why the hell are you grinning?"
"No, it's just that everything fits too perfectly. It's ridiculous."
"Exactly, even if you're brainless, I shouldn't be. Look at her talking back. Punks who'll drop dead if my brother taps them after getting beat."
Faded magic stone chunks were visible on Avi's disheveled clothes.
They were completely depleted of mana, a pile tucked inside her vest.
Considering the pockets too, there were quite a few.
Naturally, Bell's body had a similar amount of magic stones.
No, in Bell's case, having been thoroughly beaten for a National Tree, the magic stones inside her body were all shattered, leaving only fragments.
Bell muttered while looking at Avi.
"Wanna fight? I've recovered enough to make it worth it."
"No."
Avi denied it, furrowing her brow.
"That guy's dangerous. Excluding the Wood Spirit King... he's probably the most dangerous. Can't handle him without preparation."
Look at this bitch.
A smile formed at the corner of Sun's mouth as he took off his outer jacket.
"Oho, control freak, huh."
Lucy looked at Sun with a dumbfounded face.
"Where the hell did this bitch come from? Weird. Looks like all info on her was wiped clean."
"......"
"Ah, fuck. The Bead bitch? Nah. She wouldn't know either."
Sun's pupils turned pure white.
The whites became the blacks, and one eye turned completely white like he was blind.
A ridiculous voice burst out with a sneer.
"I might let the yellow one go, but you slut, if I don't kill you here, you'll fuck me over someday. Hey."
"......Slut? He's insane."
"Yeah. Cleaning up after you will make my brother work hard."
A human who would do anything for her own goals.
Yet, for all that, her petty tricks were annoyingly clever.
Sun had occasionally seen such schemers.
He wasn't sure if this Avi was the same person he knew from before.
But one thing was clear: this Avi had been rolling around behind Flower or somewhere for a long time.
"What."
"...?"
"Still, I don't think my brother will lose."
[Pardon?]
Lucy reacted first.
"I may not have Authority, but I'm good at prophecy. Punks like this are actually no big deal. Schemers fall the moment their plans crumble."
Sun moved his body forward.
"...Sigh. Though I might die first. Anyway, my gut says so."
[What kind of gut feeling is that?]
"Fuck if I know. It's always been like that."
Just as Sun's body began to twist grotesquely.
-Boom!
Flames shot from right beside him engulfed his body.
A popping sound accompanied the explosion.
Sun swung his arm to clear the dust and smoke, frowning.
"Knew it."
Avi had vanished.
Instead, two or three figures presumed to be National Trees approached from afar, as if welcoming Sun.
"National Trees come in all levels, but I don't even wanna eat trash like that. I'd rather have eaten those two from before."
[......Pardon? Are you serious?]
"For real or bluff?"
[I, I don't understand what you're saying.]
Sun muttered while enveloping his whole body in the power of the trees.
"To be king, you gotta shrug that off. Come on, let's hurry and rescue brother. Don't wanna get there late and take hits."
Why the king's retainer is called a retainer.
A grotesque sound came from his body, and as soon as his form appeared, the approaching National Trees froze in shock.
*****
-Plop.
Stone dust fell beside his head.
Buried under an immeasurable pile of stones.
Moreover, the barrier once deployed lasted quite a while. Mana was hard to muster.
"...Hoo."
He regulated his power while catching his breath.
His body condition was fine aside from being hard to move. Enough to fight another battle.
'Was planning to smash their heads if they came in again. But what the hell kind of Authority is that?'
Avi.
He knew roughly the Authorities of the National Trees from investigations in Eden.
Even unpublished ones like Saku or Suyeon's were vaguely recorded in Eden.
Among the Authorities he knew, none threatened him at least.
Eden's intelligence. Avi's Authority had evaded even the Sage's eyes.
'Thought it was some hypnotic power. But no records means it's a power never seen even once. Or maybe she has two Authorities from the start.'
Brainwashing and reflection-type abilities. Everyone who saw the Authority might have died, erasing records.
"Ngh."
That wasn't the problem.
How to escape from here.
From the start, Avi and Bell seemed to aim at isolating him and Marronier from the front lines temporarily.
-Drip.
Blood from his forehead dripped onto Marronier's cheek.
"...Why."
It was too dark to make out Marronier's expression up close.
But faint light filtering through stone gaps illuminated her blue pupils, letting him see her hazy eyes.
His blood-smeared face reflected in her pupils.
Using Authority would heal wounds, but spilled blood wouldn't return.
"Why did you save me... why.... It hurts, why.... Sob."
She had taken the stones with her body.
If Marronier had been buried instead, she would've surely died.
No other choice.
"Hic, ugh... eep, sob."
Marronier's body trembled violently. Her tightly shut eyes overflowed with tears of grievance and exhaustion.
'Her mental's broken.'
The most heartbreaking tears he'd seen from Marronier so far.
Trying to hold back sobs.
Choking up into hiccups.
Feeling wronged, uncomfortable, and sad about holding back now.
"Sob, waaah...."
The outburst after holding back was childlike.
Forest Keeper Selection Tournament began, toyed with by one man. Brainwashed.
Snapped out of it just barely.
Torment, confusion.
Even betrayed by a trusted friend in the end. Her emotions were beyond his grasp.
And his hands were already too heavy with bearing someone to comfort another.
"It's okay."
He could only repeat the clumsy words he wanted to say.
"It's okay."
Ragged breaths were felt.
Hot and rough, yet unusually rhythmic. Sometimes short breaths, then lonely sighs as if forcing calm.
The sobs didn't subside for quite a while.
*****
-Crunch.
Only after Sun arrived late to Lucy's call and cleared all the building debris aside could they finally exit.
"Brother."
"Yeah."
"Have a good time?"
Sun asked slyly. He just glared at the guy.
Too messed up himself to blame, and Sun looked a bit off too.
"Why's your outfit like that?"
"Fought a bit. Gonna rest now."
Seemed he clashed with someone on the way here.
Sun grinned awkwardly, still buzzing from battle.
"Those two. Pretty messed up."
"Yeah."
"Couldn't catch 'em. Don't hit me. How could I?"
Sun chuckled, tapping his shoulder.
Amusing, but situation wasn't.
"......"
Marronier, ears red, couldn't meet his gaze.
"Brother. Brother."
Sun sidled close, whispering in his ear.
"Couldn't hold back and hunted in that time? Kyaa! Our king is coo...... Ack!"
A backhand to Sun's nose like a knock sent him tumbling weakly.
Overreaction, but guy was tired too.
"Blanche."
"......Y-yeah."
"Can you still go?"
Asking about mental state.
Mana and body better than him or Sun.
Blanche didn't answer right away.
Wiping tear-stained face with lime-dusted arm, she forced a smile despite stinging eyes.
"I'll do it."
"Okay."
Short reply.
Situation urgent.
"Front lines status, brief."
"All clear except one side. Civilian evac in 30."
"That one?"
"Hotel entrance... Saku and Suyeon side. Seems Plum Blossom involved."
He'd been trapped 20 minutes.
Didn't know how they handled lines meanwhile.
But Suyeon and Saku top priority among National Trees.
"Banya. Bell. Avi. Plum Blossom. Bead."
"Why them?"
"Toughest traitors now."
Other National Trees have faint Authorities, thin World Tree blood.
Not particularly strong pure power either.
"Ah."
Ours: Saku, Suyeon, Sansu-yu, Bao, Marronier.
Sun and Aori comparable.
'Variables: other National Trees hiding like Avi.'
Equal dropouts from field.
More recruited talent on our side.
Dungeon beasts and some Flower legions incoming, but others and cadets support us.
One eyesore.
'Plum Blossom.'
Had guy in mind to counter as expected.
Instructed not to show till that one appears.
"Joining there?"
"No."
One undiscovered left.
Banya's variable not less than Avi's.
"Sigh."
Inhaled, checking inner mana.
Overflowing, excessively.
'Weird.'
Healing Authority.
Countered reflection hit would've taken days to heal.
Treating Sansu-yu unintentionally extreme XP grind?
Ten minutes later, good as new.
Turned to Blanche.
"Marronier."
"...Y-yeah!?"
"Hop on."
Banya unappeared.
Unlike Avi, knew Banya's Authority and power somewhat.
Eden's knowledge deep.
Marronier perfect to neutralize Banya.
"H-hop on?"
"Quick."
Blanche hesitated briefly, then gripped staff under arm, slipped legs between his arms.
"Hold tight."
Plan quick sweep near hotel.
"Brother, me?"
"Walk slowly."
"...Tch."
One step, two.
Kicked ground powerfully, rose.
Rough mana swirled body, lifting into sky.
-Whoooosh!
Wind blew.
View widened, scene below clear.
Not at hotel yet. Soon arrive.
Marronier gripped shoulders desperately.
Small palms on shoulders slick with sweat.
Rode wind.
Brisk north wind loosened Marronier's ribbon, long hair fluttering in air.