Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Inverted Tidal Wave
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My head feels numb.
That’s the sensation I’ve been getting nonstop for a while now, but it’s so much worse at the moment.
“...”
Liru stared at her own trembling hands.
She wanted to find that bitch she could tear apart and grind into dust right this instant.
And an overwhelming power that felt more than capable of doing just that was boiling over inside her body.
‘...No.’
It wasn’t just that woman.
Every irritating, infuriating event from recent memory flashed through her mind, one after another.
She wanted to crush them all flat with this power.
“...”
She had a faint inkling that something was off about her state, but a torrent of emotions was shaking her entire consciousness, smothering even that.
Irrational rage. Unreasonable destructive urges.
-Hello, Liru.
And in that state, a familiar voice appeared before her eyes.
That was the only way to describe it. It was her own voice.
“...”
Liru gazed blankly at it with unfocused eyes.
Who the hell is this?
Why does it look just like me?
-This is probably the only way we can chat like this... Well, you’re the only vessel with just a fragment that could handle it. The others couldn’t even if they wanted to—the difference in ‘rank’ is too vast. Being weak has its perks sometimes.
...Fragment? Vessel?
No clue what that means.
As those cloudy thoughts drifted through her mind, the other continued.
-I’d love to help you out, but I already made a contract, so that’s off the table. We’re all bound by contracts.
The voice kept spouting nonsense, chuckling softly.
“...Who the hell are you.”
-The part of your personality that handles the feminine side. It’s been a while since we last talked, right?
“...”
-Just kidding. Hehe.
The voice chuckled lazily, then grew more serious.
-You’ll figure it all out soon enough anyway... but I can’t say more right now. There’s a whiff of those heresy inquisitors around. Best to minimize contact with their kind, you know?
“...If you’re just gonna spew bullshit, get lost. Whatever ghost or freak you are.”
-Oh? If you can snap back like that, your mind’s clearing up nicely.
The mysterious ‘something’ wearing her face placed a hand on Liru’s forehead.
And just like that.
Her consciousness cleared in an instant.
The rage clouding her head subsided all at once.
-But... I can at least tell you this.
Liru stood there, stunned, as the other spoke again.
-See you in a few days, Liru.
“...What?”
-We’ll get to do something ‘fun’ together. You get it, right?
She had no idea what it meant.
But she felt herself being pulled away.
No clue why, but that was her first sensation.
At the same moment, the blue energy pouring from her body vanished entirely.
“Wha—gah!”
With the blue energy enveloping everything gone, Liru could no longer stand on the water and plunged into the sea with a splash.
Thankfully, swimming wasn’t hard, so she floated up easily enough.
“What the—why am I even out here—”
She started to say, then looked down at Dawood Campbell plastered to her body.
“...”
“...”
What the hell is this?
Since when has he been clinging on?
His eyes were closed, like he hadn’t regained consciousness yet.
Looking around, chunks of flesh and blood clots were scattered everywhere.
“...”
How the hell did I end up in this mess?
As that thought crossed her mind.
Dawood’s body stirred slowly, wrapping tightly around her.
“...!”
She whipped around in shock.
“If you’re awake, get off me already...!”
Liru opened her mouth in an angry shout. A faint trace of the blue energy that had vanished earlier seeped from her body again.
She hated being dragged around by him. No idea what he’d say, but if it was another weird excuse, she’d really—
“I’m sorry.”
His quiet voice made her freeze.
It didn’t take much to sense it wasn’t his usual vibe.
He never showed his full true feelings. Anyone with eyes could tell he always had something up his sleeve.
But right now.
The raw sincerity pouring through was impossible to miss.
So even Liru, who’d been about to chew him out, could only awkwardly rub her nose.
“...What’s with the sudden apology.”
“I’m sorry.”
“...”
It came out of nowhere.
But it stabbed right into her chest.
“...”
Liru always preferred blunt talk, but oddly, her first thought was, ‘Do you even know why I’m mad?’
She’d never understood girls who said crap like that in relationships.
But now, it was just her wanting him to care a little more.
“I’m sorry.”
But before she could say it.
Another heartfelt apology hit her.
“I never imagined you’d mean this much to me.”
Something else stabbed into her chest.
Her face flushed even hotter than before.
Normally, she’d snap that she didn’t give a damn about him, but the conviction in Dawood’s voice tied her tongue.
It was like he’d ‘seen for himself’ somewhere—full of certainty.
And even Liru herself.
If asked to deny it now, she wasn’t sure she could do it convincingly.
“I’m sorry.”
“...”
Truth be told, it was like playing blind man’s buff.
She’d already been swept up by this guy plenty. Sure, there was gratitude, but way more to gripe about.
So.
She should get mad.
She had to get mad.
“I’m sorry for ignoring those feelings. For using you however I wanted like this. For putting you through something so awful because of me—I’m truly, truly sorry.”
Seeing him like this.
Holding her tight, confessing like he was in the booth, spilling his sins.
She just couldn’t.
“I’m sorry.”
“...”
Her chest tickled.
She never knew him slamming his true heart against hers like this could feel this embarrassing.
“...Hey.”
After a long silence, she finally mumbled.
“You really gonna stay just friends?”
Come to think of it, that’s what pissed her off so much.
Over one damn sentence.
“...”
Weird, huh?
Even she didn’t get her own feelings.
“If that’s what you want.”
“...”
She didn’t.
More than that. A little closer.
A little more intimate.
“...Shut up. I don’t know.”
But she didn’t have the guts to say it outright.
Still.
“Hug me tighter.”
This much, she could demand.
“...Pardon?”
“If you’re sorry, then hold me tighter.”
“...”
Dawood looked baffled as he tightened his grip around her.
His body pressed even closer.
“...More.”
“...”
“...Just a little more.”
She closed her eyes, sinking into the warmth enveloping her.
Liru buried her forehead into Dawood’s chest, wrapping her arms around his back to hold tight.
Like that.
She felt him.
Listened to his heartbeat. His breathing.
“...”
Her whole body relaxed.
What was it?
It felt so reassuring.
“Thanks.”
Liru stammered.
“...For seeing that messed-up shit. I needed something to steady me.”
“...”
Dawood’s gaze flicked toward her words.
Alan’s body floating on the sea. And fused to it, the Garda clan’s ‘body.’
Liru’s body trembled faintly.
Like she was scared after seeing something she never wanted to.
“...”
Dawood closed his eyes and sighed.
“Liru.”
“Yeah.”
“The bastard who did this will pay.”
“...”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
And Dawood’s eyes, as he said it.
“And from now on, I will.”
Were locked on the massive sinkhole reforming in the nearby sea.
Phase 2. The true form of the Inverted Tidal Wave.
The ‘patron gods’ Tatiana served. Her most powerful servant.
“Prove to that thing that I have the ‘power’ to take it down.”
With those words.
A colossal ‘sea creature,’ as if tearing the heavens apart, finally revealed its massive form from beneath the waves.
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“Eeeeek—!”
“...”
Kasa, perched on the cliff edge, tapped her pipe against the ground with narrowed eyes.
Yeah, she figured it’d show up around now.
But not with this much fanfare.
Still squinting, she glanced back at the person charging from behind.
‘...She’s got absurd talent.’
Kasa thought as she watched the orange-haired girl barreling toward her, eyes teary.
Trailing her was a short girl leaking white energy like a ghost.
“So, the teacher caused the mess—why take it out on me?!”
“But Eliya, you must know where Dawood is. You’re hiding it from me. A little pressure, and you’ll spill.”
“Even with that weird talk, I don’t know—!”
“...”
“Kya aaah—!”
Yuria leaped off the ground, rocketing toward Eliya just as she barely dodged a white slash hurtling at terrifying speed.
It was near-instantaneous movement.
But Eliya reacted.
Twisting her whole body to evade the slash, she used the momentum to smack away the black-haired girl lunging with her sheathed sword.
“Ooh.”
Even Kasa, spectating, let out an impressed murmur at the efficient moves.
The split-second improvisation and instincts were far beyond student level.
Just look at how the black-haired girl charging so ferociously got sent flying without a chance.
Quite the distance, too—whistling past Kasa’s spot and over the coastal cliff.
“...”
She won’t die.
Doesn’t seem like a normal girl, so tumbling off the cliff won’t do her in.
Recalling what that Dawood guy said earlier, he probably ‘planned’ for her to go flying off like that. That’s just his style.
If anything, this one looked more likely to croak.
“Hah! Huak! Ah haaak...! Teacher, I’ll, never, listen, again... ughhh...”
“...”
“B-but, who’re you?”
“...Caught your breath?”
Kasa smirked at Eliya, who tossed the question while gasping like she was on death’s door.
“Seems like the teacher of whoever you’re calling teacher’s master or something.”
“...”
Eliya shot Kasa a horrified look.
Kasa tilted her head—was that the reaction it warranted?—when.
“...That guy can cover this age gap now? What’s his strike zone...”
“...Cut the nonsense and sit by me.”
Kasa clutched her throbbing head with her remaining arm.
“You’re a hero candidate, right? Can’t miss what’s about to happen.”
Eliya’s eyes went wide.
“You know me?”
“Of course.”
Kasa said, putting her pipe back in her mouth.
Tobacco was always her good friend.
Especially for prime viewing like this.
Her gaze lingered on the coast, where a massive monster was bursting from the sea right then.
Near Dawood and Liru.
Not one, but three.
An impossible fight.
“...A second-dimensional ancient god requires national-level forces just to challenge at human scale.”
No doubt it was slathered in bizarre powers.
No way one human could face it.
But.
Her eyes weren’t on the ancient monster cleaving the sea.
“Watch closely, future hero. It’ll definitely help you reach that level.”
They were fixed on.
One man.
“You’re about to witness a human conquering the impossible.”
Charging straight at that absurd foe.
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