Chapter 189: Ragia
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 189: Ragia
He had grown stronger.
Gark was looking this way, breathing heavily. A sense of accomplishment washed over his face. To be honest, I hadn't thought he could win.
It wasn't that I didn't hope he could simply buy some time or hold out until I arrived. But he had grown during this fight. Gark placed a hand on his chest, and I nodded.
“You’ve grown. You’ve become dependable.”
Instead of answering, Gark just looked down at his own body. I clapped him on the shoulder, and he trembled for a moment. It seemed he’d had his own struggles and had managed to overcome them. Praise and talk of the battle could wait. Park Hyeri had retreated, but she couldn't have gotten far. Blood was still dripping from the wound I’d given her, so I could get a general sense of her location.
“How did you get here?”
“The Chieftain said to head this way.”
“What about Ragia?”
“She’s moving with the shamans who can heal. I was ordered to get here as fast as possible.”
I immediately shot forward.
The direction Park Hyeri had fled was the complete opposite of where Hark was. She wasn't that far yet. If she had heard Ragia leading a small force this way, she would have almost certainly headed for them.
Ragia had likely brought a minimal number of shamans in case we were wounded and was probably using concealment magic to hide their position, but Park Hyeri, who used sound as a weapon, was far more sensitive than most.
“Go help Mirror Blade. If the situation isn't favorable, it doesn't matter if you retreat. The magician isn't the priority. If you have a chance to pull back, take it. Don't push yourselves.”
“For Blood Dagger.”
As I expanded my senses, I could feel Park Hyeri on the move.
‘Crazy bitch.’
It seemed she was more interested in revenge than escape. Since she couldn't handle me, she was going to kill my comrades to screw me over.
The image of Park Hyeri’s smiling face as she joyfully killed Najin, Kurajin, and Gaon flashed through my mind.
My pace quickened.
I could feel the distance between Park Hyeri and the small group shrinking. I was closing in fast, so it wouldn't take long, but I was growing anxious all the same.
I hadn't been particularly fond of Ragia at first. It was an undeniable fact that I had brought her in because she was competent.
But as time passed, I had come to accept them all as family, and they, in turn, followed me as if I were family. It would be strange not to feel this urgency.
I bit my lip so hard that blood burst forth.
*
Ragia moved as quickly as she could, driven by an unknown anxiety. Ever since seeing the Eastern Chieftain visit the Brother's Land, she had felt it—a premonition. She didn't know the reason, of course, but the sensation that felt like her skin was being torn and her heart was being squeezed made it hard to even breathe.
It was for this reason that she had sent a separate messenger to Baek Ahyeon, Jung Hayeon, and Orbo the Shield, who were hunting in the Eastern Forest.
Thinking back to three years ago, she knew that warriors who couldn't fight properly would only be a hindrance.
That was why she had chosen to send Gark and Hark first, who were in charge of the trainees and more agile than the average Orc swordsman. But still, this premonition wouldn't disappear.
To be precise, the premonition was sounding an alarm for her. It was surely telling her about the magnitude of the sorrow or pain she was about to feel.
The one she thought of was Blood Dagger.
She didn't know why, but she was certain that if he were to fall, she would fall into despair.
“Lady Ragia, perhaps you should go and assess the situation…”
“No. We will continue to wait here until Half Blade and Mirror Blade arrive. Those capable of healing magic are to conserve their mana, and those capable of concealment magic are to maintain their spells.”
“Understood.”
Those who cannot fight are a hindrance. As she spoke, Ragia bit her lip. She was keenly aware that she, too, was included among those who could not fight.
She had been training relentlessly with Gark, but there were still no noticeable results. If she were to hold him back and disappoint him, it would be unbearable.
It was then.
She felt someone approaching.
They were moving at an incredible speed. It was definitely not Gark or Hark. This was much faster than them. In the distance, she felt another presence approaching just as quickly.
‘Blood Dagger.’
It was a familiar mana. The one rushing toward them, broadcasting his presence as if to announce his location, was undoubtedly Blood Dagger.
It was impossible not to grasp the situation. Her group had become the target. The humans were after them. For a moment, confirming his safety felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from her heart, but the premonition continued to scream danger.
Only then did she understand the meaning of the feeling. Her old self, who had always prioritized her own survival, would never have moved. She would have shied away from the slightest danger and would never have come out here like this.
It was the same now.
The woman approaching was an enemy she could not handle. But Ragia did not run.
‘Because I thought you were the most like me.’
Blood Dagger’s words echoed in her mind. If she ran, she would probably live. But the slow-moving shamans would be exposed to danger. Ragia found herself speaking, her words the same as those Blood Dagger had spoken three years ago.
At the time, she hadn't understood his actions.
But now, Ragia spoke.
“Retreat immediately. Blood Dagger is safe, so there is no longer a need to be here.”
“B-But…”
“I will not permit any more questions.”
She was afraid. It would be a lie to say her body wasn't trembling. Ragia gripped her dagger tightly and raised it.
The thought, I’m going to die, made her arm shake violently. But as she readjusted her grip, other thoughts began to fill her mind.
‘I am a chieftain of the Blood Dagger Clan.’
I cannot afford to tremble so pathetically. I must protect them.
The human woman drew closer. When their daggers clashed, a bizarre sound rang out, and blood erupted from all over Ragia’s body. Thanks to her unique ability, she had managed to avoid a vital spot, but her entire body trembled. Even so, Ragia did not stop thrusting her dagger.
“So you’re the same, huh? Hmm? I’ll kill every last one of you here. I don’t have time. So just die first.”
Hearing the human’s language, Ragia fought even more desperately. She knew it was a hopeless struggle. But she could not let her clan members die. Her death alone would be enough. If she could just hold on, Blood Dagger would surely come.
She dodged the relentless barrage of sonic attacks by a hair's breadth. Wounds piled up on her body, but she never retreated. She thought that if Gark hadn't trained with her, her head would have been severed long ago.
“Fuck, this persistent snake bitch!”
One of her arms was severed. Of course, it was agonizing. But Ragia used her tail to wrap around the human woman’s leg. A dagger was embedded in one of her eyes, but she did not scream. Instead, Ragia stared directly at the human.
“You…”
“You will wait here with me.”
“Crazy snake bitch. Fine, the small fry don't matter anyway, so I'll kill you instead. Very painfully.”
Ragia smiled. Even as her tail was cut off, her fingers were severed, and a sword was thrust into her abdomen, she kept smiling as she faced the human woman. She was at her limit. Her consciousness was beginning to fade.
Thinking about it, she found it a little baffling that she was here. Who would have thought that she, the one who avoided danger more than anyone, would be here, facing an enemy she couldn't handle?
The thought that her respect for him had drawn her into this made a smile naturally form on her lips.
It was a foolish act. But she had no regrets. Perhaps this was the price for reaching for something so far away.
“Hmm? This will make him even angrier, won't it? Right?”
The sword plunged into her chest again and again, and her body became drenched in blood. And yet, Ragia smiled.
‘A beautiful form.’
She remembered the first words he had said to her when she had evolved into this body.
I want to show him my smile.
That was what Ragia thought in her hazy consciousness. Her body wouldn't move. As she felt a welcome mana getting closer and closer, Ragia used her mangled tail to hold onto the human’s foot.
“Tough bitch. It’s true what they say about snakes being tenacious.”
It was then.
She began to feel a blazing, hot flame. No, to be precise, it was incredibly warm.
What she saw was the figure of a demon, his face contorted in a snarl.
Ragia unconsciously reached out a hand. She knew she couldn't touch him, but she kept reaching.
He seemed so very far away. It felt as if he was getting farther and farther away.
‘Wait for me.’
‘Your… I want to be with you too…’
Her voice wouldn't come out. As she mouthed the words, blood gushed from her stomach with every movement.
Worried that she might look unsightly, Ragia smiled one more time. She could feel that she was dying.
The Blood Dagger Clan had been fun. There were hard times, and many things she didn't like, but it was definitely fun. Among them all, teasing the fairy Mev, who was the first to become pregnant, was a particular joy for Ragia. That cute, tearful girl had become even more emotional recently, so her reactions were even more amusing.
The thought that she would never see that face again made her heart ache a little. The truth was, she hadn't really wanted to fight. She was just a little spiteful that Mev was the one carrying his child, Ragia thought with a smile.
She was always grateful to Hakajin. He had always helped her when she was buried in work. He had been so engrossed in teaching his young apprentice recently that he hadn't had time to consult with her, but if she had to pick the Green Skin who had helped her the most in the Blood Dagger Clan, it would surely be that clever goblin.
She had also been in the process of opening her heart a little to Jung Hayeon and Baek Ahyeon, who subtly kept her in check. They were quite kind and were people who cared for him more than anyone. They would surely be able to take better care of him than she could.
She was grateful for so many things from Gark and Hark, from the Goblin Three Sisters, even from Nicole and Kim Yoora, and Orbo the Shield. There wasn't a single person she wasn't thankful for.
‘Was I… even a little… helpful?’
She had worked so hard, but she was afraid to know the answer. Ragia reached for him one last time and opened her mouth.
‘Thank… you.’
She probably never would have known. If it weren't for him, she would never have felt this way.
‘I’m glad…’
I’m glad I met you.
Thank you for teaching me so many things.
Thank you for trusting me and leaving things in my care.
I was always watching your back, but the truth is, I wanted to stand by your side.
The time I spent with you was so much fun.
If only I had a little more time, I could have confirmed this feeling… It’s a small regret.
I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you until the end.
I love… y…