Chapter 351: The One Who is Remembered
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 351: The One Who is Remembered
“I am the only one who has arrived here.”
As the tidal wave of ice I had cut down crashed to the ground, space itself split open and a monstrous black figure burst forth. It must have been a demon summoned by Jang Ye Ri.
Whatever the reason, her presence here was an opportunity. Han So-Hye looked at Jang Ye Ri and nodded as well. She must have thought they could finally catch their breath.
“I’m counting on you.”
“I don’t know if you’ll get that chance.”
Jang Ye Ri’s eyes, which had been quietly observing my rather disheveled state, reddened slightly. In truth, I wasn’t seriously injured. My body was just a bit dirty, covered in scrapes and bruises from being slammed into the ground. Nevertheless, it seemed to her that I was in quite a difficult state. Jang Ye Ri tore her gaze from me and muttered.
“So that’s him. That’s the one…”
Despite the appearance of a new powerhouse, the creature’s expression remained unchanged.
“For now, you should focus on recovering your stamina and magic. It would be best for you to stay back. It’s too reckless to fight in your condition.”
Han So-Hye, standing beside Jang Ye Ri, nodded in agreement. They were right. My body was in no condition to be called normal. The price for summoning the Flames of Ruin to block that last attack had been severe. I gripped Mystletainn tightly. It was too taxing to even attempt to merge with it; for now, I had no choice but to rely on this spear for recovery.
Jang Ye Ri, the powerhouse who controlled a city in the East, was strong. If I were to ask if she was stronger than the Queen of the North, the answer would be negative, but the Witch of the East was by no means weak.
She was clever and knew better than anyone how she needed to fight.
“I’ll rip you to shreds, you wretched corpse.”
She seemed a little worked up, but there would likely be no problem.
Jang Ye Ri was not a close-quarters combatant. To be precise, she was an all-rounder. With her magic and the Reaper’s Scythe, range was meaningless to her. Han So-Hye took the front line while Jang Ye Ri took the rear. Despite it being the first time they had ever coordinated, they moved remarkably well, like partners who had fought together for a long time.
Jang Ye Ri blocked the creature’s ice attacks with magic, and Han So-Hye blocked its greatsword. It was a basic pincer strategy, but also the most difficult to execute. The problem was that the creature showed no signs of fatigue. Jang Ye Ri seemed to be aware of this, and I could see her mind racing.
“Die, you vermin.”
A black demon suddenly erupted from the ground, its massive maw gaping open. The undead showed no agitation. Perhaps thinking it could block the attack, it once again conjured a wall of ice.
It was Han So-Hye’s spear that shattered the ice wall; she must have decided they needed to inflict some damage with this attack. Jang Ye Ri had invested a considerable amount of magic. As the Queen of the North’s spear struck the ice wall, it crumbled pathetically, but the undead was already gone.
“…!”
An incantation burst from the Witch of the East. A massive hand shot out from the demon, which until now had done nothing but open its mouth.
“Ha…”
The creature, which had been struggling as if trying to escape a confined space, revealed its full form in an instant. It was the first time I, too, had seen the true body of the demon Jang Ye Ri had summoned. As if displeased that the undead had dodged its attack, the massive demon slowly began to open its eyes.
Dozens of eyes on its face searched for their target.
What awaited the creature, having dodged the space-rending slash and the Queen of the North’s spear, was the demon’s hand.
CRUUUUUNCH!
With that sound, the ground supporting the enemy’s body shattered. Perhaps from the impact of blocking the greatsword, the demon’s arm froze halfway and broke off, but the Fallen Prince’s body was left completely defenseless. A barrage of slashes rained down, hammering its body relentlessly.
A colossal wall of ice materialized, but the Queen of the North and the Witch of the East continued to pour their magic into their assault without pause. They knew this was their chance.
Reflected in Jang Ye Ri’s eyes was an immense rage.
Fuck, don’t tell me.
Seeing Jang Ye Ri’s expression, I realized the creature possessed the power of a Seat.
Its magic wasn’t infinite. The thought that it might be converting emotion into magic led me to a rough guess as to the source of its power.
Wrath.
[Jang Ye Ri! Wait!]
[…]
The message didn’t get through.
I habitually checked my condition and then forced myself to my feet. It wasn’t perfect, and I couldn’t be sure if it was possible, but it wasn’t as if there was no way to defeat it.
“Jang Ye Ri!”
I quickly rose to my feet, about to charge forward again. That was when I saw the Fallen Prince looking this way.
Our eyes met…
No. It wasn’t looking at me. It was looking at the small ice crystals scattered around me. I followed its gaze to the crystals.
The small shards of ice instantly took shape.
It couldn’t be called a sword, nor could it be called a spear. It was a form designed for the simple purpose of stabbing something to death.
Fucking hell…
It was instantaneous, but I could dodge it.
My focus, pushed to its absolute limit, made it possible. Time felt as if it were slowing down. The target was undoubtedly my heart. If I just took one step, I could avoid it.
It was just as I was about to move my leg.
Shit.
But my leg wouldn’t move. A hand of ice had me bound.
There were no other options.
I had to trust my body. I twisted, preparing to take the blow in my abdomen. As long as it wasn’t a vital spot, the attack didn’t contain enough magic to be instantly fatal. I bit my lip hard, watching the weapon fly toward me.
Thwump.
A sickening sound echoed.
The sound of space opening and closing.
A face contorted in pain.
A mouth wide open.
Eyes brimming with tears.
Hair that had turned as white as snow.
“I’m… glad…”
It was none other than Choi Eunju.
“Uh…”
“I’m glad… darling.”
Blood gushed from Choi Eunju’s mouth.
“Uh…”
Words wouldn’t come out. Stunned by the incomprehensible situation, I stared blankly at her.
I felt her blood-soaked hand caress my face.
“Eunju…”
My vision filled with the sight of her gasping for breath, blood continuing to pour from her lips.
Fuck… Fuck…
“Baek Ahyeon! BAEK AHYEON!”
She wasn’t dead yet. Baek Ahyeon could definitely save her. I held Choi Eunju’s body and immediately started searching for Baek Ahyeon. Injecting magic into my eyes, the entire battlefield came into view in an instant. She wasn’t that far. I could definitely save her.
“God… dammit… Why…”
“Dar… ling…”
“Don’t talk.”
It felt like déjà vu. The situation was identical to when I lost Choi Seulgi. I clenched my teeth. But this time was different. Back then, I didn’t have the ability to save Choi Seulgi, but now, I definitely did.
“Do you… remember?”
“Fuck… I told you… not to talk…”
“When we first met… do you remember?”
Of course, I remembered. I held all the memories she and her husband had shared. I had personally erased her husband from her memory and taken his place.
“I remember everything. The first time I met you on Earth… when we were transported here together… living together… having a child together… our shabby little house… eating together… how you cried over a tiny scratch… how I always made you suffer… our last moments… I remember it all.”
My vision blurred. It wasn’t from the damage. Fucking tears started streaming from my eyes. It was because I felt so powerless.
“N… o…”
“……”
“When… you and I… first met… When you came inside my mind… Do you… remember?”
It felt like I’d been hit in the head with a rock.
Her memories are back.
Since when… no… more importantly, why…
My mind instantly became a tangled mess. But there was no time to think. The reason didn’t matter, the process didn’t matter. Saving her came first.
“When I… remembered… at first… I… hated… you…”
“……”
“But… you… stayed… in my memory… Your eyes… the way your eyes looked at me… Eyes of pity… eyes of gratitude… eyes of love…”
“…………Fucking hell… I told you not to talk…”
“When you… came inside me… the words… you said… that I didn’t… have to suffer… anymore… It was… a great… comfort…”
I lifted her into my arms and ran. I could feel her body growing colder. Baek Ahyeon was nearby.
“Baek Ahyeon! BAEK AHYEON!”
“This time… I protected…”
“Don’t talk!”
“I love… you… darling…”
Her body felt like it was turning to ice.
I desperately forced magic into her body, trying to keep her heart beating. I didn’t know if she was dead or alive. But I had to save her. There was so much we needed to talk about after she woke up.
She was a woman who had lived her entire life in pain. It was the same before, and it was the same after she came to me. I had taken more from her than I had ever given. I used her for my revenge, then for my own satisfaction, and then out of necessity.
For it to end like this made no sense.
The battlefield roared with countless shouts.
“Aaaargh! Priest!”
“Fall back! Protect her! Protect her! Hold the line!”
I once again poured magic into my gut and opened my mouth wide.
“BAEK AHYEON!”
“My… Savior!”
Before long, I saw Baek Ahyeon running this way. Her face and body were a mess, too. It looked like she’d taken some injuries fighting the undead. Baek Ahyeon looked at my state, then her eyes fell on Choi Eunju in my arms, and she stared with a shocked expression.
She would know that she was dying. Perhaps her breathing had already stopped. But I refused to accept it.
Tears continued to stream from my eyes. Baek Ahyeon bit her lip and wiped my tears away with one hand. Her hand wasn’t tense or trembling.
Her eyes were serious, in a way I had never seen before.
“I will save her.”
“……”
“I will save her, no matter what.”
I slowly rose to my feet. There was nothing more I could do. Holding onto Mystletainn might help with the healing. I set the spear down, placed it in Choi Eunju’s motionless hand, and then began to walk away.
Slowly, I drew Gram. A whirlwind of emotions raged within me. Baek Ahyeon was confident, but there might be no hope. Behind me, Baek Ahyeon was relentlessly pouring holy power into Choi Eunju. Jung Hayeon, Mev, and other members of the Blood Dagger Clan, who must have arrived at some point, were moving Choi Eunju deeper behind the front lines.
Jung Hayeon was biting her lip, and Mev, her face etched with worry, was sniffling as she watched Choi Eunju. Being soft-hearted, she was probably thinking of what happened with Ragia.
They must have been watching me fight. My body was at its limit. If that bastard could use wrath as magic, then it wasn’t as if I had no options either.
[Weapon Unification]
[Target - Gram - Great Sorrow]
It was time to see whose body would break first.
*
“H-How is she?”
“Please don’t talk to me.”
“B-But… she’s not breathi—”
“This woman has to live. That is the command my Savior has given me. Even if I have to risk my own life… I must save her.”
Looking at Choi Eunju, whose breathing was gradually ceasing, Baek Ahyeon’s expression hardened.