Chapter 261: A■■ne(9)[R-18]
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 261: A■■ne(9)[R-18]
Step—
Elfriede could not comprehend the scene unfolding before her eyes.
“Senior? What are you doing?! Are you insane? Get away from ‘that thing’ right now!!!”
“...Elfriede, just for a moment. Please, listen to me.”
“Shut up and get away from it!!!!”
“...Elfriede.”
“Dammit!! Wake up, Ian!!”
It was the first time.
The first time Elfriede had called him Ian instead of Senior, her voice laced with profanity.
‘...Can I deal with that thing without putting Ian in danger?’
She didn’t know.
But she had to do it.
As Elfriede took an offensive stance, Ian shouted once more.
“Elfriede... please!!”
“Don’t get in my way!!”
“I know what you’re thinking! But it was the same with Estelle! You said the way I wanted to solve things was impossible. But I did it! So this time, I can definitely find a way to—”
“Estelle and ‘that thing’ are different!!!”
Elfriede had no intention of listening to Ian’s words.
No, she felt she must not listen.
She had been able to stand by and watch the demon that possessed Estelle because she was confident she could handle it even if the worst happened.
But ‘that thing’ was different.
If she were swayed by Ian’s words and let it go, it would become a disaster that no one could handle.
Throb—! Throb—!
The mere thought of those ‘Black Scales’ revealed between the rotting husk made Elfriede’s head throb as if it were splitting open.
‘I have to finish it here!!’
With great power comes great responsibility.
Those were the words the First Elder had once spoken.
Back then, Elfriede hadn't understood...
But now, she did.
This was the responsibility and duty of the strong.
“Move out of the way!!”
As if responding to Elfriede’s rage, heat billowed from Ifrit’s wings.
Sizzle—
The horrific sound of scorched air searing skin rang out, but...
“....”
Ian still did not back down.
‘How can he endure this...!!’
Elfriede knew fire better than anyone.
She had suffered burns countless times before gaining complete control over flames, so she knew exactly how agonizing Ian’s pain must be.
Even a slight singe on a fingertip would make someone want to roll on the ground in agony...
Yet Ian didn't budge, even as his entire body was literally being cooked alive.
‘...If I raise the temperature any further, Ian will really die!!’
Grit—
“Why! Why!! Why won’t you move!! Trust me as much as I trust you!! That thing is dangerous! So... please!!”
Elfriede screamed desperately.
The reality of this situation—the exact opposite of what had happened at Estelle’s mansion—was too painful to bear.
Back then, she had gone to save Ian, but now, Ian had become the one standing against her.
“....”
“Why! ...Why! ..Don’t you... trust me!! ...Why... do you trust... that thing... more than me!! ...Why!!”
“No, I do trust you, Elfriede.”
“Don’t make me laugh!! If you trust me, move right now! If we don’t destroy that thing now, it will surely become a disaster! So...!!”
“Because I trust you, I’m willing to die by your judgment.”
“...What?”
“At first, I thought it was a misunderstanding. But... if you’re speaking with that much conviction, then Hayangi really might be dangerous. However...”
Slowly—
Ian glanced back at ‘that thing’ behind him and offered a faint smile.
“I’m sorry, Elfriede. But I still don’t think I can move.”
“...Do you think I won’t kill you? Ian, I am going to burn ‘that thing’ to ashes right here. Even if I have to burn you along with it!!”
“....”
Killing Ian.
Just saying the words felt like her heart was being ripped apart...
But letting ‘that thing’ go was so unthinkable that she had to make that choice.
“....”
“...Fine. So you’re saying you won’t move until the very end, even after I’ve said all this.”
At Ian’s silence, blood began to trickle from between Elfriede’s clenched fists.
‘I have to... make a decision. Ian will die anyway if I keep dragging this out. ...So. I have to do it now. I have to! Do it now!!! Elfriede!’
Whoosh—!
As Elfriede took the stance of drawing a bowstring in mid-air, Ifrit’s flames transformed into a massive bow and arrow in her hands.
“....”
Simultaneously, all emotion vanished from Elfriede’s face.
It was just like the days when she was being trained inside the World Tree to become the Grand Elder.
Thinking of nothing, feeling nothing, she focused only on her ‘objective.’
“This is the last warning. I’ll count to three. Move.”
“Three.”
It was a simple calculation.
The world versus one person.
Even a fool would know who should be sacrificed.
If ‘that thing’ finished its molting in the few seconds she hesitated...
Countless humans, including Ian, would die in agony.
In that case, it would be better to meet a clean end, so swift they wouldn't even have time to feel pain.
“Two.”
Furthermore, the time she had spent with Ian was a mere fraction—hardly a few hundredths—of a High Elf’s long life.
Even if she stayed with Ian until he died of old age...
The days she would live without him would surely be much longer.
So, looking back later, she would surely be able to dismiss it as a mere fling of her youth.
“One.”
“....”
“....”
Locking eyes with Ian one last time, Elfriede released the bowstring she had drawn to its limit.
BOOM—!!
The fired arrow exploded, dyeing the world in pure white.
“....”
Drip— Drip—
Tears streamed from Elfriede’s still expressionless eyes.
[Are you truly alright with this?]
“Then what was I supposed to do...”
Through a vision blurred by tears, Elfriede saw Ian.
Ian was still standing in front of ‘that thing.’
Even though an arrow imbued with the power of a Spirit King had been fired, Ian hadn't moved an inch.
It wasn't that Ian had blocked Elfriede’s arrow.
It was simply that Elfriede had fired the arrow into the sky.
[...That thing will become a disaster that devours the world.]
“I know!! I know I should have destroyed it now!! I felt it when I saw inside ‘that thing’!! Yes, I felt that maybe the reason I was born with the blessing of the World Tree—something I never even wanted—was for this very moment!!”
Elfriede covered her face with one hand and tilted her head back.
“But I can’t!! I just can’t do it!!”
She could lie to others as much as she wanted...
But she could not lie to herself.
The time spent and the weight of accumulated emotions are not the same.
To Elfriede, the single year she had spent meeting and being with Ian was far more precious than the hundred years she had spent trapped inside the World Tree.
[Will you be able to live without regret?]
“...El...friede?”
The moment Ian, his vision recovering a bit late, called Elfriede’s name, she felt certain.
“...I won’t.”
Because of this choice, ‘that thing’ might one day finish its molting and devour the world.
But...
She would not regret it.
Because until that day came, Elfriede would be with Ian.
“...Thank you, Elfriede. For not shooting.”
“Tsk... Senior. Don’t thank me. This isn't over yet.”
Whoosh—!
Elfriede roughly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gestured, causing the heat that was eating away at Ian’s body to dissipate.
With this, his condition wouldn't worsen for now, so it should be fine if the Saintess Candidate healed the rest.
“This is only a very brief reprieve. You’ll have to explain yourself properly. If you can’t give me a convincing answer—even if it’s you, Senior—I’ll deal with ‘that thing’ immediately.”
Shift—
As she spoke, Elfriede’s gaze naturally fell upon ‘that thing.’
[You... to th■s...]
She couldn't understand it.
‘That thing’ was supposed to be dormant inside its husk, yet Elfriede felt as if their eyes had met.
[...Tor■ent■d?]
Chill—!
‘I’m going to die...?’
The moment she looked at ‘that thing’ as it muttered incomprehensible words, Elfriede felt the instinctual presence of death.
“Hayangi!! No!!”
However, with a single word from Ian, the Reaper’s scythe that had been grazing Elfriede’s neck vanished.
“....Gasp.... Cough!... Wheeze!... Haa!... Hic!.... Haa... Haa... Se-Senior... what... just now...?”
“It wasn't me. Hayangi did it.”
—Tremble
“Ha... Hayangi...? Is that its name?”
“Yeah. I gave it to her. Don’t call her ‘that thing’ anymore; call her Hayangi.”
“...You gave it a name, Senior?”
“Yeah.”
“....”
In a situation where she didn't even know where to begin pointing out the absurdity, Elfriede pressed the bridge of her nose with a trembling hand.
‘...At least it means she can communicate with Senior? And she even listens to him?’
Of course, she couldn't rule out the possibility that this behavior was also a deception.
However, even if she said so herself, Elfriede Carleia was one of the strongest beings in this world.
That meant she would surely be the most troublesome opponent once that being called ‘Hayangi’ began her activities in earnest.
Touch—
Elfriede brushed her neck.
‘That just now... I won’t fall for it twice.’
Therefore, it would be best to deal with her while she could be handled by a surprise attack like the one just now, but Hayangi had stopped without hesitation at Ian’s word.
If she were merely using Ian as a tool of deception, the loss in this situation was far too great.
“....”
She had to admit it.
Perhaps the being known as ‘Hayangi’ wasn't the embodiment of ‘Malevolence’ itself, as Elfriede had felt...
“...Ugh.”
However, it was still difficult to suppress the instinctive revulsion she felt toward Hayangi.
[Leave this place, Elfriede. People are coming.]
Ifrit warned her then.
It seemed her flashy display had drawn unwanted attention.
“Sigh...”
Elfriede let out a long sigh and looked at Ian.
“Senior, people are coming. Let’s move for now... and you can tell me exactly what happened.”