#25 Night of the Great Battle (4)
#25 Night of the Great Battle (4)
"You're Phantom Butterfly's daughter?"
A brief silence. A question, then. Tail Hair—no, Anella—sighed.
"Is that so hard to believe?"
"I've never heard anything about Phantom Butterfly having a daughter."
A son, maybe. At that, Anella's mouth twisted.
"Of course you haven't. The heir is my little brother."
"Your brother?"
"Yes. The golden child. So brilliant that people like you never even knew I existed."
The shift in her tone was sudden. Gu Jin-ha caught the deep furrow beneath her words—something caustic. Anella spat it out like it bored her.
"You know, don't you? What matters most to a mage."
"......."
"Talent. Talent. Talent. Talent! I'm talking about talent!"
At last, Gu Jin-ha understood where all her contempt had been pointed.
'A reject. She called herself the dregs, didn't she?'
"Why? Why am I...!"
Anella pressed both hands against her face, and a moment of quiet passed. Then, as if a switch had flipped, she grinned brightly.
"Ah~ I'm sorry. Got a little worked up there, didn't I? Right. You asked if there's a way to trust me?"
"...I did."
"There's probably no way to prove I'm Phantom Butterfly's daughter."
Anella's mouth curled upward. To Gu Jin-ha, it looked like a warped mask.
"But if I spill everything I know, you might believe me a little, don't you think?"
"......."
"You. Do you know who the leader of the Blind Spot is? No—by now, haven't you already guessed?"
Her bright laughter sounded like mockery. Or maybe self-derision.
"No."
"Yes. That's exactly the 'no' you're thinking of."
Nodding to herself, she laid out everything she knew.
The reason Agail had been banished from the Square. The reason an organization called the Blind Spot had come into existence. All of it. With a twisted face, as if she were telling someone else's story.
"So that's how it was."
After hearing it all, Gu Jin-ha faced Anella—not Tail Hair—for the first time.
A younger brother who committed atrocities and was cast out. An older sister who couldn't even fill the void he left behind. And when Phantom Butterfly ordered her to find her brother... what had she been feeling?
'Three years chasing the shadow of an exiled brother.'
Gu Jin-ha said nothing. A powerless laugh slipped past his lips instead. At that, Anella spat at him in a voice gone cold.
"Don't tell me you pity me too."
"No. Not at all."
"Then why—!"
Just as she was about to shout at his flat voice, someone materialized in a wash of faint light.
***
"Did you not hear something?"
"Huh? No. I didn't hear anything..."
Derek frowned, and the mage flinched.
"Ah, I'll go check it out."
Derek watched the mage scurry off and let out a sigh.
'So damn slow.'
How was he supposed to get anything done with people like them? Just then, a loud noise reached him, and he pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Ha... The main area. Go find out what's going on and report back."
"Then our perimeter here will be left thin."
"The power's cut and the barrier's still up, isn't it? Go quickly and get ba—?"
Before the words were fully out, something rolled toward them from down the corridor.
"Th-that's... you've got to be kidding."
A head. A face frozen in terror even in death. Just before screaming, the throat had stopped—no final gasp, no sound.
"Don't tell me we have an intruder?"
Derek shook his head. Even if someone knew Building B existed, this was the only way in. How? Puzzled, he became aware that he was moving.
'......?'
No. Not moving. Shaking. His trembling hand spread to his arm, his shoulder, his waist—until his whole body quaked.
'Why?'
Before the question could resolve, his heart went berserk. He brought a hand to his chest without thinking. And somewhere in that motion, the trembling stopped.
'......?'
No. It hadn't stopped. He couldn't move.
He didn't understand the situation—yet as if understanding was beside the point, his head and his heart screamed at him to run. His breath shortened and his head spun.
"Grrrr—"
The beast's growl that reached him then bleached his mind white.
***
"It's here."
Following the trail had brought them to the outskirts—an apartment building that looked like a perfectly ordinary abandoned structure.
"The person who killed Hunter Lee Baek-seom is in a place like this...?"
"I'll say it again. We are nothing more than a temporary search team. Hunter Lee Baek-seom was B-class. If you want to pull out, do it now."
At the representative clan lord's words, they all shook their heads firmly.
"Even you, ma'am, can't go in alone. We'll lend what small help we can."
Not a single person from the five major clans or Dawn backed away. Eun Ja-rim met their eyes, then nodded.
"Good. From this moment, we enter the building—?!"
Eun Ja-rim's fingertips trembled. The breathing of the hunters—so resolute a moment ago—quickened. Their faces went pale. One by one, they clutched at their chests and crumpled.
'What is—?'
From far below, a terrible, bone-chilling killing intent was rising. A mass of murderous will so pure she had never felt anything like it. Eun Ja-rim ground her teeth.
"...Wait here."
"C-Clan Leader! It's too dangerous! This is really—!"
The moment a clan member grabbed her shoulder, she shoved him back hard.
"......?!"
And where he had just been standing erupted. As if mocking the hunters' wide-eyed stares, a voice floated from empty air.
"A shame. Good instincts."
A voice that admitted to the attack. Eun Ja-rim hurled her spear toward the source of the sound.
"Hup!"
The spear crashed into empty space with a tearing sound and clattered to the floor, and from a rift that ripped through the air, a man stepped out.
"Who are you?"
"Little girl. You're easy to read. A disciple of the Spear Saint, are you?"
"...And knowing that, you still intend to fight me?"
Eun Ja-rim's brow furrowed as she glared at the man. An eerie aura wafted off him. His face was hidden beneath a deep hood. The moment his barely-visible lips twisted—
"Do you think that name will protect you?"
Purple mana began shaping itself into magic in his hand.
***
A robed mage stepped back into the lab.
"Damn it all. What sound was I even supposed to have heard?"
There's nothing here. Just another stupid bout of hysteria. Grumbling, the mage turned around—and went rigid at the sound of the door closing.
'Did I... leave that open?'
No. That's impossible. What about all the vermin inside if they got out? He steeled himself and whipped his head around.
'Freaked out for nothing.'
Relieved to see nothing, he turned back—and his eyes flooded with horror.
"......!"
A monster wearing a wolf's skull stared him down, saliva dripping, eyes brimming with killing intent.
"A m-monster...!"
Before he could scream, an enormous forepaw hammered the mage's skull. In the briefest instant, he felt the world spinning. And just before consciousness cut out, he realized it wasn't the world spinning—it was him.
The Wolf looked down at the headless corpse, drool soaking the collar of the robe.
As if unable to contain itself, the fury boiling from deep inside spilled over unchecked, and a low growl resonated with raw outrage.
"Grrrr—"
One step. Another.
The grinding of teeth, the killing intent spreading in waves—they spoke everything the Wolf had to say. It left the lab and strode through the narrow corridor. Slowly. As if granting them time. Before long, the Wolf came face to face with the mages arrayed across the passage, their breath ragged. Thirteen in all. The Wolf catalogued their number in an instant and loosed a low rumble. As if snapping awake, the mages flinched.
"Th-the Skull Wolf broke out!"
Incantations began in rapid succession. Yet the Wolf walked on, unhurried. The fastest mage finished his spell. A rippling lance of flame took shape. The mage's lips pulled upward. But before the lance could even reach the Wolf, it was torn to shreds in midair and vanished.
"......?!"
As if to say the grace period was over, the Wolf at last bared its teeth.
The moment the sharp fangs beneath the white skull gleamed, the Wolf vanished from the mage's vision.
"Aagh, aaaaagh!"
Seeing the empty eye sockets of the Wolf that had already bitten his comrade dead beside him, the mage could do nothing but quake in terror.
"Eeek!"
How had it gotten there that fast? A black chain lashed past the terrified mage.
"Lanțul corupției—!"
Derek, having rushed his incantation. The chain of corruption wrapped itself around the Wolf.
"How the hell did the Skull Wolf break out..."
Relieved, he stopped his chant—and that was the mistake. The chain snapped in an instant. And from the Wolf, thick killing intent took shape.
"Flames?"
Like embers gathered from spent ash, an ominous black flame wreathed the Wolf.
"What are you doing?! Chant! Get chanting!"
At someone's shout, the frozen mages scrambled into motion. But what they chose wasn't a fight. It was flight. Terror had stripped them of the option to stand and face it. Baring its fangs, the Wolf slaughtered as if determined not to let a single one escape. The panic-stricken mages shoved and clawed past each other.
"Move! Get out of my way!"
At last, a mage reached the partition where the elevator waited and hammered the button. Faster. Faster. Faster—get down here!
'Wha... why?'
The elevator didn't budge. Staring at the unmoving lift, the mage slumped in despair.
'Ah.'
Realizing belatedly that he was the one who had cut power to the elevator, the mage let out a hollow, defeated laugh.
And then a black shadow fell over his head.
***
[Intimidation (F) Lv.10 has reached maximum level. Intimidation (F) Lv.10 -> Overwhelm (E) Lv.1]
Three. Three left.
I would not let a single one escape. Even after killing every last mage who had fled into the bathroom, the rage would not subside. When I stepped back outside, a massive fireball detonated as if it had been waiting for me.
"That was a two-verse spell! There's no way it's unscath—?!"
The consuming flames were swallowed whole by embers. I summoned a gust, and the black fire scattered like ash in the wind.
"......?!"
Eyes bulging, a mage was devoured by the black flame. I looked down at him flailing and screaming—and that was when I realized the others were gone.
'Where?'
Detection picked up their presences. The electrical room—they were trying to restore power. I drove a mana-charged blow into the thick wall blocking the path to the electrical room.
Twice. The bulkhead flew apart, smashing through the closed door to the electrical room. Over twisted machinery and on, not hesitating, to the room where the Imitation Elixir had been kept.
"H-huhuhu. I've been waiting for you!"
A mage let out a nasty laugh. The moment he pressed the button in his hand, mana flooded the room. Before the grand spell could manifest—the mage's head dropped. I crushed the rolling skull under my forepaw, and blood and brain matter soaked my paws like offal.
"......."
One more. I followed the scent back toward the bathroom. Then I stopped.
'...He didn't go up.'
The whole idea of restoring power was idiotic. The elevator was already disabled. I tracked the man's presence to a room I hadn't yet entered.
'Here?'
Dirt and sand. Weapons and targets. My gaze swept the area until it landed on Derek Clark at the far end of the training room.
"You followed me all the way here...!"
The first thing I saw was a scrap of paper at his feet.
'A scroll?'
Right. This was a mage hideout. It would've been stranger if they hadn't had one. I drove through his chest just before the light swallowed him.
"Kghghk...!"
Even as he bled and clutched at his chest, the man's mouth twisted into a sneer.
The mage's body vanished, and I bared my teeth.
Killing intent sharpened into clear will, and swallowed the entire hideout.
—Murderous intent that would not let a single one escape.
***
"......!"
"The story can wait. More importantly—"
A faint surge of mana. What emerged with the light was a man collapsed on the floor. The Three Swordsman looked him over briefly, then turned him over and confirmed the puncture roughly where the heart should be.
"He's dead."
Already gone. At the certain kill, the team leader shook his head.
"D-Derek? This is him. This is him! Derek Clark!"
"...The close aide you spoke of?"
"Yes. Banished from the Square alongside Agail. But why in the world—?"
Where had he appeared from? Why was he dead? Before any answers could form, a massive crash brought the ceiling down.
As the dust settled, a woman dropped through the wreckage and wiped her mouth with her wrist.
"Disciple of the Spear Saint?"
Gu Jin-ha couldn't mask his disbelief. Eun Ja-rim's head snapped toward him.
"Three Swordsman? What are you doing here?"
"I'd like to ask you the same. Why exactly?"
As if the question didn't warrant an answer, Eun Ja-rim jerked her chin toward the ceiling. From the shattered hole above, someone was descending on stairs of violet light.
"......?!"
Gu Jin-ha sensed an enormous mana presence.
'This might even be beyond Hong Yuri...!'
Who in the world possessed mana like this? Before Gu Jin-ha could voice the question, Anella spat it out.
"Agail...!"
"Then that person is—?"
"Yes. The leader of the Blind Spot..."
Resisting the crushing mana pressure, Anella pushed herself up.
"...and my damn little brother."
Agail's feet touched the floor. He glanced around, his gaze stopping briefly on Derek's corpse.
"I see. So this place has already been cleaned up."
The cold voice echoed through the underground.
"Agail!"
"Right. Anella. You were here too."
Under that chill stare, Anella clenched her teeth.
"Surrender! Do you really think you have a chance against the three of us?!"
The Three Swordsman, team leader of three from Dawn. And the disciple of the Spear Saint, clan lord of the Hermit's Forest. Agail regarded them with ice-cold eyes.
"Let me ask you instead."
Purple mana spread outward. The steadily swelling pressure ballooned endlessly, emitting an oppressive weight that couldn't even be compared to moments ago. Finally it swept the air into wind, the hood blew back to expose his face, and his eyes gleamed a freezing light.
"Do you think the three of you alone can handle me?"
Gu Jin-ha ground his teeth against the storm of mana.
'Damn it.'
Only now did it hit him. This place was the man's hideout. What did it mean to fight a mage inside his own hideout?
'We're in trouble.'
The situation was bad. But there was no way out.
"Prepare to fight."
At Eun Ja-rim's words, Gu Jin-ha gave a small nod.
Agail had no intention of retreating. Even if this was his hideout, he could withdraw here and plan for another day.
'As if he can't.'
Agail finished his chant in a flash and raised one hand.
"—Halucinaţie."
"Halucinaţie—!"
The same spell, readied in advance and cast simultaneously, signaled the start of the battle. In less than a second, Anella's magic was shattered by Agail's—but that was enough. Gu Jin-ha and Anella closed the distance in an instant and attacked Agail with their respective weapons.
"Done."
The fight ended more hollowly than expected.
The sensation of a heart being pierced. Gu Jin-ha flicked his wrist, and Agail's blood drew a crescent across the floor from his sword. However much a hideout, a mage who showed himself openly—as long as you were careful of the spells, you could win. That was the illusion.
"Snap out of it! What are you doing!"
"......!"
The mana-laced shout jolted Gu Jin-ha, his eyes snapping wide. He dodged the black chain by a hair's breadth, and Agail snorted.
"Did you think you'd won?"
"...Since when?"
Since when had he been seeing an illusion? Only now did he remember what else they called the Purple Square.
"The Phantom Lineage."
He felt it anew—the man in front of him was truly Phantom Butterfly's heir.
'Is this the talent Anella spoke of?'
"Ngh...!"
Eun Ja-rim let out a pained murmur as she came to. A deep wound remained in her abdomen. When had she even been hit?
'This isn't a bluff.'
The man genuinely had the power to bring them down. A faint light filtered through the collapsed ceiling above. And the moment clouds blotted out the moonlight, even that light vanished.
"......."
In a darkness so complete he couldn't see an inch ahead, Gu Jin-ha swallowed a silent groan.
'What the hell do I do.'
No telling what was out there. The creeping dread that a reckless move would get him killed. Even Mana Detection couldn't pierce the man's own mana—there was no pinpointing his location.
"Are you all right?"
"I can endure."
A calm answer, but he knew it wasn't true. The Chain of Corruption. She was forcing the slowly rotting wound shut with pure mana. Whether she knew it or not, she wouldn't hold out long.
"Anella. Can you produce light?"
"Ușoară!"
Light bloomed from her fingertips. A radiance meant to brightly illuminate the darkness.
'Then why—?'
The light couldn't pierce it. Why? As if in answer, the darkness ignited.
'This is—?'
Not darkness—flame. A flame like pitch-blackness itself.
A sense of déjà vu from something he had seen once before made his eyes snap wide.
"It can't be...!"
From the far end of the corridor, a low growl.
And a killing intent far stronger than that—swallowing the entire hideout whole.