The Archangel's Benediction
The moment the voice echoed in my head, "...Huh??"
Suddenly, everything around me plunged into pitch-black darkness. A profoundly silent space, as if I were the only one who existed.
"Lu, Ludia!! Mari!!!"
I shouted in a panic, but there was no response. Looking around was pointless.
Where the hell is this?! Why am I here?? Not now of all times!
Then, "Have you made your resolve?"
"What fucking resolve!"
The voice from inside my head rang out again, and curses exploded from my mouth. A calm, deep timbre. But it offered no comfort to my rationality-shattered state.
"Your resolve shall become my power."
"Cut the bullshit! Where's Ludia! She's gonna die!!!"
My voice stretched out into the silent void. Ludia. Just moments ago, zombies had been charging at her, baring their razor-sharp fangs. I have to slice them down. I have to protect her! I recalled the way Ludia's eyes had shone so brightly. My heart raced with impatience.
"Will you protect?"
"Ludia?! Of course!!"
"It will not be an easy path."
"Shut up! We're in a hurry!!"
"....To think I once took this form."
"What?"
Vwooom--!
After that pointless back-and-forth. A hazy, glowing figure materialized before my eyes. Roughly humanoid in shape, but utterly translucent.
...A ghost? But whatever it was didn't matter right now.
"Hurry! Get me out of here!"
"Do not forget. Your resolve is my power."
"Enough with the word games!"
"I beseech you."
My frustration was about to make my voice boom louder when the man's words paused briefly.
Then, "Grant light to centuries of patience."
"What?"
Whoooong...!
Darkness swirled into the glowing silhouette. The surrounding space began crumpling like wadded-up paper.
"This is the way out, right??!!"
The space constricted tighter and tighter; my breath grew labored as my body compressed along with it.
"I entrust this to you."
The man's faint murmur.
"What do I get out of your damn request...!!"
Before I could finish, the space flattened into a plane. The plane became a line. The line, a point.
What the fuck was that all about!!
"Huu-nim!!! The zombies!!!!"
Mari mustered every ounce of strength to scream.
Huu, eyes closed and motionless. Ludia, body frozen stiff as zombies bore down on her.
"Open your eyes, you bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
That was when it happened.
Shiiiing---!!!!
Huu swung his sword. A slender beam of light slashed through the empty air.
A fleeting line that bisected his field of vision horizontally. At its end pointed the edge of Huu's blade.
Thud! Crumble crumble!
"!!!"
In that instant of utter silence, an alien wind stirred, and the shredded corpses of zombies rained down before Ludia.
"W-We survived!! Thank you, Huu-nim! How did you... with the sword..!!"
"Uwaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
----!!!!!
Before Ludia could finish, he unleashed a massive roar toward the valley.
A guttural bellow too monstrous for any human throat. The shockwave rattled the air itself, shoving everything aside in a single pulse.
The steadfast paladins dropped to their knees on the spot; the zombies scattered like they'd been struck by a carriage—boom!—flying every which way.
------!!!!
The horde faltered. They no longer eyed the paladins.
Only one target.
Hundreds of them surged toward Huu.
"Kyaaaah!!! Hu, Huu-nim!!!!"
"Ludia-nim! Run!!!"
We're screwed! The zombies are going for Ludia-nim!!!
Mari slashed at the zombies blitzing past her as she sprinted. Please! I hope Huu-nim's piggybacking Ludia-nim and running!! No one can handle this many alone!!!
Swish.
But.
Huu planted himself in front of Ludia.
He readjusted his grip on the sword, leveling it forward—and a thick, golden haze coiled around the blade.
"??!"
"Mari-nim! Th-that's!!"
Holy Power. Incredibly dense and potent.
An unprecedented magnitude of it was condensing.
"What in the world...?"
A flickering golden aura enveloped Huu's body. And then, six radiant wings unfurled broadly from his back.
"...Archangel's Benediction!"
"That mercenary has the Archangel's Benediction??!"
"No way that man's..!"
Mari stared at the light, mesmerized like the other paladins.
The blade's glow intensified further.
Huu raised his sword.
Then, "You're all fucked today."
---!!
One slash through the empty air.
A diagonal black line etched across the void.
"!!!"
Mari witnessed her own vision cleaving apart. Like a log sliced clean, the two halves of space warped around the line Huu had drawn.
----!!!!
And from the boundary, light erupted—engulfing everything.
Kyaaaaah---!!!
Kwaaaaaah---!!!!
Zombie shrieks wove thickly into the storm of radiance. The stench of searing flesh filled the air amid swirling black ash.
Mari strained with all her might not to get swept away by the torrent, but "What is this!!"
Holy Power so overwhelming coiled around her body, making it impossible to keep her footing.
"Aaaah!! Damn it!! Fucking hurts!!!"
And a unfamiliar voice from ahead.
Curses and screams tangled together, as if its owner could barely endure the agony.
One of the paladins?? Who the hell was that loose-tongued idiot..??
"Da..damn..."
Mari had no time to dwell on the mystery voice.
Her entire field of vision bleached to white; light seeped into her body.
Her consciousness dimmed bit by bit.
"..U..uuu..."
She blacked out.
**
"Ugh!!!(Ow, fuck!)"
A horrific nightmare drew an involuntary scream from me.
The dream where I swung my sword, light poured forth, and my body burned and tore apart like the other zombies'.
"Y-You're awake, Huu-nim?!!"
".....?"
I opened my eyes to find myself back in the lodging.
Ludia crouched at the foot of the bed, leaning her upper body forward.
Mari, back against the wall, flinched as she watched me.
"Ugh?(What's with everyone?)"
"Haa..! Thank goodness, Huu-nim! You're finally awake!!!"
"??"
Ludia seized my hand and shook it every which way.
Her voice rolled like tumbling dice: "I thought you died!" Bonus points for the face beaming so wide her eyes nearly vanished... which was pretty...
"..? Huh? What's wrong, Huu-nim?"
...cute.
My lips twitched upward to match hers.
"I believed! Since I didn't die, you wouldn't either, Huu-nim!"
"Uuuuh??(Hey! Don't say that shit in front of Mari?!)".
Caught up in the excitement, Ludia had forgotten her filter.
Seemed she'd blanked on Mari being in the room too.
I whipped my gaze toward Mari.
But, "I'm relieved, Huu-nim."
Mari's voice came out softer than usual.
"Uuh?(Why the sudden change? Got indigestion?)"
The stoic Mari-bot slathering butter on her tongue?
Was this a dream? But no, reality—Ludia was kneading my hand.
"We brought you here after you collapsed post-battle. You've been out... a day or two."
"Ueh?(Me?)"
"Thanks to you, we all survived. Thank you, Huu-nim."
"Thank you, Huu-nim! You were incredible!!"
Mari bowed deeply and politely; Ludia squealed with excitement.
Their demeanor meant one thing.
"...."
It was real.
Not a dream.
I slowly clenched and unclenched my right hand.
The sharp tingle in my palm.
After that mystery voice, I'd just swung the sword the way my body remembered.
But... who the hell was that voice?
How could I swing like that? Use a technique like that??
My head felt all tangled up.
"Is your body all right? Ludia-nim worked hard nursing you."
"Hehe... I did it all by myself!"
While I sat there dazed, Ludia grinned ear to ear.
Dark circles shadowed her big eyes—ones I hadn't noticed before.
"...Ugh. (...What's this? Thought she'd just been crying nonstop.)"
Grateful.
And cute.
I placed one hand on her head.
"..Ah?! Y..yeah..?"
Stroke. Stroke. Stroke.
My freshly bandaged hand gently ruffled her hair.
Thanks. Good girl. Can't say it, so pour it all into the touch.
"Is this... praise?"
By the time Ludia's face had ripened beet-red, rationality kicked back in. What the hell am I doing? Am I nuts? Is Ludia a puppy?
...Play dumb.
For now, this felt right.
"Ahem. Ahem! Please. Both of you, show some restraint!"
Mari finally cleared her throat, cheeks flushed.
"Wh-what did I do!"
"Earlier you said you'd die and live together with Huu-nim. Expressions like that... not in front of others.."
"Ah! That's not what I meant!!!"
Ludia bolted upright in a fluster.
Even shook her head furiously.
Lips mumbling like words were about to launch, but thankfully reason held firm.
"Ugh. (No, Mari—you're totally misunderstanding...)"
Of course, I didn't sit idle. I propped myself up in bed, waving my hand and shaking my head side to side.
Please. It's not like that. We're just simple master and slave!!
...Wait, that's even weirder. Being speechless helps at times like this.
"Anyway. Rest well. The third wheel will step out."
"No, Mari, it's not!"
"Uuh! (Really not! If you leave now, it's a huge mistake..!)"
Thud.
"".......""
Our excuses too tiresome to hear? Mari nodded half-heartedly and slipped out fast.
"Haa.... Feels like Mari's misunderstanding."
Door shut; Ludia sighed, sounding bummed.
"Uruk uruk.(Yeah. We're not like that.)"
"Me and Huu-nim, what. Nursed alone 'cause scared your zombie side would get out."
She muttered to herself, all aggrieved.
So she'd cared for me fearing it'd get noticed?
Almost chuckled.
But she really had nursed me while I was down.
Somehow, just felt cute.
"Huu... What sin did I commit in a past life? You think I like this or something."
"Uung? (Huh?)"
Right there.
Her words doused my fluffy feelings with a bucket of ice water—whoosh!
Today's mouth was boldly reckless.
"....Ah!"
Late realization of her slip.
She clapped both hands over her mouth in haste.
Her saucer eyes flew wide; pupils quivered.
"Th-th-that... Huu-nim, I mean.. not bad or anything but..."
"......"
Ludia, who'd been smiling moments ago. Now sniffling again.
Why no in-between with this girl?
Bonk!
"Ack!!!"
I flicked her forehead lightly.
Then, something occurred to me; I spat out the gauze I'd been chewing.
"Gruk gruk gruu? (No more crying. No more scaredy stuff. Got it?)"
Tried infusing real sincerity into the growl, but same old.
That battle, for a split second... my voice had come out.
...How'd I do that??
"Sorry! My fault!! I must be crazy!! First time as a slave, so!! Hu..! I won't talk at all from now on!!"
"......"
Whether I pondered or not.
Ludia was already on her knees.
Eyes already glistening; any longer and it'd be a snotty, tear-soaked mess. Ominous premonition.
"Gruuuu...(Ha... Off to the auction tomorrow.)"
Can't-talk me is the asshole here.
Sigh.. hope tomorrow comes quick.