The Mother's Domain
The 5★ Mother of Ill Omens Karne—(3) The Scorched Saint Selene raised her Wedge Sword of Hellfire like a torch in the pitch-black surroundings. The area brightened slightly, yet it remained impossible to see even an inch ahead. Flocks of crows that filled the space circled nearby, cawing noisily. Selene turned her head to check on her lord's condition. The ruler Actor appeared unharmed at a glance. Still, she asked just in case.
“My Lord, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, but what about Karne?”
“She is nowhere to be seen.”
Selene frowned. She had attempted conversation with the Mother of Ill Omens Karne out of respect for her lord’s wishes, but as expected, Karne had turned hostile. Moreover, this was inside her nest. With Mirien’s support cut off within the dungeon, none could be expected. And now her lord, whom she must protect, was right beside her.
“This is disadvantageous.”
Selene quickly assessed the situation. This was the domain of ill omens. Even if Selene exerted her full strength, defeating Karne would not be easy. Entering the heart of enemy territory had indeed been a miscalculation. Yet this, too, was her own fault for failing to dissuade her lord from speaking with Karne. Therefore, Selene had to take responsibility with her life.
“My Lord, Mirien will surely take measures outside the nest. From now on, I shall open a path. Please mount the Storm Dragon and escape.”
Selene’s Stigma of Holy Flame burned even more intensely. However, the ruler Actor frowned at her words.
“What are you saying? Does that mean you intend to stay behind, Selene?”
“…Yes. But you need not worry. I will be fine.”
It was a lie. She had no confidence in surviving the heart of enemy territory. Yet it was a subordinate’s duty to instill faith in her lord. Selene pressed on without a single change in expression, and Actor reluctantly nodded.
“Then, from now on, the path—”
As she spoke, Selene sensed a sharp presence attacking from behind. She spun around and thrust her wedge sword, clashing against a massive claw-shaped scythe.
“…Karne, you wretch. Did you intend to harm my lord?”
“Of course not. I knew you would block it.”
Before they knew it, the Mother of Ill Omens Karne stood blocking Selene’s path, weapon in hand. Karne’s expression was chilling. She clearly had no intention of letting Selene or her lord go.
“If you surrender even now, my lord will surely forgive you generously.”
As Selene spoke with a furrowed brow, Karne gave a bitter smile.
“…Forgiveness. What salvation could I possibly seek now? I have already been betrayed twice. I have no desire to grieve a third time. This wretched mother’s end will simply be to be torn apart by her own children atop some quiet hill.”
“A sky burial, then.”
“That is what they call it.”
“Then please die alone without any pointless resistance.”
Caw-caw. Karne’s scythe slid along Selene’s wedge sword and aimed for her neck. Selene ducked just in time, and strands of her ash-gray hair fell away. Even with the protection of her Stigma of Holy Flame, the attack had been this close. The Mother of Ill Omens Karne was not a disaster specialized in combat, yet within this nest where visibility was restricted, she held an undeniable advantage.
Selene intensified the flames surrounding her body. At the same time, she checked on her lord Actor. He clung to the Storm Dragon’s back to avoid being blown away by the wind pressure.
“…Wretch. I shall question you for the sin of attempting to harm my lord.”
5★ Scorched Saint Selene casts the skill Hellfire Crater.
A tremendous explosion. Surging flames. Hundreds, thousands of familiars caught in the blast let out agonized screams before vanishing. Yet the attack failed to strike its true target. Selene immediately swung her sword to the right.
Clang! A clear metallic ring echoed.
“…Magnificent, Selene.”
Karne received the wedge sword with a faint smile.
“It is not magnificent. You cannot defeat me.”
“True. Ordinarily, I could not.”
Karne agreed. Within the ruler Actor’s territory, the Scorched Saint Selene was the most combat-proficient disaster. That matchup did not change simply because they were inside a nest.
“However, it seems you have yet to fully recover from your internal injuries. Am I wrong?”
“…”
“Moreover, the divine relic that was on your body has returned to its master.”
Karne had seen through both Selene’s unhealed injuries and the fact that she had returned the Shell of the Dead God to Actor.
“Above all, this is my domain. A head-on confrontation is not the only way.”
“Nonsense!”
Selene thrust her sword in haste, but Karne vanished, leaving only a faint afterimage. The next moment, Selene felt a chill run through her entire body.
“Kuh!”
Selene curled her Stigma of Holy Flame into a sphere to brace for the incoming attack. But Karne’s target was not Selene.
“…My lord!”
Karne had appeared atop the Storm Dragon’s back and placed her hand on Actor’s nape. Black energy surged, and he lost consciousness, slumping forward. It felt as though blood were rushing backward through her veins. Her flames burned even more violently. Yet Karne did not respond.
5★ Mother of Ill Omens Karne casts the skill Mother’s Call.
“Tear them apart.”
The disasters swarmed in, and Karne’s figure disappeared. Selene was left alone, staring blankly at the ominous familiars flying toward her. Her teeth ground together with a sharp sound.
*
“…”
Alright, let’s calmly sort out the situation. I had tried to talk with Karne alongside Selene. But the conversation failed, and combat began. While watching Selene and Karne clash, I suddenly lost consciousness when Karne appeared behind me…
“Ugh.”
My head throbbed, and my body felt heavy. My limbs were strangely numb. When I lifted my head, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view. My wrists were tightly bound by dark-red chains.
“Actor.”
In the dark cavern, the Mother of Ill Omens Karne was looking at me.
“Do not worry. It is only the two of us here.”
“Aha.”
I understood the situation. I was completely screwed.
“Actor, you are just like yourself. Even in a situation like this, you remain so calm.”
“…”
It was not calm. I was simply too flustered to speak. Failing to anticipate that Karne would target me instead of fighting Selene had been a clear mistake. I never imagined she would bring her familiars along with the entire nest. That was an ability impossible in the game. As a result, Mirien’s support from outside the range had been cut off, creating an opening for Selene as well. And now here I was, face-to-face with the great disaster, the Mother of Ill Omens Karne. Realizing that fact made me feel like I was going insane.
Interpreting my expression differently, Karne gave a bitter smile.
“I understand why you look at me that way. This mother has done something terrible to you.”
Her tone was warm, yet Karne’s face remained expressionless. The disaster before me was a predator capable of severing my neck with a single gesture. And I was the meal laid bare before her.
Instead of resigning myself, I shook my head and hardened my gaze. There was that saying about surviving if you kept your wits even after being caught in a tiger’s den. And I had a feeling Karne was a relatively docile tiger.
“…Karne, why did you bring me here? You must have had the chance to kill me.”
“How could a mother kill her own child?”
Karne spoke as if it were nothing. Yet there was a trace of hesitation in her voice. As expected, the emotions Karne held toward me were closer to love and hate. She resented me enough to drive the world toward destruction, yet she could not bring herself to kill me directly. I let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
“Then what exactly do you plan to do with me?”
“Stay here and witness it with your own eyes. The sight of my familiars covering the world in black.”
It seemed Karne intended to show me, in detail, the world’s destruction by her own hand.
“…Hah.”
Lost for words, Karne slowly approached and reached out. Her long nails brushed aside my hair, and her gentle hand traced down the bridge of my nose before resting on my lips.
“…Your appearance as a mortal… I do like it after all. This face, this voice—everything is new, yet strangely familiar.”
“Karne, it is all a misunderstanding. I did not fire you, I—”
“No.”
She cut me off and tapped her fingers lightly against my lips.
“Actor, this mother understands everything. Even without words, I can tell.”
What exactly did she understand? The words rose to the tip of my throat, but I swallowed them back. Karne had no intention of listening to me. She was consumed by the single desire to destroy the world with her familiars. After all, disasters were beings that advanced toward ruin as their goal. Karne was no different.
“…”
This would not do. I had to draw her attention. There was only one card I could play. Just as the Scorched Saint Selene sought a lord to pledge her loyalty to, just as the Storm of the North Sea Mirien desired a gentle object of affection, I had to act as the ideal ruler Actor that the Mother of Ill Omens Karne longed for.
“Hoo.”
I took a deep breath and turned my thoughts over. Come on, Actor. No one in this world knows Karne better than you.
“…”
The answer to my dilemma came quickly. The Mother of Ill Omens Karne referred to herself as a mother. That meant…
“Hey.”
I took a deep breath and called out to Karne, who had turned away, in the most innocent voice I could muster.
“Um… Mother.”
At that single word, Karne whipped her head around and stared straight at me. Her eyes, which had been calm all this time, trembled.