Chapter 91
Just as the black sphere burst open, it felt like the world had turned into a vacuum. The mana flowing through the forest seemed to converge in one spot. The aura shooting from my sword tip cleaved the black sphere in half.
BOOM!KABOOM! A deafening roar erupted, blanketing the forest. Chunks of the cliff broke off and tumbled down, while the surrounding trees crumbled like trampled weeds.
Kieeeeek! The Basilisk took my attack head-on. Its body crumbled to black along with the collapsing cliff. And it fell just the same. A fierce wind whipped past my ears as the basilisk plummeted, charred and scorched.
My bare body, without any safety gear, hurtled downward under gravity's pull, sending chills up my spine and goosebumps prickling my skin on instinct.
"Ha... Shu... Shushu."
His face was ghostly pale, like his soul had fled. He clutched my shoulder tight, his trembling eyes fixed on me. His dilated pupils, those lightless eyes, seemed to beg for salvation.
"It's okay. You're okay, Leo." I hugged him close and channeled mana beneath my feet. The mana clawed at the air, gradually slowing our descent. My vast mana enveloped us, defying gravity. I slowed us more and more, holding his shaking body tight—conveying that everything would be fine. I kept locking eyes with him, so he wouldn't see the chaos around us as we fell.
Our speed dwindled until, by the time my feet touched ground, it was no faster than falling petals. My soles met solid earth. I let out a sigh of relief, then gripped Leo's shoulders—he was still staring only at me.
"Leo. You did great."
I gave his shoulders a light push, creating distance between our touching bodies. He yielded without resistance. I headed toward the basilisk, charred black and twitching feebly.
"Rest now. I'll finish it."
The basilisk was already exhausted from chasing Leo, its wounds unhealed. All that was left was to end it. I coated my sword once more in black aura. That wide-area attack earlier had gathered and unleashed all my aura in one go, leaving me drained too—but better off than Leo, whose soul seemed threshed out.
Schluck.Grreeeeek... I yanked the sword from deep in the basilisk's body. It writhed weakly, groaning. The basilisk could run no more.
'Gotta clean this sword the second I get home.'
The entire blade was sticky with slimy black blood. Fighting nausea from the foul stench, I infused it with aura.
Ziiing. The sword thrummed, infused with black aura. The red mana stone embedded in the hilt flashed.
I pinned the basilisk's head with my foot and gripped the hilt with both hands. The silver blade gleamed in the sunlight.
Quuuuueeek... The basilisk twitched feebly where the blade pierced near the seam of head and body. The stench of its flesh and blood searing under aura was horrific, no matter how many times I'd smelled it.
Finally, the basilisk stopped breathing.
'It's over.'
I felt the black magic's energy crumble away, and tension drained from my body all at once. I exhaled deeply and lifted my foot from its head.
'Two Great Calamities in two days—Harabana and the Basilisk, both the strongest of disasters. Even in my mercenary days, hunting magic beasts like mad, I'd never achieved this. I'm probably the only one in continental history to slay two Great Calamities a day apart.'
'First things first... gotta harvest the heart.'
I stared coldly at the basilisk's corpse, then plunged my sword into its midsection and ripped downward viciously. Swallowing revulsion, I rummaged inside until I found the massive, grotesque purple organ. That was the basilisk's heart.
Holding my breath, I extracted it. Black magic pulsed from the heart. Black magic dissolved instantly upon a magic beast's death, and controlled corpses oxidized away within an hour. Finding proof of control was nearly impossible.
'Only one place leaves traces: the beast's heart, its core.'
Even after dissolution, the heart retained the spell's residue. I sealed the still-reeking heart in a pouch with mana layers to prevent poison leaks, then pocketed it. It had a specific use.
'...Exhausted.'
I trudged forward on leaden feet. Purple poison from the basilisk squelched underfoot. Even I couldn't emerge unscathed after Harabana the day before. Facing the basilisk on top of that, collapsing wouldn't be surprising.
'But I can't rest yet.'
About 10 meters from the basilisk, I forced my depleted mana circuits to stir, drawing up mana.
Whoosh. A translucent barrier enveloped the corpse. The purple poison, melting the ground and spreading everywhere, was contained within.
'Gotta hold until the holy knights and priests arrive.'
The basilisk's path was already poisoned wasteland. Leave the corpse expelling toxins unchecked, and the forest could be ruined before help arrived. My overtaxed circuits screamed overload, but I had to maintain the barrier.
"Kashmir!"
Leo, regaining his senses, rushed to me. I leaned into his hand on my shoulder and smiled faintly.
"Leo... no."
I started with the name I'd known, then corrected. My patience wouldn't wait longer.
"Should I call you His Majesty King Alessandro now?"
Alessandro Leandro Leone de Atara. His true name.
Leo's face, just calming, paled again. His strong grip on my shoulder slackened. He opened and closed his mouth, emitting a strange groan.
"...Why... why'd you think that?"
Because I knew the original story. But I couldn't say that, so I gave my prepared answer.
"The Second Prince called you 'Your Majesty.' You're from Atara Kingdom."
"Th-that was just the Second Prince joking—"
"More than that, your aura's color matches King Atara's exactly."
Alessandro Atara was famous for his fluorescent green aura, like deadly venom.
'It was white in the original. Why the change? Did our time together influence it?'
I couldn't fathom why he'd manifested fluorescent green instead of pure white ashes that burned all.
His lips twitched—he was hit where it hurt. He averted his eyes, mumbling excuses.
"J-just similar colors. That can happen."
"Leo."
I called softly. Staring with a touch of sadness in my eyes.
"You planned to keep hiding from me?"
Yes. I was hurt. That I wasn't trustworthy to him. That he kept concealing himself. Biting my lip sadly, his—now Alessandro's—eyes shook.
"Shushu. I mean, I..."
"Am I that untrustworthy to you?"
My hurt slipped out, and Alessandro's face hardened. He gasped, groaning in pain. His brown hair tousled wildly under his hand.
"Ha... yeah. I..."
His eyes, tangled with emotions, met mine. His throat bobbed as he finally spoke.
"...I'm the king of Atara."
He'd revealed his identity himself. The secretive Leo became Alessandro in that instant.
'But... why act like that?'
Head bowed like he'd committed a grave sin. Fists clenched. I'd thought hearing it from him would clear the air, but his reaction made me feel guilty.
I gazed at Alessandro, who'd turned away, and spoke slowly.
"Did you hope I wouldn't find out?"
"Uh..."
"Planned to hide it forever?"
"No, that's not it. I just..."
He lifted his head slowly. Our eyes met, his holding that same shaken light.
"I wanted you to find out about this side of me as late as possible."
Alessandro had been afraid.
'This side?'
Not understanding, I furrowed my brow.
"What do you mean?"
"You know. What the current King of Atara is like. How I... usurped the throne."
'The current King of Atara allied with the Empire to build power, then killed all his brothers to claim the throne.'
Alessandro's throne was stained with much blood. He sighed with a grim expression.
"You said you like good people when you were little. You said it recently too."
'...Oh. Ah!'
A memory flashed, leaving my mouth agape.
'Hey.'
'Hey!'
'Call me sis.'
'...Sis. Um, what... kind of person do you like?'
'Why all of a sudden?'
'Just answer!'
'Ugh, you fluffy calf.'
'Answer me!'
'Jeez. Never thought deeply...'
'Well, think now!'
'Hmm... Probably good people.'
'Someone who cherishes others as much as themselves, who values fading lives. Someone who doesn't treat others carelessly.'
'What about you?'
'Probably good people.'
'...Good people?'
'Yeah, so Alessandro... you thought if I knew you'd spilled rivers of blood for the throne, I'd dislike you?'
The conclusion hit, and I gaped in disbelief. Alessandro kept his serious face regardless.
"You'd only remember me as the young Leo."
He looked at me. Alessandro's eyes were darkly sunken.
"I was scared this grown version... you'd hate."
His trailing words were heartbreaking. I stared, momentarily speechless.
Sure, I'd always liked good people, even now preferring them over bad. Even knowing Leo was Alessandro, I often thought of him as the sulky boy from childhood, not the brutal king who'd slaughtered siblings.
'True, but...'
I gazed up at Alessandro, whose outline matched that boy but had changed greatly.
'He wanted to remain Leo to me, like how I wanted to stay just Shushu sis to Aria.'
I'd calmly revealed I was Mir after joining the ducal house, but deep down, I wanted to remain Kashmir to Aria. To be her ordinary big sister.
'You thought I'd hate you if I knew you were Mir? Ridiculous. Why think that?'
'Well, there's lots of rumors about Mir...'
'Okay, imagine this: If I were a murderer, would you despise me? I'm not the innocent Aria you knew.'
'Of course not!'
'Exactly. Me too. Black Calamity or demon king, I'd still love you. I love you as you are.'
'Loving someone deeply means accepting their shadows too.'
But Aria had grown stronger than I'd expected. Recalling her words, I spoke slowly.
"I... don't like cruel people."
His shoulders flinched. Alessandro's face, snapping up, was corpse-pale, drowned.
I continued steadily.
"I hate those who treat lives carelessly, who are cruel or brutal."
I might not like King Alessandro's nature. Despite my mercenary life and war decisions, I'd killed only once. I didn't like those who handled lives lightly.