Chapter 460: Proof of Existence (48)
Chapter 460: Proof of Existence (48)
Brilliant white lightning scorched the earth.
I couldn't keep my wits about me amidst the torrential downpour of light and heat. I could only lie prostrate on the ground, waiting for the overwhelming natural disaster to pass.
The incandescent world refused to lose its luster for a long time.
Before such overwhelming violence, the attributes humans used to classify objects were meaningless. Regardless of whether they were conductors or insulators, everything that made up this world glowed red and burned.
Why was I still alive?
By all rights, my body should have been reduced to ash long ago. At the very least, I should have been knocked unconscious by the electric shock, yet my body was fine and my consciousness remained intact.
I could only smell the scent of burning deep in my lungs.
The temperature, which had spiked in an instant, sizzled as if it would sear my skin. The endless tidal wave of lightning showed no signs of stopping. It was as if someone were pouring a jar of water directly into an anthill.
This catastrophe would only end once everything had crumbled and faded away.
It didn't take long for that to happen.
Suddenly, silence settled over the surroundings.
It felt as if even the dust in the atmosphere had been incinerated. I realized for the first time today that air could carry such an alien scent.
I cautiously lifted my head.
The hollow had completely collapsed. Rocks that couldn't withstand the monstrous voltage lay scattered, charred black. There were very few places free from soot.
Only the area around me and my companions, and the space surrounding the Great Mage who had summoned this disaster, remained untouched.
I crawled along, forcing myself up. My muscles twinged and contracted from the residual electrical charge. The intense heat likely lingered in the air, but for some reason, the stone floor was bearable enough to walk on.
It felt as if all power had vanished as the rift in the sky closed.
The flood of lightning that had been pouring from that crevice was gone.
How long had I been dazed?
Thud. I heard the sound of someone collapsing. My eyes darted toward the source, where Sir Reynold knelt, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.
A cry burst from my lips in shock.
"Sir Reynold!"
It seemed the others, including Senior Elsie, had also been freed from the girl's demonic grasp.
The dog collar no longer scattered sparks, and Celine, who had looked as if she were trapped in a nightmare, was groaning and tossing about. Furthermore, the blood-red sun that had been floating in the air had long since vanished.
The outcome was clear.
The Great Mage had won, and the girl had lost.
Yet, despite that clear contrast, none of us could smile. Sir Reynold’s face was so pale that anyone could see his condition was dire.
Following my lead, Senior Elsie rushed to Sir Reynold’s side.
Up close, his state was even worse.
Dark blue bruises were spreading across his entire body. It meant his blood vessels had all ruptured.
It was a miracle he was even breathing.
With trembling hands, I fumbled through my clothes. If I remembered correctly, I should have one healing potion left.
"…It’s no use."
"Uncle!"
The scream tore from Senior Elsie’s throat.
She was a mess, having only just escaped the electrocution. She had even been tormented by the girl.
Despite that, Senior Elsie was desperate to save her uncle.
She rummaged through her belongings and frantically looked around for anything that might help.
With tears welling in her eyes, the mage sobbed.
"There has to be… there has to be a way!"
"My heart has burst."
That blunt declaration was enough.
I averted my gaze with a grim expression, and Senior Elsie’s body went rigid.
"This must be the price for breaking the 'contract'… I am forcibly circulating even my blood with mana. But even this will only last a few more minutes."
"U-Uncle…"
The droplets in Senior Elsie’s eyes began to fall, one by one.
The rain could not wash away the soot. It only mimicked the sound of mournful weeping.
I closed my eyes and let out a sigh.
This was the self-assessment of a man called a 'Great Mage.' It had to be the truth.
Reynold Lainella was facing death.
It felt almost cruel to even hope for a miracle.
The light in Sir Reynold’s eyes, which had once burned like fire, was gone.
His blurred vision and unfocused pupils heralded the man's end.
"Elsie, do not cry… This is the fate I have chosen."
"B-But… but Uncle…"
"You will become a greater mage than I ever was."
With trembling hands, Sir Reynold placed the Jet-Black Rod upon his chest.
It seemed he lacked the strength to move any further. I gently wrapped my arm around Senior Elsie’s shoulder.
Her watery blue eyes turned toward me.
No words were needed. I simply gestured toward Sir Reynold’s hand.
The hand that was tightly clutching the Jet-Black Rod.
Realizing my intent, Senior Elsie placed her trembling hands over his.
"I was fearful and cowardly. I only realize it now… Even when I left the family and chose love, I vowed I would never break."
His hollow voice echoed through the world of ash.
"On that day when I faced the subordinate of the Evil God, I made a similar judgment. I wanted to run, and I tried to run… and I thought you would do the same, Elsie."
Struggling to turn his head, Sir Reynold captured his niece in his fading vision.
The corners of his trembling mouth curved upward. He seemed determined to smile.
"…But you didn't."
The Great Mage’s labored breathing continued. Senior Elsie leaned forward with a desperate expression, but there was no solution to be found.
"Take this staff."
Senior Elsie gritted her teeth and bowed her head. She couldn't stop the sobs escaping from between her teeth.
She simply gripped the Jet-Black Rod firmly with her small hands.
"Once, I was so afraid that I couldn't even think of holding this staff. Because I betrayed the woman I loved, and that memory pierced my heart like a painful awl, I tried to live forgetting it… But in the end, it has returned to my hands."
The middle-aged man gave a somewhat peaceful smile.
The end was drawing near. Those facing death find themselves slowly drifting away from the sensation of pain.
They become free from the flesh.
Since I had seen this sight several times before, I forced my eyes shut and swallowed my grief.
"Now I can finally say what I truly wanted to say to you… No, actually, it was what I wanted to say to myself for a long time."
The Great Mage’s hand slipped, letting go of the heirloom.
"Live your own life, Elsie… as a true Lainella."
"…Yes."
Clutching the Jet-Black Rod, Senior Elsie nodded firmly through her tears.
It was then that Sir Reynold’s gaze fell upon me.
"…Nephew-in-law."
"Yes, Uncle."
At my changed form of address, a deep smile formed on Sir Reynold’s lips.
He looked as if he found me incorrigible.
"Can I trust you with Elsie?"
"That isn't a favor."
I squeezed the words out of my fading voice and replied. My eyes burned with resolve.
"Because it’s obviously what I must do. So, you may ask a different final favor."
A laugh mixed with blood broke out.
It was a very faint sound, but even that was enough to make me feel redeemed.
Because it meant Sir Reynold could depart with a lighter heart.
"Then, I shall be selfish…"
Steadying his breath, the Great Mage spoke in a low voice.
"As you live, there will come moments when you want to run away. Everyone feels that way. There will be times when you won't know why you must do this, or why you must persist on this path when there are easier ones… However."
His final instructions were etched into my heart one by one.
"Do not run."
One.
"Do not be a coward."
Another.
"If you start giving up on things one by one… eventually, you won't be able to choose any path at all."
I drove those wishes into my heart like stones piled into a tower. And at the very end, Sir Reynold finally wore a peaceful expression, devoid of a single lingering regret.
"I leave it to you."
His breath faded.
Senior Elsie finally lost control and burst into tears. Lia stood behind me in silence, and I quietly burned the Great Mage’s final moments into my memory.
"Elsie, and this world…"
That was his final breath.
The Great Mage’s soul was thus liberated.
For Lainella's fate was decided by Lainella.
Amidst our silent tribute, a great mage concluded his life.
* * *
There wasn't much time to dwell in sorrow.
After gathering my gear, I looked at Senior Elsie, who sat rooted to the spot. It seemed difficult for her to accept the death of her blood relative and the mage she had admired her whole life.
Lia asked me softly.
"…Will she be okay?"
"Leave her be."
But it wasn't as if I had a proper solution either.
No one could truly understand Senior Elsie’s pain.
She had to endure it, accept it, and overcome it on her own.
Just as I took a step to wake Celine.
Clatter. A strange noise came from a pile of rubble.
Sensing something wrong, my eyes snapped toward the source. And immediately after.
Boom! An explosion erupted, sending rocks flying in all directions.
I stared blankly at the center of the blast.
Jet-black hair fluttered. In those golden eyes drenched in blood, a ghostly aura beyond mere killing intent flickered. The sound of teeth grinding together made a horrific noise.
She was alive?
A surge of emotion hit the back of my throat. How could this be?
Sir Reynold had given his very life. It was a victory won at such a cost. Yet the life force of evil was so long and tenacious that the girl had risen once again.
Of course, she wasn't in good shape.
Her black priestess uniform was torn to shreds. Her skin was stained with blood and dust, and her charred right foot and leg hideously exposed muscle and bone.
She was regenerating in real-time.
I gritted my teeth and gripped my sword. I couldn't use my Aura because my mana was depleted, but I still had one trump card left.
The Dragon Blood Runes.
If I used those, could I land a decisive blow?
As I hesitated.
"…Wait!"
The girl’s attitude, which looked as if she would kill us at any moment, softened instantly.
Just as my gaze filled with confusion.
The girl slightly avoided my eyes and spoke in a bashful voice.
"I-I surrender…"
It was a development I truly hadn't imagined.