Chapter 592: Jealousy is My Power (92)
Chapter 592: Jealousy is My Power (92)
The earth, illuminated by the blood-red moon, was steeped in silence.
Neither the legendary Fiend, who had once turned the continent into a sea of fire, nor the merchant, who plotted in the shadows of the continent’s underworld, dared to open their mouths.
Why?
The two of them couldn't understand it, and cold sweat simply trickled down their faces. They were the elite among elites, the greatest of the Seven Stars who harbored the primal sins that would lead humanity to its ruin.
Two of the 'Seven Deadly Sins' were present here. Logically speaking, it was more ridiculous to even consider the possibility of defeat with this much power.
Unless, of course, their opponent was one of the only three Masters on the continent.
No, there was a possibility. The 'Vampire' had already seen a strange sight through the memories of her fragment.
The image of a man engaged in a one-on-one battle with none other than the 'Sword Duke.'
It was an irrational story. She had never heard of anyone’s skill improving so abruptly, no matter what secret arts were employed. This was true even for the Vampire, who had spent hundreds of years devouring all sorts of forbidden sorcery.
That was why she had been cautious in her heart.
She feared that the man might once again transform into a powerhouse of the highest caliber. Had she not even formed an alliance with 'Greed' just to reduce the variables?
But the 'man' she faced now was, indeed...
"I believe I told you to attack..."
A 'natural disaster.'
The man’s expression as he adjusted his sleeves and murmured was perfectly calm. To be more precise, it might be more appropriate to say that all emotion had been erased from him.
And this was in front of two of the 'Seven Deadly Sins.'
On the contrary, it was the Vampire and 'Greed' who were frozen. The two of them couldn't even budge, merely staring at the man with eyes full of tension.
Preparation? Readiness?
What could a human prepare in the face of a tidal wave or a storm? The best one could do was prostrate themselves and pray for the wrath of Great Nature to pass.
One could reduce the damage, but a fundamental solution was impossible.
The opponent was a powerhouse of that level. Like a weight placed on a blank sheet of paper, he was a being who added gravity to the entire world just by existing.
The man proved that fact without fail.
"If you're going to refuse my courtesy, fine. I'll give you three more seconds. Three..."
Zzzzt, zzzzzzt.
As soon as the dry voice counted the number, the atmosphere of the area shifted. As if static had interfered, the scenery scrambled and momentarily revealed a foreign world.
A vast wilderness.
All that existed there were the setting sun and corpses. Deaths numbering in the hundreds, the thousands, added a blood-red hue to the parched earth.
Though it lasted only a fleeting moment.
Those who witnessed it had no choice but to freeze in shock. The impact was particularly severe for the Vampire, who was the master of the barrier.
'Mental Imagery...?'
'Mental Imagery' was, literally, the landscape (像) of the heart (心). As one's level rose, this imagery became more solid, and imagery that grew strong enough could even distort the laws of reality.
That was the reason why those called 'High Experts' or 'Archmages' were held in such high esteem.
But what if the Mental Imagery became even stronger than that?
The imagery begins to erode reality.
Just like right now.
"Two..."
A bead of sweat rolled down the Vampire's forehead.
There was one more piece of bad news.
The fact that this place was not reality.
The Vampire's barrier was essentially a type of Mental Imagery. It was a place where she summoned the power of the 'Boundary' to distort the laws of reality and manipulate them at will.
In a sense, it was a Mental Imagery forcibly strengthened by sorcery and sacrifices. Yet, for the world she had so painstakingly built to be overwhelmed in an instant...
Was such a ridiculous thing even possible?
It should be impossible even if that man were a Master.
However, the Vampire no longer had the luxury of agonizing over it. The mercy the man had granted was coming to an end.
"Ha..."
"How!"
It was a desperate struggle, shrieked out like an instinct.
The Vampire poured out her questions without even processing them through her mind.
"How can your body recover like that? You should have been beyond repair!"
"Exactly!"
It was 'Greed' joining in, who had also been breaking out in a cold sweat like the Vampire.
The girl shouted with a face that showed she utterly could not believe it.
"That body was at a level where it couldn't regenerate anymore! Even I had to use a trick to bring it back!"
"And who on earth are you? Compared to that brat, even the feeling you give off is..."
"Give me back my brother!"
The one whose eyes flipped first was 'Greed.'
As soon as the topic of her brother came up, her eyes became bloodshot, and she immediately unleashed a torrent of blood threads.
Their number was truly uncountable.
Thousands, tens of thousands of blood threads became blades, sweeping in like a gale. Not only the earth but even the wind was torn to shreds, making it difficult to even keep one's eyes open.
An unpleasant sound echoed as they scraped against the erupting ground. It was fortunate that this was a space where soil did not exist; had it been outside the barrier, the area would have been blinded by flying dust.
Screeeech-!
There was no opening in the endless melody of death. The blood-red strings were doing their utmost to add the screams and blood of their prey.
It was a power hard to believe for a strike delivered without even a hint of a precursor.
This was the true power possessed by the Seven Deadly Sins. Facing that storm head-on, even the greatest Master would have no choice but to be troubled.
At least, that was what 'Greed' thought.
Though it didn't take long for that delusion to be shattered.
Snap.
The blood-red melody stopped in an instant. It was because the man's hand reached out and grabbed every single one of the thousands of threads.
For a moment, it felt as if a hole had opened in space. As if the threads were being swept away by water, the thousands of strands gathered into the man's hand as if it were only natural.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
"Wh-What?"
The girl groaned, struggling to regain control of the threads. But no matter how much strength she put into her arms and pulled, the blood-red lines did not budge.
Every single one of the thousands of threads.
A violent earthquake erupted in the girl's golden eyes at this unprecedented situation. What rang in her eardrums was a voice that was nothing but indifferent.
"...One. Finished."
And then, an explosion.
The girl's golden eyes blankly scanned the air. Time flowed heavily as she failed to even grasp what had happened.
Wait, what?
Her golden pupils slowly moved toward her arm. There, only a hollow shoulder socket remained, her hand and arm having been blown away. Only after realizing that fact did the girl's time begin to flow normally again.
Including the sensation of pain.
A wretched howl followed immediately after.
"Ah, aaah, ah... ugh, KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH?!"
Unable to withstand the pain, the girl's body staggered and lost its balance. Watching that miserable sight, the Vampire bit her lip.
Overwhelming.
The impression filling the Vampire's mind right now was that short and clear. 'Greed,' who ranked among the highest in the Dark Cult for her madness, had been defeated in an instant.
Now, even the question of 'what should I do' was a luxury.
She had to live.
To do that, she had no choice but to give it her all.
The Vampire gritted her teeth and clenched her fist.
Wooooooong—!
The space, where only the blood-red moon shone, began to ripple. The circular waves gradually narrowed, gathering toward the Vampire's clenched hand.
Space distorted, and the scenery warped around the Vampire.
Even then, the man showed no particular reaction. As if he had no interest in the girl who had collapsed screaming, he merely continued to take steady steps forward.
Even though he could clearly run faster than that.
Is he ignoring me?
The Vampire gnashed her teeth in resentment. But that leisure wouldn't last long.
Because the Vampire still held control over the area.
The ripples, gathered to their limit, trembled as if they would explode at any moment. The Vampire released them without hesitation.
BOOM!
As if the earthquakes that had occurred until now were mere child's play.
With a thunderous roar, the interior of the barrier exploded all at once. The target of the torrent of power that surged up like a waterspout was clear.
The man who was still walking forward without hesitation.
It was an impact that twisted the very axis of the earth. There was no need to wait and see what the result of compressing and re-compressing this would be.
If only her opponent hadn't been that man.
For the first time, the man's sword began to move.
"Wh-What...!"
A heavy thud echoed.
That was the turning point. The Vampire could only gape in shock, and between her and the man, fragments of shattered space were now floating.
What the man did was simple.
He struck the surging wave of power with the flat of his blade.
With just that, the direction of all the power was twisted. The massive momentum that had been heading toward the man instead became a beam of light that pierced through the Vampire.
Still, there was one fortunate thing.
The Vampire's barrier protected her by twisting causality. Aside from minor injuries, she could evade anything that might cause a fatal wound.
Nevertheless, she couldn't withstand even the aftereffects of that power.
The Vampire took a couple of steps back and coughed up a mouthful of blood. In the Vampire's eyes as she wiped the blood from her mouth, all sorts of emotions were swirling.
Doubt, astonishment, fear, and awe.
Even if this wasn't her true body, it had been a very long time since she had been pushed back so unilaterally. Was this the second time since joining the Dark Cult?
The first time was, yes...
The Vampire shook her head at the name that suddenly flashed through her mind. It was an unconscious act.
To dare think of Lord 'Delphirem.'
What a blasphemous thought.
Was it to erase her fear?
The Vampire tried to let out a hollow laugh, then raised her voice as if delivering a final ultimatum.
"Pfft, aha, ahahaha! You, you... hehe, you can't beat me anyway...!"
Thump.
The man's footsteps stopped for the first time. His hollow gaze was fixed on the Vampire.
They were eerie eyes.
Could such emotionless eyes even exist? While the Vampire shuddered inwardly, she had no choice but to speak in an even more confident tone.
"Do you see?! Your counterattack didn't even reach me... this entire area is under my control."
"And?"
"It means a mere human can never harm me!"
The Vampire's eyes were now burning like fire. Her appearance, as she clenched her fists until they bled, harbored the conflicting emotions of pride and fear.
"Do you understand?! The causality of this place is in my hands... the five elements that make up the world are under my control! A mere human can never, ever break this sorcery... unless, perhaps, a dragon of legend were to return...!"
With that, the Vampire moved her heated gaze past the man.
There, the Great Witch was situated, clutching her head and groaning. A woman who, despite complaining of a headache, never took her eyes off the man.
Witnessing this, a cold arc formed on the Vampire's lips.
"...Yes, I see now. That was your last hope, wasn't it?"
Then, with a snap.
Blood-red tentacles coiled around the Great Witch's entire body. The Great Witch twisted her body, letting out a groan, but the gap in power had already become too clear.
A scream erupted from the pain of her entire body being crushed.
"Ugh, ack, KYAAAAAAAGH!"
That wasn't the end.
As if to eliminate every possible variable, the Vampire scanned the surroundings with bloodshot eyes. There was one more girl left.
"Or, or is it that brat?!"
Another scream erupted.
The next victim was Elsie. Elsie, who was clutching her head and couldn't even regain her senses, was equally helpless. The blood-red tentacles immediately bound the small girl's limbs.
Yes, now it's over.
The Vampire's eyes flashed wildly, having blocked all possibilities. Intoxicated by her victory, she finally turned her gaze back to the man.
What kind of face would the man be making?
A face stained with despair? Or perhaps, one of unbearable resentment?
The Vampire tried to squeeze her vocal cords as if in a final struggle. To shake off the fear she couldn't quite erase and declare her victory.
"You, a mere human like you... can never defeat me, who enjoys the favor of Omeros...!"
If not for the incomprehensible characters that appeared behind the man's back.
Even their colors were brilliant.
Red, blue, light green, gold, and deep brown.
The characters, shining in various colors, each had a unique shape. As soon as the Vampire saw that writing, she unconsciously took a step back.
She was a woman who had once walked the path of magic.
She could tell what the identity of those characters was, and how much power each of those letters held.
The woman's lips stammered and fluttered.
"Dr-Dragon Blood Runes... but, how can there be five...?"
"You underestimated humanity too much."
The man said as he took a step forward.
The five characters vibrated in unison and slowly began to rotate. All the light in the world flickered and converged into a single point.
And then, two steps.
The Vampire thought she had stepped backward, but before she knew it, the man had arrived right in front of her.
Like a mirage.
The man asked in his usual monotone.
"...Did you ask who the last hope was?"
Thud. The Vampire's knees naturally buckled.
It was the reaction of a lowly creature meeting the greatest creation of a god. For as he asked, the man's golden pupils were slit vertically, like those of a reptile.
The man lowered his head slightly one last time. It was to whisper directly into the Vampire's ear.
Rarely, with his teeth gritted, carrying a raw murderous intent.
"It's me."
The entire world was dyed pure white.