Heminine Goes One Step Further...
Yujun, piling it on even further, only looked all the more infuriating to Heminine.
Even so, just as he had said, this was a moment to keep a cool head.
The spot where Gonetogin had been standing. No one had been digging there in hopes of unearthing some object. This was a place meant to test one's command of illusion magic. The Illusory King had said Gonetogin had come close to the right answer, and that wasn't entirely wrong. Even so, one thing was certain: with Gonetogin's skill in illusion magic, this was a trial he could never have passed.
Heminine smiled.
Thanks to that human summoner, the stage had been set to perfection. All she had to do now was cast the illusion magic she had honed for so long. Under Yujun's protection, Heminine raised the Illusion God's Doll and unfolded her spell. Everything was in place.
The Heminine of before would have had no guarantee of passing the Illusory King's trial. Weighed in probabilities, her odds would have sat on the low side. But the situation had changed. She had obtained the Illusion God's Doll, a treasure no different from a relic of the ages, and she could scarcely begin to imagine the shock a single Mythic-grade doll like this would send rippling through the Illusion Realm. It was an item of that caliber. The finer one's command of illusion magic, the more properly one could draw out the doll's effects—and she had every confidence in her own skill.
Heminine stepped into the very spot where Gonetogin had been digging and closed her eyes. A hologram message concerning the illusion magic trial appeared before her.
Yujun watched with his arms folded.
What am I supposed to do?
Little time remained before they left the Illusory King's world. He had even spent a skill gem he'd been saving to forge a GX-tier skill, and there was nothing in particular left for him to do. His gaze drifted to the already subdued Gonetogin and his lot, and to Sorsin and Sophia.
Right now he had divided and seized three separate spaces, and the meaning of that was no small thing. It was not merely the difficulty of casting three spells at once. Space Domination ranked among the most exacting of the EX++ Ancient Magics, and yet seizing three different spaces at the same time and holding all of them was impossible for any ordinary mind. Mana, of course, had to keep pace—but more important than mana was the brain.
Thanks to the Genius trait, the magical calculations got easier.
And what showed on the surface was hardly the whole of the trait's effect. It let him wield not only magic but every skill and trait—even his very style of fighting—with greater efficiency. On top of that, Equanimity played a supporting role, so that the Genius trait could bring its full power to bear. With the two of them joined, he had nothing to fear. No matter what situation arose, his judgment would never dull.
Yujun stood perfectly still and practiced Space Domination. Raising the pressure of a space was already well in hand; he thought it just as important to cultivate the ability to control the finer points.
This is fun.
Sophia, Sorsin, and Gonetogin's faction glared at him, their faces twisted with resentment. And right there in front of them, Yujun was toying with the lot. Bound by Space Domination, their bodies went whirling through the sky.
Vwooom! Vwoom!
"Oh. This is basically juggling."
He played with the Illusion Race and one celestial for fifteen minutes, and before he knew it, his control over Space Domination had reached a godlike level.
At that moment, Heminine opened the eyes she had kept shut.
"I'm done."
"I thought it'd take forever. You really are nothing like Gudeok."
"Gudeok? You don't mean Gonetogin...?"
"Yes."
Heminine laughed as if she couldn't believe him.
"Gonetogin was treated as a failing student even at the academy. He's been humiliated outright in front of commoners. He isn't anyone you compare with me."
"Even so, he's your little brother... Isn't that a bit harsh?"
"And you don't think you're the one going too far, calling him a maggot and Gudeok?"
"He isn't family. He's a stranger."
"Anyway. Thank you. Thanks to you, I obtained the Illusion God's Doll, and I finished Father's... the Illusory King's trial safely."
"Then why aren't you leaving?"
"I only passed the illusion magic trial. The exit has opened now, so I have to find it."
"Ah. Is that so?"
Yujun raised the pressure of Space Domination to ten times what it had been.
Crack! Crunch!
The bodies of Gonetogin, Sophia, Sorsin, and the rest of the Illusion Race crumpled in on themselves.
"Aaaagh!"
The scream lasted only an instant. The moment the pain arrived, not a proper form of them remained. Laced with Chaos, Space Domination was nothing they had the means to endure.
Having cleared away every last obstacle, Yujun started to turn toward Heminine—and his face went rigid.
"Sh-Shin Yujun!"
Someone had seized Heminine and was holding a dagger to her throat. A familiar face. Which was precisely why it came as something of a shock.
"Huh?"
"Been a while, ain't it."
"Oh? It's the pretty lady."
Harp had recognized her.
"Vanessa?"
Vanessa was the member of the Illusion Race Yujun had first met when he crash-landed in the Illusion Realm—and the very person who had told him how to reach the Sky Prison. He had been quietly grateful for that kind explanation... but meeting her again like this, they clearly weren't fated to get along.
"From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I had a feelin' it'd come to this. The timing was too neat, weren't it? Don't you think so yourself?"
"What are you doing? Your rebellious phase?"
"Say what?"
"You called it intuition, but the truth is you figured it out because I said I was going to the Sky Prison. Didn't you?"
"Right you are. Sharp one, ain't you. You need the Illusory King's leave to reach the Sky Prison, so I figured if I played it right, I could get in on this event. And if not that, I also thought you might be a summoner."
"You going to put the dagger away?"
"Don't you reckon I've got a reason for this?"
"And the reason is?"
"Snatchin' it, of course."
"The Illusory King's seat?"
"Yep."
"You're not even royalty, are you?"
"Is there a law that says only royalty gets to be Illusory King? Leastways, I ain't heard of one."
"And the Illusory King's trial Heminine just passed? You're skipping that?"
"This gal already solved it, didn't she. That's why I called it snatchin'."
"What do you get out of taking a hostage?"
"It means don't come any closer. 'Cause I'm gonna be the Illusory King."
"You walk out like that without even taking the trial, and you think the Illusory King hands over the seat?"
"Mm-hm. He's that sort of man. I know him well."
"You're close?"
"Truth is, I ain't never seen him once. But my gut says so."
"......What."
Without Vanessa noticing, Yujun quietly drew up his mana.
"Hup! Human. Don't you go tryin' anything funny. These eyes of mine are an eagle's eyes."
"Then kill her."
"......What's that now?"
"I don't care if you kill her."
At Yujun's words, Heminine visibly panicked.
"Shin Yujun...? What are you saying?"
"The truth is, in this situation Vanessa has no reason to take you hostage. How exactly do you plan to get out?"
Vanessa's eyes went wide.
"......Come to think of it, that one's a human. So if the two of us walk out, I'd be the one to inherit the Illusory King's seat, wouldn't I?"
"You're only realizing that now?"
Heminine struggled with everything she had to tear free of Vanessa, but the woman's strength was no ordinary thing, and she couldn't move an inch.
"Mmph."
She even brought illusion magic to bear, but astonishingly Vanessa was a cut above her there as well.
"W-what?"
Heminine was flustered as she had never been in her life. Not even Sorsin had suppressed her illusion magic this easily. And now she was being overpowered by a player she had never once seen, never once heard of?
Yujun was a little surprised himself. If Vanessa could press down Heminine—doll of the Illusion God and all—with illusion magic alone, then her skill really was anything but ordinary. On top of that, he hadn't even noticed her closing in on Heminine. He had been concentrating on Space Domination, granted...
But does this even make sense?
The first of the Illusion Race he had ever met turned out to be something close to the mastermind? It was the sort of development you'd expect from a movie. Strictly speaking, less a mastermind than one of the Illusion Race who had simply timed her chance well.
The reason I didn't recognize Vanessa's strength at first...
It wasn't that he had been careless. Vanessa had simply kept her power well contained—so well that Yujun never caught it. Now that she wasn't bothering to hide it, he could feel it plainly. Just how strong she was.
"There's one thing I didn't mention. Truth is, I'm royalty too."
"......What?"
Heminine reacted first.
"Royalty? With blood that base, and you mean to play at being royalty?"
"No, I'm tellin' you it's true. Branch line, is all. My blood ain't base."
"......A branch line?"
"Yep. Branch royal. A princess raised all soft wouldn't know, now would she. How hard a life I've lived."
"And out of revenge for that, you're committing this outrage..."
"That ain't it. I'm here like this on nothin' but my own greed to become Illusory King."
"You think you're qualified? A mere branch royal?"
Heminine barked at her, forgetting her own position entirely. Vanessa shrugged as if it were nothing.
"Branch or not, royalty is royalty. No—think on it the other way, Princess. You inherited blood that fine, and you ain't ashamed your skill still stopped right about there?"
"I-I had overwhelmingly better marks than anyone my age! I never lost a single time in the academy's live combat drills, either."
"Aigoo, and what meaning's that supposed to have? Here you are, caught by the likes of a branch royal."
"......"
She had nothing to say. Branch royal or not, Vanessa had shown it in the results. Setting aside the ambush that had pinned Heminine down, Vanessa had also taken the victory in the contest of illusion magic just now—and without the help of any particular item. There was no room left for excuses.
Heminine dropped her head, as if she had given up.
"So? What's your real intention?"
Yujun's question came out of nowhere. Vanessa tilted her head.
"Real intention? I done explained it all already."
"You're a good actress."
"......What's that?"
"Then why haven't you killed Heminine yet?"
"Like I said, to keep you in check..."
"You're lying."
"......"
"Heminine. Vanessa showing up is part of the Illusory King's trial, too. Don't give up—fight it through to the end. What are you doing? Stop standing there blank and use your illusion magic. Quickly."
Dazed as she was, Heminine nodded.
Vanessa furrowed her brow.
"Ah... shoot... Why'd you have to go and say that."
The two of the Illusion Race closed their eyes and concentrated. They had begun to pit their illusion magic against each other—or more precisely, Heminine had picked the fight, just as Yujun told her to.
In that instant, Yujun kicked off the ground. His body shot forward like an arrow and brushed past Vanessa.
"Ghk—!"
Struck by a Painful Strike laced with Chaos, Vanessa curled in on herself and collapsed. Freed before she quite understood how, Heminine scrambled to put distance between them.
The woman of the Illusion Race who had taken Painful Strike seemed to possess tremendous mental strength. She didn't let out a single groan, and barely managed to push herself upright. He hadn't even lessened the skill's power, which made it all the more astonishing.
Vanessa glared at Yujun.
"What do you think you're doin'...?"
"What?"
"Why are you wreckin' our plan! Didn't you know the whole thing?"
"More or less."
"Then why wreck it, I'm askin'...!"
"W-what are you talking about? A plan?"
When Heminine asked, Vanessa let out a deep sigh.
"It's come to this, so no point hidin' it. Like that human fella said, me showin' up was part of the trial."
"He was testing me? You too, Shin Yujun?"
"What are you talking about. Of course not me. Vanessa came here because the Illusory King asked her to."
"And how do you know that?"
"The circumstances say so."
"That human's right. The Illusory King asked me. Hide out here, he said, and once somebody passes the trial, do him a favor and play the spoiler."
"Father did?"
"Weren't like he singled you out. He just hoped whoever was to become Illusory King would face one last crisis and grow from it."
"......"
"And you knew every bit of that and still wrecked it. That's a mighty sore thing. Just why'd you do it? Hm? Let's hear the reason."
At Vanessa's question, Yujun scratched the bridge of his nose.
"Why would I have to sit here and watch that?"
"What...?"
"Whether Heminine suffers and grows before she becomes Illusory King has nothing whatsoever to do with me. Right?"
"......"
"We're short on time as it is."
The road ahead was long enough already. He couldn't afford to waste any more of it here.