Chapter 210
Chapter 210
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: The Hero Appears
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Exploding like a bomb? I immediately scooped up Herka, who was right beside me.
"Eek!?"
"Esty! I'm leaving Neris to you!"
"Yeah...!"
Noah grabbed Karen and Stia, while I hoisted Herka and Diana in my arms and bolted.
Herka's drone, the Black Crow, stuck close to my side.
We loaded the injured onto the drone and climbed aboard with Herka.
"Noah! Over here."
I grabbed Noah's hand and pulled her in.
Esty...! Good, she was fine. Esty's feet were way faster than the drone.
Once I confirmed everyone was safe, I glanced back at the auditorium.
A colorless explosion erased all sound.
It was an enormous blast. I couldn't even open my eyes.
Even with Herka and me throwing up a barrier, it felt like my skin was getting pummeled.
The shockwave kept crashing in like a fierce wave carrying a storm.
When the aftermath finally started to die down, I couldn't believe my eyes.
At the epicenter was only Seoyeon, fully demonized.
Everything else had vanished cleanly. All that remained was a massive crater, the scar of destruction.
Amid that explosion, only Seoyeon stood unscathed.
Pathetically, I found myself captivated by her stunning form.
A demon baring her pale naked body.
She spread jet-black wings and took to the air.
"Ahh! Don't move!"
Herka clutched Geomka, her voice trembling.
"How did you even make this thing!"
"Herka. Noah. We have to run!"
I grabbed Herka and stood.
"I'll buy us some time."
"No. We have to run!"
"But..."
No one needs to buy time.
I knew that too...!
To think I'd briefly pitied a monster like that—I've lost my mind.
No time to think. With wings now, Seoyeon looked ready to chase me to the ends of hell.
Chase me?
I set Herka down and started running.
"Seoyeon's after me! Get away from me!"
"Decal!"
"Decal. Then you'll be in danger!"
As I put distance between me and Noah's group, Seoyeon predictably shifted course toward me.
Good! Now what?
It feels like nothing but disasters ahead!
"Decal!"
Esty's voice.
I looked to the sky. Who'd believe one person loosed a thousand shots?
A thousand arrows assailed Seoyeon. She slowed, veering sideways to deflect as many as she could.
Fat chance.
This was... the skill of a Diamond-rank hunter.
Esty's true prowess, the one who'd felled a flying calamity.
Esty used Space Leap to catch up to me.
"Darling. I'll protect you! Keep running!"
Esty nocked arrows and fired them skyward.
Seoyeon, not expecting arrows from below, took a barrage midair and plummeted.
"Nice shot, Esty!"
"Not yet!"
Seoyeon shook off the arrows with a mana burst and accelerated again.
"What the hell is that!"
"Aim for vitals. Decal, don't look back—keep running."
"Got it!"
Esty suddenly stopped.
"Esty!?"
Bad feeling.
"Don't look!"
Esty nocked a red arrow.
Seoyeon immediately clocked the obstacle dead ahead and formed a black orb in her hand.
It resembled the spell Ekaterina had cast.
But the size and scale were on another level. That thing could shatter Melbritt and then some.
I stopped and turned to Esty.
"Esty!"
"......"
Who the hell decided to embrace death...!
"Elf's Oath. The time to protect is here......"
Esty murmured alone, nocking the red arrow and focusing her mana.
"Wait!"
No. Too late.
Is this my karma?
Is Seoyeon the inevitable judge of my sins?
No......!!
Screw that causality crap!
In my story, where I'm the protagonist, I won't accept it!
"Shia!!"
Light poured from the heavens.
The blinding light became spears, became a prison, and slammed Seoyeon to the ground.
The black light condensed in Seoyeon's hand lost its target and erupted, slashing the earth as it rained toward me.
I instinctively hunkered down.
I braced for my body to be torn apart, but nothing happened.
"Master. What're you doing?"
A goddess of fire appeared before me, her vivid red hair cascading down.
"Bella...!!"
"What a mess you made—gods have to step in to clean it up? Ugh......"
"Bella!"
I hugged Bella from behind.
"Oh dear."
"Esty!"
I hugged the approaching Esty too.
"Good. Esty. You're safe."
"Darling!"
"Too soon to relax."
Bella pried my hands off.
"Ah, Seoyeon demonized, got ridiculously strong."
"That's not even an issue.
This interference went too far. Shia and I used more divinity than we should have, so the demon gods will come."
"D-Demon gods?"
"Could turn this world into a battlefield for the gods.
That's why I hoped it wouldn't come to me stepping in......"
Right......
Why hadn't Bella helped sooner?
The world isn't just home to Nimyuel's gods. There are Premia's gods who resent them too.
Demon gods......
If demon gods invaded this world, a horrific slaughter was likely.
Compared to that, Seoyeon's chaos was nothing.
"No need to worry about that."
Shia appeared beside me via dimensional magic.
"Shia!"
"Uncle!"
Shia threw herself into my arms.
"What do you mean no need to worry?"
"That spell just now? Wasn't me."
"Huh?"
"Yeah?"
Bella and I turned to Shia in unison.
"Goddess of Fire... Like you said, Bella, if I recklessly use divinity for strong spells,
demon gods could sniff it out and swarm.
But if it's no divinity—just something a human pulled off—zero issues."
"No way......"
I turned toward Seoyeon.
Behind the writhing Seoyeon on the ground, someone approached.
Flawless armor with no detectable magic protection. A helmet covering the full face.
A sharp sword gripped in one hand.
Nothing like I'd imagined.
No flash, no elegance, no holy aura or divine glow.
But that's exactly how I knew this was the hero.
Bundled up tight, hard to tell man or woman......
In this situation, wielding a sword and appearing out of nowhere,
capable of magic mistaken for the Goddess of Light's work.
Only a hero fits.
I watched, holding my breath.
Seoyeon painfully yanked the light spear from her wing with her hand,
stood while blood dripped steadily.
The hero strode toward Seoyeon and spoke curtly, sword in hand.
"Human? Or beast?"
"......"
Instead of answering, Seoyeon swung her scythe.
She'd kept hold of it even as her clothes shredded.
The hero's blade moved late but struck Seoyeon's body first.
Blood splattered the ground.
"Beast it is."
"Ah, ahh......"
Tough-as-nails Seoyeon crumpled from a single slash, mortally wounded.
Sensing death, she looked our way.
......
The hero's blade hung over Seoyeon's head.
"Oppa...."
Seeing Seoyeon in tears, the hero's hand halted.
Seoyeon flapped her wounded wings and took flight in the gap.
Coming for me?
No......
She was fleeing for her life.
The hero sheathed the blade.
"Tch!"
I aimed at the fleeing Seoyeon.
If the hero won't kill her, I will.
I'll do it.
"Doom of Fire!"
My heat ray grazed Seoyeon's wing.
Damn. Miss.
I could've hit—why'd I shoot like that?
Can't focus at all.
"Darling......?"
Esty looked up at me, puzzled.
......I can't kill wounded Seoyeon.
Realizing it now.
"It missed."
"......"
Esty nodded.
"Thanks for the backup, Bella."
"...Ugh! In the end, help that wasn't needed."
Bella flushed red and raised her voice.
"Shia! Share plans like that with me.
I rushed in like an idiot."
"Oh my."
Shia smiled.
"So cool, Bella.
Thanks for protecting Uncle."
"U-Ugh......! I'm out!"
Bella fled via dimensional magic.
Cute kid.
"Shia. What about Ekaterina?"
"Locked her in the Eight-Colored Shell castle.
The enemy planned to overrun the holy city while Melbritt was in chaos."
"For real?"
That's one hell of an operation.
"The garrison outside? Oh. They're gone now."
"It's fine?
Bella said if you use divinity, demon gods notice......"
"The garrison was small—probably to avoid detection—so I handled them with minimal power.
Leaked a bit of intel to Bellisa too."
"Bellisa......"
The hero's name.
"So the hero was coming today, Shia.
That's why you said Melbritt would be safe. Right?"
"What I overlooked...... was that winged woman.
Awakening that far with a red soulstone—she's beyond human.
Half demon god wouldn't be wrong."
"......For real?"
"No divinity, and that injured, she can't pull off anything huge......"
Should've killed her after all......
No, that moment showed my true feelings.
I don't want to watch Park Seoyeon die anymore.
I want to find a way to bring her back to sanity.
Talk seriously with Epe again.
Maybe even turn her into an ally.
"Good."
Shia let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Huh?"
"You're safe, Uncle."
"You didn't plan for that?"
"If I'd thought you'd be in even a little danger, I wouldn't have gone after the culprit.
Figured this side would end even safer......"
"Who could've predicted Park Seoyeon there?
My fault for not explaining ahead."
Yeah.
Why hadn't I told Shia sooner?
About the crazy bitch stalking me.
Thought vaguely we could handle it with our group's power.
Not something I wanted to talk about anyway.
"Decal. Who was that woman?"
Esty asked.
Shia stared at me too.
No dodging an explanation this time.
"A woman driven mad by my hypnosis.
Hypnotized to be unhappy without me......"
"I see......"
Esty fell silent, a bitter look on her face.
"I......
Tried to kill her unilaterally 'cause she seemed in the way.
If I can reverse it, I want to."
"Redo the hypnosis?"
"Seoyeon's insane. Won't take."
"Hmm......
If she's mentally stable, maybe."
"Stable?"
"Your power's undeniable.
If it doesn't stick, conditions aren't met. Pretend to meet her demands, might snap her back a bit."
"Demands......"
Never thought that way—she always charged with a blade.
What does Seoyeon really want?
Before, something like kill my women, scatter their guts, then talk love atop it.
......
No good.
Starting to regret sparing her.
No, the whole thing's my regret!
This way, that way—driving me nuts!
"Later for this talk."
What exactly happened back then.
Need more details from Epe.
"Anyway, glad everyone's safe."
"Darling too......"
Esty gripped my hand tight, voice breaking.
"You're safe...... thank goodness."
"......Esty.
As you saw, the goddesses overprotect me.
Never risk your life like that again. Got it?"
"Elf's Oath though......"
Esty shed thick tears.
"Sniff."
"Sob......"
Who decided to die on their own.
Pissed me off, but seeing Esty cry from genuine worry, I couldn't scold her.
I wiped Esty's tears and comforted her.
"Calmed down?"
"Yeah."
"Now......"
I looked toward the hero.
The hero stood watching the departing Seoyeon like a distant mountain.
"Talk to Bellisa, Uncle."
"M-Me?"
"The hero's a good person. You'll like her, Decal."
Shia pushed me, Esty led me.
I approached the hero hesitantly.
The hero spotted us and removed the helmet.
Srrk......