What on Earth Is 'That'?
What on Earth was "that"? Arien, the Vice-Captain of the 2nd Division, wondered.
The culprit behind the massacre of the researchers. A maximum-threat target who had been marked for execution because capture was deemed impossible. It possessed a human form and spoke human words, but... could "that thing" really be called a human?
It was a presence unlike anything she had ever felt in her life. It was like looking at a flame encased in a shell. It was a bizarre description, but she couldn't think of any other words to express it.
Skeletal structure, muscles, internal organs, skin, and everything else—all of it was undeniably "human." The girl in the red fox mask was, without a doubt, a "human." And that was precisely why it was so confusing. Could she truly categorize such a creature as a "human"?
Throughout her life, she had detected countless "presences." The presence felt from each individual was different, and among them, unique ones could often be found. Supernatural ability users had even more distinct characteristics. In her husband's case, it was like looking at a concentrated mass of thunderclouds. The higher the boundary an ability user reached, the more distinct their unique color became.
But even taking that into account, this was a first. It was as if... yes, as if "something" had draped itself in the skin of a "human." Everything about it was human, but that was merely a disguise. It was impossible to tell what was hidden deep inside.
To delve deeper, detecting from a distance had its limits. She would have to make direct physical contact to use her ability. However, attempting to make contact while Captain-class supernatural ability users were clashing was sheer recklessness. Although she was a highly skilled ability user herself as a Vice-Captain, Captains and Vice-Captains were in entirely different leagues.
Ultimately, Arien pushed her questions aside for the moment and decided to focus on what she could do right now. First, she had to guide the young sprouts to safety so they wouldn't get caught in that battle.
Arien expanded her senses. Like a net, invisible ripples spread out with her at the center. Detecting every single presence within her range was inefficient. She filtered out only the necessary presences and drew a map in her mind.
'As I thought, the monsters' behavioral patterns are strange.'
Every single monster detected by her senses was rushing toward one place in unison: the center of the park, the demonic realm where the Captains' battle was raging. To willingly step into a warzone where even high-ranking monsters would be swept away and killed... There were even monsters that ignored the attacking heroes of Cheonmyeongdae entirely, charging forward as if possessed. The sight of them blindly moving forward even as their bodies were torn apart raised many questions.
Occasionally, there were such monsters—those that ruled over others. However, Arien's [Presence Detection] did not capture any such special-class monster. Then what on Earth was causing this abnormal phenomenon?
Arien turned her attention away from the mass migration of the monsters and focused on something else. Sensing a familiar presence just about to escape the national park, a faint smile touched her lips.
Arin. Her daughter. She seemed to have gone through a rather dangerous situation, but she had overcome it without any major injuries. Though it wasn't by her strength alone, but thanks to her friends and outside help.
Out of worry, Arien suppressed the urge to run to her daughter this very instant. Right now, she was here not as Arin's mother, but as the Vice-Captain of the 2nd Division. This was no time to be swayed by personal feelings. She could not forget her duty. She had to clearly separate public and private matters.
Of course, the human heart rarely listens to reason. If Arin had been gravely injured, she wouldn't have been able to maintain her composure like this.
Arien sensed the children following closely behind her. They must have been exhausted, yet they were diligently keeping up. [Presence Detection] was, as the name suggested, a supernatural ability to sense presences. Having trained her ability to the absolute limit as one who had reached the boundary of a 'human approaching godhood,' Arien's detection capabilities were second to none.
Not only could she read the number and positions of people within her detection range, but she could also read their skill levels and emotions. Furthermore, she could even achieve a limited form of future precognition.
The boy clutching the red, burning sword harbored a burning rage that subtly leaked through his actions and posture. His name was Yujin, right? She recalled hearing about him. Arin's classmate. It was rare for a mere student to fight against high-ranking monsters.
She could feel a quiet, smoldering anger. At the core of that emotion lay regret and guilt. Despite his injuries, he had tried to fight actively. Was it guilt for those he couldn't protect?
The girl with the deep blue hair was similar to Yujin, yet different. Though she was equally angry, a tangle of multiple emotions swirled within her. It created the illusion that two people occupied a single body. Multiple emotional currents were detected from her, as if she possessed multiple personalities.
Arien instinctively tried to make physical contact to read her more deeply, but the girl seemed to sense it—or perhaps she just found it unpleasant—and rejected the attempt, causing it to fail. Since detecting someone without their consent was highly rude, Arien cleanly gave up on the idea.
Finally, Arien's consciousness turned toward the blonde girl. In truth, this was the reason Arien had put even her own daughter on the back burner to find these children herself. Ever since she had sensed her presence from afar, she had felt a strange energy mixed within her.
Its source was her heart. It carried an unpleasant odor. It was as if mold blooming from a rotting corpse had clung to the inside of the girl's body. The heart was an incredibly vital organ. While no organ was unimportant, the heart, along with the brain, was the source of life that could cause instant death if compromised. With something so dangerous nesting in such a critical organ, she couldn't help but worry. If things went wrong, the girl could truly die.
"I'm fine. You don't have to worry. My supernatural ability is Super Regeneration," the girl had replied to her concern. Indeed, despite being drenched in blood from head to toe and wearing clothes reduced to mere rags, not a single wound could be found on her. At least, on the outside.
'Even walking must be painful...'
Unlike the other children, reading this girl's emotions was exceptionally difficult. Some kind of power polluting her chest was interfering with Arien's detection. There was only one faint emotion she could read: joy.
'How terrified she must have been. How hard she must have tried...'
The emotion of joy, faint yet unmistakably detected. The girl was happy. It was likely relief that help had arrived. In the face of terrible pain and a hopeless situation, an adult had come to save her, so it was only natural for an immature child to feel joy. Arien could hardly begin to guess what state of mind she had maintained to endure until now.
"Sigh..." Arien let out a soft sigh, quiet enough that the children wouldn't hear. This girl was also in Class A, just like Arin. She was certain of it, having read through the profiles of all the Class A students. Her name was... ah, she remembered.
"Lucia."
"Yes?"
Arien stopped running for a moment and turned around. Approaching the bewildered Lucia, she scooped her up into her arms. While Lucia blinked in sheer confusion at the sudden action, Arien spoke with a look of deep pity.
"Don't push yourself. If it's too hard, you can always ask for help."
"Ah, i-I'm fine! I can walk on my own!"
"There's no need to be polite."
"I-I'm really okay! P-Please put me down!"
"No. Your wounds haven't healed yet, have they? You might look fine on the outside, but your insides are a mess. Even walking must have been painful, so why didn't you say anything until now?"
"Ugh..." Lucia let out a small groan. It sounded like a whimper she had been holding back all this time. Yujin and the cute, blue-haired girl stared at Lucia with startled eyes. Judging by the emotions she felt, Lucia truly hadn't told anyone about her condition.
"...Is that true?"
"Ah, well, i-it's true, but... I-I'm fine. There's really no need to worry. It'll heal soon anyway..." Lucia mumbled incoherently, hanging her head at Yujin's question. Because of the direct physical contact, Arien could read Lucia's emotions even more clearly. Waves of embarrassment and regret washed over her. Was she really that desperate to hide her condition? 'What a truly sweet child.' Her desire not to worry her friends was deeply admirable. But even so, she couldn't just let her endure the pain.
Arien held Lucia gently in her arms, taking care to minimize any jarring movements that might cause her pain. Since there was no need to worry about combat due to the monsters' strange behavior, she utilized her [Presence Detection] to its fullest, monitoring Lucia's condition in real-time. The moment she sensed even a hint of pain, she immediately adjusted her posture. Thanks to this, Lucia felt almost no pain despite their rapid pace.
For some reason, strong feelings of disappointment and regret emanated from the girl. However, Arien could only read emotions, not thoughts. Thus, she could only make guesses based on what she sensed. Perhaps the girl felt she was being a burden. It was likely disappointment in herself for ultimately causing her friends to worry.
Arien guided the children out of the national park to the medical unit. Although she sensed Arin's presence nearby, Arien turned back. As desperately as she wanted to see her daughter, nothing had been resolved yet.
"This is..." But as Arien expanded her senses once more, a low groan escaped her lips. The fierce battle that should have been raging at the center of the park had already reached its conclusion.
In battle, minute variables could sometimes dictate victory or defeat. Just as the Black Knight, who was clearly stronger than Yujin and Frey, had ultimately been defeated by them. The strong could lose to the weak, and numerical superiority could be rendered meaningless. Everything happened in an instant.
The Sun Sword: Meteor Shower pierced the heavens and soared upward. In an instant, it split into hundreds of arrows, poised to rain down beyond the park and across the entire city.
Thunder God Descent: Heaven and Earth Split. Karlad's lightning chased after the meteors. It was an ultimate technique unleashed with his absolute entire strength, meant to ensure not a single meteor escaped. Karlad dominated the shattered sky with thunder.
"Isabella!"
"I know!"
Pillars of ice rose like a defensive wall around them. Freezing the ground, they multiplied rapidly to form a barrier that left no path of escape, like a prison. The thickness and height of a single pillar exceeded a dozen meters. Countless such pillars shot upward, becoming a boundary line that separated the inside from the outside.
Freezing: Bay of Frozen Snowflowers. Had one looked down from above, it would have resembled a single, delicate blossom. Countless pillars intertwined to form a massive prison of ice flowers.
It was a measure to prevent Astaroth's attack from raining down on the city center. If she used a similar technique again, and if even a single meteor slipped through, the resulting damage would be catastrophic.
It was not a bad decision, but the outcome was unfavorable. In the moments spent shooting down the meteors and constructing the barrier, the two Captains were left temporarily defenseless.
Astaroth drew her bowstring once more. An arrow notched itself upon a non-existent string, and the fiery meteor stood ready to pierce the sky once again.
"That won't work twice!" Kaen plummeted into the crater like a cannonball. Muddy water exploded and splashed across her face, but Kaen didn't even blink. She would not repeat her previous mistake. Striking from top to bottom would send the shockwaves deep into the earth, and there was no telling what adverse effects that might have on the city. Therefore, this time, she did the opposite: from bottom to top. Planting her feet firmly to anchor her body, she added the rotation of her hips. The power flowing through her shoulders extended all the way to the tip of her fist. She detonated her loaded core in a single instant. A point-blank strike. If it hit cleanly, even Astaroth would be in grave danger.
"Ahahaha." If there was one thing the Captains had failed to anticipate, it was that Astaroth had no intention of winning in the first place. Returning before her remaining "active time" ran out—that was Astaroth's true goal.
"I told you. This is my 'escape route'!" Astaroth blocked Kaen's strike with the limb of her bow. Since that didn't completely negate the impact, Astaroth was blown out of the crater like a kite with its string cut.
"I'll back off for today. See you next time, okay? I won't go easy on you then." Using Kaen's power to propel herself into the sky, Astaroth instantly melted the ice barrier blocking her path. No, "shattered" was a more accurate description. Carrying the very force that had blown her away, she slammed into the ice wall. Though its durability was lacking due to being hastily made, the ice barrier—which could easily withstand a meteor shower—couldn't hold out for even a few seconds.
"A-Ah, damn it!" Kaen clutched her head as she watched the receding figure. To think she would use her own force against her! Was that talk about an escape route not just a bluff?! She had thought the demon was just whining after getting beaten up!
"...Pursue her immediately. Kaen, she took a direct hit from your ultimate technique. She won't be unscathed."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" In terms of pure destructive power, Kaen held the top spot among the Captains. Since it was a strike packed with all the energy of her third core, it was bound to have dealt significant damage to Astaroth. Furthermore, this was already the third time. Even the 6th Division Captain, who was unmatched in durability, would be coughing up blood from this.
"Wait, heat is rising from the ground...!" Isabella hastily looked down at the bottom of the crater. The arrow Astaroth had notched on her bowstring—the one she had dropped due to Kaen's attack—was emitting an ominous, intense heat.
Sun Sword: Straight Slash. Yujin's ultimate technique, which wrapped the blade in highly compressed flames and repeatedly spun to add compression upon compression. Normally, the technique involved slashing to cut through the target first, then releasing the compressed power to trigger a massive explosion. However, this time, the first step was skipped, triggering a massive explosion immediately.
"That little brat...!" No one present would be defeated by an attack of this level. Still, it wasn't weak enough to be ignored, meaning they were bound to be held back, even if only for a moment. Isabella ground her teeth as she neutralized the harsh, sulfurous heat with her frost. 'Did she set the stage for this on purpose? Ha, unbelievable. All that talk about weaknesses was just to orchestrate this situation?' She was a sly fox indeed. "Ahahaha," my foot.