361. Lost Moon Demon (迷月鬼)
361. Lost Moon Demon (迷月鬼)
***
The battlefield, where fierce exchanges had been raging, entered an unexpected lull.
Serin and the two women, who had briefly put distance between themselves and Zervallua, cautiously assessed the situation.
Arianne and Sua, positioned on the opposite side, had also realized their attacks weren't working at all, and naturally widened their distance while taking stock of the situation.
Even as they pulled back, Zervallua made no particular move. It neither emitted demonic energy as before nor showed any other threatening movement.
It simply hardened completely, as if guarding its position, and fixed its gaze on one woman.
————!
Thousands of eyes turned toward Serin all at once, and she did not avoid that bizarre yet overwhelming gaze in the slightest.
Rather, she faced it with a twisted smile at the corner of her lips, even showing composure. But her condition looked extremely dangerous.
While maintaining 'Moon Princess,' she was recovering the damage she had sustained through regeneration beyond common sense.
The terrible wounds across her entire body were also healing and fading thanks to the potion Belua had used, but even so, the wounds she couldn't hide were clearly visible to Belua and Yujeong.
Serin's right upper body had been raked open as if by sharp teeth, torn across a huge area.
Her light armor, completely soaked crimson with blood, showed the severity of the wounds.
"..."
Yujeong couldn't tear her eyes away from Rin's appearance.
She was grateful that Rin had thrown herself forward for her sake, but it also pained her heart. Even if there was no pain felt, seeing wounds this massive gave no sense of just how dangerous that moment had been.
If it hadn't been for Rin, she surely would have met her end right there. After hesitating over her lips for a moment, she carefully parted them.
"Rin... are you really okay?"
At Yujeong's clearly apologetic expression, Serin spoke gently.
"I'm really okay. It's not a fatal wound or the kind of injury that can't be treated."
She felt no pain. There was only a faint sensation, like a subtle thrumming across her whole body. She could say that, despite the severe outward damage, she hadn't taken a blow as serious as her appearance suggested.
But at Serin's answer, Belua instead felt a chill run down her spine.
That thing she herself had failed to reach by a hair's breadth—the Grand Duke had blocked it like a miracle and protected the woman.
And only after facing that bizarre moment head-on did she truly realize it. Zervallua's danger was beyond what was known.
The trait called 'Gluttony.'
She had assumed it would show signs through direct action or by moving its massive body. But the use of Gluttony that Zervallua had displayed was utterly covert, and nearly impossible to react to properly.
And now. Seeing the Grand Duke's wounds appear larger from the aftermath of blocking it, her heart sank beyond measure.
She had no great feelings toward her. But she recognized her as an ally and considered her a key figure. She knew better than anyone how much she had accomplished on the battlefield.
But apart from that, if something were to happen to her... Belua had no confidence she could handle the aftermath.
'If something goes wrong with the Grand Duke here...'
That would surely become another massive upheaval, separate from Zervallua, crashing down upon the Empire.
How would His Majesty react? Even after guarding her side for so long, she couldn't begin to predict that.
A woman who had crossed a path of thorns, endured a weight no ordinary person could bear, and ascended to the Emperor's throne. She was doing far better than Belua had imagined, but she was not a woman of iron blood.
She simply didn't show it outwardly—her heart was soft, and she endlessly agonized. Belua knew that.
And now, years after the Grand Duke had suddenly vanished without a trace, His Majesty's condition was even more unstable.
With so many situations overlapping, it was safe to say His Majesty was at her psychological limit.
But if something were to happen to the Grand Duke in this situation... could His Majesty really maintain her current composure?
"...Grand Duke. You must achieve absolute stability right now."
Thousands of gazes were aimed at the Grand Duke. Blocking Zervallua's gaze, she spoke with a voice that trembled without her realizing it.
Encountering the Grand Duke in such an unexpected place was like the best possible news, but conversely, it was also the most dangerous situation imaginable.
The Grand Duke had clearly changed a great deal in the years she hadn't seen her.
The presence she felt was greatly diminished, but every technique she had displayed was new and unfamiliar, so she couldn't properly gauge her strength.
She guessed the Grand Duke had obtained new power. But it was hard to say she had reached a complete level of mastery.
"Got it. Belua."
The Grand Duke's answering voice felt somehow different.
Unlike before, when it had held an inhuman flawlessness... now it was a voice that seemed to carry emotion.
Just as she continued to stay on guard while meeting Zervallua's gaze, she suddenly felt an unprecedented sensation.
A strange negative emotion wrapping around her entire body. Merely gazing at the countless eyes emitting an eerie blood-red light was enough to engulf her whole body in a bizarre sensation.
"......"
For a moment, she was struck speechless.
'This...'
While feeling this unprecedented sensation... had the Grand Duke answered so calmly?
Even amid her rising bewilderment, Belua had no choice but to manifest her presence to shake off the negative emotions.
***
Blocking the demonic beast's Gluttony had bought them time to catch their breath.
During that time, they couldn't inflict any meaningful damage on Zervallua, but Serin considered it fortunate just to have time to think.
'...Can I endure as I am now?'
Looking at Belua, who had blocked Zervallua's gaze as if being considerate of me, I could foresee what was coming.
From now on, I would be in more danger than I had imagined.
The thousands of eyes that had stared directly at me moments ago—that in itself was a kind of omen, and a mark.
By re-establishing the existence that posed the greatest threat to it, Zervallua had marked me.
Zervallua would now act overwhelmingly toward me alone, as if completely ignoring everyone else, even at the cost of taking some damage.
I collected my thoughts and looked at Yujeong. At the sight of her still watching me with worry, I smiled faintly and spoke.
"Yujeong, go join Sua right away. And I'd like you to act together with them there."
At my sudden words, Yujeong's eyes filled with confusion, but she nodded.
"...Okay."
Immediately after, as Yujeong headed toward them in a path that circled around Zervallua, I looked at Belua in front of me. To withstand Zervallua's gaze, Belua had manifested her presence, and her entire body was wrapped in pitch-black energy.
"Belua."
"Yes, Grand Duke."
At that answer, I let out a small breath and spoke.
"Can you protect me?"
That I, of all people, would ask someone for help... I had never imagined it, so it felt awkward, but I had to say it.
No matter how many times I thought about enduring what was to come alone, I couldn't see a way.
So, unlike in the past, I asked for help.
Compared to back then, when I had done everything alone and tried to resolve everything by myself, I was not that strong.
"......"
Had my words sounded that strange? Belua's surprise was visible enough to show.
As Belua's clear, water-colored eyes fixed fully on me, I met her gaze directly.
At that, Belua nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"I will protect the Grand Duke."
At Belua's resolute voice, I smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
Her words felt quite reliable.
So when I thought about how recklessly dangerous my own actions would be from here on, I could only hope that Belua would support me well. No—that she would protect me.
Just as she had protected Cecilia.
————!
Immediately after, a change occurred in Zervallua's form.
The shape of Zervallua, which had loomed like a great mountain, visibly shrank, and at the same time, the demonic beast's reddish fur gradually darkened to a black-red.
I didn't miss that opening.
In its fully hardened state from moments ago, it had been nearly impossible to deal any damage. But now, things were different.
"Belua."
As I spoke and lightly stepped forward, Belua clung to my side like a shadow.
The moment I kicked off the building and soared into the air, I began spinning my body rapidly.
I decided to go on an extreme offensive and force a decisive move. I would disregard every form of defense the Dancer possessed.
—Moon Kick.
Immediately after, as massive moonlight struck a point in the air along my leg with intense force, unprecedented destructive power erupted, sending fierce winds surging, and I shot toward the shrunken Zervallua like a projectile.
As the distance closed rapidly, I saw Zervallua's eyes belatedly catch sight of me.
I knew that Zervallua, its form changed, would now actively press the attack against me, so defending was not a good option.
If I, weaker than before, tried to endure, that would only favor Zervallua.
So instead, I would entrust my body to Belua and go on an extreme offensive myself.
The moment the wolf-shaped demonic beast slammed the ground with its massive legs, it shattered the ground completely and launched upward.
As I took in every bit of that sight, why was it?
Suddenly, Daji's image came to mind.
Fighting while nobly guarding her position—that was the true Moon Dancer.
The first time I had seen Daji, that was how she had been.
A figure bearing the dignity of a Grandmaster, with the beauty of a noble flower.
But precisely because of that, Daji had never shown it to the end.
—Lost Moon Demon (迷月鬼).
By stepping beyond the Moon Dancer and becoming an existence bearing the form of a demon, one gains extreme destructive power.
The moment the transparent moonlight enveloping me changed in an instant to an eerie pink glow, I saw Zervallua appear directly in front of me.
Its massive claws surged toward me, erasing even sound itself, but I simply watched.
I didn't even think of dodging.
Immediately after, the moment a massive pitch-black shadow wrapped around me as if embracing me and Belua blocked it head-on, I had already swung the Crescent-Moon Weight in a wide arc.
BOOM!!
The blood-red barrier positioned in front of Zervallua shattered in an instant, and Zervallua's form, launched upward with the shockwave, was sent flying back.