Chapter 309: Fragments of the Past – Sarah (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 309: Fragments of the Past – Sarah (2)
[How... disappointing.]
Temar’s eyes were stained pitch-black, overflowing with spirit energy.
At that sight, Sarah had no choice but to steel her heart. She had to cut down her own brother.
Whoosh! A blade wreathed in flames slid from its sheath.
A fierce determination settled in Sarah’s eyes. Since she had committed herself to the strike, she wanted to send him off with as little pain as possible. Grieving would have to wait until afterward.
Blades of spirit energy lashed out from the aura shimmering behind Temar’s back. As Sarah and Padler swung their swords to parry them, a single blade formed in Temar’s hand. It shared the exact shape of Barisada, but it was not the real thing—it was a crude imitation forged from spirit energy.
The Temar wielding that sword was no longer the man they once knew. He was merely a monster who could no longer recognize those he loved.
Sword energy laced with spirit energy poured from Temar’s blackened blade. Each strike carried immense power, yet compared to the 'real Temar,' the technique was unrefined.
Whooooom—!
As Murakan spread his wings, the oppressive spirit energy flooding the tower suddenly ground to a halt. It was like a beast freezing in the presence of a massive predator.
The one facing the maddened Temar was Murakan in his absolute prime, a thousand years ago. Even when Temar was whole, many said the two were evenly matched. A Temar who had lost his mind was no match for Murakan.
Furthermore, Sarah and Padler were there as well.
Mana of two attributes—fire and lightning—blended with aura to become sword energy. Brilliant, multicolored streaks of light extended as if they would split the entire tower apart. Murakan bound Temar with spirit energy, while Sarah and Padler closed in from both sides, maintaining a pincer maneuver to apply pressure.
Clang! Screech! Boom...!
Their respective energies clashed, grinding against steel. Everyone was struck with disbelief as they watched Temar, barely managing to step back while parrying the two blades. The strength of the giant known as Temar Runcandel was not supposed to be merely this much.
[I’m sorry, Temar.]
As if signaling the end, Murakan gathered his released spirit energy. The energy from all directions surged like a tidal wave, enveloping him. Simultaneously, the entire sky of the Black Sea visible above the tower was dyed in spirit energy. Even the distant horizon had become Murakan’s domain.
The toxic miasma unique to the Black Sea, pouring down from the heavens, was buried and erased by that spirit energy. The King of the Skies—it was power befitting the name people had called Murakan in those days.
[Sarah, Padler. It’s time to end this.]
But the moment Murakan finished speaking, a dimensional gate made of steel opened directly in front of Temar. Emerging from within was a human with a blurred form.
Brilliant radiance flowed from his hazy body.
At his sudden appearance, Sarah and Padler retreated and took up defensive stances, while Murakan halted his attack.
[Fate is quite cruel at times... as is your god. Wouldn't you agree, Murakan?]
[...You. How did you find this place, and why show up now?]
[There isn't much I don't know in a world that is known, or hasn't been erased or distorted. You know that, don't you?]
He and Murakan seemed to be acquaintances. Sarah and Padler also appeared to recognize him.
[Temar. You all want to save this poor friend, don't you?]
He spoke as he placed a hand on Temar’s shoulder. Temar did not act hostile toward him and stood still, though he was panting heavily as if the aftermath of being suppressed by Murakan’s spirit energy was severe.
Sarah and Padler’s eyes wavered.
[What kind of trick is this?]
Murakan glared at him.
[A trick? As a lucky man so blessed that his entire body is nearly crushed by his fortune, I merely wish to show kindness to these poor orphans.]
[Shut up and get lost. Before I kill you too.]
As Murakan’s murderous intent shifted toward him, Sarah and Padler stepped in front of Murakan and shook their heads. Their eyes were desperate, pleading to at least hear him out. They seemed to have faith—a belief that if it were him, he might somehow be able to bring the maddened Temar back.
[Don't be so sharp, and listen to my proposal, my old friend. This one has prepared a good future for everyone.]
Sssssss—! Crackle...
The grey sphere distorted once more.
It didn't look like the footage would return. Just as it had in the first tomb, the sphere was shattering after a single shift in perspective.
However, Jin didn't have the leisure to feel irritation at the sudden cut. His heart was thumping like a drum from the shock of seeing 'him' at the end. He was a person Jin had encountered directly exactly once.
'The Leader of Kinzelo...!'
It was definitely him. The blurred body, the shimmering radiance, the manner of speech, the voice, and even the steel dimensional gate. Even the way he spoke as if he 'knew' Murakan was the same. As if they knew each other quite well.
However, unlike that day in Old Oterium, Murakan in the footage also acted as if they were old acquaintances.
'What is going on? If Murakan knows that man, why did he pretend not to back then?'
As soon as that thought occurred, Jin had to correct himself.
'No, he wasn't pretending. The current Murakan truly doesn't know who that man is.'
There was a problem with Murakan’s memory. It was a conclusion he could reach without much difficulty.
Suddenly, a conversation he had heard in Oterium near the end of his time as a reserve flagbearer came to mind.
—[When Temar tried to kill you for going berserk, I was the one who stopped him. Murakan. Do you not remember me?]
—[How dare this bastard use that name so casually. You look like some old demon, but there's no way Temar would have associated with the likes of you. And berserk? You seem to have picked up a few rumors. The one who went berserk that day was...]
—[Are you trying to say it was Temar, not you? Setting aside the fact that you don't recognize me, to think you remember that fight as Temar's fault. I can't even imagine how wronged our dead friend would feel if he knew.]
—[...Mention Temar’s name one more time. I’ll kill you right now and send all you Kinzelo trash straight to hell.]
—[That is something even you in your prime could not achieve. More than that, I am dying of curiosity. Is there truly a problem with your memory? Do you really believe it was Temar who went berserk, and not you?]
—[You're in a hurry to die.]
—[Or did you reconstruct your memories to favor yourself?]
—[Shut up...!]
The conversation between the Leader of Kinzelo and Murakan.
After hearing that exchange, Jin had often wondered what exactly happened between Murakan and Temar a thousand years ago. And if there truly was a past between the Leader of Kinzelo and Murakan, what it was.
His mind was in a state of chaos.
'The footage cut off abruptly, but given the circumstances, it's highly likely Temar didn't die in that tower.'
This thought was based on the reactions of Sarah and Padler to the Leader’s appearance, but there was another reason. The Temar in the footage did not possess the martial prowess to pierce and destroy Murakan’s heart. Even without Sarah and Padler, Temar was in such a broken state that Murakan could have crushed him alone. There was no way such a Temar could have forced Murakan in his prime into a thousand-year slumber.
Though he had only caught a glimpse, Jin immediately recognized how monstrous the spirit energy Murakan displayed in the footage was.
'Looking at the situation in the recording, unlike what the Kinzelo Leader said, the one who went berserk was Temar, not Murakan. But there's no telling how the situation changed after that. I can't confirm it because the footage cut off.'
It was frustrating. If only the recording device hadn't been damaged, he might have been able to observe the secret history that followed. It had been the same with Silderay. Whenever he tried to deduce the gaps in the past that were skipped during perspective shifts, his head felt like it was spinning.
'Misha must know. There must be a way to restore this recording device... Wait. Recording device, recording device, record...'
Suddenly, a few words and a name flashed through Jin’s mind.
Record Magic.
The Record Magic of the Hister family. And his teacher from his previous life, Valeria Hister. She would likely still be wandering the world even now, trying to restore the lost ancient magic of the Hister family.
'Why did I only think of my teacher’s name now? If it's her, she might know something about the recording devices left by Solderet!'
Record Magic was a magic unique to the Hister family. While it had been confirmed that the Pluto Tribe and Solderet used similar devices, they didn't quite reach the level of Hister’s magic. Record Magic was also the primary reason Zipple had thoroughly exterminated the Hister family. To those who wished to manipulate history at their whim, nothing was more of a thorn in their side than the Record Magic possessed by the Histers.
But how? How was he to find Valeria Hister, his former teacher?
That was the problem. He had wanted to meet her several times since his regression, but he had been waiting for the right moment due to various complicated reasons. One of those reasons was justification. Now that he was a flagbearer, it wouldn't be difficult to issue a search warrant through his authority to find Valeria. Or he could order the Seven-Colored Bird to do it.
Jin knew all of Valeria’s hideouts and the places she frequented. He even knew the various aliases she used. However, even if he were to go find her for a private reunion, from Valeria’s perspective, Jin was just a stranger. A stranger who had sought her out for unclear reasons. They had shared a deep bond in his previous life, but in this life, they were perfect strangers.
'...Misha once mentioned my teacher’s alias, Aria Owlheart, so I could use that as a pretext to meet her. But my involvement might cause a major variable in her life.'
— If you are the child chosen by the shadows, Aria is the child chosen by history. If you ever meet her, give her your encouragement. In the grand scheme of things, she is your ally.
Those were the words Misha had said just before leaving when she first visited Tikan. At the time, Misha seemed cautious about saying anything more regarding his teacher.
'Now that my identity has been revealed, if I contact her carelessly, she could become a target for my enemies as well. I have to think this through. First, it would be best to meet Misha and subtly ask for her opinion.'
His forces were not yet strong enough to guarantee Valeria’s protection. That was why Jin wanted to be even more cautious about meeting her.
Whooooooo...!
While he was organizing his thoughts, the subspace began to collapse at a rapid pace.
When he emerged, he saw his companions standing atop the giant open clam. The next things that caught his eye were two objects.
Sarah’s broken sword and a new spirit energy orb.