Chapter 142
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Shattered Moonlight
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[The Black Knight enters Moonlight Ascension Stage 1: Crescent Moon.]
[The Black Knight enters Moonlight Ascension Stage 1: Crescent Moon.]
Fwoooo...
The bluish energy spreading across the Black Knight's body was identical to Karuna's.
Soon, Karuna's body ignited in the same way.
[Karuna enters Moonlight Ascension Stage 1: Crescent Moon.]
Karen let out a stifled groan.
"My God..."
Seeing this, Karuna posed a heavy question to the Black Knight.
"Who... are you?"
He hadn't expected an answer, but surprisingly, the Black Knight replied.
"Truly... identical."
"...What?"
"Every mirror threw the same question at me when we faced each other."
Swoooong—
His Lament wailed.
"You'll soon join them."
Kang Seol held off on judging the Black Knight.
Dangerous.
More than his overwhelming power, his thoughts and very existence were the threat.
Judging by appearances alone, it was clear he was connected to Karuna.
And likely in a bad way. If it were amicable, he wouldn't have drawn his sword on Karuna.
Fwoooo...
Flash—!
Karuna's eyes blazed with blue light.
In an instant, two points of blue light turned the surroundings into a battlefield.
Clang!
Clang!
Like blue stars clashing, their speeds were impossible to track.
Kang Seol was troubled not just by their fight, but by Karen's bewildered expression.
"Why..."
Whoooosh—!
[Karuna enters Moonlight Ascension Stage 2: Half Moon.]
Whoooosh!
The Black Knight sneered at the sight.
"...Futile."
As the Black Knight drew up his energy, an aura erupted that belied his Crescent Moon state.
Fwooooom...
Collision.
Kaaaaang—!
The two knights clashed swords.
The Black Knight spoke.
"You can't accept it."
"...What do you mean?"
"The fact that you're the fake."
"The fake...?"
"Enough. Die."
[The Black Knight enters Moonlight Ascension Stage 2: Half Moon.]
Kwaaaaa—!
A storm of power even greater than Karuna's Full Moon erupted from the Black Knight.
Kagagagak!
Karuna's sword slowly bent backward, inching toward his throat.
[Karuna enters Moonlight Ascension Stage 3: Full Moon.]
Kwaaaaaaaa—!
Empowered by the Full Moon, Karuna pushed back Lament.
"Ho... quite the useful fragment. I knew you'd reach this far, but still..."
An immense power exploded from the Black Knight's body.
Pajijijijik!
[The Black Knight enters Moonlight Ascension Stage 3: Full Moon.]
Overwhelming force.
Before Karuna could be devoured by that colossal blue power, another sword intervened with a scream.
"No!"
Fwooooom—!
Kaaaang!
Karen's sword struck down at the Black Knight.
"Annoying..."
Kaduduk!
The Black Knight's gauntlet deflected her blade once and flung it away.
Fwooooom—!
In that moment of distraction from Karen's intrusion, Kang Seol appeared behind Karuna.
He spun his waist, launching a kick from mid-air.
Kang Seol targeted the Black Knight's head precisely.
Paaaak—!
Thudududung—!
Caught off-guard this time, the Black Knight tumbled across the ground several times to shed the impact.
Yet he rose as if nothing had happened.
No major damage, as expected.
But this chain of attacks was setup for the next.
Moonlight Slash
Swooooooo—!
Chwaaaaaaaaak!
Karuna's Moonlight Slash traced a beautiful arc forward.
Lightning-fast as it was, the Black Knight scoffed and gripped Lament.
Moonlight Slash
Drdrdrdr...
Earth-shaking power.
Kwajijijijijijik!
A sinister Moonlight Slash clashed with Karuna's strike.
In that instant, the impact point warped, unleashing a bizarre phenomenon.
[The mirrors face each other.]
"Gaaahhh!"
"Kuhuk..."
Both Karuna and the Black Knight screamed in agony.
A strange voice echoed throughout the space.
—To think the item we were after fell into the hands of the true one...
—Isn't that why it took us so long? Anyway, what about that wench?
—We'll think about it later. Even if she's dead... we can just retrieve the seed afterward.
"Kraaaah!"
Kwaaaaaang—!
The tangled space of Moonlight Slashes warped once more before exploding. The blast sent the Black Knight, Kang Seol, Karen, and Karuna flying backward.
Kuuuung...
The eerie voices continued to echo.
—I can't control the seed's power! It's splitting!
—Run! It's collapsing!
—The bastards escaped! They escaped the temple!
The Black Knight staggered to his feet first.
"Hahk... hahk... I'll take it back. Revenge... I'll have my revenge."
He aimed Lament toward where Kang Seol and Karuna had been thrown. The sword burst into mad laughter.
The Black Knight's Lament uses Meteor Bolt.
[Lament pierces a fixed path.]
[Deals 170% of weapon attack power to all enemies on the path.]
[Enemies hit by Lament suffer Foul Wound effect.]
Tooong—!
Thweeeeeek!
Lament hurtled toward the fallen Karuna.
Kang Seol tried to block it, but he was too far. Instead, someone else leaped in front of Karuna.
Fwoosh...
Kagagagak—!
Karen's embers blocked Lament's path. Fortunately, it didn't pierce Karuna.
"Ugh..."
Whirl...
Lament returned to the Black Knight.
Karen shouted.
"Don't do it!"
"You've been... wait, that voice..."
The Black Knight froze.
His odd reaction made even Chameli and the pilgrims pause their assault.
"Karen... is that you? Karen?"
"......"
"No way..."
Karen removed her helmet.
Her face was an exact match for her past self.
The Black Knight wailed.
"Karen! You're... alive... It's me! I'm Karuna!"
"...You?"
"That guy's the fake! Just a torn fragment! I'm... I'm your real kin!"
"Torn fragment... fake..."
"Yes! I... I've been searching for you. Gathering the fragments to find you."
"...Me? Why?"
"Of course..."
The Black Knight's burning eyes sharpened further.
"Revenge. Revenge against them! The ones who tore us apart... destroyed Montral... and turned me into this..."
"...No."
"With their blood... What?"
Karen gazed at the Black Knight with sad eyes.
"You're not... the Karuna I know. Karuna was kind and warm. You're... you're a monster."
"Karen!"
Hududuk...
Karuna and Kang Seol steadied themselves and rose. Karuna addressed the Black Knight.
"Now... I remember a little."
Karen looked at him worriedly.
"Karuna..."
"I... was shattered. That's why I couldn't remember."
"I'm the real one! You're..."
Jikun—!
"Ugh..."
"Kuhuh..."
Karuna and the Black Knight clutched their heads simultaneously.
[Karuna's status is unstable.]
The chilling message made Kang Seol tense.
Damn!
Karuna was in danger.
This had happened before, when they first met Karen.
First, I need to separate Karuna and the Black Knight...
But then, the Black Knight suddenly roared.
"Gaaaaahhh!"
A beastly howl.
Kang Seol braced for the follow-up attack. But the Black Knight did the opposite.
"Gaaaaah!"
Paaat!
Pat!
He fled down the rain-slicked mountain path at blinding speed. Impossible to pursue.
A choice appeared before Kang Seol.
[The Black Knight has chosen to flee. What will you do?]
1. [Risks: Mud, treacherous path, ambush] Chase
2. [Requires: Tracking skill] Track
3. Abandon pursuit
4. Head to another outpost
...
Philia approached Kang Seol.
"...Pursuit will be difficult."
"......"
Kang Seol glanced back at the fallen Karuna.
Shwaaaaa...
Craters and debris everywhere attested to the unbelievable battle that had unfolded here.
Thankfully, Karuna recovered quickly after the Black Knight fled. Their clash seemed to have been the cause of the instability.
"Fuu..."
Kang Seol could hardly believe what had happened.
Another Karuna?
The Black Knight's identity was another Karuna.
Curious about the circumstances, he waited for Karuna to wake.
"He's awake! He's awake, Master!"
"Ah, good."
Karen fussed noisily, urging Kang Seol along.
Her hands trembled.
She's shaken.
She might not know how to face the awakened Karuna. Her eyes betrayed that turmoil. Clearly forcing cheer.
Kang Seol believed he needed to stay grounded in times like this, so he approached Karuna.
"Karuna."
"...Master."
"What... happened?"
Karuna answered with eyes closed.
"Some memories... have returned."
"Can you tell me?"
He glanced at Karen before replying.
"Yes."
Karuna's tale stretched far back into the past.
"After the ambush on the way to Montral and falling into the valley, all my memories vanished."
"That's what you said."
"I didn't die then. Someone rescued me. They're probably... the ones who turned me into this."
"...And?"
"Only fragments remain, so it might not be accurate. But they dosed me daily with strange drugs and rituals. To make me obey, to prevent rebellion."
Karuna stared at the ceiling.
"When that reached its limit, something inside me boiled over, and my existence split."
"Existence... split?"
"Countless fragments took my personality and power, and they massacred everyone in the temple."
"And afterward, the fragments absorbed each other?"
"I don't know that far. But... probably."
It made rough sense.
In this urgent situation, other details mattered little to Kang Seol, so he stepped away to let Karen talk with Karuna.
Karen looked at him with worry.
"No... way to fix it?"
"Not going to ask if I'm the fake?"
"Would you want me to? What would you say?"
"Hmm... probably something like, 'Guess I'm the fake, sorry'?"
"Kahaha! Yeah, that's exactly what you'd say."
Karen's expression hardened.
"The real... Karuna."
"Karen, that doesn't matter. Not to me."
"...Then what does?"
"In this life, going to the sea together. I'll show you sunlight shattering on the waves."
"That's enough?"
"Yes."
Karuna's face remained unchanged, but Karen's twisted gradually.
"That guy... he's Karuna too, right?"
"......It's me."
"Doesn't resemble you at all!"
"Maybe he took the negative emotions. Fragments like vengeance, hatred, despair."
"...Must hurt."
"It would. Terribly."
"Way to save him..."
Karuna shook his head.
Karen asked.
"You'll fight, right?"
"I won't run."
"So you plan to fight."
"If it comes to that."
Karen said firmly.
"Then I'm with you."
"Karen. You don't have to choose. Later..."
"The winner being the real Karuna? That's weird. Right? Totally weird! So... what I'm saying is..."
"......"
Karen smiled brightly.
"I want to go to the sea."
"......"
"This life, definitely! I want to see the sea. You'll take me, right?"
Karuna stroked her head with a smile.
The village forge, scene of the recent chaos.
One hour earlier, Kang Seol, Philia, and even Chameli had faced each other in discussion.
"The opponent was too strong."
"Not Brother's fault. We misjudged the Black Knight's power. That wasn't something an individual could handle. We should report to the homeland immediately..."
Kang Seol asked.
"Even if we send word to Baranoa, reinforcements will take at least months. Correct?"
"...Yes."
"Moreover, we've lost the Black Knight again. Is pursuit feasible?"
"Not in this downpour."
"Hm..."
Kang Seol pondered, chin in hand.
Philia added.
"But once the rain stops, we might resume tracking. He likely left traces during the fight."
"Even if we chase again... do we have any moves left?"
Everyone's expressions shifted at Chameli's words.
Kang Seol's, Philia's. And Chameli's upon confirming theirs.
Kang Seol replied.
"There's one gambit worth trying..."
"Me too..."
Chameli burst into laughter after hearing their plans.
"Then let's prepare for the next battle as soon as possible."
Kang Seol snapped from his reverie.
Rain still poured outside, and no telling how long until the rematch with the Black Knight.
In times like this, stay centered.
A summon's crisis was his crisis.
He had to overcome this trial.
Fwoooosh...
With the village blacksmith's aid, Kang Seol poured molten iron.
Atop the sturdy mold lay Jamad's Mountain Fist. Jamad had fumed about defiling a divine relic but watched silently given the circumstances.
Originally meant for later, when growth stalled, Kang Seol had pulled out all the biometal ingots after the Black Knight fight.
I'm not one for gambles usually, but...
Juuuruk...
Molten iron flowed over Mountain Fist.
Anyone seeing this would scream at the madness.
[Biometal takes interest in 'Mountain Fist'.]
[Biometal scans 'Mountain Fist'.]
But this time... no choice.
The biometal seeped into every crevice of the divine relic Mountain Fist.