Chapter 295: Iron Fairy Subjugation (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 295: Iron Fairy Subjugation (5)
The final floor of the Iron Sanctuary resembled an Imperial audience chamber.
A figure with the appearance of a child sat atop an iron throne forged from countless swords. His legs dangled, swinging idly back and forth above the floor.
This was Rachnil, the Iron Fairy.
Lined up along the path leading from the entrance to the throne were Iron Knights of immense power, standing in perfect formation.
Behind the throne, a vast space had been hollowed out. At its center, iron mana condensed into a brilliant, glowing cocoon. The mana swirled continuously, feeding the mass—the Heart of Iron, currently in the process of being forged.
On either side of the throne stood two powerful Iron Knights, their cloaks billowing in the ambient energy.
Every gaze in the room turned toward the two female students who had forcibly breached the Iron Sanctuary.
[I didn’t expect to find the fairy’s kin in a place like this,] Rachnil said, a smile playing on his face.
Dorothy pointed a finger at him and shouted, “Hey, kid! What do you think you’re doing? Stop this right now!”
[Why?]
“Uh, because it’s terrifying! We’re all going to die at this rate!”
[You don’t seem to feel any tension at all...]
Around Dorothy, a cluster of stars drifted upward, emitting a light, melodic chiming sound.
“I’m not joking. If you don’t stop, I’ll have no choice but to use force, okay?”
[Starlight magic... Could it be that you’re one of that bastard’s kin?]
“What?”
Rachnil looked at Dorothy’s starlight magic and covered his mouth, but he couldn't hide the excitement dancing in his wide eyes.
“Why are you laughing? Is something funny...?”
“Senior Dorothy, wait a moment.”
Kaya gently pushed Dorothy aside and stepped forward.
Realistically, the two of them stood no chance against Rachnil in a direct confrontation. Sensing the sheer scale of Rachnil’s mana, Kaya made a cold, calculated judgment. While Rachnil was relaxed and underestimating them, she would extract as much information as possible for Isaac.
Kaya’s green eyes locked onto Rachnil.
“You’re the Iron Fairy, right? Why are you doing this?”
[Are you one of Isaac’s kin? What is your name?]
“Kaya Astrea.”
[Very well, Kaya Astrea. I’m bored, so I’ll indulge you. I plan to create a new iron nation and establish my own power.]
“Why? Why would you suddenly want to do something like that?”
[Because I intend to reach a higher level.]
Rachnil pointed a finger toward the ceiling.
“A higher level...? Are you saying you want to become something beyond a fairy?”
[Yes. The more my domain expands and the more kin I possess, the greater the power I will gain when I eventually absorb them.]
Suddenly, Kaya recalled the history of Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy. Sylphia had made contracts with humans to establish a specific forest in the Astrean Duchy as her domain. So, fairies held such secrets...
“Aren’t you already powerful enough? What’s the point of more?”
[Because I am going to kill Stella.]
At the mention of that name, Dorothy’s shoulders flinched.
“What did you say?” Dorothy asked, her tone turning murderous.
Kaya glanced at her senior. In Dorothy’s eyes, which usually held the beauty of the Milky Way, an intense, dark killing intent began to swirl.
Stella was the Star Fairy who had saved Dorothy in the Land of Oz and granted her the power of starlight. Among the mysterious beings known as fairies, Stella was the most enigmatic of all.
Just as Sylphia was a close friend to Kaya, Stella was a precious existence to Dorothy. Kaya could perfectly understand her anger.
[Why are you getting angry? Even if you are Stella’s kin, shouldn’t humans avoid taking her side?]
“I’m asking you what you mean by that.”
The cluster of stars around Dorothy became more active, pulsing with light. At any moment, she was ready to manipulate physical force and crush the Iron Fairy.
Kaya remained tense, silently listening to the exchange.
[I see... You don’t know. I’ve been out of touch with the world lately, so I didn’t realize.]
Rachnil pointed toward the ceiling again.
[Stella caused a great catastrophe that harmed both your kind and mine. Since most humans live such short lives, I suppose it’s only natural you’ve forgotten an event so old.]
“A catastrophe? Stella did?”
[Foolish. You are all so foolish.]
Rachnil descended from his throne and approached them. Some of the Iron Knights dissolved into mana and were absorbed into his body. Instantly, his physique shifted, growing into that of a tall, 180 cm adult man.
With a rhythmic clanking, iron mana manifested into the shape of greatswords that floated around him.
[Indeed, a truly foolish race.]
Rachnil’s voice deepened, growing thick and resonant.
Hostility flared in Kaya’s eyes. Her green pupils were tinged with crimson as she smiled, simultaneously deploying both a blood magic circle and a plant magic circle.
“Would you mind not coming any closer? We’re supposed to be keeping our distance, aren't we?”
Now fully embracing her ravenous persona, Kaya tilted her head and issued a warning, her voice a mix of battle-lust and dark amusement.
Rachnil stopped in his tracks, looking surprised.
[Amazing. Kaya Astrea... You are truly embracing all that power. It’s as if you’ve been blessed with the very essence of life itself. A terrifying talent.]
“Thanks for the compliment, but I have no intention of being friends.”
[Well, try to understand. I’ve decided I want to tell Stella’s kin the truth. And you want to hear it too, don’t you?]
Rachnil met Dorothy’s gaze.
[Do you know the criteria Stella uses to choose her kin?]
“I don’t know. Stella is my savior. She saved me...”
[Why did she save you, of all people? While the Land of Oz was massacring countless humans, why did she save only you?]
“...”
In truth, Dorothy had a hunch. She had desperately tried to look away from it, holding onto her sanity by thinking of Isaac. But by now, too many clues had been laid bare.
[Isn’t it an amusing tale?] Rachnil gave a sly grin.
“Senior Dorothy, don’t listen to his nonsense. If we just figure out his motive—”
“Kaya. Thanks, but this is something I need to hear.”
“What? Wait...!”
Dorothy gave Kaya a small smile, then took a few steps toward Rachnil before stopping.
“Tell me. What are Stella’s criteria? Why did she make me her second kin?”
[Don’t you already know? Or... do you just want confirmation from me?]
“Stop wasting time and talk.”
[Fine. I’ll tell you.]
Rachnil’s smile widened as he revealed the truth.
[The criteria Stella uses to choose her kin is ‘whether they possess the qualities of a transcendent being’.]
“...”
[The birth of a transcendent being causes tremendous ripples. Stella’s first kin, Ozma, became a transcendent being while still alive. Eventually, a terrifying catastrophe struck the world.]
The legends were old—tales of how Stella’s first kin disappeared, and how earthquakes, tsunamis, and disasters ravaged the world. During that era, the world was turned upside down, and countless lives were lost.
Faced with the truth, Kaya swallowed hard.
“Where is Ozma? What was her final fate? What happened to her?”
[...She became a transcendent being, didn't she?]
[Yes, she became a transcendent being of this world. Stella had a plan, you see. That bastard had to make her a transcendent while she was still alive.]
“Why?”
[I don’t know that much. I suppose you’ll find out if you chase the stars.]
Rachnil’s gaze turned fierce and menacing.
[I don’t care about Stella’s plans. All I know is that the catastrophe she caused damaged my domain. ‘Stella is a damn bastard’—that’s all I need to know. But Stella has already transcended the realm of fairies.]
“What do you mean by that?”
[You wouldn’t understand.]
Rachnil let out a soft sigh as something else occurred to him.
[Oh, right. There’s one person here who caught my interest. I can’t forget to mention them.]
“Who?”
[The boy with the silver-blue hair. Strong, for a human.]
Dorothy and Kaya’s eyes widened in shock. He was talking about Isaac.
The air in the room felt like it was swelling, like a bomb on the verge of detonation. The two girls looked ready to tear Rachnil apart.
[Come to think of it, it’s only natural. Did you notice the immense being dwelling inside that boy?]
Rachnil stretched his arms out wide and shouted.
[That is none other than Ozma!]
“What are you talking about...?”
While Kaya was confused, unable to grasp the weight of his words, Dorothy stood frozen, her mouth agape.
“Ozma...?”
Dorothy recalled the unknown monster with countless eyes she had seen within Isaac’s essence.
Stella’s first kin. A transcendent being born while still alive, resulting in the deaths of millions. The disaster itself.
Ozma.
She had made Isaac’s essence her dwelling.
A shadow fell over Dorothy’s face as a tide of complicated emotions engulfed her. Why? Why?
[Ah, that boy probably doesn't even realize! That the one responsible for the loss of countless lives lies within him!]
“That has nothing to do with him!”
[What are you talking about? Ozma and that boy are practically the same now. From my perspective, she is him. And in the first place, is that really something you should be saying?]
“What...?”
[Oh, Stella’s kin. Why do you try to turn your eyes away from the truth?]
Rachnil snickered as he looked at Dorothy.
[You already knew, didn’t you? If you stay alive, you are destined to become a disaster. One day, you will meet the same fate as the first kin. You will bring forth a catastrophe beyond anyone’s imagination.]
The memory of the academy plaza, when Dorothy’s starlight magic had nearly spiraled out of control, flashed through their minds. They remembered the Elemental Kings appearing, prepared to strike her down.
Kaya shouted urgently, “Senior Dorothy! Don’t listen! It’s all lies!”
[You must die. You are someone who has to die for the sake of everyone else.]
The transcendent powers Dorothy had realized passed through her mind like a panorama. Even during the dark days of her past, and when she was prepared to sacrifice her life against the Floating Island to unleash the 9-star spell [Last Light of a Dying Star]...
Dorothy had always strived to shine.
But the realization that her very survival was the trigger for a catastrophe rendered her entire life—spent desperately trying to be a light—meaningless. It was a truth too heavy for any human to bear.
“That’s nonsense! You’re the one harming people...!”
[Stella’s kin and I are not the same. I always planned to force sacrifices. Honestly, dealing with that shady Stella might be a long-term benefit for humanity.]
“You...!”
[Wow, look at that expression! How does it feel to face the truth? To have all those doubts finally confirmed?]
Dorothy’s face darkened into a mask of despair. Rachnil chuckled slyly as he stepped closer.
[Let me see it—that wretched look when you realize you’re someone who shouldn't exist...!]
And then...
BOOM!!!
The solid ground shattered, and shards of iron sprayed in every direction.
A silver-blue-haired young man burst through the floor, his hand slamming into Rachnil’s face and pinning him.
Rachnil’s eyes bulged in shock.
“Got you.”
Isaac’s voice was a low, freezing rasp.
His crimson eyes, overflowing with murderous intent, locked onto Rachnil. From the hand gripping the fairy’s face, a deadly, intense cold surged forth.
“President...?”
“Sir Isaac!”
Dorothy and Kaya gasped in unison.
[Huh...?]
Rachnil couldn't comprehend it. For some reason, Isaac’s ice magic was affecting him, despite his nature as a fairy. He didn't know that Isaac’s mana was imbued with the unique trait [Nightfalls’ Edge].
As the floor began to regenerate, several greatswords floating in the air lunged at Isaac. Without even looking, Isaac slammed Rachnil’s head into the reforming ground.
CRACK!!
[Ack!]
With a resounding crash, the reinforced floor caved in, spiderwebbing with deep cracks. It was terrifying, superhuman strength.
A vein throbbed on Isaac’s forehead. Despite the fury boiling in his gut, his mind was calculating magic formulas at a breakneck pace.
Seven ice magic circles manifested in the air, firing [Icebolt]—a 7-star spell—at the incoming greatswords.
CRASH!!!
The fierce cold shot out like lightning, splitting into multiple streams and shattering the iron blades instantly, causing a series of violent explosions.
“You shouldn’t have deployed such a thick barrier, huh? You couldn’t even sense my mana through it.”
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
Even as he spoke, Isaac repeatedly cast [Frost Explosion] directly into Rachnil’s face. The ground distorted under the pressure, and a bitter, freezing wind howled through the chamber.
Rachnil’s face, twisted in a grotesque grimace, was swallowed by relentless pale blue explosions.
[You bastard...!]
Rachnil grabbed Isaac’s arm, struggling to break free, but the ice magic pouring out was so intense it threatened to shatter the fairy’s own limbs.
The Iron Knights and dozens of greatswords converged on Isaac at once, but he held them off, relentlessly unleashing [Frost Glitter] and [Icebolt]. The highly concentrated mana clashed, sending continuous shockwaves through the sanctuary.
Regardless of their status, fairies were still living creatures. Rachnil had a mind that could be confused and a body that performed vital functions. With the fairy thrown into disarray, Isaac intended to inflict as much damage as possible before he could recover.
He couldn't let his guard down for a second. A single mistake would be fatal.
“Senior Dorothy! Kaya!”
Ian and Noah rushed up the stairs, joining the fray. Without a word, they moved to support Isaac.
CRASH!!!
BOOM!!!
A barrage of divine sword strikes, iron blades, waves of starlight, and a storm of blood crashed down on Rachnil’s minions.
Rachnil’s weapons were deflected, and his knights were forced into defensive stances. Meanwhile, Isaac, like a man possessed, continued to slam high-intensity ice spells into Rachnil’s iron body, determined to break it apart.
“Who has to die, you say?”
The blood vessels in Isaac’s eyes stood out, turning them a deep, terrifying red. The overwhelming emotion in his chest made his voice tremble.
[Get... off... me! AGH!]
BOOOOM!!!
Rachnil’s roar of rage was drowned out by the deafening roar of a [Frost Explosion]. The audience chamber had been transformed into a frozen wasteland, the air crackling with the violent collision of ice and iron.
Isaac looked down at Rachnil, his glare piercing. His bloodshot eyes were filled with nothing but cold rage and lethal intent.
“The one who has to die is you, Rachnil.”
To Isaac, Dorothy was someone who absolutely had to live. No matter what the world said, no matter what the future held.
Isaac would never allow her to die.
“I’ll kill you, even if it costs me my life.”
The relentless onslaught finally caused cracks to spiderweb across Rachnil’s iron body. For the first time in his existence, the Iron Fairy felt a chilling, primal fear toward a human.