Chapter 471
Chapter 471
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 471
>Chapter Title: Well Done, Parapus No. 2
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Aster closed Parapus's eyes and rose to his feet.
“Rest easy.”
A comrade's death.
Though the time spent with Parapus hadn't been long, Aster sincerely wished for his departed soul to find peace.
“B-Bang... law... I told you... there was a way...”
Parapus struggled to open the eyes Aster had closed and pulled a vial of purple potion from his subspace pocket, downing it in one gulp.
Was his claim of a method real after all?
“...Hurk!”
Eyes bulging wide, body convulsing like he was having a seizure.
Parapus writhed in agony, but astonishingly, fresh flesh began to sprout from the wound everyone thought beyond saving.
It was less recovery and more regeneration, and Aster stared at the sight intently.
“...Parapus No. 2?”
Of course, no.
Parapus hadn't died.
In any case, just as Parapus finished regenerating, the voices of Sun and Moon rang out.
“Heh heh, remarkable.”
“Elixir, is it?”
Elixir.
The legendary potion said to heal not just all diseases, but external and internal injuries—even congenital disabilities and mental damage.
A mystical elixir known to perfectly revive anyone as long as their heart still beat...
“...Heh heh, interested?”
Sun and Moon nodded at Parapus's question.
“How could we not be.”
“So, is it the real elixir?”
Sun and Moon's eyes sparkled as they gazed at Parapus. Nor were they alone.
Aster, and even Kahazar flailing in shock, all awaited Parapus's answer.
Thus, with all eyes on him, Parapus changed into spare clothes from his subspace pocket. Around then, the pocket let out a 'pssh' sound and became useless.
Parapus clicked his tongue, tossed the subspace pocket aside, and scanned Aster and Kahazar once. Then, looking at Sun and Moon, he posed his question.
“If it truly is the real elixir... would you let this old man go?”
A brazen question indeed.
“Heh heh...”
“Serious?”
Sun merely chuckled, while Moon sneered.
Kahazar was too dumbfounded to react, but Aster silently clapped. Then, he nodded emphatically.
“Well done, Parapus No. 2. You never fail to meet expectations.”
Yet amid such reactions, Parapus stood firm.
So what if he seemed sleazy and pathetic.
Pride was only for the living.
Paste some thick skin on his face for a moment, swallow his dignity for a moment—if that let him survive this, it was a bargain.
But Sun and Moon's response was negative.
“An amusing fellow.”
“But... hasn't the elixir already been used up? The subspace pocket seems kaput too.”
Their tone was sly, like a cat toying with a mouse. Still, Parapus responded leisurely.
“Heh heh, what do you take this old man for. Shameless I may be, but my deals are solid. The elixir's gone, but I've got the recipe.”
“Oh?”
“The recipe?”
Parapus nodded.
“That's right. The source... doesn't matter much, does it? Anyway, the recipe should more than cover this wretched old life of mine.”
“Certainly.”
“The elixir recipe would be plenty.”
Parapus flashed a triumphant smile at their intrigued expressions.
He saw a way out.
‘...Wasn't meant to use it like this, but no choice.’
The elixir recipe was an ancient relic the imperial family was secretly restoring. He'd planned to use it to solidify his position in the Decullan family, but here it was.
No great loss.
The recipe was incomplete, and the potion an imperfect product from it—practically a steal for them.
Anyway, as Parapus grinned at his half-won life...
That was when it happened.
“Parapus No. 2, that's enough.”
“...?”
Enough of what?
Parapus tilted his head, but the Tower Lord approached and pulled him into a fierce hug.
“Wha...”
“You've stalled long enough. No need to debase yourself further. By now, No. 1's squad has reached the Sanctuary's core. Stop now!”
Parapus blinked.
Stalling?
Who?
“Bull...”
Before Parapus could retort, Sun and Moon's voices echoed in his ears.
“Heh heh, so that's how it was.”
“No wonder it felt off. A mage of that caliber wouldn't be so petty.”
Aster nodded.
“Exactly. Parapus No. 2 is never petty. Kahazar, you didn't suspect him too, did you?”
At the question, Kahazar blinked. Then he looked at Parapus and bowed his head.
“My apologies. I did suspect you.”
“No, what...”
As Parapus was left speechless...
Aster whispered in his ear.
“I'll let it slide this once. Be careful from now on.”
“...”
“Good. Now then...”
Aster patted Parapus's shoulder and walked over to Kahazar. Then...
Slap!
A fierce slap across the cheek.
“...”
Kahazar's head snapped to the side as he blinked, eyes full of confusion at the situation.
It was then that Aster's voice drilled into Kahazar's ear.
“Snap out of it. Time to avenge Parapus No. 1.”
“...”
A chilling voice. A stinging cheek. Kahazar turned to look at the Tower Lord.
Cold eyes gleamed through the mask's slits. The moment their gazes met, Kahazar felt his mind clear like a fog lifting.
“That's the look.”
Confirming Kahazar's fire reignited, Aster turned to Sun and Moon.
“We're ready. You?”
“Heh heh, figured it out, eh.”
“Insolent...”
Both sides had needed time.
Aster to rouse the dazed Kahazar, Sun and Moon to gather their still-imperfect bodies.
Frankly, he'd agonized over it several times.
‘Might as well now...’
...Pierce Sun and Moon's hearts.
But it was iffy.
‘Not ideal.’
There were openings, but not enough for him alone.
And above all.
- You must destroy the Sanctuary's core.
As Indurance had said, to kill Sun and Moon, he had to shatter the core at the root of their souls.
That was the crux.
‘Their bodies are whatever...’
Could he destroy the Sanctuary's core?
“Heh heh, know what? Smashing the core won't yield a thing. You think we'd leave it undefended?”
“Looks like they put some thought into it. Too bad.”
True enough.
The core's central area was protected by the same barrier enveloping the Sanctuary's exterior.
But Aster just smirked at them.
“Who said anything about the core right now?”
“...?”
Sun and Moon tilted their heads.
That was when it happened.
Kwarung, kwarrurrrung—!
A massive roar from somewhere. Just as the Sanctuary shook, something came charging with a 'boom!'
“What...”
“Urk!”
Sun and Moon hurriedly braced. A translucent barrier soon enveloped them.
And—
Karrurrurrurung—!
What hit Sun and Moon first was golden sand. Beautiful, yet imbued with destructive power to shred even metal to ribbons...
Then.
Crackle-crack!
A white flash of cold exploded, followed immediately by razor-sharp winds whipping through.
Sun and Moon staggered from the immense impact penetrating their protective magic.
Finally...
Kwangchang!
“Gah—!”
Sun and Moon were smashed into the wall. They spat up blood and gasped for breath.
What in the world?
Baffled, blinking in confusion, a voice rang in their ears.
“Beat 'em dooowwwn—!”
A thunderous shout.
* * *
Sun and Moon shielded themselves with protective magic against the onslaught while calmly assessing the situation.
So...
There were seven gathered here in total.
What did that mean?
‘They never went to the core at all.’
‘Those bastards...’
No excuse—it was a carelessness-born ambush.
But was this ambush threatening enough to turn the tide? Not quite.
“Pathetic.”
“What do you take us for?”
Forced into human flesh for now, Sun and Moon were no longer human.
In other words... mysteries.
No different from beings once worshipped as gods in some era.
“Pitiful, frail creatures.”
“Silence.”
By the time the 'sil' of 'silence' escaped...
‘Guhk.’
The grand mages groaned, hearts clenched in pain. Yet their spellcasting didn't stop.
But when 'silence' reached 'si'...
Thud...!
Some who couldn't endure canceled their spells. Wise choice—continuing would have meant unavoidable internal injuries.
But it didn't end there.
By the time 'lence' wormed into their ears, no one stood straight.
An unprecedented force crushed the very space, binding their bodies.
Amid that.
Grrrk, grrrrk...
Sun and Moon smiled satisfactorily at the grand mages.
“Adorable.”
“Won't kneel, is that it?”
As if—despite heads drooping under the pressure, the grand mages endured on their knees unbent.
Truly superhuman willpower that transcended humanity, but to Sun and Moon, it was just laughable.
“Futile. You're human in the end, frail ones.”
“Kneel...”
That was the moment.
Crack.
Screech, skreeeech—!
Magic bloomed in the air. But something was off.
All kinds: golden sand, ice, wind, flame... But one commonality.
As if time accelerated, they formed and surged at incomprehensible speeds.
Kakak, kagagak!
Blocking the spells with their barrier, Sun and Moon analyzed the anomaly. And reached a conclusion.
‘This is...’
‘...I see.’
Simple.
Transcendence.
Sun and Moon burst into hearty laughs at the grand mages' magic, which manipulated time's flow at will. A power utterly different from the ancient magic they knew.
“Heh heh, yes. Frail, but not ephemeral.”
“Not easy, eh?”
Insulting words, but no one reacted. No one here was naive enough to fall for such cheap provocation.
Except Aster, who simply raised his middle finger.
Anyway.
“Heave-ho. Let's do this.”
Aster rallied their spirits.
Parapus thought.
‘Heave-ho my ass...’
We're all fucked anyway.