Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Divide - 3
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Idria asked back in an incredulous voice.
“Is it okay to tell me that?”
“Because it’ll work even if I say it outright.”
Now I admit it.
Idria clearly cherishes her limbs of lies.
Like her own flesh and blood.
Would such an Idria keep holding hands with Bellosian after learning he tried to harm her daughter?
“…You’re right. Thank you, Maide Mohan.”
“Nothing to thank me for. As I said, I told you just to sow discord.”
“No. That’s not it.”
“Huh?”
“I’m thankful that you acknowledged I love my children.”
“…”
“Let Kaild rest for a while. I need time to figure out how to handle Bellosian.”
A temporary truce?
This is unexpected.
Even if she really intended to bench Kaild, she had no reason to tell me.
Reading my mood, Idria continued.
“It’s a small token of gratitude.”
“I’ll accept it gratefully. How long?”
“How about two months?”
“Good. Let’s truce for two months.”
“Yeah.”
She showed signs of vanishing.
That was when Trail spoke.
[Idria.]
She flinched.
Idria’s arm froze.
Are these guys communicating soul-to-soul?
Not even Adwin.
[We can. You heard us talking back when you passed out in Hasfil, right? How do you think we managed that?]
‘I thought you borrowed my mouth.’
[I’m not so rude as to borrow the mouth of someone who’s out cold.]
Anyway, Trail continued.
[Don’t try to take on Bellosian with raw force, Idria.]
“Why?”
[I figure you already know, but that guy’s terrifyingly strong. You won’t even have time to react before you’re erased.]
“Why tell me this?”
[Well… how should I put it.]
Trail hesitated before going on.
[You’ve got a rough idea that this era will be the last for our endless war, don’t you?]
“…”
[I don’t want to go down to some other bastard’s hand in the final moments.]
“Hmph. Nice words now. Last time, you just let Maide smash my core.”
I recalled the incident in Gavril territory.
Oh, right… come to think of it, back then for sure…
I cut in.
“So that’s why your face looked so sour then.”
[Don’t say it.]
“I thought you only said that because you’d die if Idria did… Turns out you wanted to take her out yourself.”
[I said don’t say it.]
That was when it happened.
“Pfft. Ahaha.”
Idria burst into the clearest laughter.
Practically roaring.
Refreshed, baffled, and maybe a little pleased.
“Yeah, got it. I’ll be careful. Bion.”
[Now get lost.]
“Thanks to you, I feel a bit better. Was at my worst until just now.”
[I said get lost.]
“Bye. And… thank you.”
Crackle.
The space sealed shut completely.
Trail let out a sigh and muttered.
[Shouldn’t have opened my mouth. Damn it.]
We hurried back into the carriage.
Serein was still asleep.
Adwin spoke up.
“She’s fine. Fresh soul.”
“An expression like that exists?”
“Totally different from last time when half of it was wiped. The world must see her soul as fully independent now.”
A soul half-erased from something unrelated to Phyrensha is odd.
So the world healed it for her… or something.
Offense crossed his arms and muttered.
“What the hell even is the world?”
“Sounds philosophical.”
“Nah. Practical talk. The laws of the world turned even the gods of heaven into regular humans just for breaking passive cooperation.”
“…”
“Impelium locked Bellosian in that special chamber, right? But that’s just confinement… I bet he can’t use his power outside because of the world’s laws.”
It made sense.
I wanted to dig deeper into that, but the timing slipped away.
“Mmm. Mmm. Huh?”
Because Serein had opened her eyes.
Six people, twelve eyeballs staring down at her.
Serein summed up her feelings like this.
“Uh, good morning…”
“Serein!”
Whoosh.
Risel hugged her tight.
She squeezed so hard that Serein choked like she couldn’t breathe.
“F-First, let go a bit. Everyone’s watching.”
“So what? They’re all gonna hug you anyway. I just claimed first place.”
“Huh?”
“Right? Everyone?”
They all responded kindly.
“Nope.”
“No way.”
“The mood’s already kinda ruined…”
“Mom said boys and girls shouldn’t hug willy-nilly.”
Risel’s face turned red.
Serein giggled.
“See? You’re the one being extra, Risel.”
“Ugh…”
“But.”
Serein patted her back.
“Thanks anyway. For worrying about me like this.”
“Serein…”
“Feels like I slept super deep and woke up refreshed. I’m totally recovered… What on earth did you do?”
Her eyes turned to me.
Thud.
I sat down across from Serein and said.
“A lot happened. Gotta explain it properly to the party anyway. Let’s all hear it together.”
“Oh, okay.”
“But first.”
I looked her straight in the eye and said softly.
“Welcome back.”
Tears soon welled up in her eyes.
They trickled down.
Leaving clear streaks on her cheeks, Serein smiled bright as a sunflower.
“Yeah! Looking forward to working with you all from here on out!”
Idria sternly scolded Phyrensha.
“Phyrensha. Did you really deceive me and team up with Bellosian?”
Phyrensha, already in a hazy daze from the soul-erasure aftereffects, felt like she might lose her mind entirely.
“M-Mom. That’s…”
“Answer me.”
“Please hear me out. I did it for you.”
“No.”
Idria coldly cut her off.
Phyrensha took it as anger directed at her and squeezed her eyes shut.
Idria was angry, all right.
But not at Phyrensha.
At herself.
Whoosh.
Idria pulled Phyrensha into a tight embrace.
“This isn’t what ‘for me’ looks like. Why don’t you get that?”
“Mom…”
“I’m your mother. I’ll go to the fake world with all of you. And there, we’ll live a life where ‘we never die again’ together.”
“…”
“Don’t you get it? You sacrificing yourselves for me shatters my wish right there.”
Phyrensha couldn’t hold back anymore and sobbed into Idria’s chest.
“Sob sob. I’m really sorry. I was wrong.”
“Does it hurt a lot right now?”
“Yeah. It hurts. Hurts like I’m gonna die. Waaah.”
“Wait it out. I’ll figure something out.”
Idria laid the bawling Phyrensha flat.
Then she quietly gripped her hand tight.
That was when Sovieus spoke from behind.
“Mother. Is there nothing we can do to help?”
“Stay out of it.”
“No. We can’t just stand by. Phyrensha’s your daughter, but she’s our sister too.”
“…!”
“Please tell us what we can do. We’ll handle anything.”
At those words, Idria barely held back a flood of tears.
The tears she couldn’t shed as a mother… Phyrensha shed them in her place.
“I’m supposed to be the big sister. Except for you, Sovieus.”
“Not the time for that.”
“You don’t have to because of my dumb stunt.”
“It was dumb, sure, but that’s no reason not to help you.”
“Sob sob.”
“Stay put. Sleep it off, and you’ll be fine.”
Sabak and Batole silently nodded in agreement after Sovieus.
And there was one who looked on this scene with deep displeasure.
Kaild Wake.
He was barely holding back the urge to vomit right now.
‘Disgusting. What the hell are they doing?’
Phyrensha’s choice wasn’t ‘obviously’ right?
She only had support abilities anyway.
If she wasn’t jumping into direct combat, wasn’t it admirable that she sacrificed herself to help her mother?
They should turn a blind eye, but no—they’re stepping in to ‘fix’ it?
‘Damn it. I can’t take this anymore.’
Thud.
He stepped forward and declared.
“Everyone, stop!”
“Kaild? What’s that about?”
“Have you all lost your minds? Why toss a perfectly efficient plan?”
“…You heard the explanation. Maide pulled some unknown trick to sever Phyrensha and Serein’s souls. Even with her hurting like this, it won’t tie Maide down.”
“Then do it again.”
The air turned icy cold in an instant.
Kaild didn’t notice and kept yelling.
“Do it again! Use Phyrensha’s soul as a reference to remake a fake one.”
“…”
“Then shove it into Serein or… no, any of Maide’s party members by force. You’re the Demon King—can’t you manage that much?”
“Stop right there.”
“And ask Bellosian to help, yeah. This time, wipe out way more than 90% of the soul. Enough that even Maide’s little scheme can’t fix it. Right up to the brink of death… Aaaargh!”
Kaild rolled on the floor.
Idria had ripped into the nerves of his body using the bugs hidden inside.
“Did I hear that right?”
“Gah! S-Stop this!”
“You’re trying to use my child as bait to satisfy your own greed. That’s what I heard, right?”
“Urk! Yeah! That’s right!”
He’d been forced to swallow his rising disgust and jealousy while watching the Demon King and her limbs all this time.
But the pain from the bugs shattered his self-control.
So he screamed like a madman.
“What’s wrong with that! Who the hell do a Demon King and her pathetic limbs think they’re putting on this show for?”
“…”
“Why are freaks like you so damn tight-knit? Just keep doing what you do. Hate each other, scheme against each other, curse each other!”
“Shut up.”
“Don’t flaunt that lovey-dovey crap in front of me anymore. I can’t stand it. No one loves me… I can’t watch humanity’s enemies play at love with my own eyes!”
He screamed that far before vomiting blood.
Seeing it hardened Idria’s resolve.
She patted Phyrensha’s hand a few times, then rose.
She approached Kaild and said.
“That just sealed it. Kaild.”
“W-What?”
“I’m discarding you. I’ll start over from scratch without you.”
“Ha! Are you insane? You gonna throw away all the fame I’ve built up?”
“I know. Foolish choice. Maybe flat-out crazy.”
She extended her hand.
“But it’s worth it if I never have to see your filthy mug again.”
“S-Stop.”
“Yeah. Stop.”
She halted.
A figure had appeared: Bellosian.
He continued in a leisurely tone.
“I get the anger, but ditching Kaild now is suicide. Finding someone else to build that level of fame again? Good luck.”
“…”
“Maide’s getting stronger by the day. Looks like he’s even figured out how to convert fame into raw power.”
“Convert fame to power? No—before that, I’ve got a question.”
She growled, laced with killing intent.
“Why’d you pull this crap?”
“Phyrensha wanted it. I just made her wish come true.”
“You knew how much I cherish my children. Shouldn’t you have talked her out of it… or at least tipped me off? You’re her father, aren’t you?”
“Fathers sometimes need to discipline their kids harshly.”
Idria nearly unleashed her power.
But thankfully, Bion’s warning stopped her.
Don’t oppose him with force.
Bellosian nodded slowly.
“Good. You held back well.”
“…”
“You’re really tossing Kaild away?”
“Yeah.”
Then Bellosian spoke as if he’d been waiting.
“In that case, mind if I take him off your hands?”