Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Fire Fox
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Fire Fox.
The woman with striking red hair was taken aback by the voice coming through the communicator.
And for good reason. She'd called the Chairman, Freddy.
Only to hear a child's voice.
"Who are you?"
She demanded again in a sharp tone.
She'd already been worried that something had happened to Freddy.
Now this situation only fueled her suspicions.
At that moment.
―Abraxis.
"Abraxis."
She heard the same voice from outside the communicator as well.
Startled, she slowly turned her head.
There stood two small boys.
One had black hair.
The other had silver hair bordering on white.
Blinking at the sight of them, her gaze soon settled on the black-haired boy.
Abraxis.
He was unmistakably the one from the message Freddy had sent to all Zero-grade agents.
Confusion clouded her eyes.
He'd appeared before her without a sound or presence.
How could she not be flustered?
But the moment she recalled his abilities, it clicked.
The world's strongest spatial manipulator.
The one who could even seal dimensional gates.
'He pinpointed the location through the call and jumped here?'
It was an absurd spatial ability.
Yet regardless of her shock, Kaal's face was grim.
She knew of his existence, of course.
But this was her first time seeing him.
Even accounting for that, the shadow on his face ran deep.
As if he'd just lost someone moments ago.
And soon, she remembered who she'd been talking to.
The call that Freddy should have answered.
But Abraxis Kaal had picked up instead.
Freddy had informed the Zero-grade agents about Kaal to protect him.
Fire Fox knew this and had planned to meet and safeguard him.
So why had he answered Freddy's phone?
And why had he rushed here upon hearing about the Colony Lord?
"What happened to the Chairman? To Mr. Freddy?"
Unease gripped Fire Fox as she asked urgently.
Meeting her anxious gaze, Kaal squeezed his eyes shut.
"He died in my place."
"Ah."
Hearing those words, Fire Fox staggered as if her legs had given out.
"I hadn't even repaid his kindness yet..."
Back when Fire Fox was still powerless.
A dimensional beast had caused a department store to collapse, and she'd barely clung to a railing.
Her grip was slipping, strength fading fast.
The building crumbled ever more violently.
And overhead, dimensional beasts swarmed the skies.
One spotted her dangling from the railing.
It dove with razor-sharp claws extended.
As death loomed certain.
Freddy had saved her.
He'd slain the beast and pulled her to safety when her strength failed.
That memory drove her to become an agent.
She wanted to be like Freddy.
And now he was gone.
She'd finally become a Zero-grade agent, ready to start repaying him.
Only for him to leave first.
But she didn't crumble. She clenched her fists tight.
"...You said he died saving Abraxis—no, young Kaal."
"...Yeah."
Hearing Kaal's confirmation, Fire Fox lifted her head.
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Then it was a fitting end for Mr. Freddy, above all else.
He made a living out of saving lives, after all."
Fire Fox flashed a resolute smile.
Sadness welled in her eyes.
But she was adult enough to suppress it.
The Kaal before her was far too young.
It was hard to believe he'd been sealing dimensional gates all this time.
But Freddy would have saved him for the future, no doubt.
A choice worthy of Freddy.
She had to honor that, not just mourn.
"And the reason you're here is the Colony Lord, right?"
Sensing her steadfast resolve, Kaal looked up.
As Freddy had said, the Zero-grade agents were all tough souls.
Maybe that's why.
Kaal felt a pang of regret.
If only he'd connected with them sooner. He might have learned so much.
Perhaps the burden on his shoulders would have felt lighter.
But it wasn't too late now.
"That's right. We're here to take down the Colony Lord."
He clearly remembered Fire Fox's words over the call about spotting the Colony Lord.
Staring her straight in the eye, Kaal pressed on.
"Tell me. Where is the Colony Lord?"
Hearing his question, Fire Fox pointed upward at the sky.
Following her gesture, Kaal's gaze lifted.
The sky was darkening into night.
The city below was a mess of red tendrils.
But the sky itself was remarkably clear.
"Kirin spotted it via satellite. The Colony Lord's on the moon right now."
The moment those words hit, Kaal froze.
He hadn't expected it to be off-planet.
"The moon?"
Speechless, he parted his lips only to close them again.
Then he slowly turned to Havel.
Their eyes met, and Havel had already relaxed his stance.
He looked ready to head to the moon.
Fire Fox eyed him curiously too.
She knew about Kaal from the message.
But this Havel was new to her.
"Uh, young Kaal, who's this kid?"
The boy didn't look much older than Kaal.
As she asked, Kaal raised his hand.
He began probing the space around them.
"Our last hope."
"Pardon?"
Puzzlement filled Fire Fox's eyes.
She knew even they couldn't handle the Colony Lord.
Yet these two prepared for battle without hesitation.
"Wait a sec. Young Kaal, do you know what kind of monster the Colony Lord is?"
"I do. I know we can't even scratch it."
"Exactly. I don't care who that boy is—even if he's an Esper, beating the Colony Lord is impossible."
As she insisted they find another way.
Kaal shook his head.
"Don't worry."
He gazed at Havel with unshakeable faith.
"Havel can do it."
Fire Fox still didn't get it.
Then Kaal clapped his hands together sharply.
Needing a massive spatial leap.
Tremendous power gathered in his palms.
Suddenly, a white ferret appeared beside him.
He'd released the one he'd been carrying.
"Havel."
Like he was ready, he called out.
"Right."
Havel took Kaal's outstretched hand.
In that instant, space warped from their grip.
Amid the spatial shift, Kaal glanced at the dazed Fire Fox.
"Take care of the city cleanup."
We'll be back after taking down the Colony Lord.
With that, Kaal triggered the jump.
Whoosh!
As his body disintegrated and reformed.
A vast black void stretched before his eyes.
The distant stars twinkled faintly in the cosmic expanse.
In the vacuum of space, Kaal wrapped himself in a spatial barrier.
He quickly checked on Havel.
But Havel looked utterly serene beside him.
As if the vacuum couldn't touch him.
He stood there leisurely.
Absurd, but it was Havel, so whatever.
Tap.
Then Havel tugged Kaal's sleeve.
Kaal realized late that Havel was staring at something.
He looked up—and an unexpected sight filled his vision.
The moon.
But it was far from normal.
Crimson stems coiled around the entire thing.
So many red tendrils, impossible to trace their origin.
They were unmistakably the ones from the city.
They made the moon look utterly grotesque.
No wonder Kirin said the Colony Lord was there.
Satellites couldn't miss this.
Wriggle.
The red stems enveloping the moon stirred.
The moon's immense size amplified the awe of their movement.
As the colossal red tendrils shifted.
In their center emerged a mustard-yellow eye larger than the city.
Thump!
The instant Kaal saw it, his heart clenched vise-like.
He knew this sensation well.
'The Colony Lord!'
That eye was undoubtedly it.
Danger.
Bad.
Run now.
Thoughts ravaged his mind.
His face drained pale.
Just eye contact felt like losing control of his body.
Nausea surged from deep within.
His heart pounded like it might burst.
"Don't let it overwhelm you."
Havel stepped in front, pointing ahead.
As Havel raised his arm, Dawn light poured out, enveloping them.
Instantly, Kaal felt his breathing ease.
"Don't yield to it."
Havel's voice reached his ears.
But this was vacuum.
No sound should transmit.
Kaal realized Havel was using aura to convey his will.
Magic-like feats he pulled off casually every time.
"More importantly, it's coming."
Then it happened.
As Havel warned, the Colony Lord moved.
The entire moon quaked with it.
Crimson tendrils surged skyward in unison.
They crossed space, lunging at Havel.
Each one like a mountain range crashing down.
Horror filled Kaal's eyes.
The world seemed swallowed by red.
How do you even beat something like this?
As his resolve faltered again.
Havel stood alone before it, raising his sword.
"Let me tell you one thing."
Dawn light blazed fiercely along Havel's blade.
"If it's big..."
He slowly drew the sword back.
With red tendrils bearing down on them.
Havel swung forward, speaking.
"...it just means more places to hit."
⟨ Dawn Slash ⟩
From the sword's tip shot a slashing wave of Dawn light.
It grew larger as it flew.
Before the inflating slash.
A mountain-sized red tendril met it.
But it didn't slow the slash at all.
Tearing through, the slash swelled further.
Soon larger than the tendrils, it pressed on endlessly.
The Colony Lord seemed panicked, sending more tendrils.
But they were powerless before the slash.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The space around the moon shook violently.
As the slash rent every red tendril.
It finally struck the Colony Lord.
The moon shuddered under overwhelming force.
The slash tore into its eye.
The Colony Lord's silent scream echoed through space.
Watching it all, Havel coated his sword in Dawn light once more.
A grin crept across his lips.
"See? I told you."
Giants just had more spots to hit.
Kaal could do nothing but stare, dumbfounded.
For a moment.
The Colony Lord almost seemed pitiful.