The Princess of Blood and Shadow
Comet was in a good mood. Though Dan Gayeon was still somewhat dazed, it seemed she had successfully lifted the woman’s spirits and resolved the guilt weighing on her own conscience. All that remained was to stay by her side and keep watch. In this dangerous age, an opportunity for a perfect death was bound to arrive eventually.
Even so, she had not expected a situation like this.
A roar tore through the air alongside the clamor of destruction. Dan Gayeon snapped out of her stupor at the sound and rushed toward the rooftop railing. Comet scratched her cheek, then followed.
Some distance away on the ground, the air itself was twisting and warping. Comet had been safely indoors during the original Cataclysm, so this was her first time seeing the phenomenon in person, but she knew exactly what it was: a rift in the multiverse. Come to think of it, the air felt thick with magical power, as though some grand spell had been cast. Difficult for a Necromancer like her to sense directly, of course.
A monstrous claw tore out of the rift, followed by an earth-shaking bellow. Dan Gayeon, who had been measuring the distance to the ground, flung open the rooftop door and vanished. An alarm began to wail. This was the first rift since the event that had shattered human civilization.
Comet gauged the scale of the crisis, pulled a Soul Bead from her pocket, then rested her chin on the railing and looked down.
Before Dan Gayeon could even reach the rift, the monster had fully emerged. It stood upright on two legs like a human, yet possessed the head of a beast. Wings and a tail, overwhelming height and bulk; it looked like a demon straight out of nightmare.
The demon opened its maw. Energy gathered, then a breath attack erupted.
Comet’s jaw dropped. A building beside the rift took the blast head-on; its wall simply melted away. Several souls drifted upward and flew straight into her Soul Bead.
She checked the distance to the ground, confirming the building she stood on would hold, then remained exactly as she was—chin on the railing—watching the demon’s movements with idle curiosity.
Dan Gayeon arrived late. The sight of the melted ruin slowed her run. Comet felt a flicker of anxiety that the woman might meet a meaningless end, but the worry proved needless.
Dan Gayeon dodged the next breath with blinding speed and charged the demon. Her judgment was razor-sharp; her raid experience was undeniably first-rate.
The battle ignited in earnest with a deep slash across one of the demon’s legs. Sword blessed with magical power collided against claws that seemed to strain the very limits of living flesh. Each impact sent small shockwaves rippling outward.
At first glance the fight appeared to favor Dan Gayeon. Her blows landed cleanly while the demon failed to score any effective hits. Yet to the swordswoman locked in close combat, the truth was far less comforting.
Instead of pressing the advantage, she retreated and stared at her foe with piercing intensity.
Comet leaned forward, curious. Upon closer inspection she saw the demon’s wounds closing at a visible rate. The regeneration seemed faster than the damage Dan Gayeon could inflict. Of course, no living thing could sustain such healing forever.
The demon flapped its wings and flew toward the melted building. Dan Gayeon gave chase, though it was unnecessary. The creature simply plunged its snout into the molten concrete and gulped it down. Its injuries mended at a visibly accelerated pace.
With a triumphant posture, the demon looked down at Dan Gayeon, then flew forward and landed before her.
Oh… This thing really could recover indefinitely. Dan Gayeon, however, would eventually run out of stamina.
And that was exactly what happened. The demon took hits, fled on beating wings, recovered, and repeated the cycle. Dan Gayeon’s movements gradually grew heavier, full of openings.
She failed to dodge in time and was sent flying into a building. The demon roared, wings thundering, and headed for the structure she had crashed through.
A hasty judgment. While the demon was still airborne, Dan Gayeon opened a window in its blind spot and leaped out.
Comet could not see the alley below and tilted her head for a moment before giving up.
A furious roar echoed from inside the building. It had missed her.
Before long Dan Gayeon reappeared a short distance away, chest heaving. She seemed to be trying to recover her breath at the very least.
After several deep gulps of air she ruffled her hair and scanned the surroundings, clearly searching for any other awakened who might fight alongside her.
That was when their eyes met.
Dan Gayeon stared blankly at Comet, who was still casually spectating from the rooftop she had never left.
Then her expression changed completely.
Comet recognized the emotion at once. Pure rage.
While Dan Gayeon stormed up the stairs, Comet twirled a lock of her own hair, pondering how to handle the situation.
“What the hell are you doing right now?!”
It was the first time she had dropped the formal speech.
Comet glanced at the Soul Bead, then back at Dan Gayeon.
“Why aren’t you helping?!”
She did not seem interested in waiting for an answer.
“You can handle it by yourself!”
Dan Gayeon kept pouring out furious words, unconcerned whether Comet replied. Comet simply leaned against the railing and listened in silence.
After venting several times, Dan Gayeon approached with ragged breaths. Before she could close the distance, however, the sound of a building collapsing rose from the ground below.
She rushed to the railing and looked down. From the angle and the noise, it seemed the area where their fight had taken place had caved in.
Gazing downward with hollow eyes, Dan Gayeon whispered, “Why are you just standing there…?”
The voice was not filled with anger alone. Self-loathing and shame twisted through it, emotions aimed squarely at herself. Her grip on the railing tightened until the metal groaned.
After muttering to herself a few more times, she seized her sword—then froze. Suddenly she whirled toward Comet.
Seeing the other woman charging with blade drawn, Comet flinched. Yet Dan Gayeon paid no attention to Comet’s attempt to disarm her. She simply barreled forward and tackled her to the ground.
Comet fell beneath the weight. A breath attack streaked through the exact spot where she had been standing. She stared blankly at the lingering scorch marks. Part of the railing had melted and was now plummeting to the street below.
“Please move,” Dan Gayeon said, looking down at her while clutching the hem of Comet’s clothes. The grip carried real pressure.
“Please move, I’m begging you.”
Her voice was thick with tears.
“Please save the people.”
Souls blanketed the sky. They swirled around the Soul Bead in a beautiful, luminous dance.
Comet remained dazed for a moment, then reached up and gently wiped the tears from Dan Gayeon’s eyes.
“Casual speech is fine with me. Shall we drop the formalities between us?”
There was no answer. Dan Gayeon only tightened her grip on Comet’s clothing.
“You don’t like that idea? Then you can speak casually to me. That works too.”
Comet wrapped her arms around Dan Gayeon, rolled once to reverse their positions, then stood and straightened her clothes.
“You really didn’t have to save me. That was unnecessary.”
A knife appeared in her hand.
Dan Gayeon, still lying on the ground, looked up at her.
“I’m only helping you this once as a special favor. Next time you want to save people, do it yourself. It’s better for both of us that way.”
Comet smiled sweetly, then walked to the railing with knife and Soul Bead in hand. The demon, interest lost, was now rampaging through the streets.
The Soul Bead rose into the air. Souls gathered around it and were devoured. A fierce wind whipped up, making Comet’s clothes flutter violently.
She parted her lips slightly and bit down on the Soul Bead.
A sharp crack rang out as the bead shattered into countless fragments. Explosive spiritual energy erupted, whipping up a small storm.
Comet slowly gathered and refined the raging power. As it coalesced, black wings unfurled in slow motion and her body lifted from the ground.
She closed her eyes for a moment. The screams and fury of the souls washed over her. Whether their anger was aimed at the demon that had ended their lives or at Comet who had severed their cycle of reincarnation, even the souls themselves probably did not know.
It was now up to her to decide.
She heard Dan Gayeon rising to her feet behind her.
Comet turned and flashed a bright smile.
“I’ll catch it quickly and be right back. Don’t get angry that it was too easy, all right?”
The wind howled as Comet dove toward the ground like a falling shadow.
The demon looked up and roared. When its breath attack flew toward her, she flapped her newly formed wings and accelerated.
Comet maintained her speed through the opening created by the demon’s attack, knife already drawn back in a throwing stance. Her wings scattered into motes of darkness as explosive spiritual energy concentrated into the blade.
Incantation Omitted
Soul Severing
The knife flew forward in a streak of black light and struck the demon. Without wings to slow her, Comet continued her trajectory by sheer inertia and drove her fist into the creature. Already staggering from the knife wound and leaking souls, the demon was slammed into the ground. The earth collapsed. Its soul detonated in a violent explosion.
Comet landed on stable ground and swept away the incoming debris and dust with a small shockwave. She dusted off her hands, retrieved the thrown knife, and blew on it lightly.
When she turned to look at Dan Gayeon, the swordswoman was watching her from the rooftop. Comet waved lightly. Receiving no reaction, she awkwardly lowered her hand.
She clasped both hands behind her back and twisted her body in a small stretch. The destruction left by the demon spread out before her eyes. She had said she would catch it and return, so it was time to head back to the rooftop, yet she felt a flicker of apprehension at how Dan Gayeon might respond.
Comet scratched her cheek, pulled a fresh Soul Bead from her pocket to collect the remaining souls, and left the area at a brisk pace. She could always meet Dan Gayeon again later.
Even after leaving the district the chaos refused to fade. A multiversal rift would have affected the entire world; there was no truly safe place left. Still, the situation did not seem dire enough to warrant full military mobilization—no fighter jets or bombers crossed the sky.
Comet watched the souls being absorbed into the new Soul Bead with quiet satisfaction.
“Hey!”
“This Body is the Princess of Blood and Shadow! Show proper etiquette!”
Comet’s eyes widened.
“…Who is this?”
The soul was speaking clearly.
It was a high-grade soul. Though its personality seemed rather eccentric.