……Jeopuk.
Just in time, the opponent took the last step and stopped.
A handsome man with long black hair stood next to the throne and looked down at me with an unforgettable smile on his face.
“It’s been a while, Ellet Rodellaine.”
“……”
As always, an eerie voice with a deceptive mix of tension and intimidation. I hated myself for reacting to that deep tone.
“…Reed.”
I put my free left hand behind my back and glared hard at him. I consciously tried not to look at Thesilid attached to the wall.
After keeping eye contact with Reed for a while without saying a word, his mouth formed a deeper curve.
“Well done, Ellet Rodellaine.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you had so much as glimpsed behind to look at the bug from the 17th round, I was going to kill it.”
“……”
I didn’t bother to show my agitation by taking a big breath here.
“From the sounds of it, Terry’s still alive.”
“Of course. I haven’t sent it to round eighteen yet. The fact that your left hand heals proves effective, is enough confirmation, no?”
“……”
“I can’t believe you think I wouldn’t notice that.”
Caught red-handed, I reached out my hand and outright healed Thesilid. Reed didn’t stop me.
Unless I could remove the auror blades that had pierced his chest, the degree of cure my heals could provide was limited anyway.
I did not stop holding on to Tesilid’s life while I scrutinized Reed. In fact, my eyes never left Reed’s gaze for even a second from the moment he appeared.
“Why are you here?”
Any encounter between you and me is no less than a recipe for disaster.
I’m sure you realize it’s best if we don’t meet.
I strengthened my expression which kept distorting and continued talking.
“Did you come to vent your anger because your plan to kill two of Vinchester’s royal family went awry?”
“Well.”
“State your purpose clearly.”
Only then can I use Descent of Divinity to fight. But Reed tilted his head at an angle, relaxed and without any intention to start a conflict.
“Would you believe me if I said I came to see your face?”
“I’ll pretend to believe you. Now that you’ve seen it, will you please back off?”
“Let’s talk a little more.”
Reed ran one hand along the back of the throne and smiled.
“There is only one seat. Would you like to sit down?”
“I decline.”
“Such pity. Guests are encouraged to take a seat for a pleasant time. If that’s the case…”
In the moment when he rolled his eyes and looked to the left.
“Cough…!”
“Terry!”
Thesilid’s position shifted once more, his body slamming down onto the throne as if he were roughly seated. Fresh blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
“Reed!”
“If you call for me so desperately-.”
Reed’s right hand dug into Thesilid’s silver hair like a pitchfork and mercilessly tugged at his hair.
“I’ll want to hear more, Ellet Rodelline.”
“Guk…!”
Thesilid’s head snapped up, and he let out a strangled groan. His eyelids trembled, slowly revealing his sea-green eyes.
The unfocused eyes turned towards me in front.
“Eli……”
“……”
Despite his horrific injuries, he was regaining consciousness.
That gave me no relief. If anything, it brought a sense of crisis that made my fingertips tingle in coldness.
No.
This situation can’t continue.
“Alas, as expected.”
A playful voice comes in, sharply scratching my eardrums.
“You don’t want to see me and this guy face to face.”
“……”
Reed read my thoughts accurately.
Unlike me, his red eyes took on a maniac glow, as if he was very happy about this situation.
“Cough!”
Reed’s hand violently clutched at his silver hair and Thesilid’s face was fixed squarely towards me, unable to turn away.
“Terry…!”
My mind went blank at the sight of his face filled with pain.
Just as I was about to take a step, unconsciously raising my aura, a cold warning came.
“Don’t be so rash, Ellet Rodellaine. As my hand might end up tearing his head, not his hair.”
“……”
It was a valid threat.
As I stood there, gritting my teeth, Reed laughed. A low rumble resonated in his throat as if he knew it would happen so.
Let’s calm down.
It’s all about seeing an opportunity.
While I composed myself, Reed looked down at Thesilid’s head in his grasp and opened his mouth.
“I fail to understand. Why are you with this guy?”
“……”
“Weak, foolish, pathetic……It’s literally no different from a bug.”
“……”
“Perhaps, is it pity?”
I tried not to show any reaction, but I couldn’t help but feel strained in my eyes at the moment.
Something rose in my throat at the thought of simply defining my feelings with such words.
But Reed was quicker to withdraw his suspicions than I was to deny them.
“No. That can’t be possible.”
“……”
“If it’s only pity, you should be with me. You feel more sorry for me, right?”
He arbitrarily took my sympathy and pity as a given.
While I was stunned, his Q&A continued, and soon, new suspicions arose.
“Or is it that? Did you like this guy?”
“……”
His red eyes took on a persistent glow as if he was absorbing my every reaction.
Reed placed one hand on Thesilid’s white cheek.
“I ask you, Ellet Rodelline.”
His right hand viciously grasps his silver hair, while his left hand leisurely caresses his cheek.
“Did you like it?… This shell.”
“Ugh……!”
Reed’s left finger scratched across Thesilid’s face. Half of his face was stained with blood.
“Terry!”
I could feel his amusement at my transparent agitation and I realized once again that, the one in front of me, was the 100th Thesilid who had gone mad.
“You must answer, Ellet Rodelline. Before I tear this hide to shreds and test you to see if you’ll care for me or not.”
“No, so stop.”
“Really? That’s quite the surprise, I thought it was the most valuable thing this worm had. Anyway, since it’s not that, then there is only one answer.”
“……”
“Because you ‘need’ it.”
“……!”
At that moment, my eyes instinctively turned to Thesilid.
“……”
Everything faded away from the face that was stained with pain just a moment ago.
A pure white expression that even forgot pain stared at me.
As if asking for an answer.
I had the illusion that his sea-green eyes were shaking as if they were about to break. Even though there’s no way I could see something like that from this distance.
“Well, I suppose so. You’ll need him to save the world.”
It felt like poison was seeping into my ears. I snapped my head up and glared at Reed.
Now I understand.
What makes Reed tick is an unbearable amount of self-loathing and self-destruction.
From the beginning, his target was Thesilid.
“Shut up, Reed.”
“You’re making a violent remark. Did I hit the nail on the head?”
“No, never.”
“It can’t be. Is there any other value to a bug like this?”
Reed spoke so to make Thesilid hear.
In response, I also spoke as if I was pressing each syllable into his ear.
“You said it yourself. There are things I want to keep by my side even if I don’t need them.”
“……”
I took my gaze away from Reed’s frozen face and continued talking to Thesilid, who was staring at me as if he had lost his soul.
“To me, Tesillid is like that. If the need you’re talking about is saving the world, then we’ll be together even if we can’t save the world.”
At this moment, the expressions of the two protagonists were sharply different.
“……”
Sea-blue eyes widen to the limit as if they’ve heard something unexpected. Thesilid bit his lip and closed his eyes. It was impossible to tell if he was laughing or crying.
Meanwhile, Reed…
“It’s a deception.”
“……”
He was emitting a cold aura that was enough to freeze the air in the throne room to white.
“There is no need to save the world. But you also say no to destruction? That’s a deception, Ellet Rodelline.”
“Don’t push me by saying things with no middle ground.”
“No, you want to stay with this guy because you can prevent destruction just by having him around. In the end, it’s a matter of necessity.”
“I don’t think we can communicate. As expected, a conversation between us is expecting too much!”
My leg slammed into the floor.
Bang!
The full force of the Queen’s Might was unleashed on my two feet. I used the earth-shattering destructive force as the driving force to create overwhelming speed.
I quickly broke through the siege of Aura Blades and approached the throne.
I tried to find a gap in Reed until I arrived roughly ten steps from the throne, but there was nothing. Then-.
We must save Thesilid.
Come on, quickly.
Before the crazed 100th episode shakes Thesilid’s mind any further!
Five steps forward.
<Ellet, back!>
More than twenty Aura Blades were chasing me. I extended my whip-sword to block the blade’s approach.
I ducked and weaved my body to avoid the blades as they fell through the gaps in my parry.
Two steps.
There was nothing I could do about the sharp blade slicing through my body. Even though I was hurt, I approached Reed.
One last step!
“Reed!”
Quaaaang!
I leaped and struck Reed’s head with an aura-laden sword, but he leisurely spread one hand and set up a barrier.
Through the transparent wall with sparks crackling across its surface, he spoke.
“Thesilid Argent.”
Not to me, but to Thesilid.
“I’ll tell you why Ellet Rodellaine needs you.”
……Jeopuk.
Just in time, the opponent took the last step and stopped.
A handsome man with long black hair stood next to the throne and looked down at me with an unforgettable smile on his face.
“It’s been a while, Ellet Rodellaine.”
“……”
As always, an eerie voice with a deceptive mix of tension and intimidation. I hated myself for reacting to that deep tone.
“…Reed.”
I put my free left hand behind my back and glared hard at him. I consciously tried not to look at Thesilid attached to the wall.
After keeping eye contact with Reed for a while without saying a word, his mouth formed a deeper curve.
“Well done, Ellet Rodellaine.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you had so much as glimpsed behind to look at the bug from the 17th round, I was going to kill it.”
“……”
I didn’t bother to show my agitation by taking a big breath here.
“From the sounds of it, Terry’s still alive.”
“Of course. I haven’t sent it to round eighteen yet. The fact that your left hand heals proves effective, is enough confirmation, no?”
“……”
“I can’t believe you think I wouldn’t notice that.”
Caught red-handed, I reached out my hand and outright healed Thesilid. Reed didn’t stop me.
Unless I could remove the auror blades that had pierced his chest, the degree of cure my heals could provide was limited anyway.
I did not stop holding on to Tesilid’s life while I scrutinized Reed. In fact, my eyes never left Reed’s gaze for even a second from the moment he appeared.
“Why are you here?”
Any encounter between you and me is no less than a recipe for disaster.
I’m sure you realize it’s best if we don’t meet.
I strengthened my expression which kept distorting and continued talking.
“Did you come to vent your anger because your plan to kill two of Vinchester’s royal family went awry?”
“Well.”
“State your purpose clearly.”
Only then can I use Descent of Divinity to fight. But Reed tilted his head at an angle, relaxed and without any intention to start a conflict.
“Would you believe me if I said I came to see your face?”
“I’ll pretend to believe you. Now that you’ve seen it, will you please back off?”
“Let’s talk a little more.”
Reed ran one hand along the back of the throne and smiled.
“There is only one seat. Would you like to sit down?”
“I decline.”
“Such pity. Guests are encouraged to take a seat for a pleasant time. If that’s the case…”
In the moment when he rolled his eyes and looked to the left.
“Cough…!”
“Terry!”
Thesilid’s position shifted once more, his body slamming down onto the throne as if he were roughly seated. Fresh blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
“Reed!”
“If you call for me so desperately-.”
Reed’s right hand dug into Thesilid’s silver hair like a pitchfork and mercilessly tugged at his hair.
“I’ll want to hear more, Ellet Rodelline.”
“Guk…!”
Thesilid’s head snapped up, and he let out a strangled groan. His eyelids trembled, slowly revealing his sea-green eyes.
The unfocused eyes turned towards me in front.
“Eli……”
“……”
Despite his horrific injuries, he was regaining consciousness.
That gave me no relief. If anything, it brought a sense of crisis that made my fingertips tingle in coldness.
No.
This situation can’t continue.
“Alas, as expected.”
A playful voice comes in, sharply scratching my eardrums.
“You don’t want to see me and this guy face to face.”
“……”
Reed read my thoughts accurately.
Unlike me, his red eyes took on a maniac glow, as if he was very happy about this situation.
“Cough!”
Reed’s hand violently clutched at his silver hair and Thesilid’s face was fixed squarely towards me, unable to turn away.
“Terry…!”
My mind went blank at the sight of his face filled with pain.
Just as I was about to take a step, unconsciously raising my aura, a cold warning came.
“Don’t be so rash, Ellet Rodellaine. As my hand might end up tearing his head, not his hair.”
“……”
It was a valid threat.
As I stood there, gritting my teeth, Reed laughed. A low rumble resonated in his throat as if he knew it would happen so.
Let’s calm down.
It’s all about seeing an opportunity.
While I composed myself, Reed looked down at Thesilid’s head in his grasp and opened his mouth.
“I fail to understand. Why are you with this guy?”
“……”
“Weak, foolish, pathetic……It’s literally no different from a bug.”
“……”
“Perhaps, is it pity?”
I tried not to show any reaction, but I couldn’t help but feel strained in my eyes at the moment.
Something rose in my throat at the thought of simply defining my feelings with such words.
But Reed was quicker to withdraw his suspicions than I was to deny them.
“No. That can’t be possible.”
“……”
“If it’s only pity, you should be with me. You feel more sorry for me, right?”
He arbitrarily took my sympathy and pity as a given.
While I was stunned, his Q&A continued, and soon, new suspicions arose.
“Or is it that? Did you like this guy?”
“……”
His red eyes took on a persistent glow as if he was absorbing my every reaction.
Reed placed one hand on Thesilid’s white cheek.
“I ask you, Ellet Rodelline.”
His right hand viciously grasps his silver hair, while his left hand leisurely caresses his cheek.
“Did you like it?… This shell.”
“Ugh……!”
Reed’s left finger scratched across Thesilid’s face. Half of his face was stained with blood.
“Terry!”
I could feel his amusement at my transparent agitation and I realized once again that, the one in front of me, was the 100th Thesilid who had gone mad.
“You must answer, Ellet Rodelline. Before I tear this hide to shreds and test you to see if you’ll care for me or not.”
“No, so stop.”
“Really? That’s quite the surprise, I thought it was the most valuable thing this worm had. Anyway, since it’s not that, then there is only one answer.”
“……”
“Because you ‘need’ it.”
“……!”
At that moment, my eyes instinctively turned to Thesilid.
“……”
Everything faded away from the face that was stained with pain just a moment ago.
A pure white expression that even forgot pain stared at me.
As if asking for an answer.
I had the illusion that his sea-green eyes were shaking as if they were about to break. Even though there’s no way I could see something like that from this distance.
“Well, I suppose so. You’ll need him to save the world.”
It felt like poison was seeping into my ears. I snapped my head up and glared at Reed.
Now I understand.
What makes Reed tick is an unbearable amount of self-loathing and self-destruction.
From the beginning, his target was Thesilid.
“Shut up, Reed.”
“You’re making a violent remark. Did I hit the nail on the head?”
“No, never.”
“It can’t be. Is there any other value to a bug like this?”
Reed spoke so to make Thesilid hear.
In response, I also spoke as if I was pressing each syllable into his ear.
“You said it yourself. There are things I want to keep by my side even if I don’t need them.”
“……”
I took my gaze away from Reed’s frozen face and continued talking to Thesilid, who was staring at me as if he had lost his soul.
“To me, Tesillid is like that. If the need you’re talking about is saving the world, then we’ll be together even if we can’t save the world.”
At this moment, the expressions of the two protagonists were sharply different.
“……”
Sea-blue eyes widen to the limit as if they’ve heard something unexpected. Thesilid bit his lip and closed his eyes. It was impossible to tell if he was laughing or crying.
Meanwhile, Reed…
“It’s a deception.”
“……”
He was emitting a cold aura that was enough to freeze the air in the throne room to white.
“There is no need to save the world. But you also say no to destruction? That’s a deception, Ellet Rodelline.”
“Don’t push me by saying things with no middle ground.”
“No, you want to stay with this guy because you can prevent destruction just by having him around. In the end, it’s a matter of necessity.”
“I don’t think we can communicate. As expected, a conversation between us is expecting too much!”
My leg slammed into the floor.
Bang!
The full force of the Queen’s Might was unleashed on my two feet. I used the earth-shattering destructive force as the driving force to create overwhelming speed.
I quickly broke through the siege of Aura Blades and approached the throne.
I tried to find a gap in Reed until I arrived roughly ten steps from the throne, but there was nothing. Then-.
We must save Thesilid.
Come on, quickly.
Before the crazed 100th episode shakes Thesilid’s mind any further!
Five steps forward.
<Ellet, back!>
More than twenty Aura Blades were chasing me. I extended my whip-sword to block the blade’s approach.
I ducked and weaved my body to avoid the blades as they fell through the gaps in my parry.
Two steps.
There was nothing I could do about the sharp blade slicing through my body. Even though I was hurt, I approached Reed.
One last step!
“Reed!”
Quaaaang!
I leaped and struck Reed’s head with an aura-laden sword, but he leisurely spread one hand and set up a barrier.
Through the transparent wall with sparks crackling across its surface, he spoke.
“Thesilid Argent.”
Not to me, but to Thesilid.
“I’ll tell you why Ellet Rodellaine needs you.”
