Chapter 67 : Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Choice (4)

Keldric and Arandir.

Both groups had encountered powerful demons.

Could my choice change the situation?

I couldn’t be certain.

But there was no time to hesitate.

If I wavered, even a hard-made choice might come too late.

In the end, I decided to head toward Keldric, as I had initially chosen.

On the way, I tried contacting Eidon through a magical device, but there was no response.

He was likely busy with his research.

“Hey! Watch out!”

“I’m really sorry.”

I collided with a few people but could only offer apologies without stopping to help them up.

Soon, I reached the outskirts of Ostrum.

Confirming that no one was around, I fully spread the [Wings of Ainsitel].

Flapping the white wings extending from my shoulders, I began flying toward Manoa.

* * *

At that moment, in Crimson Basin.

Arandir and Derix were engaged in battle with a demon.

“Ugh…”

Derix, bearing deep wounds across his body, let out a groan.

As expected, the gap between him and the demon who had issued the prophecy was vast.

If Arandir, transformed into a massive sandworm, hadn’t blocked the attacks, Derix would already be dead.

But Arandir wasn’t in good shape either.

Though a spirit typically resistant to most attacks, demonic energy dealt effective damage even to spirits.

Moreover, their compatibility was poor.

Arandir burrowed through the earth and lunged to bite the demon, but the demon leisurely floated in the air, keeping its distance.

The demon also freely manipulated the wind, scattering the sand Arandir hurled.

It was only because Arandir was a high-rank spirit that they had held out this long.

The compatibility between the demon and Arandir was extremely unfavorable.

Then Arandir began muttering.

Derix realized Arandir was communicating with Polarin.

At this moment, their only sliver of hope was Polarin.

Though Polarin was weaker than them, his wings would allow him to engage in aerial combat.

If Polarin could create an opening, both Arandir and Derix could land effective attacks.

Boom!

Arandir unleashed a massive sandstorm toward the demon.

The swirling sand engulfed it.

As the sky turned murky, obscuring everything, Arandir seized the moment to scoop up Derix and flee.

Derix asked in a breathless voice, “Did Polarin say he’s coming?”

- No.

The short reply was enough for Derix to grasp the situation.

Without waiting for Derix’s response, Arandir continued.

- The group chasing the demon that escaped the Dome is also in combat. Polarin is heading there.

“…Then we’ll have to hold out.”

- We’re stronger than them. They’re still fledglings.

Arandir spoke coolly, burrowing into the ground with Derix in tow, aiming to escape as deep as possible.

But that plan quickly fell apart.

Blades of wind began raining down on the ground.

With such a massive attack, the earth was no longer a safe haven.

- Polarin doesn’t lie. He said if we hold out, he’ll come.

“Can we hold out?”

- We can.

Derix thought Arandir’s voice sounded strangely forlorn.

Mana clung to Derix’s wounds, aiding his recovery.

It was none other than Polarin’s mana.

“Alright. No problem.”

With Derix’s resolute response, the two shot out of the ground.

Kaboom!

The demon’s slash struck Derix and Arandir directly.

* * *

The scenery rushed by.

I finished communicating with Arandir while flying.

It might have seemed a cold choice, but Arandir simply acknowledged it.

I repeatedly tried contacting Blaze to let him know I was on my way.

But there was no response from his side, which only complicated my thoughts further.

Has Blaze already been taken down?

Should I turn back toward Arandir now?

Or perhaps the situation was so urgent that he couldn’t answer.

I flapped my wings harder.

If the worst had happened, I needed to confirm quickly and join Arandir.

‘Let it not come to that. Please be alive.’

Gritting my teeth, I headed toward Manoa.

I also contacted Nofen.

“Nofen-nim, have you heard from Keldric?”

- Yep, he said it’s a dangerous situation… I’ve requested support from both Tello and the family.

“Not just Keldric’s side, but can you send support to Crimson Basin too? The informants I mentioned before are also under attack.”

- By who? Oh, the demon who made the prophecy?

“Yes, that’s right.”

- Yep, of course! I’ll send help there too! Where are you headed, Polarin-nim?

“I’m heading to Manoa first.”

- I’ll request support for both sides. Be careful, Polarin-nim.

I ended the communication and focused entirely on flying.

* * *

In the skies above the path from Manoa to the Imperial Capital.

In his last transmission, Blaze said he was heading toward the Imperial Capital.

I hadn’t pinpointed their exact location, but that wasn’t an issue.

Boom!

A loud explosion and a rising cloud of dust caught my eye.

I folded my widely spread wings.

Minimizing air resistance, I dove downward as fast as possible.

The battle, faintly visible from the sky, became clearer as I neared the ground.

Thankfully, Keldric and Blaze were alive, fighting the demon.

I concealed my presence, drawing my mana inward as much as possible.

I had already drawn the Branch of the World Tree.

Just before striking the demon, I sharply stimulated my Dragon Heart with a thump!

The suppressed mana within me was released all at once.

I instantly converted it.

An aura formed at the tip of my sword, and I slashed down at the demon.

KABOOM!

A cloud of dust rose, obscuring my vision.

The sensation of cutting through flesh and bone was vivid.

I hadn’t killed it.

Just before my attack landed, the demon hastily gathered mana and blocked it with its hand.

“Keldric! Blaze!”

I began spreading my mana.

Through the thick dust cloud, I sensed Keldric and Blaze’s presence.

They were a bit battered but alive.

And the demon was just as unscathed.

“Reinforcements?”

The demon emerged through the dust.

It was a woman with long black hair and purple skin.

Her right hand was severed, dripping dark red blood.

My earlier attack had succeeded.

“Ow, that hurts.”

Despite her exaggerated tone, there was no trace of tension.

The demon rubbed her severed hand, and astonishingly, it began to regenerate.

“Be careful. It can regenerate its body,” Blaze, who had approached me, warned.

Blood stained the corners of his mouth.

Keldric came up beside me too.

His eyes were unbroken, but his body was covered in blood.

“Where are Siriel and Kiyot?”

“Kiyot’s badly injured, and Siriel’s carrying him to safety. We need to buy time.”

Keldric’s words carried worry for the two.

But was buying time enough?

“No. We’ll settle this. If we can’t capture it to extract information about the Dome, we’ll just kill it.”

A defensive fight wasn’t the answer.

We didn’t have much time.

“Pfft, you’re going to kill me? Scary.”

The demon threw back its head and laughed, but it showed no openings.

It was as it said.

Could we kill it?

“Tell me about it.”

Having just arrived, I couldn’t take command.

I needed information from Keldric and Blaze, who had been fighting it.

“Yeah, plan carefully!” the demon taunted, but it could attack at any moment.

Blaze quickly explained.

“What we’ve figured out is that it regenerates even if its limbs are cut off. It even sacrifices its arms or legs to attack.”

“What about its head or heart?”

“It’s been avoiding attacks aimed at its head or heart.”

I nodded and gripped my sword tightly, glaring at the demon.

The demon stretched casually, showing no urgency.

“You’re Adjak’s heir. I knew you’d come.”

“You knew?”

“Yeah, how else would your friends have found me?”

So it wasn’t Keldric and Blaze tracking it—it had deliberately revealed its location.

“I’ll make you regret that choice.”

I gritted my teeth. Blaze whispered orders.

“I’ll go left, Keldric right. Polarin, hit the center a beat later.”

I adjusted my grip on the sword.

An aura formed at the tip.

A surge of exhilaration washed over me, as if I could pierce and cut through anything.

The demon still showed no openings.

But that didn’t matter.

If there were no openings, I’d cut through it entirely.

“Ready to start?”

The demon, still smiling, raised its left hand.

It had six fingers.

The demon grabbed the fingers with its right hand and yanked them off.

As dark energy swirled around the mangled left hand, it regenerated.

It was an unbelievable sight, even seeing it with my own eyes.

The demon threw the severed fingers at us.

By then, Keldric and Blaze were already charging toward the demon.

Whoosh!

The six fingers flew through the air with incredible speed, each aimed at one of us.

Keldric ducked, weaving between the fingers.

Blaze deflected the ones targeting him with his sword and rushed the demon.

I moved a step later.

The fingers were fast but not powerful.

I activated [Intangible Armor] to block them and searched for an opening.

Crack!

Keldric’s fist struck the demon first.

I saw its bones shatter.

But it was still smiling.

Keldric unclenched his fist, grabbed the demon’s broken right arm with both hands, and tore it off.

“Hahaha!”

The demon laughed, even with its arm ripped off.

Immediately, Blaze ducked nimbly and swung his sword upward.

The demon’s remaining arm was sliced off.

Now it was my turn.

I approached to plunge my sword into its chest.

Then the demon’s laughter stopped.

Two new hands sprouted from its chest.

It was a grotesque sight, but I didn’t stop my swing.

At the same time, I used [Rush].

The distance closed instantly, adding speed to my sword.

The aura-laden sword shot toward the demon’s heart.

But the newly grown hands were different.

Instead of being severed, they bled profusely yet firmly gripped the Branch of the World Tree.

“Ow, that hurts.”

The demon continued in a relaxed tone.

“I’ve met you, so that’s enough. I surrender.”

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