Chapter 222
I barely managed to reverse the blade and stab it into the ground to support myself.
I couldn't feel any strength in my body. As if someone had flicked a switch, all magic and authority vanished, as if they had never existed in the first place.
"Ha... Ha...!"
The whole world appeared blurry due to my blood-red vision.
Could this already be my limit? I had mentally prepared myself, but this was happening far faster than I had anticipated.
Truly, this body is utterly useless. Of all times, why now, in such a critical moment...
'No...'
However, I shook my head. As I opened and closed my palm repeatedly, I could feel strength gradually returning, flickering like a broken electric lamp.
I was undoubtedly nearing the edge, but I could still be certain it wouldn't be today, at least not yet.
And regardless, what I had to do remained unchanged.
With trembling legs, I overcame the pain and stood up. After straightening the blade, I lowered my posture and dashed agilely toward the figure in front of me.
Space folded like paper. That was how fast it was.
Before I knew it, I could see even the strands of thin hair fluttering in the wind.
Even her face, gazing at me with an uninterested expression, as though she'd lost all interest.
And just as the blade was about to pierce the center of her forehead.
"Ha..."
Along with someone's monotonous sigh, a fierce, storm-like impact struck me squarely in the stomach.
-Bang!!
"Urgh...!"
I flew back at least twice the distance I had covered while charging, rolling across the ground. A wave of nausea surged as though my insides were churned to pieces.
Immediately afterward, dozens of sharp, crystallized particle fragments rushed toward me. I quickly got up, evaded them, and lunged at the witch once again.
-Whoosh!
The brown-haired female student thrust her blade downward, but I narrowly twisted my body to dodge it with ease.
Dozens of blades rained down within a second. Even as she attacked, her eyes kept tracking my movements, as if leisurely observing a slow snail.
Soon, at the tip of her delicate fingers, something seemed to glow, and a shape resembling a finely sharpened blade emerged in the void.
"Ha... I had prepared myself somewhat, knowing you were from the archnemesis's bloodline..."
The witch, who had been consistently relaxed as if enjoying an afternoon tea party, let out a gloomy sigh.
Then suddenly, she straightened up and locked eyes with me, muttering coldly.
"I'm disappointed, Hyun."
-Slash!
A third of my left arm was torn apart, and blood spurted out like a fountain. Even at this point, I still hadn't managed to cut even a strand of the witch's hair.
Immediately after, she spun gracefully and struck my solar plexus with a precise kick from her rear leg.
-Bang!!
Once again, I was sent flying and crashed straight into a thick concrete wall. The sky and ground seemed reversed, as if I had landed upside down.
"Cough... Urgh...! Damn it..."
The excruciating pain and chills pierced into my skin. My broken ribs punctured my lungs, producing a wheezing sound as air escaped.
It's the first time in nearly two years that I've felt such overwhelming helplessness. The emotions from that day, soaked in defeat, crept back and began consuming me again.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting for today? Hm?"
The clicking sound of high heels grew closer. A cheerful voice, like a female student playfully scolding a friend, reached my ears.
"I even practiced Circulatory System Magic on purpose, but to think you'd be such an idiot who doesn't even know the state of his own body..."
Before I knew it, her voice was coming directly from above.
The brown-haired female student, wearing an arrogant victor's smile, looked down at me with disdain.
Her flat shoes pressed firmly against the center of my chest. As the evening breeze stirred her skirt, I briefly caught a glimpse of underwear adorned with patterns of cats and rabbits.
"At this rate, you're not even worth collecting for the nest... Sigh... What a letdown..."
The nest? She muttered something incomprehensible. Even so, the strength that had drained away was steadily returning to me.
Just a moment, just a tiny bit more of a moment, and I'd be ready.
"Enough. I'm done with this."
Yet cruelly, she had no intention of granting me the time I needed.
The brown-haired female student reversed the grip on the large spike in her hand and aimed it precisely at my neck.
Then, like a solemn judge, she pronounced my death sentence.
"Farewell, then."
-Swoosh!
The sharp blade descended like a guillotine. Even as the god of death beckoned, I stared straight at it, struggling to move my body no matter what.
But in vain, I had to admit there was no way for me to stop that attack in my current state.
As death loomed right before my eyes.
Suddenly, with a fierce sound of air splitting, the descending blade froze in place.
"Cough... What...is this...?"
Just before it tore into my skin and pierced my blood vessels. I could feel lukewarm blood trickling from the slightly cut area.
And what I saw when I looked up was incredibly bizarre. Yena was trembling violently while holding her immobile arm, her expression filled with shock.
"Th-this...!!"
The arm that had been about to strike me was frozen midair, completely unmoving. It was as if some invisible force had bound it.
Drip, soon, a few drops of salty tears splashed onto my face. Yena was now looking straight at me.
With the same bright and gentle expression I had always known.
"No... Hyun..."
Soon, she opened her lips, pleading in a trembling voice.
"R-run... Run away... Quickly..."
The moment of facing Yena again lasted only an instant.
But it was more than enough time to regain all my strength.
Feeling the powerful force coursing through my blood vessels, I lifted my lower body and struck her chin with it.
-Bang!!
I sprang to my feet and adjusted my stance. My body still felt heavy, but breathing had become noticeably easier.
"Ha, ha...!"
Through the thick dust cloud, her form began to emerge once again.
"How dare you... How dare you...!"
As if the arrogance had never been there, her face contorted completely, as though consumed by humiliation.
"How dare you defy me, an Alpha entity...!!"
And at that moment, I finally understood.
I took a step forward.
And stared at her as she writhed in disgrace and shame.
"...You're not Yena, are you."
What was once Yena seemed to instantly regain her composure. She sneered coldly, as if she no longer had to hide anything, and fixed her gaze on me.
"Such a pity. I wanted to see the look on your face as you were betrayed and killed."
The being standing before me wasn't Yena, but another entity inhabiting her body. Just as it had controlled the female student earlier, it had turned Yena into this.
I could somewhat grasp the situation. That's why she could afford to act so carefree before a massive explosion—after all, it wasn't her own body.
"Get out of my friend's body right now."
"Friend, friend... Oh, what a tearful bond you two share."
As I pointed the blade at her, she let out a chillingly cold laugh.
"This must be why you cherished her so much. But can you still say the same after hearing the truth? Hmm?"
She shrugged her shoulders in an exaggerated motion, mocking me.
"Have you ever heard of a wolf mistaking itself for a sheep?"
"What nonsense are you spouting now..."
Ignoring me, she continued speaking, her face beaming with amusement.
"This child is not of your inferior species but is our sixth sister."
***
"...What?"
"She's what you'd call a problem child. And as an Alpha entity, it's my responsibility to correct her. Of course, there's also the matter of punishing her rebellion."
"And by correction, you mean killing me?"
"Ah, so you finally understand. That's right."
Without batting an eye, she nodded her head.
"If she carries out such an act with her own hands, Spica may realize the reality and awaken to her true mission."
"..."
I had clearly seen Yena's tear-streaked face begging for help. That's why I naturally assumed her body had been taken over.
Could those monsters even feel such emotions?
No, even if they were monsters...
"...What an exceptional sibling love you all have."
After much deliberation, I spoke.
"So, you're saying Yena wanted this?"
"..."
At that, the entity twisted its lips silently. There was no need to listen any further.
"Well, fine. I've had a slight change of plans."
The witch, smirking coldly, gestured with her hand, and hundreds of crystalline particles materialized in the air, all aimed at me.
"You just missed your chance to die peacefully. Now, you'll be torn apart alive. I'll start with your ten fingernails, then your ten toenails. After that, I'll slice through every joint of your fingers and toes, piece by piece. Then I'll tear off your limbs, gouge out your eyes, and toss them to the crows for food. And Spica will carry out all of this with her own hands—a punishment for daring to defy an Alpha entity."
"...What a sick hobby. Who said I'd make it easy for you?"
The witch, seeing me aiming the blade at her, mocked me once again.
"Heh, you're even stupider than I thought, for a male. You must already know you can't win. Are you just bluffing, or what..."
I let her words pass through one ear and charged forward. My mind was still in chaos, but I didn't have the luxury of sorting out my thoughts. My body was in such poor condition that even moving felt like a miracle.
I slightly adjusted my plan. Regardless of the form it took, as long as Yena was still in there, I couldn't carry out my original plan of piercing her head.
If that's the case...
"Watch closely, Spica. Feel the consequences of your actions through that body."
Hundreds of blades surged toward me as their single target. Sacrificing my torn skin in exchange, I evaded them and approached her once more.
The witch effortlessly dodged the blade I swung as a feint. Then, her arm, moving at a speed that surpassed human limits, aimed for my vital spot once again.
And just as defeat seemed certain once more.
I finally unleashed the seed-like presence that had been gathering near my heart, scattering it in all directions.
"What...!!"
The monster's pupils were filled with shock. It was so satisfying to see that look, yet it was regrettable that I couldn't finish her off.
The spreading force soon formed a semicircular space.
This was a space I ruled. Inside here, no one could defeat me.
Not even fearsome monsters with godlike powers.
Instead of bringing down the blade, I clenched my fist tightly.
And in the slow-moving flow of time that felt almost frozen, I whispered softly to the witch, who couldn't take her eyes off me.
"Get out of that body."
As my fist made contact with the area just below her navel, a fierce blast of wind violently swept out in all directions.
"Kuh...!"