Chapter 595
We’re the Only Ones Left. (3)
Ereneth clearly felt it the moment her attack was blocked.
‘He cut through space itself.’
It was a technique that should have been impossible by conventional logic. He had defied the very principles of the world through sheer will alone.
She recognized that technique. It was the power once wielded by the Adversary.
Ereneth's voice trembled with rage as she shouted,
“Why… Why are you here, Adversary?!”
Julien frowned slightly. Being suddenly confronted and accused with incomprehensible words left him completely confused.
But Ereneth, overwhelmed by the chaos in her mind, failed to even register his reaction.
‘How could he look so alike?!’
Though his presence and hair color were different, his face was identical to the Adversary the one humanity had once united against long ago.
Even his power was similar. The ability to defy the natural order was not something just anyone could wield.
A brilliant emerald light flared in Ereneth’s eyes.
Fwoooosh!
Crimson flames erupted around her as spirits danced in circles around her.
Julien refrained from attacking recklessly. He still didn’t know who she was or what her intentions were.
But Ereneth had no intention of stopping.
Fwoosh!
Flames surged toward Julien, exploding upon impact.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At the same time, elemental spirits surrounded him from all directions. Water spirits enveloped him, slowing his movements.
Wind spirits disrupted his breathing, while earth spirits tried to anchor him to the ground.
It was all futile. The spirits' power had no effect on Julien.
With a single swing of his sword, the wind scattered. The earth crumbled. The water burst apart.
Slash!
Julien finally launched his counterattack. A long gash was torn across Ereneth’s armor.
But she didn’t even flinch. Instead, she stretched out her hand.
Kwaaaang!
A green flash of light struck Julien, sending him skidding backward from the sheer force.
“……”
His eyes gleamed sharply. There were few who could land such a blow on him now that he had grown even stronger.
Gripping his sword tightly, Julien steadied himself. Cutting through space was powerful, but for an opponent of this caliber, engaging directly would be even more effective.
With lightning speed, he shot forward, swinging his sword at Ereneth.
Claaaang!
A radiant light burst from Ereneth’s arm, blocking his strike.
The two instantly engaged in a relentless exchange of blows, moving at incredible speeds.
Boom! Boom! Booooom!
The sheer ferocity of their clash left those watching in shock.
They were supposed to be on the same side as comrades in arms. Yet, they were suddenly fighting without reason, leaving everyone utterly bewildered.
Strictly speaking, it was Ereneth who had picked the fight first.
Claude turned to Wendy and remarked,
“See? All that talk about elves loving the forest and cherishing peace is complete nonsense. That elf over there? She throws punches at people the moment she sees them. Ever since I first met Ascon, I’ve been conducting deep research on elves, and—”
“……”
Without a word, Wendy took out a pair of earmuffs and put them on. If she kept listening, her ears might start bleeding.
Belinda rushed over to Ghislain, her voice urgent.
“Young Master! What’s going on? Why are they fighting? Shouldn’t we stop them?”
Ghislain nodded slightly. It was just as it had been in his past life. Ereneth was hiding something. That was why she reacted so violently every time she saw Julien.
He needed to calm her down first and ask for an explanation. He had no intention of letting it slide like he did in his past life.
But now wasn’t the time to intervene.
“Wait… It’s just getting interesting. I mean, let’s observe a bit longer.”
Truthfully, he just wanted to watch them fight a little more. Opportunities like this were rare. Both of them were so skilled that it was exhilarating to witness.
The others felt the same. While they were concerned, they also watched with fascination. Witnessing a battle between masters of such caliber was an invaluable learning experience.
Meanwhile, Alfoi and Claude were casually playing rock-paper-scissors, betting and exchanging the duration of their servitude.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
The battle grew fiercer. Even Julien, renowned as one of the strongest, found it difficult to handle Ereneth when she fought at full strength.
Ereneth clenched her teeth, her expression as if she were being chased by something.
‘Not yet… My [a]full power hasn’t returned yet. I must kill him now!’
This was her only chance. If he regained his full strength, even if everyone here fought together, they wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Boom! Boom! BOOOOM!
Julien’s gaze darkened. He didn’t even exude killing intent.
He was only fighting because she was attacking him. Any curiosity he had about her reasons had already faded.
But he couldn’t keep this up forever. He had to decide to subdue her or to kill her.
Drawing on more of his power, he advanced.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
In an instant, he slashed Ereneth multiple times.
Yet, shockingly, she continued moving without hesitation.
The spirits healed her wounds instantly, and her armor woven from the essence of trees repaired itself on its own.
Kwaaaaaang!
Ereneth unleashed another blast of radiant energy, forcing Julien back once more.
With each movement, their shockwaves intensified. The ground beneath them had already crumbled, riddled with deep cracks and craters.
The sheer force of their clash stirred up violent storms, forcing the onlookers to retreat further.
Boom! Boom! BOOOM!
The more she fought, the more confusion filled Ereneth’s mind.
‘Why… Why isn’t he using his true power?!’
Despite fighting so fiercely, he wasn’t using that cursed energy at all. No, there wasn’t even a trace of it.
Only the clear, blue radiance of pure mana continued to envelop his sword.
Anyone could see that his strength was the result of rigorous training. There were no signs of any external force interfering.
‘Did I misunderstand? Is he just someone who looks like him?’
In truth, only his face and name were the same. There was none of the intense rage and hatred that the Adversary once harbored.
Even the power he wielded while similar was distinctly different.
Had she been mistaken because of what Arterion had said?
‘The Saintess! Why is she just standing there?!’
Parniel was even more sensitive to the energy of the Salvation Church than Ereneth herself.
Yet even she was standing there, arms crossed, merely watching. It was clear she hadn't sensed anything unusual.
No, more than that she hadn't even suspected him from the beginning. That was why she had stayed with them all this time.
Had she truly made a mistake? Had she misjudged the situation entirely?
Ereneth clenched her trembling heart.
‘There’s no way it’s just a coincidence that he has the same name!’
Gritting her teeth, she took a step back.
At this point, it no longer mattered whether he was truly the Adversary or not. For the sake of humanity, she couldn't afford to leave even the slightest doubt unresolved.
This was her conviction, her justice.
Fwoooosh!
As she withdrew, a radiant emerald bow formed in her hands.
The Elven Serenade, a decisive weapon.
The gathered energy made the onlookers recoil in shock. The sheer power she exuded now was incomparable to before.
Even Julien's eyes gleamed with tension. No matter how powerful he was, even he wasn't certain he could withstand that.
Thud!
He stepped forward, pouring all his mana into his sword. The blade shone a chilling, icy blue.
He would cut down everything space, time, and the person before him.
His will dominated the surroundings with an overwhelming presence.
One of them would die. Yet neither backed down.
Kwaaaaaaa!
Just as the two enormous forces were about to collide—
Ghislain stepped between them, raising both hands.
“Whoa, whoa. Stop.”
Screeeeech!
BOOOOM!
Julien’s sword sliced into empty air, carving a deep trench into the earth and causing a localized earthquake.
Ereneth’s arrow of light soared into the sky, piercing through the clouds.
Both fighters turned to look at Ghislain. He simply flashed them a bright smile.
“Come on, why are you two immediately trying to kill each other? If you’re going to fight, at least know why you’re fighting first. Haven’t I always told you? I’m a non-violent pacifist.”
“……”
“……”
Neither of them responded.
Julien had only gotten caught up in this fight without understanding a thing, and Ereneth simply refused to answer.
However, Ghislain had no intention of letting this go.
He approached Ereneth and asked,
“What the hell is going on? At least tell me why. Why are you suddenly attacking a perfectly normal person, calling them the Adversary and all that?”
Ghislain knew what an Adversary was. But that was knowledge he had gained from a dream.
Just like his regression, talking about it to others would only make them think he was crazy, so he pretended not to know.
Ereneth let out a deep breath and removed her armor. With cold eyes, she spoke.
“The Adversary is the one who will lead the Salvation Church and bring about the destruction of the world.”
“The one leading the Salvation Church is Gartros.”
“The king he seeks is that man.”
Everyone's faces filled with shock at Ereneth’s startling declaration.
The king the Salvation Church was looking for was Julien?
He was indeed a prince who would become king one day, but this statement had crossed the line.
Claude whispered to Wendy.
“She must be really bored with life. Now that the Salvation Church is gone, she needs a new enemy. You know, there are people like that who can’t stand not having something to fight against.”
“……”
Claude’s nonsense almost sounded convincing, that’s how absurd Ereneth’s claim was.
Julien had fought harder than anyone to eradicate the Salvation Church. If not for him, the United Human Army would have faced an even tougher battle.
He had personally killed more than ten of the Salvation Church’s superhuman warriors. If he were truly their king, it would mean he had destroyed his own faction.
Those who had fought alongside Julien all rejected Ereneth’s words. What she said trampled on the honor Julien had built through his hardships.
In the end, Lumina stepped forward.
“Great Chieftain, I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding. He has fought harder than anyone to wipe out the Salvation Church. He has slain countless Riftspawn. If he were truly the king of the Salvation Church, that wouldn’t make any sense.”
“……”
Ereneth had no response. She was the only one who remembered the Adversary.
But even she was starting to waver. No matter how she looked at it, Julien was undoubtedly the Adversary, yet his actions did not align with that truth.
The Adversary’s purpose was the annihilation of humanity. If Julien was truly the Adversary, his actions up until now made no sense.
‘Could I… could I really have been mistaken?’
She felt frustrated. He didn’t even seem to be hiding his identity. Yet, he looked exactly like the Adversary she remembered, so much so that every time she saw him, she felt like she was losing her mind.
It was natural that no one understood. Only she knew the past.
Ghislain watched Ereneth closely.
‘Yeah, she’s frustrated and confused.’
In his previous life, he hadn’t known, but now, he thought he understood at least a little.
In the dream, Julien and Ereneth had fought together against the Salvation Church. So it was only natural for her to be confused when she saw someone who looked exactly like him.
However, the reason for the sudden attack was still unclear. Julien and the Hero from the dream may have looked alike, but they were entirely different individuals.
She should have had enough common sense to recognize that so there had to be a reason for her actions.
‘And the Adversary wasn’t Julien, was he?’
In the dream, Julien had been called the Hero and was fighting against the Adversary. If the dream wasn’t wrong, then it meant Ereneth’s memories were.
Ghislain spoke to Ereneth.
“We seem to have a lot to talk about. How about we move somewhere else and have that conversation?”
“……”
In his past life, Ereneth had fought against Julien and then left the United Human Army. It was a situation much like this one.
Of course, back then, she hadn’t spoken of things like the Adversary she had simply tried to kill Julien by any means necessary.
That was what made this moment slightly different.
‘Is it because of me?’
She had fought alongside him in Ritania, so perhaps she had built some level of trust with him.
Regardless, in his past life, everyone had tried to stop her and had taken Julien’s side, which led to her leaving.
Ereneth closed her eyes and took a moment to gather her thoughts.
‘I was too hasty.’
She had been too influenced by Arterion’s words. Maybe this really was just an incredible series of coincidences.
Even so, the coincidence felt too unsettling. There were too many similarities.
She didn’t want to stay here any longer. Even if that man wasn’t truly the Adversary, just looking at his face would bring back painful memories of the past.
She thought it would be better to distance herself for now and reassess everything slowly. But then, another being came to mind.
‘Arterion!’
That dragon sought to trample the kingdoms of humankind. If it failed to find the Adversary, it would surely turn to destroying other kingdoms, eventually clashing with the United Human Army.
And if, in the midst of all that, it discovered Julien—
‘Then everyone here will have to fight Arterion as well.’
A dragon was the supreme existence. Not even superhuman warriors could withstand its might.
If they faced the dragon unprepared, countless people would die.
Ereneth hesitated.
‘In the end, that man called Julien will die at Arterion’s hands.’
That would ensure the elimination of an ominous seed. Ereneth had no particular intention of stopping that from happening.
In fact, it would be the best outcome for humanity.
However, she didn’t want those who followed Julien to be caught in the crossfire.
She wrestled with the decision for a long while before finally letting out a deep sigh and speaking.
“Duke of Fenris.”
“Hm?”
“You must prepare for a new battle.”
“What kind of battle?”
With a grave expression, Ereneth opened her mouth to speak.
“A dragon will soon appear. That dragon will destroy the lands of humanity…”
She then pointed at Julien and continued.
“And it will never allow that man to live.”
At those words, Ghislain’s expression hardened.
In his past life, there had been only one dragon that had suddenly appeared and massacred humans.
Most of the Seven Strongest on the Continent had gathered to take it down, so he knew all too well what kind of enemy it was.
But…
It had appeared far too soon compared to his past life.
[a]*his?