Chapter 217
“…Ah, my sunglasses.”
As I stepped out of the door, I realized I had left my sunglasses back in the gym.
These eyes… these unnecessarily pink eyes stood out so much that even people far away could notice them if I didn’t wear sunglasses.
Even in Silia, where people had a variety of hair and eye colors, my appearance was particularly noticeable.
Setting aside my face, no one else had pink hair or eyes like me.
There were similar shades, sure, but they were either much darker or much lighter—none matched mine.
Was that a good thing? Well, I wouldn’t say it was.
People either whispered behind my back or hit on me outright.
And then…
‘What an unusual color.’
‘With a face like that, you’d sell for a high price.’
‘Isn’t this one a bit too young?’
‘Don’t you know those noble bastards? The younger, the better.’
“Tsk.”
…Why am I even remembering that?
Sure, I gave those who salivated over me a “new life,” but it wasn’t a pleasant memory.
Thinking about stuff like this shows how unsettled I must be right now.
Anyway, because of my distinct appearance, I had to use a few tricks to avoid drawing attention. Sunglasses were one of the more important tools for that, and now they were back in the gym.
It wasn’t difficult to go back and grab them.
It’s not like it was some insurmountable task.
“…No.”
But I simply turned my back.
I couldn’t explain why.
I just had a feeling that it wouldn’t make much difference.
Feelings aren’t exactly convincing reasons to explain to someone else.
So, instead of justifying my actions to myself, I stepped forward with purpose.
‘Where should I go?’
The answer came quickly.
After all, that man had been imbued with Edel’s divine power, so there had to be some connection to her.
“Let’s go to Demoninus.”
If the one who sent me the invitation was indeed Edel, why would she send it in such an unconventional way when she could’ve just called?
If it wasn’t Edel, then why did that man carry her divine power?
The answers to all these questions would likely be found at Demoninus, where Edel resided.
As I ran swiftly, I pulled my hood tightly over my head and scanned my surroundings.
Demoninus’s building wasn’t too far from Da-eun’s house.
But I was coming from Yuki’s gym.
Compared to the heart of Seoul where Demoninus was located, I was further away, not closer.
“…Nothing I can do about it.”
I couldn’t even move at full speed because of the crowded streets.
Not unless I was prepared to mow down everyone in my way.
Which, of course, I wasn’t.
So, I had to use another method.
Maintaining my running speed, I took one step, then another.
Thud—
On the third step, my body leaped high into the air.
When I glanced down, I noticed someone walking in the opposite direction, looking around in confusion.
They kept rubbing their eyes, clearly perplexed.
Was the cold wind bothering them?
Leaving the shivering pedestrian behind, I pressed forward.
Sometimes, I stepped on the roof of a tall, unnamed building. Other times, I used the back of a passing bird as footing.
When neither was available, I simply stepped on the empty air itself.
Before long, my destination came into view.
“…What’s that?”
And something I hadn’t expected at all.
The blue sky had been replaced by an expansive black one.
It looked as if a black curtain had been drawn over the sky. The bizarre sight made me land on the ground, letting out a hollow laugh.
“Looks like something’s definitely going on.”
To someone unfamiliar, it might appear like a solar eclipse…
Actually, no. Probably not.
Unless someone was completely clueless, they wouldn’t mistake this for a solar eclipse.
A solar eclipse refers to the phenomenon where the moon blocks the sun, not a curtain of darkness spreading across the sky.
And besides, during a solar eclipse, gigantic hands don’t appear to tear through the heavens.
“Ha-ha. What a mess.”
The dry laugh that escaped my lips was devoid of any humor.
So dry that I thought even a drought-stricken field would be wetter than my tone.
Laughing at something that wasn’t even funny—it made sense.
Murmur—
The situation had everyone on the streets stopping in their tracks and staring up at the sky.
Though some were terrified and stepping back cautiously, the number of curious onlookers staring and chatting outweighed them significantly.
Maybe it was because the scene felt too unreal for anyone to sense imminent danger.
If this were the world of Silia, where attacks by Dimensional Creatures were a common occurrence, it might have been different. But on Earth, such sights were incredibly rare.
The black curtain drawn over the sky and the massive hand piercing through it emanated an aura of otherworldly energy.
It was unmistakably the same as what I was familiar with.
Yes, it was the energy of a Dimensional Creature.
“Edel… You didn’t say anything about something like this happening.”
That useless god.
“Sigh.”
What can I do?
When the higher-ups are incompetent, it’s always the people below who suffer.
In that sense, Edel could really learn a thing or two from me.
I was an exceptionally competent and exemplary leader, after all.
“….”
My ears suddenly felt itchy. Was someone talking bad about me?
Of course, no one could have heard my thoughts just now, so it must’ve been my imagination.
Even if it wasn’t, I didn’t care.
It’s the duty of a superior to guide their subordinates back to the right path if they’re thinking the wrong way.
Srring.
‘Enough nonsense.’
Spending too much time with Da-eun must’ve rubbed off on me in unpleasant ways.
I sighed softly, and my gaze fell on the crimson blade in my hand—Crimson Aegis.
In that moment, a wave of nostalgia surged through me.
‘If Dad were here….’
He’d always call me boyish or say I was too stiff, so he probably would’ve welcomed my current rambling nature.
No, it’s not a “probably.” He definitely would have.
Thinking that way made it feel not so bad for a brief moment.
“Work is work, though, and it must be taken seriously.”
I might occasionally throw a few sharp comments to provoke others, but keeping a playful attitude while working didn’t suit my personality.
If this were a comic book, this kind of behavior would be described as “out of character.”
I adjusted my grip on Crimson Aegis.
There were too many people around.
If I started wielding my sword here, I’d naturally draw attention.
But then again, with everything going on, did that really matter?
The hunch I had when I left the gym proved to be correct, but it didn’t bring me any joy.
“…Hmm. Even if I asked them to move aside, they wouldn’t listen.”
I muttered as I looked at the crowd blocking my way.
They were too busy watching the spectacle, and the frightened ones probably wouldn’t even register my voice.
It didn’t matter.
If I were the kind of person to care about such things, I’d still be standing outside the gym, hesitating.
Woong…
The crimson blade glowed as my mana enveloped it, tinting it pink.
Even with the change in color, the sword’s inherent properties remained intact, and the heat radiating from it warmed the surrounding area.
“…H-Huh?!”
A passerby, feeling the unnatural warmth in the chilly air, turned around out of reflex and gasped audibly.
Seeing their reaction made me feel… not sorry at all.
It wasn’t like I meant them any harm. In fact, I was helping them, so there was no need to feel guilty.
“Phew…”
I took a light breath and adjusted my posture.
Hoo—
Before my exhaled breath could even disperse,
everything around me distorted like a smudged watercolor painting.
And in the next moment, a colossal hand loomed before me.
‘…No matter how many times I see it, it’s ridiculously big.’
Its fingers alone seemed larger than I was.
It reminded me of the giants I once fought in Silia…
“….”
As I measured the size of the hand, an odd irritation crept in.
Here I was, still being treated like a kid at my age because of my small stature, and yet this thing had the audacity to flaunt its massive size—
“…Ahem.”
…Got a little too excited there.
I calmed my mind, kicked off the air, and leapt again.
Even though my body was starting to descend back to the ground.
Swish—
My sword had already reached it.
A sudden flash of light followed by a thin pink line trailed behind it.
What was the thing to say at times like this again?
Oh, right.
“You’re already dead… it’s not?”
Splurt!
As soon as I finished speaking, the long pink line split the hand.
Dark purple liquid gushed out as the arm protruding from the black curtain twisted its body.
It seemed to be in quite a lot of pain.
A saintly person would probably try to comfort their enemy’s pain.
“But I’m no saint.”
It’s in pain?
…Well, that’s an absolute win for me.
Why should I soothe it when I could rip the wound further open?
I followed my instincts.
I slashed vertically earlier, so it’s only fair to balance things out with a horizontal cut.
Spinning my descending body around, I swung my sword.
Slash!
Ta-da, it’s done.
Two neatly severed palm fragments fell to the ground with a thud.
Calling them “fragments” might be misleading; they were much larger than me.
“…Tch.”
It was easy to imagine what would happen if those massive chunks hit the crowd gathered below.
“What a nuisance.”
For a moment, as I watched them idly spectating without a sense of danger, I wondered, “Should I save them?”
In a moment of generosity, I swung my sword a few more times.
The massive fragments broke into countless smaller pieces.
It might hurt a little if they got hit, but considering I just saved their lives, they should be grateful enough.
“Well. Next—”
My pink eyes flickered toward the remains.
The bottom portion of the severed hand barely clung on, writhing in silent agony.
The arm, seemingly incapable of seeing, flailed wildly at empty air in its rage and pain, unable to locate me.
“I’m right here.”
To make my presence known, I sent out another slash.
The arm flailed even more violently.
At first, it was mildly entertaining.
“…Not anymore.”
It was no different from hitting a motionless scarecrow. My interest dwindled rapidly.
It wasn’t tough enough to fuel my persistence either.
As my enthusiasm faded, so did the sharp energy imbued in my sword.
“You’re not planning to retreat quietly, are you? Then let’s end this.”
There was no need for elaborate techniques against a creature like this.
Swordsmanship was designed for efficient slashing and stabbing.
I’d already reduced it to a wreck without any fancy moves; there was no reason to start now.
Clang!
The mana-infused energy in my sword shot forward as a blade of light.
The pink energy struck the elbow protruding slightly out of the black curtain, producing a sharp, intense sound.
The resistance was notably stronger there compared to other parts.
Crack—!
Slice!
The result, however, remained the same.
A network of scars formed across the enormous arm before it shattered into countless pieces.
Glancing down, I noticed the chaos below. People were in a panic, fleeing in all directions.
It seemed getting hit by the fragments brought them back to their senses.
Heh.
The sight was amusing enough to make me chuckle slightly as I watched from above, using mana as a foothold.
But amusement aside…
“What am I supposed to do about this now?”
The situation wasn’t over yet.
The black curtain looming in the sky remained intact, and there was still a chance that more strange things could emerge, just like before.
As I maintained my grip on my sword without letting my guard down—
Flash!
“…Ugh?!”
A blinding beam of light burst from the black curtain.
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, I grimaced and leapt backward.
Having already lost the initiative, I had to brace myself for whatever was coming—
“Phew… Thought I was going to die.”
As I forced my half-closed eyes to stay open, scanning ahead, a familiar voice rang out.
“…Edel?”
“Yes! It’s Edel!”
The lively voice, unbefitting its age, was unmistakably Edel’s—the voice of the goddess I knew.
‘Should I just cut her down?’
The thought crossed my mind briefly, but I eventually lowered my sword.
It was already too late to pretend I didn’t recognize her and strike.
—
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