| Author: Tensei Mikami | Original Source: Syosetu | Word Count: 2269 characters |
| Translator: Jiro | English Source: Re:Library | Word Count: Unknown words |
| Editor(s): Robinxen | ||
“Ha… ha…”
Silence filled the area. Only the occasional toppled crate groaned, and a tense silence lingered between Seletina and Lichter.
In the distance, the sounds of the battle unfolded vividly, but Seletina’s heart pounded heavily in her ears, obscuring those external noises and amplifying those from within.
They glared at each other. Seletina couldn’t understand the reason behind Lichter’s intense desire to kill her.
“Lichter… Aren’t you a knight? You’re a proud knight who serves as His Majesty’s sword and protects the weak, are you not? What happened to you?” Seletina questioned, puzzled by Lichter’s transformation.
Seletina was completely taken aback by Lichter’s appearance which seemed like it had been the work of a witch.
“……”
“What?”
Lichter muttered something, yet Seletina couldn’t understand him. At the very least, she could tell that his words were not kind ones. Seletina’s eyes fluttered twice.
“…”
After that, Lichter screamed. His face contorted in agony, veins bulged on his face and his neck swelled. It was a scream powerful enough to tear open his throat.
Simultaneously, Elyutinias embedded in his shoulder was forcefully expelled, and a jet of black substance spurted forth. It was not blood, but a shapeless torrent of darkness. It was hotter than magma, yet colder than ice.
Impatiently, Seletina withdrew Elyutinias and distanced herself from Lichter.
Lichter continued to writhe on the ground, screaming and expelling the dark liquid. He scratched his head, drenched in sweat, cursing, spewing, vomiting, expelling until eventually…
◇◇◇
A loud sound split through Ulbdor. The powerful collapsing sound was so jarring that Imitia mistook it for an earthquake. Maintaining her balance with difficulty, she maintained control of the Mana stored in her wand.
Before the soldiers could fully comprehend the earlier impact, their expressions shifted. Within the warehouse compartment, darkness erupted from a towering structure, seemingly reaching for the sky.
The darkness was indescribable, yet unmistakably profound, prompting an immediate sense of despair in Imitia. Darker than shadows, the darkness ascended towards the heavens, consuming light and casting despair into the blue sky.
“Seletina!” Imitia shouted her friend’s name, holding her hair back from the gusts of wind as she saw Seletina roll out of the warehouse from which the darkness had emerged. Seletina was shouting something as she gazed up at the darkness ascending to the heavens.
“Lichter!!!” The name that escaped Seletina’s lips was that of a warrior whom Imitia also knew.
(Lichter?)
Doubts and confusion swirled in Imitia’s mind. Lichter was the name of the person who was believed to have perished in the previous battle. And that darkness… Seletina was calling out Lichter’s name while staring into that darkness.
Imitia couldn’t make out what was going on. Yet she knew that darkness. As Imitia stared at the darkness that did not allow even a speck of light pass through, memories of a witch began to take shape in her mind. The Witch of Black and White. The darkness seemed to merge with the image of the witch who transformed the path ahead of her into hell with each step she took.
Simultaneously, goosebumps shot up all over Imitia’s body. Every mage who’d honed themselves could recognize that feeling and smell. Within that darkness, the witch’s presence lingered, her ominous aura unmistakable.
A shiver ran down Imitia’s spine. If this darkness was indeed the work of The Witch of Black and White, then it must have meant something. However, Imitia did not know what her intent was.
“Just how far is it gonna go? Wait… Is it following Seletina?” Imitia instantly rushed towards Seletina like an arrow, propelled by a newfound resolve. “Seletina!”
Seletina shook when she heard her name called out. She turned to see Imitia running towards her, wearing an urgent expression.
“Imitia?! What are you doing? I left that area to you!”
“This is no time for that, you fool! Don’t you see that?! If we let that thing go, we’re screwed!”
The dense concentration of darkness emerging from the clear sky began to compress. Upon closer look, it became apparent that the darkness was using Lichter’s body as a vessel.
With Lichter’s body suspended in midair as its core, the darkness grew even darker.
The intensity became even more apparent up close. The Mana’s density resembled that of Great Spell, evoking a sense of overwhelming presence, as if the witch herself stood beside them.
Imitia gritted her teeth and brandished her wand while shouting. Then a sun appeared from the wand’s tip, a High Magic that had originally been meant for the sea of Demons.
Beside her, Seletina shouted. She shouted out Lichter’s name as she gripped Imitia’s arm while Imitia was channeling her spell. But time seemed to stand still… The sun flew in the sky before casting into the darkness. The sun plunged into the darkness, which soon began to engulf it.
“What the…” Imitia exclaimed, eyes widening in shock. The flames she had conjured were being devoured by the darkness. Before long, the darkness overwhelmed Imitia’s spell.
