Chapter 199 : Chapter 199
Chapter 199 : My Friend (4)
Even though I was trapped in total darkness, there was no sign of panic at all.
Well, was that natural?
If he had been surprised, I might have been the one flustered instead.
“……Ah, so that was it.”
The guy grinned.
“So it was you. The bastard who took away the Phantom Demon.”
The hair all over my body stood on end. My heart beat as if it would burst.
In the midst of this, the first thoughts that came to mind were that I had trapped the guy in the Ghost Manor, and that I hadn't revealed my appearance to the guy inside here yet.
Really well done, Bihen.
I almost got caught by everyone falling over in unsightly surprise…….
“So there was one of the Eight Demons in a key position of the Imperial Capital Knight Order too.”
Although I did overhear the conversation between Noser and the guy for a moment while coming here.
I had already exchanged blows with the guy once in Conwell.
‘Right Camp Leader of the Imperial Capital Knight Order, and head of the Langster Faction, Deganelo.’
The name Phantom Demon came out of the guy's mouth.
It was practically revealing his identity himself.
“Well, it wasn't unexpected.”
I cleared away the darkness and revealed myself in front of the guy.
I pretended to be composed.
The guy lifted the corners of his mouth.
It was an expression that said he already knew it was me.
“We're acquaintances, right?”
“I suppose so.”
“You cheeky descendant.”
Suddenly, the Blood Devil came to mind.
The guy also went on about descendants to me.
‘Compared to that, it’s embarrassing to even call the Poison Demon an evil spirit.’
I composed my expression.
Honestly, I was a bit grateful.
Since he saved me the trouble of going to find him one by one.
Still, I couldn't be pushed back in spirit.
I stiffened my index finger and pointed at the guy.
“You had better watch your mouth in front of me. Blood Devil, Poison Demon, Phantom Demon. They all died by my hands. Do you know that?”
“Hahaha, so what. Quit your clumsy tongue-flapping. Whether those guys did or not, I have no particular interest.”
He surprises me in many ways.
I knew that even if they were split entities from one body originally, they each had their own personalities, but I didn't know the bond between them would be this thin.
‘Come to think of it, the one who killed the Poison Demon was also the Phantom Demon in the end.’
I lost a bit of steam.
Actually, I was most wary of the situation where all of the Eight Demons joined forces to corner me, so…….
Let’s summarize.
Right now, one of the Eight Demons has appeared in front of me, I’ve trapped the guy inside the Ghost Manor, and I’ve learned the fact that the possibility of the remaining four evil spirits allying is not high.
‘Good.’
Somehow, my shoulders rose on their own.
“So, what should I call you?”
“To think there is a Mental World of the Sword of this magnitude at barely the Late Peak Expert level…….”
Deganelo looked around. It seemed my question wasn't even heard.
“Descendant, do you know what the Mental World of the Sword signifies?”
I should have ignored him like the guy did, but for some reason, my ears pricked up.
In fact, the Ghost Manor was still incomplete, and there were parts difficult to explain.
First of all, as the guy said, the Mental World of the Sword is the exclusive property and secret vision of the Transcendent Peak Realm.
Commonsensically, it wasn't something I, a Late Peak Expert who had just become able to wield Sword Aura freely, could handle.
“A space where the beliefs, all sorts of thoughts, will, and the trajectory of the sword that a human has built up over a lifetime are condensed. A world where the painting a swordsman drew inside himself with a sword instead of a brush is realized into substance.”
The guy added with emphasis.
“A cross-section of the unconscious.”
A cross-section of the unconscious, he says—
Unlike how he looked, the guy was blabbering difficult words.
I looked around inside the Ghost Manor for no reason.
It was only darkness. An emptiness whose depth couldn't even be gauged.
A space of silence where only the consciousness called ‘me’ seemed to be floating in nothingness.
‘…….’
Indeed, it did have parts that slightly resembled the Altar of the Abyss from before.
I mean that Altar of the Abyss before the golden stars were embroidered on all sides.
‘It seems like only the dark parts were cut out.’
Well, there’s no need to show the bright side of the world to the guys I’m going to dry up and kill inside here.
This extent is just right.
“Cut the crap.”
I pointed at the guy with my chin.
“I asked what I should call you.”
“Haha, well?”
“……Fine. I ask for the last time. The thing you pulled in Conwell last time. Did you do it knowing me?”
It was what I was most curious about.
Whether it was just an eccentric's behavior committed to see who the main character of the Conwell civil war was, or if he did it really as a warning that he was watching the existence called me, or perhaps on the level of a provocation.
‘I have to verify it.’
I knew the possibility of those guys allying was slim, but playing on top of a palm is another matter.
Looking back, the first meeting with Karim wasn't exactly on the natural side either.
‘Whatever his intention was.’
I stared at the guy. Masa, limp on the guy’s shoulder, entered my view.
‘…….’
I didn't even have time to get attached.
So, perhaps the reason I feel it turned out for the better is because I am a bad person to begin with.
‘Still, I promise.’
I will definitely exact your revenge.
“Hahahaha.”
The sound of the guy’s laughter rang unpleasantly.
I raised my head.
“……Well?”
Conversation ends with this.
I formed the Sword Finger.
“Devour.”
It was behind me.
A tremendous chill sprouted.
My hair and clothes fluttered slowly as they leaned forward.
Kiyaaaaaaaa—!
A Wraith Cry burst out.
Soon, bizarrely tangled spirits drove like a storm from behind my back towards the guy.
Even I, standing at the center, was to the extent of being buried in the overflowing tsunami.
In the midst of that, I saw it.
“……!”
The guy's face distorting with shock.
Now that looks a bit bearable.
Huh? The sight is very good.
Kieeeeee!
The spirits stuck thickly onto the guy.
Well, I don't know how great of a guy he is, but from the moment he was trapped in the Ghost Manor, you were already—
‘……!’
My eyes opened wide.
The spirits that had congealed on the guy peeled off by several layers, then soon fell off in clumps.
Kwagagak—
Cracks began to form on the surface like dry ground splitting.
Through the layers of split crevices, a transparent gas shimmered.
Kwaaaaaang!
Before long, it exploded.
Along with a roar that sounded like space was collapsing, white fragments scattered in all directions.
The guy was still in the middle of it.
Holding a broken sword in his hand.
Above the split cross-section, spirit waves were rising like a haze.
‘Formless Sword?’
It was then.
The guy shouted abruptly.
“You bastard, surely……!”
It was that same face from right before the specters pounced.
He looked bewildered.
“■■—!”
The guy shouted something.
At that moment, all sound snapped off.
A feeling as if I were being forcibly isolated from the world!
Aaaaaaaack—!
Tremendous agony!
It feels like my head is going to blow apart entirely!
Even though I scream until my throat tears, no voice comes out!
Pain? No!
This, is a feeling akin to my existence itself being denied!
“Keueue……!”
I opened my eyes in the gap where the pain subsided slightly.
The guy was rushing in. In an instant, he was within range.
“I’ll know if I verify it, ■■!”
Damn it! Again! Please just shut up! I mean it feels like my body is melting down!
Hwiooooo!
Then, a fierce whirlwind rose in front of me.
Grayish-white spirit waves repeated tangling and untangling wildly.
It was just like a guy who heard my scream and came to save me.
Inside the driving wind, the splitting headache vanished like a lie.
To think a tranquil state of nothing wrong was this happy!
“Ooooo!”
I raised my head at the exclamation heard from beyond.
Amidst it all, the guy was smiling as if he didn't know what to do out of joy.
It was an expression where excitement and thrill were mixed.
The Formless Sword thrust towards me was blocked by the grayish-white spirit waves wrapped like a barrier in front of me.
“As expected, it was so. That is why the Phantom Demon……”
I have to shut that snout!
“Good, now it’s my turn to repay you.”
It was the moment I grasped the hilt of the Heavenly Demon.
The guy moved far back.
At the same time, the grayish-white wind that was blowing dizzily disappeared cleanly as if promised.
“I’ll pretend I didn't see it.”
“……What?”
“I mean as you wish.”
The guy twisted the corners of his mouth and waved his arm.
Along the trajectory of the Formless Sword, the empty air split open.
Black energy poured out from the crevice.
Although all sides were already a pitch-black space, the darkness like ink clouds squirmed with a separate texture.
“It is my final consideration.”
The crevice grew wider and wider.
What was seen beyond that was similar to that of a Spatial Transfer Gate.
The guy leaned his body into it.
“……I hope we do not meet again. ■■.”
“S, Stop—!”
Again! It feels like lightning is pouring over my whole body!
I clenched my teeth and shot out like an arrow.
I swung the Heavenly Demon with all my might but—
The guy had already vanished without a trace.
***
“Euraaaaa!”
Kwang!
“Heuyaaaaap!”
Kwagang!
Every time a roar burst out, the harbor shook entirely.
It was more than enough to swallow the sound of waves.
“Uaaaaa—!”
In the middle of the abandoned port.
A large and smooth black sphere was floating.
Kwa— ang!
Bolero grit his teeth and struck down, but the sphere didn't budge.
Only Bolero's fists were becoming tattered and bloody.
“Huuk, huuk.”
Amidst everyone watching with bated breath, Bolero poured out rough breaths.
It was the spot where Bihen and Deganelo had disappeared.
The matte black sphere that didn't reflect light at all was like an egg of darkness not of this world.
“It, It’s useless, I tell you. It was like this last time too.”
Tiaro approached carefully and said.
He was talking about that day when a terrible transcendent being appeared and then disappeared due to Bihen.
Even then, it was like this, and Bihen returned from the egg perfectly fine.
“Shut up! Brother is trapped inside here!”
Bolero shouted abruptly.
That day, he had appeared late with the human-faced bat, so he couldn't know the full story.
Bihen, who was in the middle of talking at the altar on the coastal cliff, suddenly kicked off his seat and this situation unfolded blindly.
Bolero, who was chasing late, saw clearly that Bihen was trapped inside this.
“Damn it!”
The bigger problem was Noser, who had fallen covered in blood.
He might have already stopped breathing.
He was too scared to even check.
Right next to him, Roxy was fallen while having lost consciousness.
Ellen and McRay were also in a state of having completely lost their minds.
‘Just what is this……!’
Bolero held his head. He wanted to tear out all his hair, which didn't exist.
What was seen then was Kuhn standing blankly and looking up at the sphere.
“…….”
As for Bolero, he didn't even know her name.
He hadn't asked Bihen either.
Even if he knew, he wouldn't have called it.
She was a woman who had ominous corners the more he looked.
No, before that, could that even be called a person?
“Oi, why don't you try doing something?”
“…….”
Kuhn also treated Bolero as a nonexistent person.
To begin with, other than Bihen, she wasn't associating with any humans.
“Huu—”
Bolero shook his head as if he hadn't expected it anyway, then took a deep breath.
“Heavenly Pole…….”
White breath flowed out from Bolero’s mouth.
The vortex of shockwaves wrapping his fists grew larger. Dust flowed backward from both feet firmly planting on the ground.
‘I will save you, so just wait a little, Brother!’
The momentum was tremendous.
The earth axis shook.
Ellen, who was crouching at the sudden ground rumble, raised his head.
It was to the extent that even Kuhn glanced over.
“Straaaaiiight—!”
Hudududuk—
It was then.
Finally, the black sphere collapsed.
Fragments like pitch-black dust poured down in droves.
The problem was that it was right before Bolero’s fist made contact.
“……ight!”
The fist already extended couldn't be stopped.
Bolero’s fist was sucked straight into the black fog pouring like a waterfall.
A dull friction sound rang out.
*“Heup!”
Bolero’s eyes became round.
Soon, the fog cleared slowly.
Bihen had set up the Heavenly Demon and was supporting Bolero’s fist with the sword hilt.
A brief awkward silence flowed.
At some point, the traces of the black sphere had disappeared without a trace.
Bolero smacked his lips with a bewildered expression.
“A, Are you okay, Brother……?”
Bihen silently dropped only his eyes downward.
Noser was fallen at the end of his gaze.
“Brother……?”
Bihen knelt on one knee beside Noser.
As he placed his fingertips on the nape of the neck, a faint pulse was soon felt.
“He is still breathing.”
At that short one word, Bolero’s shoulders drooped.
Ellen, Tiaro, and all the crowd who were watching sighed in relief all at once.
Among them, some…… rubbed their hands while bowing their heads and muttered unintelligible words.
Even tears of relief were flowing.