Chapter 138 138: War (8)
Kiiieeeek—!
The Purple Dementer shrieked as it swung its massive claws wildly.
It fired bursts of shinsu and whipped its tail, trying to drive away the enemies clinging to it.
But none of it worked.
CRACKLE—
Every time Maschenny moved, sparks burst around her, leaving trails of lightning in the air.
She was moving that fast.
Each attack from the Purple Dementer was dangerous—
but it didn't matter if it never hit.
And in reality, Maschenny was dodging every attack while repeatedly driving lightning spears into it, completely dominating the fight.
Watching this, the High Ranker handler controlling the Dementer clicked his tongue.
To his experienced eyes, Maschenny—still a rookie Ranker—had several openings.
But the Purple Dementer was foolishly charging with brute attacks instead of exploiting them.
He wanted to control it directly and target those weaknesses himself—
but he couldn't.
Fwoosh—
"Damn it!"
The moment he tried to fire a shinsu blast while Maschenny dodged—
his attempt was interrupted.
A spear wrapped in blue flames shot straight toward his heart.
The culprit was obvious.
Hwarang.
Did I get careless…?
The real problem was Arie Hoaquin.
Normally, the Purple Dementer user controlled three Dementers.
If even one more had been intact, this fight would have been far easier.
But while he had been buying time for the ritual to awaken the Ancient Species—
Hoaquin had destroyed two of them.
Now everything had become far more complicated.
Inside the crater were only:
the remaining Purple Dementer
its High Ranker handler
and Maschenny's team
All the other Leruie cultists had already been sent away by the handler to fight Zahard's army.
I should have kept a few here…!
Regret came too late.
Now he had to fix this himself.
It was still possible to turn things around.
At least, that's what he believed.
Even if the talents of Zahard's princess and the Ten Family team were far beyond expectations—
Even if they were fighting him, a High Ranker, on equal footing—
He had still lived far longer than them.
They were merely rookie Rankers who had just shed the title of Regular.
"Hyah!"
"…!"
Yura kicked off the ground and lunged forward, smashing a fist toward the handler with full force.
The handler crossed his arms to block—
and instantly regretted it.
CRACK—
"Ghk…!"
What kind of strength is this?!
BOOM!
The handler was blown backward.
He quickly pulled a needle weapon from his inventory.
"Ignition!"
The needle swung forward, unleashing a massive shockwave toward the Ten Family team.
As expected of an ignition weapon, it carried tremendous power.
But Hwarang's group showed no sign of concern.
Before the shockwave could reach them—
Asensio stepped forward.
He pulled out a white spear, twirling it lightly.
Then he thrust it forward.
"Ignition."
A flash of light burst from the spear tip—piercing straight through the shockwave and striking the handler.
"…Kgh!"
"Good thing we took a few ignition weapons from Hoaquin," Asensio said calmly.
"I still don't know where he got so many high-grade ignition weapons."
The handler staggered—and immediately Hwarang, Yura, and Asensio rushed him simultaneously.
Even so, a High Ranker was still a High Ranker.
Despite facing three opponents, he didn't fall behind.
In fact, he began pushing them back.
But then—a fourth fighter joined.
Kiiiiing—
Several purple lighthouses gathered together to form a field.
Purple light poured down over the handler.
For a moment—his movements froze.
The instant the restraint lifted—
Hwarang's flaming fist slammed into his solar plexus.
"Gah—!"
Black blood spilled from his mouth.
He jumped back in panic—but the lighthouse field activated a gravity distortion, slowing him down.
Far away, calmly controlling the lighthouses—stood Luf.
"Tu Perie…!"
The handler ground his teeth.
But before he could even think about how to deal with the lightbearer—
Asensio suddenly appeared right in front of him.
"Now isn't the time to worry about the lightbearer."
"Don't get cocky!"
Asensio's weapon had changed into a blue spear.
He swung it in every direction.
The spear's blade and shaft were separated—
allowing the blade to fly freely while the shaft blocked attacks.
It was the technique that would later allow him to found his own faction.
Flying Spear Technique.
CLANG—
The handler had never seen such spearplay before.
Every time he thrust his needle—the spear shaft blocked it.
At the same time, the flying blade targeted his blind spots.
The technique was both offense and defense perfected.
For a brief moment—he lost control of the fight.
But that lasted only a moment.
Soon the handler regained the initiative and struck back once—
then returned to a defensive stance.
To an outside observer, he appeared completely overwhelmed.
And finally—a crack appeared in his perfect defense.
That crack was exactly the trap he had prepared—
but—
Whoosh—
Even though the opening was obvious,
Asensio suddenly retreated.
"What?! How did you notice—?!"
"You're underestimating us."
"We may have just become Rankers."
"But each of us is considered a genius even within the Ten Great Families."
"Did you really think someone without that level of battle sense would be here?"
FWOOOSH—
The moment Asensio finished speaking—
Hwarang thrust both hands forward.
Blue flames exploded outward, engulfing the handler.
He quickly formed a shinsu barrier and pushed forward through the fire toward Hwarang.
"Hey."
"Clench your teeth."
At that moment—
a cold voice spoke from behind him.
By the time he turned—
Yura's fist had already smashed into his face.
"GRAAAH!"
Impossible.
Me… a High Ranker…
Losing to four rookie Rankers?!
There was only one option left.
BOOM!
He slammed shinsu into the ground—
triggering a massive explosion that forced Hwarang, Asensio, and Yura back.
Then he turned toward Maschenny.
The armor of the Purple Dementer was already nearing its limit.
At this rate it would eventually break.
The four fighting him were impressive—but the Zahard Princess was far more monstrous.
The Dementer's armor was strong enough that only High Rankers could break it.
Yet Maschenny—who had only just become a Ranker—had nearly cracked it just by throwing lightning spears.
He finally understood how terrifying Zahard's princesses were.
What kind of monsters were born when the blood of Zahard and the Ten Families mixed.
But right now—Maschenny Zahard was also his only hope.
The Purple Dementer's second finger on the right hand contains a poison strong enough to knock out even a High Ranker.
Use that.
Capture Maschenny Zahard.
Take her hostage.
Exchange her for Hoaquin.
Then escape.
Meanwhile—
Maschenny herself was also struggling.
The Lightning Pill she swallowed shortened its already brief duration—
but amplified its effects explosively.
Her current state combined:
the power of a Ranker
the power of a Zahard Princess
the power of a direct descendant of the Khun family
Even after consuming such a monstrous boost and attacking as fast and hard as possible—
the Dementer's armor had only just begun to crack.
Meanwhile—the Lightning Pill's time was almost over.
Even at this overwhelming peak power she had barely scratched it.
Once the effect ended—and the rebound hit—
defeating it would be impossible.
…An Observer that rivals a High Ranker. More dangerous than I expected.
But something else bothered her.
The second finger on its right hand.
Every other part had been attacking constantly.
But that finger hadn't moved at all.
"Hm…"
Maschenny smiled slightly.
Interesting.
Definitely worth trying.
She loved battles like this.
Bloody fights where one small mistake meant death.
This was exactly the thrill she craved.
Of course—
Hoaquin came first.
So she would end this quickly.
Unlike the battle style she had used until now—dodging attacks at mid-range while throwing countless lightning spears—this time Maschenny dismissed her lightning spear first and charged the Purple Dementer with her bare hands.
At that moment, Maschenny didn't miss the brief glance that ugly monster, who was fighting Hwarang, Asensio, Yura, and Luf, shot toward her.
Almost at the same time, the previously motionless second finger on the Purple Dementer's right hand began to move.
Thanks to her innate combat talent and instinct, Maschenny became certain.
There was something hidden in that finger.
Just before the finger struck down toward her, electricity flared in Maschenny's bare hand, and in an instant a massive lightning spear formed at incredible speed.
Maschenny-Style Lightning Spear Technique – Three Horns
Crackle—
CRUNCH!
The extended lightning spear pierced straight through the finger that concealed the Purple Dementer's secret.
The finger froze in place—and the hidden trick inside it was revealed.
Drip…
"So it's poison," Maschenny said calmly.
"You were hiding such a cute little trick."
"H-How did you…?!"
"You've wasted your life. Go start climbing the Tower again from the 2nd Floor."
"Though you'll die to me before that."
"Hah! It doesn't matter! The Purple Dementer still—!"
At that moment, the Purple Dementer's mouth opened wide as dense purple shinsu began to condense inside it.
KIIIIEEEE!
CRACKLE—
Shinsu gathered from the surroundings, compressing into a terrifying attack.
It was the Purple Dementer's other trump card—
an ultra-high-output shinsu cannon.
Compared to the previous blasts, the density was on a completely different level.
If Maschenny took that head-on, even she would suffer serious injuries.
The duration of the Lightning Pill was also almost over.
So Maschenny immediately began preparing her final technique.
Crackle—
Snap—
Blue shinsu began gathering into her hands.
The maximum number of bangs she could currently control was about 25.
Instead of splitting them—
she stacked them together.
Layer upon layer—
until they became one massive single bang.
Finally, the giant disc-shaped bang was filled with the maximum shinsu she could contain.
Thunder roared.
Maschenny-Style Shinsu Manipulation – Gran Electrica Pearl
Feeling threatened by the enormous tension of shinsu, the Purple Dementer immediately fired its fully charged cannon.
At the same time, Maschenny hurled the massive bang toward it.
CRAAAASH!!
The Gran Electrica Pearl spun violently—
splitting the shinsu cannon clean in half.
Then it struck the Purple Dementer directly, instantly ending its life.
Lightning exploded everywhere, turning the surroundings white for a brief instant.
And Maschenny did not miss even that moment.
She unleashed one last technique.
Maschenny-Style Lightning Spear Technique – Gran Espada del la Luz
BOOOOM!
"Ghah!"
A massive blade of light shot from her hand and pierced straight through Asinus's torso.
At the same moment, the Lightning Pill's duration ended.
Even while suffering the full rebound of the drug, Maschenny managed to remain conscious.
She walked toward the collapsed Asinus and stepped on him.
"Ugh…"
"Phew… I'll make you look the same."
"W-What…?"
Thud.
A lightning spear stabbed into Asinus's left eye.
"AAAAAGH!"
Ignoring his scream, she stabbed it again—completely burning the eye with electricity—then severed one of his arms.
His screams only fueled her sadistic side and the anger she felt because of Hoaquin.
"Ah… now I feel a bit better."
"Maschenny noona, should we move Hoaquin hyung to a hospital?" Luf asked.
"…No."
"First we'll put him on a Zahard Army floating ship."
Maschenny looked at the many floating ships and war vessels warping into the village.
Then she walked over to Hoaquin.
She still couldn't understand what had happened earlier when the giant black dragon had been absorbed into him.
But the fact that Hoaquin seemed fine was enough to reassure her.
She quietly looked at the sleeping Hoaquin, who seemed to have fallen unconscious from exhaustion—or something else.
Then she reached out and gently tidied his messy long hair.
She tried to lift him in a princess carry—but Yura stopped her.
"…Why?"
"It's fine when we're alone."
"But right now… maybe not."
Yura tilted his head toward the many Zahard soldiers nearby.
Maschenny reluctantly agreed.
With a slightly sulky expression, she handed Hoaquin to Hwarang, then walked closely beside him.
.....
"Hmm… things seem to have become a little complicated."
"But the overall direction hasn't changed."
"So I suppose it's time to move."
From the darkness, a middle-aged man wearing a ruby ornament slowly stepped forward.
The direction he was looking at—was toward Hoaquin, who had fainted, and the companions who had returned as Rankers.
Yes.
Rankers.
They were no longer Regulars.
Which meant touching them would no longer cause problems.
In the end, his plan had succeeded.
Shuuuuu—
Black shinsu condensed in the man's hand.
Without making the slightest sound, the dense black energy aimed straight at Maschenny.
"Well then… now—"
Thud.
A purple bow suddenly blocked his path.
"…Khel Hellam."
"So it's you."
"Please don't interfere."
"That won't be possible," Khel Hellam replied calmly.
"I can roughly guess why you're here."
"But you should withdraw as well, Chaplin."
"No matter how much you care about your disciple Asinus, and no matter that you were once his teacher."
"Your identity is still an Elder of FUG."
"If you touch a Zahard Princess, that means FUG has touched a Zahard Princess."
Chaplin—the head of the Paradise Orphanage, and one of the Elders of FUG, a mentor who once trained many resistance fighters during the Great War—
looked at Khel Hellam with cold eyes.
"This has been planned for a very long time," Chaplin said quietly.
"Do you know how much time and effort it took to lure them into my territory… and guide them into becoming Rankers so they would be easier to touch?"
"Sometimes," Khel Hellam replied, "even when something you've built with great effort is about to be completed—"
"you must still know when to tear it down."
"Why are you interfering with me?" Chaplin asked.
"A Zahard Princess—especially one with direct blood from the Ten Families—has many uses."
"For negotiation… or perhaps experimentation."
"Wouldn't FUG also benefit from having more than just one?"
"Don't try to dress it up with noble reasons," Khel Hellam said.
"In the end, you simply want to help your disciple."
"If you touch a Zahard Princess—especially one who has officially become royalty as a Ranker—it will start a war."
"This is no longer the era of the ancient war."
The surroundings around Chaplin gradually darkened.
At the same time, Khrl Hellam revealed the aura of the Ancient Species residing within him.
Chaplin had once been the teacher assigned to Asinus during the Great War.
Through battles and training, Asinus had become like a son to him.
But after the war ended, Chaplin fell into despair and spent his days running an orphanage.
Disappointed by his teacher's state, Asinus left him and founded the organization Leruie, eventually leading to the events of today.
Holding a ritual in the center of a village chosen by the Zahard Army.
Awakening an Ancient Species.
Even declaring war.
When Asinus had come to him and explained the plan, Chaplin had tried countless times to stop him.
But his beloved disciple had already been consumed by revenge—and the obsession to save his sister.
Asinus would fail.
Even if he somehow succeeded—he would die soon afterward.
Chaplin couldn't allow that fate for the disciple he loved like a son.
So he infiltrated the village and searched desperately for a solution.
And he found one.
A perfect bargaining chip.
A Zahard Princess.
He had prepared everything carefully for this moment.
Yet now—someone was standing in his way.
"Move aside," Chaplin said coldly.
"I'm serious."
"So am I," Khel Hellam replied.
"Chaplin."
"Even when you did nothing but run an orphanage, FUG never said a word."
"We showed you consideration."
"So now…"
"You should show some consideration to us as well."
"..."
"Is this because of Asinus? Bringing him the Ancient Species he wanted is impossible, but I can at least ensure his survival. Stay out of Zahard's army's affairs from now on. More importantly, the Corps Commander will arrive soon. Choose. Will you fight me here until the commander arrives, or will you accept my guarantee that Asinus survives?"
"...Keep your word."
Without replying, Khel Hellam gave a slight nod. Then he turned his back and walked away.
Chaplin let out a bitter smile. He glanced once toward Hoaquin and Maschenny, then turned away and disappeared into the darkness.
....
"..."
Maschenny stood frozen, unable to say anything.
Perhaps sensing the heavy tension, her companions also remained silent.
More than anything, the man standing before them radiated an extremely dangerous aura.
The man was smiling faintly—but every survival instinct in Maschenny and the others screamed warnings.
"Princess Maschenny, it's been a while. Twenty years, hasn't it?"
"…Why are you here?"
Maschenny stared coldly at the man before her.
Ha Jinsung.
Sensing the sharp tension, Ha Jinsung chuckled and shifted his gaze past Maschenny.
There lay Hoaquin, being transported on a lighthouse.
"That kid… When I first met him, I didn't know his name. But I hear it's Hoaquin, is that right?"
"…!"
Step.
As Ha Jinsung took a step forward, Maschenny hurriedly stepped between him and Hoaquin.
"Hmm, interesting. Last time, that kid Hoaquin stood in front of you to stop me. Now it's the other way around."
"..."
"Whoa, what a murderous atmosphere. Don't worry too much. Like last time, I'm just leaving. I'm already retired, so I don't really feel like killing everyone like before. Besides, I'm in a pretty good mood today."
Bzzzz—
At that moment, something in Ha Jinsung's pocket suddenly began glowing red.
"Hm? Why is thi—"
SHRIIIIP—
A red thorn tore through his pocket and shot toward Hoaquin.
Just before it entered his body—
Grab.
Ha Jinsung casually caught it.
The glowing thorn immediately lost its light and stopped moving.
He shoved it into another pocket, then looked at the unconscious Hoaquin beyond Maschenny with a far more serious expression than before.
"Please don't come any closer. The Corps Commander will arrive soon."
"You know I could kill all of you right now and take Hoaquin if I wanted. So why are you trying so hard to protect him, Princess?"
"..."
"Well, what do old men like me know about the thoughts of the young?"
"I've seen something interesting today. I'll really leave now."
Step. Step.
He shrugged and walked past Maschenny, past Hoaquin, past Hwarang, Asensio, Yura, and Luf.
Only then did the suffocating pressure disappear.
Just as everyone relaxed—
"Oh, wait."
"…..!!"
Ha Jinsung suddenly stopped and slowly turned back.
Everyone tensed again.
Maschenny watched his every movement carefully.
Did he change his mind?
Is he going to kill everyone now?
"Do any of you happen to have cigarettes? I ran out."
"...We don't have anything like that."
Maschenny answered, feeling strangely deflated.
Typical of someone from the Ha Family, she thought.
"…I do," Hwarang said cautiously, raising his hand.
Luf looked at him in disbelief.
"Hyung, I thought you said you don't do things bad for your body."
"Well… if you have protective flames, you don't really have to worry about cancer…"
"Oh? You've got cigarettes? Could I get a pack?"
Hwarang rummaged through his pocket inventory, handed him a pack, and even lit the cigarette with blue flames.
Ha Jinsung took a drag and nodded in satisfaction.
Then—ironically—he started lecturing Hwarang about how bad smoking was and that he should quit.
"Well then, I'll really be leaving this time. Don't stay so tense."
"Oh, one last thing. Princess Maschenny?"
"…What now."
Ha Jinsung gave a mischievous grin.
"Congratulations on becoming a Ranker."
"You've shed the shell of the 'Regulars'—that frog-in-a-well league—and stepped onto the real stage of this Tower."
"The Zahard royal family, the Ten Great Families, FUG… the people who move this Tower."
"You're one of them now."
"Next time we meet, it won't end like today."
"And give my regards to Hoaquin when he wakes up."
"The moment someone becomes a Ranker, they also become one of the key figures who can move this Tower."
"That kid too."
"Tell him to prepare for the big stage."
"…I'll keep that in mind."
Ha Jinsung finally disappeared completely.
.....
Not long after, the 1st and 2nd Divisions that had been forcibly relocated returned, along with the 3rd and 4th Divisions that had departed earlier than the commander.
At last, the Commander of the 3rd Corps appeared.
"Princess Maschenny Zahard. It is an honor for the Commander of the Third Corps to meet a royal of the Zahard family."
The commander descended gently from the sky and bowed respectfully.
Even Maschenny could not treat a Corps Commander casually.
She returned a graceful nod.
"Nice to meet you, Commander of the Third Corps. One of my companions is injured. I would like to go to a floating ship where treatment is possible."
"Understood. First Division Commander, you heard her. Escort the Princess and her companions to a floating ship."
"Yes, sir!"
"Princess, I must carry out the mission of purging heretics. Please excuse me for now. If you require anything, inform the First Division Commander."
"Understood. Thank you for your courtesy."
The commander vanished instantly.
Soon afterward, massive explosions and tremors shook the area repeatedly.
It was obvious what he was doing.
.....
"Your companions may stay in any of these rooms. The injured one should come this way…"
Following the First Division Commander's guidance, Maschenny placed Hoaquin on a self-healing device.
Then she dismissed the commander.
Now, with everyone else resting in their rooms—
only Maschenny and Hoaquin remained in the infirmary.
Maschenny approached him again and examined his body.
His torn-off arm.
His slashed eye.
No matter how many times she looked at them, it felt like something stabbed her heart.
She planned to commission the Workshop for the best prosthetic arm and artificial eye possible.
But the injuries weren't the only concern.
When would he wake up?
If it was just exhaustion, maybe soon…
"…Sigh."
Nothing was certain.
I'm really useless.
Hoaquin was lying here like this, and the only thing she could do was plan a "Hoaquin Cyborg Project."
Maschenny laughed bitterly at herself.
Please, Hoaquin… just take better care of your body.
He never thought about how worried she felt.
He'd fight recklessly, get injured everywhere, then stand in front of her smiling like an adorable puppy.
"You really do whatever you want."
Clack. Clack.
The window in the hospital room had been left open.
The wind rattled it.
Maschenny frowned.
She hated cold drafts—and didn't want Hoaquin catching a cold.
So she quickly walked over and slammed the window shut.
Then she turned around—planning to play with his hair or pinch his cheeks again.
And her eyes widened slightly.
In the brief moment she had moved to close the window—a pure white woman had suddenly appeared.
She didn't even look at Maschenny.
Instead, she gazed down at Hoaquin with sad eyes.
Her appearance resembled Hoaquin so closely that she could have passed for his twin sister.
"…Who are you?"
"Ah, so this is our first meeting."
The woman's voice echoed inside Maschenny's head.
She turned toward Maschenny.
Then proudly puffed out her chest.
"I am Baekya."
"The one and only beloved sword of my master."
"…..I'm Hoaquin's lover."
"…Oh?"
Maschenny's sudden declaration—triggered by an inexplicable competitive instinct—made Baekya narrow her eyes.
Thus began the spark-filled first meeting between Baekya and Maschenny.