Chapter 480. Finis Belli 4
An unnatural scenery unfolded.
Perhaps, it was better to say that it didn’t fit. A river of blood was flowing in the battlefield underneath a brightly s.h.i.+ning sun. There, finger-sized orbs were floating, s.h.i.+ning with amber light.
Countless fireflies blended with the battlefield overflowing with blood, creating a starkly contrasting scenery.
Soon, a change began to take place.
Baek Haeju lowered her gaze and looked down at her body. Before she noticed, the s.h.i.+ning orbs had landed on her left arm. They seeped into her skin, spread out all across her body from one corner to another.
Baek Haeju dazedly raised her arm, her pupils filling up with vitality. Her dangling left arm moved without a problem, and she felt no pain while doing so. Her bones seemed to have healed and even gotten st.u.r.dier.
Not only that, but even minor injuries on her body healed. Her mana was also quickly returning to its original level. Baek Haeju trembled from the energy resurging through her mana circuit before glancing to the side.
Not far away, she could see Oh Rahee raising her head. The group of fireflies that left her was gathering around Oh Rahee’s arms before scattering again.
“…Huh?”
Oh Rahee’s eyes widened. Her severed arms grew back. Vlad Halep’s bleeding stopped, and Yi Seol-Ah’s crushed ankles were mended. It was the same for Hugo. His bones healed, and new skin grew above them. His charred body returned to normal, regaining its color.
The healing effect was genuinely incredible.
“As expected.”
Philip Muller, who was resting at the allied force’s main camp, smiled. The energy in his mana was rampaging from manifesting Avaritia in his body, but it was now calming down.
Eun Yuri looked surprised as well. Her mana circuit, which had become twisted from overusing her mana, was quickly recovering.
Both Philip Muller and Eun Yuri were out of commission, but now there was a chance they could return to battle, completely healed.
“It feels like I was reborn.”
Eun Yuri looked back and forth between her hands with a look of surprise.
“It was like this during the Spirit Realm Expedition too, but….”
Philip Muller, on the other hand, seemed to have experienced the phenomenon before.
“This is my first time seeing the World Tree display such a show of force. It must be using the holy power that the Star of l.u.s.t invoked.”
“Still, this is on such a grand scale….”
“It’s the least the World Tree can do. Remember, the World Tree is the reason that Tigol Fortress could stand strong against the combined attacks of five Army Commanders.”
Philip Muller spoke strongly and got up. He prepared to join the battle.
Eun Yuri got up with him and then flinched. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted Seo Yuhui lying half-dead on the ground.
Her body was s.h.i.+ning faintly. More fireflies had gathered around her than anyone else, and even more were still gathering around.
Despite this, Seo Yuhui was still unconscious.
“Unni….”
“It can’t be helped. She really pushed herself to hold that ceremony.”
It was just as Philip Muller said. She was also suffering from overexerting her mana and holy power, neither of which could be taken lightly.
“She should open her eyes soon.”
However, Philip Muller’s voice carried strong confidence.
“In this world, the World Tree is no different than a G.o.d. Though it might take a while, she will wake up without a doubt before the war ends.”
“Well… I guess she’s technically getting back the holy power she put out.”
Eun Yuri nodded with a relieved look.
“Why don’t we get going too? I’ll leave the teleportation to you. I’ll probably need to save all the mana I can if I want to use Manifestation again.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Eun Yuri cast a Teleport spell, and the two of them disappeared in the next second.
Not long after they left…
“…Ji… hu….”
Seo Yuhui’s eyelids trembled faintly.
*
Twisted Kindness did not move after coming to a stop. She was not restrained to the point she could not move, but she just did not know what to do.
Her plan had crumbled apart the moment the World Tree revived. One could say that her calculations were entirely off. She thought that the World Tree would need at least ten minutes to migrate to the Middle World and exercise its power.
That was more than enough time for her to carry out her plan. Every minute and every second was a moment that could change the tide of war to someone of Twisted Kindness’ caliber.
However…
‘The Star of l.u.s.t….’
Twisted Kindness groaned quietly after sensing the holy power overflowing around the allied force’s main camp. Never in her wildest imaginations did she think such a large amount of holy power would be used for purification and exercise of energy rather than for the World Tree’s growth.
When Twisted Kindness looked around the battlefield after collecting herself, a thick expression of concern covered her face. The enemies that had fallen from severe injuries were getting up one by one. The phoenix and some Spirits were emanating even more energy than before.
Twisted Kindness’ resources were diminis.h.i.+ng by the second, yet the allied force’s resources were recovering beyond its original state.
This was truly the worst-case scenario she could think of.
If she was pressed for time before, now she was totally crushed.
To make matters worse…
“Euk!”
Twisted Kindness suddenly groaned.
Koong!
Her body suddenly dropped from the sky. She managed to land on her two feet, but she could not help but sway for a brief moment.
“Keeuuuu….”
Her already restrained body had just suffered another interference. Twisted Kindness gritted her teeth, feeling Avaritia’s divinity crus.h.i.+ng down on her.
Usually, she would have been able to shake it off with her own energy. However, the Apostle of Avarice used a hateful method of mixing Avaritia’s divinity into the World Tree’s energy.
The eyes of the allied force glinted. They had noticed Twisted Kindness’ energy diminis.h.i.+ng. The all-powerful Twisted Kindness seemed to be at a loss for what to do.
“!”
In the next moment, Twisted Kindness hurriedly swung her longsword.
Clang!
A noisy metallic sound rang out. Chohong’s mace was pushed back after having come right in front of Twisted Kindness’ face. Unlike before, Twisted Kindness’ hand felt a tiny bit numb.
She tried to attack Chohong right away, but then she pulled her longsword back with a frown. It was because Phi Sora and Hugo appeared next to her with their longsword and halberd.
‘My body feels… heavy!’
She couldn’t do anything about the World Tree. To alleviate the situation even slightly, she had to get rid of the pesky interference first.
Clicking her tongue, Twisted Kindness moved quickly. Moving through the enemy like flowing water, she tried to attack Philip Muller. However…
Clang!
She was obstructed in the middle yet again. Having read Twisted Kindness’ movements, Baek Haeju and Oh Rahee blocked her advancement.
Twisted Kindness’ eyes shook faintly. Her physical level had fallen significantly from the two restraints placed on her. It was only now that she began to feel a sense of danger.
She was still powerful, but no longer overwhelmingly so. Her movements, which had been too quick for many of the allied force’s members to see, were now visible.
Right, everyone could now see Twisted Kindness’ movements.
It was then.
Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, bzzz!
A series of vibrations rang out, and a frightening barrage of magic shot forth from the rear.
Twisted Kindness jumped in a startle. She did not think much of the magic at first, but each of them was an origin magic that even had anti-evil energy mixed in.
“You’re…!”
Twisted Kindness furrowed her brows after seeing the Mage who’d caught her attention in the past.
Eun Yuri had appeared. With her magic attacks as the starting signal, the battle that had been put to a momentary pause resumed.
The allied force rushed in after noticing the enemy had gotten weaker. Still, Twisted Kindness was Twisted Kindness.
“Something of this level…!”
From the twin swords that she swung to both sides, dozens of sword qi came flying out. She spat out a draconic breath and shot out dozens of spells with recreated magic circles to protect her back.
Each time she spun like a figure skater, the ones shooting toward her were swept away. Any other Army Commander would have suffered at least three or four blows by now. However, Twisted Kindness held on by utilizing her high realm of understanding.
But "holding on" was proof that the tide of battle had turned.
Crackle! A blaze that shot toward her from the front caused her breath to halve.
Completely recovered, Baek Haeju attacked from the left with reinforced sword qi, and the Apostles of Pride, Sloth, and Wrath joined hands to attack from the left.
Twisted Kindness would have easily shaken them off a few minutes ago, but now she was forced to stop and block their attacks. This became an opening that was incomparable to any prior openings.
Countless enemies stabbed into this opportunity.
Spirits were reverse-summoned back to the Spirit Realm when they died. They did not die in the truest sense of the word. And because these Spirits charged in with no regard to their lives, Twisted Kindness could not ignore the otherwise worthless attacks.
Her hands and feet were beginning to get tired.
*
Same time.
Seol Jihu was also enveloped in amber light.
Feeling the energy surging up from the bottom of his feet, Seol Jihu breathed a sigh of relief. He was being pushed back little by little, but now he regained the strength to hold his ground.
The Parasite Queen stared at Seol Jihu, who quickly recovered his lost energy before turning to face the World Tree in the distance.
She should have destroyed the World Tree before it finished its migration. Only then would she have had a chance of success.
However, she had failed.
She couldn’t blame Twisted Kindness. After all, she had failed to help her move as she wanted.
“I just want to make sure.”
Seol Jihu spun his spear and rested it on his shoulder.
“You don’t have any thoughts of surrendering, right?”
The Parasite Queen’s nose twitched. Though she did not say anything, her subtle snort was more than enough of a response.
Soon, she slowly tilted her head up. She stared at the sky, or rather, the celestial bodies.
Seol Jihu stared fixedly before suddenly asking.
“How is the Parasites’ fate looking like right now?”
[It’s grim.]
The Parasite Queen surprisingly gave an immediate reply.
[It looks like twilight before the setting of the sun. It also looks like the twilight before dawn….]
If Seol Jihu was not mistaken, the Parasite Queen… looked tranquil and relaxed.
[…Child.]
A calm voice rang out.
[If I were to describe my eternal life with one word, it would be this: Survival.]
[I had to fight from the moment I was born on a secluded planet far away from this galaxy.]
[A newly born divine being with great potential, but without any protection, is an excellent prey.]
The Parasite Queen’s voice continued.
[I did not know why. I did not try to find out either.]
[I simply… fought.]
[For thousands of years, I fought, fought, and fought….]
[Before I noticed, I had an entire galaxy beneath my feet.]
[Of course, that process wasn’t filled with only glory.]
The Parasite Queen smiled faintly.
[Looking back, there were many humiliating moments.]
[There were times when I begged for my life while swearing my loyalty.]
[There were also times when I escaped with my life hanging by a thread.]
[But what is important is this.]
At that moment, the Parasite Queen turned to Seol Jihu.
[The G.o.ddess of Parasitism is standing here and now.]
Seol Jihu’s eyes narrowed.
[Though I may have worked under someone else’s feet for hundreds of years, looking for an opportunity to strike…]
[Though I may have been cut in half with a single wrong decision and escaped without being able to offer up any resistance…]
The Parasite Queen put her hand on her stomach.
[In the end, I stuffed the enemies that looked down on me in here. And I will most likely continue doing so.]
[So you do not have to worry.]
The Parasite Queen grinned.
[I will be standing here even after today pa.s.ses.]
[Just like I always have.]
An imperative, absolute confidence could be felt from her voice.
Seol Jihu smacked his lips. In truth, the Parasite Queen should know at this point that Twisted Kindness would fall soon and that she would be next.
What could be the reason behind her confidence?
Seol Jihu thought something would change if the World Tree revived. Well, something did change, but….
‘I don’t get it.’
He didn’t get the feeling that he won quite yet.
“…You’ve done well until now. It’s time to put everything to rest.”
Seol Jihu gave a final notice and then re-aimed the Spear of Purity.
[No, I should say those words to you.]
The Parasite Queen also retorted firmly.
[I am dying to know now.]
For some reason, she seemed to be enjoying the situation.
[We shall see whether the fate I saw was the twilight of the setting sun or the twilight of dawn…!]
At that moment, Twisted Kindness’ scream rang out.
With her piercing scream as the signal, Seol Jihu and the Parasite Queen clashed again.
The sun in the middle of the sky shook from the aftereffect of their collision.
Almost as if it would soon set in the west.