Chapter 1253
"Mmm..."
Runaan's brow furrowed slightly as her eyelids fluttered open. She longed to remain in the depths of sleep, but the persistent sound of someone wailing nearby made it impossible to keep her eyes shut.
'What is going on?'
Runaan slowly pushed herself up and shifted her gaze toward the source of the crying.
'Why is there someone sobbing... wait? A village?'
Where was she?
She clearly recalled attempting to fight through the interference of Martha and Burren to strike down the Ghost of Eden—the monster responsible for the massacre at Birdnew Village. She couldn't comprehend how she had suddenly arrived in a settlement she didn't recognize.
'I've definitely never set foot here before...'
And yet, a strange sense of belonging washed over her.
The hamlet where she had woken wasn't particularly grand, but it possessed a distinct beauty, characterized by vibrant flower beds and sprawling gardens positioned at its heart.
Despite having no memory of visiting, the layout felt intimately familiar. It was more than just a feeling; she instinctively knew the placement of every building and the identities of those who resided within them.
"Ugh..."
Runaan shook out her stiff legs and stood up.
'But why are they mourning?'
A crowd had formed in the center of the village, their faces twisted in grief as they looked upon something in their midst. It appeared as though a life had been lost.
'Who could it be...'
Runaan walked toward the gathering, her expression clouded with confusion.
"A youngster?"
In the middle of the village, surrounded by blossoming flora, lay a small boy. He was motionless and pale, his chest and shoulder drenched in crimson as if he had been run through by a blade.
"Th-this boy, I kil... Ah!"
The moment Runaan began to stammer that she was the one who had taken the boy's life, the vibrant petals in the garden withered into a void-like black. They twisted into a grotesque pattern beneath her feet.
The design was a perfect, inverted mirror of the magic circle upon which the physical Runaan currently stood.
Dream Illusion magic. A prehistoric sorcery designed to flip the boundary between slumber and consciousness was now active.
"Aah!"
Runaan clutched her skull and let out a strangled cry.
'Wh-what is happening to me...'
A deluge of data regarding this location and its inhabitants crashed into her mind like a breaking dam. The sheer volume of inherited memories and raw emotion paralyzed her.
'I... I am...'
Unable to endure the agonizing pressure of the spell, Runaan dropped to her knees. The mental defenses she had meticulously maintained shattered, allowing new information to rewrite the very essence of her soul.
'That's right...'
Runaan’s breath came in ragged gasps as she balled her hands into fists.
'I was a resident of this village.'
The memories returned. In the "real" world, she was a guardian swordsman for this community, while her "dreams" had falsely convinced her she belonged to some nameless, cruel aristocratic house.
"Sister Runaan!"
"Big sister Runaan!"
"Runaan..."
The villagers pleaded for her help, their eyes bloodshot with sorrow.
"Ruzel..."
Runaan whispered the name of the fallen boy, her teeth sinking into her lower lip.
"How did this child die?"
Her fury ignited as if the memory of her own hand committing the deed had been entirely erased.
"Phew."
The mystic adorned in the bear-shaped helm, lurking behind the crowd, retreated another pace. Relieved that the enchantment cast upon Runaan had taken hold, he let out a long breath.
"What did Ruzel do to deserve this?"
Runaan’s lip bled from the force of her bite. Ruzel had been a gentle, innocent soul who loved simple games. She couldn't fathom why he had been slaughtered so brutally.
"D-demons murdered him!"
"Fiends carrying blades did this to Ruzel..."
"Avenge him! Sister Runaan!"
"Freeze every one of those swordsmen who wish us harm!"
The townspeople spoke in synchronized turns, like actors in a rehearsed tragedy, begging Runaan to strike back for Ruzel’s sake. However, beneath their performance, a deep-seated terror flickered in their gazes.
"Runaan."
Raon stepped out from the shadows and moved toward her.
"Let us have our retribution. Against Zieghart."
He leaned in, whispering that every blade-wielder of Zieghart must fall, and gripped her hand with a firm hold.
"Yes..."
Runaan ground her teeth and looked up.
"They must suffer the same fate."
Lost in the blurred lines of her reality, she clenched her fists and swore to avenge the very child she had slain.
"Yes! We believe in you, sister."
"You are our only hope!"
"Poor, poor Ruzel..."
The crowd continued their flawless performance, pulling Runaan deeper into their grim theater.
"Do not worry..."
Runaan gave a resolute nod, promising to deliver the vengeance they craved.
"Yes. We shall do it as one. My dearest sister."
Raon’s features warped and melted, shifting into the visage of Syria Sullion. He pulled Runaan into an embrace, repeating his vow of partnership.
"Yes. Without fail..."
Runaan showed no reaction to Raon transforming into Syria Sullion, her resolve focused entirely on the perceived injustice.
'It is finished.'
The shaman in the bear mask tilted his head down, watching Runaan swear her blood oath.
'She is beyond salvation now.'
Runaan was fully submerged in the depths of his craft. At this stage, not even the appearance of Raon—the man she trusted above all others—could break the shackles of the illusion.
'It took a great deal of effort.'
The hex ensnaring Runaan was a unique power granted by his Bearwolf Shaman mask: the Bear Fire Demon.
It was a predatory magic that dragged a victim into a dreamscape, allowed their spirit to rot over time, and then swapped their perception of reality. Once the inversion was complete, escape was impossible.
'To be honest, I wasn't certain it would trap a warrior of her caliber.'
This ancient sorcery was notoriously fickle.
However, Syria Sullion possessed intimate knowledge of Runaan’s psyche, and by planting a mole within the Sullion family, they had managed to secure the opening they needed.
'Soon, these puppets will be unnecessary.'
The Bear Fire Demon looked at the humans surrounding Runaan with a look of disdain.
'Because Runaan is now a permanent fixture of this dream.'
The people currently circling her were living humans brought in from the outside.
He had gathered pleasant-looking subjects to entice Runaan into the trap, but now that she was brainwashed, he could simply populate the world with magical constructs.
'Still, losing that one is a bit of a shame.'
The Bear Fire Demon clicked his tongue as he glanced at the boy, Ruzel.
'He had his uses.'
While Ruzel lacked any real fighting prowess, his ability to evade capture was unparalleled. They had given him a forest rabbit helm and used him specifically to bait Runaan into this trap. Though his death at her hands was the plan all along, his unique talents would be missed.
'No matter. Now that we can operate openly, I can find a dozen more like Ruzel.'
Once Syria Sullion and Runaan were united, they would be unstoppable. With Eden’s full strength mobilized, they could simply abduct whatever talent they required from across the land.
'This realm is stabilized, and the physical world should be nearing its end as well.'
The versions of himself and Syria Sullion present here were merely soul-split echoes. Their primary bodies would handle the external conflict while he finished conditioning Runaan here.
'Now, at last...'
Just as the Bear Fire Demon prepared to signal Runaan with his staff.
A jagged, pitch-black fissure tore through the sky of the sun-drenched village.
"Huh...?"
"The sky... why is it breaking?"
"What is happening?"
The villagers shook with a terror that wasn't part of the script, facing an anomaly they hadn't seen since being brought to this world.
"What is the meaning of this!"
"Hmm..."
Both the Bear Fire Demon and Syria Sullion stared upward in disbelief at the impossible breach.
"......"
Runaan, however, simply watched the disintegrating sky with narrowed eyes, remaining eerily still.
With a deafening crack, the heavens shattered completely, and a tidal wave of crimson blood surged downward.
!
A literal ocean of gore flooded the village, and within the center of that visceral sea, a woman with dark hair and striking eyes descended.
"Haa..."
Martha Zieghart. The warrior of Zieghart who had been wounded while trying to protect Runaan had successfully breached the dream world.
"Curse that Evelyn!"
She splashed through the sticky red depths, her expression one of pure irritation.
"Making an entrance like this makes me look like some kind of monster!"
"So, this is the place."
Martha’s lips curled into a smirk as she faced Runaan, who was staring at her in silence.
"Plenty of flowers, nice houses... I get it. I see why you wanted to stay asleep."
Evelyn had deduced that Runaan was being targeted through her subconscious and had crafted an artifact to bridge the gap. It seemed her theory was correct; the moment Martha put on the cuff, she was pulled into this theater of the mind.
"A-a demon!"
"A ghost drenched in gore!"
"That monster is the one who took Ruzel!"
"Sister Runaan, help us!"
The villagers, acting on the Bear Fire Demon’s silent cues, pointed at Martha with trembling fingers, framing her as the villain.
"Runaan."
Syria Sullion placed a hand on Runaan’s shoulder, his brow furrowed.
"Destroy that demon for me."
Unwilling or unable to exert his own strength in this fragile space, he commanded Runaan to act as his shield.
"Yes..."
Runaan gave a dull nod and walked forward.
"I will handle it."
She projected a freezing, lethal intent toward Martha. She didn't seem to recognize her lifelong rival and companion at all.
"Unbelievable. You really don't know who I am? I'm going to lose my mind!"
Martha let out a frustrated sigh, her annoyance peaking.
"I-it’s over! Runaan belongs to this world now!"
The dream-dwellers whispered among themselves, convinced of their victory.
"The idiot is definitely out of it, so you're not entirely wrong. But there's one thing you've overlooked."
Martha smiled grimly as she looked at the blood-soaked village and the fractured sky.
"This world isn't a perfect cage anymore!"
The dream had been a flawless construct designed to deceive Runaan, but Martha’s forced entry had compromised its structural integrity. It was now a chaotic mess where different psyches were bleeding into one another.
"I will have justice for Ruzel."
Runaan, still caught in the trance, swung her blade, sending shards of frost flying toward Martha.
"In a place like this..."
Martha’s grin widened as she lunged forward.
"I'm not the one who's going to back down!"
She swung her sword in a wide arc, shattering the icy barrage that fell like frozen rain.
"Hmm..."
Runaan’s eyes flickered with surprise at the raw power and precision behind Martha’s strike.
"Burren isn't the only one who grew up. I've been swinging my blade through my own blood!"
While Burren had mastered the evasive nature of the gale, Martha had worked with her mother to purge every weakness and opening in her style.
In this realm of spirits, where physical attributes and aura levels were leveled out, she refused to be second to Runaan.
"I will win. I must win..."
Runaan’s voice was cold as she drove her sword down. The blade glowed with a blinding white light, conjuring a massive blizzard that threatened to erase the entire village.
"Big moves don't mean a thing..."
Martha charged straight into the heart of the storm, her lips pulled back in a snarl.
"...if they lack a solid core!"
With a roar, she brought her blade down with everything she had, cleaving through the center of the frost storm until it dissipated into nothingness.
The collision of two powerful souls sent a shockwave through the dream, causing the cracks in the sky to widen further.
"Ugh..."
Runaan staggered, the feedback from the clash making her sword-arm tremble.
"Are you wondering why I'm fine even though you're technically stronger?"
Martha looked at her and laughed.
"It’s simple. While you were napping, I was training until I nearly died! My body and aura might lag behind yours, but my mental fortitude will never break!"
She had pushed herself to the brink of insanity to surpass Runaan—and to save her. In the real world, the gap was still there, but here, where they were equals, Martha held the upper hand.
"Stop her at once!"
Panicked, the Bear Fire Demon stepped forward, waving his arms.
"Halt that woman! Don't let her reach Runaan!"
He began chanting a spell to bind Martha, while simultaneously forcing the villagers to form a human wall between them.
"Ha..."
Martha looked at the crowd and the shaman preparing his dark arts with pure disgust.
"So it’s you. The coward who murdered our people at the border."
The stench of death emanating from the bear-masked man was unmistakable. Even in the waking world, the rot left behind by his magic was proof of his crimes against Zieghart.
"You’ll be joining them shortly!"
The Bear Fire Demon sneered, promising her a slow, rotting death.
"I was planning on just punching that other bastard who brought back my worst memories..."
Martha looked at the blood coating the ground, closed her eyes for a heartbeat, and then snapped them open.
"But I suppose I should be grateful. It seems she wanted to help in her own twisted way."
She whispered a quiet thanks to Evelyn and looked up.
"Enough talk! Die!"
The Bear Fire Demon unleashed streaks of black fire, and the brainwashed residents rushed Martha with glowing, feral eyes.
"This isn't your sanctuary anymore. It’s my hell."
Martha slammed her blade into the blood-drenched earth, her eyes flashing with a predatory light.
"Devil's Prison!"
At her command, the blood covering the village began to writhe and pulse.
Paaaaa!
The liquid solidified into whip-like tendrils that shot upward, binding the Bear Fire Demon’s limbs and pinning the villagers to the spot.
"Wh-what is this... Guurk!"
Syria Sullion, who had been watching from the rear, was suddenly dragged down as the ground beneath him turned into a crimson mire.
"Impossible! This can't be happening..."
The Bear Fire Demon’s voice cracked as he stared at his bound hands.
"You keep saying that word..."
Martha let out a chilling laugh as she stalked toward him.
"That magician of ours is actually pretty talented."
To force a confession of "impossibility" from the architect of the dream itself—it made the favor she owed Evelyn well worth it.
"W-wait!"
"No more waiting."
With a single, fluid motion, she drew her blade across the Bear Fire Demon’s throat.
"Guurrrk..."
The shaman collapsed, his eyes wide with the realization that he was dying within his own creation.
"Aah..."
As the Bear Fire Demon expired, Runaan clutched her head in agony. Her eyes began to shift rapidly between a deep violet and a void-like black.
"Aaaaaah! No! You can't kill them!"
She screamed in defense of the bound villagers, lashing out with waves of frost in every direction.
"You moron."
Martha decided to end the farce and sprinted across the crumbling terrain.
She wove through the ice and breached Runaan’s inner circle.
"Ugh!"
Even in her confused state, Runaan’s instincts as a top-tier warrior kicked in, and she swung her blade down at Martha’s head.
Martha parried the strike with brute force and drove her own sword straight into Runaan’s chest. Even though it was a spiritual world, the sensation of the blade piercing through was sickeningly real.
"Ah, ah."
Runaan coughed up dark fluid. The shadow that had clouded her eyes began to lift, replaced by her natural, pale violet hue.
"M-Martha...?"
Recognition finally returned to her gaze as she whispered the name.
"Wait, I... I!"
She began to shake violently as the true memories of the battle and her actions flooded back.
"Finally back with us?"
Martha let out a long, weary sigh.
"Good. However..."
She pulled back a fist, her teeth bared in a fierce grin.
"I’m not in the mood for a warm welcome! I’m still too pissed off to let you go without a scratch!"
Martha swung and landed a full-power punch square on Runaan’s jaw.
The impact sent Runaan flying, causing her to tumble across the ground as she spat out blood.
"Ugh..."
Runaan gingerly touched her rapidly swelling cheek and looked up with a struggle.
"S-sorry. I am so sorry..."
Now fully aware of everything that had transpired, Runaan gripped the earth so hard her knuckles bled.
"I’ve really had a miserable time because of you. Having such an idiotic 'sister' is exhausting."
Martha pointed to herself and let out an exasperated groan.
"But..."
She walked over to the fallen Runaan.
"Ugh..."
Runaan squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for another blow.
"I’ve been where you are, so I guess I have to be the bigger person."
Martha let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. Seeing Runaan like this reminded her of her own reckless past and the way she had once acted to save her mother.
In that moment, she finally understood how much trouble Raon must have gone through for her.
"Runaan. Burren and I have carried the load this far..."
Instead of another strike, Martha reached down and pulled Runaan into a brief, firm embrace.
"I’m leaving the rest to you."
She pulled back, wiped the tears from Runaan’s eyes, and gave a sharp nod.
"You can handle it, right?"
"...Yes."
Runaan met her gaze, her resolve hardening. She knew exactly what needed to be done.
"I’m counting on you."
As Martha spoke, the sea of blood began to surge once more, and the dream world started to shatter into a million jagged pieces.
"And remember—you don't get to cry yet."
Martha gave Runaan a final push through the encroaching darkness.
"Save the tears for when this is over. No... let's try smiling instead."
With those final words, the world dissolved, and Runaan was plunged into total shadow.
