Gemini ha dicho
Chapter 1256
Runaan held her blade before her face, mimicking the stance used to trigger her Sword Domain. In response, the swirling petals of frost that had been dancing around her ascended into the sky.
The shards of ice, remaining flawlessly white even after being drenched in the blood of Syria Sullion, climbed back toward the mountain peaks where they were born, returning to their original state as majestic, eternal snow.
Yet, a transformation had occurred.
Aaaaaaaa!
The spirit of Syria Sullion was wailing within that boundless expanse of white. True to Runaan’s promise, he appeared trapped in a cycle of post-mortem agony, his shrieks sounding as though they would shred his phantom throat.
It was a logical consequence; the tiny fragments of frost that caused excruciating pain with a single touch now enveloped his entire essence.
The soul of Syria Sullion let out a bone-chilling cry that vibrated through the very mountains, pleading for an end to the torment.
"You've made yet another mistake..."
Runaan shook her head with an eerie stillness.
"You shouldn't be begging for relief... You should be begging for forgiveness, expressing regret to me and those you hurt. Regardless..."
She gazed down at the spirit of Syria Sullion with eyes devoid of warmth.
"I wouldn't have granted you mercy anyway."
With a sharp, cold motion, Runaan brought her sword down. An avalanche of frost buried Syria Sullion’s soul, silencing his screams beneath a heavy shroud of white.
"Haah..."
Runaan let out a weary sigh and returned her blade to its scabbard. As she did, the ten snowy peaks that had manifested behind her dissolved like mist, revealing the original landscape once more.
Syria Sullion lay lifeless on the dark ground he had once conjured, his eyes rolled back.
However, his suffering was far from over; as Runaan had declared, his pain would stretch into the infinite.
"Ugh!"
Suddenly, Runaan doubled over, her frame racking with tremors as if she had been physically run through. Now that the adrenaline of her awakening had passed, the strain of maintaining her Sword Domain hit her, leaving her entire body feeling paralyzed.
"Martha..."
Despite the agonizing cramps and shaking limbs, Runaan forced herself to crawl toward Martha.
"Haah..."
Martha’s breath was ragged and smelled of iron. Her eyes were shut tight, having slipped into unconsciousness from the massive loss of blood.
"The gash is too deep, she’s in danger... Wait?"
Runaan’s eyes widened as she inspected her comrade.
'How is this possible?'
Now that her clarity had returned, she remembered exactly how she had run Martha through. Given the depth of the thrust and the time that had elapsed, she assumed the wound would be fatal. Yet, Martha didn’t seem to be on the brink of death.
"Why is she stable...?"
Confused, Runaan scrutinized the entry point and Martha’s overall state.
She was certain she had aimed for a lethal spot. However, upon closer look, the blade had bypassed every vital organ by the narrowest of margins—a hair’s breadth.
Though she had lost a staggering amount of blood, the effects of the recovery tonics suggested she would make a full recovery with sufficient rest.
"Why! How is Martha still...!"
Burren struggled to sit up, his voice shaking with disbelief.
"She’s fine..."
Runaan blinked, gently settling Martha back into a resting position.
"Huh? What! Uh..."
Burren went through a visible wave of shock and confusion, his mouth hanging open as he processed the same realization.
"Is she... is she truly going to be okay?"
"Yes. She will recover."
"I don't understand how, but thank the heavens."
He exhaled a long breath of relief and collapsed back onto the grass.
"But that Sword Domain of yours..."
Burren looked at Runaan, a faint, incredulous laugh escaping him.
"It’s essentially god-tier."
He couldn't stop the compliments, still reeling from what he had witnessed.
"Syria Sullion possessed a level of combat power that dwarfed most transcendents. To dismantle him that effortlessly... it was like watching Raon. What kind of Domain is that?"
Even in his battered state, Burren’s curiosity burned bright as he pressed her for details.
"It handles both offense and defense, and the sheer velocity and force are staggering. With that power, is there anyone you couldn't defeat?"
He nodded firmly, convinced that Runaan’s technique was flawless.
"It isn't quite..."
Runaan blinked, her expression clouded with exhaustion.
"It isn't a perfect solution..."
She understood the mechanics because she was the one wielding it. Her Sword Domain didn't grant her unconditional invincibility as Burren assumed.
"What do you mean? Domains like that are almost unheard of!"
Burren gulped, noting that it seemed to rival even Raon’s legendary capabilities.
"I cannot manifest this level of power against just anyone," Runaan explained softly.
"The strength of this Domain fluctuates based on the degree of suffering the opponent has inflicted upon me. Syria Sullion..."
She bit her lip, glancing at the mangled remains of her former tormentor.
"Because he pushed me so far into despair that taking my own life seemed like an option, I was granted the strength to utterly annihilate him."
While her Domain was versatile in its application of shielding and striking, its true potency was tethered to the enemy's actions.
If an opponent hadn't caused her significant trauma, the power wouldn't surge. But against someone like Syria Sullion, it provided a strength that could pierce the heavens.
"So that's the catch..."
Burren sighed.
"Unfortunate. I was hoping for a shortcut to that kind of power. I guess there really is no such thing as a perfect ability."
He had looked to Runaan for a glimmer of absolute hope, only to be met with the reality of balance.
"But that isn't the whole story..."
Runaan looked at Burren, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Hmm? What was that?"
Burren hadn't caught her hushed whisper.
"It's nothing..."
Runaan trailed off and shook her head.
'There is no point in explaining it.'
The output of her Domain, Eternity, was indeed dictated by the pain caused by her enemies.
However, when it came to guarding her friends with Eternity, the defensive strength was determined by the depth of her affection for them.
The fact that she had parried Syria Sullion’s full-force heavy sword with just a single flake of ice proved that her devotion to the Light Wind Palace was deeper than she could ever put into words. It was far too embarrassing to admit out loud, so she remained silent.
"Regardless, we finished this mission without Raon’s help."
Burren’s lips curled into a weary smile as he watched the crescent moon hang in the night sky.
"I finally feel like we're pulling our weight."
Despite nearly dying multiple times, he felt a profound sense of accomplishment.
"Of course, luck played a massive role."
Burren rubbed his hands together. He remarked on their fortune—how Syria Sullion’s blade and the magic of the Bear Fire Demon had narrowly missed their marks, and how Martha’s injury had miraculously avoided her vitals.
"Indeed..."
Runaan agreed quietly.
"I am simply grateful everyone survived..."
She had committed such a grievous error that if a single life had been lost today, she would have been inconsolable.
She knew she still had much to answer for and needed to seek atonement from her peers. But the survival of the group was a massive relief.
"I am truly sorry..."
Runaan walked over to Burren and gave a deep bow.
"I know you were all trying to save me, but I couldn't find my way back... I am so sorry..."
She found herself repeating the apology, unable to find any other words.
"That's just the burden of being a Vice Palace Master. You take the hits from the top and the heat from the bottom."
Burren waved off her apology, suggesting it was all part of the job description.
"But don't expect it to be that easy with her."
He gestured toward the unconscious Martha and let out a dry chuckle.
"You’ll need to do some serious groveling. She might even punch you when she wakes up."
Burren smirked, warning her to be ready for the fallout.
"I know..."
Runaan nodded solemnly, watching Martha, who was now subconsciously scratching her stomach in her sleep.
"I am ready to get on my knees and take whatever strike she gives me..."
Realizing the true extent of Martha's care for her made the guilt even heavier.
She steeled herself, resolving not to even flinch if she were stabbed in return.
"If you'd snapped out of it sooner, we could have avoided this mess. Still, considering you've reached transcendence and unlocked a Sword Domain, I suppose the trade-off wasn't entirely terrible."
Burren mused that the outcome was a net positive.
"Plus, Syria Sullion is down for the count. That’s a massive win! He's definitely finished, right?"
He shuddered, clearly haunted by the man’s resilience.
"Yes... he won't be coming back from this."
Runaan confirmed the finality of the villain's death.
"What a relief... Wait?"
Burren’s head snapped to the left.
"Runaan! Look at that kid!"
He pointed at the small figure wearing the Forest Rabbit Helmet, lying slumped on the ground.
"I think he's still with us! I can hear a very faint breath!"
Burren gritted his teeth, noting that the child who had been used as bait was surprisingly alive.
"Is it possible...?"
Runaan hurried to the child’s side.
"Ah!"
Just as Burren noted, the boy was clinging to life.
He was in critical condition, but with immediate medical attention, there was a path to recovery.
"End him..."
Burren’s expression darkened as he raised a hand.
"Regardless of his age, he was an accomplice to Syria Sullion. It’s the right call."
He spoke with grim resolve, believing the child was too dangerous to leave alive.
"No..."
Runaan shook her head, her mind flashing back to the children she had encountered in her induced dream state.
"This boy is no different than I was."
Under the influence of the manipulation, she hadn't seen it, but Ruzel and the others were victims of Syria Sullion’s coercion.
Since the Bear Fire Demon’s magic was the cause and they hadn't been consumed by the spirits in the masks yet, she wanted to save Ruzel and the rest.
"Truly..."
Runaan gently touched Ruzel's wounds and looked up.
"We were very lucky..."
"Lucky? Give me a break!"
Evelyn scoffed from her hiding spot in the nearby trees.
"Those morons would have been fertilizer a long time ago if it weren't for Raon!"
She rolled her eyes, annoyed by their lack of self-awareness regarding their "luck."
"Am I right?"
Evelyn turned back, seeking confirmation.
A striking man with golden locks and piercing crimson eyes stepped out from the shadows of the forest. He seemed to radiate a soft luminescence that pushed back the gloom of the night.
"They would have managed even if I hadn't stepped in."
Raon dismissed the praise, claiming he played no part.
"Ha! What a load of nonsense!"
Evelyn protested loudly.
"You're the one who kept the rabbit kid from flatlining, you kept that bratty girl breathing, you kept the Vice Palace Master from meeting his maker, and you neutralized the Evil Goat Demon and Bear Fire Demon before they could finish the job! You saved that airheaded snow woman, too! You did everything!"
She ticked off his interventions on her fingers.
"The deity of salvation who decides who lives and who dies! All hail Ra-on!"
She even started clapping, treating him like a literal god.
"Please... stop that..."
Raon turned away, his face flushing with embarrassment. He was used to Evelyn’s dramatics, but this was becoming excessive.
-Well, she isn't entirely wrong.
Wrath chimed in.
-I didn't realize you could project your healing abilities over such a distance.
He seemed genuinely impressed by how Raon had utilized the Divinity Born from Darkness.
'I'm actually surprised myself.'
Raon allowed a small smile to form as he channeled the Divinity at his fingertips.
'I tried it on a whim, and it actually worked.'
Initially, the Divinity Born from Darkness required physical contact to mend flesh, but by applying the core concepts of Sword Control and the Soul Sword, he had learned to bridge the gap and heal his allies from afar.
It was a minor breakthrough, but one with massive implications for the future.
-You're turning into a complete freak of nature...
Wrath grumbled, seemingly exhausted by Raon’s constant evolution.
'Wrath.'
Raon’s gaze sharpened as he looked at the spirit.
'You once said a true leader puts his people above paperwork and rushes in to save them personally. I don't disagree. However...'
His eyes softened as he looked at Runaan’s growth, Burren’s new conviction, and Martha’s selfless sacrifice. This experience would forge them into something far greater than they were before.
'I believe a true King must also have the resolve to trust his subordinates and let them face the fire.'
Raon stood his ground, unwilling to rob his team of the growth that comes from overcoming impossible odds.
-Hmph! Easy to say for someone who was practically begging to step in ten minutes ago!
Wrath glared at him, clearly unimpressed by the posturing.
-Fine, I'll admit your perspective held up this time.
The spirit gave a begrudging nod of approval.
-Now can we leave? I'm starving!
Wrath patted his midsection, reminding Raon that dinner was long overdue.
'Just a second.'
Raon’s gaze didn't follow Runaan and Burren as they carried the wounded away. Instead, he looked at the Bear Fire Demon slumped in the distance, a cunning smile playing on his lips.
'I think an even better opportunity is about to present itself.'
-
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