Chapter 299

“Oh, my God—!”

Marja was horrified. There was a crack where Jaifa had struck. It was a very small crack, but it was significant enough to have done any damage at all. A stuttering voice escaped her gaping mouth.

“Now, Zaifa, aren’t you—isn’t that a sword? Somehow bare hands seem to be stronger—.”

“Every man is born with ten swords in his hand. No matter how good they are, they are nothing compared to this.”

“Well, yeah, that’s great.”

“I’m impressed, too. So far, she’s the only one who’s gotten me to bring it out. Though there are two other possible candidates now.”

Sharp-eyed Marja realized it was a reference to Ronan and Schlieffen. After clasping her hands a few times, Fin Jaifa winked at her.

“Now move out of the way. You’re in the way.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Marja stepped back. Jaifa’s body swelled once more. Roaring like a beast, he began to punch the Star Guardian repeatedly.

“Kaaaah-!!”

“Ugh—!”

The onlookers covered their ears. Each claw scraped against the curtain, creating an eerie crashing sound. Five minutes had passed. Zaifa, who had suddenly stopped attacking, cursed.

“Whoa—shit.”

“Here, Jaifa. Your hand is—!”

The heat was rising from Zaifa’s heated body. Braum’s eyes widened, the grip that had been so oppressive had turned into a rag.

Blood was dripping down his hairless fingers. And it wasn’t just Ronan’s blood, I assure you. A couple of nails rattled, and Marja cried out in horror.

“Hey, that’s enough!

“Move over. We’re not there yet.”

Zaifa’s swollen tail thumped against the floor, the crack in front of him obviously larger than before, but showing no signs of breaking.

“Shouldn’t I do this?”

Zaifa growled in resentment. Through the tattered curtain, he could see a glimmer of the outside world. Something was flashing brightly, but the lack of light and sound made it impossible to make out what it was.

“I told him to move out of the way.”

“Yikes!”

Puck! Zaifa swung his tail, knocking Marja and Braum out of the way. He was about to attack Gaho again. Suddenly, a boy’s face popped up on the other side of the curtain.

“You?”

Zaifa raised an eyebrow. The red-haired boy was floating in midair, bare-chested. It wasn’t just that he looked so familiar, it was that everyone here knew him. Zaifa’s eyes locked with his, and the boy’s face went white.

“——!”

The sight of a bloodied, snarling weretiger was not a heartening one. After a brief plunge downward, the boy climbed back up, and Marja jumped when she spotted him.

“Oh, Asel?!”

“Oh my God, what a place!”

Braum exclaimed in disbelief. It was Asher, no doubt. He had somehow healed from his wounds from the giants’ bombardment. Marja rushed up to him, clinging tightly to the stars.

“Asel! What’s going on, okay? Is everyone okay?!”

“—!”

His face lit up when he saw Marja. Asel gestured toward Marja and began to explain something. It was for the best, since his voice was muffled.

“Zee, what are you saying? Do you understand?”

“No—I’m good.”

The others giggled, unable to understand the meaning; it seemed like they were just dancing. Only Marja was nodding her head repeatedly, indicating that she understood.

“Aha. I see. Yeah, yeah.”

“Hey. What is that kid saying right now?”

“Wait, don’t interrupt me. Uh-oh.”

Zaifa asked impatiently, but Marja waved him away with a flick of her hand. Soon enough, the discussion was over. Pulling her face away from the shroud, Marja looked back at the others.

“Good news, they’re going to get us out of here, they caught the crack opening.”

“What, did Ronan come with you?”

“No, but I think it’ll work out, and you’ve done a lot of work for me, Jaifa, so—.”

Marja grumbled. It was an absurdly strong shield, but if Asel was right, she could probably get through it.

But first, she had a job to do. Looking around, she approached the female commando who had followed Jaifa, and handed her a lightly sleeping Iril.

“Hold on to that for a second. Careful.”

“Yes, Naeh?”

“I’m sorry, but there’s a guy who’s going to give me a hard time if I leave it to the guys.”

Marja laughed sheepishly. Then she looked up to the top floor of the castle with a worried expression. The storm that Schlieffen had unleashed was still raging, showing no sign of abating. Magic and explosions, presumably of the Archbishop’s own making, rang out in rapid succession.

“Please be okay.”

She muttered softly. Schlieffen’s nature was such that he wouldn’t return the favor if he tried to help now. Now was the time for her to make her move against Asel. Raising her greatsword, she strode toward the curtain.

“Please step aside. Ms. Jaifa.”

“I don’t think you’re any better than I am.”

“I know, but right now I need to get my act together with Asher, and I can assure you, I’m better at that.”

“That’s true.”

Marja’s voice was full of conviction. Zaifa stepped out of the way, displeased. Marja walked briskly over and stopped in front of the barrier. Asel faced her, his expression tense.

“Okay, bye.”

Marja said. Asel, reading the shape of her mouth, nodded. They had to break it this once.

“Hoooooooo—.”

Closing her eyes, Marja inhaled deeply. A blue glow began to rise from her greatsword. All of the mana circulating through her body was directed to the blade. Knowing her lack of skill, she had invested nearly all of her remaining energy into strengthening her body and the blade.

“—That’s good.”

Zaifa watched the spectacle and raised an eyebrow. It was no exaggeration to say that his strength was beyond Ronan or Schlieffen.

WHOOSH! Before long, the great sword had absorbed all of Marja’s mana. It was now more of a long, wide beam of light than a sword. Taking a deep breath, she gripped the hilt with both hands. And with all her might, she struck.

“Haaaaaaab-!!”

A guttural gasp rang out. At the same time, Asell, on the other side, narrowed his eyes and threw out his fist. The invisible fist, a greatsword that flew in a wide arc, struck the same spot at the same time. With a sound like a glass window shattering, the crack exploded.

“No way!”

“Broken, broken!”

The onlookers gasped in horror. A rush of sealed-off battlefield air blew their hair back. Asel, seeing that the shields had been breached, stammered out, “We’re in trouble!

“Stand, it worked—! Everybody, this way!”

“What the—!”

Now there were voices, and soon all the commandos’ bodies were in the air. Asel beckoned, and they were drawn in like fish to a hook. The people exiting the castle gasped in amazement.

“I can’t believe I’m alive—I thought I was going to die!”

“I hear you’re going to be Lorhon’s apprentice, and for good reason.”

No one was sure they would survive. In a flash, Asher dropped them in the rear of the Allied lines. The wounded were huddled together, receiving medical attention.

“Hey, that’s it, I’m relieved for now.”

Asel breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that everyone was safe. Schlieffen hadn’t come out yet, and half of them had died inside the castle, but it was still a remarkable achievement. Just then, Marja’s voice came from behind him.

“Asel!”

“Mara? Eup—!”

It was the moment Asel turned his head. His legs lifted off the ground as Marja clung to him. Their lips overlapped. Asel’s eyes, still huge as ever, opened wide.

“——!”

My head turned white. Marja’s cracked and popped lips tasted like blood. She took three seconds to set Asel down in place.

“Mar, Mar, Mar, Mar?”

Frozen, Asel barely opened his mouth. There was still warmth on his lips. Marja, smiling, pulled him into a hug.

“That was awesome! You are the best wizard ever!”

“Oi, your lips—your lips touched—.”

“If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead in there, I swear to God you’re—!”

Her voice was watery. Asel said nothing, only a series of groans that sounded more like moans. Marja, wiping a tear from his shoulder, looked up.

“Ugh, you loved it. Let’s do the rest another time.”

“Me, the rest?”

Asel froze at the implication. Marja concluded with what appeared to be a tongue-in-cheek remark.

Now that the brief celebration was over, it was time to get back to business, and after a moment’s hesitation, she was handed back to her crew. Asel sucked in a breath at the breathtaking sight.

“Gu, you got me, really.”

“Uh, yeah. Schlieffen saved him, and he’s not waking up, so I’m going to have to treat him, but is there anywhere you can lay him down?”

“Hey, the temporary barracks are over there, but why does your sister look like—.”

“Huh?”

Asel looked at Iril with concern in her eyes. Marja, frowning, looked down at her. Iriel, who had been sleeping peacefully since they found her, was moaning in pain.

“Mm… Ugh…”

“What, what, why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

Marja panicked. She didn’t look well, even if she tried. A cold sweat trickled down her white cheeks. Asel said.

“Pah, let’s go. It’s bad.”

“Yes.”

Marja nodded quickly. The two began to run toward the field ward. Zaifa and Braum followed close behind. Suddenly, Marja’s gaze fell on a battlefield she hadn’t seen before.

“Oh my God, what the—!”

“I guess this was more fun outside.”

Jaifa smirked. The landscape was indescribable, with giant pits dotted throughout. More than half of the giants that once stretched across the sky lay dead on the ground.

A mountainous mass of stone lingered in the air. A hemispherical star arc formed around the stone, enveloping the entire Alliance camp. It was a far cry from the one that had surrounded the General Headquarters.

The most striking thing, however, was the enormous magic circle in the sky. All the magic circles I’d seen before didn’t seem to be as big as that one.

Beyond the layer of clouds that blanketed the sky, a flash of light resembling a thunderbolt flashed across the sky. With each burst of light, a shockwave shook the heavens and earth. Marja asked in a trembling voice.

“What the hell was going on—, who put up those barriers, and why are the giants doing that—?”

“I put up the stars. My son is the one who cleared them.”

“Kyaaaaah!”

I almost dropped the reel. Suddenly, a voice from up ahead made Marja squeal and stop. She looked up, breathing heavily, and raised an eyebrow. A white-haired, middle-aged man who bore an uncanny resemblance to Ronan stood behind her.

“Da, who are you, why do you look so much like Ronan—.”

“Yes. I am Cain, father of Ronan.”

“Neh-eh?!”

The Savior nodded. Those who hadn’t seen Cain because they’d been locked up in the castle were stunned, he said.

“Thank you for saving my daughter, I’ll take care of her from now on, now go get some rest.”

“Gah, I can’t believe you just said that—is Ronan here, too?”

“Yeah. They’re fighting for the fate of the world right there.”

The Savior raised his arm and pointed to the sky. There was another flash of light and a loud boom, causing everyone’s eyes to widen as they looked up.

Unless she’d just misread it, the flash of light seemed to reveal an enormous human form. At least ten times larger than the previous giant, if not more–” Marja managed to say, breathing heavily.

“Bar, what was that–what the hell was that?”

“I don’t know. But I can see the congestion.”

“What is it?”

The Savior was silent for a moment. It was taking a toll on his body just watching. It had been a long time already, and neither of them had appeared. He cleared his throat.

“The king of giants.”