EP.188 Each Stage (2)
It has been centuries since he abandoned his humanity.
Once human, the ancient lich who transcended humanity has been grappling with a single question for hundreds of years.
‘How?’
He has seen those called superhumans.
He has witnessed them surpassing human limits, achieving feats the likes of which humans could not. Every time he saw them, Skebal felt a question arise.
‘Do they not choose the path of transcendence?’
A path beyond humanity.
‘Apostasy, betrayal, defection, corruption.’
Means that easily break walls and allow one to move forward. Ways to escape the constraints of lifespan, shed weak flesh, and reach transcendence.
Countless and countless humans.
Weak humans choose the path of corruption.
But why?
The beings called superhumans. Though they are human, having surpassed humanity, they never choose the path of corruption of their own will.
‘Why?’
Though they can achieve more than common folk, and gain stronger power through corruption… they insist on remaining human.
‘Why do they make such a choice?’
Even if they may become tainted, broken, and ultimately go mad, they choose to live as humans and die as humans.
An inefficient choice.
A foolish resolution.
Therefore.
‘…I cannot understand.’
The ancient lich cannot comprehend them.
Skebal glances at the spot where the Braver disappeared moments ago. In his last moment, the Braver swallowed the shadows and confined himself to the Otherworld.
‘A foolish choice indeed.’
Skebal sees through the Braver’s plan.
The flow of time in the Otherworld is different from the current world.
Time accelerates and occasionally twists and turns endlessly. Could he really believe he would wear down His fragment along with himself in that flow?
‘…Just a mere human?’
He withstands an age close to eternity in the Otherworld.
Believing he could take in His fragment amidst the madness.
‘Such a thing is impossible.’
Skebal slowly confirms his own body returning. Bones click together. Black mana slowly but surely weaves the bones together.
Crunch, crunch.
He raises the completed right hand.
‘His fragment wishes to exist in the current world.’
Even if a mere human holds it in the Otherworld, there is no way he could keep it forever. It will eventually be released. Even now, it is showing signs of breaking free.
Creek.
A twist appears in the air.
Skebal reaches toward the distortion.
‘That human lacks the completeness of a vessel.’
He must find another vessel to contain it.
With his right hand, he opens the twisting space. With his left hand, he injects mana into the altar to perform the ritual again. Just as Skebal is about to draw up mana.
‘…’
Skebal’s fingers stop.
His pupils narrow.
‘…Where is it?’
The offering that was supposed to be laid on the altar.
The shape of the vessel meant to contain the god is nowhere to be seen.
—
Thick mana swirls in Apuria.
Kalt moves while relying on the purification device. Covert operations are nothing new for Kalt. There are no hindrances in executing familiar tasks.
Between buildings.
In the shadows cast on the floor.
Hiding his aura and minimizing his breathing, Kalt moves while avoiding the ancient lich’s gaze.
‘Good fortune.’
Kalt thinks so sincerely.
When he stepped into Apuria, what he saw was the Braver facing off against Skebal.
‘Braver, Kelharlem.’
All of Skebal’s attention was focused on him.
Thanks to the Braver drawing Skebal’s gaze and spreading vast amounts of mana in all directions, Kalt could infiltrate without revealing his identity.
‘Was that all?’
Kalt also saw.
The Braver swallowing an unknown shadow that soared from the air and entering a hole. Even Kalt, who is ignorant of magical realms, could tell it was significant.
‘Kelharlem became the vessel.’
He sacrificed himself.
That was a method Kalt had not heard of.
‘One must be sacrificed.’
The method the elf told him just before coming here.
‘That cannot be stopped. One must be sacrificed since it cannot be avoided. There should be three vessels there.’
Three students.
Children blessed by the Star.
‘Sacrifice one. There’s no other way.’
Sacrifice one of them.
The elf said so, and Kalt was ready to make that choice. He had faced similar situations on the battlefield several times before.
Harsh choices.
Deciding someone’s death with his own hands.
It’s a horrific and reluctant act, but there are times when it must be done. This would be one of those times. Kalt steeled his resolve.
But now, there was no need for that.
The Braver sacrificed himself.
Without choosing anyone, he chose the path to become the offering himself. The elf said to throw one away, but the Braver discarded no one.
‘To dedicate one’s life for another.’
That is a noble sacrifice.
Kalt internally reevaluates the Braver.
‘…He is a respectable individual.’
Respect, gratitude, and determination.
Kalt did not intend to let the Braver’s sacrifice be in vain.
‘Sacrifice one of the vessels. Leave only one on the altar.’
From the elf, he received three conditions early on.
‘Secure the children associated with the Star.’
Stella, Ayla.
The next Hero, Chloe.
Watcher, Resti.
The identities of the three were already in his mind. Kalt, taking advantage of the commotion, succeeded in hiding the three children away from the altar.
‘Two conditions fulfilled.’
What is the remaining condition?
Taking cover behind a building, Kalt steadies his breathing. He struggles to breathe, relying on the purification device, amidst the swirling mana.
The last condition.
Just as Kalt tries to recall it.
‘A little rat has sneaked in.’
A voice echoed in his ear.
“…!”
Kalt reflexively leaps.
A bone stake flies through the building’s wall, piercing the exact spot where Kalt had been standing.
Bam, bam, bam!
As he gains distance from the rising bone stake, Kalt raises his head. There, hovering in the sky, is a presence. A robe made of human skin fluttered in the darkness.
‘Where is the offering?’
Shiny black pupils.
Filthy refuse dripping from his eyes.
Mana swirling everywhere.
‘The ancient lich, Skebal.’
One of the four calamities.
Until the emergence of the Ashen Mage, he had lived for hundreds of years as the nightmare of the battlefield.
‘As for the last condition… I cannot know if it’s possible for you.’
With that existence before him, Kalt once again recalls the final condition given by the elf.
‘Buy time against Skebal.’
Face the calamity.
‘Until his time runs out.’
Buy time against the calamity.
Whether it’s seconds or minutes, he has no way of knowing.
That was the task given to Kalt.
“…Hoo.”
Kalt exhales sharply as he steps back.
He draws his sword from his waist. What he draws is not the dagger equipment of the Hounds. It’s a well-honed longsword.
The weapon he used in his days on the battlefield.
With it in hand, Kalt narrows his gaze.
The tip of the sword points at the hovering ancient lich Skebal. Kalt steels himself.
‘It’s ridiculous.’
Soon thereafter, a torrent of spells pours forth.
Before the oncoming wave of spells, Kalt grips the hilt tightly.
—
“Explain. Everything.”
In front of him, those gleaming blue eyes.
The eyes that didn’t seem like they would close again caused Cardi to exhale sharply.
“Let me go. Wouldn’t I need to be released to explain?”
Ranyel lets go.
Taking a few steps back, Cardi leans against the table where the medicines are placed and begins to speak.
“Well, you managed to come to your senses.”
“I want to rest, but it’s not a situation to do so.”
Cardi hands over a wet cloth.
With trembling hands, Ranyel takes the cloth. She forces herself to calm her unstable breathing, starting to wipe her body with the cloth.
“…You shouldn’t be in a condition to be awake.”
“I know my body best. It’s awake because I can be, and I can move because I can.”
It was a lie.
Cardi could see the messy state inside Ranyel. The flow of mana was tangled, and the passages of mana were in the process of mending.
‘Let alone being awake…’
It would be a struggle to even regain consciousness.
But Cardi didn’t bother pointing out that Ranyel was lying. Instead, he posed a question.
“Need some painkillers?”
“No, I’m numb.”
“What’s so bad about being numb?”
“Don’t you know that?”
She pointed out the window.
“Aren’t you gonna go?”
“…”
“So, hurry up and explain.”
Cardi sighed and opened his mouth.
“Do you know the principles of the Star and Shadow?”
“That shadows are cast where there is light?”
“Not that. Do you know the name of my hometown? The kingdom turned to ashes?”
“I don’t know. It’s not written anywhere.”
“Then it’s impossible to provide detailed explanations.”
At Ranyel’s gaze that seemed to ask, “Is that all?” Cardi placed a hand on his forehead.
“I’m frustrated too. If I could, I’d explain everything about that altar and more… The Star and Shadow. The curse of the one who lost the qualification of a king turned into a mere phenomenon…?”
Cardi’s eyes widened.
Mana had not flowed into his pronunciation. He felt no constraints wrapping around his tongue.
“Ranyel.”
“What?”
“What did I just say?”
“The curse of the one who lost the king’s qualification turned into a mere phenomenon…”
“Did you hear that?”
“Of course, that’s why I said it.”
Cardi stroked his neck.
The numerous prohibitions that usually bound him had loosened this time.
“…Ha.”
A smile escaped from Cardi’s lips.
‘Given the situation, maybe this time they’re allowing me some leeway.’
Unless…
“…”
Cardi glared silently at the girl in front of him.
‘Does this mean she has grasped it to that extent already?’
Had she unconsciously understood that principle?
He could not discern which it was. But that wasn’t important right now. Cardi assessed the extent of the loosened restraints.
“■■■’s ■■■. ■■■■■. ■■.”
After several confirmations, he spoke again.
“The Demon Lord has lost the qualification of a king. I would have explained that too?”
Ranyel nodded.
Cardi continued.
“He has become a god contained in a perfect vessel. We carved out the vessel meant to hold god from that place. Thus, it became an imperfect existence.”
There wasn’t much he could explain.
Repeatingly, the constraints sought to ensnare his tongue. Cardi continued his explanation within the limits of what the Star allowed.
“It has indeed turned into a phenomenon, as you said. It has been demoted from a perfect existence to an imperfect one, just as when the Shadow was born at the beginning.”
Thus.
“The Shadow seeks a new vessel. It began to parasite itself like a shadow in the place where starlight gathers. I am a fragment, not the complete being.”
“…Fragment?”
“Yes, fragment. Seeking a vessel to contain itself to become whole, just like in the past.”
“And that vessel…”
Ranyel interjected.
“Is it children with talents related to the Star?”
Cardi nodded.
“Star and Shadow are fundamentally similar beings. Thus, a vessel containing the Star can also contain the Shadow.”
“Then that…”
Ranyel pointed to the black barrier outside the window.
“Does that mean it’s trying to contain the Shadow within those children, causing that ruckus?”
“Correct.”
“Is it possible for this phenomenon to occur without any forewarning? If that’s the case, it should’ve happened on the battlefield already…”
“There is a condition. I cannot reveal that.”
Cardi looked up at the sky.
Calculating the position of the stars hidden beyond the blue sky.
“A certain timing, certain conditions, and some specific conditions that I also do not know… Once these are gathered, this phenomenon can occur.”
“Is there no way to stop it?”
“There isn’t.”
Cardi asserted firmly.
“Once this phenomenon happens, and the Shadow appears at that location, there’s no way to stop it. Someone must be sacrificed. Otherwise, everything will be thrown away.”
“…”
“The hunting dog that’s not here anymore.”
Cardi explained the conditions he conveyed to Ranyel. After hearing all the explanations, Ranyel clutched the bed’s edge and stood up.
“Where do you think you’re going…”
“I’m going.”
“Even if you go now, it will be too late. I heard the Master of the Black Tower finished explaining the situation to the Royal Family. If you must go, it would be better to join the knights heading there soon…”
“What do you mean late.”
As she wobbled, Ranyel firmly planted her feet on the ground. Gasping for breath, she continued speaking.
“You think Kalt can’t do it, right?”
“…”
Cardi fell silent.
His silence indicated agreement.
In fact, that was only natural. The hunting dog he had seen was not a superhuman. He wasn’t a being blessed by the Star. He was merely an ordinary person, inadequate to face the calamity in Cardi’s eyes.
‘A condition close to suicide.’
Even though he explained it clearly, that hunting dog charged toward the barrier at all costs. By now, the decision would have likely already been made.
“Not at all.”
However, Ranyel denied that assumption.
“You wouldn’t know this.”
Ranyel smiled while twisting her lips.
“That Kalt guy managed to endure even against Ganikalt once.”
—
Spells flood forth. A wave crashes in.
Before the rushing wave, Kalt swung his sword. He leaped off the ground, again and again. He cuts down what he can. He pays no heed to what he cannot slice.
Splurt!
Blood splatters from the arm that brushed against a spell. Numerous minor wounds emerge, but none are fatal. Kalt constantly makes choices.
What to gain, and what to throw away.
He repeats the weighing and calculations.
Kalt is not a superhuman. He is far from being chosen by the Star. Being only a mere human, he had to sacrifice something to achieve something.
‘I’ve done this many times.’
On the battlefield, Kalt stood by Ranyel’s side.
He supported their fights beside the Hero.
In the place where calamities and superhumans clashed with all their might. A stage where beings beyond humanity collided. On such a stage, Kalt has struggled to achieve something.
‘What lies before me is calamity.’
Kalt gazes at his opponent.
The ancient lich, whose body was broken during the fight against the Braver, remains a calamity, even in its weakened state. It still poses a challenge too great for him.
He confronts calamity with a human body.
An impossible task.
What is needed to achieve it?
Kalt slices through spells while rolling on the ground. He clumsily skids across the floor, fleeing from the magic. He is not a sword master who achieves everything with a single sword. Kalt is aware of that inadequacy.
‘Lack, deficiency.’
Knowing this, he longs for means to compensate.
Kalt retrieves a magical tool from his pockets and tosses it. Disposable magical tools cause explosions of varying sizes. They block the spells, buying Kalt some time.
‘Thus.’
In his hand is a test tube filled with a crimson liquid.
‘I will use everything available.’
A potion that enhances the body of superhumans.
A doping agent designed to be withstood only by superhumans.
Though it is still in development, Kalt draws it out. He aims the needle at the nape of his neck.
Thud!
Without hesitation, Kalt plunges it into his neck. The doping agent begins to flow through his bloodstream.
Thump, thump!
His heart races violently. His pupils turn bloodshot and his body no longer feels pain. A heat is felt in the breath he exhales.
“Huff…”
As he exhales, Kalt lifts his head.
‘This is ridiculous.’
In the eyes of the calamity, it seems like a futile act.
However, it is a life-and-death struggle for humanity.
‘Buying time.’
Victory isn’t the goal.
A soldier doesn’t forget his purpose.
—
“I will hold out, for sure.”
What lay in those eyes was not trust toward his companions.
It was closer to certainty.
“…So, you’re going to go there?”
“Of course.”
“To that place with your body?”
Ranyel answers.
“I have to go.”
As if it were the most obvious thing, she replies that way.
“I have to do it.”
A resolute voice.
Cardi instinctively sensed there was no room for persuasion.
Thud.
Her first step wobbles.
However, from the second step onward, she doesn’t falter. Suffering through pain, she begins to cast strengthening magic on her broken body.
“…Ranyel.”
Cardi warns her.
“I’ll say this in advance, the moment you contain the Shadow, you will die. Unless you’re planning to be a vessel yourself…”
“I’m not going to commit suicide, so don’t worry.”
Tick, tick.
Sparks fly above her body. The recoil from casting strengthening magic on her damaged body. Nevertheless, she endures that as well. She bears it and layers spells over spells.
“However, I also have no intention of making anyone a vessel. They’re all kids I have my eyes on, so why should I give them up?”
“Well, then what are you planning to do…?”
“Hey, Cardi.”
She turns to him.
“You said it yourself. It has become imperfect.”
“…True.”
“Imperfect, and those over there are fragments, as you said?”
“You said that.”
“Well, that’s enough.”
Ranyel spreads her palm wide.
Carved upon her palm is a chaotic convergence of tangled lines. A bizarre diagram that can hardly be called a circuit. Smiling, Ranyel gestures to it.
“Centuries ago, the Grand Magus even captured the perfect Demon Lord.”
Mana shaded with the nature of a curse flames up over the chaotic diagram.
Pointing to it, she playfully laughs.
“A fragment of an imperfect Demon Lord should be enough to bring honor back to the name of a Magus, right?”
Cardi’s pupils shook at the sight of the cursed mana.
“You…?”
“It’s been four years since I lost to the Demon Lord, Cardi.”
She neatly ties her unkempt hair into a ponytail. Instead of the blood-soaked cape, she pulls out the robe of the Master of the Tower that hung on the wall and puts it on.
“A mage always needs to find answers.”
She advances forward.
“This is the answer I found.”
Just as she always had.
Author’s Note:
I tried to do a series continuation but couldn’t…
Instead, I brought it back with a volume close to a series continuation!
The illustrations were done by Fnas.k 😀
