Chapter 488

Chapter 488

Lucia froze as if time itself had stopped. The image of Diana impaled on the tentacle burned vividly into her crimson-glowing eyes.

“Guhk…”

Diana herself couldn’t even scream. She just went rigid, her wide eyes staring down at herself. The thick, violet tentacle—as wide as a grown man’s arm—had pierced through her from her left lower back and out through her right side.

Splurt… Squelch…

The bloodied tentacle moved again. Still impaling Diana, it lifted her, pulling her from the quicksand. Her trembling body arched backward like a bow as it rose into the air.

“Cough… cough…” Blood trickled from under Diana’s mask, soaking her platinum blonde hair in sticky strands.

All the while, Ian, who had been watching Lucia’s face with what looked like amusement, finally opened his mouth.

Crr-crack…

His maw, lined with sharp teeth, stretched open to a grotesque size. As it did, Diana, carried by the tentacle, was now above Ian’s head. With his four eyes narrowed as if in a smile, Ian finally tilted his head back. The gaping, massive maw was aimed at Diana. Drops of blood trickled down her hair and disappeared into it.

“…No.” It was then that Lucia’s eyes turned pure white. At the same time, her cloak billowed upward, and from her outstretched hands, a brilliant white flame erupted.

With a beast-like howl, Lucia thrust her arms forward.

Woosh—

A torrent of white flame surged out like a dragon’s breath. The mist of chaos that had spread like a fog around them evaporated in an instant, and Ian staggered as the flames engulfed it. Even then, the flames targeted the center of his torso, clearly to avoid burning Diana as well.

Fwoosh—

At last, the sacred fire of madness subsided. Lucia, her hands still outstretched, staggered and coughed up a torrent of blood. Even so, her white-glowing eyes stared through the dissipating flames.

It was because the figure of Ian Hope, with white flames blazing all over him, was being revealed.

Fwoosh…

The surface of his skin was melted like tar, and the same was true for his undulating tentacles. The white flames flickering all over him were still melting him. Despite his appearance, he didn’t seem to have taken much damage, nor did he seem to have regained his sanity.

“Grrrr…” In any case, he closed his jaw again and turned to look at Lucia.

Panting as she looked up at him, Lucia’s lips parted. “Fine… then….”

The white flame in her eyes flickered. “Then… kill me first….”

The corners of Ian’s mouth curled up. At the same time, a violet mist seeped from him. The sacred fire that had been burning all over him subsided as if submerged. The tentacle that had pierced Diana drew a sharp arc almost simultaneously.

Thump—

Diana fell to the sand and sprawled limply. She only trembled faintly, unable to even let out a groan. From the hole in her blood-soaked side, blood and pieces of entrails flowed out stickily.

Shwaaaa—

Ian, cloaked in a violet mist, was already cutting through the air toward Lucia. Lucia’s eyes, which had been looking at the sprawled Diana, crumpled as if she were about to cry.

“Aaaaaaaah—”

Her cloak billowed as if it were about to take flight, and she thrust her hands out again. A torrent of white flame shot toward Ian. Ian’s hand was faintly visible through the undulating violet mist.

Boom, boom, boom!

The thick violet mist engulfed the white flames instead. The fire parted and scattered to either side, surging and rolling away. The mist, too, was beginning to dissipate as if evaporating—but it wasn’t enough to stop Ian’s advance. The sacred fire, if anything, was extinguishing more quickly.

“Phew… Phew” Panting for breath, Lucia dropped her arms.

Blood covered her nose and mouth. The white divinity shimmering in her eyes was also faint, as if it would go out at any moment.

Swoosh…

However, beyond the undulating violet mist, Ian’s glowing eyes were still calm. In fact, he looked pleased, as if he was very fond of the anger, sadness, and madness that Lucia had spewed out.

As the thick mist spread wide, Ian’s full form, now returned to its original state, emerged through the haze. He was still drawing closer to Lucia, ever so slowly, with an air of unsettling leisure.

“Ha…” Lucia’s expression, as she looked up at him, suddenly grew calm. It was a face that seemed to have given up, or perhaps accepted her fate.

The Cloak of the Undying, which had been shimmering with magic, settled down, covering her.

Moving her hand slowly beneath it, Lucia said, “If you’re listening, don’t feel guilty.”

Her gaze remained on the four approaching glowing eyes. As the lights narrowed slightly, Lucia added with a faint curl of her lips, “You’re not the one who’s killing me.”

At the same time, the left and right sides of her cloak shot up. Lucia had raised both her arms as if waiting for the coming execution. Ian’s lips split into a wide grin.

Slash—

At the same time, a single tentacle shot out as if in response. However, it didn’t pierce Lucia as it had Diana.

Ssssk—

Instead, it wrapped gently around her waist, over her cloak. A faint magic shimmered on the surface of the cloak and divinity still lingered in Lucia’s eyes, but the tentacle lifted her into the air with no trouble.

Even as she was lifted into the air, Lucia never once looked away from Ian’s glowing eyes. And Ian, in turn, gazed down at her with a look of deep satisfaction.

Crrk—

At the same time, his jaw gradually opened.

Unlike before, the rows of fangs were receding, as if sinking back into his gums—giving the impression that he meant to swallow her whole. Beyond the gaping maw, a violet abyss writhed softly.

With her characteristic expressionless face, Lucia watched the approaching abyss without avoiding it.

Flutter—

As the gaping mouth drew close, mere inches from her, the limp cloak suddenly fluttered as if it were alive. And in that movement, the arm hidden beneath it came into view.

“But what I borrowed… I’ll return.”

In her hand was a small wooden box. It was the container for the Sacred Blood, with very elaborate patterns engraved on its surface.

As Ian’s eyes, which had been narrowing in satisfaction, twitched, Lucia swung her arm with all her might.

Swoosh—

The container, which had left her hand, disappeared beyond the gaping violet abyss. In an instant, that felt like an eternity, a rainbow-like light spread beyond it.

Ian’s four glowing eyes contorted almost at the same time. The seven colors instantly merged into one and turned pure white.

“----!”

A scream of agony tore from Ian’s mouth—now pouring forth radiant light.

***

He was slowly drifting through an endless darkness. The darkness felt warm, quiet, and strangely comforting.

Even in his daze, he hoped this nap would never end. It was that sweet and peaceful. In fact, it was a sensation he had longed for, for a very long time. However, as always, peace didn’t last long.

A myriad of colors, as if reflected through a prism, spread dazzlingly, coloring the darkness. He couldn’t even close his eyes and look away.

The scattered light that had covered the darkness instantly combined into one. The whole world turned pure white, and then it flickered like a broken fluorescent lamp. It was a very unpleasant and grating change.

“I told you. It was a reckless plan.”

A leisurely voice spread from the side then. Ian instinctively turned his gaze. In the middle of the flickering world, a boy with violet eyes was drifting along with him.

“Yog?”

“I’m glad. That you remember me.” The boy, Yog, grinned. “I was worried your soul had completely turned to mush. It wouldn’t have been strange if it had, given the situation, right?”

Memories flickered through Ian’s mind—fragmented, yet vivid: a suffocating darkness shimmering with reddish-brown, sharp thorns and acidic liquid, tentacles rending his flesh, swirling dark green trails, roots spreading outward, the rush of sweet, intoxicating chaos, and a thirst so fierce it scorched his throat from within.

And, darkness.

“You wouldn’t want to be disturbed, right? I get it. I didn’t either. Not until just a moment ago, back when I didn’t even realize my soul was melting.”

Yog added, “Your chaos is cunning. It knows you very well too. Who would have thought that it would offer you what you wanted most, peace and rest, instead of trying to break or absorb your soul?”

The boy, who had been chuckling as if he found it amusing, finally looked at Ian again. “But, my friend. Why don’t you throw away that futile attachment now? Unless you want to make the opportunity Lucy created useless.”

“Lucy….” As he murmured, a girl with red hair and green eyes, with an expressionless face, came to his mind. Another face, similar to hers but much more mature and sharp, with many scars, followed.

“Yes. This is the opportunity she gave you by risking her life. A painful opportunity that will make you snap out of it.”

Faces flashed by in bursts of light: a beastfolk with black fur, a silver-haired fairy, a freckled young man, a face like a painting, a round-faced dwarf girl, and a grim warrior whose scar looked like a bear had carved it.

Each vision made his mind a little clearer.

“If you don’t want to, well, just stay asleep. The disturbance won’t last long. Soon, Lucy will become one of us too.”

“Become one of us?” Ian asked, feeling like cold water was being poured over him.

Yog shrugged. “Your chaos seems to like Lucy as much as you do. Enough to keep her alive even in this situation. It’s probably trying to make her reborn as a vassal. Though whether she’d still be that cute little girl we knew after that is—”

“I have to get out of here,” Ian interjected.

As Yog, who had paused, smiled as if he had known it all along, Ian added, “What do I have to do?”

“You need your will. A very, very strong will. Of course, even if you don’t have something like that right now….” Yog, who had spoken as if he were putting on airs, gently held out his hand. “You have a helper by your side.”

Unlike usual, Ian didn’t think or doubt and immediately grabbed the boy’s hand.

Grasping his hand back, Yog smiled. “Finally starting to trust me. I’m touched.”

At the same time, Yog’s shot out like an arrow into the middle of the flickering light. The same was true for Ian, who was holding his hand. A flashing light covered Ian’s vision, and then it turned into countless straight lines of light.

Yog’s figure vanished in the brilliance, leaving only the sensation of his hand. Beyond the countless stretching lines, a violet-shimmering abyss was unfolding.

“----!”

From beyond it, a roar full of anger and pain faintly echoed. The moment he realized that it was the scream he was letting out, the violet light scattered as if a cloud had lifted. And beyond it, a familiar scene was revealed—the ashen desert, the undulating tentacles, and the dazzling light.

“----!”

The next moment, all his senses returned. At the same time, a pain as if his insides were on fire struck him.

It was only then that Ian realized he was spewing light along with his scream. He swelled as if it would burst and then subsided, and the tentacles that had sprouted on his back undulated as if having a seizure.

The moment he confirmed the figure wrapped around them, Ian’s eyes shot open without him realizing—it was Lucia.

The girl was cutting through the air here and there, following the movement of the undulating tentacles. Blood covered her face, but her eyes remained narrowed, probably thanks to the Cloak of the Undying that wrapped her.

Even in the pain that felt like his insides were on fire, Ian tried to stop the tentacles that wrapped around Lucia.

“----!”

A roar mixed with pain and anger erupted from his mouth almost at the same time. The tentacles that had been loosening tightened again, wrapping around Lucia.

It had to be chaos’s will—desperately trying to hold on to control of the body, resisting Ian’s return.

—Let me help too… my friend…

Yog’s whisper echoed, faint and strained, as though it were barely holding itself together. Ian focused his consciousness on the tentacles instead of answering.

Thump… Thump…

Suddenly, the pulsation of his essence bead became clear. At the same time, the undulating tentacles stopped dead in the air. The same was true for the tentacle that gripped Lucia. Then the tentacle slowly opened, and Lucia dropped from the gasp.

“Sir Ian?” Lucia, who had tumbled on the floor, murmured suddenly.

His mouth gaped open almost at the same time.

“----!”

A roar mixed with anger and pain followed. His limbs moved on their own, trying to approach Lucia. He twitched—trying to stop himself.

Is this… what it feels like to be a conjoined twin?

It was a strange sensation—like two minds wrestling for control over a single body. His body trembled, and a violet mist spread around him. Two wills were having a tug-of-war over the body.

—Unfortunately… there’s not much time… my friend…

Yog’s whisper pierced his mind. He didn’t need to think deeply about what it meant. The pain that felt like it was burning his insides and the light spewing from his mouth were gradually weakening. After this divinity disappeared, he would lose control of his body to his essence bead again.

—So before that… take me off.

Yog added in a suppressed voice.

—I told you, didn’t I? You’re not fused with chaos right now.

Then, tell me how.

Even while thinking, Ian moved his left hand and grabbed his face. It was a simple and instinctive action that came from the thought that if he wore a mask, he could take it off again. As his vision, which had been submerged in darkness, flickered and flickered, he put strength into his hand.

Crunch…

His sharp fingertips dug into the edge of his face. The pulsation of his essence bead became clearer, and a roar full of anger erupted from his mouth as well.

—That’s not what I meant, but… just keep going. I’ll… match you…

Ian didn’t need to ask what he was supposed to do anymore. He just put more strength into his hand. As he did, his hand dug deeper and deeper.

Crackle…

He felt a pain as clear as the sensation of his insides burning. At the same time, his other hand grabbed his forearm.

If someone saw it, they would think he was attempting suicide in a very strange way. His forearm was gradually being crushed, but Ian didn’t care. The same was true for the pain that made him feel dizzy. This was a punishment he deserved to receive.

“----!”

As the scream of his essence bead rang through him, Ian tore off his face without a moment’s hesitation.