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chapter 25
From Acranse’s wings, the crystal shattered in an instant, scattering into fragments and then disappearing entirely, leaving only a single thing behind: the blue gem split in two.
From the gem, gradually losing its light, came a curse-laden voice:
“…That stubbornness will ultimately lead you to corruption.”
Clang! The gem fell to the floor.
Lirian landed on the ground as well.
Though the battle was won, her blurred vision told her she had paid the price for overextending her power.
She felt a muffled sensation, as if disconnected from her surroundings.
Soon, she would lose her senses.
That was the cost of wielding the Sword Ghost’s power.
Through her narrowing vision, Lirian saw black energy rising from the gem that had completely lost its light.
It was the true form behind the monster she had just controlled—the Abyssal Shaman.
She knew she shouldn’t use any more power, yet she smiled wryly.
‘No choice. I can’t leave a sweet potato behind after handling everything else.’
Then, with a single slash, she cut down the form that was gradually taking shape.
“Kieek!”
The Abyssal Shaman died before it could even fully reveal itself.
Fwoosh!
As the shaman vanished, the surrounding darkness dissipated in an instant.
Faint light seeped through the shattered ceiling, and the darkness surrounding the bodies of those who had become monsters melted away.
The world returned to peace.
“…Lirian?”
Except for one person.
‘Ah, I should’ve taken care of that priest too… but where on his face do you even hit?’
Amid her fading consciousness, Lirian looked at the face of her injured benefactor and muttered to herself.
She smiled playfully.
‘Sorry, benefactor. I’ll leave the aftermath to you.’
“Lirian, what’s wrong?”
Iley limped toward her, silent, standing in the center of the temple.
Around her, obscene amethyst crystals jutted up like spikes.
“Li-”
As Iley reached out to grab Lirian’s shoulder—
Kraaaak!
A tremendous gust of wind suddenly blew, sending Iley hurtling backward.
Crack! The stained glass couldn’t withstand the impact and fractured. Iley slammed roughly against the wall, groaning.
A storm of mana swirled around Lirian, causing the crystals to bloom even more brilliantly.
As if protecting a fetus, the amethyst crystals grew around her, encasing her in a protective cocoon.
“Ugh…”
Iley staggered to his feet.
He stared blankly at the massive purple crystal that had sprouted like a giant flower bud before him.
Soon, the boy’s expression twisted with frustration as he clenched the solid crystal.
Crack.
“Damn it, open!”
Bang!
“Open… I said!”
Bang!
“I said open!”
Kaang!
Iley struck the crystal violently.
He struck, twisted, clawed at it—desperate to break it—but the crystal remained unchanged.
Only his hands were dyed red.
The boy’s despair was reflected on the transparent crystal, stained with red marks.
‘Again.’
He raised his hand once more.
‘Again… I couldn’t protect her?’
At that moment—
Paang!
The crystal glimmered briefly, and he was thrown backward once more.
“Iley!”
“Shiny!”
Yuri and Jeril caught Iley as he bounced off.
They had just regained consciousness, knocked out by the mana storm.
Looking at the chaos around them, Yuri spoke.
“What the hell happened? What’s with that crystal flower?”
“…Lirian’s trapped inside it.”
Iley bit his lip and revealed the truth.
The two were shocked.
Even setting aside the fact that Iley knew Lirian, the youngest being trapped inside that obscene crystal flower was horrifying.
“So… what do we do?”
“We have to save her. There’s no time.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“Can you feel the flow of mana?”
Yuri nodded as if it were obvious. Jeril, still bewildered, nodded too.
Though Lirian’s power was extraordinary, the three brothers themselves were no pushovers.
They were already geniuses who had awakened their mana.
Of course, Iley was no exception.
“The flow is reversing. That crystal is absorbing Lirian’s mana.”
Crackle—The crystal, absorbing high-purity mana, was growing rapidly.
Jeril asked, unusually serious:
“…What happens if it fully grows?”
Iley remained silent, but both of them could imagine the tragic outcome he didn’t explain.
“If only we could call Uncle and Mom…!”
“There’s no time.”
Even summoning the duke and duchess would be a problem, and by the time they arrived, it would already be too late.
Lirian had very little time left.
“We have to save her.”
Iley said resolutely and ran toward the crystal again.
The remaining two glanced at each other, then, with determined expressions, nodded and followed Iley.
Paang!
The mana storm prevented even approaching the crystal.
The moment they entered a certain distance, the crystal glowed and pushed them back with tremendous force.
Already on the seventh attempt, Jeril rolled twice across the floor, shaking his dizzy head as he watched Iley surge ahead.
Falling, rising, falling, rising—over and over.
All to save Lirian.
‘Incredible.’
Iley’s silver hair was dusted with dirt; blood ran down his scraped arms and legs, yet he didn’t give up.
All he had left was his vow to save Lirian.
Jeril was a troublemaker, but also a typical boy who liked the hero of a transforming golem story.
He could hardly forget the sight of Iley running through the storm toward the crystal flower that trapped Lirian.
‘He looks like a hero.’
Iley truly did resemble that hero.
For the first time, he thought someone outside his family was “amazing.”
When someone is amazing, you want to emulate them.
Jeril leaped to his feet and shouted:
“Yuri! Don’t just stand there! Help Shiny!”
“…When I get home, I’m definitely exercising.”
Yuri, with poor stamina, struggled to rise after being knocked down five times, muttering to himself.
Even he could see Iley’s determined back.
Lirian wanted to save Iley, and Iley wanted to save Lirian.
He didn’t know what had happened between the two of them.
‘No need to know.’
The important thing was one:
“She’s my little sister.”
Yuri Ershioni loved his family.
He might be too shy to show it, but he couldn’t leave his sister’s safety to just anyone.
“Huff… huff…”
“Haah… haah…”
“……”
The three boys ran relentlessly toward the crystal flower.
Drops of sweat fell to the floor.
Iley wiped the sweat from his chin and clenched his teeth, standing once more.
The crystal flower had fully bloomed, brimming with mana and radiating an obscene light.
The outer walls of the crystal had grown, exposing the inner walls it had protected.
Thanks to that, the inner scene was clearly visible.
“…Lirian.”
Iley spoke alone to the girl curled up inside the crystal.
‘Without you…’
Even if this world persisted, what use would it be?
His fist clenched tightly.
“Iley…?”
Yuri, exhausted and briefly sitting down, barely managed to stand again.
His eyes widened.
“Iley! Move!”
A strong wave surged from the growing crystal.
Rumble! The entire temple shook, showing signs of reaching its durability limit.
Purple stalactites fell from the ceiling.
Yuri grabbed Jeril, who was about to be sucked into the wind, and shouted toward the boy standing alone amid the storm.
Yet Iley didn’t seem to notice, remaining unmoved.
Finally, as they risked approaching him—
‘What’s that…?’
Yuri’s eyes widened.
Shimmering golden particles began emerging from the floor and walls of the temple.
Like desert sand, they moved against the raging storm, converging on Iley.
The sight resembled a swarm of beautiful butterflies.
Yuri’s pupils widened at the sight.
It was…
‘…a halo of light?’
A miracle, a thing of awe.
Like the distant legends of the first divine messenger to descend upon this land in ages past.
Above Iley’s head, the radiance gathered.
A circular halo was complete.
