284th Episode
Luna hovered in the sky, watching Karen.
Luna wished for Karen to flee and leave Lea behind, pretending as though she had seen nothing, known nothing, and simply disappeared. It didn’t matter whether the enemy’s intent was to kill or kidnap Lea—it made no difference to Luna. Today, Karen would lose Lea amidst chaos. Today, Lea would be caught in battle and perish while wandering aimlessly. If Karen ran away, Luna could easily make it happen. It wouldn’t be a difficult task at all.
However, Karen did not abandon Lea.
Even realizing that staying meant certain death, Karen couldn’t let go of Lea. In the end, even crawling across the ground with wounds and collapsing, Karen continued to shield Lea.
Why? Why go so far?
Was it merely out of pity, guilt, and a sense of responsibility toward Lea?
No, it couldn’t be.
Karen was a good person but not foolish enough to sacrifice their life for someone else’s child. Still, why did Karen persist like this…?
Luna also understood.
The reason Karen couldn’t abandon Lea ultimately came down to Ray.
Though Ray often teased, tormented, scolded, and made Lea cry, he always prioritized her. Even if it was just an act to please Bella, Ray remained faithful to his role.
Karen had witnessed such devotion from Ray up close and therefore couldn’t bring herself to abandon the girl Ray cared for.
“…”
Was Karen afraid of Ray’s hatred for failing to protect Lea?
Or was there another reason?
While Luna couldn’t pinpoint the exact motive, Karen’s choice reminded her of Ray’s own decision. Ray had chosen to protect Bella’s child, fully aware of the enormous cost involved, yet still standing by Lea.
Luna had always respected Ray’s choices.
But how long must she watch Ray carve pieces of himself away for Lea?
Because of Lea, Ray had given up so many options and willingly sacrificed much of his remaining life with ease. How long must she continue to support such a choice?
She wanted it to end.
That’s why Luna hoped Karen would finally let go of Lea.
But Karen refused to do so.
Even facing death, Karen chose self-sacrifice, ensuring Lea’s safety first.
Luna found the entire situation terrifying.
Part of her wanted to drag the unconscious Karen to Ray and ask how much more sacrifice would satisfy him for the sake of that one child. But she couldn’t.
Karen was precious to Luna too.
Kak!
Finally.
Luna descended to the ground.
The sword swung lightly by Benedict was blocked by the barrier Luna created.
After landing, Luna immediately extended her hand toward the direction Lea had run.
Perhaps she had burdened Karen with too much.
Perhaps she had underestimated the weight of the guilt Karen would carry going forward.
If she had placed too much on Karen’s shoulders, Luna decided to take that burden upon herself. No longer would she pass it off to others. She would handle it directly—Ray’s life being consumed piece by piece…
“…”
Luna hesitated.
In the end, she couldn’t grip the glowing light in her trembling hand.
Her expression twisted with sorrow.
We failed to let go when we should have.
Out of love and respect, we couldn’t make the necessary decisions when they were needed most.
Will we regret these moments and decisions in the face of future trials?
Yes, we will regret them. But because we loved and respected you…
Even knowing the regrets that lay ahead, we still make the wrong choices.
Crack!
Benedict shattered the barrier with a proper swing of his sword.
If she stayed like this, both she and Karen would be cut in half.
Luna condensed massive amounts of mana into her palm, extending it into a blade-like form before swinging it horizontally.
Her stance was clumsy.
In such situations, skilled swordsmen often insisted on a head-on confrontation due to pride.
Benedict was no different.
He believed he could slice through the brute force of concentrated energy with his refined precision and clashed trajectories with her.
Zing!!!
A deafening roar accompanied by powerful wind pressure swept through the area.
Benedict rolled across the ground.
Unable to sever the mana construct Luna wielded, Benedict was pushed back, staring at his healing yet torn hand.
Meanwhile, Luna gently caressed Karen’s unconscious cheek, smoothing out her distorted expression.
“Karen… Ray needs you more than that child.”
So, from now on, cherish yourself more.
Whispering this to Karen, Luna turned her gaze toward Benedict.
A blue barrier enveloped Karen’s body.
Simultaneously, Luna stepped forward toward Benedict.
Benedict paused mid-attack.
Something… felt off.
Something unfamiliar was approaching.
Boom…!
The atmosphere began to churn.
As Luna took her steps, she sequentially activated the hidden Circles she had concealed.
All the main forces of the Empire currently stationed in the Osiris Countdom were gathering at the Manor.
Most civilians and soldiers nearby had already been killed by Benedict.
A few might still survive, but they wouldn’t last long.
There would be no witnesses left.
Thus, Luna revealed her full power in front of Benedict.
Swoosh!
Four Circles rotated around Luna’s heart.
At the same time, the vast flow of mana coursing through heaven and earth resonated with Luna’s Circles, transforming its nature.
The sky darkened momentarily, and chunks of concentrated mana from the heavens became lightning bolts striking the ground.
BOOOOMMMMM!!!!
The rain of lightning began evaporating everything in the vicinity.
Flashes of light and flames erupted in all directions, turning the vision blood-red.
This wasn’t a conventional spell.
It was merely the ‘recoil’ caused by maximizing the influence of her hidden Circles.
Although she had only revealed her hidden Circles, she stood alone like the center of the world, looking down mercilessly at Benedict.
Amidst the flashing lights,
“You.”
Benedict spoke for the first time.
“Who exactly are you?”
*
“Ugh!”
As Ulte twisted his waist,
a bullet fired by Arundel narrowly passed by his nose, nearly smashing him into the ground.
The shockwave alone sent Ulte crashing to the floor.
The arrow Ulte had fired shattered instantly upon colliding with Arundel’s bullet.
Even wielding Genesis, cursed and incomplete as it was, Ulte knew he couldn’t compete in raw strength against an Apostle.
“Vanish.”
Arundel unleashed consecutive crimson bullets forged from pure hatred.
The subsequent explosion battered everyone’s ears mercilessly.
Each of Arundel’s bullets carried enough force to pierce and collapse a massive cliff.
Even a well-crafted suit of armor, consecrated over a decade by a proficient Knight, crumbled to dust under a single shot.
There seemed to be no way to properly defend against those insane penetrative bullets.
Nevertheless, Ulte shouted while moving closer to Arundel, directing the Imperial troops.
“Get closer!!!”
Everyone had already been thinking along similar lines.
If they kept their distance, they’d be annihilated by those bullets.
Clutching their weapons tightly, they surged toward Arundel, searching for openings.
Ordinarily, even experienced Knights rushing recklessly toward Arundel would’ve been toyed with due to his superior physical abilities.
However, the curse emanating from Genesis distorted Arundel’s muscles, significantly reducing his functionality.
Grinding his teeth,
“…!”
Muscles twisted painfully, slowing his movements.
Arundel tried to neutralize the phenomenon by channeling the Dark God’s power but Genesis’ influence couldn’t be nullified.
Mages aimed prepared spells at the hesitating Arundel.
Boom-!
The collapsing terrain bound Arundel’s legs while immense pressure descended from above, forcing him to bend over.
Knights swarmed toward the weakened Arundel.
Seeing this, Arundel grew furious again.
“You wretched… ‘byproducts’!!!”
Humans.
Offspring born as mere byproducts.
An inferior species riddled with flaws.
This deeply ingrained notion persisted within Arundel despite his long tenure as an Apostle of the Dark God.
Because this concept remained, Genesis affected Arundel as well.
Without further thought, Arundel explosively released the Dark God’s power stored within him.
Though it wasn’t enough to counteract Genesis entirely, it proved effective.
The Dark God’s power corroded the surroundings, temporarily nullifying the magic, allowing Arundel to fire bullets at the mages.
Despite the Templars’ best efforts, they failed to defend properly against the bullets.
POW!!!
The heads of the targeted mages exploded instantly.
Infuriated by the sight, the knights lunged at Arundel.
If they couldn’t escape together, this was their only option now.
Swinging wildly, Arundel deflected the incoming strikes with his bow.
KACHAK!!!
Had it not been for Genesis, the expert-level knights would’ve been crushed by a single kick from Arundel, their waists broken and bodies flung aside.
Thanks to Genesis’ influence, they managed to engage Arundel in close combat, albeit barely.
Of course, it wasn’t an equal fight.
CREEEAK!
A knight attempting to stab Arundel was struck by his bow and tumbled violently, slamming into a wall.
The number of incapacitated or dead Imperials steadily increased.
However, the battle dragged on longer than Arundel anticipated.
He could retreat now, snipe them from afar, and potentially eliminate them all, but reinforcements would arrive soon.
If the Empire’s Guardian, rumored to exceed Lord-tier strength, joined the fray, Arundel’s head would surely roll.
‘This isn’t good.’
Too many unexpected variables worked against him fatally.
He might have to retreat without accomplishing anything.
Just as Arundel’s thoughts grew complicated,
BOOOOMMMMM!!!!
Lightning rained down from the sky, covering the coastal area.
Even at a considerable distance, the sheer storm of mana raging beyond made Arundel’s body tingle.
Both the Imperial army and Arundel froze in shock.
A brief silence followed.
Then, a knight serving the Osiris family shouted furiously at Arundel.
“You vile fiend!!!!! What scheme are you pulling in our territory!!!”
“…?”
Wait, wasn’t that something you guys caused?
Arundel almost retorted but instead scanned the scene, meeting Jimy’s eyes.
Jimy subtly raised a finger and drew it across his neck.
Roughly implying: “You’re screwed.”
Exterior (5)
