The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology
Chapter 145
"Wait, Nagi, I..."
The white-armed demon was killed by Skato.
To begin with, I never even met the living white-armed demon—Gale.
But would she believe me if I said that?
The fact that I brought Gale's corpse here would be seen as the strongest evidence.
"The one who killed my brother... was Ruruk?"
Nagi approaches, dragging her sword.
The girl who said her only purpose was revenge, that achieving revenge was all she needed, had been willing to sacrifice even her own life without hesitation.
She had decided to die after fulfilling her revenge—that's how committed she was.
I took a deep breath.
I steeled myself. No, I had no choice but to do so.
"That's right. That white-armed demon... I killed him."
"I'll kill you!"
Nagi exploded in rage.
It's frustrating to have fallen into Saturn's scheme, but it would be difficult to deal with her if she half-heartedly targeted both me and Saturn. It's easier to neutralize her if she comes straight for me. If I can just take away her sword, I should be able to calm her down.
The problem is that her sword strikes can't be defended against. Fortunately, my status is considerably higher, so I should be able to overwhelm her in speed.
I dodge Nagi's sword as she lunges at me, pouring out her emotions, by making a large leap to the side.
Now I just need to use teleportation to get behind her—
It was at that moment, just as I was about to use my skill.
"Huh!? It won't activate!?"
"Relative Teleportation" didn't activate.
No, that's not all.
No matter how much I focused, I couldn't manipulate spiritual elements at all.
...Don't tell me.
I instinctively look at Saturn.
He was wearing a smile that seemed to be holding back laughter.
—It was stolen.
Not just the teleportation skill. My mystical arts themselves were stolen!
By the time I realized this, Nagi was already upon me.
"Die!"
"Damn it!"
The moment I tried to guard with my mithril dagger, a chill ran down my spine.
I can't block it. My instincts screamed at me.
Without hesitation, I chose to dodge. But I couldn't escape unscathed from this position. Her sword cut into my upper arm.
Blood sprayed.
Originally, Nagi's sword ignores all defense skills and spells, but my "Domain Arbitration" isn't just a defensive skill. It's a skill that repels the interference of external wounds themselves. Even if by some chance I get wounded, it's a cheat skill that should instantly heal my body.
The fact that it's not activating means—
"So it really means I can't use mystical arts at all, huh."
All the familiar skills—"Domain Arbitration," "Eye of Illusion," "Relative Teleportation"—none of them could be used anymore.
This is bad.
It was truly unexpected. I had mistakenly assumed that Saturn could only steal skills or abilities.
Calm down, me. First, I need to create some distance.
I use my full status to run away and keep my distance from Nagi.
Nagi can't attack from a distance, so she tried to chase after me as I fled... but she gave up quickly. She must have realized it was pointless to chase me head-on.
She immediately shifted her gaze from me and lunged at Seori, who had been standing there dumbfounded.
"You're guilty too."
"Wait! Seori has nothing to do with this!"
I instantly kicked off the ground and slid between them, embracing Seori.
An intense heat assaulted my back.
"Master!"
"Ugh, guh..."
Gritting my teeth, I leaped to the wall with Seori in my arms.
As expected of a mythical-grade weapon. It pierced even my durability and inflicted a deep wound. This could be really dangerous.
I stood in front of Seori like a shield, glaring at Nagi.
Nagi swayed her head slowly, turning her dilated pupils towards us.
"...Why do you keep running? Aren't you going to kill Nagi like you did my brother?"
"Hah, don't get cocky, Nagi. I can handle you with one hand tied behind my back."
Only bravado came out of my mouth.
The amount of blood pouring from my back was becoming unbearable. I really need a chance to drink a potion.
Nagi lowered her stance and prepared herself.
This time, it wasn't an attack fueled by anger—it was the terrifying swordsmanship I had seen many times before.
"I'll teach your frivolous soul... Nagi's pain, Nagi's anger."
"Big words. Enough talk, come at me."
"Oni Sou Style—'Fire Rampage'!"
The sword Nagi swung naturally couldn't reach this far.
But it was a fatal strike that made both evasion and defense seem meaningless.
Sending out a slash attack... I remember joking about that with Verugana once and being laughed at.
The slash that cancels out all spells and skills splits into multiple layers, slicing through the surroundings. It indiscriminately attacks the floor, walls, ceiling, everything, and of course, it reaches us too.
I gritted my teeth, put all my strength into my body, and spread both arms wide.
"Master!"
If no defense has any meaning, then I have no choice but to take it with my body.
Trying to at least protect Seori behind me, I took the slashes meant for both of us. Blood sprayed from my entire body, and I fell to my knees.
...Damn. She's really strong.
This isn't an opponent I can handle with just physical abilities.
She was a swordsman whose technique and number of attacks far exceeded my expectations.
Seeing Nagi's gallant figure, who had overcome the handicap of not being able to use magic through her own efforts, I unconsciously found myself smiling.
I overlapped her a bit with myself, who shared the same illness. Even though this isn't the time to be thinking about such things.
I no longer knew what I should be thinking about.
My consciousness was fading from losing too much blood.
"Se-Seori... sorry, run..."
"Master, Master!"
I could hear the footsteps of death approaching.
...Ah, so in the end, I couldn't do anything. I'll end without accomplishing anything.
Overconfident in my own strength, I got carried away and now I'm dying so easily.
It's a fitting end for a stupid kid like me.
My only regret was bringing Seori along.
I'm sorry for involving you.
Please, go back to everyone right away.
Hurry, run away.
As I prayed for the safety of my pitiable familiar, my consciousness sank.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Holding the unconscious Ruruk, Seori was at a loss.
If left alone like this, he would die from blood loss.
However, Nagi wasn't leisurely waiting; she was running towards the fallen Ruruk. Seori understood that she would show no mercy to someone she had marked as an enemy.
Ruruk had his mystical arts stolen by Saturn's "Usurpation."
For Ruruk, a mystical arts user, this was equivalent to losing almost all of his cards. Seori understood that he wasn't an opponent that could be beaten with just physical strength.
Normally, when one's relied-upon power is sealed, one would despair. They should have been shocked enough to rage or scream.
But Ruruk had calmly tried to protect Seori.
Because she was his familiar? Surely that must be it. There shouldn't be any deeper meaning.
That time when he helped her on a whim, Ruruk became everything in this world for Seori, but for Ruruk, Seori was just his second familiar.
She understood that much.
I am the master's familiar.
If ordered to run away, I can't disobey that order.
But... but!
He didn't tell me to run away alone!
"'Dragon Slayer—Burst Shot'!"
Seori pointed her hand at Nagi and activated her skill.
Saturn was right behind Nagi. With luck, she might be able to blow them both away. Seori's light beam travels faster than sound, so even a sword master couldn't react after seeing it.
"!"
But Nagi had seen this skill many times before.
The panicked Nagi hastily raised her sword in front of her body.
At that moment, the torrent of light struck directly.
The skill was sliced through—but "Dragon Slayer Burst Shot" is a skill that releases the breath itself from the hand. The light-attribute breath is not just a single strike, but a convergence cannon that gathers and releases light particles.
Even if Nagi destroyed the center, the rest was still alive. The light bullets split to the left and right, hitting the wall and exploding.
Part of the wall crumbled, revealing the desert.
"Oh. What tremendous power."
It was Saturn who widened his eyes at this power.
This is a dungeon controlled by Saturn—its boss room. The inner walls normally have durability that even S-rank monster attacks couldn't destroy.
Yet Seori had destroyed it with just the remnants of a skill that had its momentum killed.
"You're a more dangerous woman than I expected—'Usurpation'!"
"'Dragon Slayer—!?'"
Seori, who was about to fire another skill, had her last resort stolen.
Realizing that her skill had disappeared, Seori panicked.
Saturn then called in sand from the outside world and transformed it into countless pebbles.
"'Sand Hail'"
Each became a fist-sized, pointed clump of sand, attacking Seori and the others. It was a wide-range attack that even engulfed Nagi.
Seori instinctively crouched down to protect her head, but she saw Ruruk lying at her feet.
This is bad.
If he takes even one more hit, he'll die!
Ruruk was already at death's door.
She immediately covered his body with hers. But with Seori's small body, there was no way she could protect him—
Just as she thought this, one skill flashed in her mind.
She gasped and shouted.
"'Transform'!"
Since that traumatic day, Seori hadn't been able to return to her dragon form.
She was afraid of becoming a dragon. She became scared of being hated, resented, despised, and even if it was a misunderstanding, she became afraid of strangers knowing she was the dragon princess.
But letting Ruruk die because of that fear was even scarier.
She couldn't allow that.
That was the only thought that crossed Seori's mind.
"I won't let it happen!"
In that instant, a dragon descended with a dazzling light.
It was a dragon with scales dyed pure white, shimmering with cherry blossom colors in places.
Its body was slender and graceful, yet also exuding a sense of power—a majestic figure. It was undoubtedly the beautiful and noble dragon princess herself.
"A dragon species!?"
This time, it was Saturn who let out a voice of astonishment.
The sand hail rained down on Seori and the others, but it couldn't even scratch the robust scales. Ruruk, protected by being enveloped in the dragon's body, wasn't even grazed.
"Damned dragon! How dare you in my domain—"
"Get out of my way!"
"'Sand Shell'!"
Seori released her breath.
Fortunately, only "Dragon Slayer Burst Shot" had been sealed. Saturn, who hadn't expected her to be a dragon species, hadn't stolen the breath itself.
Seori's full-power breath directly hit Saturn, who had hastily covered his entire body with a sand barrier.
The wall and ceiling behind were blown away, and Saturn's private room on the upper floor vanished.
The aftershock was tremendous; even Nagi, who was at a distance, couldn't resist the raging wind and was knocked unconscious after crashing into a wall.
Taking advantage of this moment, Seori grabbed Ruruk and took flight at once.
She flew out of the castle.
However, it had been a while since Seori had returned to her dragon form, and she had consumed a considerable amount of magic power. She couldn't properly channel magic to her wings and couldn't ascend. She desperately glided to create distance.
"That hurt, lizard girl!"
Saturn, showing disgust on his face, dissolved his tattered sand armor.
His body had taken considerable damage, and blood was flowing from his head.
He pointed his hand at Seori's back as she fled towards the desert.
"Foolish. Did you think you could fly in my garden!?"
The desert writhed.
The land, dyed with Saturn's magic power, moved entirely at his will. The sand undulated like giant tentacles, rising to the sky to pierce the flying Seori.
"Ugh, nya, hyaa!"
Although Seori tried to escape by dodging many times, she couldn't avoid all of the countless attacks and took a hit to her wing.
Blood sprayed from her wing, her magic power dissipated, and she began to fall.
"Die, you winged insect—'Sand Devourer'!"
The ground opened its mouth like a huge living creature.
Seori put all her strength into one wing, barely rolling to the side at the last moment to avoid being devoured. Tentacles lashed out, trying to entangle her legs.
Without time to think, Seori continued to dodge and flee desperately. With no strength or magic power left to ascend, she was gradually being cornered.
Toyed with, her path blocked, she had no choice but to return to the castle.
Saturn looked down on this scene and sneered.
"Pawn of the lowly dragon god. Regret descending to this land and die. 'Sand Beasts'!"
More than a dozen sand wolves created by Saturn approached, growling.
Still in dragon form, Seori backed against the wall, cradling Ruruk and trying to intimidate them. There was nowhere to escape.
Just when it seemed all hope was lost, Seori's eyes fell on a device she had seen just moments ago.
That's the transfer device!
As the sand wolves rushed in.
Seori leaped towards the device in a flash.
"Make it in time!"
Seori jumped onto one side of it and immediately channeled her magic power.
The beasts' fangs and claws closed in on Seori and Ruruk.
But just before their attacks could reach, Seori and Ruruk had vanished.