Chapter 616 – Bombs in the Crowd and Fog on the Board

000

Rakshasa and Gaios were walking together in the streets of Asteris where preparations for the Five Elements Festival were in full swing.

When the citizens walking down the street recognized Gaius, they each bowed their heads or bent their waists as if they were cutting their backs, and smiled at the Rakshasa who was following him.

For ordinary people, the image of Rakshasa is probably a young warrior who works hard to assist the tomboyish Daemunyim.

Of course, whenever he received that greeting, Raksha felt a prick of conscience.

However, now it was more important than her own circumstances to prevent the people in this city from getting hurt.

If the bomb that his older brother used on him were to explode inside the city, just imagining it would have terrible consequences.

“…Come to think of it, how fainted was I? Seeing as the sun hasn’t set very much, it doesn’t seem like it’s been a few hours.”

“About a day has passed since the explosion occurred in the ruins of the castle. It took me a day to fully recover, and I saw the explosion almost immediately after waking up…”

“…It’s been about two days since I disappeared. It’s not that the sun barely set, it’s that it set and rose once.”

Gaius nodded his head at Raksha’s words.

Rakshasa’s external title is a samurai escort exclusively for Daemunyeo.

Considering the position of Daemu-nyeo in this country, the importance of the Rakshasa, who protects the most important national factor, cannot be underestimated.

Naturally, after Rakshasa disappeared, there must have been quite a bit of work in the temple to find him.

The most perplexed was probably Nayuta.

Since the Rakshasa came to this city, he had never been away from him for more than a day, except when he kept his distance for special spiritual practice.

For reference, before the arrival of Rakshasa, many of the escort warriors were former royal palace soldiers who only knew what they looked like as great priestesses, but they said they quit after less than a month.

I was shocked by Nayuta’s original appearance, like a tomboy.

It was said that he couldn’t stand the ‘special training’ of Gaios, who seemed to be a quiet and cold-hearted schemer on the outside.

The seniors who went through such a past told Rakhal to be careful of ‘Gaios’ and ‘Nayuta’, but at first Rakhal did not understand much.

Since the place where he originally lived was such a mess, he thought that Nayuta and Gaios would be able to endure…

In any case, since such a rachal disappeared without leaving any contact, the officials at the temple might think, “Finally!”

Even so, there may be people who agree that ‘two years was a long time…’.

It doesn’t matter if you think on your own, but as a raksha- even though he thought he didn’t deserve it, he was worried about Nayuta first.

“Don’t worry. Nayuta won’t come out for a while to prepare for the ritual of the Five Elements in the Great Hall. She didn’t talk about you, so she must be worried. She said the child was. She said that since she is always attached to herself, she may need some alone time from time to time.”

“…”

Although she is usually the one who slaps her own back with all her might for making nonsensical noises, or whines because she is tired of her duties as a shrine maiden.

Ah, in fact, Raksha felt once again that he was a really kind child.

“After finishing all the work, you can go apologize to the child. The important thing now is to stop your brother.”

Gaios, reading the expression of the rachal and recognizing his feelings, reassures the rachal and reminds him of what he has to do.

At her request, Rakshasa nodded her head, tightened the sword around her waist, and took a deep breath.

After entering the street, it was full of people moving here and there as busy as the festival was ahead.

Among them, it is not uncommon to see people who seem to have come from other countries to see the festival.

Normally, he would have looked at such a situation with a happy expression, but this time even Gaios kept his expression dark.

“But, it is strange. If you were planning to commit terrorism, the moment before I was gone would have been the best opportunity… Why didn’t you detonate the bomb?”

No matter how you look at it, it’s a natural idea.

If the purpose of the brothers was to destroy, murder, and burn everything, the best opportunity would have been when Gaios had emptied Asteris.

But the fact that it didn’t, must have something to do with it.

“Didn’t you know that Gaios-nim wasn’t here…?”

If you think about it in the simplest way, Gaios was looking for an opportunity, thinking that he would be in Asteris.

If the timing is not right, they will be countered by Gaios, the strongest guardian, and all their plans will be ruined.

If it were his prudent brother, he looked at Gaius, thinking he could, but she shook her head, denying the possibility.

“When he stabbed me, he absorbed some of my magic with that sword. Thanks to that, the sword remembered the taste of my magical power. You may not be able to pinpoint exactly where it is, but you will know if it is close.”

If that’s the case, it’s strange that he didn’t aim for a time when Gaios wasn’t there.

Was his own brother such a conceited human being? No, it will be different.

He’s obviously confident in what he’s doing, but it’s all because his plans have been meticulously calculated, predicted outcomes in his head over and over again, and eliminated variables.

Obviously – there must have been a hint. In his conversation with himself.

What did he say before he parted at the end.

‘If you really are my nemesis, you won’t die like this. If you said you were going to stop me, do it.’

The last words of the brothers, drawn from memories flashing back in their heads.

It was the first time he had heard the word adversary, but for some reason he felt a strange familiarity with that word.

“Maybe… He’s waiting for me…”

“He’s waiting for the person he tried to kill?”

At Gaius’ words that he couldn’t understand, Raksal nodded her head.

Then she told her again the words she had heard when they parted from him, and Gaios shut her mouth for a moment with a look of surprise on her face, and then she spoke to the Raksha.

“He understands. The dark horse clan, which possesses the factor of a previous life… The fact that the battle between itself and the enemy is destined.”

No matter how much I ran away, no matter how much I tried to avoid it, no dark demon from my previous life could avoid that fate.

Sooner or later, the Dark Demon’s adversary will surely appear and fight a duel with the fate of the world on his shoulders.

And, when the dark demon from the previous life wins, this world will change drastically.

“Then, it must mean that he is hiding somewhere and is waiting for you to come.”

Because if he wants to fight Raksha, he won’t want Raksha to die before then.

However, Rakshasa, who still denies even Gaius’ speculation, speaks while shaking her head.

“He’s not like that. Absolutely, he never hides or waits for the right time. If I were him, in this situation…”

While Rakshasa was talking like that, he was moving his feet following Gaius, who continued to move.

A man in the ubiquitous robe passing by himself.

When he saw the man, he thought he felt a strange gaze, and at the same time followed him with his eyes.

“…”

“…Rachal?”

When Rachal suddenly stopped talking and walking, Gaius looked back as if asking why-

Rakshaka chases after the man, grabs him by the arm, and shouts.

“You…! Are you not a resident of Asteris, but a member of the thieves…!”

“!”

Hearing that, the man turned his head with a surprised face, and the hood of the robe he was wearing came off because of that momentum.

Then, you can see that what is revealed inside is a scruffy human being with scars all over his face, who can hardly be thought of as a human living in a city.

It seemed that he had somehow erased the stench, but he must have been unable to erase all traces of it.

The reason I was able to notice it was because I had a long career as a member of the bandits.

It would be only the Raksha who belonged to the same group that could notice the unique atmosphere that the members of the thieves had.

In any case, the villagers who passed by Rachal’s cry stopped him and looked back at him.

The next moment, the man put his hand into his bosom and tried to pull out ‘it’, a piece of bamboo skin tied with a rope inside.

Then, the shock of his own brother popping into his head with intense chills and bursting it right in front of his eyes.

‘Could you possibly explode a bomb here…!?’

Quaang!

And if the bomb explodes.

Naturally, it is not difficult to envision the next situation in the mind of the rakshasa.

The limbs that were separated by the impact would disappear as ashes without leaving a corpse or any traces of them.

All of this section of Asteris, leaving only a huge pit, no people, no buildings, no nature.

Thinking that we should stop that much, when Raksha grabs the sword from his waist and swings it, the man’s arm holding the bomb is immediately cut off.

“Haha…!”

However, the important thing is that the bomb will explode with a strong collapse when it is hit with a strong impact.

The severed arm held the bomb tightly, but it couldn’t resist gravity and it fell from top to bottom.

If- that bomb hits hard ground-

He stretches out his arm to catch the bomb, but has already moved his body to swing his sword.

As it is, should we just watch the bomb hit the ground? The next moment you were doing.

“Crystal Rise!”

The voice of Gaios came from behind.

And if you think that the wind of magic has blown, an ocher-colored crystal shell will appear and cover the bomb as if it were wrapping it.

And, the crystal that fell to the ground just rolls around with the bomb locked inside, but does not cause an explosion.

Silence for a moment.

Then, screams of ‘Kyaaak!’ Came from the surroundings, and Rachal wiped the blood off his cheek.

With a deep breath, when the strength is released from the tense muscles of the whole body, the man’s shoulder naturally goes down and the rachal approaches the man who cut his arm and grabs him by the collar.

“How many more people like you are inside this Asteris!? Say!”

“…”

The man’s empty eyes were shining on the raksha, but as if he wasn’t looking at the raksha, his gaze was not properly fixed, showing open pupils.

Rakshaka, who saw that, frowned at him for a moment, then, as if realizing something about him, revealed the man’s shoulder-

“Also…!”

There, like the pattern engraved on himself, the stamp of control was engraved.

Gaios, too, came close to him and saw the pattern, frowned and moved his hand.

A rock rises from the ground, and he binds the man as if binding him.

“It will take too long to neutralize this symbol here and now. I think it would be right to block them from moving for now and find another party.”

At the words of Gaios, Rakshasa looked at the crystal that had fallen to the ground, sealed with a bomb, as if he had no choice.

“Is this bomb okay?”

“Until I dispel the magic… But even this is not all-powerful. It can only be used on visible targets… And must be moved somewhere safe. To a place no one can find.”

“Then, I’ll leave it to you. I will go around Asteris and find other thieves and subdue them as soon as I see them.”

“…Are you okay? If I’m not there, the bomb…”

When Gaius talks about it as if he is worried, Rakshasa nods his head.

“Are you okay. Just now… I just didn’t expect to get the bomb there. If you know, you can respond first.”

All you have to do is cut it down and catch the falling bombs with your hands.

If it was such a simple (?) Thing, there would be no problem executing it as long as it was predicted, he said confidently.

“…Okay, then please. Retrieve the bomb, keep it properly. Even if it falls into the hands of ordinary people, it will be a big problem.”

Having said that, Rakshaka saw Gaius carrying the crystal bomb and flying towards the temple using flight magic.

He cut off his arm himself, glanced at the member of the bandits who was being restrained by Gaios, and was about to walk away with him behind him.

“… Haha. Is it okay to be away like that? Rachal.”

Until he suddenly laughs when he calls his name.

When Rakshala stopped his feet in surprise and looked at him – even though his face didn’t look like his brother at all, that expression of his distinctive tearing mouth smile.

It was none other than Nachal’s brother himself.

“…!”

Then, looking at the pattern of the imprint of control that appeared in his eyes, he came to know that his brother was talking to him in the body of that man.

“You…! Really bomb this city…!”

“Did you tell me? What are you talking about now?”

I am a man who will do it——of a brother who spits out things like that—no, of a man that the brother borrowed his body for.

People around them watch Rachael’s behavior as if it were strange, but Rachak and his brothers continue talking without paying attention to their surroundings.

“Let’s play a game. Rachal. Every 5 minutes from now, I will detonate the bomb closest to your location.”

“What…!?”

What shocked Rakshasa was not that he was directly targeting him, but how many people would die if that happened.

As if it was not Alpha who was so surprised by Nachal, the brothers continued their conversation.

“Of course. If even one of them succeeds in detonating, you too will be caught in the explosion and die. Ah, of course, not only you, but almost everything around you will turn to ashes and disappear. Doesn’t it matter?”

“Keugh…!”

“And, the explosion of adamantite causes an explosion. The moment even one explodes, all the remaining bombs in this Asteris will explode in turn.”

Even if it exploded alone, if the bombs that were sure to cause serious damage to the divine tree exploded in succession, Asteris—no, the East country was doomed.

“I can watch you from anywhere. If you try to get out of Field in Asteris in the middle of this game, it will explode. Even if the time limit is detonated. Even if you can’t overcome the psychological burden and choose suicide, it’s detonated.”

“Do not be ridiculous! What do you think of human life!”

As Rachal’s voice echoed through the streets, the brother slightly narrowed his eyes, laughing and talking.

“It’s fake anyway, so what does dying have to do with it?”

“Still say that!”

It was Raksha who couldn’t stand it and nearly punched the man in the face, but it was a puppet controlled by his older brother anyway.

Recalling that he wasn’t his older brother, he bit his lower lip as if holding back, looking for the brother who was laughing at him through those eye-pupils.

“Ah. I’m pissed. Then there is nothing you can do Because the game has to be fair. Just one thing… I’ll answer any questions you ask. If you ask me where I am, I might be able to answer that. Of course, lying won’t work for you. I promise to answer only the truth.”

In addition to that, it adds a rule like a game, that it is not allowed to ask questions in one sentence with multiple questions.

For example, it was said that even if they were asked to know the location and appearance of each member of the thieves, they would ask for ‘location information’ and ‘appearance information’ at the same time.

At the brother’s suggestion, Raksa shuddered and trembled for a moment.

If he really only tells the truth, the most important thing to ask here is where he is now?

“No, I have something else to ask.”

Rachal thought for a moment, then shook his head and asked while looking at the man.

“Now, how many humans are following your orders and walking around with adamantite?”

“…”

At Raksha’s question, the brother shuts his mouth in surprise for a moment, then tears the corners of his mouth once again and laughs.

Now, in this situation, if you go to find Rachal, the brother will explode the bombs of his men every 5 minutes as he said himself.

In a dangerous situation if even one exploded, it was decided that the first thing to do was to stop the explosion by retrieving the bombs, putting aside the search for Raksha’s brother.

And, he answered meekly.

“Okay…If you want to know, the only remaining bomb carriers are…Four. Of course, they’re all under my control, and I can pull out a bomb and go ‘bang!’ Anywhere I want.”

After hearing the brother’s words, Raksa looked at the pupils intently.

What he knew was his brother’s habit when he lied, for he was the only one who knew.

However, when no trace of it was really found, Raksa let go of his collar.

“…I know you’re telling the truth.”

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t lie?”

“Shut up! …Because I’d rather everything you’ve done was a lie…!”

The fact that his brother is a human trying to drive the world to ruin.

That right now, the lives of countless people are in his hands.

I wanted to be freed from all the guilt and pressure, and I wanted to pray many times.

However, all of this is a reality without a sense of reality to him, and it is something he has to do, which he cannot leave to anyone else.

“…But, I can’t stop. If it’s to stop you… I’ll do anything.”

His brother, hearing Raksha’s words, shuts up for a while and then speaks to Raksa.

“… Then, do it properly. I’m going to sit a little higher and watch.”

The next moment, as the familiar sign disappeared, the man’s head creaked and his whole body hung limp.

Even if Rachal looks at the man’s collar for a while, he clears his mind by taking a deep breath.

And-whoops, he exhaled once more, and he immediately turned around and started running.

First of all – I had to find the bomb and prevent the genocide from happening.

If he is the archenemy of his brother.

Surely, at the end of the place where the wind leads. He said he could reunite with his brother and put an end to his fate with swords to sword.

With such a small hope, it was to run.