Chapter 788 – Absence Case Log -12-

000

In a cave as bright as day, the sound of metal clashing against metal echoed again and again.

The one trying to vie for sex is with Lee Je-al, a vampire with flowing black-and-white hair and swinging his sword as if dancing in a torrent of blood.

A silver hunter like a shining piece of ice in a blizzard night, and a knight with a flame spear that burns a fierce flame in contrast.

Due to the intense flash created by the element of light that illuminates the cave, the shadow of one of the weapons is erased, and thanks to the vampire’s characteristic of weakening in the light, Ijeal’s strength is also reduced.

Regardless of the numerical disadvantage, she was dealing with two people at the same time, moving her sword as if she were dancing.

Kaang! When she heard the sound, Diora grabbed her own spear with both hands and held it horizontal, putting her weight on it to block her sword swinging down from above.

Her spear was burning like the breath of a fire dragon, but Ijeal’s red sword, solidified by the vampire’s power, did not evaporate or melt, but instead split the spear from above, making a crackling sound. The broken blade, like a saw blade, was inserted into the spear holder.

In such a standoff situation, Illenu stabbed her rapier in succession like a flash of light from behind Ijeal in order to immediately support Diora.

Her holy sword rushes towards Ijeal’s shoulder, the middle of his back, the left side, the back of his head, the lower part of his neck, his right thigh, and the left side of his back where his heart is, a total of seven times while he closes and opens his eyes.

The seven consecutive strikes, like lightning, were struck almost simultaneously, but because there was a time gap between each strike, her hair moved on its own, hardened like a blade and filled with blood, blocking all of Illenu’s attacks.

‘Are there eyes in the back too…!?’

Illenu could not hide her astonishment at Al’s defensive performance, but still could not stop her attack.

The next moment you thought her hair had blocked her own sword, her left hand was already moving.

What she brought up right away was one of her methods for attacking the non-pointed side.

It was a bottle containing holy water, which had the same power as hot water over 100 degrees for vampires.

If she blocks it with her own body, the blocked part will either melt away, or the body will stop, accompanied by intense pain.

When the cap of her holy water bottle, which was one of her consumables and limited in number but one of her most effective means, was opened, a transparent liquid that looked no different from ordinary water was sprayed towards her. 〉

＂!＂

However, it was natural for Lee Je-al to not think that the liquid being sprayed on him in this situation was water with no effect, so he immediately landed on the ground, jumped up, spun around as if he was flying in the sky, and landed in the distance. .

Thanks to this, Diora’s spear was able to survive without breaking, but Diora ended up using her precious holy water.


＂Tea, cold…＂

Diora responded as if she had been poured cold water, feeling her face getting wet, but Ilenu clicked her tongue and looked back at the fallen egg.

With one of his swords stuck in the ground, Ijeal scratches his head and tries to shake off a little bit of holy water on the tip, but soon escapes the influence of holy water by tearing off the part himself.

＂It’s pretty good, Illenu. The flame knight over there is also better than I thought. Right now, I look like a drowned rat.”

＂That’s right… First, I have the title of the strongest knight in the kingdom, and on top of that, I’m working together with a dhampir who specializes in hunting vampires, and I think it’s a foul if I don’t get even a single wound…☆＂

At first, Diora responded like that while showing her composure, but now Al was laughing and smiling at her words.

“Of course. Those people are fledglings who have only lived for about 10 or 20 years at most… These people have lived dozens of times longer than that, a thousand years. It’s not just living a peaceful life, sitting in a comfortable chair, but in the back world where all kinds of desires are wriggling. What can you do to me like that… Wouldn’t it be difficult as long as you don’t commit foul play?”

“That makes sense…”

There are certainly limits to the accumulation of experience over time, but even among humans with a limited lifespan, the difference can be clearly felt.

Diora sighed, thinking that it might be natural to be inferior due to the difference in experience against a vampire who does not even have such limitations.

Moreover, the fact that she can move like this now is possible only because Selena is filling the inside of this cave with her light.

If all her magic were to be used up – she would once again be frozen by her ability to manipulate her blood and harden her body, and then she would be powerless to resist.
Will fall.

As Diora thought so, she glanced at Selena, who was frozen in the air.

Selena, with her glow on, was working hard to maintain her glow, but contrary to her declarations that she would hold on for an hour or two, she didn’t show up from the moment she passed the 10-minute mark. A look of exhaustion was evident on her face.

This light will not last longer than 5 minutes at most.

If she can’t subdue her or break her power, all that’s left for her is a 1:1 confrontation between her Illenu and her, and if that happens, her Illenu will have a chance of winning.

But she thinks.

In the prophecy given to him by the wise men of Babel, there was no story related to Ijeal or the Holy Kingdom of Kabalon.

That was her own rationale that this incident was not one that could significantly change her own fate or her Cleon’s fate.

Of course, their prophecy is a future choice that will occur with the highest probability, calculated based on numerous possibilities.

Until now, there has never been a time when their choices have shined.

At the same time, Illenu, who was standing next to her, was also thinking.

When Selena’s magical power is depleted and Izael’s shadow returns, and her Diora becomes immobile again, will she be able to take her down alone?

Of course, it would be a lie to say that there is no chance of winning, but it is a very, very low probability that is no different from finding a needle in a sandy beach or finding another grain of sand of a different color.

Longevity and the experience of battle.

In any fight with a vampire I’ve ever had, I’ve never felt such a difference in power.

Even compared to her own father, she was so powerful that she once risked her death.

─So.

“Diora. What do you think is the best way to deal with fouls?”

＂Suddenly a mystery at a moment like this?＂

In response to Illenu’s question to her, Diora asked her back while laughing, but Illenu answered while looking back at her.

“… Because it’s not a joke.”

“… Well. There are many things, but the most certain and effective one is-“

The next moment, numerous bloody spears flew towards Illenu and Diora.

Perhaps he was preparing for the possibility that holy water would be poured on him again if he engaged in close combat. Ijeal seemed to think that just firing a weapon made of blood from a distance would be enough to subdue the two men.

As soon as Diora recognized her attack with her eyes, she moved in front of Illenu, intercepted her, and spun her spear to block Al’s attack.

And then, she puts the rest of her paused answer into her mouth.

＂… I wonder if this side is fouling too. ＂

“─I guess so too.”

Ilenu nodded her head as if she understood Diora’s answer and took out one of the many small medicine bottles tied to her belt.

Inside her small, black bottle was a liquid that glowed red and sparkled, imbued with deep magical power.

[I’ll hand this over. If you want to unseal Emma-san at the timing you think is now, use it. And… If you think it’s really dangerous, drink this blood just to survive.]

As Cleon’s voice said that echoed in her head, Illenu couldn’t help but swallow her saliva out of nervousness before drinking the blood.

Of course, drinking this could have brought Emma back to her original self at any time – but the thought in her mind that recalling what she had done with Cleon might cause her to lose control and go wild like back then hindered her decision.

‘But- now is the time to let go of that weak and indecisive self.’

When I was younger, I was much more of a coward, so there was a time when I locked myself inside the house and couldn’t go out for a month to avoid the kids who were throwing stones at me as a dhampir.

Ever since she discovered her father’s identity and realized that it was her mission to hunt him down, she has been hiding herself as a self-defense measure in order to travel as a woman, with an attitude of being strong and unbeatable by men.

He was always afraid of losing something, so he stopped one step ahead.

However, if what you lose is yourself—

He decided not to be afraid anymore.

The next moment, Illenu opened the cap of the bottle containing Cleon’s blood and poured it down his throat.

The only blood he has ever consumed is pure human blood.

This is the third time – he thinks this is the third time he has drunk Cleon – and he feels the sweet blood flowing down his throat and down his esophagus, all the while spreading throughout his body.

And the next moment, her vision went dark.

?

─She saw a woman sitting on a throne decorated with bones and flowers in a collapsed ruin-like cathedral.

In a gray world where everything is black and ash, behind the throne is a sculpture of a cross that is broken and stuck upside down.

In the midst of a flow of magic power that even Illenu herself seemed unable to maintain the shape of her body, Illenu made eye contact with the woman and-

I realized that it was myself someday or somewhere.

Maybe- Cleon met somewhere.

Ilenu understood in an instant that this was an illusion flowing through her blood.

But for some reason, beyond the illusion, she seemed to be looking straight in this direction.

“Yes, you drank it too.”

When she said that, Illenu replied that she had no choice but to do so.

“Then, you too will walk the same path. But the end of that road may be different from mine. Because he came to see the future.”

Although she couldn’t quite understand what she was talking about, she could sense that she was somewhat gentle from the look on her face.

“I hope your world doesn’t become this gray world.”

As she accepted the silver-colored water lily she handed her, her vision quickly contracted and then expanded again.

001

When Diora thought that Ilenu’s words were gone, she felt that the light that was filling the cave was gradually weakening.

“Selena!? The light is getting weaker!? Have you already run out of magical power?!”

“Well, that’s not it! The light… Is being pushed out… By her darkness!”

Selena, as if equally embarrassed, answered while stuttering her words, but strangely enough, the space called Dio gradually darkened, and even at that moment when she was placed in a borderline brightness that could not be said to be brightly bright or completely dark, she was able to see her own I could feel my body still moving.

No, on the contrary, I should say that she moves much better than before – she was protecting herself with her magic to avoid being restrained again even after she forced herself out of her restraints, but now she can even feel that there is no need to do that. There was

That means-

“Ooh, it’s moving!”

I heard one of the chained knights shouting that.

As he said, all those who were confined were able to move their limbs at will.

“Why all of a sudden… Ijeal is still alive and well…”

Likewise, Vedica, who was able to move, muttered as if she did not know what she was talking about, then suddenly raised her head and looked back at Illenu, who was confronting her.

And, just like her, she shifted her gaze, and now Al did the same.

＂… This surprised me.＂

She couldn’t close her eyes wide as she saw before her what she truly felt was the most amazing sight, not only of what had happened here today, but of her entire thousand years of life. 〉

At the end of her gaze, she was looking in this direction while her whole body was emitting darkness – sticky magical power like a swamp, which is used when using necromancer along with black magic.

Her silver hair, once the brilliant light disappeared, sparkled beautifully like the moon shining in the night sky.

At the same time, the adventurer’s clothes that covered her body changed with her magic, turning into a black mourning dress, and a veil fell from her head, slightly covering her face. 〉

The silver water lily flower floating on her back seemed to represent some kind of divinity residing in her body, giving off a feeling of sacredness despite her black magical power.

Ilenuga, who has awakened as the goddess of death who exists in a future somewhere in a world, shows fragments of her power through her body in a different time period in another world.

It was created by recognizing both Illenu, opening a channel of magic between them, and the accumulated memories and fate – something that could not have existed in the first place.

‘The miracle of drawing on one’s own potential from another world’.

In other words – it is a clear foul play that cannot be denied.

The reason the others were able to move was because Illenu used her own power to create the same blood flow manipulation as her eggs, thereby canceling it out.

Ijeal realized that he could no longer relax.

Illenu’s appearance – the magic that was felt in her was such that it was impossible to know how many people’s blood had to be absorbed and dissolved within her to be released.

What I couldn’t feel from Illenu until now – just being there seemed to deny the existence of a vampire.

＂… But-＂

Her pride could not allow her heart to break in front of her strength, which she did not know where it came from.

It was clear that Illenu’s companions, knights, and Vedica, who were now able to move her body, would all rush towards the egg.

The light has disappeared, but thanks to it, a shadow remains.

That’s why, the moment she kicked up her own shadow, it sent out Al’s clones made of her shadow, one by one, to everyone surrounding her.

They will make their own decisions and move, buying time.

Meanwhile, Al grabbed her own bloody spear and glared directly at her.

There is only one person you have to deal with.

In order to hunt her before her eyes, she was a false goddess looking this way, holding in her hand a holy sword rapier whose light was even stronger.

“Diora. Sideways with her alter ego.”

＂It’s disturbing… Well, I can’t help it…☆＂

As Diora said this, she struck Al’s clone that was clinging to her with her spear, catching its body and throwing it towards one of her walls, and she ran towards it as well.

Now, there is nothing left to block each other’s paths.

Therefore, she took the same posture.

No one knew how long this power brought about by Cleon’s blood would last.

It was like digging a hole in the world, so it seemed like it would return to its original form at any moment.

So – if you have to win, do it right away.

There is no need to compete for meaningless sums, there is only one place to aim for.

Her heart.

And- the same goes for where she is aiming.

Take a deep breath.

Her mind was clearer than ever before, and the torrent of power bursting out of her body did not dominate her thoughts.

Her own feet made a semicircle, scraping the floor with her heels.

Both sides took the stance to jump in at the same time-

And, it was at the same time that they jumped towards each other.

Rushing forward with her bloody spear in hand, Al’s trajectory was surprisingly straight. Her unwavering line contained such destructive power.

It was a death that struck like a battering ram and drew a line.

In comparison, Illenu’s Holy Sword draws a light trail that is horizontal to the ground.

The silver light just before colliding with the red light changed its trajectory once.

If a rapier and a spear clashed head-on, which side would have a better chance of winning, anyone who knew anything about the compatibility of weapons would have answered that it was the spear.

Now, as if Al had expected that she would avoid her direct challenge, she immediately changed her trajectory and planned to pierce Illenu’s heart.

And – it actually happened that way.

That is, until the moment I saw one of Illenu’s eyes glowing a suspicious purple color.

Next moment-

Feeling that Illenu’s body had disappeared before her eyes, she raised her head and saw Illenu’s body floating upside down in the air.

＂──＂

There, Al now sensed her own defeat.

What she saw was probably an illusion she had created – or something similar.

Even if you lift or bend the spear to point upward now, it is too late to follow her movements.

The sound of Illenu’s body landing echoed behind her own head and-

Grasp! With her shock, her own breasts were pierced-

It was almost at the same time that the silver blade tore through my heart and came out.

＂Kuhuhuk…＂

Blood poured out from Ijeal’s mouth.

It must have been the same around the heart.

The heart would regenerate, but even so, the wound would have been enough to cause various malfunctions in her body.

At the same time, as her magic dispersed in the air, the shadows that made up her alter ego also lost their shape and melted.

＂After all… That’s a foul…”

Now Al muttered, losing her strength and falling to her knees, falling in front of her.

“Ha… Ha… I think so too…”

Illenu, with the Holy Sword stuck in her chest, returned to her original form and fell down on the spot, probably due to her magical power being depleted.

That scene left everyone who watched it speechless.

Until the next thing that disturbs the silence appears.

＂Is it over? It was a struggle that exceeded my expectations.”

With the queen’s robes draped over her body and a huge scepter in her hand –

Her queen, Arteas, had appeared inside her cave with her own knights at her side.