Chapter 329 – Champs Elysées (2)

It wasn’t easy to force oneself into the mold of a genius.

Representing an entire nation was a challenge meant only for those who could bear the immense weight, and I was not one of them. I had simply surpassed everyone else and become the national leader because I was slightly more intelligent than the rest.

‘In truth, I didn’t enjoy that.’

Wearing the tricolor flag upon my chest felt burdensome. I loathed the idea of competing alone against other nations while carrying the responsibility of a head of state.

Taking on the strife of the citizens was also difficult, as was publicly revealing the results of my research in great detail. Moreover, my actions became political fodder or grounds for internet users to tear me apart.

‘If only everyone could have been a bit more amicable.’

I wept and lamented profusely.

No matter how hard I tried, the situation remained unaltered, and so I had given up halfway. Yet, everyone desired for me to remain in this position.

Wouldn’t betraying it be a truly heinous act?

Only I need to endure hardship.
Let us silently maintain our position and await the return of another.

Let us become one of the countless statues adorning the Champs-Élysées, as all the Marronniers in France did.
It’s not a bad thing to forever remain in the hearts of the people.

Let’s keep it this way.
I was such a fearful person.

‘Not now.’

– Thud!

Pure white flowers scale the steep cliff and ascend to its peak.

More –
Fly even further.
If only this heart, these eyes, and the heated tears in my eyes could carry all and resonate slowly to distant places.
Next, it’s my turn to step up.

I open my mouth to release my magical power.

“Entr’Acte”

The scattered petals seep into the earth.

The advancing purity stretches to the very end, and the bodies of the monsters begin to melt, piece by piece.

The atmosphere gradually seizes the space, extending to where the melody touches.
The ensuing waves of magical power encountered the fiends and harmonized with them.

An echo through the mountains.

The venom of the thorny Ailanthus is bewitching, yet vicious.
As the flowers beckon, the fiends dissolve. Unable to comprehend the scene, the fiends are gripped by fear and flee.

– Ugh!

Suddenly, the fleeing fiends come to a halt.
As the incantation markings on their foreheads intensify, they surge back, like a tidal wave.

I continue to laugh.

Hundreds of wooden spears, materializing on the ground, viciously aim for the fiends’ brows.

There are tasks only I can accomplish.
In this moment, I can embrace the label of a genius.

-Blanche.

I hear her voice and his voice. As I respond, strength courses through my throat. My shoulders feel fortified.

The hem of a dress crafted from roots flutters.

-Whooosh!

As the spear moves, a sonic boom erupts.

The slender, elongated spear pierces the approaching monsters in an instant.

Sixty percent of the actual hotel front line.
The only entrance for monsters, who pose the greatest threat to civilians’ lives, to access the hotel.
It was the moment the stem entered Marronnier’s control.

[You coward.]

A sudden voice in my head.

[What are you doing now?]

The best that a fledgling child can do.

[You said you didn’t want to be a national tree.]

That’s right.

[So-]

But now, my thoughts have shifted.
I imagine—as far as these short arms and small hands can reach.

[Are you going to abandon your name?]

Even if it’s a stray cat that doesn’t fit the context, wouldn’t it be more meaningful to stretch out one’s arms with all their might?

[…….]

‘Why is there no name?’

Hyunja, Lee Si-heon, and Sansuyu.
There are still people who call her Blanche.

‘It’s alright.’

It’s alright.

‘I can do it.’

No living being shall set foot within.
Confidence brimmed in her eyes, resonating a deep blue.

* * * * * * * *

– Kwang!

As their long claws clashed, the two women were pushed apart.
The ground where their feet landed endured the immense impact.

“Pull yourself together, sister. Please.”
“It seems you’re the only one who hasn’t come to her senses yet, Saku. There’s a limit to being kind, don’t you think?”
“Since when has this been happening?”

In this moment, while the cadets are still evacuating, they cannot afford to be pushed back.

Saku had no choice but to clench her entire body, as if expelling the exhaustion.

“Since when? Ha. The Yoshino family ends today. My sister isn’t a fool, but she still doesn’t know that.”
“What… What are you saying?”
“It’s all because of you. If only you hadn’t been in the picture, I would never have been pushed out.”
“Sis…ter?”
“Don’t even call me that! Why did you become a national guardian in the first place? You can’t do anything. You can’t save the country or protect it from terror.”

Saku’s momentum diminished.

“Why do I have to lose my spirit and power because of you? And what’s with this strategic marriage?”
“…Really, no, really… Is that the issue? I’ll… I’ll try my best, Haku sister.”

Haku’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m so sick of this.”

She stuck out her tongue and pretended to vomit.

“You, who kept your mouth shut while I suffered, and flirted with other national guardians. And now you-“

“But… I didn’t know anything.”
“Shut up.”

– Quaang!

Wind magic enveloped Saku.
Her clothes were torn, her flesh slashed, and blood seeped out.

“Ah…!”
“Don’t listen, Saku.”
“Soo-yeon…?”
“For now, enduring is all we can do.”

Although she said that, Soo-yeon’s condition was already in shambles.
Soo-yeon emotionlessly moved her jaw after placing a pill in her mouth.
Even the highest-grade potion would have a diminished effect.

The usage of magic stones had also exceeded a certain limit.

“Hmm.”

Soo-yeon’s hand, gripping the sword, trembled.
Plum, who had no injuries on his body, approached with a mocking laugh.

“Aren’t you releasing your power? It’s losing its appeal to kill you.”
“…Really?”

Soo-yeon responded to Plum with a forced smile.

“You can’t do anything without it.”

If they revealed their true power, the surrounding trainees would naturally be swept up in the aftermath.

The power of a sacred tree varies for each one. Soo-yeon and Plum, who knew their own strengths better than anyone else, found themselves unable to utilize their powers to their full extent in this situation.

Soo-yeon renewed her grip and focused her mind.

At some point, the white magical energy at the tip of her sword turned transparent and began to draw in the space surrounding it.

A power able to cut through anything, an ability surpassing any other kind of force wielded by a sword. As Soo-yeon closed the distance between her and Plum one step at a time, the space around them seemed to split, following the path of her sword.

“Even like this, I can still kill you.”

An absurd claim. Plum continued to scoff at Soo-yeon.

“Kill? Who? You should choose your words more carefully. Not even your old, feeble grandfather could kill me.”

“…You’d be wise to watch your words.”

For her, Mugung was a source of adversity. Soo-yeon was the one who was destined to follow him one day. She was also the person who held the deepest respect for Mugung.

“The only person who can kill me is White Peach. Just one! Ha, ha, ha!”

Maehwa reached out his hand, laughing at something amusing. The same pure white magic as Soo-yeon’s formed in both of his hands, emitting an unusual energy.

“Ah…how wonderful it would be to be killed by her.”
“You’re insane.”
“Insane, yes. Once you’ve seen her, there’s no choice but to lose your mind.”

His eyes rolled in a bizarre manner. The squirming corners of his mouth and the twitching eyes conveyed both excitement and madness. As his previously emotionless face sought out more emotion, it reflected something inhuman and indescribable. It was so strange and unsettling that it defied comprehension.

Had he truly gone mad amidst countless murders?

The sight was difficult to bear, and Soo-yeon’s eyebrows furrowed.

“…”

Maehwa looked at Soo-yeon again. His expression now conveyed boredom. Adapting to his rapidly changing face was impossible. His hand began to move.

“If you don’t release-“

Just as the words were about to be spoken.

A woman’s fist forcefully struck Maehwa’s face.

-Paang!

Reacting to the unexpected attack, Maehwa raised an arm to block the blow. The approaching woman unfurled her fist, swiftly grasped Maehwa’s arm, and delivered a powerful kick to Maehwa’s stomach.

Boom.

Maehwa went flying in a straight line. Baobab, having regained his composure, clenched and unclenched his fists in frustration.

“Phew, I’ve finally found you.”

The woman, with her black hair tied back in a medium-short style and bright yellow eyes, looked down at Maehwa as she extended her fist. Soo-yeon stared at Baobab, her expression one of surprise.

“Why?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Feeling as though being polite would put her at a disadvantage, Soo-yeon spoke casually. Unbothered by her choice of words, Baobab remained vigilant, keeping a watchful eye on Maehwa.

Soon enough, Maehwa’s figure vanished from sight.

All eyes converged on one spot. Bao and Plum collided their fists.

– Bang!

A fierce exchange without any yielding. Neither backed down, their fists meeting relentlessly.

Bao’s power, ‘The Conqueror,’ enhanced his physical abilities as he sustained damage. Even as he improved his skills gradually, Bao never faltered.

Having retreated from each other to catch their breath, the two warriors regarded each other with confident smiles.

These two were more focused on the heat of the moment than any deeper strategy. At least for now, they seemed to consider each other worthy adversaries, their expressions filled with enjoyment. To what extent had Plum’s playful side surfaced? Wiping the blood from his bruised fist, Plum tilted his head and grinned.

“…Not bad.”

A person worth killing. Plum’s movements shifted dramatically.

* * * * * * * *

“One.”

The massive creature’s head slammed into the earthen floor, dragging along the ground.

Blood surged up following the lifeless form. A trainee who had been quietly observing shuddered.

“…Ah, that…”
“Are you alright?”

No matter how carefully one leads and how many times they emphasize caution, there’s always the possibility that someone might slip away. It’s not rare to see groups of civilians become isolated elsewhere when their path is suddenly blocked by the appearance of such monsters.

“The monsters shouldn’t come again. You can just follow that path straight ahead.”
“Th-thank you. Truly. Really…”

Just before stepping back, I offered an awkward smile to the words of gratitude heard through the translator. Then, I recognized a familiar face among the group of civilians.

“Why are you here?”

Lim Jong-hyun.
A fellow alumnus of El Academy. To be honest, I don’t pay much attention to him.

The ingrained sense of nobility was so strong that they didn’t treat me as a human being. Moreover, it seemed they didn’t approve of me receiving attention in communities or online.

“…We tried to protect ourselves, but it ended up like this.”

Upon hearing a man speak, Lim Jong-hyun’s face contorted.

The ‘nobility’ mentality appeared to be deeply rooted, as students and civilians in this mixed group had managed to put up a good fight against the monsters. Indeed, only a few monsters remained.

“Anyway, move quickly.”

After offering brief guidance to the civilians, I attended to the wounded one by one, handing them potions. These potions were nothing more than refined pills.

It was impossible to carry an unlimited supply of potions and magic stones like Flower, especially since they were scarce wartime resources.

“Take this. I’ve seen it work before.”
“…”

I placed a reagent-sized potion and pill in front of Lim Jong-hyun and spoke to him.

He gritted his teeth, seemingly mortified by the current situation.

“…I didn’t get hit.”
“Oh, yes.”

Being injured while rescuing someone meant that, for now, anything he said could be taken as a charming display of affection. However, if the conversation continued to the second or third verse, his feelings could easily change. Ignoring Lim Jong-hyun’s words, he began to move once again. Many characters had fallen in such a manner.

Even in the midst of war, there were plenty of those who sought to take his life, each notorious in their own right.

– Kwaang!

A magical bolt from afar enveloped his entire body. For a brief moment, the pain of feeling as if his body would melt from the intense heat subsided, allowing him to decipher the flow of magic and identify its type.

“Grab him! If we catch him…”
“Use the artifact as needed!”

The Flowers he had been considering for some time finally emerged and encircled him.

– Tadak, tak, tak!

Sparks burst from his body, which was scorched a bright red. The melted flesh began to reattach itself.

Sometimes, there are things that remain unknown unless they’re experienced.

-Whoosh!

Flames erupt from his grasp, engulfing the surroundings. The Flower that had been encircling him is swallowed by the fire, disappearing into a small pile of ashes.

“It’s… impossible!”

As the distant opponent tries to flee belatedly, he moves ahead, obstructing their path. The man, astonished, draws a dagger from his bosom and screams in disbelief.

“Just what… who, or what, are you?!”

He dodges the sword and reaches out, seizing the man’s neck. With no reason to engage in conversation, he continues to constrict the man’s throat.

“You’re not even human—ugh!”

-Crunch!

Flesh splatters and blood clings to his body. By capturing just a few individuals, the front lines can be taken so effortlessly.

It was a miraculous feat considering the length of the battle lines. Yet, Flower’s executives or White Peach could conjure such miracles at any given moment, even in larger-scale encounters.

“Heugh… Huff.”

One Flower, poised with a crossbow from behind.
An arrow, readied in midair, embedded itself into the back of the attacker.
The assailant, whose terrified gaze was locked onto me, perished without even realizing his demise.

*Thud!*

This was not the first or second time a group had targeted us for assassination.

‘If they kill me, do they get a bonus? Damn it, of course they do.’

No matter how many times they come, I began to grasp the extent of our powers’ growth.

At this rate, there would be no issue with pouring our strength into the entire night.

*Chirp*

The sound of a walkie-talkie resonating from my pocket. The untimely announcement of victory brought a smile to my lips.

[Your Majesty, we’ve won.]

Our Aori had done her part as well.