Chapter 617 – Three Cards (3)

─Uuuuuuuuh!

The dense magic ensnared Erinies’s sinuous body, primed to interweave with mine.
Her relaxed feminine form was indistinguishable from that of a human woman.

Gulp, Gulp-

I persistently filled her vacant interior, making it mine.
This process, essential for the correct transformation into a spirit, adjusted the body of the spirit—a magical life form—to me.

【 ……Uh… 】

Erinies, grinding her teeth, floundered, repelling the magic.

‘What are you doing?’
【 …Please don’t do this. Please, stop. 】

The voice of the queen, pleading for mercy, echoed sorrowfully.

‘You agreed to undergo the transformation into a spirit.’

I grew impatient.
Extracting the potion from my possession, I took a gulp. The potency of the magic amplified.

Erinies’s resistance seemed insignificant as her body gradually tainted into a grimy hue.

【 Ugh…! This magic is…. It’s impossible! 】

Her resistance was potent, and it was not easily manipulated to my will.
She was not crowned queen of spirits for no reason, let alone a crown user. If Erinies’s will did not yield, the transformation into a spirit was futile.

I immediately drank the subsequent potion, urging her.

‘Accept it.’
【 I don’t want to…. 】
‘This is for your daughter’s sake.’
【 I can defeat that man with my own strength… Ugh! 】

As I twisted the magic into her sensitive spots, Erinies’s body contorted.
The composure vanished from the face of the high and mighty queen in an instant.
Her body writhed under her pure white dress.

A dizzying breath diffused.

【 ……. 】

I had demonstrated enough. That the King of Trees was not an easy adversary was evident.
Erinies hesitated to cross the final line.
The proof was her inability to completely rebuff the magic.

‘You know this.’

If she didn’t accept me, it would be challenging to conquer, something her body would have realized.
With insufficient strength to vanquish the demon, she had no choice but internal conflict.

─Squish, Squish.

The King of Trees, having absorbed Pando, materialized once again.

The surrounding people, who had momentarily bathed in euphoria, plunged back into despair. Their gazes turned to us.

For Jung Si-woo, it was dubious to exert any more force.
Cornus may have had time, but she was incapable of inflicting significant damage.

‘You.’

Then Alba’s voice echoed.

‘The size of that foreign object has decreased.’
‘If it’s foreign… you mean that thing up there?’

The consenting Alba descended from the sky, gasping for breath.
She was the one who had repelled all of the magic from the King of Trees.
Unlike me, who received aid from Cornus and Si-woo, she had essentially solved it independently, so her struggle must have been immense.

‘What I’m trying to do now is the transformation into a spirit… Can you handle more? What about the potion?’
‘I must do it. About half of the potion remains.’

‘Heh, fleeing and living in secrecy could be a strategy.’

At Alba’s teasing words, I laughed in a fluster.

‘Fleeing, you say? This dimension will crumble before I could taste happiness.’
‘Given a few years, my Wiki could resolve it all.’

I had no desire to burden my daughter with her father’s mistakes.
Even if it were a different world, one must consider Wiki’s emotions about potentially killing her own father.

‘A queen… You’ve certainly managed to bring along such an extraordinary entity.’

Luck was somewhat on my side.
I promptly swigged the next potion. The spreading sweetness, sticky and intense, was enough to soothe a pounding headache.

That’s when Alba extended her hand toward me.

‘I’ll assist you.’

In an instant, Alba’s magic intertwined me and Eirene, who were suspended in mid-air.

【 Ugh! 】

The sensation of forcibly pushing through a rigid block to establish a connection.

Spiritualization is most challenging and painful in the beginning.
Crude as it may sound, it is akin to the forging of a physical relationship.

To draw a comparison, in that unifying moment, Alba had gently pushed me from behind.
Eirene, however, resisted this with all her might.

【 I can, I can bring it down myself. 】
‘I’m drained.’
【 Ugh, argh! I am the Queen of Arcadia…! 】

Eirene’s hand moved forward. The magic, condensed with her energy, was released.

─Kwooooong!

A deafening roar blanketed the sky.
The ensuing ripple was hurled toward the demon, but it was futilely cleaved by the massive sword.

【 Why, why on earth! 】

The shocked Eirene vibrated her crown and summoned her strength once more.
Once her calm is shaken, her magic can only stretch so far.
Her combat prowess, impressive against me, was rendered powerless against this overwhelming opponent.
Even while wielding the Crown of the Spirit World.

Unless she was fighting in her pure form, the power Eirene could harness was painfully inadequate.
That’s why she needed my strength.

“…Lee Si-heon.”

The demon’s body leaned toward me, flying with the intent to collide.

【 If this were Arcadia… 】
‘Then it’s a massacre. Hand over your power.’
【 Argh, ugh! 】

The looming King of Trees.
After enduring as much as she could, Eirene finally succumbed, releasing her resistance and accepting my magic.

Gritting her teeth and suppressing her groan, she soon merged with me.

【 Spiritualization 】

The zenith of another form of power.

My hair fluttered in the wind and my field of view expanded.
My heightened senses became overly sensitive, reaching a state beyond human limits.

The flow of wind and magic was discernible. Things that were previously invisible filled my vision.

─Hwoooooong!

A swarm of enormous magical energies surged toward the King of Trees.
Like the eye of a self-induced typhoon, the King, having absorbed all the magic in the world, brandished his sword at me.

‘You…!’

I reached out, biting back Alba’s electronic hum.

【 Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Spirit’s Stance 】

The magical energy wound around the hands and arms swirled, forming a barrier.

-Pababat!

The heightened senses pushed rationality aside, and instinct reigned supreme. Limbs moved of their own accord, even before the mind could make a decision.

Dodging the greatsword, a swift punch landed on the chin. This reflexive action momentarily surpassed the demon’s speed.

-Bang!

The disoriented demon’s heart was targeted, the mouth opening wide to release a surge of magical energy.

【 Hua Lian Lantern Blaze 】

Evasion, maneuver, and a spell that transcended class.

The black wave that erupted from the mouth pierced the king’s left chest, submerging his arm and shoulder.

“…Another power?”

The demon, confounded by the uninterpreted magic, dropped his greatsword and retreated. His hollow body was healed by the bark of a tree descending from the heavens.

‘There’s no time to figure it out. I have to keep pressing.’
【 Ugh… 】

Erinies was convulsing in extreme pain.
The force that was supposed to gradually increase had been summoned all at once, making adaptation impossible.

‘Endure. She is a queen, after all.’
【 What kind of reward…. Ah, it’s a coffin! 】

The plan was to become even more ruthless.
With Erinies’ screams echoing, the magical energy in both hands was amplified.

-Koo-gu-gu-gu-gu!

Striking the space caused fractures to spread like shattered glass, reaching out towards the demon.

A spell of undefined rank.
An unknown force erupted from the spatial rift, splitting the demon’s body.

-Kooung!

Darkness surged, enveloping the sky. The grotesque panorama was entirely obscured, followed by a colossal wave of magical energy.

Countless spells converging on the demon.

【 How on earth is such power…. 】

The bodies of spirits are remarkably efficient.
Even the impossible could become possible in this state.

【 Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Spirit’s Stance, Completion Form 】

Muscles expanded as the magical energy ran wild.
From now on, it was a one-on-one battle.

Pulling the last potion from the pocket, it was brought to the lips. Prepared to use all the overflowing magical energy stored within.

Tossing the bottle behind,

-Clink!

Soon, the sound of shattering reverberated.
The king tilted his gaze towards me.

“…You’ve prepared quite a bit.”

The greatsword was dropped. Fist clenched, releasing a burst of magic.

The king opened his mouth, drawing in a deep breath.
As the crown pulsed, a continuous gush of red energy arose.

“I concede.”

The crown’s rampaging energy. Within it echoed the screams of humanity.

Becoming stronger from within.
Is that even possible?
The armor thickened, a red light enveloping the king’s head.

【 4th Metamorphosis 】

In an instant, a massive surge of light swallowed the city.
The spell that had been cast was neutralized by the erupting radiance, disappearing into nothingness.

─A thunderous roar!!

Engulfed in radiance, the world is filled to the brim with light.
A filthy, repugnant hue of illumination.

Then the king’s voice reverberated.

“Why were you capable of saving that child?”
“…….”
“I think I comprehend now. You are formidable.”

The crown integrates with the body in stages, bestowing power.
The higher the level, the greater the risk of losing sensibility and spiraling into chaos.
To be frank, even accepting the entirety of the crown was challenging for me.

He is the sole human across all dimensions who managed to control the Crown.
He subjugated the Son of Man, claiming the power of the shattered Crown as his own.

It must have been feasible due to the Crown being split in half.

“Did you merge with the Crown?”

The Crown jutting out above the demon’s head was not visible.
His Crown of Thorns completely assimilated into his body, conveying an inexpressible intensity of power.

-Sizzling.

The magical energy flowing down the arm congeals in the demon’s maw.
My cheeks convulsed at the dangerous power, consolidated to a degree akin to Magicka.

────!!!!!

The raw, deafening resonance of magical power enveloped the cosmos.

Even Alba was unable to withstand it, her arms recoiling.

“…A pure monstrosity.”

The eyes of the murderous demon, who has shed half his sanity, are fixated on my throat.

Unlike before, all I could sense from this bewildered creature was bloodlust and aggression.
I feel as though I’m observing a monster rather than a human.

As if tormented by madness. The demon, intermittently shaking and shrinking, opened his mouth and let thick saliva droplet down.

The protruding, razor-sharp teeth gaped wide.
The bark that lined his mouth and throat tore through his façade.

This must be what it’s like to tread an irreversible path.
I composed myself following the silence.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[…Branches and foreign substances are vanishing.]
[The fissures in the heavens are sealing.]

At this moment, when deceased Hunters and shattered weapons litter the battlefield.

Those who glimpsed hope for the first time had no option but to experience fear anew at the ‘groan’ that echoed shortly after.

Seoul’s epicenter. A magical response detectable from the Earth’s opposing side.

[This degree… If one resolves, isn’t it possible to exterminate all civilians within Korea?]

The star fell silent, her lips veiled, seeping with blood.
A massive magical response was noted in two places.

One is the demon, the other.

‘Lee Si-heon….’

Lee Si-heon is confronting a catastrophe.
The star’s gaze shifted to one spot. The women Lee Si-heon had brought were gathering there.

Gu-seul and Hong-Yeon, Tae-yang and Aori. And the World Tree of Healing and Patience. Ah, there was one more.

“Wait, just a moment. Please wait!”

A cute Maronnier treating the wounded, her feet tapping impatiently.

Or perhaps it was the newly arrived sage. The great wizard Abbi was watching Blanche with an expression akin to an old man’s. At the Star’s gaze, Abbi moved his eyes off Blanche and asked,

“Ah, Guild President. What shall we do now?”
“We must aid them. We’ve managed to hold the front line.”
“Help… I’m unsure what we can accomplish by going. The power they wield is beyond comprehension.”

There was nothing they could do. This much was clear to them.

Two individuals, each at the pinnacle of this world, were clashing. What could those who hadn’t reached such heights possibly do?

“Perhaps Sephirot, or the World Tree of the Five Realms… they might be able to bring about an echo of power.”

Unlike the power an emissary can unleash from the World Tree, the power of the actual entity is immense. But what could these trees, heavy with inaction, possibly contribute? It’s always us humans or the tree folk who step forward and die.

“Regardless, we must go.”
“I see. It appears all the women will follow too.”
“…They are his servants, after all.”

As soon as the front line was organized, Gu-seul and Hong-Yeon began preparing to advance.

The Star clenched her fist, sighing.

‘Se-Young is coming too.’

As soon as they heard about Shiba’s disappearance, they started to gather. They did not wish to experience the loss of something once more.

‘Even if we lose…’

They wanted to do everything they could by his side. Because they couldn’t before.

“Excuse me, the Guild President?”

At that moment, a cute witch in a large hat tugged at the Star’s sleeve. She must have nearly finished her healing work.

“Ah, yes. Honorable sage.”

Lifting her hat slightly revealed a cute baby face. Marronier, her eyes full of concern, asked,

“If you’re heading to the center, could I perhaps accompany you?”
“?”

Her feet, nervously tapping. The loneliness mixed into her adorable demeanor stirred the Star’s senses once more.

‘My beloved wife…?’

It wasn’t the most important matter at the moment. They shouldn’t be catching people off-guard. As a king of the harem, he broke out in a cold sweat. His position was threatened.

The radar at the top of Star’s head rose as if running amok.