Triumph and Unveiled Shadows

Chapter 130 - Triumph and Unveiled Shadows

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[Lara POV]

"T-They really did it..." I could only mumble in awe as I witnessed the dramatic defeat of Khione, one of the Four Elementals, at the hands of Sai and the others. He really means it when he said he can defeat it... "We did it! Haha... Hahahaha!"

Years had passed since Ajax, the former hero of the city, single-handedly defended against hordes and emerged victorious. As a mere child at the time, those memories remained vivid. Now, witnessing Sai's triumph, it felt like I was witnessing the rise of a new hero for the city. "Haha. Isn't this city lucky or—"

Boom! A sudden explosion erupted, waves crashing into Khione. Dark tendrils of steam spiraled from her form. What?! Don't tell me it isn't over yet?!

My concern escalated, but to my surprise, Sai and the others appeared unaffected. Khione, now on her knees, slowly opened her eyes. The once vivid colors of her eyes were now replaced with an eerie white. Moreover, the injuries that marred her body immediately healed. What...?

"Are they...talking?" I observed Sai and Khione engaged in what seemed to be a conversation. Intrigued, I swiftly descended from the building. Even with his peculiar expressiveness, Sai was an enigma on his own, and the fact that he could communicate with a deity only deepened my confusion. I wonder what they were talking about?

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[Sai Crimsonheart POV]

"Once again, thank you for releasing me from the dread of corruption. If it wasn't for you that I would have succumbed to the control and put a complete destruction in this flourishing home of people."

After an exhaustive battle, we finally vanquished Khione, one of the formidable Four Elementals. She knelt before us, sincerely expressing her gratitude. Exhaustion and the loss of adrenaline stiffened my body from the intense fight. Nevertheless, I kept my composure.

"No problem. We aimed to keep the destruction as narrow as possible, so there shouldn't be much of a problem," I explained. "Still, once construction starts, the people of this place will be left completely vulnerable. I hope you'll be there to protect them."

"Of course, I promise on behalf of my position as a deity that I will protect this city at any cost..." Khione vowed, pausing for a moment. "Then, I'm sorry, but I shall take my leave. There seem to be more problems that need intervening."

Great, it was a relief that she departed swiftly. I could use some rest now. "See you, then."

"Yeah. As for the stampede, please leave them to me," Khione remarked before vanishing into a swirl of snow. Shortly after, I unconsciously felt something enter my 『Magic Pouch』. Moreover,

The very land of the world has been blessed with 『Argonite』

"That must be it..." With a heavy sigh, I dropped down from the snowy ground, overwhelmed with relief. Ugh, my eyes felt like they were going to close any moment now... "I need a comfy bed..."

Exhausted, the girls also dropped down similarly. "You know, I would've shouted in delight if I still had any strength left," Astra tiredly remarked.

"Me too..." Luna tiredly replied. "Ugh, I'm confident I'll get a body pain after this..."

Too tired to keep my eyes open, I laid down on the layered snow. After a while, I sensed someone approaching me slowly. Eventually, I was enveloped in a warm and gentle embrace. This is...

"Nh, Aruji-sama, I'm going to sleep," Akari tiredly told me before drifting off. "Night..."

"Yeah," I gently caressed her head, acknowledging her efforts during the expedition. It was during this exhausting yet rewarding journey that Akari became more expressive. We sure got something more than the loot, I guess. "Get a good rest, Akari."

"Good job, guys. It finally ended, huh. I sure want to rest now, sigh~" Seia remarked, descending from the top of a ruined building. "Still, so that's your new weapon, Lemuen."

"Yeah," Lemuen replied, slowly approaching us. "It's the weapon we got from that giant spider. With this, I can become more versatile with my weapons."

"It's the 『Glacial Fang』," I interjected. "It has very low damage for a Chaos Mode weapon, but it excels in volley attacks. I felt something go into my 『Magic Pouch』. That must be the Boss Drop. The weapon can be upgraded using the weapon inside these. Those with a 『Magic Pouch』 should have received it as well. As for those who don't, it probably got transmitted to mine. I'll give it later."

"That's great..." Lemuen replied, her voice filled with serenity. "You really are awesome, Sai. Going here with everyone, fighting and triumphing against the Elemental of Snow... It all feels surreal."

The girls nodded in agreement with Lemuen's statement. Great, it was heartening to know that they enjoyed this adventure. "Yeah. To be honest, I'm of the same mind. Who would have thought that we will—"

"No, you won't."

"—?!" In a blink of an eye, someone descended from the building and unsheathe their blade to my throat. Not good...! I'm going to get sliced!

⟨⟨Aerial Blast⟩⟩

"Guh!" A powerful burst of wind narrowly missed my neck. The assailant, cloaked in a black robe, stepped back. To their surprise, a volley of precise arrows rained toward them, forcing them to retreat even further.

"Tsk! I didn't make it, huh. —?!"

⟨⟨Quickdraw⟩⟩

I acted swiftly, pulling my blade towards the assailant's throat. However, the blade was blocked by another figure, unleashing a sudden burst of flame aimed at me.

⟨⟨Flareflash Bolt⟩⟩

Kuh!

⟨⟨Voiding⟩⟩

I managed to get out of the flame's reach just in time. The girls surrounded the duo, leaving them with nowhere to escape.

"—You two are...?!" I see, I get it now. "The Cultist, huh."

"Oh? It seems like we won't need to introduce ourselves, then?" The guy replied. "You know your stuff, hero. I guess, it's what makes you strong, huh. Nonetheless, looks like we're surrounded."

"W-Who's that?!" Lara asked, rushing into the situation.

"Back off, Lara," I warned. "These guys are not your average joes."

"He's right, you know." The guy intimidatingly added. "Unless you don't want to lose your head, you shouldn't come here where we can reach you."

"So, you guys are the reason for Khione's manipulation, huh." I revealed.

"Ha... Hahaha! You even know about it?! Hahaha! How hilarious!" The guy laughed hysterically. "Yeah, and what are you going to do about it?"

"You damn bastard...!"

"Stop it, Lara! Calm yourself." I shouted, imbuing a bit of ⟨⟨Bloodlust⟩⟩ to my words, prompting Lara to stop. "So, think you can escape from this situation?"

I didn't sense any more people within proximity. I could confidently say that these two were the only persons present here.

"That garb, that way of talking, that voice... you look familiar."

"Huh~?" Silence engulfed the place as all of us slowly turned towards Lily. She, about to explode with anger, radiated something uncanny. "Oh! Now that you've mentioned it, you look familiar as well."

"She's that girl from that time we failed to kill," Suddenly, his other associate interjected. "Now, this is a problem. I told you; you should've followed after her."

—?! Don't tell me, they're...!

"Ah? Ah! I finally remembered now! Guhahaha! You're that daughter of that cheeky guy, right? Man, I still remember your poor face back then. Hahaha!"

The uncanny feeling I felt from Lily was worsening. I don't like this...

"We're leaving, we don't have time—" His other associates reminded.

"Did you know what your father makes when we told him that you're dead? It was the most exciting face he ever did know how shameless he acts. He sure died grieving from the thought, though. Not like I was there to witness it."

"Do you think you can get away with us?" Astra taunted; the others also began brandishing their weapons. "Try us."

"RAH!!!" Suddenly, Lily swiftly dashed towards the hooded guys, pure anger evident within her face. "I'll kill you both even if it means I'll have to find you at the edge of the world!"

"Lily, stop it!" I shouted.

"Too slow," Before Lily even get to reach them, the two of them were suddenly vanished into white, leaving Lily dropping from the ground.

"They disappeared...?! How?!" Luna remarked.

"It's an item," I replied. Damn it, so that's what they meant. They got us good. "No wonder they're confident."

Just as we had triumphed not long ago, we all stood in an icy field, utterly upset, while Lily's groans could only be heard in the wintry wind.

* * *

Thanks to Khione finally regaining her consciousness, the stampede had come to a stop. While there were many injured, the fortunate news was that there were no casualties.

As we made our way back to meet Mister Redrick, a bustling celebration greeted us the moment we stepped out of the Guild. The townspeople hailed us as heroes, leaving all of us nonplussed.

"The Hero has returned!"

"Hero! Hero! Hero! Hero! Hero!"

"W-What the hell even was that." I remarked, forming an awkward smile. Still, all I've gained mostly from the people were hate. It's the first time I've been complimented like this. "I don't dislike it."

"It's finally time someone recognized your accomplishment, Master," beside me was Luna, watching as if it was the most normal thing to do. "It's well deserved."

"...Is that so?" I timidly replied. While it was delightful to receive praise, there were more pressing matters to address. Lily, who hadn't spoken since then, remained silent. "..."

* * *

Once the celebration was over, we all returned to the Penthouse we had rented before. Luckily, this Penthouse was far from the battlefield, so we didn't encounter any problems whatsoever. In addition, we got to rent it for free thanks to Mister Redrick, who insisted we take it as a reward for our accomplishments.

As for the Snow Malamutes, we had them temporarily stay in a barn not far from the Penthouse. VIP as we may be, the Snow Malamutes were too large to fit inside the Penthouse. It was sad that we couldn't play with them inside the place, but it couldn't be helped.

"Ugh, I'm tired..." I mumbled.

Just as expected, the moment we returned, we immediately went to bed after taking a brief shower. All this time, all I wanted after the fight was a very long sleep. I'm tired after all...

"Our job's finally done here, huh." Luna remarked. "I'll miss this place."

"Yeah," Lemuen replied. "I think it was the best adventure I've ever experienced. I'll definitely won't forget this moment. Fufu~!"

The next day passed by, and all of us were idling in the Penthouse, lying down and taking all the comfort we could ever get. As expected, a whole day of rest after hard work is the best!

Knock! Knock! Unexpectedly, someone came knocking on our door. All of us exchanged glances before I proceeded to open it.

"Eh? You are...!" A familiar face—A light-blue haired woman wearing an intricate dress stood at the door.

"I came here for a visit," Khione remarked, radiating a graceful aura that I couldn't help but marvel at. "May I come in?"

A deity visiting us, huh. How unexpected!