CHAPTER 16

She was on the verge of being sucked into it.

Hikan's face was distorted by the totally unexpected accident. Dalia and Hikan's eyes met.

'Why on earth! You didn't come and are still there...!'

In fact, Hikan was also in a dangerous situation.

Before the magic blooming, the transcendent do not know how to use mana, so he keeps the enormous power within himself.

If it collides head-on with the mana of another transcendent, it could cause a major catastrophe more than the congestion, so it had to be avoided unconditionally.

But when he saw Dalia, standing as if her legs were stiff, for some reason, he felt a pain in his chest.

It was strange.

Hikan really seemed to regret if he missed her again this time.

Anyway, he caught his heart that he was just trying to die, so it's really okay to do that now. (*t/n: I don't know about this part, sorry)

'Although I know everything.'

He doesn't know why she is looking at him to the end.

Are you testing yourself to see if you'll be saved again?

He hates tests. People who don't expect anything from him anyway will test him and giggle as it was expected. Like a mother who abandoned him for not apologizing for breaking a friend's leg by mistake.

But as soon as the white light came right behind Dalia, Hikan thought that it was okay.

His body moved first.

He ran and grabbed Dalia's little hand. She was on the verge of being eaten by the light.

Now, all he has to do is pull her.

He didn't hesitate this time.

He saved Dalia Pesteros.

It didn't matter if she tried to test him.

Dalia was very close. Seeing her up close, she was smaller and younger than Hikan thought. Dalia, who he thought would be deeply moved, just smiled awkwardly for some reason.

She gently pushed him back.

Taken aback by the unexpected situation, Hikan missed Dalia.

She said silently, mouthing the word.

'It's all right.'

'Don't come.'

And she smiled slightly.

The white light swallowed Dalia in front of Hikan's eyes.

Hikan stared blankly at the scene. The sight of Dalia being eaten by the light in front of his eyes was totally unrealistic.

"Even if brother hates me, I will like brother."

Why do I have to remember this now?

Dalia herself told him not to come.

Did she want to say that he didn't have to save her on purpose like last time?

If you want her to disappear, you can just let her go?

'How the hell can you say that?'

Whenever Hikan looked at Dalia, he felt as if he were looking down at a lake so deep that he could not even guess the depth of the water.

No matter how long I observed her, I couldn't understand her.

Did he actually want to tell Dalia at the time that he didn't hate her?

It can't be. It's true that he hates her, but that's his intention.

Hikan unwittingly tried to reach into it.

But before that, the Emperor hurriedly grabbed his collar and pulled him back.

"Are you crazy right now? It's deadly to be swept away by that force for a pre-blooming transcendent like you!"

But Hikan didn't understand.

He just called his sister's name to the sphere.

"Dalia Pesteros!"

There was no answer. Hikan spat out curses.

"Damn it, Dalia!"

As soon as the sphere swallowed the Dalia, it stopped expanding.

The Emperor raised and drew his sword, but not a scratch was found.

"As expected… …the 'protective wall' has been activated. This whole sphere is a huge barrier. There's no way we can pull this off."

The Emperor sighed deeply.

Now no one knew what would happen in that sphere. Hikan only glared at the sphere with bloodshot eyes.

* * *

'Whoa, that was a close call.'

Dalia was greatly relieved.

This place seemed to be inside the 'protective wall' where the Duchess Blueport's special ability was activated.

It was a white space close to nothing. I was nervous about what would happen when I came in, but all my limbs were attached and I didn't feel any pain.

As Dalia predicted. This was not the place where the Duchess Blueport built to hurt others.

Dalia thought blankly.

She didn't expect that Hikan would come to save her. At the same time, she felt fortunate that he was not affected by the Duchess Blueport's mana.

'By the way, is Duchess Blueport okay?'

It was wise to come in here...right?

Dalia looked for Adrisha in worry. As she walked through the white space, Adrisha was also close by.

"Dalia! As I thought..."

Adrisha looked at Dalia and held her hand tightly, with a sad expression on her face.

"I have to protect others, but I'm sorry. You came in here with me."

"No it's okay. And for some reason here….I think it's safe."

Adrisha nodded.

"It's amazing. Usually, the transcendent congestion causes a lot of victims. The barrier around us has never gotten bigger."

"I see."

Then Hikan's innate mana will not collide with the Duchess Blueport's.

Dalia sighed again in relief.

"But...there's a problem."

Adrisha said cautiously.

"Here, it's getting smaller."

Dalia opened her eyes wide.

"...Re, really?"

"Yes, the wall was getting closer, so I kept backing away because I thought I shouldn't touch it."

"Aha..."

I hated being crushed to death.

'I thought it wasn't a place to hurt others...'

When Dalia's expression darkened, Adrisha spoke brightly.

"It's okay. There must be a way."

"..."

"That's why I've been thinking, why don't we go see the Duchess Blueport?"

"Huh?"

"Once the congestion begins, the Duchess's condition will get worse. If the sphere gets smaller like this, we'll meet anyway, so wouldn't it be better to meet before that?"

For some reason, it seemed to have a point, but it was a strange remark.

Dalia contemplated for a moment and agreed. As Adrisha said, there was nothing else they could do in this situation.

And she wanted to meet the Duchess Blueport, too. No matter what, she was her friend.

Dalia and Adrisha began walking towards the center of the sphere.

"Dalia is...amazing. Even at times like this, you are brave. I couldn't do this when I was Dalia's age."

On the way, Adrisha spoke in a somehow impressed tone.

When she calmed down a little, Dalia was amazed at the reality that she was walking alone with the person that she adored. It would have been better if this was not their first meeting.

"Adrisha is even better."

"What? Not really."

Adrisha burst into laughter in embarrassment.

Nevertheless, Dalia clearly remembered Adrisha's attempt to stop the transcendent without hesitation.

She asked cautiously.

"Adrisha said that you served the Emperor, right?"

"Yes."

"What exactly do you do?"

"Well, I don't really do anything. It's just that I respect him and follow him, and he doesn't throw me out. Wouldn't it be the closest thing to a servant?"

Even in the original version, Adrisha always answered like this whenever she was asked about her relationship with the Emperor.

"But you're not a transcendent...weren't you scared?"

"Someone has to do it. Although I couldn't protect Dalia in the end."

"...Amazing."

Dalia expressed her heartfelt admiration.

Adrisha smiled awkwardly.

"...Thank you for your kind word."

While having a trivial talk, the two met Duchess Blueport after a while.

She stood still with a serene, sad look on her face.

The gloves and mask on her face were ripped off, perhaps due to the influence of the mana rush. Her dress was torn in several places, and the lace and decorations were separated.

Wearing a messy dress and showing her scars, she looked as weak and sad as a prey being chased by predators. Nevertheless, she was still as graceful and elegant as a deer.

Dalia tried to reach her first, but Adrisha hurriedly stopped her.

"It's dangerous, Dalia. If you touch her, she might explode."

"...Wasn't it Adrisha who asked to come here to find her?"

Dalia asked, confused.

Adrisha had a slightly troubled look on her face.

"That's also true. But I'm a little nervous when I see the Duchess right in front of me."

While the two were talking, the Duchess Blueport's eyes lit up.

She slowly raised her head and looked at the two. Adrisha, who noticed it first, pushed Dalia behind her back.

Duchess Blueport speaks in a restless and feeble voice.

"...Miss Adrisha Beniter. Are you here to protect Dalia?"

Adrisha glanced at Dalia behind her and nodded.

Duchess Blueport forcibly raised the tail of her mouth and drew something like a smile.

"This is a space to restrain me. People are not allowed to enter the walls here, but you can leave freely except for me."

The words made Dalia feel sad again. This is because she knew why there were no casualties during the congestion event in the original.

Duchess Blueport was incredibly thoughtful even when she was about to die.

"Then...what about the Duchess?"

Dalia said in a trembling voice.

The Duchess replied with a sour but mild voice.

"There's no turning back the soul that has started the congestion. I'll wait here slowly until my walls finish me off. "

Dalia knew why the walls slowly approaching this way.

The Duchess is trying to crush herself.