41. Endless Gates (4)
Balak looked blankly up at the sky.
She had a hunch that the end was coming.
I couldn’t stop the family civil war.
That original sin is oneself.
This is the price for neglecting Elijah.
He and all her descendants, including Narcisi, hated Elijah.
It’s not just because he’s an illegitimate child.
Qualities of a wizard.
Elijah inherited the power inherited from the founder.
Not even ordinary.
A mad fire that is regarded as the second coming of the mythical age.
It is a dangerous power that is closest to the source of Bevel and Helios.
Narsisi and her children feared her.
She resented it again.
If left to grow, it is certain that he will take over the head of the household.
Ballack predicted more than that.
Perhaps that power will shake the world.
The family tried to kill Elijah somehow.
I couldn’t bear to let Balak do that.
With Elijah’s real mother, Maria, they hid them close to Bartrahem, a village near Selene.
The village, not easily visited by outsiders, was isolated, but had a friendly atmosphere.
However, it was only a matter of time before they were caught.
And until then, Balak couldn’t think of a sharp move to protect Elijah.
Narcissi struck first.
He paid Ramek to assassinate Maria.
After that, they used a soldier to forcibly drag Elijah, who was left alone, to his family home.
Balak, who secretly visited the assassination site, cannot forget that moment.
A snarky little boy.
Little Elijah looked up at himself, her terrified face.
It remained in his brain, but Ballack consciously ignored it at the time.
I had to turn away.
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I had reached an irreversible situation, so I had to make a choice.
For more family happiness.
To choose, he believed, the interests of the majority had to be prioritized.
She thought that the sacrifice of one Elijah for temporary comfort for her entire family was the right balance.
It was believed that everyone would be rewarded if they destroyed the empire and took it into their hands.
At that time, Maria, who heard the story, poured out her double-s*x with the force of spitting in Balak’s face.
That was the first time that Maria had been so passionately angry.
After that, she left, telling Balak to take care of himself.
I vividly remember her black eyes full of hatred and the words she shot at the time.
So much for her to stick her life into her favorite cause and let her do as she pleases.
Elijah said she would take care of herself, so she told me not to even look at her on this side. Because it’s unpleasant
Dancer. Even though she was a lowly class, she confidently criticized Balak.
Originally, Maria had a strong personality.
Balak was also attracted to her imposing appearance, which was not befitting of her status, but at the time of her, he could not understand her.
There is a way to repay everyone, but why are you so angry?
Since then, Maria has become somewhat calmer and calmer, but that was a sneer.
She didn’t really understand or forgive Balak.
She just gave up.
Because I know what kind of person Balak is.
Since then, she has been quiet, fearing that she might stand out or harm Elijah by doing something wrong.
She was a mere dancer, and there was no way she could properly take care of Elijah.
Even so, Balak couldn’t bear to intervene.
I swore that everything would be solved if I accomplished a great task.
Thinking about it now, it was an escape from an irreversible situation.
It was the desire to be compensated for the buried life.
It was a childish ambition to relieve the humiliation she felt when she saw her father bowing in front of Helios on a young day.
Ah. Why are humans so stupid?
It is only after everything is over that your eyes widen and you look back at your mistakes.
I try to pick it up even though I know I have no right to regret it.
This is meaningless.
So, 10 years of neglect are right in front of you.
Elijah grew himself, became stronger, and destroyed the Bebel family.
Now, the only thing left of the immediate family is himself.
Narsisi, Cain, Levi, Jezebel, Achan, Sarah.
All dead.
Now, only you are left.
Seeing her daughter smiling brightly with the thought of destroying the Bebel family, Balak intuited her death.
The time has come to pay the price.
*
“Archduke Balak. Why did you come now?”
“… Elijah.”
Balak’s voice stiffened as hard as his expression.
“I wanted to kill you first.”
On the other hand, Elijah grinned at her Balak.
“It’s been a while.”
“I will. How have you been?”
“All right. Your complexion looks better than the last time I saw you.”
“I have something to do with it.”
Elijah grinned.
Unlike before, when she was twisted by her murderous intent, it was a pretty pure smile.
Balak grinned involuntarily.
It was a faint smile that Elijah couldn’t see.
I didn’t bother to mention the word fortunate.
She knows herself, and she knows what a contradictory and disgusting person she is.
Balak asked, just in case.
“Elijah. Don’t you intend to end it here? War of attrition and damage beyond this is meaningless to each other.”
“Why is it meaningless? Getting revenge on those who killed people who were my only world?”
“Elijah…. She is….”
Elijah took his word for granted.
“It is often said. Revenge is pointless. All that remains is emptiness, and violence and hatred are inherited. Well. It’s not a false claim. However, it is not an absolute truth.”
“… ….”
“It’s nothing more than a defeated cynicism to cover up and move on. Better to get revenge than to have that nightmare every night. Is success the best revenge? Well. You could wrap that up as nihilistic optimism, but…. To me, it is no different from escapism.”
The words she uttered did not match her smiling face at all.
“If the Archduke had played his part, I wouldn’t have reached this point. Being abused at home is more like a biographical event. I, if only my mother were alive, she would have been able to endure the harshness….”
“… ….”
“But you couldn’t protect my mother, and I also neglected you, so today’s work is just the price. You know it well.”
Balack gave up persuasion.
She is a broken child because of herself.
To turn back now is a bigger sin.
It’s not just Elijah.
Maria is also a person driven by her own selfishness.
The two were the sins and punishments that he had to bear.
“… Okay. I get it.”
Balak’s pupils slowly glowed vermilion.
Before leaving, he thought of passing on his experiences as a senior mage.
The eyes of Elijah facing each other were already complete.
Her searing orange waves.
Golden pupils like the sun.
“May you be at peace. Grandee.”
Throws an unexpected greeting.
“… Suffer.”
Hide the greeting that lingers in your heart.
Golden flames and orange flames soared.
Two wizards collided.
*
Balak is quite a wizard.
Not as good as Elijah, but he is also a genius among geniuses.
He is said to be a talent that will not be seen again in the Bebel family, and he was often praised when he was young.
However, his powers are not limited to his magical talents.
Decades of years before I came to California.
He lived by killing enemies with magic.
Experience cannot be ignored.
On the other hand, Elijah has little experience. She
She used a lot of magic during the war, but it wasn’t a battle, it was a one-sided massacre.
To live up to her future, Elijah needs combat experience. Balak thought so.
As Balak beckoned, a scarlet rain began to fall from the sky.
It was a rain of fire.
Soon after that, the ground trembled under Elijah’s feet.
Her lava erupted from where she stood.
But Elijah had already left the place with her teleport.
The falling scarlet rain fell toward Elijah like an arrow.
She burned the fire with just one gesture.
For a moment, Balak wanted to rub his eyes.
Suppressing fire with fire?
It was a mysterious landscape.
A space that makes your senses dizzy with the scorching heat and light.
Even in it, Elijah accurately pinpointed Balak’s location.
When she stretches out her hand, golden flames run down the floor.
“… !”
Balak immediately teleported away from the golden fire.
She arrives in front of Elijah and stretches out her hand.
A scarlet fire glows in her palms.
The fastest and strongest magic at close range.
‘Ray blast. How will you react?’
The moment the completed magic is about to be cast.
Elijah quickly stretched out her hand and caught her foot.
It was the first time her father and daughter held each other’s hands, but I didn’t feel any affectionate family love at all.
“… ?!”
Glaring straight at the bewildered Balak, Elijah grinned.
“Boom.”
– Boom!
That word caused an explosion, just like the prophecy.
The magic Balak had cast exploded in his hand.
The outstretched right arm disappeared without a trace.
‘Magical Reflection… ?! How can this… ! Rather, the reaction rate is….’
There was no time to feel the pain or to be surprised at what had just happened.
“This…. What….”
The view had changed.
The surrounding son-in-law was pitch-black, and everything was lowered.
Down there, Elijah is as small as a dot.
Balak was currently falling from the sky higher than the mountain peak.
‘Teleport to an external target?!’
Teleport is basically a magic that moves the caster.
If you want to move with another object, you must be together.
But Elijah sent her Balakman high with her teleport.
It is theoretically impossible.
It’s a magic that wizards used to talk about as a joke.
That, too, was blown far into the sky.
For a moment, Balak forgot everything and marveled at that pure talent and power.
I was afraid at the same time.
How far can you become strong? That child
Are you going to become a god?
The next thing that came to me was realization.
The experience he was trying to pass on was insignificant.
It is meaningless in front of that wonderful child.
Until the end, he couldn’t do anything for him. Like crap.
Elijah looked up at the high feet.
She predicted that Balak would come close after disturbing her vision.
Most wizards focus only on ‘magic’ and are weak in close combat.
Balak is different.
To survive on the battlefield without assistance, you had to be good at close combat.
He is a real-life magician who compensated for his weaknesses.
However, there is a fatal flaw.
The character himself is Balak.
He is so famous.
How he fights. Or have you been fighting?
His powers and fighting style have already spread.
Elijah learned his method by combining all the information known to the public, and destroyed it.
You can’t destroy it in actual combat simply by learning.
But Elijah did it.
She was bored with admiring her talent now.
‘A height that Balak cannot reach at once with the available teleport. It’s difficult to concentrate on magic in a falling situation.’
The battle was over in an instant.
Elijah stretched out her hand.
Pour the magic prepared for Balak.
‘Multiple Solar Manifestations.’
In an instant, the sun rose in the sky.
The seven suns drove away the darkness of the whole area.
A localized day has arrived.
At the center of the sun was Balak.
‘Convergence.’
The seven suns united around Balak.
They repulse each other fiercely and throw sparks.
As the outlines distorted, huge lights began to merge into one.
Balak can’t escape.
When I held her hand earlier, I didn’t just use magic reflection.
A magic interruption spell was implanted in his body.
It’s temporary, but enough to kill.
Now all that remains for Balak is to burn hot inside.
But don’t let your guard down.
The opponent is an excellent mage.
We need to finish more reliably.
The sun, which had merged into one before I knew it, was much bigger than before.
Slap your hand outstretched toward the sun! And grabbed it.
The golden sun cracked, and light leaked out.
‘Supernova explosion.’
The flames that used to form the outside are sucked into the center as if collapsing.
It collapsed at high speed, then exploded with a blinding light.
-Kwaguawang!
An explosion that causes a light earthquake in the area.
Elijah closed her eyes tightly and carefully opened them.
From the spot where the sun burst, night came.
It gets dark quickly.
It is quiet, as if asking when the sun rose and the ground trembled.
Swept away by the power of the explosion, the turbulent grass and trees also fell silent.
How long has it been?
Tok, do it.
Something fell in front of me.
It was a human body.
A shabby body with only the upper body and head remaining.
The limbs were burned and missing.
The barely remaining right arm wasn’t normal either.
Ballack.
He survived a supernova explosion.
I barely survived.
“Huuu” .”
Balak breathed heavily.
My insides were so overcooked that I was burned, so it was painful every time I breathed.
I can no longer see the front.
Only the hearing remained narrow.
Sabak, Sabak.
The sound of Elijah walking could be heard in the distance.
Balak tried to raise his right arm.
I didn’t hear it right.
The trembling arms seemed to be about to break.
‘That… I have to tell… To do….’
In the end, I couldn’t put my hand in her arms.
My breathing, which had barely continued, became thin.
Consciousness quickly becomes hazy.
Sabak.
Elijah’s steps stopped.
She said nothing.
It was a futile final greeting befitting the sinner Balak.
*
Elijah looked down indifferently at her dying Balak.
Actually, he didn’t survive a supernova explosion.
Elijah knows the shoes he was wearing.
‘Shoes soaked in holy blood.’
Shoes said to be soaked in the blood of the first being.
One of the holy relics that protects the wearer’s life.
Thanks to that, I barely escaped instant death.
‘What were you trying to do at the end?’
I struggled to lift her hand.
She couldn’t have tried to use her magic with that body.
Is there a hidden artifact?
‘Are there any artifacts left intact from that magic….’
Elijah rummaged in Balak’s bosom with her magic.
The sophisticated wind magic was actually closer to telekinesis.
Then, she found a small bag sealed in an inside pocket.
She was so tightly sealed that she survived the supernova explosion.
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‘Shoes soaked in Holy Blood…. It’s a bag made by cutting out that hide. What’s inside this so far….’
The thing inside was a key.
A small black key.
It is not an item with magical effects.
I don’t know why I tried to take it out, or where the key fits.
‘I was going to visit Balak’s main mansion once, so let’s go and find out then.’
There were no items other than the key.
The limbs are burnt away, and the remaining body is charred or ripe and shabby.
It was too shabby to be the last of Archduke Balak, an emperor wearing a black crown.
A moment of ridicule burst out.
‘Until the end, he was a human only he knew.’
I don’t think this key is his last resort.
You’ll have to investigate, but it was a hand gesture as if you were giving it to yourself.
‘Did you want to play the role of a good parent only at the end, in order to turn away from the mistakes you made in the past? . It’s too obvious.’
Cain, Levi, Jezebel, Achan, Sarah. Narcissus.
And Ballack.
Last of him, all of his direct relatives who neglected and covered up his mother’s death died.
He achieved what he had been hoping for and drawing for years.
There was no cool sense of liberation in
.
There was no unpleasant or discouraged feeling.
He just feels that he has finally solved something that should have been done a long time ago.
That was all.
It seemed a bit relieved.
Once upon a time it was hoped that after death they would go to hell and suffer.
But, well.
Now I don’t want to be buried in anger towards them.
The intense resentment and hatred is enough as a childhood experience.
‘I can stand proudly in front of my mother’s grave. And….’
Elijah smiled softly.
It’s time to go see none other than Judas.
If a peace treaty is successfully concluded with the empire, you will stick with Judah all day from now on.
In his own life, there was nothing more he could wish for.
Ah. Previously.
Assassins Guild.
Or, the person who executed the assassination of Maria.
I will definitely find him and kill him.
It’s just that, unlike the Bevel family, whose whereabouts are certain, it’s difficult to know who the target is, so I’ve put off the ranking.
We will have to proceed slowly.
With Judas.
*
“This is the last class.”
Gawain blocked the way of Judas.
The remnants of Cain hesitantly retreated towards Gawain.
Judas looked at him quietly, and then she struggled to open her mouth.
“… Sir Gawain.”
I couldn’t bear to raise my sword.
On the other hand, Gawain was confident.
Obtaining a sword and shield, he strode towards Judas.
“I….”
The moment Judas is about to speak.
Gawain quickly closed the distance.
Aiming for a moment of hesitation and carelessness, he swings his sword fiercely.
Judah managed to raise his shield.
– Kung!
The sword attack continues with a heavy shock.
After spilling it with his shield, he quickly stabbed his sword and counterattacked.
But it gets clogged easily.
The state of close contact with each other.
Gawain said.
This was the final warning.
“Don’t hesitate.”
“… ….”
Judah gritted his teeth.
