Chapter 177 – 177. The Hounds (7)
“This…”
Baron thought it was similar to Randell’s black magic.
It is a shadow but has substance, and behaves as if it has its own will.
However, what is different from Randell’s imaging technique is that you can feel the gaze and emotions as if you are looking at yourself in the black shape.
“Brother… ?”
On the other hand, when she saw the shadow that guarded Erin, who got caught between herself and Baron, Erin blankly muttered with an expression that she couldn’t believe her.
As if wearing a black hood, something clad in shadow finally spoke.
“Concentrate.”
“Ah… !”
Erin hurriedly came to her senses at the shadow’s reprimand in her harsh voice.
She realizes too late that she almost missed Baron’s wrist.
Even though Erin showed her gap with a dazed expression for a moment, the reason Baron couldn’t shake off Erin’s arm that was holding his was because of the shadows that came between the two and entangled him.
“Ugh… Eww!”
Baron was trying to forcibly tear off the shadows that were entangled in his body by deploying his magical powers to strengthen his physical abilities, but every time he deployed his magical powers, he was absorbed by Erin, and his powers increased at an even faster rate. It was just being cut.
He swung his sword once more and aimed at Erin’s neck, who was absorbing all of his energy.
Caang!
The Baron frowned at being again blocked by the shadows and prevented from decapitating her.
“Tsk!”
Erin’s unfolding of her mana works as a handshake, and no matter how well-trained a man’s body is, it is impossible for Baron to cut through the shadows with mere physical attacks.
If that was possible from the beginning, Randall, who was being protected by imaging, would have been killed right away.
The more Erin’s vitality within her body and her mana are rapidly being robbed, the longer it lasts.
The difference between the two was completely reversed.
Unlike Erin, who was recovering her stamina little by little while absorbing her mana and vitality, her forearms, which were swollen with Baron’s hard muscles, gradually became thinner like a deflated balloon.
As I sensed Baron’s power, whose resistance was gradually weakening, in real time, the shadow clinging to Baron’s body and restraining him shouted to Erin.
“Now!”
Hearing her cry, Erin clenches the fists of her remaining reflexive hands, draining her energy and channeling her energized energy until it reaches its capacity.
“Huh!”
Holding her breath, her fist, which she threw out with all her might, did not contain the essence of this skill.
It was an unconscious attack because I wanted to imitate the ‘sammaebungkwon’ that Eunhyeon had shown me before.
Because the regime was a series of fluid and clean movements, Erinn’s ability was too short to feel and keep up with the effort and essence of the countless hours contained in that one attack.
However, despite this, the quality of magical power contained in the girl’s fist was enough to inflict damage on Baron’s weakened body.
“Kuheugh!”
A neat abdominal attack hit, and Baron let out a groan as his back staggered.
It meant that Erin’s attack was accurately eaten while her body was restrained by the shadow and unable to move.
“Joy… Not bad… It’s a fist.”
Baron, who had a smile on his face, said his last words with an expression that he liked it, and lost his mind.
When the shadow freed his spirit-lost body from restraints, he collapsed to the floor in vain.
Cooong!
After chasing Baron, Emilia and Swordsman, who arrived late, checked Baron’s faint state on the floor, and stood there staring at Erin.
Erin checked the body of the swordsman Baek-Gwi, who had one of her arms torn off and was slowly fading away, and replenished her magic power to the Baek-Gwi’s body.
“Please support the remaining dolls and white ghosts.”
The swordsman Baek-Gwi, who returned to her original state after receiving her magical power from Erin, turned her body around and moved her body to deal with the remaining hounds.
For the white demons, the command of Erin, the owner, was absolute, so he didn’t even have to express his intentions.
“Emilia… Are you okay?”
Emilia’s condition, with her clothes ripped and the doll’s body exposed here and there, tells us that she arrived here after a fierce battle.
“26% damage rate for this object. A 55% decrease in functionality.”
“It’s okay now. You can rest.”
“… The enemy has not yet been wiped out. This entity can go to the front and continue fighting…”
“I only command the puppets from the rear. That’s all you need.”
“… I accept your order.”
Erin absorbed Baron’s magical powers and immediately deployed them to activate her magic.
[Barbarian Witchcraft (狐族姚術)]
[Hundred Ghost Night Trips]
Three new white demons were summoned and stood in front of Erin, waiting for her command.
“Please catch all the enemies fighting the dolls and the white ghosts.”
The white demons who received her command all turned around and left to deal with the remaining hounds.
At the same time as replenishing her power, Erin, who felt that the situation was being sorted out to some extent, finally turned her head to her side, and she slowly stared at her shadow person who helped her defeat Baron. Did.
“…”
Gulp
Erin swallowed her spittle, slowly approaching the shadowy man standing still.
When she touched the black hood covering his face, Erin’s hands trembled as if she were touching the fabric in which her true body existed.
‘No way… Really?’
As Erin, hardened in her resolve, pulls back her black hood, her face under her hood finally reveals itself.
“Ah…”
Erin gave a small sigh when she saw the face of a man she knew but longed for, with fluttering blue hair like her own.
At the same time as her sighs burst out, the tears flowing from her eyes and her expression represent her emotions.
“Why are you crying. I came back alive at best.”
“…”
“Your dried squid-like face is getting uglier as water gets on it. Stop crying.”
“Hey,hee hee!”
Her emotions, such as emotion, sadness, joy, sorry, and regret, quickly turned into anger at Alvin’s calm attitude with her sullen expression.
“This is real!”
Her clenched fist struck Elvin’s chest as hard as she could, but Erin’s fist, which had no magic power, passed through the body of her shadow that had released her materialization, and was unable to do any damage. .
“I! Meantime! Because of my brother! How hard it was!”
“Know.”
“If I could help you like this, why!”
“Sorry.”
“Why… You didn’t show up in front of me long ago…”
Her fists, which she had beaten as hard as she could, were getting weaker, and her weeping Erin hugged Alvin’s body tightly and buried her face in his chest.
“How much I missed you brother…”
At the time of her disappearance, since Erin awoke, she was saved by her Eun-hyeon and had a happy time in her own way, but in a corner of her heart, a feeling of longing for Alvin, who left her and died first, remains. There was.
It was her guilt that she had made Alvin bear all of her burden because she herself was so weak.
“I woke up recently. The reason she didn’t show up to you right away was because of her promise with that guy.”
“That guy?”
“The bastard who saved you and freed me by killing me.”
“Hyeoni?”
“… It sounds pretty friendly.”
Elvin’s eyebrows twitched at Erin’s question as she tilted her head.
“Anyway, there are so many things to talk about…”
“Miss Erin. Get away from it right now.”
[Immature things! Back!]
Paperweight!
Startled by the roar of her Miho dripping into her head, Erin instinctively deployed her magic behind her, triggering her senses.
Sensing the presence of a human approaching at lightning speed, Erin hurriedly released her arms from Elvin’s embrace and turned around behind her.
“Kuh!?”
Despite the situation where her vision was not secured due to her blinding flash of lightning that filled her front, she entered the line of sight aiming at Elvin’s neck without hesitation and interfered with her attack. Gerard was taken aback by Erin’s behavior.
Unable to hurt Erin, Gerard stopped her charge and jumped behind her to distance Erin and Alvin.
‘… Did you read it? My movements?’
Even more shocking than that, judging that Elvin was the remnant of her black magic Randall had been using, she sabotaged her own efforts to dispose of him, giving her all to the 17-year-old little girl. It was because her skills were read.
‘The only person who has read my brain light so far is Hyun-hyung, who gave me advice on making this technique… Are you saying he’s also your brother’s disciple?’
It was Erin’s sudden action that could have been prevented because Erin learned the technique of sensing like her Eunhyeon, and Miho’s roar, which was able to detect Gerard’s movements faster than her, was prevented, but to Gerard, who did not know the details, it was just Erin’s ability. It just looked great.
However, apart from her ability, Gerard thought that her actions surrounding Alvin in this situation were not the right thing to do.
“Miss Erin. Why are you covering that thing behind you?”
“This, this person…”
“That is not a person. He has the appearance of a man, but he is not a man.”
“No, that… It’s not like that…”
Erin herself didn’t know how or why Elvin was revived, so she didn’t know how to explain it, so she looked confused.
◆ ◆ ◆
“… What is this situation?”
The Knights of Artia, who arrived at the abandoned warehouse belatedly in a mess, were in a panic at the strange situation that was taking place here.
The Dominus doll, which received Emilia’s order, assisted Eira to visit the headquarters of the Artia Knights, and arrived at the abandoned warehouse in Gleor at the request of the injured Eira, but the situation was already over.
The culprit who drugged the young aristocratic children in Pernin had already died, and the mercenaries he had hired, whom he called ‘hunting dogs’, had already been subdued or had died.
With the situation over, the sight of the great heroes Gerard and Erin confronting each other without making any concessions was a very embarrassing sight to the knights, who had no idea what had happened here.
And for some reason, the figure of a man wearing a drab cloak standing still behind Erin was familiar.
Eventually, Erin finished her thoughts and finally opened her mouth.
“Hey, this is my brother! He’s not a bad guy!”
“What?”
An Artia member who heard Ern’s cry asked a small question with an expression that he couldn’t understand.
The tragedy that happened to a girl named Erin Hersha is a story known to all members of Artia.
It was because they were the knights who were tasked with investigating the embezzlement case of Baron Hersha and tracking down Elvin Hersha, a mage who was stigmatized for having fled with the gold coins stolen by Renion Hersha.
After that, the case was closed as the gold coins known to have been stolen were returned to the finance minister, Marquis Bernard, along with the sudden announcement that Elvin Hersha had been murdered by Riod, the leader of Artia.
Except for Riod and a very few characters, it is very shocking that the black magician Elvin Hersha, who was thought to be dead, is alive for those who do not know the details.
“…”
Soon after, the members of Artia, who had finished their thoughts, pulled out their swords and deployed their magical powers to fight at any time, strengthening their bodies and preparing for battle.
No matter what the circumstances, it is an unchanging fact that the existence of a black magician must be eradicated as soon as it is discovered.
Erin entered the building of the abandoned warehouse, which was all crumbling, and saw the members of Artia preparing for battle, and she hurriedly persuaded them.
“Now, hold on! Knights! My brother… !”
“Miss. Covering a warlock, no matter how family, is a felony. No matter how much the young lady is the nobleman’s disciple and has a close relationship with our leader, I can’t really cover it. Regardless of personal feelings… This is unavoidable. Get out of the way.”
“Eww…”
Erin bit her lip as she couldn’t think of a way to persuade her.
She was well aware of what warlocks were like on the continent, even Erin.
That’s why she didn’t have the heart to defend or cover up the fact that Elvin was a warlock.
But.
‘My brother has already paid for his crimes?’
She hated losing her temper and gradually becoming a monster. She asked Eun-hyeon to kill her, and as a result, Elvin’s life as a warlock was over, she explained to Eun-hyeon himself.
Eunhyeon said that Erwin had paid a reasonable price for him.
The reason why the members of Artia are hostile to Erwin is because they misunderstand that he is still alive even though it is announced that he is dead.
In fact, Erwin suddenly appeared in the black orb that was in her bosom.
Even if Illyana explained that it was the marble she gave her, it would be useless if she couldn’t properly explain that the dead Elvin was in this orb and that she was revived.
‘I don’t know how to explain that my brother is back…’
Frustrated.
We met again like this, but if we go on like this, Elvin might be caught by the knights and die again.
Erin turned her head to look at Alvin with her worried face on her face, but Alvin maintained her aloof demeanor.
The attitude of personally accepting that this reaction was very natural made Erin’s heart burn even more.
“Brother! Brother, explain something! No matter how he was revived, please…”
“The time has come for you to come soon.”
“… Who is coming?”
Despite Erin’s impatient urging, Alvin stared into space.
“Miss Erin. That’s not human I don’t know what the story of Miss Erin is, but I’m on my way to kill a man who uses the same black magic as that one. That black magic… It’s too dangerous. It needs to be dealt with right now.”
Gerard, who had been quietly watching the situation, finally started moving again.
[Gerard’s Attribute Secret]
[Thunder’s Tooth]
Unlike before, the thunderbolt teeth, which had already been activated for the third time today, were not able to emit powerful thunderbolts that filled the surroundings.
Gerard, who managed to activate by squeezing out the mana remaining in his body, was clearly reaching his limit.
“Not… !”
Erin puts on a desperate expression as she sees Gerard, who creates a flash of light and takes action to slit Alvin’s throat.
‘Like this… Am I going to lose again like this?’
As her Eun-hyeon promised, she had been working hard to meet Alvin and show her grown-up self, but she could not resist and lose her Alvin again.
And the fear that her brother might meet her death right in front of her own eyes crept into her mind.
Similarly, at the same time that Gerard started to act, the members of Artia were moving and running to kill the black magician.
And the moment Gerard’s dagger is about to slash Erwin’s throat.
[Single Digit Normal Magic]
[Blast]
“Kyaaak!”
As a huge gust of wind began to blow through Elvin’s heart, except for Elvin, who released her materialization, even Erin was caught in the gust and flew through her air.
“What…”
“…”
Contrary to the embarrassed knights, Gerard looked up at the sky where the presence was detected.
“… Sister?”
“Long time no see. Gerard.”
As she slowly descended from the sky and landed on her floor, the witch gave a dry greeting to her old colleague, whom she had met for the first time in years.
Despite her greeting, Gerard looked at Illyana with her questioning gaze rather than her welcome.
“For my sister to cover that warlock… What the hell are you thinking?”
It is not an ordinary thing for a witch, one of the top wizards on the continent, to cover a warlock.
“I’m here to clear up that misunderstanding. Because that person is not.”
“Yes?”
“Not a person. That’s why I’m not even a black magician.”
Gerard slightly frowns at Illyana’s words as she opens with a vague story.
What was confusing was the members of Artia who tried to kill Elvin along with Gerard.
“… Please explain in detail what you mean.”
“It’s a spirit. That.”
“Government ordinance… What?”
“Huh. It’s an artificial spirit created by Hyuni and I. Neither human nor warlock. So it means that it is not an existence that will harm the continent.”
“…”
Illyana smiled and shrugged her shoulders as if she understood the reactions of Gerard and Artia members who were showing suspicious reactions.
“Well, first of all, I will guarantee the identity of that on my side. Shouldn’t you go and explain the situation to Leod first?”
