Chapter 97 - Shadow (20)

I headed to the Magic Engineering Research Institute, skipping even dinner. I wanted to approach this with as clear a mind as possible.

Coming down to the basement, I checked the Maladirut.

It had completely absorbed the Doppler's bodily fluid without leaving a single drop and bloomed overnight.

This was a sign it had fully utilized the fluid as nutrients.

After briefly watching Luna, I headed to the brewing room upstairs without further delay.

Until now, I had only consumed herbs in liquid or living form, never by inhaling smoke.

I didn't plan to burn all the Maladirut at once. Though simple to make, it required extremely precious ingredients. Burning it would be inefficient as a lot would be lost to the air.

I separated and classified the Maladirut's roots, leaves, and petals one by one. Afterward, I gathered each part, ground them finely, and wrapped them in paper to form long stick shapes like incense. This would allow for efficient use.

Even after making six or seven such sticks, more than half the material remained. I stored the remaining material separately and dried the incense sticks near the brazier.

Once the preparation was somewhat complete, I immediately left to verify its effectiveness.

I went to the clearing where the Guardian Tree stood.

It was now a restricted area for regular students.

I slumped down at the forest's edge where the Guardian Tree was visible.

I summoned my spirit to light the incense and stuck it in the ground. This was convenient—without the spirit, I would have needed flint.

I sat there killing time. White smoke rose slowly from the incense and a mysterious, indescribable fragrance stimulated my nose.

After thirty uneventful minutes, I sensed someone's presence and turned my head.

While thinking it must be a student sneaking in or a wild animal.

My eyes caught something I had never seen before in my life.

It was a person with only a shadow-like black form remaining.

"..."

And gradually more things began entering my sight.

Thought entities, and the black spirits Luna had spoken of.

They were in the forest and near the Guardian Tree. Those in the forest kept their distance from me while staring intently. Like watching an enemy commander with caution.

But those near the Guardian Tree showed no such wariness. Their forms were darker, their bodies larger, and their numbers greater. I could instinctively tell they were directly related to the Guardian Tree.

I never thought I'd actually see these. Zverev's recipe wasn't wrong.

I stood up and brushed off the dirt.

Had so many of these things clung to and tormented Luna? 

Though dealing with them would bring Luna back... that wouldn't be the complete end. Luna was designed from birth to attract strange beings.

I wanted a more definitive method. Weeds would regrow and ruin a carefully tended garden unless pulled out by the roots.

Though my determination grew stronger, I didn't act rashly but stood still making plans.

And for a moment, a thought crossed my mind.

Perhaps... what I need to do is play the Jester.

After experimenting with them a bit, I needed to make thorough preparations and end everything definitively.

I couldn't end everything right now. I had to wait until the sun completely set and Luna's waking time.

After finishing my plan, I drew my wooden sword and moved.

***

Something whispered to Luna who was still not fully awake.

...What?

[Don't take his hand.]

Luna jerked up and covered her face. Her heart beat violently.

"No, no."

It wasn't an auditory hallucination, nor a nightmare. Those terrible whispers that had been quiet for a while had started again.

[You are the root cause that made people die. You're a sinner who shouldn't receive salvation. Pay the price with your life.]

[You only bring harm to Eternia and those around you. If you know your place, reject his hand.]

"Why... why... How..."

Someone answered her muttering.

"...Isn't it noisy?"

And when a man's voice rang out, their whispers disappeared immediately as if the wind had blown out a candle.

Luna startled and turned toward the source of the sound.

There sat a masked man leaning casually against the wall, holding a wooden sword in one hand.

Luna remembered him. Professor Silveryn's disciple. Damian.

At the unexpected sudden meeting, Luna couldn't speak for a moment.

"You..."

"I can hear them now too. Those things, they're desperate to drag you down."

What is he talking about? Did he mean he could now hear what those black forms were saying?

Damian put the wooden sword at his waist and slowly stood up.

"You said your intuition saw something in me, though I don't know what, you were right. I found a way, and those bastards are struggling because they don't want to die."

"..."

They’re struggling? How?

He walked toward Luna one step at a time. Luna instinctively shrank back from the overwhelming presence emanating from him.

The closer he got, the stronger the urge to run away grew. When she tried to pull away, the magic chains held her.

Damian drew even closer, paying no attention to her reaction.

He stood in front of the iron bars containing Luna. Then, he stretched his arm to the side.

Suddenly a dazzling white light flared and Luna reflexively covered her eyes. When the light faded and she opened her eyes again, a strange sword of light appeared in his hand.

Her eyes grew wider and wider. A brilliant, beautiful color. She could tell immediately upon seeing it. This was not something from this world.

"You... you..."

When Damian slowly swung the sword, the iron bars were cut through like butter with no resistance.

Luna's breathing grew rapid with uncontrollable fear.

"Wait... don't come closer. Don't come..."

The chains clanked and pulled taut as she struggled.

"Nothing will change if you just run away."

"..."

Damian approached the bed slowly, undisturbed by her intense reaction.

And he extended his hand to her.

"Come. I'll end it all."

What had he done to be able to come forward so firmly and solidly?

Luna couldn't understand anything. What power did he have to be so confident he could eliminate everything tormenting her?

And the unknown power surrounding Damian gradually won over the anxious Luna. Belief grew that he would end everything.

"..."

She had to take it.

Consciously she knew she should take his hand, but her body firmly rejected him due to long-hardened habits.

Luna squeezed her eyes shut.

Nothing would change if she just ran away.

Is it fate's trick?

In the past, she had been saved once by Silveryn, and now her disciple appeared before her offering salvation.

And if she couldn't take this hand, no more salvation would come.

As in the passage from “The Canary and the Jester”, even the gods turned away from humans who had no will to move forward.

Luna closed her eyes tight and slowly raised her arm. With a trembling arm, she lightly touched his hand before pulling back.

He waited motionlessly for her to fully grasp it.

If Silveryn trusted Damian, Luna could trust him too.

Steeling her resolve, she stretched out her arm and finally overlapped her hand with his.

"..."

Only upon finally touching it could she feel. That the hand of a man she had feared so much was, no different from anyone else's, warm and soft.

Damian gripped her hand firmly and cut through the chains restraining her with his sword without hesitation.

***

Damian held Luna and led her outside. Following his confident steps, Luna moved forward too.

Breaking through thick fog, they arrived at a forest where Eternia's Guardian Tree was visible.

Luna stopped Damian suddenly as he led her by the hand.

It was because of the ominous energy surrounding the Guardian Tree.

They had grown stronger through the recent curse ritual. And now they were drawing on Luna's mana thanks to breaking the seal. The ominous energy was concentrated around the Guardian Tree as if pressed down there.

"This won't work. This... isn't something anyone can handle."

Damian immediately dismissed Luna's anxiety.

"No, I've handled worse than this."

"..."

"This is nothing to me. Just think of it as a play in the night. All you need to do is stand and watch."

Damian said something incomprehensible.

A play?

As they approached the Guardian Tree, she could feel the thought entities targeting her but sensed they couldn't approach freely due to Damian's presence.

Maybe Damian could do it. Having trusted and followed him out, there was no choice but to entrust everything to the end.

Luna steeled her resolve. Confirming this, Damian broke through the forest. Soon they approached a clearing where the Guardian Tree towered in the center.

Ominous energy was concentrated, making the heads of those near it spin.

And when they entered that energy's domain, even with Damian beside her, the thought entities more boldly surrounded and closed in.

When Luna's body trembled, Damian gripped her hand tighter.

Amazingly, he showed no fear though shadows of death blocked every direction.

His movements flowed leisurely as if out for a stroll.

"Don't worry. The professor approved all of this."

He advanced toward the Guardian Tree with Luna and stopped about twenty paces away.

Dark blue sky. Moonlight shone down on them and the Guardian Tree. Half the Guardian Tree's leaves had turned black from the curse's effects.

And under the moonlight, the black spirits revealed themselves. About twenty black human forms stood surrounding the Guardian Tree, glaring at Luna.

Long shadow-like lines appeared on the ground in the moonlight. They connected Luna to each black spirit.

Mana could be felt from them. All of it had been sucked from Luna, and they were still drawing more.

When Damian tried to let go of her hand, she gripped it tightly instead. She felt she wouldn't be able to maintain her sanity here if he let go.

"It's alright."

Damian released her hand and gave her his wooden sword. Then, he stepped forward one step at a time.

The black spirits began showing strong hostility toward Damian as if they were cornered wild dogs.

Just looking, one could tell they felt fear as he drew closer.

Finally, they began hurling curses at Damian in spirit language that ordinary people couldn't understand.

Their forms wavered and changed to match Damian's appearance exactly. They wore masks and held wooden swords. They were completely identical to Damian except their whole bodies were a dull gray color with all other colors muted.

Luna remembered. Having the same appearance didn't mean existing in the same reality. Strictly speaking, they were closer to ghosts. Luna had also tried everything to drive them away. Swords, magic, and even holy water had no effect.

Luna squeezed out her throat to throw him a warning.

"...Be careful."

Hearing Luna's words, he slowly turned around. His eyes visible through the mask glowed faintly golden.

And turning around, he threw out words as if warning.

"Watch carefully."

"...?"

Those words weren't meant for Luna. His gaze was directed at something far behind her.

Damian was showing his back to the black spirits. Seeing the opening, they rushed in quickly to ambush him.

Luna, startled, shouted, "...Damian behind you!"

Suddenly light flared in Damian's hand. He turned while simultaneously swinging the sword of light.

The pure white blade cut off the arm of the one rushing to ambush first.

In a connected motion, Damian grabbed its head with his left hand.

Luna couldn't believe her eyes. The sword he possessed affected them despite no attack being effective prior.

He even managed to grab it with his bare hand.

When caught in his hand, its transformation immediately reversed and returned to its original black shadow form.

[Kiaaaaaak! Kiak Kiaaaaaaak!]

It screamed, holding its severed part. It was suffering terribly as if its body was on fire. A spiritual being like a spirit or thought entity feeling pain? It was a bizarre sight defying common sense.

Damian held it and stepped back several paces, avoiding the other ones' attacks.

Then, he grabbed its jaw and began cutting off its body parts one by one from ankle to shin to knee while dragging it backward.

The scene was ruthless and efficient like a skilled butcher.

Black smoke rose from the severed parts instead of blood.

The black spirit driven mad with pain let out screams that could echo through the whole forest.

[Kiaaak! Kiak Kiaaaaaak!]

After cutting up to its thigh, Damian finally started randomly slashing holes in its abdomen. Damian showed no intention of ending it quickly.

When another one quickly approached, trying to swing its sword at Damian, he shot out a sword wave.

The sword wave hit the one in front before sweeping through two more behind, flying into the forest and exploding. The area turned into a wasteland.

Damian finished slashing up to its chest and finally stuck the sword in its mouth and split its head in two.

Only then did the ear-splitting screams stop.

Silence returned again. And, Damian approached the group of black spirits to catch his next prey.

Now none dared rush in recklessly.