Book 18 Chapter 35
Fierce Battle of `<Orlewardan>`,
A Prelude to That Farewell Story (5)
“Hero Party! No matter how strong you claim to be, it’s only natural that you are weaker than your future selves!”
At Belom's command, the Hero Party's future selves began to move all at once.
It was evil thoughts (邪念)!
Just like the Blood Fiends, what moves their bodies are the evil thoughts imbued in blood. Overwhelming evil thoughts are what make their bodies move.
“‘The past’ cannot defeat ‘the future’. Face the end that your ‘future’ bestows upon you!”
The first to exert power was Lista's future self. Lin's eyes widened.
“It shattered the ground just by stomping on it! Did it completely copy Lista's physical abilities?”
Lista, holding Shürpen powerlessly, said,
“It's dangerous! To face my future self, I need my own strength, but… it's impossible to face the Blood Spike Army and my future self at the same time.”
Then Nils drove the Kaptilt-II out in front of Lista and said,
[No, Link's future self, as you can see, isn't much of a fighting force.]
“!”
[My future self also doesn't have any notable artifacts, so it won't be very strong. You guys focus on the Blood Spike Army. Link and I will block your future selves.]
It was Belom who answered Nils' words with a sneer.
“You fools! Your idiotic thoughts are all already drawn on this Eye of Lunan! Archer! Bring me that foolish Ain's head!”
Future Kiece launched itself, with a fierce glint in its eyes. It pulled out the bow on its back and strung an arrow of evil thoughts onto the bowstring.
[(ㅁ-ㅁ)!]
Kiece also, the moment it moved its body to block the arrow from its future self, that very instant!
Piiiiyuuuung…
The arrow that flew from the future fell instead of flying! It tumbled helplessly on the sand!
“?”
Again, again, again!
The one most astonished in that situation, more than anyone else, was none other than Belom, the master of blood.
Belom gazed at Kiece with disbelieving eyes.
“What happened? Could it be that the soul is denying the will of the future? Is he a human with such noble character?”
Kiece nodded its head, expressing its emotions.
[(^ㅅ^)V]
Unaware that the Hero Party was struggling immensely to prevent the laughter that threatened to burst out from within their bodies!
‘No, surely not, you fool!’
‘It’s because it hasn’t had any alcohol!’
‘No one, absolutely no one say that. You must not!’
Belom clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Future Kiece soon scattered into blood droplets, and those blood droplets were absorbed by the other two.
“If the archer is useless, then just use the others! The future selves of the hero and the shrine maiden, bring me their heads!”
Fride, who was concentrating on Luminique's healing, finally came out to face future Fride and put a pipe in her mouth.
“Didn't you underestimate us too much? Did you think we were fools who would run away when faced with the future? The future? What's so scary about that! Shit, it's a bit scary to see how many wrinkles have increased, but that's all!”
“Pipi is just as she is, just as she is, Pipi is cool even in the future.”
Lin, with Sval, took a step in the direction of facing future Asurba.
“It's a strange feeling…”
“Kkyuung?”
“At first, I picked it up as a magic punching bag, but the lump of baggage that couldn't even perform the role of a punching bag has awakened and appeared as the strongest punching bag!”
“Kkyung???!”
“It's amazing, it's amazing, isn't it! Kiyahoouuut!”
What always calmed such Lin's madness was always Fride's pipe! 3 consecutive smashings! Master!
“You crazy bastard, you should be helping Lista, you're only thinking about playing!”
“Hing.”
“Go, Lista, Lin! The four of us will hold off the future selves! Meanwhile, you guys just smash that Blood Spike Army!”
Lista, who had been gripping Shürpen in a state of tension, finally composed herself and exchanged a resolute smile with Fride.
“Okay, I'll trust you with it.”
And then, when she glared at Belom with eyes completely frozen cold, Belom laughed mockingly.
“Oh ho, so you're going to fight me? Against me, who has reached the pinnacle of all ecological pyramids? If you want to die so miserably, I won't stop you.”
Amidst Fride's healing spell, Luminique, who was recovering from the damage of burnt blood vessels throughout her body, barely managed to stand up.
‘I must heal my wounds quickly and be in a state to fight… Damn it, I didn't come here just to be a burden!’
That bastard Belom, to have become so strong. A thrill so intense that it makes me forget this tremendous pain rises…
‘Even the holy sword Lista wields, feels small compared to the overwhelming magnitude of evil thoughts Belom is emitting right now.’
And that guy, that's not the end of it.
He's hiding something.
I, who have been watching that guy closely, know what the situation is when he acts so relaxed.
‘He must be hiding something overwhelming behind him.’
I need to heal quickly, and then add my strength to the fight against Belom, before everything is too late, before everything is destroyed!
“I am Lista Altar Shürpen.”
But then, the holy sword emitted a brilliant sword-light and began to dazzle and burn this blood-red world.
“I wish for the entire world to be filled with genuine laughter.”
At that power, at that light, Luminique forgot all the worries and concerns she had harbored until just now. She merely trembled her eyes blankly.
‘Th-this can’t be!’
Was Lista also hiding her full power?
Has the rage for all those who died powerless been expressed now at full strength?
Is that truly a Hero (勇士)!
“Here I go.”
What happened in the next moment was… something that couldn't even be seen through future observation, the loss of a dimension, occurring in an extremely fleeting instant.
“!”
In an instant where even the providence of time couldn't be perceived, the holy sword Shürpen passed through, carving a battle scar deep into Belom's neck.
As if, the light of the holy sword pierced through the concept of 'instant' like a flash of light.
Exclamations of awe burst forth spontaneously from all members of the party, who were engrossed in their respective battles!
“““Oh, oh, ooooh!”””
It was a blow so immense that even those masters of combat cried out in admiration! Is it over like this?
No, if it had been that easy, the content about the Blood Clan wouldn't even have been recorded in history books!
Belom grabbed his neck, where fresh blood was about to gush out.
“This bastard…!”
By controlling the blood flow itself, he instantly stopped the bleeding from the severed wound as if soldering it. Master!
‘I saw this future. The future where my neck is cut! That's why I could defend against it.’
The ‘Eye of Lunan’ open on Belom's forehead trembled as if in a thrill. It was observing a new future.
“You managed to avoid Belom's future prediction and strike a vital point. I'll acknowledge the quality of that power, which transcends racial limits, Hero!”
Even this wasn't enough… Lista bit her lip with a groan.
‘The time division I just used for instantaneous approach was 24, which was quite an overexertion…’
But what if I do it one more time?
Yes, let's aim for the heart this time.
Because the Blood Clan's weakness is either the neck or the heart.
“If I were you, I wouldn't approach like that again.”
Just then, Belom snapped his fingers, and the Blood Fiends instantly stood as if blocking the path between them! Climbing up the blood spike skewers that covered the city!
“The future Lord Lunan showed me was correct! Are you hesitating to approach me because of these Blood Ghouls? Weak, you're so weak, Hero!”
Nils gasped!
[Th-that despicable bastard…!]
Fride was the same!
“Lista can't kill the Blood Ghouls… because her character itself is pure without a single stain!”
At the moment Lista, who had virtually no resistance to the Blood Ghouls, hesitated, the city began to shake!
Belom's original power, blood spikes, surged endlessly.
Lista parried, dodged, and blocked them, then leaped into the air, kicking off the surging blood spikes as if they were footholds, she repeatedly changed her trajectory, but the pursuit was endless.
“Crazy! To be able to pursue Lista's spatiotemporal footwork, does that mean he reads all of the future?”
As Fride uttered an astonished remark, Luminique, dragging her leg painfully, returned to the front line.
“Damn it… That guy Belom has become dozens of times stronger than before his awakening. The number of blood spikes he uses must be 20 times more.”
They need to go help, but they can't go help! Because they have to face the strongest of strong enemies, Asurba from 5 years in the future!
Ice Dragon Asurba!
Asurba, who was pulled from the future by the Blood Clan's sorcery, used a bizarre power called Blood Ice (血氷). It instantly froze the blood it spat out!
“By the way, how did that guy who always got beaten by Pipi when she was bored become so strong! No matter how you look at it, he's stronger than a True Dragon!”
“Kkyuuut?!”
Future Fride couldn't use spells, so like Kiece's future self, she wasn't much of a threat.
Also, Pipi's future self could be handled by Pipi alone.
The problem was future Lista and this future Asurba, and because the Hero Party was pouring all its strength into stopping these two, they couldn't go help Lista!
“Can't I just fight here? This looks more interesting.”
At that moment, Lin!
Lin, who had been watching the two battles alternately, sucking his finger!
He was still caught up in madness even at that moment!
“Hey, you bastard! Can you say something like that right now? Lista is struggling because of that future prediction!”
Fride, who punched both sides of Lin's head during the fight, was truly a master!
“Future prediction? What happens if you can avoid that future prediction?”
“We could end the match in an instant.”
“Hmm, so if I just make it so we can avoid that damn disgusting eye, I can do whatever I want, right?”
[Lin, what are you going to do?]
“I'll make him pay for discriminating against me.”
Lin thought.
Future prediction can't possibly be real.
‘Reality is an equation with an unfathomable number of unknowns, and a single flap of a butterfly's wings can change the numbers substituted into those unknowns.’
Then it's an unconventional approach.
Just as I interpreted a three-dimensional plane with coordinate planes, if only I could solve what ‘reality’ (實際) is with equations…
Then it wouldn't be impossible to disrupt that equation, making it difficult to solve.
“……”
From conception to conclusion, a continuous sequence of infinite formulas, resembling a madman's scribbled notebook, took only 14.6 seconds to be performed in his mind.
Forgetting even how to breathe, unable to feel even the temperature and sensation of the saliva running down his lips, an extreme state of self-oblivion (無我).
As his consciousness surfaced, and his senses functioned normally, the light returned to the boy's eyes. Lin finally lifted his head and said,
“Hmm, this might just work?”