Chapter 156
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 156
"This can't be real. He's truly dead?"
Anata shook her head repeatedly, her face etched with disbelief. The notion that Jenath had perished refused to settle in her mind.
How had they survived a thousand years only to fall so easily? Did that even make sense? Jenath was a sorcerer who, even in the darkest hour, would have woven some thread of survival into his very being.
I felt a hollow emptiness carving through my chest.
My ultimate purpose was to extract my descendants and the Test Subjects from this place. Jenath's death had no place in that design. I had never imagined he could fall.
'Am I truly alright?'
I questioned myself.
But no answer came.
I had steeled myself for the collapse of a thousand-year plan while struggling to evacuate the last Test Subjects. Yet I had never prepared for the death of my brother, who had walked beside me through those thousand years—and that made the void all the deeper.
No, this was futility. Yes. Utter futility.
I knew I had no right to feel this way, but Jenath's death stripped away even my own existence, and I could not shake that sensation.
"Where is Jenath's body? Where is it?"
Anata asked again, her voice hollow. Asdal, drenched in blood, answered in Margaret's stead.
"What difference would that make? Why—are you planning revenge?"
Anata faltered at Asdal's words.
"Revenge...? Is this emotion something that can be defined by a single word?"
She answered with a hollow expression, then laughter spilled from her lips—the empty, echoing laughter of a vessel drained of all contents.
After laughing like a madwoman for a long while, she slowly rose to her feet.
"Take me to where Jenath is. If opening this door is a trap, then there are other ways to open it."
"Other ways?"
Margaret regarded Anata with anxious eyes. Yet Anata's resolve was unwavering.
"Once you take me to Jenath, I'll explain. With that method, our Holy Maiden can escape with us too. Jenath may have deceived me once with illusion, but not twice. I am the one who built this Island's system."
Yuanna's brow furrowed as if she could not comprehend Anata's words.
"I'm grateful that you all wish to help me escape the Island. But I cannot delay everyone's escape because of me. This is something I've already accepted. Please don't worry about me and find the best way forward."
Diego, who had been listening silently to the exchange, stepped forward with a face full of objection to Yuanna's words.
"I cannot leave the Holy Maiden behind in this place. If the Holy Maiden chooses to remain, then I shall remain as well."
At his firm and resolute tone, Yuanna's face twisted in bewilderment. Then Anata, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, let out a hollow laugh.
"We're not taking the long way around just to save our Holy Maiden, so don't make it sound so grave."
Despite Anata's words, the serious expressions on Yuanna and Diego's faces showed no sign of softening.
"Fine then. Let's go."
The moment Margaret finished speaking, Enoch's blade pressed threateningly against the nape of Anata's neck.
"No tricks."
"You have no other choice anyway."
At Anata's response, Margaret ultimately guided her obediently to where Jenath lay.
As Anata followed Margaret, she glanced at Kaiden, who was being carried on Diego's back.
The earring hanging from Kaiden's ear glimmered with an odd sparkle.
Everyone's attention was elsewhere, so none seemed to notice the earring's gleam.
Anata quietly turned her gaze away. She pretended not to have seen the brief flash of Kaiden's earring.
* * *
Profound darkness.
Jenath's eyes opened within the abyss, where not even a hand's breadth ahead could be discerned.
Jenath knew exactly where he had awakened—within Kaiden's body.
Mages possessed the ability to carve out a separate space within the flesh where the soul could dwell, and this was precisely that place.
Though infinitesimal in quantity, a fragment of his soul remained scattered throughout Kaiden's physical form.
This was the result of his own design—he had shattered his soul into grains of sand before seizing Kaiden's body. After all, it was difficult to completely erase particles as fine as sand. It was a development he had anticipated to some degree.
'My remaining power is meager, yet I suppose I should count this as fortune....'
Jenath recalled his final memory. At the end of that recollection stood Margaret.
Platinum blonde hair gleaming brilliantly, eyes of sapphire blue luminous as jewels. A countenance shrouded in mystery.
'Damn it, I still haven't regained my composure.'
That memory lingered annoyingly in his mind.
She was the architect of his experiment's ruin. Perhaps that was why she kept surfacing in his thoughts.
"You've awakened?"
A familiar voice struck his ears. Only then did Jenath slowly rise to a seated position within the darkness.
At the edge of his vision, Kaiden sat in a cross-legged position with arms folded, glaring down at him. Kaiden gestured toward the earring hanging from his right ear and spoke.
"Even after you died, that earring continued to function. I found it strange."
Jenath listened to his words with indifference, offering no particular reaction. Kaiden studied his expression carefully before continuing.
"You shattered it into such minute pieces. I've never heard of anyone fragmenting a soul into units so infinitesimally small...."
"Of course you haven't. There has never existed a mage to surpass me. What you killed outside moments ago was merely one fragment of the soul I divided."
Jenath replied with arrogant conviction. Though it was grating, the fact that he was a grand archmage whose name would endure in the annals of history was undeniable, leaving Kaiden without adequate rebuttal.
Kaiden, regarding Jenath with a composed expression, opened his mouth.
"You're in love with Margaret."
"...What?"
Jenath responded with an expression of utter bewilderment. Witnessing that innocent face, Kaiden let out a hollow laugh.
"You haven't even realized it yourself, have you?"
Jenath, his mood twisted by inexplicable mockery, twisted his lips into a forced smile. How presumptuous of the boy.
"She's an irritatingly fascinating woman. But to say I'm in love with her—what nonsense."
He rebutted with an irritable tone. Kaiden clicked his tongue and shook his head, then chided him with exaggerated words as if testing him.
"Ah, you're hopeless. Just live your entire life without ever realizing it. Besides, Margaret is mine anyway, so it's irrelevant. How could something as abominable as you ever deserve Margaret's affection?"
...Margaret as his possession. Jenath ultimately could not restrain himself against Kaiden's words and interjected.
"Margaret is not an object, and does our descendant treat those he cares for as mere possessions? She would find such words distasteful."
"Tsk. It's not the ancestor who would be displeased, is it? You're clearly in love with her. Didn't you abandon your thousand-year plan just to save Margaret, you fool?"
"I've successfully left a fragment of my soul here, yet you perceive it as abandoning my plan. Our descendant's vision is remarkably narrow."
Only then did Kaiden fall silent.
Jenath, having spoken his piece, suddenly recalled that by now Margaret would surely be with Anata.
...Would Margaret be safe?
Until now, he had lived a life indifferent to whether anyone lived or died. Whether it was the Test Subjects or his fellow mages, they were all merely fertilizer for his grand design.
Yet why was he now harboring concern for Margaret's wellbeing?
Jenath irritably ran his fingers through his hair, then quickly composed his expression upon realizing Kaiden was watching him.
"Listen, descendant. You cannot kill me. I have no intention of vacating this body willingly. Once I find the means, I will seize your body for myself."
Even if not immediately, once I recover my strength, it will be possible. Jenath was certain of it. Besides, the pendant still remained, did it not?
"You didn't choose to be here right now, did you? Falling into slumber wasn't your intention, our esteemed descendant."
At his sarcasm, Kaiden's brow furrowed. The barb had struck true.
Jenath felt inwardly relieved. The earring that controlled Kaiden was still functioning normally. As long as the soul connected to it remained alive, it would undoubtedly continue operating until Kaiden's death.
Yet I could sense that my soul's vitality had grown exceedingly faint. Without a physical body, there would be no heart or such, but the weakness was unmistakable.
He took a moment to breathe deeply, then gazed at Kaiden again and smiled with casual confidence.
"You wish to awaken? But you cannot. How could you claim your body entirely for yourself when I am here? Unless you share it with me."
Kaiden regarded Jenath with an unremarkable expression before opening his mouth calmly.
"A test of patience, then? Regardless of how many soul fragments remain, I can clearly see your current power is extremely limited."
Kaiden spread both hands and traced magical formulae. Beneath his feet, a magic circle gradually materialized, accompanied by pure white light. His eyes sharp and piercing, he fixed Jenath with a cold stare.
"Even if I cannot eliminate every fragment of your soul scattered throughout my body, each one I destroy will steadily diminish your power."
His words were true. But Jenath had no intention of passively accepting his assault.
"I'll shatter every last piece before you can even rise. Or perhaps I'll consume you entirely and absorb you completely into my body as part of myself."
"Hmm. If that happens, do we not become one person completely? You are my descendant and I your ancestor, so our blood runs the same anyway. That wouldn't be such a terrible outcome. Then why must we fight like this? Battling within here will only harm your body."
"Did you think I would let you live without any restrictions? I intend to render you incapable of recovery and bind you with contract magic, you bastard."
From the magic circle beneath Kaiden's feet, a massive whirlwind erupted. It churned violently before rapidly engulfing Jenath.
Yet it had no effect on Jenath. His body crumbled into fine particles of sand, scattering like wind toward Kaiden. The reformed figure coalesced directly before him and drove a fist straight into his face.
"Don't even think of casting magic."
Jenath pinned Kaiden's arms to prevent him from forming magical formulae, then created a magic circle beneath his legs.
"Damn it...! Let go...!"
"As I told you, our esteemed descendant. There exists no mage in this world who surpasses me."
Jenath whispered into Kaiden's ear. Just as he moved to bind him completely—
Suddenly, lightning descended from nowhere.
The lightning pierced through Kaiden's body and invaded the domain where they clashed. A sharply honed bolt of lightning crashed down upon Jenath.
For reasons unknown, the lightning affected only Jenath, leaving Kaiden's soul untouched, striking continuously at him alone.
"Ugh! What in the—!"
Already weakened from exerting himself against Kaiden with his diminished soul, the mysterious lightning assault dealt him a devastating blow. Jenath finally cried out in agony and collapsed.
Witnessing this, Kaiden's face twisted into an astonished laugh.
Something was clearly happening outside.
This lightning... I feel as though I've seen it before.
"I don't know what's happening, but this works out well. From now on, you're subordinate to me. What good is being a great mage? Your end is this pathetic."
Kaiden stomped his foot. Magic circles materialized beneath his feet and beneath the fallen, suffering Jenath.
Since it was impossible to eliminate every fragment of his soul scattered like grains of sand, the only option was to bind him within my body so he could not establish himself.
Kaiden adopted an exaggeratedly solemn expression and whispered to Jenath.
"The contract begins now. I shall ensure you suffer eternally."
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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