262. Training (2)
#262
Asher was looking at the stars with his eyes closed.
He couldn’t tell how much time had passed. He only vaguely remembered that he had activated a magic circle to stop Adren from falling. His body was still but his mind was not.
His soul was churning thrown into a storm of stars and dust shadows. The strange colors of the nebula licked my skin and the swirling clusters of stars whispered an incomprehensible language in my ear.
‘Kwaaah…Ahh…!’
Asher screamed twisting his whole body. However his voice could not escape his mouth and only echoed in his head. He felt pain as if his brain was being squeezed out with a rag. My consciousness was sinking deep into a world I had never seen before.
『Dualu has disappeared.』
『All the soul bodies that made up the body disappeared.』
I could hear some people talking. The unbearably loud voice was being transmitted straight to my soul not my eardrums. Even if he wanted to cover his ears he couldn’t so Asher was forced to focus on their conversation.
『It can’t be. I will chase after you right away.』
『The signal does not reach. It’s impossible until the door is opened from the other side.』
Soul body? signal? I was in the midst of being confused by a series of words that were difficult to understand. For a moment my vision which had been fluctuating randomly became fixed.
Asher’s eyes widened. The star-filled darkness disappeared everywhere and the pure white earth spread out before my eyes.
‘Where is this?’
It was an unrealistic sight. There was no life to be found in the endless landscape. The ground was entirely covered with hideous white dirt and stone-colored grass.
The wind blew but no sound was heard. Every time an eerie cold wind blew the blades of grass shook all at once. Like the ground the sky with its white clouds seemed to have been spread over a large area of lime.
Occasionally whenever a flash of lightning occurred a magic circle similar to the one seen in Adren appeared and disappeared on the surface of the cloud. Suddenly Asher who was looking up at the sky froze.
‘That’s…!’
Giants resembling Douaru were walking around. At least four and as many as eight wings were flapping on their wide backs. The giants were moving around as if drifting in the white sky disappearing or coming out of the magic circle every time it appeared.
Usually people entered and left one at a time but there were times when several people entered and exited at the same time. Is that a door leading somewhere? Are we going to destroy another world like Douaru did?
Asher who had frozen was in the midst of admiring the strange sight. A giant who was flapping his wings in place opened her mouth.
『Someone is spying on us.』
『What did you say just now Ahayute?』
『Wait.』
The giant slowly turned his head and looked in Asher’s direction. His eyes widened. He must have blocked the transmission of signals to the outside but he had no idea how he detected the presence.
Of course that wasn’t what mattered now. The giant who was looking around slowly began to approach Asher. As the face with distinct features got closer Asher’s breathing became increasingly difficult.
『Somewhere around here.』
The giant’s outstretched hand was about to cover his face. Kwazijic! Suddenly my vision began to crack.
The giant sensed something was strange and made a quick snatching motion but Asher’s consciousness had already been thrown out of their area.
‘Aaaaaah!’
Asher screamed silently. The body that had escaped the realm of giants was flying at high speed.
The scenery we had passed so far was being played in reverse. As I was crossing the countless star clusters a familiar voice rang in my ears.
“Yumma! Asher!”
“Hyaaaah!”
Asher opened his eyes. The early morning air that rushed into his lungs was cold. Because of the blood in his eyes the whole world seemed red.
Only after he squeezed his eyes shut and squeezed out the blood was he able to properly look at his surroundings. The sky above his head was embroidered with familiar orbs. Asher who was looking around in confusion turned his gaze to the person holding his shoulder.
“…Ronan?”
“Are you out of your mind you bastard? ok?”
Ronan said. It felt like it had been a very long time since we had seen each other. People including Orsay Naransonia were surrounding him. Instead of answering Asher slowly reached out and touched Ronan’s ear.
The soft but slightly hard feel of the cartilage told me that this was reality. He opened his mouth as Asher remembered what he had been doing.
“Adren…?”
“What are you talking about? You did it man.”
Ronan stretched out her index finger and pointed into the skies above Adren. A magic circle so wide that she could not see it with just one glance covered the sky.
Inside a huge chain that looked like it could restrain Navard Island was extending out in four directions. The chains made of a mixture of telekinesis and sparkling mana were visible only to Ronan and Asher.
The hook attached to the end of the chain was firmly embedded in the ground of Adren preventing it from falling. The night sky was no longer distant. The feeling of being oppressed by the world had also disappeared. Asher lightly exclaimed.
“ah….”
If I had pushed a little harder my spirit would have been destroyed but it seemed like I succeeded just in the nick of time. Asher who was quietly watching the scene smiled brightly.
“…Ehehe.”
As always it was a flawless smile. Ronan did not bother to ask Asher what on earth she had done. Above his slender shoulders the sparkling mana unique to Nebula Clage was blooming like a haze.
After listening to Naransonia’s explanation he was able to know that Asher had drawn the power of the bald men. Even the Dragon King could not handle it and the magnificent power that had been delivered to him over several days came all at once. With just one thought: to prevent Adren from falling.
There was only one thing Ronan could say to such a person.
“Crazy guy. “You really are a crazy person.”
“Ugh I’m dizzy….”
Ronan ruffled Asher’s hair. Asher followed the gesture shaking his head and letting out a weak laugh. The people around me who were dumbfounded started talking in earnest.
【I can’t believe it. That person did it alone?】
【The ritual that His Majesty performed….】
【I’ve seen countless geniuses but this is the first time I’ve seen something like this.】
Even dragons who had lived for at least hundreds of years were astonished. I’ve never seen or heard anything like this. An individual can stop an island falling from the sky. It was doubtful whether even Lorhorn known as the Supreme Archmage could do something like this.
“Now I just have to deal with those.”
Ronan raised his gaze to the sky again and clicked her tongue. The crazy giants of light were running wild like a swarm of locusts. Still if we all worked together something would work out.
【I was purely amazed. wizard.】
“Master Orsay….”
At that time Orsay walked forward cutting through the crowd. Although he looked tired in the aftermath of the battle he still had an arrogant and imposing presence. There was literal reverence in his eyes as he looked at Asher.
【Even if I burn the empire I will spare you. As long as you don’t disturb me.】
“Burning it on fire…that’s…kayuk!”
Asher was about to answer something. His body heaved and blood spurted from his mouth. Shocked people gathered around.
“Asher. “Yumma.”
【what. Why are you doing that?】
Ronan supported his staggering body and hugged him. Even Orsay’s dull face was filled with embarrassment. Asher stammered spitting out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth.
“Huh…as expected…I guess it was a little lacking.”
“Not enough?”
“Yes… I should have put it in orbit even if it was too much trouble… but if it continues like this it will crash again…”
“…crash?”
Ronan frowned after hearing Asher’s words. At that moment Adren who had been standing still shook as if there had been an earthquake.
Rumbling… The people were confused again by the vibration that felt like a wild beast growling. When I raised my head I saw a chain and a magic circle blinking as if they would disappear at any moment.
“We have to…stop it.”
Asher stood up unsteadily. He started walking toward the center of the magic circle leaving Ronan and Orsay behind. Ronan urgently grabbed his arm.
“Why don’t you stop right now? “Do you want to die?”
“It’s okay…it’ll be okay as long as we get it on track. Just a little more…”
“Do you think your body can handle it just a little longer?”
Ronan’s hands tightened. There were levels of reckless behavior. Common sense tells us that there was no way a human would be fine after receiving the power of the bald heads.
Even the Dragon King couldn’t handle the force and ran away and had an accident. How much longer would Asher who is smaller than his claws be able to hold out? This was a different issue from talent. Orsay nodded his head in agreement.
【Don’t overdo it wizard. You have already done enough.】
“Get on quickly. “Thanks to you buying me time I will be able to save more.”
Ronan could never bear to see his friend commit suicide. I’d rather let this city crash. Asher who was quietly looking at him muttered softly.
“…Forgive me.”
“what?”
It was the moment when Ronan tilted his head. Kwaaaaang! Suddenly an invisible shock wave exploded around Asher.
“Ugh!”
【what…!】
It was an incredible power. Ronan and Orsay as well as the dragons surrounding them all flew out into the distance. bang! Ronan stopped only after hitting his back against the exterior wall of a building.
“This bastard has no blood on his head!”
Ronan jumped upright. It wasn’t that difficult to guess Asher’s intentions. He immediately drew his sword and tried to pull Asher with his auror but his figure was already covered by a shield made of ice.
“You can’t stop right now!”
The mana-reinforced thighs swelled as if they were about to explode. bang! bang! bang! Ronan who reached the magic circle with just three leaps scattered sword strikes. The ice which never melts or breaks shatters and collapses.
“Asher!!”
Ronan shouted. Asher was already sitting in the center of the magic circle cross-legged. Ronan’s eyes widened as he approached him. A shimmering curtain of bizarre colors covered Asher in a hemispherical shape.
“What the fuck….”
His mind turned completely white. Although he was weak he was undoubtedly the blessing of the stars. A power that no one can use even within Nebula Clage.
I had no idea what kind of experience I had to be able to write this. If it weren’t for Ronan he wouldn’t have been able to even break through. I could feel Asher’s will to resolve this matter.
“Let’s go back.”
However if he lost his life everything would be in vain so Ronan swung his sword without hesitation. Suddenly! With a belated sound of destruction the star’s protection collapsed. He was the one reaching out to Asher. Asher turned his head and met Ronan’s gaze.
“…Ronan. “Let me finish.”
