Just a few seconds ago,
As Aether struggled to evade their relentless assault, he noticed the woman supporting magic gradually faltering, her strength drained from the constant output of spells…. Slowly, she collapsed to the ground, leaving the others in shock.
“NO!!” They shouted in fear.
“I didn’t do anything but…. Four Down~” Aether remarked, observing their dwindling numbers with a wry smile, while Blake’s expression turned mortified.
“Finish him now!!”
In a fit of rage, one of Blake’s members hurled their axe at Aether, who simply giggled before effortlessly dodging the attack.
Aether then leapt onto the person he had previously struck in the gut, following up with a punch to the nose and gripping his neck. Just as he prepared to deliver another punch to render him unconscious—
“PUfff!!”
Aether coughed up blood, looking down to see a knife penetrating his stomach from his back…. Glancing back, he spotted the supposedly unconscious woman behind him, piercing his back with a knife.
“Caught you~ Pretty Boy~” she whispered in a seductive tone, her voice dripping with sadistic pleasure as she twisted the knife, causing fresh waves of pain to surge through Aether’s body, each stab feeling like Hell’s own torment. Aether’s lips twitched in agony.
“Arrhh”
‘Thud’
With a heavy thud, Aether threw the man he was holding aside. As he reached out to apprehend the woman, another blade found its mark in Aether’s stomach… this time wielded by Blake himself.
“Cough, Cough.” Aether struggled to maintain his composure amidst the escalating pain, yet he managed to seize the woman and slam her onto the ground. The strength in his body began to wane, and he felt the ominous spectre of unconsciousness looming ever closer. Still, he maintained his grip on her neck, her gasps for breath a desperate symphony in the chaos.
“Arrh- baataaa–arrdddd W-Why don’t you just-aarrhh- die already-!!!!” The woman’s voice cracked with rage and frustration as she attempted to strike at Aether’s wound, her blows landing with a sickening thud.
“Arrh.” Aether’s groans echoed in the air, his gaze meeting hers as she smirked in cruel satisfaction.
“Le-Let me go-aarrhh… Motherfucker… cough… or…” The woman’s voice faltered as she grabbed Aether’s wounded abdomen, her grip tightening in a feeble attempt at defiance.
“!!!” Aether bit down hard on his lip, refusing to give her the satisfaction of hearing his cries of pain, even as he tightened his hold on her neck, his fingers digging into her flesh with a desperate intensity.
“This is what will happen if you try to play with us, brat!” Blake’s voice cut through the chaos, his haughty smile belying the danger of the situation as he stood before Aether, poised to deliver the final, fatal blow.
“Drip, Drip”
Blood dripped from Aether’s lips and also from his stomach. He knew increasing his agility might help him escape, but this could potentially cause more blood loss and fainting at any moment, a risk he couldn’t afford to take.
“Y-Your Majesty?” Velc’s face turned pale; he could not have Aether die now.
However, the Empress didn’t respond to anything as she keenly observed everything. The Archpriestess glanced at her followers, who nodded in understanding. The followers readied themselves for any movement.
Aether peered down at the woman with hazy eyes, his grip slowly loosening as a plan formed in his mind.
“Increase…. Charm by 2,” he whispered.
[+2 Charm]
[Charm: 13↑]
“!!!” The woman’s eyes widened in surprise and confusion as she found herself face to face with a remarkably handsome man, his presence strangely captivating. Aether’s blood dripped onto her lips, sending a shiver down her spine and igniting an inexplicable warmth within her.
In that fleeting moment, something stirred deep within her, a primal instinct to protect this enigmatic man at any cost. And so…. when Blake poised to strike Aether down, her body moved of its own accord, instinctively interposing itself between them.
‘Sclkkkk’
‘Thud’
Her head tumbled to the ground, a macabre testament to her sacrifice.
“….” Blake’s expression twisted into one of horror and disbelief, mirroring the shock etched on the faces of all who bore witness to the grisly scene.
“What the hell just happened?” the Princess exclaimed, her voice tinged with confusion and disbelief.
Even the Empress and Archpriestess furrowed their brows in bewilderment, struggling to comprehend the sudden turn of events that had led to the woman’s selfless act.
Aether casually pushed the headless body aside, his gaze locking with Blake’s stunned gaze.
“You not only abandoned your team but were also prepared to take a life… ah,” Aether’s voice carried a note of pity, though it fell on deaf ears as Blake remained frozen in shock.
‘Oh well…’ Aether shrugged nonchalantly, inwardly marvelling at the unexpected power of his charm. He had never anticipated that it would elicit such a profound and unforeseen reaction from the woman…. He… He had just assumed she would plead for mercy, not sacrifice herself in his stead.
Charm was truly dangerous!!!
Aether made a mental note to tread more cautiously in the future, even as he surveyed his surroundings with detached calm. Despite the blood loss and mounting exhaustion, he felt an odd sense of detachment…. he wondered why.
“Well… Let’s finish this… Before I pass out,” Aether remarked, his tone oddly serene as he focused on stemming the flow of blood from his wounds.
“Put everything in Magic”
[+10 Magic Affinity]
[Magic Affinity: 20↑]
[Remaining AP: 06423]
[Error]
[Limit reached according to the Level]
Aether took a deep breath, feeling the raw power surging through his veins as he channelled all his energy into his magic. He glanced at Blake, who still wore a shocked expression, his gaze fixed on the head of the woman who had sacrificed herself.
“Well, That’s Karma for you…” Aether remarked, shaking his head at the twisted turn of events.
“W…” Blake stammered, his voice trembling with a mixture of shock and rage.
“What?”
“W-WHY?!!! Why is this happening to us!! All we did was what we were supposed to do!!” Blake’s voice cracked with pain as he descended into a rant, his words tinged with desperation and confusion.
Aether regarded Blake with a steady gaze, his expression unreadable yet tinged with a hint of pity. Despite the chaos, there was a cold certainty in Aether’s demeanour. There was no way in hell he would feel wrong now after he went through hell!!
“It must be because of you!!” Blake suddenly accused, his gaze filled with a mix of anger and desperation as he pointed an accusatory finger at Aether.
“Hmm?” Aether tilted his head.
“Yes, It must be you!!! Ever since I met you, everything went to hell… First, I lost my wife,” Blake’s voice cracked with emotion, his pain laid bare for all to see.
“That’s because of your cowardice,” Aether retorted bluntly, his words cutting through Blake’s accusations.
“STOP!! Damn It!! You are the one who is responsible for my wife’s death!” Blake’s accusation turned into a shout, his voice echoing with raw anguish.
“What the hell?” Aether’s disbelief was palpable. He couldn’t fathom how Blake was shifting blame onto him. Aether was clearly saving his ass for all the problems he was going through.
“A-And now… My S-Second W-Wife also d-died now…. ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!” Blake’s voice cracked with grief and rage, his sword trembling in his grasp as he advanced menacingly toward Aether.
“… Second wife?” Aether’s confusion briefly flickered across his face before he composed himself, his gaze hardening with resolve.
He extended his hand in a gesture reminiscent of a gun and spoke in a chillingly emotionless tone, “This is for me, enduring the suffering you’ve caused… and for Stella, for the tears she shed that day.”
‘ouch’ A pang of guilt shot through the Archpriestess’s heart at the mention of Stella’s name.
‘srhh’
A small flame appeared on Aether’s fingertip, its intensity growing while shrinking as it transformed from a gentle yellow to a blazing blue hue, a manifestation of his heightened magical prowess. His hair seemed to dance with the flickering flames, an aura of power surrounding him.
Blake lunged forward, his sword aimed to cleave Aether in half, but Aether’s eyes glinted with indifference,
“Bang!” Aether winked playfully, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“BOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!”
‘SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH’
A humongous yellow mushroom appeared in the dark sky.