Chapter 47
Convergence
A cold wind of silence blew between Pasifae and Vlanca. Thick layers of smoke and dust scattered before their eyes, and they couldn’t help but stare in anxiety. The rhythm of their breaths paused as though something clogged their throats. Even the insentient Arisens appeared restless, their arms were raised over their chest as they stood like a rock.
Within the obscurity produced by the explosion, an entity with unfathomable strength slowly walked. Its footsteps created faint vibrations, followed by burning sound. Yet more than anything, the pulse of its energy sent shivers to their spine like no other. It almost felt as though the power itself had a life of its own – like a heart beating, breathing, and a walking omen of destruction.
Suddenly they smell a peculiar foul stench of burning parchment and…
Vlanca shuddered. Her eyes widened at the thought. As a demon born with sharper senses compared to humans, she could distinctly distinguish each one of the smells. Impatiently she stared ahead, unable to believe what was before her.
As the smoke began to dissipate, a silhouette of a small child stood at the center. Blue flames coiled around his body like a serpent. Traces of tears could be seen under his unblinking eyes, but they were instantly vaporized under the heat. The ice underneath his feet also evaporated.
The boy gently turned his head towards the Arisen. Not a word escaped his mouth nor was there a change in his blank expression, yet Garo, Pirro, and Servo kneeled before him. It’s as though the pulse of his mana alone had tamed the enchanted armors.
“Ar… Art… Arthur?” Vlanca stuttered, seeing that the boy hadn’t noticed that his clothes were gradually burning under the influence of his magic. His typical pale complexion had turned reddish. Some parts even turned dark with his burning flesh. The tips of his golden hair had also been incinerated. A little volume of hoots swept ahead.
Arthur slowly raised his right hand forward. Then abruptly, as a small translucent magic array appeared on his palm, a blast of scorching fire exploded. The bluish flame traveled like a laser.
Vlanca ducked in reflex even though it was far from hitting her. As she did so, a deafening explosion reverberated inside the frozen dome. The shockwave it released caused all of them, except for the boy, to slide against the floor. The sound then echoed multiple times, forcing Vlanca to cover her ears.
“The hell was that?” Duliri yelled from afar once everything calmed down. “Is someone trying to burn us alive?”
“Hush, Duliri,” Hula answered through telepathy as he hurried towards the source of the projectile. “That must be Lady Allegia. Who else would use such destructive-” He paused, the serpent staff stopping dead on its tracks.
“Hula…” His alter whispered, sensing a different signature of magic too different from the old lady. “Who’s magic is this? It’s too concentrated. It’s like it’s about to explode.”
“I don’t know…” Hesitantly, Hula proceeded. And soon enough, he came at a full stop. Arthur, whose whole body was now enveloped in flames, came into view.
Time seemed to stand still. Both Hula and Duliri felt a cold wind brushed through them, even though they were completely immune to the fluctuations of temperature. Still, they didn’t speak another word. They were completely aware of Pasifae’s fading mana and Vlanca’s presence, yet both women appeared insignificant before the miserable state of the boy.
After a long of silence, the staff turned to Pasifae. “You don’t deserve an instant death,” Hula muttered, the words coming out on their own. He lost his composure all at once. “Once Lady Allegia comes back and manages to fix this mess, just hope your corpse will still be recognizable by then.”
“Oh? Is that a threat?” Pasifae managed to retort, though it’s not one bit convincing. Her breathing was too unstable.
“What’s happening, Hula?” Duliri asked, ignoring her, as the boy began to move once again, sauntering towards the direction of the staff.
“Things escalated fast, Duliri. This is the absolute worst. The lord,” he paused darkly. “There’s a very high probability that he will die, or at least he has to.”
“Oi!” A long gasped came out. “You shouldn’t say such things-”
“Somertrom.”
“Some… Somerton?” Duliri stuttered. his voice cracking. “How is that even poss-”
“That’s unmistakably Somertrom…”
“I told you! That’s impo-”
“You should understand, Duliri,” he emphasized. “Look carefully. Do you truly think that’s the Lord?”
Indeed, the boy that slowly approached them was not the Arthur they know. Still, Duliri couldn’t watch any longer. The boy’s own magic was destroying his frail and small body. After mustering all his strength, Duliri forcefully took control of the staff and hurried forward. “Arthur!” he cried out.
“What the hell are you doing, Duliri?!”
“Hijack his body! Duh!”
“That wouldn’t work! You, dimwitted moron!” Hula exclaimed, too anxious and frustrated, as they entered the ten-meter radius range of Automatic Transfer of Consciousness. However, as he predicted, the ability didn’t activate.
The serpent staff darted back. “Why?!”
“Calm down…” Hula answered though it sounded more of a message to himself rather than his alter. “Stop being careless, Duliri. Even if the lord has this much power, he is still a child.” He then yelled, “Vlanca!”
The girl immediately looked at him, her hands and feet filled with tremors. “Master Hula?” The tears streamed across her cheeks, but she stubbornly wiped them as she spoke again, “What-” She snuffled, sniffing back the mucus inside her nose. Her lips puckered outward like a child. “What… What’s happening… What’s happening to Arthur?”
“It’s hard to explain, Vlanca,” he answered, not missing a beat. “I’ll explain later. First, you should restrain the Lord! But make sure that he neither passes out nor falls asleep. His life will depend on it!”
She took a massive breath. Despite the shock, she did her best to keep her calm. “Will he be alright?”
“Please, Vlanca, just do it. The lord is putting-”
Before he finished, the boy gave him a blank stare. As his power released a massive pulse, the duo experienced their consciousness fading for the first time since they woke up on the island. A powerful force tried to pull them towards the boy. Desperately, Hula fought the will of their Lord. They couldn’t possibly let Arthur use any powerful spell amplified with the enchanted staff, or it may lead to self-destruction.
“Hula, Duliri,” Arthur called monotonously, his voice lacking any emotion. “Come.”
The duo despaired when the words were invoked. No way would they be able to fight the Enchantment of Absolution. “Please, Vlanca, I’m counting on you!” Hula ordered for the last time. Once Arthur got a hold of the serpent staff, everything blacked out for him and Duliri.
At the same time, the Armors’ bodies began to be engulfed in blue fire as they stood up. They and the boy then turned towards Vlanca who had also picked herself up. Her eyes flamed in resolve. Suddenly, the boy sprinted towards her at a terrifying speed. He moved so fast that she barely saw him. Not a second later, he twirled the staff that was more than twice his size with ease and thrust it downward.
“Destroy… Dangerous… Too Dangerous…”
Vlanca watched everything in horror through the corners of her eyes. The boy stood before Pasifae, the staff an inch away from stabbing her heart. As she gasped, Katarina suddenly appeared beside the wretched lady and parried the attack. Daedalus also materialized out of thin air and snatched his twin’s body before retreating away.
“You shouldn’t soil your hands, honey,” the old woman said softly, pain audible in her voice. “Let granny take over.”
