Chapter 153: Chapter 117: Reversed Sea (1)

༺ Reversed Sea (1) ༻

Her mind felt foggy.

She had been feeling this way since a while ago, but now, it had become much worse.

“…”

Riru looked at her own trembling hands.

She felt the desire to kill that fucking bitch and grind her to dust as soon as possible.

The overwhelming power boiling inside her convinced her that she was strong enough to do that.

‘…No.’

Then, she realized that the bitch wasn’t the only problem.

All the annoying and infuriating things that had happened recently came to her mind, one after another.

And she wished nothing but to crush them all with this strength she possessed.

“…”

Faintly, she was aware that there was something wrong with her, but even that feeling was overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions that shook her entire consciousness.

Irrational anger. An unreasonable urge to destroy.

-Hello, Riru.

And then, in such a state, a familiar voice echoed in her ears.

Familiar was truly the only real way to describe it. After all, it was ‘her own’ voice.

“…”

Riru stared blankly in the direction of that voice, with unfocused eyes,

‘Who is this?’

‘Why is she taking on my form?’

-This method of conversation… How should I put it? Among the Vessels who possess one Fragment, you are the only one who can converse like this. In the others’ case, even if they want to, the gap in their ‘status’ is too wide, they simply can’t do it. I guess there is a benefit of being a weakling, after all.

‘…Fragments? Vessels?’

She couldn’t understand anything.

As these thoughts floated vaguely in her mind, the other party continued speaking.

-If it was up to me, I actually want to help you, but… I already made a contract, so I can’t. We all are bound by contracts, after all.

The voice continued as it kept on spouting incomprehensible words while giggling.

“…You. Who are you?”

-I am your feminine side. It’s been a while since we’ve talked, hasn’t it?

“…”

-Just kidding. Hihi.

The voice, which laughed lazily, soon spoke again.

This time, its tone was far more serious than before.

-You’ll find out soon enough, but… I really can’t tell you now. Those Heretic Inquisition bastards are nearby, I can smell them. It’ll be better for both of us to not unnecessarily get involved with them, you know?

“…If you’re only here to spout nonsense, then you should get lost you fucking ghost… Or whatever you are…”

-Oh my. If you could respond like that, it means quite a bit of your consciousness has returned.

The unidentifiable ‘something’ that took her form now touched Riru’s forehead.

Then…

Suddenly, her consciousness became clear.

The wrath clouding her mind dissipated in an instant.

-Well, I can tell you this much, at least…

As Riru stood there, dumbfounded, the other party spoke again.

-I’ll see you in a few days, Riru.

“…What?”

-By then, there’s something fun we can do ‘together’. Understand what I mean?

Though she couldn’t understand a single word the being uttered…

She felt drawn in.

Riru didn’t know why she felt that way, but the sensation that she felt was clear.

At the same time, the blue aura emanating from her body disappeared all at once.

“Huh? Woah!”

As soon as the blue aura vanished, she lost the ability to stand on the sea and plunged into the water.

Fortunately for her, she was able to swim, so she was able to easily float to the surface. But…

“What the. What am I doing—”

Before she could finish her words.

She saw Dowd Campbell clinging tightly to her body.

“…”

“…”

‘What the hell is this?’

‘Since when had he been there?’

His eyes were closed, it seemed like he was unconscious.

Looking around, she saw pieces of flesh and blood scattered everywhere.

“…”

‘How did I get in this situation?’

As she tried to follow up such thoughts…

Dowd, who had been lying motionless, moved and hugged her tightly.

“…!”

Startled, she turned to look at him.

“If you regained consciousness, then, get off—!”

In response, she immediately spoke in an irate voice. The blue aura that had disappeared earlier started to seep from her body once again.

She refused to be played like a fiddle by this man ever again. Though she didn’t know what he would say, if she heard him making another weird excuse, she might actually—

“I’m sorry.”

But, the low tone that came out of his mouth made her freeze.

She immediately realized that he was different from usual.

Normally, he never showed his true feelings. Anyone with a sense of awareness would know that he always had ulterior motives hidden away deep inside.

However, right now…

He desperately tried to convey his sincerity to her,

So, Riru gave up on retorting, awkwardly wiped her nose and responded to him, as she had no other choice but to do that,

“…What’s with you all of a sudden?”

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

The apology came out of nowhere, but…

It dug into her heart deeply.

“…”

Although Riru was someone who had always preferred a direct manner of speech, strangely, the first thought that came to her mind was, ‘Do you even know why I’m angry?’.

Even though she spent countless times thinking she couldn’t understand women who talked like that while in a relationship…

Just because of a desire for this man to ‘take care of her’ a bit more, she became one of those very women.

“I’m sorry.”

However…

Before she could utter such words, another sincere apology came her way.

“I never imagined I would be so important to you.”

Again, something dug into her heart.

Her face turned even redder than before.

Normally, she’d send a retort, saying that she hated a bastard like him, but the conviction in his voice made her tongue freeze.

It was as if he had ‘seen’ something and ‘came back’ from somewhere, carrying a new resolve from such information.

And even Riru herself…

If asked to deny it now, she wasn’t sure she could strongly refute it either.

“I apologize.”

“…”

In a sense, he was just playing innocent again.

She had already been played like a fiddle quite a few times by this man. Sure, there were things that made her feel thankful for him, but there were more things she wanted to confront him for.

That was why…

She had to get angry at him.

But…

“I’m sorry for ignoring those feelings. I’m sorry for using you like this. I’m really, really sorry for making you go through such a hard time.”

Watching him hug her and apologize about all the guilt and wrongdoings he had committed, as if he was confessing his sin…

She just couldn’t do it.

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

Her heart felt itchy.

She hadn’t realized how embarrassing it would be for this man to confide in her so sincerely.

“…You know.”

After a long silence, she finally murmured.

“Are we really just going to be friends?”

Looking back, maybe that was why she got so mad at him.

Over that one sentence.

“…”

It really was strange.

She couldn’t quite understand her own feelings.  

“If that’s what you want.”

“…”

Of course she didn’t want that.

Rather, she wanted something a bit more.

A bit closer…

“…Forget it. Just shut up.”

However, she didn’t have the courage to say such things at the moment.

But…

“Hug me tighter.”

She could at least ask for that much.

“…Excuse me?”

“I said if you’re sorry, hug me tighter.”

“…”

Dowd, looking perplexed, tightened his arms around her.

His body pressed even more closely against her.

“…More.”

“…”

“…Just a little more.”

Riru closed her eyes and buried her forehead in Dowd’s chest, wrapping her arms around his back.

In that state…

She could feel this man.

She could hear his heartbeat, his breath…

“…”

Her entire body relaxed.

She didn’t know how to describe the feeling.

But, it felt incredibly reassuring.

“Thanks.”

Riru stuttered the word out.

“…I saw something really shitty. So I needed some reassurance.”

“…”

At Riru’s words, Dowd’s gaze shifted slightly.

Alan’s body was floating on the sea. And the ‘body’ of the Garda clan was attached to it.

Riru’s body trembled slightly.

As if she was scared, having seen something she never wanted to see.

“…”

Dowd closed his eyes for a moment and let out a sigh.

“Riru.”

“Yeah.”

“The bastards who did that will pay.”

“…”

“I will make that happen.”

And Dowd’s eyes while speaking as such…

“And I, from this moment onwards…”

Were fixed on the giant sinkhole being recreated in the nearby sea.

Phase two. The true form of the Reversed Sea.

The ‘God Kings’ worshiped by Tatiana. The most powerful beings that woman could summon.

“Will prove that I have the ‘ability’ to face that bastard.”

With those words…

A ‘marine creature’, so gigantic it seemed it would tear apart heaven and earth, finally revealed its enormous form from beneath the sea.

“ElkiaaaaAAAK-!”

“…”

Sitting on the cliff, Kasa, with narrowed eyes, tapped her pipe on the ground.

Yes. While she did expect someone to arrive around this time…

She didn’t realize they would appear with such a fuss.

The old woman turned to look at the person who emerged from behind her, still with her eyes narrowed.

‘…I see that this child has unbelievable talent.’

Kasa thought so as she watched the orange-haired girl with tearful eyes charged towards her.

Behind her, she was followed by a stumpy girl leaking white aura behind her like a ghost.

“I keep telling you the one who caused trouble is Teach, but why are you doing this to me-!”

“However, Miss Iliya. You definitely seem to know where Mr. Dowd is. You seem to be hiding it from me. Maybe if I torment you a bit, you’ll tell me.”

“I don’t know anything, even if you interrogate me in that weird tone—!”

“…”

“KYAAAAAAK-!”

After Iliya narrowly dodged a white slash flying at her with terrifying speed, Yuria kicked off the ground and leaped to the space beside her.

It was a movement that was close to teleportation, but…

Iliya ‘reacted’ to that speed too.

She twisted her entire body to avoid the slash and used the centrifugal force to knock away the black-haired girl who was charging at her with a scabbard.

“Ooooh.”

While spectating, Kasa involuntarily let out a sigh of admiration at her efficient movements.

Her instantaneous adaptability and sense were already way beyond a student’s level.

Just seeing how the black-haired girl, who charged so fiercely, was effortlessly thrown off more than proved this fact.

The distance she was being thrown was considerable;The girl flew over Kasa’s position and even over the coastal cliff.

“…”

She probably wouldn’t die.

That girl didn’t seem like an ordinary girl, so she should be fine even after falling off that cliff.

In the first place, when considering what that guy Dowd said, her flying off the cliff was probably the… What was it again…

‘Plan’. Right.

Rather than the one who fell off the cliff, the girl in front of her seemed far closer to dying.

“Huff! Heuak! Ahaaaahk…! Teach…I won’t…listen…to you…ever aga…ahhhh…”

“…”

“B-By the way, who are you?”

“…Have you caught your breath?”

Kasa chuckled at Iliya, who spoke as if she was a foot away from death.

“You can say that I’m the master of the person you call ‘Teach.’”

“…”

Iliya looked at Kasa with an unpleasant gaze.

Was that really something she would show such a reaction to? Kasa thought as such, cocking her head.

“…Can that person even cover such an age difference? Exactly how broad is his striking range…”

“…Stop talking nonsense. Come and sit next to me.”

Kasa grabbed her aching head with her remaining arm.

“You’re the Hero Candidate, aren’t you? Then you can’t miss what’s about to happen.”

Iliya’s eyes widened.

“Do you know me?”

“Somewhat.”

Kasa put the pipe back in her mouth.

Tobacco was always her good companion.

And if there was such an interesting spectacle, it was even more so.

Her gaze rested on the coast, where a gigantic monster was emerging from beneath the sea.

It was near where Dowd and Riru were located.

Not just one, but three in total.

It seemed like an impossible battle.

“…Ancient Gods from another dimension are monsters that require the power of an entire nation to even consider fighting.”

He was definitely covered in all kinds of wondrous abilities, but…

No single human could face them.

However…

Her gaze wasn’t on the ancient monsters emerging from the sea. No, instead…

“Watch carefully, Future Hero. This will surely help you reach that realm.”

Her focus remained…

“From now on, you shall witness a human fighting and defeating the impossible.”

On a single man, who was charging alone towards such an insurmountable foe.

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