Volume 14 - CH 7

Chapter 7: Opposites

Location: Atlantis Time: 1:19 PM

I suddenly thought about whether (pretending to) recognize him as a relative would work…

“Yang Yang! Look out!” Chifuyu’s voice leaped in, and then I felt myself being thrown aside. The crisp sound of weapons colliding dispersed right before my eyes, humming in a way that made my ears ring.

As soon as the sparks died out, Ryan, who blocked the attack, swung his hand, and a crack appeared in the middle of one of his Illusionary dual knives, before it abruptly disappeared in his hand.

“It can actually break an Illusionary Weapon with an ordinary weapon.” Staring at the zombie king in front, Ryan once again took out a new Illusionary soybean, turning it into dual knife of another color.

“Is it okay if the Illusionary Weapon is broken?” I looked at Chifuyu beside me who was pulling me back.

“It’s fine, just can’t be used for a few days. It’ll be fixed afterwards.” Alertly watching the zombie king in front of us, Chifuyu continued to pull me back, until my back hit something hard behind me.

Turning my head, I saw a stone Kṣitigarbha statue on the ground.

Wait a minute, I remember this was—

“Get down!” Turning my hand and grabbing Chifuyu’s, I first knocked him down to the side without thinking.

Before Chifuyu had time to climb up, a huge boom thumped next to us, and I saw that a large rock had crashed five centimeters away from my head. I immediately felt my hair standing up.

Without turning his head, Chifuyu suddenly swung his hand, and a shiny object leaped out of his palm, heading straight for the thing that attacked us.

With a bang, that thing took two steps back.

Swiftly flipping himself up, Chifuyu directly confronted that huge stone Kṣitigarbha statue.

“Chifuyu, that Kṣitigarbha…”

“I’ll handle it, go to Miao Miao!” Directly flinging out a wind-charm-turned knife with a heroic spirit, Chifuyu glared straight at the ancient stone statue before him.

“It’s not that, I wanted to tell you—”

“Hurry and go!” Giving me a push, before the stone statue could attack a second time, Chifuyu brandished the wind knife and a surging air current directly swept toward the stone statue.

I suddenly felt like I was caught in a difficult position.

Why won’t you let me finish speaking, you guys!?

Taking two steps back, just when I was about to try telling Chifuyu a terrifying fact again, a huge bang came from both sides at the same time. Ryan and Chifuyu, who were each facing one person, simultaneously took out the same wind-charm weapon. The rushing wind cut deep marks on the ground, the cracks ending in front of the zombie king and stone statue, without hurting them at all.

“Yang Yang, come over here.” Miao Miao stood at the exit waving hard at me and even striking a big summoning pose, as if I was blind and didn’t see her.

“Wait!” I shouted at Miao Miao. The sound of them fighting as a group was too loud. I couldn’t hear the latter bit of the words Miao Miao spoke to me; she was probably telling me to hurry over there and the like too.

Miao Miao jumped up and down in the same spot to show me.

Of course I knew that continuing to stay would be very dangerous, but that Kṣitigarbha was clearly…

While I was hesitating, Chifuyu had already used the wind charm’s defining feature to throw himself up into the air. Due to its slightly cumbersome bulk, the stone statue on the ground was temporarily unable to react to the agile person’s speed in time, and before my eyes, the wind knife was about to directly chop down on the Kṣitigarbha‘s head—

“Chifuyu, don’t! That’s senior Gasai!”

In the midst of an urgent situation, I couldn’t bother with the haunted house rule that you can’t just expose someone anymore, and loudly shouted.

Chifuyu, who had leaped into midair, was visibly stunned. The knife was held high up in the air without moving.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Kṣitigarbha statue suddenly struck his feet with a punch, knocking Chifuyu away.

Probably a reflexive movement, at the same time he was attacked and thrown back by the stone statue, Chifuyu abruptly tossed the knife in his hand, firing it toward the Kṣitigarbha‘s face.

After throwing it, he became muddleheaded too, “Get out of the way—”

The Kṣitigarbha statue stood in the same place. Whether because it couldn’t dodge or something, it didn’t move at all.

Sometimes, it’s easy to die fast if you poke your nose into things.

The me from that day, who knows whether it was because my mind cramped up or something; at any rate, by the time I realized it myself, it was already when everyone was screaming.

A sharp pain ran through my back.

In my mind was emptiness on top of emptiness, followed by colorful flowers spinning around.

Aih aih…It’s finally my turn to die…

I suddenly felt so touched by myself for holding on for so long without dying after entering the school…

But being stabbed by a knife really, hurts, so, much!

If I can choose, I wish to have a more pleasant way of dying next time.

Thanks.

I had a strange dream.

That’s how I should say it, right? Ever since coming here, who knows how many times I’ve had this type of weird dream. When I have time, I should organize the numbers a little.

In my dream, I saw Yǔ lǐ waving at me.

He was standing on a dark-green grassland that had nothing there at all. The entire thing was a green color dark enough to seem like it could engulf you, which caused me to suddenly have an uneasy weird feeling when I stepped on it.

Upon seeing me stay in the same spot, Yǔ lǐ came over himself. Clamped in his hand was a thick black leather book, with a couple of words that I couldn’t read gilded on it.

[You have to go look for this book.] With a tone that still wasn’t too intimate, he stood beside me and opened that book.

Just by looking, I felt that the book came from a specific era. The paper was the type of parchment and whatnot that you can only see on TV. Slightly thick, there was a diagram on the top of the first page, and on the diagram was a scene.

A battlelike scene, with a lot of people and a lot of blood.

[My ability is limited, I can’t stay for long. You have to remember this, don’t get it wrong.] Yǔ lǐ held that book and once again told me seriously.

I wanted to talk to him for a while, but before I had time to open my mouth, Yǔ lǐ suddenly ran back.

That dark-green grassland instantly shattered before my eyes like glass, swallowing up Yǔ lǐ‘s back view all at once.

With a start, I abruptly opened my eyes.

A completely white ceiling was reflected into my eyes.

“He’s awake!”

Before I could react to what happened just now, someone nearby immediately shouted: “Chu kiddo, do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere right now?”

Blackness covered my line of sight all of a sudden, and I froze for a moment, before I saw the black cactus’ signature glasses and his damn bangs drooping over my face.

“Uh…Wha, what do you mean ‘uncomfortable’ ?” I had no idea what he was saying. My mind suddenly felt foggy, drowsy as if I’d just woken up.

The black cactus turned his head to the back, and I saw that white ceiling from just now again. He pushed his glasses and his eyes were probably on me: “Did you forget? You were cut by the wind charm blade in the haunted house. Because the whole thing went through your body, you’re already lucky you didn’t get torn to shreds by the wind on the spot.”

“Wind, wind charm…”

Once he said that, the brain inside my head suddenly woke up slowly.

Oh right, I think I ran to block Chifuyu’s knife, but I don’t seem to remember any of what happened afterwards.

It feels like it should have been quite painful, but only for a second. Even that instant didn’t felt very real.

…Did I really get cut?

Then why didn’t my grandma meet me this time!?

“If you want to meet her so badly, I can help you.” An icy tone came from behind the black cactus. So frigid, I was chilled till I had a shivering sensation.

The black cactus moved aside, and I finally saw how the whole place looked. It was an empty classroom, probably one that wasn’t being used by any class. A couple of things were piled at the side. It was probably used as a storage and resting place.

I was lying on a couple of tables pushed together. There was even a cushion beneath me, cottony and loose; it was very comfortable, practically the same as lying on bed.

“This is our class’ resting area.” The only living person in the classroom besides the black cactus was Senior. He was already no longer wearing that set of armor. All that was left was black Chinese-style battle attire, and black hair tied into a ponytail behind his head. He sat not far from me and shot me a glare.

“Oh, oh…What about the others?” I got up and noticed that my back still felt a bit hot. There was a feeling of being unable to muster any strength.

“Chu kiddo, you should lie back down first. You still need to wait a while at least for the wound to heal. After all, the cut made by the wind charm also carried some incantations. You’ll have to wait a bit.” The black cactus smacked down on my shoulders and smacked me right back to my original position lying down.

The wound still hasn’t healed? But I don’t feel any pain, except for a bit of heat and weakness…

“The wound has anesthetic, of course it wouldn’t hurt.” Senior directly cut off my thoughts irritatedly. He stood up and walked to the side, causing me to feel like I was becoming pork on a chopping board, “Don’t think any more nonsense! You think I wouldn’t beat you up if you’re hurt!?”

I know that you will still beat me up if I’m hurt…I’m sorry, please pretend you didn’t hear it.

“…What about the others?” Glancing around the classroom, there really wasn’t anyone else. I repeated my question from just now.

It can’t be that they actually did abandon me here, right?

“They were too loud just now. I drove them all out.” Senior took a beverage can, stuck a straw in it and handed it to me: “Gasai said that the Winter City show is about to start soon and brought them all there.”

“Eh? Aren’t you guys still at the haunted house?” You can run around as you please?

“Gasai and my shift lasts until two o’clock.”

So that’s the case.

“That Winter City show seems to have started a while ago. You two aren’t planning to see it?” The black cactus glanced at his watch.

I immediately looked at my watch. It was already past two.

“What’s there to see?” Senior coldly snorted.

You don’t want to see it, but I really want to see it—

I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time…

“So annoying!” Clearly mental noise is very effective. Senior glared at me viciously, and turned to look at the black cactus: “Would there be any problems if I bring him out now?”

“No problems, the wound should have healed more or less. Just be careful not to crash or knock into anything.” It felt like he had other intentions, the way he stared at Senior while saying this. The black cactus cheerily smiled.

What’s with that “crash or knock into anything”!?

Before I could ask, Senior suddenly came over and pulled me up from the bed: “So wordy! Hurry up and get ready; we’re going right away.”

When I was pulled up like this, I realized that I seemed to have recovered a bit of my strength and could exert some force.

“This is a highly-effective, must-have restorative for postpartum and major injuries. You can drink a little to make moving easier.” The black cactus took out a small can from who-knows-where that was so strange, it caused the surrounding air to distort.

Can that really be drank? And what’s with that word “postpartum” in front!?

“I suggest you not drink it. That thing is still being tested.” Senior used a contemptuous gaze to look at that beverage can and even gave me a kindhearted suggestion.

“Then I don’t want to drink, thank you.” Declined in one second.

“Tut!” The black cactus let out a very regretful sound.

Otherwise, were you trying to trick me into drinking it just now? Just what would happen if I drink it?

I suddenly had the misconception that I’d just walked around the gates of hell…except it might not be a misconception!

“Just finish drinking that one.” Pointing to the beverage can he gave me before, Senior said this.

Immediately taking that beverage and drinking it, it was only then that I realized what Senior had given me just now was actually the Elven drink. Has this thing already evolved into having canned productions now!? This is an advancement in technology that makes one sigh in wonder.

” ‘Sigh’ your head, that was processed and put into this. There’s no way this sort of thing would exist normally!” Senior glanced at me, snorting, causing me to dare not ask why it was specifically processed and put into this can.

After quickly finishing the drink, another big chunk of my strength was restored. I jumped off the temporary table-bed and put on my shoes, my clothes also sorted out. I eagerly looked at Senior.

I want to see Winter City, I want to see Winter City—

“Ah, so annoying, you don’t have to repeat the same words so many times.” Disregarding the curious look the black cactus threw over, Senior directly smacked the back of my head, and at the same time, a teleportation array appeared beneath our feet.

“Aih! I told you not to crash or knock into anything!”

Before we teleported, I heard the black cactus’ gradually fading sentence.

In the end, Senior, you simply didn’t take other people’s words to heart!

“So long-winded!”

It didn’t take long before the surrounding scenery was replaced by another.

We stopped in front of a huge building. I’ve never seen that building before. When did the school have this thing?

It was a miniature white city wall, just like the image in the invitation, except that this one didn’t have any people. The air around us also seems to have paused with this expanse of white.

I looked at the white wall and was surprised to find that there were also lightly-carved flowers on it.

An attendant-like woman standing outside the wall’s entrance walked over. She even wore a draped gown, which felt like the style of the Middle Ages, simple but with beautiful knitted flowers.

“Excuse me, we’ve already begun the show and prohibited general audience admission. May I ask if the two of you have invitations?” The beautiful female schoolmate asked and her tone was quite polite.

Prohibited general student admission…I suddenly felt sad. Looks like heaven wants to ruin me today…

“Yes.” Pulling out two invitations right out of thin air and handing them to her, Senior gave me a glance.

“Then come this way please.” Taking the invitations with a smile, the female schoolmate led us to another door.

Senior, why do you have two? Isn’t it one per person?

I suddenly remembered what I saw in the Black Dorm.

“Someone had extra so they gave me.” Not clearing up where they came from, Senior offhandedly gave me seven words.

…Thank you so much for your explanation.

As soon as we stepped through that door, the surrounding scene immediately changed. This I know; we probably went through some kind of transfer array again. A few seconds later, the space before our eyes abruptly expanded, and a booming noise broke the silence.

Appearing in front of us was an amphitheater similar to what I’ve seen in books before. However, this theater was gigantic, sloping down to the lowest point, where they were currently performing. All around it were seats. The entire theater was already packed. There were even a couple of people who didn’t have seats standing in the back, crowding to watch.

“Over here are the seats reserved for invitation-holders.” The female schoolmate in front of us smilingly brought us to the second floor of the theater. There were people everywhere up here too, but the seats were more relaxed and separated. Compared to downstairs, these were simply VIP seats.

She brought us to an enclosed area, which already had someone inside.

“You guys are a bit late.” Waiting inside was actually Restua. He smiled and nodded at that female schoolmate.

“He woke up too slowly.” Senior snorted and turned his head away.

This is my fault!? Is this really my fault!?

It’s my fault that I can’t control how long I’m unconscious, huh?

Who can do that, you tell me, okay!?

“Where’s Gasai?” Glancing around and seeing that Restua was the only one among the four seats, Senior asked casually.

“He is in the general seats with the others.” He pointed downward. Following his direction, sure enough, I saw that Miao Miao and the others, who’d come earlier, all had seats near the front downstairs. Senior Gasai was with them too, and from time to time, Chifuyu, who was separated from him by few seats, would even sneak a look at him, “It just so happens that they’ve reached the place where they battle the Demon King.”

Once he said that, I noticed that the huge booming sound when we arrived just now had come from the stage.

I can see it a lot more clearly from the second floor now. That stage was enormous, at least the size of three or four classrooms. To call it a stage, I think it’s more like a simulation of a real scene.

On top of it, was a run-down palace, and all around the outer ring of the palace were warriors dressed in white. Because I’ve already heard Miao Miao and the others give a rough explanation of it before, I guess that should be the army of the Snow Country.

The warriors were surrounding a black monster. The hideous face of the demon was twisted in pain, roaring and threatening the warriors.

A man sat at the very top of the palace, dressed in black with an icy face that watched the disturbance below the palace disinterestedly. Beneath his feet was blood, and the many fallen white warriors who had rushed to kill him but unfortunately died.

Then, everyone stopped moving.

Transparent snow floated down from the sky. Those warriors began to slowly move aside, and in the back, a person who was dressed not quite the same as them gradually walked out.

With clothing that was white yet appeared regal, and silver hair, which seemed like it would freeze in the air, drifting gracefully in the wind.

“Eh?” After looking closely at that person who walked out, I widened my eyes in surprise, then remembered the familiar figure I saw on the invitation.

Wearing simple armor, Di appeared in the midst of those warriors. Blue eyes like the sky looked straight at that person sitting atop the palace: [Ruler of Demons, this is not your world, leave as quickly as possible!]

His voice probably wasn’t that loud, but the entire audience was able to hear him clearly, including us on the second floor.

Wait, Di can perform?

I remember it’s not easy for him.

[T/N: Since he’s blind]

“This sort of thing can’t get in his way.” Sitting down in the empty seat beside me, Senior glanced at Restua on the other side: “But it seems like the Snow Country’s prince was supposed to be played by Restua.”

Hearing someone talk about him, Restua curved into a smile and crossed his hands on his chest like he was making some kind of prayer gesture: “Playing the role of someone in the past is too depressing. I am only willing to quietly watch.”

The arrogant laughter coming from below interrupted our short conversation, and I once again put my attention back on the stage. The Demon King who was originally sitting on the palace swished his robes and stood up. As soon as he stepped onto the blood-red ground, those liquids fell pitter-patter on the stairs leading down, meandering everywhere like a small river.

[Lower races, all of you die!]

With a tremendous sound, the blood in the palace began to pulsate, and more of that black demon type struggled to climb out of the blood. It should have been the white warrior group who had the upper hand at first, yet in the blink of an eye, they were surrounded by rings upon rings of demons.

[Continuing to speak is useless.] Di pulled out a transparent sword from his hand, his appearance stern as he pointed at the Demon King above: [This place does not belong to you. Let the suspended wind sing again; let the withered flora grow; even if we all die here, it is bound to make you unable to ever wound this land again!]

The black demons issued clamoring sounds, and in an instant, entire flocks of them all pounced at those white warriors. The chaotic battle unfolded quickly, and the sound of clashing weapons echoed throughout the whole theater. The entire audience didn’t dare to move, nervously watching the battle in front of them.

The white warrior group was visibly stronger than the demons, and were extremely well-trained, quickly beating the regenerated monsters back step after step again.

Brandishing his long sword and killing the demons pouncing over, Di appeared on top of the palace almost instantaneously. With an abrupt clang, the sword hacked at the Demon King’s arm but didn’t hurt him at all.

The black king curved into a cruel smile: [Ignorant race, you want to touch me with this little thing?] Then, he laughed, the kind of terrifying sound that was sharp, piercing and made one not want to keep hearing.

Narrowing his blue eyes, Di didn’t reveal any expression of fear. He only humphed lightly, holding his sword, turning and once again hacked down on the Demon King’s arm that was raised horizontally—

This time the sword fell straight down, and cut off half of the Demon King’s arm.

Originally laughing arrogantly, with his laughter suddenly disrupted by sharp pain, the Demon King looked at the Snow Country’s prince in front of him incredulously, as if he never expected the other person to actually injure him.

[The Lord God once pitied my sword, and the Elves praised it.] Bit by bit, moving the sword forward until it pierced the Demon Kong’s forehead, the Snow Country’s prince looked right at him: [And I, will give it my all.]

The Demon King issued a furious roar, and a black mist abruptly gushed out from his wound: [I will curse you all!]

A light suddenly shot out from behind, coming in a way that caught one completely off guard. Before he could spit out the evil words, the Demon King’s neck was cut by that light and his head suddenly moved to the side in an unnatural motion.

The emerging semicircular light whirled off to the back, until it fell firmly into the raised hand of another person on the other side.

It was a woman with long reddish-brown hair, with the face of Hou.

[T/N: Di’s sister]

[And I, shall bear the responsibility with him.]

She said.