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I know many readers have complains for the previous arc, and all I can say is that the next one would definitely make up for it.
So prepare yourself for the exciting ride.
Happy reading!
Chapter 181: Unreal (6)
Looking at the sight of a pillar of white light falling at the top of the New York Empire State Building…
… Abeline Starberg's fragmented soul closed his eyes.
'So, I failed.'
He had anticipated this outcome. Though he could absorb all magic, he couldn’t overcome 'natural celestial energy.'
Even as the boy fell into the world he had created, he couldn't resist properly.
He had anticipated this outcome. Though he could absorb all magic, he couldn’t overcome 'natural celestial energy.'
During the fifty years he slept in the fragmented realm, the outside world had changed drastically.
A boy born with a special destiny.
A child of the stars.
Even girls blessed by the heavens.
Abeline Starberg’s fragmented soul captured the scene of Flame and Baek Yu-Seol embracing each other one last time before being swept away by the pillar of light.
They would return to reality now and continue their daily lives as usual. They might cry, laugh, get angry, and fight sometimes, but still, they would spend happy days together.
'It’s so beautiful, but also tragic.'
Why did the heavens bind those two by fate?
If a god exists, what’s he thinking about?
Sadly, he couldn’t see the future the two would paint together.
'I... will fade away now.'
He felt his presence slowly fading away.
Considering that he had attempted to absorb the child of the stars, this was a cheap price to pay.
From the beginning, he had been too small a fragment of a mere magician's soul to dare to touch such a grand existence.
Perhaps it was fate to end up like this the moment he dared to devour her.
Still, he was satisfied. He had seen her world with his own eyes.
It was truly magnificent, astonishing, and beautiful.
Although there was no mana, a mysterious world was built beyond the Aether World with just the energy of electricity.
'This is the homeland of the child of the stars.'
If the sight he saw in his final moments was this beautiful world, perhaps death might not be so bad after all.
With those last thoughts, Abeline Starberg’s fragmented soul closed its eyes.
——
She felt her eyelids weighed down by thousands of tons.
Even if she tried to force them open with all her might, they wouldn’t budge.
She thought about it.
The eyelids wouldn’t budge. Though, was there really a reason to force them open? Why resist the body like this?
'So sleepy…’
Flame gave up trying to open her eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.
“Shh, keep it down. We'll be in big trouble if we get caught in the hospital!”
"You ate more, didn't you?"
"I, I was worried you might have trouble eating quickly..."
"I have no trouble at all."
"Oh. Well, I decided to eat it, but... no. I tried to let go, but I couldn't.”
Constant chatter echoed in her ears and the scent of pizza stimulating her nose kept Flame from falling back asleep.
Suddenly!
Eventually, unable to bear it, Flame sat up and blinked her eyes.
Though her muscles trembled throughout the process, such minor pain couldn't stop her anger.
"What are you guys doing?"
As Flame’s hollow voice spread, Eisel and Anella, munching on pizza in the middle of the ward, stopped in their tracks with wide eyes.
... Awkward silence.
Eisel felt embarrassed for being caught eating in the ward. She lowered her head deeply and blushed, while Anella awkwardly chuckled and made excuses.
"Um, I didn't know... That you shouldn't eat pizza in the ward."
Anella had lived a life completely different from ordinary humans.
Since becoming a dark mage at a young age, she had no common sense about facilities like hospitals. After all, she had only witnessed the grimness of ruins everyday.
Because of this, when she brought pizza to Flame’s ward under the guise of visiting the sick, Eisel scolded her loudly...
Ironically, pizza was Eisel’s favorite food.
In the end, she couldn't resist its temptation, leading to this situation.
“Good grief…”
Flame let out a deep sigh.
"Eat. Don't worry about it. I have been through life and death, so why fret on pizza?"
"Mm..."
While Anella cautiously glanced around, she still brought the pizza to her mouth, but Eisel didn’t want to embarrass herself further. She backed away slightly.
"Sigh..."
Flame lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"Is your body feeling better?"
Eisel asked as she pulled a chair over and sat down next to the bed, but Flame shook her head.
"No. My whole body feels like it's about to fall apart. Maybe I'm just getting old."
"... Aren't you only seventeen?"
"I mean mentally."
It wasn't a wrong statement.
Considering both her past and present lives, she must be quite old.
"Nom."
While Anella obliviously munched on the pizza alone, Eisel and Flame remained silent for a while.
"How long has it been since I fell asleep?"
"About three days..."
"I see."
For what could be considered a short time, they formed a team, investigated the rumors about the 7th Tower, and experienced many incidents.
They learned that there truly was a hidden world within the Stella Academy, filled with numerous ghosts and dangers.
Ultimately, they faced off against dark mages and emerged victorious.
"What happened while I was asleep?"
Eisel slowly recounted the aftermath of the incident.
"Right after you and Baek Yu-Seol returned, the professors stormed in. The moment the mirror shattered into pieces due to the sudden wind, detailed investigation became impossible, and Professor Chekeren vanished, so they couldn't arrest him."
"Is that so..."
After the incident was resolved, many students who had been dragged into the 7th Tower were hospitalized.
The incident was too big and shocking to be simply overlooked as something that happened within Stella Academy.
[Another attack by dark mages?]
[Chaotic magical realm]
[How far will the reputation of the dark mage slayer, Elthman Elwin, fall?]
[Is it even appropriate to call Stella Academy the top magical institution...]
The attack by dark mages was certainly frightening, but what was even scarier was the media onslaught by fellow mages.
Recently, dark mages had repeatedly attacked Stella Academy, so they were trying to tarnish their reputation by any means possible.
This was exactly the same as the original storyline.
While the vulnerabilities of Stella Academy were exposed, the protagonist resolving the incident would elevate Eisel’s reputation.
And, most likely, it would be the same this time too.
Just by seeing Eisel’s faint smile, one could tell she was probably promised a huge reward.
Anyway, it was said that the academy was still moving quickly to respond to the media.
Meanwhile, Elthman Elwin, who had disappeared, seemed to be having headaches while dealing with his own affairs somewhere else.
‘... Well, the principal was always that kind of figure.’
Even in the original story, there was no direct intervention from Elthman Elwin in any ensued incidents.
There was always an excuse.
Perhaps it was an excuse that he couldn't come forward because he had a more important matter to deal with.
Flame didn't know what Eltman did during this time because it wasn't mentioned.
However, the fact that Elthman Elwin moved on to something else after putting aside the crisis of the 7th Tower ghost meant that it was really something important.
He was the type who never hesitated to act even if an incident occurred beyond his reach.
"Still, there were no casualties. Many students complained of aftereffects, but... Princess Hong Bi-Yeon seems to be unharmed."
"That's a relief."
The fact that the original goal, Hong Bi-Yeon, was unharmed was already a great achievement.
She was still unconscious, but it was said that it was simply due to exhaustion and she would wake up soon.
“Do you think the Adolevit royal family will make a fuss? If the school closes, I have nowhere else to go…”
"There may be a commotion, but the academy won't close. Stella isn't that easygoing of an academy."
In the end, Elthman Elwin would quell this controversy as well.
He would announce the newly developed magic circle system and advanced technology and declare that he would move to assassinate the dark mages himself.
Stella Academy would be even more fortified than before, which meant it would become the safest fortress in the three worlds, but...
'It won't be that easy.'
The terror of the dark mages would continue in the future.
It was not just about Stella Academy.
They would unknowingly infiltrate various magical realms and gradually taint the world in darkness.
"Anyway, thank you for your hard work. But you overexerted yourself in the end. Fortunately, you're unharmed, but..."
"Ah! About that."
Flame rushed towards the mirror in the final moment, but it was a trap.
"Professor Chekeren said it was a completely shattered space, a world where even your soul would be torn apart, and you would be unable to maintain your sense of self...."
"... I see."
"But you still came out alive from there."
"It wasn't my own strength."
"Yes. It was thanks to his help this time too."
Eisel still remembered that moment vividly.
Feeling the terrifying space which seemed untouchable even by senses, she saw Baek Yu-Seol’s figure stepping forward without hesitation.
How could he make such a decisive decision?
"That look in his eyes. I still remember. Baek Yu-Seol didn't hesitate even a bit and stepped towards you."
Baek Yu-Seol was a reincarnator who had traveled back in time countless times.
Even if he died, the death wasn’t frightening because he could come back to life.
But this time was completely different.
"The collapse of the sense of self. He might not even be able to reincarnate and could vanish."
The girls could witness how Baek Yu-Seol rewinded time in the Star Archives.
'Death.'
When he faces death, he rewinds time, repeating the same history.
Death and life… He had endured the blood-stained vicious cycle countless times.
But...
'The collapse of the sense of self is true death. If only the soul is torn apart while the body remains intact, he might wander forever in the mirror world with Flame, unable to rewind time.'
Baek Yu-Seol knew that risk better than anyone else.
"Yet... He didn't hesitate to save me. He approached without any hesitation and reached out his hand."
Flame appeared to become absent-minded, and she was unable to focus her eyes properly.
Eisel stared at her blank expression and suddenly asked, "... What was that place like?"
“It was… a lousy place.”
And then, she corrected her answer.
"But it was quite a nice place too."
Most of the memories from there were vague.
Like a dream.
But... No matter how much of a dream it was, precious and important scenes were vividly etched in memory to be remembered eternally.
'You will truly be happy. I'll make sure of it.'
At that moment, what did Baek Yu-Seol mean by that?
She wouldn't even understand such words since she had no memories of reality.
Well, finding meaning in those words might not be important.
She was just pretty happy with the fact that Baek Yu-Seol said such things.
"Are you happy?"
"Huh?"
“Oh, no… You just smiled so happily all of a sudden…”
"... Did I?"
‘Am I happy right now?’
She pondered for a moment.
The conclusion came quickly.
"Yeah. I feel happy."
Very much so.
——
The moonlight invaded through the swaying curtains.
Her silver hair shone even brightly today.
Even though the moon hadn’t risen yet, why did the stars appear first?
"Hmm..."
Hong Bi-Yeon slowly opened her eyes. Her ruby-like eyes gradually took in the world.
"Princess!"
Someone exclaimed as they abruptly stood up from their seats.
Just the slight noise and stress made her feel an immense headache, so she furrowed her brow.
Notify the doctor immediately.
Call the nurse.
... The princess has awakened.
Even amid the commotion made by the faction members, Hong Bi-Yeon maintained her composure.
‘Ah... I've been asleep for a long time.’
It wasn't difficult to deduce that fact from their reactions alone.
Having lost all her magic instantly, it was inevitable that she had been asleep for a long time.
‘… But still, I'm alive.’
When she opened her eyes every morning, this was her first thought.
‘Today too, I'm alive.’
‘It's extravagant, but then I should live diligently. I might not wake up tomorrow.’
As she struggled to sit up, the girls from the faction rushed to support her.
The sensation of her hair cascading down her neck like a silver waterfall felt particularly irritating today.
Despite being asleep, someone must have consistently taken care of it as her hair was still as soft as ever.
"Water."
"Here you go!"
Taking the bottled water, she replenished her moisture calmly and gracefully.
"What should we do, Princess...?"
"Are you feeling very tired?"
"My head hurts, so..."
"Got it! I'll be quiet!"
‘I guess she couldn't have avoided such a spirited response even in a hospital room.’
The faction members quietly made a fuss, summoned nurses and doctors to take care of Hong Bi-Yeon.
Amidst all this, as the door to the room opened...
"... Hello, little sister? Long time no see?"
Why did Hong Si-Hwa, the leader of Adolveit’s Magic Knights, barge into the room?
"W-What is this..."
"What are you doing!"
The faction members tried to block Hong Si-Hwa's way, but they couldn't resist the true strength of the magic warriors.
"Don't be too wary. I came to protect my little sister today."
"... Protect? Nonsense."
As Hong Bi-Yeon frowned and spoke, Hong Si-Hwa exaggeratedly expressed a pained look and hugged herself with both arms.
"Your sister came all the way here to find you, and if you're so dismissive, your sister will be very sad~"
"Just tell me why you came."
The headache persisted like an annoying fly, but even amidst that, Hong Si-Hwa came to cause a commotion.
Her stress soared to its limit.
"Purpose? I told you. I came to protect you."
"So what does that mean..."
"It's a royal decree."
"What?"
‘Did His Majesty issue a direct order?’
Only then did she realize that something was amiss.
‘Why did Hong Si-Hwa bring the Magic Knights here in the first place?’
Wasn't the reason obvious?
"Stella Academy is currently deemed too dangerous. Remember when our little sister was kidnapped? His Majesty hopes for our little sister's return."
"But..."
"Still, I thought you'd stubbornly stay here~ But! How can your sister watch you stay in such a dangerous place? I directly requested His Majesty. Since our little sister is in a risky situation, wouldn't it be better to protect her in the kingdom, even if only for a short while?"
Despite Hong Bi-Yeon’s face turning pale, Hong Si-Hwa continued speaking with flushed cheeks.
"It won't be long~ Just until the principal takes some action? Yeah. Let's spend just the summer vacation in the royal palace. And... um. If that's not enough, well, maybe we should give up a semester, but it's better than staying in a dangerous place, isn't it?"
It was a lie.
Once she returned to the kingdom, she would never send Hong Bi-Yeon back to Stella.
It would go beyond simply undermining Hong Bi-Yeon career; it would be a declaration to oppress and restrain her.
Currently, the royal palace was hell for Hong Bi-Yeon.
No one wanted her and no one was on her side.
Ultimately, leaving Stella meant...She wouldn’t be able to meet someone she cou only see there again.
'Not yet. Not yet...'
She must be at Stella.
She had planned to establish herself enough at Stella, prove her abilities and expand her influence.
But Hong Si-Hwa wanted to deprive her of that opportunity itself.
"Don't want to? Can't help it. It's a royal decree, you know?"
Like driving a wedge into her chest, Hong Si-Hwa declared it as if it was a simple thing.
It was an order that couldn’t be disobeyed.
Resistance was futile.
However, 'Do I seem like I'll just quietly accept imprisonment like this?'
She was no longer the old Hong Bi-Yeon.
Having enrolled at Stella and met many people, she had changed completely.
She had no intention of quietly accepting imprisonment like a bluebird in a cage.
She wouldn’t bow to Hong Si-Hwa's will...
Not at all.