275. Iril (1)
#275
It was dusk. The early summer sunset was melting over the sea of trees. Adeshan’s voice suddenly rang in Balzac’s head while he was flying.
[This is the 4th field commander. Balzac, please report the situation.]
[No change. I’m flying west.]
Balzac, who heard the electric sound, responded. He was flying, transformed into a giant bat with a wingspan of up to 4 meters. He had nothing to report as there was nothing unusual happening.
[Has confirmed. If anything goes wrong, please contact us immediately.]
[Sure.]
The conversation ended with Balzac’s final answer. He looked at the scenery unfolding beneath his wings and grunted.
“Damn it, how long do I have to go?”
The sea of trees went on and on, but there was no end in sight. The water surface, made up of branches and leaves, was rippling whenever the wind blew. It was a paradise forest known as the largest forest on the continent.
The damp smell of vegetation was tickling my nose. About thirty gloomy birds like bats, ravens, and black egrets were accompanying Balzac around him. They were all vampires like him.
They were carrying out their mission as the lead pursuit team to chase after Abel, who was capable of fast flight and could hide his presence. The subordinate flying right next to me opened his mouth.
“Still, aren’t you glad that the right direction has been taken? “It’s amazing that you can extend the range to such a long distance.”
“joy. “It’s strange that I can’t do it.”
Balzac snorted. I glanced down and looked at the blood acupuncture needle hanging around my neck. The needle with Abel’s blood was still fixed facing west.
Fortunately, after several hours of chase, they were able to bring the target within range of the blood needle. Balzac’s outstanding blood handling skills increased the detection range of the blood needle by several times its previous level. They had been flying for about another hour.
“Everyone stop.”
Suddenly Balzac stopped. The panicked subordinates flapped their wings and applied the brakes. The subordinate who had just spoken to me tilted his head.
“Why are you doing that?”
“The needle started spinning. “I missed it.”
“yes?”
The subordinate’s eyes widened as he asked the question. If the needle was hovering, it meant that the target of pursuit was dead or out of range. Since there was no way he could have died suddenly, it was correct to consider the latter in this case.
“That can’t be possible. “It’s impossible without at least moving through space.”
“It seems strange even to me. “Just wait and see.”
Balzac frowned. No matter how you looked at it, the situation was unnatural. The blood gauge needle, whose range he amplified, did not lose its effectiveness as long as the target did not leave the continent.
It was clear that there was some trick involved. He slowly began to look around. The scenery unfolded without much difference. The sea was still blue, and the green horizon had no end in sight.
“hmm?”
Suddenly, Balzac’s gaze turned downward. A lake that was neither big nor small caught my eye. I didn’t even notice it because it was right below.
The reflected sky was clearly visible on the calm surface of the water. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the lake.
“That is…”
Something was strange. Unlike the spotless and clear sky overhead, gray-white clouds were flowing in the sky reflected on the water.
It wasn’t a mistake. The compass was still spinning. The vampire who inherited great blood soon came to a conclusion. He ordered his men.
“Everyone enters the lake.”
“yes?”
“Just in case, pay attention before touching the water. “I will go first.”
“Wait!”
Balzac concluded his speech firmly. Suddenly he folded his wings and began to dive. His floundering men followed behind him, their eyes narrowed.
with a plop! It was the moment when Balzac’s body was completely submerged in the lake. Suddenly the world turned upside down and his head broke the surface of the water.
Sigh! Balzac took off, scattering spray. Above him was the twilight sky, and below his feet was the same lake he had seen when he came in.
There was no smell of grass in the dry air. Soon, the vampires that followed him rose up, tearing the surface of the water. Their eyes widened as they witnessed a completely unexpected sight.
“What the hell is this?”
The paradise forest had turned into a barren field. The strong and dense forest disappeared everywhere, and only a few trees that were completely discolored white from leaves to trunk remained.
Almost everything that was visible, including short grass, clinging dirt and sand, and tree branches strewn on the floor, was stained a ghostly white color. Gooooo… The sound of the wind reminiscent of a ghost castle and the fog flowing across the ground were adding to the gloom. someone shouted.
“Hey, look over there!”
Balzac turned to the direction his subordinate was pointing. His eyes widened. A huge castle rose far out in the field.
The outer wall of the fortress, which had dozens of spiers like thorns, was white, no different from the surrounding scenery. I was able to recognize it even without any additional explanation. What the Allies had been searching for throughout the war was right in front of them.
“···Headquarters.”
Balzac muttered. The blood gauge needle, which had suddenly stopped spinning, was pointing to the castle. It seemed highly likely that the cult leader and Iril were in there. His expression darkened.
What I found was good, but it didn’t seem easy to attack. The Pale Castle seemed sturdier than any structure Balzac had ever seen. his subordinate asked.
“Are you entering?”
“···no. “We just hide our presence and proceed with the search.”
Balzac shook his head. He remembered Adeshan’s words not to engage in unnecessary battles during the chase. No matter what anyone says, the first goal was to secure the location of the hostages.
[Chasing team. Nebula Clazie’s headquarters has been discovered.]
Balzac immediately sent a message to Adeshan, but there was no reply. It seemed that communication with the outside world was cut off as we crossed the lake.
Should I tell it in person? He was trying to designate a subordinate to act as a messenger. A man’s voice rang out from beneath her feet.
“I finally made it this far.”
“hmm···!”
I didn’t feel any presence at all. Balzac hurriedly lowered his gaze. A middle-aged man was looking up at her with his back to her.
“It was nice to take a walk in the garden for the first time in a while. So, do you like the view?”
“You…!”
Balzac’s eyes widened. He was a man with an unusual yet familiar appearance. His hair was pale white, like starlight, and his eyes were scarlet, reminiscent of a sunset. Her sharp-looking face bore a striking resemblance to Ronan’s.
Balzac hurriedly checked the blood count. The needle that was pointing at the pale castle changed its position slightly and was aiming at the middle-aged man.
It was a phenomenon whose meaning was clear. Balzac, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth.
“Cult leader.”
“Oh, do you know that much?”
Abel shrugged his eyebrows. A drop of cold sweat ran down Balzac’s temple. He could instinctively sense that he would never win.
[Everyone retreat.]
Balzac sent a message to his subordinates. Perplexity appeared on their faces. I had to stay calm. Balzac took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“···Where are the hostages?”
“hostage? Ah, if you are talking about that child, he is resting in that castle.”
Abel raised his thumb back and pointed at the castle. Balzac clenched her fist. It was as expected.
Now, as long as we get back safely, it would be a perfect ending. His men could not bear to leave Balzac behind.
Those idiots. Balzac was about to deliver the retreat order again. match! Abel, who had been silent the whole time, clapped his hands.
“Well, if your curiosity is answered, it’s time to die. “It’s been a long time since I was a guest, so it’s a shame.”
“what?”
Balzac’s eyes widened. At the same time, Abel snapped her finger. Sigh! A huge hemispherical force field enveloped them.
“What is this!”
“It’s the blessing of the stars!”
The vampires burst out in bewilderment. One by one, the transformation into a flying animal began to wear off and return to its original form. Some people tried to enter the lake late, but the station master had already filled the water’s surface.
“Escape, the escape route is blocked!”
“Wow, even the undiluted solution won’t cause any damage…!”
It was the blessing of the stars that I had seen so well. His men applied Ronan’s blood to their weapons or drank it before attacking, but there was not a single scratch on the force field. Perhaps because it was from a cult leader, the level itself seemed different.
“shit···.”
Balzac twisted his lips. The situation was very bad. While organizing what he could do in his head, he growled lowly.
“You don’t have a choice. “Fight.”
Balzac, who had canceled his transformation, cast a shadow over his body. A huge beast made of shadows appeared. It was a very demanding skill, but right now, even if I put all my effort into it, it wasn’t enough. The agitated eyes of the vampires calmed down for an instant.
“Well, now that I think about it, I was so scared. “I haven’t even tried it yet.”
“If we settle the matter quickly, we might be able to catch it…”
They quickly regained their composure. Due to the circumstances, they had forgotten about it for a while, but like Balzac, they were nobles of the night who had lived for hundreds of years.
The faded eye light flashed again, and sharp fangs began to spit out murder. The vampires, ready for battle, were about to attack.
“There is no need to try. “Mosquito friends.”
“what?”
“Because it’s already over.”
Abel said. Suddenly Balzac realized that he had a sword in his hand.
‘When did you pick it?’
I couldn’t even see anything taking off. Crash. Abel, who led the way, turned his back without saying a word. The vampires, unaware of the situation, rushed in all at once.
“Kyaaaaaak!”
“Wait, wait…”
It was the car that Balzac was about to shout out. Hundreds of red lines were drawn irregularly over the bodies of him and other vampires.
“ah?”
Balzac’s eyes widened. An eerie feeling of déjà vu crept up on me. I had felt the feeling of my body being cut by an invisible sword before during the battle with Ronan.
“okay. “This is normal.”
Abel muttered. After touching the wound on his cheek, he started walking towards the castle again. The vampires’ movements stopped in midair due to the pain that came late. The lines drawn on the body were becoming clearer.
Suddenly, the faces of certain people flashed through my mind. Jarodin and Ronan, who ultimately could not decide between sexes, are the shadow dukes who are inseparable brothers and the object of respect. and···
“Ophelia.”
Balzac muttered quietly. Wow! At the same time, the space where the sword strike opened widened and his and the vampires’ bodies collapsed as if exploding.
No matter how great the regenerative ability was, there was nothing that could be done if the body was disintegrated into hundreds of pieces. The 30-member chase party turned into hot blood that drenched the desolate garden.
“To be pushed around by things like that… I think I need to warn you.”
Abel clicked his tongue. I didn’t pay attention to it because it was already over anyway, but it seemed like she needed to reinforce her power, at least because of her pride.
The sound of footsteps grew further and further away, and soon silence fell. The veil made up of star protection disappeared after about an hour.
How much more time has passed? A small bat raised its head from where the flesh was strewn about.
‘I have to tell…’
It was a bat with a scar on one of its eyes, like some kind of vampire. A blood needle was hanging from her slender neck. Pong! The bat stumbled and crawled and threw itself into the lake.
****
“Fuck, it’s still so damn cold.”
“Bwaaaaa…”
Ronan muttered. Sita nodded her head in agreement. The star-filled night sky stretched out above her head. The bitter cold, just like when Adeshan and I visited in the past, was seeping into our bones.
Polar lights, reminiscent of a pleated skirt, were waving in the distant sky. I felt nauseous, perhaps because of the aftereffects of moving through space. As I looked around, I saw that the entrance leading to Elthea’s laboratory was sticking out in the middle of the ice.
“Elthea. I’m here.”
Bang bang bang. Ronan approached the entrance and knocked on the door. No matter how many times I looked at the entrance, built with ancient technology, it seemed like it was not from the same world. Ronan, who was waiting with his arms crossed, tilted his head.
“Elthea?”
There was no response. It was a big deal because I didn’t have time. Did you go out at all?
‘It’s impossible to cut down the door.’
If it did so, it would lose its role as a residence. Ronan, who was scratching his head, suddenly turned his gaze to the mechanical device next to the gate. The numbers from 0 to 9 were shining neatly on an iron plate as shiny as glass.
“Obviously… it was done like this.”
Ronan remembered Elthea pressing a number to open the door. He managed to remember her and entered the numbers one by one. He didn’t tend to forget what he saw once, so he wondered what would happen.
It was the moment my frozen fingers entered the 24th number. Clap! The door opened with the sound of a mechanism engaging. A staircase resembling a monster’s throat appeared before my eyes.
“···Are you coming in?”
Ronan said. There was no reply this time, so he slowly walked down the stairs. For some reason, it didn’t feel right.
