Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 420

420

“Kanos!”

“What are you doing, Kanos! Release this! Open it now!”

“I don’t see why I should?”

His reply, delivered with a smile, froze both gods in their tracks. Their entire bodies trembled uncontrollably. Tears welled up, blurring their vision. I forced my reluctant lips to part.

“Are you, are you trying to sacrifice yourself?”

“Sacrifice?”

Kanos blinked as if wondering what nonsense I was spouting.

“El thinks too highly of me. Do you really think I’d do something like sacrifice?”

“But, but your actions right now…”

“My actions? Ah.”

He echoed, feigning puzzlement, then smiled brightly.

“No, El. This isn’t what you’d call a sacrifice.”

“If it’s not a sacrifice, then what is it!”

“Why, it’s obviously taking responsibility.”

“……!”

No, no. This couldn’t be happening. I shook my head rapidly. There had to be another way. Surely, there was a better solution. But no matter how hard I racked my brain, nothing came to mind. Even now, the situation only worsened. Suddenly, the Arbiter vibrated, and a pure white light began to emanate from it. I gasped involuntarily, and it seemed that Shannon and Iowen had also noticed the phenomenon. They began to pound on the barrier even more desperately.

“No, Kanos!”

“Kanos! Please, open this! I’ll take responsibility if that’s what it takes! Please!”

“Farewell, everyone.”

Even though he must have felt the phenomenon occurring within the Arbiter, Kanos remained as nonchalant as ever. He gazed down at the slumped-over Karian, seemingly uninterested in the commotion around him. Meanwhile, Karian was stirring slightly, as if trying to regain consciousness. When their eyes met, he smiled faintly.

“I should have done this from the start.”

“Ka…nos…”

“Yes, my poor, foolish child. Let us go together.”

A light so bright it was blinding erupted. It began with the Arbiter, but now it seemed that Kanos himself was emitting light. Within it, I met Kanos’s gaze as he turned to look at me. His jet-black eyes, like pools of ink, curved gently.

“Tell Eluien that I’m grateful for everything.”

In that instant, Kanos’s figure was completely swallowed by the intense light.

“Kanos! No! Kanos!”

At the same time, the barrier that had been blocking our path vanished, and a powerful gust of wind swept through. I rushed forward without thinking. My only thought was to grab him. But someone grabbed me firmly from behind, stopping me in my tracks. Lapis wore a look of horror.

“Are you crazy? Are you planning to get dragged in too?”

“But Kanos!”

“Can’t you see the situation? It’s already too late! Step back!”

“But…!”

“He chose this himself! Get a grip! You have others to protect!”

The voice, like a scolding, felt like a slap in the face.

“El!”

At that moment, I turned blankly at the sound of my name. Sibelius was looking at me, cradling the unconscious As. His face looked as if he was about to cry.

Ah, right. I had something to protect. I bit my lip and turned back, rushing to embrace the two of them. At the same time, a fierce wind engulfed us from behind. In that instant, Lapis muttered something, and a round shield formed, enveloping us. Simultaneously, another explosion followed.

Kooong! Kwaaaaa!

The sight of thick smoke, carrying red embers, rising in a massive clump resembled a nuclear explosion. The force seemed no less powerful. A cracking sound echoed, and cracks began to appear on the shield.

“Kugh! Damn it, is this too much after all?”

“Lapis?”

“Just keep your heads down!”

Then, light seemed to emanate from Lapis, and his form swelled up in an instant. A massive dragon, revealing its red body, appeared before my eyes. It was the first time I had seen Lapis in his true form. But there was no time to admire the sight. He straightened his body and spread his wings wide. I knew at a glance what he was trying to do, and I was horrified. He was trying to absorb the shockwave of the explosion with his own body.

“Lapis, what are you doing? That’s too reckless!”

“[Shut up! Keep your mouth shut!]”

Lapis ignored my attempt to dissuade him with a harsh rebuke. At the same time, a violent storm swept over us again. Soon, I felt my body floating in the air, then crashing down somewhere. After that, I lost consciousness.

How much time had passed? I seemed to have lost consciousness for a while. Suddenly, I felt that the surroundings were too quiet. When I opened my eyes, all I saw was a clear blue sky. The sky, so clear that I couldn’t even guess what had just happened, held gentle clouds. I hurriedly got up and saw people collapsed here and there. It seemed that I had been blown quite far from where I had been. I dusted myself off and slowly walked forward. I didn’t know what I was thinking. I just felt that I had to go back to where I had been, as far as I had been blown away.

And what greeted me there was a huge, gaping pit. Everything in the area had been cleanly erased. Needless to say, there was no trace of Kanos or Karian. As if they had never existed there in the first place.

It was over. All of it.

As I let out a hollow breath, I suddenly felt a presence behind me. I turned around and saw the gods, including Perdi, approaching. They, too, seemed to have regained consciousness after losing it. Their faces were blank as they looked at the desolate space. Shannon staggered and slowly walked inside, clutching a handful of dirt from the ground. After swallowing hard for a long time, he finally uttered in a trembling voice.

“The Evil God… has vanished. The seal on the Underworld is released…”

Then, letters began to appear on his body, and bandages were wrapped around him again. Before the bandages were even finished, Shannon collapsed to his knees. As if following him, Iowen also slumped to the ground. It was clear that everything was over, but everyone had a look of emptiness on their faces.

I stared blankly at them and slowly organized my thoughts. My thoughts were jumbled and didn’t connect well. What should I do now? Ah, right. I need to check the extent of the damage. The range of the explosion was larger than I thought. The forest where Isana was should be far enough away to be safe, but the Imperial City was completely within range. If there were humans left there, they would have been seriously injured. I need to go and check if there are any casualties. And…

I turned my head absentmindedly, and suddenly I saw a blue light among the clods of dirt. On closer inspection, it was my glove that Sibelius had made for me. I must have dropped it somewhere in the commotion. I was about to pick up the glove and put it back on when I gasped. The back of my hand was clean. The mark of the Demon God that should have been there was gone.

“……”

I felt something filling my throat, and I hurriedly bit my lip. Things that I had been barely holding on to, things that I didn’t want to admit, began to pour in all at once.

Kanos was gone.

He no longer exists in this world.

“El.”

At that moment, as if waiting for it, I heard my name called and I looked up. In my blurred vision, I saw a familiar figure. Golden hair that seemed to have light infused in it, eyes as clear as the sky. The one I longed for and missed more than anyone else at this moment.

“Father…”

I couldn’t hold back my sobs, and he reached out his arms to me. I ran straight to him. He held me tightly as I clung to him.

“Kanos is gone.”

“Yes.”

“He told me to tell you he was grateful. That was his last words.”

“Yes.”

“What should I do, Father? My heart hurts so much. It hurts so much that it’s hard to breathe, what should I do?”

Then, the hand that had stopped for a moment began to stroke my hair again.

“It’s okay, son. It’s alright.”

Soft warmth kissed my forehead. The gentle act seemed to give me permission to cry. I hugged him and wept for a long time. Looking back, it seems that it was the moment when I finally acknowledged the farewell. That the beautiful Demon God, who was sometimes funny, sometimes mischievous, and always kind, had completely left our side. That we would never be able to see him again.

I will never forget this day. I will occasionally look back on it and suddenly feel depressed. Goodbye, Kanos. Goodbye. In the midst of unstoppable tears, I repeatedly said my last farewell to Kanos, a farewell that would never be erased. It was an eternal farewell.

* * *

“Kanos… vanished?”

What calmed me down from my crying fit was a voice filled with bewilderment. I looked up and saw Russef, his face pale, looking around. Next to him was someone I had never seen before. A girl with skin as black as ebony and hair even darker. Her eye color was a dazzling gold, giving her an overall atmosphere similar to Troel. She was clearly a god, and judging by her appearance, she seemed to be from Troel, but her energy was weaker than that of a high-ranking god. That made her even more mysterious.

“Damn it, what is this? I came down here because the Evil God’s influence disappeared, but what the hell happened in the meantime? Did Kanos really vanish? Hey, Shannon! Iowen! Say something!”

No matter how much he shook their shoulders, Iowen and Shannon were just staring blankly, showing no reaction. He looked at Perdi, who was standing there dejectedly, with a frustrated expression.

“Perdi, explain it to me. What the hell happened?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m not asking you to apologize… Ah, I’m going crazy.”

While Russef was grabbing his head, the black-skinned girl sighed and scolded him.

“Don’t push them, Russef. Everyone is still reeling from the shock; what good will it do if you act like that?”

The girl looked at the pit with a bitter expression.

“He said he would listen to the resentment later. It seems he didn’t have the heart to do that until the very end. The future is the problem. With the Supreme God and the Demon God gone, all dimensions will experience considerable growing pains.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. That bastard really went through with it until the end…”

Russef, biting his lip, clenched his fist tightly. His face was full of anger, but his eyes were red as if he was about to burst into tears. The girl patted his back a few times as if to comfort him and looked at Perdi, who was standing there with a stiff face.

“Perdi, are you alright?”

“I’m…”

“Why do you have that look on your face? You don’t need to feel guilty about this. Just because we regret losing Kanos doesn’t mean you should have sacrificed yourself. No matter who died, wouldn’t that sacrifice have been worthless and regrettable? I think it’s really fortunate that you’re alive. Everyone else must feel the same way.”

The girl stared at Russef. Russef, who was momentarily puzzled by the gaze, shouted in surprise.

“Of course! Who would think that Perdi should have sacrificed himself? How dare they be so cowardly! If there’s anyone like that, I won’t let them get away with it. I won’t even let them set foot in the corridor or the sanctuary!”

“Russef…”

Russef had a complicated look on his face for a moment, then wiped his face with his hands.

“Right now, I’m just… surprised by something that I never expected to happen. It all happened so suddenly, without any time to prepare. The Supreme God is the foundation that protects and supports the Divine Realm. Kanos is especially responsible for a lot of things. I thought he wouldn’t have made this choice, even considering the chaos and repercussions after he disappeared. Maybe if he had stepped forward, everyone would have opposed it.”

“That’s why he didn’t show it.”

“What on earth were you thinking…”

Russef muttered hollowly, dropping his head powerlessly. Perdi, who had been watching him silently, hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“It’s difficult to say in this situation, but Kanos said something before.”

“Kanos? What did he say?”

“He said he wouldn’t lose any more. He was tired of losing things…”

“…So he ended up choosing to lose himself. That’s just like him.”

The girl smiled bitterly. Russef looked even more devastated than before he heard the explanation. I raised my head and looked at Eluien in front of me. He had heard all the conversation with me, but he was still quiet. I couldn’t read his expression to know what he was thinking. Then the girl’s gaze turned to me. I felt a little nervous for some reason, but the girl approached me and said with a gentle expression.

“So you’re Eluien’s adopted son I’ve only heard rumors about. I am Radeka, the God of Destiny.”

“Ah…”

I think I knew the reason for the sense of incongruity I felt from her. The God of Destiny is the Supreme God and the first Trowel [likely a title or rank within their society]. And before coming here, Kanos said he had broken the Clock of Destiny. It seemed that her power was weakened because of that.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Elquines.”

“You’re a very polite child for an Elquines. I apologize for the great damage this incident has caused to Arkadon. We will do our best to fix it and compensate for the damage.”

‘But before that, those idiots need to come to their senses,’ Radeka thought, looking back at Shannon and Iowen, who were still넋을 잃고 [넋을 잃고 (neogeul ilhgo) is a Korean expression meaning ‘넋을 잃다’ which translates to ‘to be absent-minded’ or ‘to be in a daze’], and smiled bitterly before continuing.

“Still, there are many who are safe considering they were close to the annihilation site. That’s a relief.”

At that, I suddenly came to my senses. It was all thanks to Lapis that those nearby weren’t seriously injured. He put up a shield and later even blocked it with his own body. In the end, he was swept away by the pressure, but it was undeniable that the damage would have been much greater if he hadn’t held out. But Lapis, who had taken that pressure with his whole body, must have been seriously injured.

I quickly looked around. I saw Sibelius and As lying not far away. I went over and checked, and fortunately, they had only lost consciousness. Deron, who was found nearby, was also safe. He was still wrapped in a 덩어리 [덩어리 (deongeori) refers to a lump or mass], which seemed to have protected him from injury. But I couldn’t see Lapis.

“El.”

“Just a moment, Father. I can’t see Lapis.”

Ignoring Eluien’s voice calling from behind, I looked around, and soon a deeply carved mark caught my eye. The mark, as if something huge had scratched it, continued far away. Following that part, I saw a house-sized red body at the end. It was definitely Lapis. But an unexpected person was standing in front of him.

“Trowel…?”

A boy with dark brown skin, dark black hair, and golden eyes turned around at my voice. It was indeed Trowel. He had been 역소환 [역소환 (yeoksowan) refers to reverse summoning] when the last purification circle failed. I thought he wouldn’t be able to come out of the Spirit World for a while, but he’s already back. Was he in better condition than I thought?

“El.”

He smiled faintly as he met my gaze. He looked a little more tired than usual. It’s natural that he’s tired since he hasn’t been 역소환 [역소환 (yeoksowan) refers to reverse summoning] for long. But for some reason, my heart seemed to sink. I hardened my face and looked at Lapis. He had his wings drooping and his eyes tightly closed. He’s several times bigger than when he was human. He should be full of life force, but there was an strangely eerie feeling.

“Lapis…?”

I reached out my hand without thinking, but I was startled and immediately took it away. His skin was too cold. Ah, come to think of it, reptiles are 변온 [변온 (byeonon) refers to being cold-blooded] animals, and their body temperature is generally low. Dragons are also reptiles, so that must be why. Yes, that must be why. …But isn’t it too cold for that?

“That child’s soul has already left.”

I blankly turned around at the voice I heard. Radeka was standing there, having followed me at some point.

“His soul has left…?”

“It means he’s dead.”

I turned back to Lapis. I felt like I had heard something strange, but I didn’t understand it well. It was a completely absurd story to understand. It was a word that shouldn’t be easily uttered even as a guess, and it was too bad if it was a joke. Of course, it wasn’t worth listening to. But strangely, my body trembled. I slowly reached out and touched Lapis’s body again. When I blew healing magic into him, it didn’t seep in and scattered as it was. It felt like something was clattering inside his body. A similar phenomenon had occurred when I healed the Archduke who had been shot with an arrow. That was proof that he had stopped breathing.

What is this.

What is this.

What… is this.

My mind gradually became confused. I blew healing magic into Lapis’s body again. But this time, it didn’t seep in either. I used healing magic again. It was the same even if I did it again. And when I tried to do it again, Trowel grabbed my hand.

“El, stop. You can stop now.”

The voice, lower and drier than usual, was painfully piercing. I blankly raised my head, and Trowel shook his head with wavering eyes.

So… Lapis is, dead?

“Dead? Lapis?”

You want me to believe that?

“He’s not dead.”

“El.”

“He’s not dead. There’s no way he’s dead. He was alive just a moment ago.”

“El…”

“Let go!”

I struggled, resisting Trowel’s attempt to hug me. But the more I did, the more strongly Trowel hugged me. Forced to be held in his arms, I shook my head wildly.

“There’s no way Lapis would leave so 허무하게 [허무하게 (heomu hage) means ‘in vain’ or ‘meaninglessly’]! Something’s wrong! Lapis died after blocking just that much of an explosion? That doesn’t make sense!”

Yes, this really doesn’t make sense. It can’t be…

“El, listen carefully.”

Still holding me, Trowel said as if whispering. His voice sounded like he was crying. I swallowed my breath at the following words.

“When the purification circle collapsed, Lapis took the 악신 [악신 (aksin) refers to an evil god or demon]’s attack head-on. At that time, the Dragon Heart was completely destroyed.”

“Dragon… Heart?”

“The dragon’s mana heart.”

I know what that is. It’s the part that manages magic power, and for dragons, that part is more important than their real heart. If you lose your mana heart, no matter how strong a dragon is, it cannot live. And since it’s magic power itself, it can’t be revived with my healing power. But, it was destroyed?

“Lapis was as good as dead then. He was able to hold out longer than I thought because he had excellent physical control.”

“No way…”

Suddenly, I saw Lapis’s face frowning greatly. When there was something wrong with the purification circle, he swore unusually fiercely. The sight of him spitting out something like a black 덩어리 [덩어리 (deongeori) refers to a lump or mass] was unusual at a glance. What did Trowel say to him then?

「How much longer can you last?」

Yes, he definitely asked that. And Lapis exchanged glances with him for a moment, which I couldn’t understand. At that time, I thought he was simply asking how long he could maintain the purification circle. But in fact, it was a different meaning. That… that’s what it meant?

“That can’t be.”

“El.”

“He said he was okay. That he wasn’t hurt. That his blood vessels were bad because he had changed the position of his organs, and that his magic power was rough because he had used a lot of power. He said it was just that.”

Lapis doesn’t lie. He had never hidden his feelings or condition. That’s because he doesn’t feel the need to hide it. He immediately demanded and executed whatever he needed, and he was honest about his desires. So it was okay to believe what he said without a doubt.

“…So he knew he was going to die from then on? But he was pretending to be okay? This guy who’s so dramatic? He hid his death from me?”

“Yes.”

“No. I don’t want to. I don’t believe it.”

“El.”

“I don’t believe it! I won’t believe it! That guy who likes to show off didn’t even say a plausible will, didn’t even say goodbye! He didn’t say anything! Really nothing! I’m a contractor! I made a contract with him! He should have told me such an important thing!”

“El, that’s…”

Pushing away the hesitant Trowel, I approached Lapis.

“Lapis, answer me!”

I clenched my fist and hit his hard skin hard. I didn’t hold back, so it would hurt quite a bit. But with his eyes closed, he still didn’t move at this moment.

“Answer me! I said answer me! Lapis Lazuli! Get up right now! Are you all kidding me? Are you making fun of me? I won’t get angry, so tell me honestly! I’ll forgive you, so tell me you’re not dead! Please! Please…”

Lapis is dead. He’s right in front of my eyes, but he’s no longer in this world. I can’t believe it. I will never believe it. But the more my emotions denied it, the colder my head became. He’s not breathing. His heart isn’t beating, and his blood isn’t flowing. All the symptoms were pointing to only one thing, so I couldn’t ignore it. But the most I felt among them was that I couldn’t feel his mana. Lapis’s mana, which had been given to me after making a contract, no longer existed. No matter how hard I tried to connect my senses, I couldn’t catch anything. The connection was completely severed.

“Ha.”

The strength gradually drained from my striking arm. I slowly sat down in my place. I felt Trowel approaching next to me, but I didn’t have the strength to lift my head.

“Lapis was worried about you.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“There must have been a time when Nias chose death to save the contractor. The injured part was similar. He was worried that you might make the same choice again.”

“I’m not Nias.”

“Yes. But Nias reflects your values.”

I was speechless at the following words. I felt like I had this conversation before.

「Then you’re saying you can do that too?」

When I found out that Nias had turned into the contractor’s heart, that’s what Lapis asked me. What did I answer then? I probably answered that I could do it, of course. I also remembered what I added.

「If I become a heart, it will be stronger than a dragon’s mana heart. I wonder if there is a human who can withstand that power.」

「Hey, you…….」

「Huh? Why?」

「……No, it’s okay. Don’t take my question so seriously.」

At that time, Lapis had a strangely unpleasant face. Not long ago, he had given me a sharp rebuke. It was a rebuke that I easily gave love to anyone and gave up my life. When I said no because he cited Nias’s case as an example, he immediately changed his expression.

「Isn’t Nias a part of you? What’s the difference between you?」

Was he always worried about that?

「Don’t come near me.」

「I said don’t come near me!」

The warnings he had repeatedly given me just before the purification circle collapsed. I think I know now why he was reluctant to contact me. He was afraid that I would notice his condition. From the beginning, he had thoroughly planned to die without saying anything. Before I could implement the only way to save him.

“Really… you’re an idiot.”

I don’t know who I’m talking to. As I muttered 허망하게 [허망하게 (heomuhage) means ‘in vain’ or ‘despairingly’], Trowel hugged me again and patted my back. A sorrow that I didn’t know who it was for overwhelmed me. Tears began to pour out, and I couldn’t stop. It was a stranger feeling than when Kanos died.