3 bar menu

Chapter 328

As Earthima, Hadiya, and Zebe watched, Shija silently contemplated his next move. Despite his overt killing intent, Shija’s thoughts remained detached and calculated. His experience in blood-soaked clandestine operations and rigorous training allowed him to separate his emotions from his actions. However, the cloudiness in his eyes when looking at Lenia suggested that he might not be entirely free from emotional errors.

Lenia spoke first, her contempt and mockery undisguised. The malevolence inherent to the offspring of a great evil deity was on full display.

「Now, what should I do? If you had approached like Zebe with negotiations, I would have responded civilly. But if you confront me with killing intent and violence, should I respond in kind? Or should I mock you as a barbarian while responding civilly?」

Upon hearing Lenia’s words, Hadiya interpreted it as thinking that a civilized person wouldn’t look down on barbarians. Zebe understood it as Lenia’s sarcasm, indicating that even so-called civilized people were only that much. The correct interpretation was the latter, a difference stemming from Hadiya’s innocence and Zebe’s worldly knowledge.

「Would you like me to give you an answer?」

Shija’s killing intent was directed solely at Lenia, but to Lenia, who had fought the seven strongest beings in the world, Shija’s killing intent was a mere breeze. From Lenia’s perspective, a minuscule creature was barking, thinking itself equal to her. It was so laughable that it didn’t even evoke anger, only pity. Lenia waited for Shija to speak.

「You should just let me kill you effortlessly!」

An enormous amount of sand burst from the gaps in Shija’s clothing, rapidly filling the room. The significant difference was the sand’s red color. Lenia could clearly see that all the sand contained high heat. Shija had invoked fire spirits to imbue the sand with heat, generating friction heat by rubbing the sand particles together.

The heat was enough to ignite, but it didn’t because Shija’s invocation kept the heat contained within the sand. The red sand was hot enough to char flesh on contact. Despite releasing the sand to fill the large room, Shija’s rationality ensured the safety of Earthima, Hadiya, and Zebe by creating a safe zone around them.

「Hmm,」 Lenia muttered, mimicking her soul father’s catchphrase. She considered protecting the three herself but stopped when she saw that Shija had maintained his calm and created a safety zone. She turned her attention to the red sand closing in from all directions.

「Burn to the bone!」

「You’re trying?」

The red sand surrounding Lenia stopped an arm’s length away and pushed her outside. Once outside, Lenia used her telekinesis to levitate. The red sand, continuing to flow mid-air, was soon joined by Shija, who kept invoking spirits.

「Scorching Devourer!」

The red sand around Lenia formed giant beast mouths and attacked her simultaneously. This was either a unique technique or a family secret spirit magic. Lenia responded by creating semi-transparent dragon arms from her telekinesis, swatting the beasts away like insects. The high-density psychic and magical energy of the dragon arms easily dismantled the spirits’ power, reducing the sand to mere particles.

「Oops, can’t let this sand fall on the people below,」 Lenia said. She wiggled her right index finger, and the sand, which would have fallen on the people below, gathered into a ball and was gently placed on a nearby rooftop. Shija, who had killed many with his Scorching Devourer, now had a throbbing vein on his temple. He had to acknowledge Lenia’s overwhelming strength.

(What is this power!? I combined low-level wind and fire spirits with a mid-level spirit as the core, enhanced by magic tools and specialized sand! The output should reach high-level spirit power, yet…)

Shija’s shock didn’t disrupt his invocation, but he realized that his equipment meant to neutralize Earthima was insufficient against Lenia. He had confidence in winning against Earthima in a non-direct confrontation due to his control over sand particles, but Lenia was a different beast.

(I need to prepare for an ultra-high-level spirit mage or a high-level dragon kind.)

Suppressing his internal cursing about why such a monster was involved with the gift, Shija swiped his hands at Lenia.

「Blazing Catastrophe!」

Some of the red sand ignited, surrounding Lenia in a stream of fiery sand. Lenia’s vision was obscured by the rotating fiery sand. This spirit magic aimed to kill by burning, crushing, and suffocating the target, but Shija had no confidence in its success. He had already shifted his objective to analyzing Lenia’s power.

Just as Shija expected, overwhelming magic power formed the head of a thought dragon, blowing away the fiery sand and revealing Lenia unscathed. The dispersed sand was carefully gathered and placed on the roof again.

「Is that summoning? No, it’s thought magic!? To achieve such output with a barely researched magic?」

「Oh, you figured out my magic. Thought magic, which replicates psychic powers with magic, isn’t well researched, but that doesn’t mean all its users are mediocre. Some, like me, can surpass spirit-dependent users.」

As Lenia and Shija mentioned, thought magic wasn’t well researched, as it aimed to replicate psychic powers with magic. Spirit and high-level mythical beast or divine magic was more practical and effective, with more talented individuals available. The lack of research also meant a lack of countermeasures. Unfortunately for Shija, Earthima was still in the room, surrounded by a strong wind spirit’s power directed at him.

「I can’t keep relying on a girl I met today! Taste this, Romel brat!」

The power of the wind spirit in Earthima’s Soliga combined with her magic and spirit’s blessing, continuously increasing. Earthima swung Soliga with all her might, unleashing wind fangs that attacked Shija.

「Storm of Fangs!」

The wind fangs pierced through Shija’s sand defenses. Focusing on Lenia, Shija quickly created a hemispherical sand barrier to protect himself.

「You’re cutting in!」

Shija’s sand barrier was destroyed by the Storm of Fangs. He tried to evade Earthima’s attack by moving his sand platform but realized her wind-accelerated strike was faster. Shija created sand gauntlets to block Soliga’s strike, bracing himself.

The combined strength of Earthima’s formidable physique and wind spirit made her strike powerful enough to cut through thick steel armor. Shija attempted to infiltrate Earthima’s body with sand, but Hadiya’s intense prayer to the spirits disrupted his control.

(Damn gift!)

As Earthima prepared her next move, Hadiya’s prayer had reduced Shija’s control over the spirits. He could only control the sand on his platform and gauntlets.

Earthima loosened her grip on Soliga, spun around, and her long, thick tail struck Shija’s left arm. Shija’s sand gauntlet-wearing left hand hit his face, sending him flying. With blood in his mouth, Shija called out to the spirits. He saw Lenia smiling mockingly and Earthima preparing to follow up, but rationally decided to escape.

(I need better equipment and maybe even outside help.)

As Shija planned his escape, he felt an invisible force stop him mid-air. Sweat poured from his body as Lenia’s voice reached his ears.

「Don’t worry, I don’t want your life. But I can’t let you go without a souvenir.」

The invisible force crushed Shija’s bones from within, and he lost consciousness from the pain. True to her word, Lenia gently placed him on the ground and looked at Earthima and Hadiya with satisfaction.

「You’re not just relying on others. That’s why you caught my eye. But we can’t stay at the inn anymore. Time to find a new place…」

Lenia’s gaze landed on Zebe, who was brushing sand off her clothes.

「She was polite, so I’ll reward her.」

Lenia’s grin sent a chill down Zebe’s spine.

An hour later, Lenia, Earthima, Hadiya, and Zebe were in a room of a lavish mansion. The white stone mansion was clearly the residence of a wealthy or powerful person. Lenia, Earthima, and Hadiya were enjoying coffee in the dining room, though only Lenia seemed truly relaxed. Hadiya had her coffee with milk and sugar.

「This house is quite comfortable. It’s more than enough to replace the inn.」

Nodding in agreement, Lenia’s honest remark was met with Zebe’s exasperated response.

「Forcing your way into my house and saying that is a bit much, isn’t it?」

Zebe, who had stayed as an observer during the battle with Shija, was now forced to offer her mansion as Lenia’s next lodging. Lenia replied cheerfully to the exasperated Zebe.

「What are you talking about? I’ve given you the achievement of finding and detaining the gift and the Great Warrior. If we had escaped overseas, it would’ve been a major failure for your city.」

Earthima, finishing her coffee, added.

「If you’ve detained Lenia and us after defeating Shija of the Romel family, it’ll enhance the Maffa family’s reputation. I assume you allowed us to stay here because it benefits you.」

「You’re too insightful, Earthima. Keeping you within reach is indeed beneficial, but I didn’t expect you to be so brazen about it.」

Though complaining, Zebe’s courage in speaking to Lenia, who had overpowered Shija, was commendable. Hadiya, having drunk half her sweetened coffee, smiled hesitantly. Her previous shyness around Earthima had vanished.

「Thank you for having us.」

「Hadiya, your attitude has changed so much in a short time. Your bright expression suits you. But why didn’t you leave with Lenia? You had other options, like using a ship or heading to another city by land.」

This was Zebe’s genuine question. She sensed that Lenia had not shown her full strength and was curious about their decision to stay.

「While taking them abroad was an option, I have plans to visit other countries. I don’t want extra pursuers from unfinished business. I prefer to tie up loose ends.」

「What do you mean by tying up loose ends?」

Zebe’s expression grew serious, fearing Lenia might mean eliminating all of Chandra. Lenia laughed loudly at Zebe’s misunderstanding.

「I plan to remove the reason for pursuing Hadiya. Consider this, Zebe. Why did Hadiya survive? Is it really her who’s special?」

「Are you saying it might not be Hadiya who’s special?」

「I acknowledge her talents. But have you truly examined all possibilities?」

Unable to deny Lenia’s suggestion, Zebe’s expression was filled with doubt.