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The One on Top – Part 05

In her left hand, she held a short, black wand that was about sixty centimeters long, while her right hand was resting on the red elemental magic stone at the tip of the wand.

“This is the truth, the divine law, the guidepost of the elementals. Through the knowledge of the elementals imparted to them in the presence of the divine, let the truth be revealed and made manifest in this world of turmoil.”

Anyone nearby would have felt a tingling sensation in their ears. White sparks of light flickered around her body. Unlike the other spells she had cast before, there was no appearance of a magic circle. Her body simply emitted a bright white glow.

“I walk a holy path, a path of atonement for my sins. The road ahead is arduous. Tribulations tower like mountains all around me. Fear may shrink my heart…”

Light ran along the black wand. No one, not even Lavia herself, knew that the light came from the Fire Drakon’s mane wrapped around it.

“Let pure light shine on the eternal void and illuminate the dark and narrow path.”

Lavia released the blinding light.

It was a new spell that she was able to use after obtaining the Holy stat on her Soul Board—a hybrid magic spell of the Fire and Holy attributes.

---

“Jillarte, aim for the leg!”

Lavia had finished reciting the incantation. Hikaru threw his suntetsu with all he got.

“Gwwwooooaahh!”

Kouga, his leg shattered, continued swinging his sword. Jillarte parried it, but Kouga had swords in both hands, and one came straight down.

“No, you don’t!”

Selyse jumped in from the side and blocked the strike.

“Haaahhh!”

Jillarte stepped forward and spun, using the momentum and her full weight to destroy Kouga’s other leg. He collapsed on the ground.

“Get out of there!”

“Over here!”

Selyse grabbed Jillarte by the collar and pulled her away from Kouga.

Such bright and divine light could only be a sign of a spell being cast. All Jillarte and Selyse could do was watch with eyes wide open.

“Atonement Flame!”

As the white flames, swirling like a tornado, engulfed Kouga, an indescribable scream tore from his throat. Strangely enough, the flames were not hot at all. Jillarte, who was standing nearby, didn’t need to move away.

“Dad…”

Jillarte rose unsteadily to her feet. Kouga, his hands on the ground, was being burned by the sacred flames. He looked as if he was apologizing for something.

“Dad… Dad! Why did you have to die?! Why did you leave me all alone?!”

The flames devoured Kouga’s body little by little.

“Why?! You could’ve lived even if you lost!”

He was but a voiceless shell, incapable offering a response to her anguished cries. She flung a barrage of questions. Lashed out at him. She couldn’t contain the emotions raging in her heart.

“No… I didn’t want you to die.”

Her voice filled with tears of despair. Kouga’s body had reduced in size considerably, the raging inferno now weaker.

“I’m sorry, Jillarte. You’ve grown so much.”

Jillarte thought she heard a voice.

As the Leader of the Confederacy, Kouga bore countless responsibilities and heavy pressure. But to Jillarte, he was her one and only father—sweet, cool, and sometimes pathetic.

“I forgive you.”

So she forgave her father.

“You apologized, so I forgive you. I will live for you too. I’ll live with the rest of the Dragonfolk.”

Tears streamed down Jillarte’s cheeks, glistening in the white light.

“Huh?” Lavia gasped.

The short wand in her hand was trembling slightly. One of the hair wrapped around it came undone and flew through the air. Floating like a tiny drakon, it was sucked into the remaining embers.

“Then I shall forgive too.”

Hikaru and Lavia were the only ones in the arena who knew that voice.

It was no doubt the voice of the Fire Drakon that Hikaru met in the deepest part of the Forest of Deception, the same drakon that appeared in the skies of G. Ponsonia.

The hair melted away, and Kouga’s body crumbled away like sand.

“Dad… dad,” Jillarte sobbed.

She looked more like a child than a young woman. Selyse, who was close by, noticed a change in her.

“Y-Your body…”

The scales dotting Jillarte’s body peeled away, and her once-cloudy eyes gained a brilliant amber hue. Her hair, red as flames, turned glossy.

The transformation was not only happening to her. The Half Dragons fighting the Undead in the audience seating let out a collective gasp.

“What?! What is happening?!”

“My scales are coming off!”

“Even better… My body feels light!”

Their bodies were changing.

“I can’t believe it,” Utekko mumbled dumbfoundedly. “Has the curse of the Dragonfolk been lifted?”

---

Hikaru was running.

He noticed the curse of the Dragonfolk being lifted, but he wasn’t just about to let things end right there.

You’re not getting away with this.

He couldn’t let the Mage who violated Jillarte’s memories and used forbidden magic to control the dead get away.

Ryver had long since fled, and the Mage in the audience seating had disappeared. But with the caster gone, the number of Undead would not increase any further, and with the Atonement Flame proven effective, Lavia could take care of them. The situation would soon be brought under control.

Hikaru decided to give chase.

Going after Ryver would be difficult, so he chose the Mage instead. As soon as he stepped out of the arena, he spotted them.

The Mage was trying to blend in with the fleeing spectators. Fortunately, that meant they wouldn’t use a carriage, but he would lose sight of them soon enough.

“There’s no other way.”

Hikaru booted up his Soul Board and added points to a particular stat.

【Soul Board】Hikaru
Age: 15 | Rank: 22 | 0

【Vitality】

【Magical Power】

【Strength】
【Muscle Strength】2
【Weapon Mastery】
【Projectile】2

【Agility】
【Power Burst】1
【Balance】1
【Stealth】
【Life Cloaking】4
【Mana Cloaking】4
【Imperceptibility】5 (MAX)
【Assassination】3 (MAX)
【Group Cloaking】3

【Instinct】
【Detection】
【Life Detection】1
【Mana Detection】3
【Expanded Detection】0

When Hikaru defeated the White Dragon, his Soul Rank went up by one. He put his two available points on Mana Detection just now. A new stat called Expanded Detection appeared, which was what he needed at the moment, but unfortunately he had no points left.

“Oh…”

His detection range jumped from ten meters to fifty meters. Furthermore, the target he was chasing was a Mage—their mana signature was huge and clearly visible, a black flame rising up from amidst the crowd.

Black mana… This is the first time I’m seeing it.

While there were some blackish and whitish hues to it, the color of mana was primarily blue. Yet hers was black—probably something unique to her.

Hikaru followed the mana to a deserted back alley, where two men were waiting for her.

“It hurts like hell.”

“Hahaha. Pretty face ruined. You let your guard down, Ryver.”

“I did not.”

There was Ryver, applying potion on the burn marks on his face and body caused by Hikaru’s magic item, and a stocky man with a huge shield on his back, who looked like a hill.

“Where’s my brother?” Caddie ran up to them. “I did my best so he would praise me. I even cleaned up your mess, Ryver.”

Three of the four Rising Falls members were gathered there; their leader didn’t seem to be around.

Hikaru was not stupid enough to engage a Rank A party by himself. His Stealth prevented them from noticing him, but one move would give him away.

Maybe if I subdue one of them, I can expose whatever they’re plotting? No, the other two will make a move. They could kill them, and it’s dead men tell no tales. What to do, then… Just give up? Absolutely not.

“Where is my brother?!”

“He’s not here. Gerhardt should be dead, so let’s head back to the hotel first.”

“Huh. Couldn’t fight someone strong. I could’ve taken Gerhardt myself.”

“His Holiness doesn’t want that.”

“Is that so? Is Gerhardt really dead?”

“Of course he’s dead. I used a poison that would kill a normal person instantly even if it was diluted a hundred times.”

They strolled away. Despite wreaking such havoc, they just walked as if nothing happened.

Bastards…

They almost killed Jillarte and Gerhardt, and even trampled on Jillarte’s heart. Someone had to punish them.

Oh, right.

He was right here.

Hikaru decided that if no one could touch these people, then he would break them, pride and all.