Concert (5)
A jarring dissonance that seems to ravage the eardrums.
As the unsettling melody reverberates, the blood-red sea surface quakes as if struck by an earthquake.
Moments later, a colossal wave forms and crashes toward the shore.
We, standing on the sand, step back in hesitation.
Thundering booms.
The ground trembles.
As if aiming to reach the sun hanging in the sky, the dark crimson waves rise to unimaginable heights.
The blood-like water churns, boiling violently.
With such a potent concentration of malice infused, the substance was as corrosive as acid.
It would dissolve anything it touched instantly.
"We have to stop it."
"Right."
With a brief response, Charlotte steps forward.
She grips her sword with both hands, taking a step toward the incoming tidal wave.
Her clear eyes show not a hint of hesitation.
As mana gathers at her fingertips,
a radiant light bursts from the blade.
"Cut through."
Her lips part slightly.
Following her sword's swing through the air, a fierce slash tears through the crimson mist, shooting forward.
A single beam of light collides head-on with the massive wave.
And then—
BOOM!
The approaching wave shatters into pieces.
Blood-red water scatters as fine mist, reduced to mere droplets that barely reach the shore.
While I shield myself with a shadow umbrella, Charlotte, catching her breath next to me, murmurs.
Even though it was just a single clash, it seemed she had used considerable energy.
"That... hurt my hand."
"The power was beyond ordinary."
"I gave it my all, and I barely managed to block it."
Charlotte opens and closes her stinging hand, glancing at her reaction, as if the strain was overwhelming. I murmur, a bit concerned.
"This time, it seems to have drawn an unusual amount of power."
The strength had surpassed our expectations.
The Conductor’s apparition.
Normally, Charlotte would have subdued it effortlessly. Perhaps because it had been lying dormant for some time, its preparations were intense.
It was surprisingly unexpected.
Using this much power must have been a burden even for it.
I pondered as I spoke.
"It seems this will be no easy fight."
"Indeed."
"Are you alright, Your Highness?"
"I’m fine. But do you know anything about these strange occurrences?"
"Well..."
I knew about the Conductor.
It had appeared relentlessly in the original story.
Wherever its music lingered, nightmares came to life.
Melodies steeped in malice ensnared people, corrupting their essence and transforming them into beings that could no longer seek refuge in the divine.
The victims would turn into monsters, locked in an endless cycle of slaughter and performance.
'It wasn’t called the worst catastrophe for nothing.'
An ability optimized for mass destruction.
Of course, it doesn’t start at such a vast scale.
The beginning is a small seed.
A "concert."
A virtual space created by the Conductor.
It traps a few hosts inside.
Then it waits until they absorb enough malice.
Once a complete transformation occurs, it releases them beyond the boundary.
Its ferocious melody spreads like a virus, devastating everything around it.
The cathedral we’re in now was no different.
It was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
If we failed to defeat the boss in time, the malice accumulating inside would go berserk.
It would at least wipe out an entire village.
Or worse—
Considering it had used more power than usual, this time, it might even swallow up nearby villages.
Thinking of the devastation it would cause, we had to stop it.
'The solution is straightforward.'
The Conductor’s domain is sustained by its "apparition."
Think of it as the strongest host. Most malice coalesces around such a presence, expanding in size.
In other words, it’s the heart of the concert.
So, if the apparition is neutralized, the domain loses its stability and collapses.
I pointed toward the woman in the distance.
"We just need to subdue that person."
"Easier said than done."
"Is it that difficult?"
"Killing her might barely be possible."
"Ha... Please try to hold back. She may look like that, but she’s someone who’s helped me in various ways."
"There’s no other choice. With my abilities, capturing her alive is too difficult."
Charlotte shook her head, her brow furrowing as if something seemed off.
"Does it even make sense to capture her?"
"Hmm?"
"She’s been consumed by malice. She’s beyond saving, so why bother capturing her alive?"
"Just follow my instructions for now. You’ll understand soon enough."
"If you say so... I’ll try."
The girl fiddled with her sword.
Perhaps because the impact of the first clash was stronger than expected.
Charlotte held her throbbing wrist, but her frenzied opponent was in no mood to sympathize.
The woman standing in the middle of the ocean continued her performance.
*Keeeeeek—!*
She placed her bow on the strings.
Following the elegant gesture that follows, an unbearably unpleasant melody resonates.
Could such a dreadful pitch come from a violin?
"It's coming."
Rumble-!
The surface shakes once more.
The boiling blood scatters in all directions.
They slowly rise into the air and soon solidify into the shape of sharp swords.
Hundreds of blood swords were glaring at us.
On the crimson sea, against the backdrop of the crimson sky, the gathering of crimson swords was truly overwhelming.
Nevertheless.
"······."
The girl exhales calmly.
An unwavering posture.
Thud-!
She thrusts the sword she was holding into the ground.
As it sinks deep into the sand, Charlotte firmly grips it and unleashes the mana within her body.
A dazzling light flashes over her blue eyes.
With the surging aura behind her, her rosy lips recite the incantation.
The incantation to unfold her domain.
"Sword, be dyed."
-Charlotte Ryu's Domain Swordsmanship Secret Technique-
'Ashen Garden'
Rumble-!
Vines made of steel rise from the ground, swirling around us as if embracing us.
The stems intertwine and cut each other.
Thus, a grand landscape is created.
A garden of roses unfolds magnificently.
As Charlotte lightly twists her sword, thousands of blades scatter like petals.
They are launched, riding the ensuing storm.
Boom-!
The shaking shoreline.
Each raging storm soon collides and mixes fiercely.
Blood and petals splatter everywhere.
"Haa···."
Amidst the fierce explosion, she aims her sword.
In Charlotte's once-clear pupils, a woman playing a dissonant tune was now reflected.
***
Charlotte, and the conductor's apparition.
The battle continued fiercely.
The apparition pushed with an overwhelming quantity of demonic energy, and each time, Charlotte mitigated the crisis with appropriate defense or counterattack.
Especially when the sword energy hit from afar, the waves shook greatly.
"······."
I was observing the situation.
Even in battle, I only played a light supporting role, not attempting any direct strikes.
I intended to assess how much Charlotte had grown.
Having a clear standard for the present is necessary to execute plans for the future.
Charlotte didn't particularly object to my stance.
-I don't intend to reveal your identity. You don't seem like a bad person.
-I'm just curious about who you are.
She seemed to think that since she knew about my power, she could handle it herself.
The girl focused solely on her fight.
Clang! Clatter···! Thud!
The conductor's apparition.
Charlotte was engaged in a neck-and-neck battle.
Originally, this enemy was supposed to appear around the second year, but it was encouraging that she was evenly matched despite being in the first year.
Unlike the children I directly intervened in growing, Charlotte was developing entirely on her own, proving her talent worthy of being called the greatest genius in the story.
Of course.
'That doesn't mean she's perfect.'
Since she was still in the first year, there was a difference from the third-year Charlotte I remembered.
There was room for further development in her swordsmanship.
And her ultimate move, 'Ashen Garden,' hadn't yet fully matured.
These aspects would likely be resolved with time.
'She's a genius, after all.'
At least regarding growth, there seemed to be no need for concern.
Although there were complex issues related to 'Rose,' they were matters I could easily resolve.
I organized the situation in my mind.
While lost in thought.
Suddenly, Charlotte, standing in front of me, staggered.
Seeing her kneel on one knee, it seemed her stamina was running out.
Her ragged breath escaped her lips.
"Haa, haa···."
The girl's domain was half-destroyed.
The once sturdy garden was broken, and the roses that bloomed with steel were wilted.
Perhaps due to a lack of mana, even the foliage appeared withered.
Charlotte caught her breath for a moment, then looked at me expressionlessly.
"Sorry. This is my limit."
Was subduing them too much to ask?
A declaration of surrender reached my ears.
I nodded.
"You did well, Your Highness."
"If the goal was to kill, I might have succeeded. But capturing them alive was difficult."
"You'll become stronger in the future, so it's fine."
"You asked me to buy time. Was this enough?"
"It was more than enough."
"I'm glad."
Charlotte faintly smiled and then sat down completely.
She didn't seem particularly afraid.
No, it felt more like her emotions were simply subdued.
She was a girl spanning multiple dimensions in many ways.
Leaving the exhausted princess behind, I took a step toward the apparition glaring at us.
The woman was still standing in the middle of the sea, playing her violin.
"Are you okay? It's usually not difficult for you."
"No problem."
"Yeah. With your power, it should be possible."
"Even though the sea is full of magic, if you cross it in one breath, it's over."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Just for a moment, it would be nice if you could attract attention."
"Got it."
"I'll give the signal."
I project a blue screen into the air.
It's to check the remaining output.
-Ding!
[Current Remaining Output: 82.7%]
It was a comfortable figure.
While lightly stretching my fingers, I immediately spoke to the girl.
A signal to determine the timing to step forward.
"It's now."
"Okay."
Srrrng-.
Charlotte grabs the sword she had dropped again.
She closes her eyelids as if concentrating for a moment and gathers all the remaining mana within her body.
A blue aura swirls around her.
Whoosh-!
An unnecessary gust of wind covers the sandy beach.
A brilliant halo emanates from the tip of the sword.
A radiance dyed in pure white.
As if confronting the crimson landscape, a single sword strike rains down like a white curtain.
It was a dazzlingly splendid scene that drew attention.
"Kyaaa!!"
Did they sense the unusual atmosphere?
The apparition opens its eyes wide.
From its lifeless cheeks, rotten blood drips like tears.
The woman adjusts her grip on the bow she was lowering. She seemed to be preparing for the impending attack.
In the blackened pupils, only the platinum hair is reflected.
However.
"That's just a decoy."
It was a full-powered fake.
By pouring all the remaining mana into it, it was merely a harmless light show.
In other words, an all-out bluff.
The real deal was behind.
Clap-!
The sound of applause rings out cheerfully.
The next moment.
I am standing behind the apparition.
Surprised, it turns around, but I was faster in grabbing its neck.
Crunch-!
"······!"
The dead lips couldn't even scream.
As I held its neck with the intent to break it, the apparition flailed its limbs as if trying to shake me off.
It was a futile struggle.
The shadows I had already unleashed bound the woman's body.
Like a figure caught in a spider's web.
"······!!"
Was this its last resistance?
It plucks the strings of a violin.
Twang-!
A harsh noise resounds, and the demonic energy lying beneath the sea begins to swirl.
The crimson traces mix into a massive wave.
It seemed intent on swallowing us into the ocean.
Crash!!
With a bizarre sound, the waves convulse.
The scattered demonic energy in the air converges at a point, forming a crimson cloud that settles into a massive storm.
It was a fierce energy incomparable to before, befitting a final stand.
But I was not shaken.
"······Heh."
Instead, I sneered.
It was a vain, meaningless gesture.
Harboring petty sympathy.
"Hear my call."
I calmly recite an incantation.
"The Lord immediately said, 'Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.'"
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward the Lord.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink. He cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Lord immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
And when they got into the boat.
"The wind ceased."
I lifted my eyelids.
Transparent, pure white pupils.
They gleamed eerily, holding both light and darkness.
Following the sacred verse of the gospel, the stormy sea calmed down.
A serene landscape without even a hint of noise.
"Calling the lost sheep."
I infuse my fingertips with lies.
The creeping shadows turn the surrounding air black.
And then.
"Shatter."
A straightforward declaration tying up all sins.
Large cracks appear in the sky above.
Crack, crackle-!
As if a mirror were breaking.
The background covered in a mist of blood shatters, revealing the blue sky through the fragmented gaps.
The woman's body, which had been restrained, gradually regains vitality.
Medro Gardnier.
Her eyes blink blankly.
As if she couldn't distinguish whether the current scene was a dream or reality.
Because she had been trapped in a nightmare until just moments ago.
"Master, are you...?"
A faint voice.
I quietly embrace her.
Then whisper softly in her ear.
"Let's go back, my child."
Before we knew it.
We were standing above the blue sea.
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