26 - Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Dark Fantasy Revisited: Chapter 26 > North Rabbit - Web Novel Archive ────────── ▶Another Tale◀ This is yet another story. ────────── [A Celebration in the Family] [The long-delayed wedding has finally taken place] [Applause and Cheers] [Amidst everyone's blessings, the couple emerged] [The rumors were true] [The lady, who had been deteriorating day by day, has regained her health] [Her wrinkled and shadowed skin appeared as if reborn, so fresh] [The groom, who seemed to have lost all happiness, smiled brightly on this day] [However—] [Was it just a feeling] [The groom's bright smile seemed somewhat haggard] [It was as if the shadow cast on the bride had transferred to him] "Darres. What are you thinking?" “...” Feels like something from a long time ago Before she fell ill He remembers her smiles Surely such a bright smile Surely it was such a bright smile yet— Why does it feel "Darres?" Now her smile feels so alien "...No." It must be a feeling He shook off the unpleasant thoughts It’s the everyday life and happiness they arduously reclaimed Right now, all he can do is savor it —even if it's fake happiness, rotted and hollow inside ▶Destiny 41: Worm-eaten Happiness ────────── *** “Da, Damin!?” Todina screamed. The maid, Damin, who had been with her since childhood, suddenly transformed into someone else. ...Into an indescribably horrific being. An old man with white hair in a maid's uniform. The mental and physical shock (cornea) were tremendous. Todina tried desperately to hold onto her wavering mind. But the old man was equally bewildered. Gusra the dark wizard. He had spent years formulating this plan, months preparing the execution. All for the sake of perfection. And the outcome was indeed perfect. Z2dKbDJFSCtSbEo3WFlpUEN0eDQxWSt3TEMzV2UrSWpiWU00TVVyTFhsQWJRZlF1L2JHVWRSQzhWTUE3bjBYeg “How could this happen!!!” This was until Risir gave Todina a 'lucky coin’. Gusra regained his composure and swiftly escaped the carriage. Dangerous to be cornered in such a tight space! “Ah.” As soon as Gusra vanished, Todina felt dizzy and collapsed on the spot. "Take care of Todina." A chilling voice. Yet filled with intense emotion. Darres pulled out a staff adorned with a red gemstone at the tip and pursued Gusra. “Eltne!” “Yes, Topine!” Topine, too, entrusted Todina to her assistant, Eltne, and followed after the others. “Let’s go too.” Risir’s party joined the pursuit. Those whose souls were greatly harmed chased after the corrupted one. ** A blazing spear hurtled through the air towards Gusra. “Gah—” Gusra struggled to draw mana, destabilized by the sudden repelling magic. A black shroud formed around him, neutralizing the fiery spear. Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! The cycle of the fiery spear igniting and extinguishing upon contact with the shroud continued. The air around heated to the point of shimmering because of the intensity. The sequence finally came to a halt. “Why…!” Only after expending half his power, did Darres speak. "Why did you approach Todina… why did it have to be her!" "..." Dark blood trickled from Gusra’s nose and mouth. Due to the unstable state after the repelled magic, injuries accumulated from Darres's assault. The consecutive mana surges churned the old dark wizard's insides. "Darres, give me a moment." Topine healed Darres by his side. Nobody was by Gusra’s side. Even so, Gusra conjured a relaxed smile seasoned with age. "It didn’t necessarily have to be Todina. She merely fell into my hands as I reached out for an opportunity. Lay the blame where it belongs—on your lover’s weakness and folly." "Scoundrel!!!" Just as Darres's magic was calming, he flared up again and his body was engulfed in flames. "Darres!" Topine yelled in panic. Unchecked flames raged fiercely as if intending to incinerate everything. Darres’s skin dried up swiftly. "This...!" Gusra outwardly appeared overwhelmed but internally mocked Darres. 'Even with a Draeggon, you're still just a fledgling.' To lose one's cool so easily. Aged dark eyes gleamed like those of a snake before its prey. Draeggon Darres. In the future, a talent that could surpass even myself. But now? Too inexperienced to confront me. Gusra no longer viewed Darres as an adversary but merely as prey. Hence, the true threat he was wary of lay elsewhere. "..." Gusra’s gaze drifted from Risir’s party in the distance to the carriage. 'That lucky coin...' That was the real source of Gusra’s apprehension. 'The wretched bastard... Since those things approached the carriage, my power became unstable.' 'And the moment that lucky coin touched Todina—it repelled the power encroaching on her.' ‘That’s it. It must be destroyed!’ 'Before that foolish bastard realizes the value and potency within the coin!' Ultimately, Gusra found himself in a state of simultaneous leisure and anxiety. The best scenario he could envisage was for the young mage before him to succumb to his emotions and self-destruct. A gifted mage. A seasoned healer. And that damnable coin. Time was on their side. If delayed, the cost would be great. "Darres. Why have you stopped?" "…" "Is that enough? Your revenge for the humiliation of your lover at my hands, is it enough?" Gusra covered his face with his hand. His skin shifted, morphing back into the guise of a maid girl. "For several months. I spent a long time with Todina. Darres, aren't you curious about what happened when it was just the two of us?" He broke into a heinous laugh that no maid could ever produce. "…You fiend!!!" Fwoosh! Nearly explosive flames engulfed Darres. "Darres, calm down! He’s provoking you!" "How—how can I remain calm? How do you expect me to do that now!" "You must. Your state right now is too precarious! If this continues, you might experience mana overload, beyond just a mere surge!" "It doesn’t matter!!! If I can burn that vile wretch to ashes!!!" "Damn!" Scalding heat. Topine hurriedly distanced herself from Darres. 'What a disaster!' Their sole substantial combatant, Darres, falling prey to the dark wizard’s provocations and possibly self-destructing—Topine was consumed by the dread of witnessing the worst-case scenario. This was a prime example of how mismatched temperaments among those who wield fire could backfire. "Darn it—pull yourself together, Darres!!!" The mid-level healer, Topine, exerted all her power in an attempt to calm Darres. Her mana, carrying healing power, gently encased Darres, but— It was hopelessly scattered by the fierce energy consuming him. "Step aside." A poised demeanor and voice pushed Topine back. A snow-white girl approached Darres. "It's dangerous to get close now!" Her robe's hem singed from proximity to the flames' intense heat. Undeterred, she extended her arm towards Darres. The mercy of the progenitor embraced him. "...!” Darres’s pupils widened. His previously tense body and aura rapidly relaxed. Thud. He slumped down, using his staff to brace himself against the ground. The flames that had been consuming him had settled completely. "How…?" Topine was stunned. The girl's power was beyond the comprehension of a mid-level healer like Topine. For the girl, it was nothing significant. Casually achieving an astounding feat, she casually turned around and walked back to where she came from. Back beside Risir, Fienne glanced at him, snoring disdainfully. With a derisive yet elegant sneer, she spoke, "What do you think? You couldn’t do something like this with your power, could you?" “Hmph—” Risir gave a thumbs-up, an inscrutable gesture. "As expected of Fienne. Our party's treasure. Not only refraining from harming people, but now even saving them." "…Are you being sarcastic?" "Of course not! It's just a misinterpretation while trying to articulate your grandeur with my limited vocabulary. Is there perhaps a particular word or expression you’d lend me for it?" "Forget it. Just zip it." "You’re amazing. I love you. Hold me." Though Fienne turned her head in disdain, her expression twitched in a way that suggested she wasn't entirely displeased. "…" Gusra watched the two, dumbstruck. Having his plans thwarted was shocking enough— But the manner in which it happened was even more outrageous. "Topine…” "Darres! Are you alright!?" "Ah… Whatever happened, my head has cleared… I caused you concern…” "What an absurd thing to do!!!" Unable to hold back, Gusra shouted. Again. Again with this method. Everything had been going so well, only to be disrupted by their interference once more. "You worms—" The old dark wizard finally lost his composure. From every opening on his face, dark crimson blood spilled out. This was the price of drawing out his full magic power while in an unstable state. “...!” And, the price for drawing out all of the dark wizard's power would soon be paid. Gusra abandoned his initial plan of securing his target while minimizing losses. "I’ll kill you all. You filthy worms." *** Watching the entire scene unfold from a distance, Fienne spoke. “Shall we get going?” "Going?" "What, are we going to get involved over there?" Fienne glanced briefly at Gusra, grimaced, and shook her head. A dark wizard wielding power as ugly as his appearance. There was no reason for Fienne to risk herself by fighting Gusra. The same was true for Risir. "We’ve done enough. No, more than enough. Even if we took this opportunity to take their carriage, they wouldn’t have anything to say, right? Isn’t that so, Rona?" "Uh. Uh!? uh... I think so too. From here—it seems right to just go." Rona, who until just a moment ago had been asserting her masculinity, spoke with a demure tone. "You guys… crime is in your bones... your mindset is different from ours..." "We're not saying that kind of thing!" "...It’s a joke—I understand what Fienne wants to say." They had already provided sufficient help. There was no obligation to endure further risk to aid them. Risir understood this rationally. But then, why? Why couldn't he just leave them be, despite knowing that? Devotion and sacrifice? A peculiarly heroic nature? No, it's different. 'Is there anything that could truly be considered a risk...?' A hunch, stemming from Risir's power, told him so. There was no reason to avoid that dark wizard. Like there would be no reason to avoid an ant. “Haa.” Fienne sighed at Risir’s expression. "I know what you’re thinking right now. With the power you have, couldn’t you do something about it—that kind of vague thought, right? Let me ask, you do know that this situation—it’s different from these, right?” These? Rona's expression twisted with humiliation. But she had no words to contradict it and grimaced sourly. "Fienne. No matter how terrible, Rona wasn't that ghastly." "That’s not what I meant… Wait, are you saying I was ghastly?" "Really, what should I do with you? Can't you show even a little bit of seriousness?" Fienne spoke sternly, but internally, she understood Risir’s reaction. Like Risir, she couldn't consider the dark wizard a significant threat. Though she was reluctant to admit it—it was largely because the man named Risir was by her side. She couldn't exactly define it, but— In terms of 'that kind of power,' she couldn't envision him being humiliated. Just from the recent events, it was clear. "What was that?" To dispel a dark wizard of such power with just a 'coin.' Now, Fienne felt neither fear nor awe towards Risir's power. She was simply incredulous. "So, what do you want to do?" Fienne asked as Risir was still lost in thought. "First of all, I know you’re worried about me, Fienne. Honestly, I’m a bit moved." "W- worried? I wasn’t worried!" "Then let’s do it this way." "Just to let you know! I’m not helping, so get that straight." "I wasn’t planning to drag Fienne into this. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me." Fienne's lips twitched with defiance. "I won’t help, but… if you begged earnestly..." Mumbling. Risir didn’t hear Fienne’s grumbling as he headed toward the carriage. *** "Ahahahahaha!!!" A bizarre sound, somewhere between a scream and laughter, erupted from Gusra. "As expected of Draeggon! It’s so hot! So hot! But!" The flames scorching the old man's body dissipated. His once molten skin regenerated anew, adopting the smooth and delicate form of the maid girl—Damin. Gusra spoke. "Still immature. Immature indeed! If you thought you could burn this elder with such fire, what a profound miscalculation!" Huff— Darres and Topine were breathing heavily. "Darres, are you still alright?" "To be honest—I'm nearing my limits." "Damn—" They knew the dark wizard’s abilities were extraordinary. But to be late-stage Fifth Rank aspiring to the Sixth Rank was beyond their expectations. As the battle dragged on, defeat seemed increasingly certain, and they were acutely aware. Tsk. Gusra clicked his tongue as he looked at Darres. "What a pity! Truly a pity! To destroy such a quality vessel with my own hands!" "What about Damin… What have you done to Todina's maid?" "Darres, even now you worry about such a trivial girl? How noble. You need not worry about her. She’s become a precious puppet, diligently fulfilling other tasks. And let me tell you, the same process awaits your fiancée, Todina. Her body and mind will both be consumed by my power, turning her into a mere husk." "…" "Enough talk. Let’s end this. Who knows what might happen if that dreadful object stays with Todina any longer." "How dare you, with that filthy mouth— "Hehehe, come, young mage. Don’t you want to reclaim your lover?” The dark wizard gathered his strength once more. And the wizard and healer, reluctantly mustering their last reserves of power. It was just as the final confrontation was about to begin. “Darres!” Their attention turned toward the carriage. While they were engaged in battle, Risir had retrieved the coin he’d given Todina from the carriage and infused it with his power. ...An enchantment, the technical expertise learned spontaneously at that moment. "...!" Gusra physically shuddered at the sight of the coin in Risir’s grasp. ‘It’s certain! That’s a—relic!!!’ The evil power Gusra wielded shown extreme aversion to the energy contained in the coin. Destroy it! "Here, take this! It may be of some help!" The coin flew from Risir’s hand. “Where do you think—!!!” At that moment. Gusra’s arm bubbled and stretched infinitely in length. Thus, his hand in the air snatched the coin. Then, an explosion occurred right in his grasp. The collision of the coin’s power with Gusra’s resulted in a shockwave that swept the surroundings. It all happened in a mere instant. “Huh—Huh—Huh—” Gusra's elongated arm. Half of Gusra's face. They were melting like mud. Yet Gusra wore a victorious smile. "It seems your wretched fortune ends here." Destroying the relic was tremendously exhausting for Gusra. The fatigue built from ongoing combat with Darres was insignificant in comparison. But that was alright. Now nothing could stand in his way. Darres and Topine, finally grasping the situation, showed despair in their expressions. Gusra relished their reactions, though he couldn’t afford to indulge. His own limits approached. “Annoying pests.” The dark wizard muttered grimly as he moved forward. "Uh… wait!" Once again interrupted by the bastards' voice. "There’s one more! Please take it!" "?" What, like pulling out an ordinary coin from a pocket. Gusra doubted his ears and his expression turned to one of utter despair.