Veer shivered as he felt the touch of that man. The man who had come from nowhere. The man whose one hand was pressing on his shoulder.
Veer looked into the man's eyes. His pupils were deep purple behind the glasses. He wore spectacles that were unnaturally round and much larger than his eyes. The man touched his round hat and then stopped the blazing spear that emerged from nowhere. The spear struggled in his grasp as though trying to get out.
All around them was debris, so Veer could not even look around properly. He didn't know where that spear had come from. Was it another foe or friend? He could see no one in sight. The plaza had completely collapsed. There was dust all around.
Veer suddenly felt like he was losing his mind too. Just as he thought they could get out with Eleana and Sythris, this person was on them. Beads of sweat rolled down Veer's face as his expression became very grave.
More importantly, why was this bastard calling him an ingredient? Ingredient for what? He didn't know and absolutely didn't want to find out.
"Huh... What am I thinking...?"
"I need to get away from him..."
"But how do I get away from him?"
As Sebastian looked toward where the spear had come from, Veer felt something. He felt a gaze as he looked to his left.
It was Sythris.
She was crying.
Veer felt something terrible.
Why was she crying? Was it out of desperation?
What was it that he was feeling currently as he looked at her?
He looked at Sythris as her visage seemed a bit frightened, even though she was one of the strongest knights. That majestic presence dulled. Her blue armor seemed to fade, and her long black hair dulled.
When he looked at Eleana, who seemed even a bit happy as she clung to his hand, he didn't know what to do.
"Terror? Helplessness? Giving up?"
He reined in his thoughts as he seemed to not understand the situation. His eyes wandered to Sythris as his pupils dilated.
What was she doing? Why was her body glowing with white light?
Sythris's body gradually started to freeze like ice as her lips parted, as though she wanted to say something. Her whole figure became whiter and more ice-like, to the point that even Eleana's figure had paled. Her hair froze like crystalline ice. Her hands became white ice, as did her clothes. Her blue knight armor and cape had frozen like ice. All the dirt seemed to wash away as she became completely frozen. Her face became a culmination of white pearls that shone even in the bleak eclipse.
The ground beneath her was freezing as she exhaled. That movement seemed to confirm she was still a human.
Was she becoming an ice sculpture?
"Stop..." he shouted, but he suddenly felt a blur.
Sebastian pressed his hat as his gaze was already on the ice figure. His gaze seemed gentle, as though almost admiring the beauty of the sculpture. Veer felt something land on his face. It was snowflakes. Sebastian's hand was no longer there.
Sebastian appeared a short distance away. His right hand had a cut, and skin could be seen. Though it was not skin but something completely black, with something wriggling inside. Veer felt a shiver run through his spine. Even after all that was happening, Sebastian seemed completely abnormal. Was he even human?
Moreover, he was concerned about Sythris. She was not able to even move a few moments ago. Where was she pulling this transcendent move from? Veer had no idea, but he knew Sythris had to pay some major price for this.
Meanwhile, Sebastian looked at the torn area as though this was the first time someone had managed to tear his clothes.
Sythris appeared a short distance away, her hands gently holding an ice sword. Veer noticed that the sword looked familiar. Was... Was it not his sword?
He checked his waist. There was no scabbard and no sword. When did it go to her? So many things were happening that he had even forgotten the existence of his own sword.
As Sythris exhaled, the air transformed into snow as it fell down.
She said, her voice barely audible, "Run now... I... I will be okay."
Veer gritted his teeth as he knew what to do. Tears gently flowed as he grasped Eleana and ran. As he ran, the land quaked once again. Eleana followed, but her eyes kept looking backward.
Sythris's gaze focused on Sebastian as Sebastian said, "Wonderful... First time seeing the power of your physique."
"No wonder Breavan wanted you..."
"But how many moves can you perform before you become unconscious? Your body is already at its limit."
Sythris said, her voice faint, "One move is enough."
Sebastian pressed his hat as he said, "Okay, do it fast. I need to fight another guest and then go after him."
Sythris rotated her sword gently as she phased out of existence. Sizzling noises continued to appear as she briefly appeared all around Sebastian.
All around Sebastian, white glowing cuts appeared from one end to another, and even starlight congregated around those cuts. Not a single point remained where there wasn't one. Hundreds and hundreds of cuts made of ice particles tinged with starlight appeared all around Sebastian's body as he suddenly phased out of there.
"Impossible..." Sythris said weakly as she fell, her ice form slowly disappearing and her vision clouding again. Her radiance was there for a very brief moment, and she could not feel her body any longer.
She looked hatefully at Sebastian, who was perfectly unharmed and standing as though he had enjoyed a good drama.
"How did you? Escape this...?"
"I... I... burned my soul to create that all-attack space..."
Sebastian said, clapping, "Wonderful... simply wonderful... truly... but it's just a miracle I survived..."
Sythris looked up as she flatly fell. She looked at the sky that had darkened, and emerald and white lights climbed into the sky. She wondered if her small wish would ever come true. She tried looking to see if they had escaped. But all around was dust and debris, and she couldn't see Veer and Eleana's visages. She hoped to at least let them escape.
Sebastian said slowly, "You have given me enough entertainment. Please go to hell."
"While going, don't think they will escape..."
Sythris shuddered internally as she waited for that strike to land.
....
Moments ago, from a distance, John watched, opening his eyes barely as he looked into the distance.
He saw Sebastian preparing the ritual and saw Veer with Eleana and Sythris running.
He murmured, "Can you really run, Veer? Only after your sacrifice will the events conclude."
His hand pained as he groaned, "Bastard Marvis... how much time will it take to get myself in shape...?"
"Ahhhh..." Suddenly, he screamed.
He looked to see a girl so beautiful, with pointed ears, holding a knife. She was very similar to that Mythria girl. But he could not see her face clearly as his face was already mangled by Veer's punches and Marvis's brutal attacks.
The girl thrust the knife into John's thigh as he screamed, "Stoppppp...!"
"Who are you...?" "Stop..."
The girl didn't stop. She slashed and continued to thrust the knife into John's broken leg.
"Who even are you...?"
"Sebastian..."
"Stop her!"
"Someone, please stop her!"
The beautiful girl mangled his right leg completely as her face became covered in blood.
She moved up as she said, looking at John's battered face, "You will not die quickly..."
John trembled at her gaze, which appeared blurry to him, as she started again.
"You... ahhhh..."