༺ God of Combat (2) ༻
1.
Duchess Tiphereth was jumping between the buildings when she noticed it.
COEX, the huge exhibition center in Seoul, was surrounded by a massive circular barrier.
Inside the magic barrier that was manifested by the Formal Wear, people were probably dying.
She figured that before anything, she had to destroy the flute first.
Barriers, no matter what kind it was, had a key part; Either a core or a catalyst.
In this situation, the barrier’s core would be Dagon’s Flute.
To prevent more damage, it was obvious that she had to break down the barrier.
But she couldn’t figure out where the flute was.
Though, this was normal, because that was how barriers usually worked.
One set a barrier to keep prying eyes out, or to prevent anyone from moving in and out of certain areas.
Its purpose was to separate everything inside the barrier to the outside world, or to create a whole new world inside.
This was why the cops and journalists, who didn’t know anything about this mysterious event, found themselves perplexed as they were unable to investigate or enter the building.
Something that could make Sua, the Witch Point’s branch manager who’d have to handle the aftermath of this incident, the biggest incident in the century, let out a sigh of relief.
At the moment, the situation wasn’t that urgent.
Eloa began chanting a spell.
“Hereby, I declare a covenant.”
A subtle mana glow emanated from her magenta eyes as the ‘Light of Truth’ started flickering within.
Tiphereth’s self-essence magic was known as the ‘Covenant Magic’.
As in its nature, covenants always came with a price.
From the moment of her declaration, she’d be able to see through all kinds of illusions and deceptions.
Once the covenant was complete, she’d lose her vision for an hour. That was the price she had to pay to gain the power through her covenant.
As the power flowed into her eyes, the barrier that previously clouded her vision turned as clear as glass.
“Ah…”
Several kilometers away, on the rooftop of COEX, Eloa spotted the flute she was looking for.
Suddenly, bloodlust filled her eyes.
Because there was a knight who looked exactly like the Red Knight she had been chasing for, except that its color was white.
If it was only this much, her reaction wouldn’t be this intense.
But then she found a black-armored knight engaged in a fierce battle against the White Knight.
When she saw this black figure, she felt a surge of emotion.
Because of the two ribbons extending from the knight’s back.
Their colors were slightly different than she remembered, but there was no way she could mistook that appearance.
It was Ea Sadalmelik’s self-essence magic. The archenemy who had taken the life of her beloved Ravi, whose death she hadn’t forgotten for a single second.
From their design and the way the knight used them, the ribbons were definitely the ‘Maiden’s Loom’.
“I knew it—!”
At that moment, her heart was filled with joy.
She couldn’t even begin to describe how elated she felt.
The sensation burned away all her boredom, depression and lethargy that she had felt for the past few days.
“I knew it, I knew it—! There’s no way you could have died just like that!!”
‘She is alive!’
‘Ea Sadalmelik is alive!’
Just as she had hoped, Ea was alive and well, and she was doing the things she always loved to do.
The pleasure coursing through her veins revitalized her, bringing life back to every strand of her withered body.
But her expression quickly stiffened.
Because for some reason she was engaging in close combat, using a sword and a shield. Perhaps because the aftermath of Baroness Marigold attack was still affecting her?
But the reason didn’t matter, the fact that she was using swordsmanship was.
Because the technique she used, the way she parried, effortlessly deflecting the White Knight’s thrusts…
The overhead strike, honed to perfection as it cleanly severed the White Knight’s body in half…
They were all too familiar to her… She knew that she was deluding herself, but she couldn’t help but hold a tiny hope…that the one beneath that armor was her beloved Ravi…
It felt unreal, but it was undeniably real.
There was no way she’d be able to forget Ravi’s swordplay and her unique way of moving her body.
Ravi, whom she loved more than anyone else, had inherited the ‘Myriad Weapons Mastery’ covenant.
And Ea shamelessly wielded the covenant that she had stolen as if it were her own.
Her mind that once filled with joy, turned into a chaotic mess, as if it was thrown into a muddy swamp.
Blood trickled from her slightly shut lips.
She felt humiliated. It was a bitter and mocking insult to her.
‘…Kill.’
‘I’ll kill you…’
‘There’s no way I’ll let you die an easy death…’
An urge to completely break Ea, turning her into a miserable wreck, getting her to regret all the things she did, begging for her death, surged inside Eloa’s heart.
Her foot propelled her body through the empty air with incredible speed.
In an instant, she landed on the rooftop of the shopping mall, swiftly dispatching the three White Knights who’d definitely become obstacles to her mission.
Their identities and their relationship to the Red Knight held no importance to her anymore.
The only thing that mattered was what lay before her.
An opportunity to pour out a century-long yearn for vengeance, loathing, and resentment upon the witch who was patiently awaiting her arrival.
“I came to keep my promise.”
Seeing the sight of Ea, clad in a grotesque shadow armor, trying to mimic the appearance of a knight repulsed her.
The ‘Myriad Weapons Mastery’ Covenant was not meant for this imposter.
Eloa herself was the one who forged it, alongside with a bowl, solely for Ravi’s sake.
She stomped on the ground.
Using the power of six covenants, she strengthened her body.
She planted her feet on the ground.
The concrete floor distorted, as if it was soft mud, while her legs stood firm as if fused with the very ground itself.
A powerful Ki Burst1the raw said Ki instead of mana, representing the essence of martial arts. Regardless of its origin, the shadow armor was crushed as if it was an insect’s outer shell, the impact reached the person inside of it.
“You haven’t forgotten me, have you?”
‘Annoying crap.’
A sarcastic smile crept on her lips.
2.
Eloa felt a satisfying feeling in her hands.
“Phew…”
Looking at Ea, clad in black armor, tumbling backward in a sorry state, she ended her task with a sigh.
Even after defeating her foe, she remained vigilant, maintaining a steady rhythm of breath while surveying her surroundings.
When the caster lost consciousness, the shadow armor scattered into nothingniess.
Expecting to see her old enemy contorted in agony, when she saw what actually happened, Eloa’s body stiffened in disbelief.
“…A…man?”
That was what came out of her mouth after she discovered the identity of the person using the ribbon and the stolen covenant.
Unlike what she had anticipated, the person wasn’t Ea Sadalmelik.
In fact, she wasn’t even sure if the man was a witch or not.
Despite his torn eyelids and the fact that half of his face was covered by blood, she could tell that he had a handsome face.
He was dressed in jeans and shirt, the very definition of a man of the modern world.
This unexpected twist left her flabbergasted, unsure of what to do next.
‘Is this some elaborate scheme?’
She double-checked, trying to ensure that the man wasn’t trying to deceive her with illusionary magic.
But the mana within his brand was pure.
Moreover, the covenant that allowed her to see through illusions was still intact.
“What…is this…?”
Eloa carefully reached out and touched him in her confusion.
Since she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, she decided to use her other senses to make sure that it wasn’t an illusion.
‘This is…a spirit body…’
She could feel his well-toned muscles through his clothes, as a spirit body naturally maintained the perfect condition of one’s body.
‘Is there a magic that can change your genders and bodies…?’
‘Has there ever been a man who used such powerful magic in history?’
‘Maybe this is part of Ea’s trickery…?’
‘She’s trying to bait me out, isn’t she?’
Amidst severe confusion, the only person who could provide her with answers was already unconscious.
“T-This…”
“Move aside!”
Suddenly, a witch showed up on the rooftop.
She was a witch with dark green hair, dressed in a witch outfit, wearing leather boots and holding a wand.
“Step back or I’ll immediately attack.”
Her vivid green eyes seemed to glimmer with a reflective light.
The newcomer, most likely an Exile, seemed to have some connection to the unconscious man.
Seeing that she hadn’t launched any attacks yet, it meant that she was afraid that the man would get caught up in her attacks.
“Are you the one responsible for this?”
“Bullshit! I’d never— Huh?”
At that moment, the mana that was gathered at the tip of the wand vanished like a blown candle.
“A-Are you…Duchess Tiphereth…?”
“Correct.”
Her pink hair was distinctive even among the witches, and there was the ‘Sword of Covenant’ in her hand.
Sharon, who hurried to COEX after hearing the news from the twins, managed to identify the person who seemed to have attacked Siwoo just from that.
It was a known story that the Duchess was going around the modern world, trying to seek revenge for her apprentice who was murdered a hundred years ago.
“But…why did you attack Siwoo?”
However, the rumors she had heard never mentioned that she was a wicked witch.
After all, she was the one who took the initiative to establish the Witch Point when other witches would try their best to avoid dealing with Homunculi and criminal Exiles.
Regardless, Sharon knew that there was no way for her to confront the Duchess, no matter how prepared she was.
That was why she decided to start a conversation with her instead of making any rash moves.
“Just in time then. Who is this man?”
Sharon had shown that she had no intention of fighting, but the Duchess still kept her sword raised.
Moreover, the aura surrounding her made it seem that she was prepared to strike down anyone, including both her and Siwoo, if necessary.
“He’s my friend, he’s definitely not a bad person! There seems to be a misunderstanding! He fought here to solve this incident! Just a while ago, the apprentices of the Gemini—”
“This man was using the self-essence magic of both Ea Sadalmelik and my apprentice witch. Do you really think that I’d pass it off as a misunderstanding?”
With her words abruptly cut off, Sharon found herself speechless.
Who was Ea Sadalmelik?
She was the witch who was infamous for the murder of Duchess Tiphereth’s apprentice witch.
Sharon was aware that Siwoo had faced off against that same Ea, and because of the life-threatening situation that came of it, he became a witch, but this was the first time that she heard about him using the wicked witch’s self-essence magic.
But, despite not knowing all the details, she trusted him.
Though she couldn’t figure out the complexities of the situation, she was sure that he was a good person.
It was unimaginable for her that he would trouble the Duchess, let alone committing an atrocious act against her.
Her past experiences and memories strongly supported this belief.
However, this judgment came from her personal experiences.
The Duchess, who lacked such experiences, wouldn’t back down and believed a third party’s words just like that.
“I know that this is a strange situation, but he really is unrelated to this! He might be a bit of an idiot, but he’s a kind and good person, he would never hurt anyone for no reason!”
“You…I don’t know who you are, but if you’re here to save a suspicious man in the middle of this mess, there’s no way I’d be able to trust you. Step back. If you make even the slightest move, I’ll cut you down.”
As if to prove that she wasn’t bluffing, the Duchess firmly gripped her sword with both hands.
In the tense atmosphere, Sharon finally could see the Duchess’ eyes, and she managed to confirm something.
The fact that the Duchess had no intention of hearing her words from the very start.
She didn’t even try to clear up the misunderstanding.
No matter what she said, there was no way that she could convince the Duchess.
“Come to think of it, you are also suspicious. Aren’t you an Exile? Is this some kind of plot to get Ea out of here? There’s a chance that she reincarnated herself to be this man or something. Tell me, did you receive someone’s instructions? Or maybe someone had put you under their spell…”
“N-No, that’s not it…”
“The Witch of Aquarius is a cunning one. Three times. She slipped out of my hands three times using methods that I never expected. Even though I’ve never let my guard down, never for a moment, yet she still managed to escape. If this man has any connection to her, there’s a chance that you’re being tricked by her too.”
Eloa kept on talking, her composure had long crumbled.
Despite her strength, she sounded so stressed out and powerless.
Her demeanor suggested that she was trying to convince herself rather than Sharon.
“Well…it isn’t a bad idea to end it this way anyway. It would be better that way, no?”
Eloa aimed her previously straight sword toward the fallen Siwoo.
Despite everything, she never actually intended to end his life.
It was just a tactic to see how the feigned unconscious man and Sharon would react.
She believed that if she were to threaten the man’s life, she could uncover the truth and get the answer she was looking for from whoever among the two who held the secret.
“No!”
As she had expected, Sharon reacted rather fiercely.
Flames erupted, forming a barrier that obscured her view.
Vines emerged from the cement, intercepting the sword that was aimed at Siwoo’s throat.
With a burst of energy, Sharon dashed forward, determined to rescue Siwoo from harm’s way.
The way she adeptly handled three different types of magic made it clear that she was a remarkable witch.
However, her opponent was just in an entirely different league than her.
“Kyaa!”
In the middle of her charge, Sharon found herself caught by her neck.
Her leg was ripped from the ground as she was hung in mid-air before being forcefully slammed into the cement,
What just happened hadn’t even registered in Sharon’s brain, but the Duchess had already put more strength in her grip.
“I’ve warned you to not move.”
Seeing the Duchess’ face in such close proximity, Sharon once again knew what was going on with her.
On her face, there was madness and some kind of fanaticism.
Though her eyes were pretty, they were lifeless.
It was clear that she was not in the right mind.
She was consumed by a vengeful rage, clearly on a wild rampage.
“Can you see it?”
The Duchess twisted Sharon’s neck, making her direct her gaze towards Siwoo.
Somehow, there was a thin red line on his neck.
The tip of her sword was digging into his flesh.
“One move, this man dies. If you want to save him, tell me everything you know.”
