- Success -
Charlotte had shocked everyone there by her surprise and ambiguous action.
Someone who hated Rachel the most after Khun....would actually decide to save her? If this was before, she would never thought that there will be one day she would be saving Rachel. The last time they met, Charlotte even threw Rachel away from the Submarine of Choices without hesitation.
Charlotte saved Rachel for a reason. She didn't save Rachel recklessly or because she didn't want to see someone dying. It wasn't also because for the sake of plot line since Rachel was supposed to suffer from the poison on the sting of the bee belonged to Grand De Lee.
Grand De Lee chose to poison Rachel because he can't risk fighting Rachel head on. What if Rachel had the power to cancel his immortality like both Charlotte and Bam? That would have been dangerous. But Grand De Lee wasn't aware that Rachel wasn't useful like the twins.
After Charlotte saved Rachel, the two of them looked at each other in a moment of silence before Charlotte unhesitatingly dropped her to the ground and raised her hands up.
"Yuck!"
The others were getting more confused now, especially Grand De Lee who didn't have the idea about what Charlotte and Rachel had been through before they reach this Floor of Death.
In the North City, they were glaring and arguing with each other. And a moment earlier, Charlotte saved Rachel. But right now, Charlotte dropped Rachel as if she was nothing but a heavy burden.
Rachel didn't accept to be drop just like that.
"Do you have to drop me like that!?" She asked to Charlotte with a glare. "Rude!"
"Hey, my hands are now dirty from saving you!" Charlotte retaliated and glared back. She crossed her arms "It's fine if you don't thank me for saving your life, but how could you possibly call me rude?! You are the one who is rude!"
"........." None of them understood what Charlotte was thinking right now, really.
In the middle of the confusion and the chaos, Endorsi who glanced to the back noticed that there was an important figure missing.
"Hey....Khun" she called the blue haired man. With an awkward smile, she said to him, "While we were distracted.....it looks like Hwaryun disappeared."
"WHAT?!"
Coming to that realization, Khun was surprised and immediately used the pocket to look for Hwaryun who was running to meet Grand De Sah and to get the Soul- Stirring Ladle.
"HWARYUN!"
"What are you making so much noise for? What if De Lee finds out that I'm gone?" Hwaryun calmly asked.
"SHUT UP! Are you seriously using us as a bait to get that ladle?" Khun asked in disbelief.
"How nice that we think the same way. It saves me the trouble of having explaining things" Hwaryun replied without the sign of hesitation or guilt.
"HEY!"
"De Lee can't lie a finger on us anyway after I get the ladle. So just distract him for me until then. Please."
For someone like Hwaryun to say please, that must have meant that this ladle was extremely precious and this was her best chance to get that ladle.
But even though that the ladle was extremely precious, to distract the opponent before them wasn't an easy task. Their enemy was filled with anger and desire to kill them in order to guard both the ladle and thorn. Grand De Lee was even angrier after Rachel argued with him about their destiny and mocked it. Added by the fact that now the two savior candidates were turning their backs on him and betrayed him, how could he possibly not be mad?
Nathan was also a ranker. But his enemy was an immortal. He had witnessed the immortality of those giant beetles that Yuri fought with before. Their self- regeneration was super fast that there was no way for him to damage him. Moreover, he should also protect those regulars. If Grand De Lee took one of the regulars and threatened him, it would be a trouble.
The only one who could cancel Grand De Lee's immortality was Charlotte. But right now, she wasn't in a perfect condition. She was injured by a ranker and there was a huge difference between her and Grand De Lee. Moreover, the time- manipulation power that she had could only stop D- rank regulars.
Charlotte looked at Noah. If she asked him to unlock all the chains, even when it was for temporarily only, he wouldn't agree. Besides, it hasn't even half year that she temporarily opened the chains. It would be too dangerous for her to try it again, especially when she was in this kind of condition.
The fight between Bam and Hell Joe must have remained the same. If she wasn't wrong, at this moment, Bam had already encountered with Urek Mazino, the one who created Hell Joe.
At the time, Joe and Urek Mazino used to be friends and they got along quite well. Therefore, Urek decided to give Joe the Red Thryssa so that he could get powerful. But Urek didn't expect that Joe would be blinded by the power of the Red Thryssa and his desire to get out from this place. Urek came here quietly since he wanted to solve the problem that he created quietly......otherwise Garam Zahard, the only person who he had loved and chased for these years will do more than banning him from coming to the Floor of Death.
Yuri must be saved right now and the Ghost of the Thirteen Months Series was defeated and humiliated by Garam Zahard. Right now, she, Garam, Bam, Mata, Urek and Hockney must be working together to defeat Hell Joe. After injecting the liquid that he got from Workshop, the Red Thryssa and Hell Joe must be separated already. But that doesn't mean the fight will end just because Urek Mazino gave one strong blow to the Red Thryssa.
The Red Thyssa was gathering the Shinsu in order to explode itself......and it happened right now.
Khun could feel that the Shinsu was moving on the opposite direction. There was a strong pressure that was trying to push him away and he was trying hard to fight it.
And unsurprisingly, Grand De Lee also felt the strong gust of wind.
It was because they were regulars and regulars depended on Shinsu to breath and to survive. Without Shinsu, they'll die from suffocation in few seconds. The Red Thryssa was gathering the Shinsu and strength to make sure that he'll die with everyone there and of course, the amount of Shinsu he needed was a lot.
But Beta and Charlotte weren't affected. Khun assumed it was because Beta was an ignition weapon and Charlotte was an irregular that the strange flow of Shinsu didn't affect them. Beta was even confused seeing them crossing their arms to block something that couldn't be seen.
"Beta!" Charlotte called. "Take all of us go right now!"
"Hey, what about me?!" Rachel asked.
"....take this wicked woman with us as well" Charlotte reluctantly said again. If Rachel didn't speak, she would have forgot about her existence. "There are some things that we can get from her if we bring her with us."
"But where should we go?"
"To find Hwaryun and Grand De Sah!"
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
At the Eternal Prison where Hell Joe imprisoned De Sah and his descendant, Hwaryun was so close in meeting them. She just need to climb those stairs as fast as she can since the Shinsu was behaving strangely right now.
Grand De Sah had made a promise with a Red Witch. The promise was that he'll give them the Soul- Stirring Ladle and in exchange, they have to free him and his descendant. Grand De Sah fulfilled his promise and so as the Red Witches.
The prison was then opened and De Sah and his descendant was free now.
A moment after she received the ladle, Hwaryun heard Khun called out her name and turned around. There was Beta who used his skill and formed two yellow or green hands that held the others and arrived in that place.
The first thing that Hwaryun asked to them after they met with each other was not their conditions right now. Instead, she asked them, ".....did you guys fuse your bodies together because it's an emergency....?"
Both Endorsi and Khun replied in the same time, "Shut up! You're the one who ran away by yourself!"
"Where's the ladle?" Khun asked Hwaryun who replied, "We got it."
"Then let's go! De Lee will chase after us! The Shinsu explosion is fading!"
He wasn't wrong. At this time, Bam must have used the thorn and the [Shinsu Black- Hole Sphere] in order to prevent the Red Thryssa from exploding itself. With the help of Urek Mazino to destroy Red Thryssa, that Red Thryssa was doomed.
Charlotte looked at Grand De Sah. It was exactly like what she imagined, Grand De Sah didn't seem to have a good time inside this Eternal Prison. His hair was disheveled, lips were dry and he was quite skinny. Aside from still having his eyes, the difference between Grand De Sah and De Jah were that Grand De Sah appeared to be weaker after being imprisoned by Hell Joe for some years.
His descendant was a short and small child with two white and tiny horns. Perhaps it was because of the immortality that the child couldn't grow but he looked better than Grand De Sah himself.
Before Hwaryun could go, De Sah called her and gained her attention.
"H.....hey....R...Red Witch" Grand De Sah called her. His voice sounded hoarse but his eyes showed a strong ray of hope. "Has the savior.....who was said....to come.....arrived? Where is he.....?
If he's here...I want to meet him, Since we sacrificed countless of hours for him, if he sees us, he will surely tell us...
Well done! I forgive all of your sins and will bring you honor! Surely he will....."
Hwaryun, "........."
Charlotte's heart tightened.
"He didn't come" lied Hwaryun.
"What.....?" Grand De Sah stiffened when he heard that answer.
"If the savior that you've been looking for is someone who will overlook all of your sins, that person isn't here. Sorry."
She wasn't wrong. Bam wasn't that kind of person indeed.
Grand De Sah lowered his head in great disappointment.
"......is that so...?" He asked. But soon enough, he lifted his head. "Then....I'll just have....to keep waiting."
"Sure" Hwaryun replied and walked away. "If you believe that is your destiny."
Khun noticed Charlotte's sad expression and looked at her. He asked her, "What's with the sad look? Don't tell me you are being sad for that De Sah guy to not be able to meet his savior."
"I just feel kinda bad of him...." Charlotte answered, trying not to get too emotional. "After all, considering how many time they have wasted just to wait for brother.....it's hard to not feel bad for them."
"Being too nice isn't good for your health, you know. Don't you ever feel tired sympathizing others and keep putting yourself in danger?"
Charlotte awkwardly smiled and turned her head at him, "You still can't forget that one, huh......"
Ignoring her words, Khun added again, "What's more...they don't seem to have a problem waiting for a savior who'll come and forgive their sins. Since they don't find it as a pitiful thing, why are you sympathizing them for?"
Charlotte pondered about it. He was right. Grand De Sah himself didn't seem to mind waiting for the savior who will forgive their sins for another hundred or thousand of years. There was no reason for her to feel bad when those people didn't mind waiting for some time.....and there was nothing she could do to help them with that problem.
There was no reason for her to get sad.
But the thought that there was nothing she could do made her feel even sadder instead. Noticing this, Khun thought that it would have been better if he changed the topic.
"Simply asking, do you notice that there is blood on your lips?"
"Hm?" Charlotte heard his words. Knowing that there was blood on her lips, she quickly used her sleeve to wipe it away......though she only made it messier and Khun had to help her with it.
"Don't move around."
Perhaps he had seen it wrong, but somehow Charlotte's ears looked slightly red than the usual. Curious, he asked, "Charlotte.....could it be that......you are blushing? You are actually blushing?"
"......." If only this body wasn't so honest with her feelings.
She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure but she was still unable to look at Khun as she asked, "W- why would I blush? Is there something wrong with your eyes?"
"I'm pretty sure that my eyes are fine."
She blushed even harder. Surely, it wasn't a great decision to say that he had a problem with his sight. It only made him felt more suspicious.
No, without Charlotte's realizing it, Khun was no longer suspicious. He was a hundred percent sure that this woman was blushing because of his gesture. Believe it or not, he was smirking. Meanwhile, Charlotte was thinking about Khun's gesture and realized something about her that she never realized before.
Charlotte did realize that this kind of thing ever happened before in the past. Back then in the Station Name Hunt, this ever happened once, but with their roles switched. When she was wiping the blood from his lips, she didn't put that much thoughts in it for awhile before she quickly realized that she had crossed the line. But that wasn't really her fault. Being a lively girl she was, there were times that she forgot that there was a line between men and women.
'Back then after the Workshop Battle, because I'm feeling lazy at the time, I even jumped at hugged Raisin from behind....telling him to carry me since I'm too lazy to walk. I couldn't behave like this all the time right?'
She remembered when she did that, Raisin was shocked that he looked like he had a heart attack from her sudden jump. She was scolded by Altaira for ten minutes straight for her behavior and Bam didn't even stop Altaira no matter how pitiful she acted before him. Altaira even mentioned that Estrella knows how to behave herself better than her which made her felt....insulted.
She didn't know why....but the thought that Estrella was better than her at a certain aspect kind of hurt her pride. Maybe it was because the two of them were close....playing games together and teasing each other that they wanted to get better than another so that they could brag and show off.
'Come to think of it...perhaps it's the reason they still see me as a brat and a lass. Should I be more careful with my actions from now on? Even the childish and silly Estrella knows how to behave and doesn't cross the line between men and women better than me and somehow my pride is being wounded here. But that sound like a lot of work to do.....I've used to ignore it until a certain line that it's hard to change my habit....'
She let out a sigh.
"What are you sighing for?" Khun asked again.
"I......really have no choice but to change my habit.....don't you think.....?" She smiled at him weakly. All the thoughts that she had just now made her forgot about her embarrassment earlier.
"What.....?"
"Nothing...."
Rachel who ended up sticking together with both Khun and Charlotte rolled her eyes.
'If they want to flirt with each other, could they do it somewhere else?'
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Using Bong Bong, they left that castle and reached outside where there were lots of splash of red liquid. In the center and the middle of the chaos, the group could see Bam who was using the thorn and was riding on the [Blue Oar].
The red liquid splashed everywhere and in a wide range. The ground has been cracked and destroyed as if there was an earth quake happening. In the center, there was her brother and someone else. If Charlotte didn't know what happen here, she would have thought that there was a tsunami happening in the South City.
Unfortunately for Altaira, the red liquid that has been splashed everywhere somehow hit him, causing him to be drenched. The strange part was that despite of being close together, he was the only one who get drenched.
His eyes blinked several times, trying to understand how that could happen. Except for him, neither of them was splashed by the red liquid.
Charlotte was the first to laugh and then followed by the others. Celeste herself was trying to hold back her laughter.
"It seems like he really have some serious grudge with you" Raisin said.
"Boss, how does the cold water feel?" Estrella asked Altaira after she laughed. "That liquid is a gift from your dearest friend, Bam!"
"He poured all his feelings into that water!"
Altaira, ".............."
"What dearest friend? They are clearly enemies!"
Altaira who has been quiet for several moments then grinned. Seeing him grinning, both Estrella and Raisin suddenly shivered.
"Estrella.....Raisin......"
The blue haired spear bearer who was humiliated today smiled at his teammates sweetly. To say that he was smiling sweetly, Charlotte could see the malice in his sweet smile. And she knew that this wasn't a good omen.
"You seem to have lots of free time lately. Why don't we.....have some training after we get back to train....?"
The training that he meant couldn't be ordinary training, but an activity where he will test their endurance by attacking them again and again until he was satisfied. Knowing that they were going to be doomed soon, both Estrella and Raisin couldn't laugh anymore.
"Hey, you are the one who is drenched accidentally by the water. Why are you blaming them?" Noah asked. Both Raisin and Estrella smiled in gratitude but after they pondered about it, their smiles turned into a worried expression.
Altaira coldly glared at him, "Then why don't I throw you with some cold water and see how fun it is to be laughed by them!? If you could withstand it, I wouldn't mind kneeling before you!"
"I'll take the challenge if you agree to stay away from Celeste at least one kilometer."
"Dream on!!!"
The silver haired woman sighed at these two.
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Author:
Well, this is the second update for this month! I thought that updating twice a month might be better than updating once every two weeks......
The next few chapters might bring you surprise. Hope that the surprise will satisfy you enough, since Charlotte will be stronger than her current self.