- Three Routes; Three Trials : Part 4 -
It was several centuries ago when the data of Khun Edahn met with Hansung Yu. He chased for the Lord of Spears while shouting for his name again and again. He needed to meet the blue- haired man to tell him about something, although it was hard to convince the man to listen to his words.
So, he had no other choice but to use a little dirty trick.
"If you just listen to me, I'll give you this grape jelly drink that I got specially from the last stage!" He showed his grape drink to the data of Khun Family's head.
"Do you think I'm an idiot?"
Khun Marco Ascensio's data watched how his father was rejecting the orange- haired man away before he ended up listening to what he was going to say. It was all for the grape drink that Hansung Yu offered to his father.
"So... someday, son of V is going to come here, defeat Zahard's data, and liberate this Hidden Floor from them so you want me to help you?"
Khun Edahn drew a conclusion after the long explanation he heard from Hansung.
"Yes! That's right!"
Khun Edahn sighed in annoyance, "I was wondering what you're going to say but that's just ridiculous. Don't make up nonsense like that.."
"I didn't make it up!" Hansung Yu firmly spoke. "The Zahard on the outside has turned his back on loyalty and justice and is ruling the world as the King of Tower. God will send a disciple to punish Zahard for that and he will cause a stir in the tower. I didn't make this up. It's a 'fate' tied by Arlene."
"...... fate?" He echoed. "Nonsense."
"SIR!!"
It was several centuries before that he heard such a story.
Although he was Khun Edahn's data, he didn't know everything about the original him at the outside. He could only guess that he might be someone who didn't believe in fate. But being his data, he chose to believe that story and fate.
And now, he was seeing the result.
The boy who he had trained for one month had improved his strength in that battle of life- and- death, and his strength has improved to the point that it could threaten Zahard to pull out the Lecalicus.
Lecalicus was the needle that Zahard received for passing the test of the head pupil in the workshop. It was known as the "Needle of War", because Zahard only used it against people who he acknowledged.
'It has three stages of colors and shapes depending on its strength but at this moment, it's still white,' Khun Edahn analyzed the battle. 'It means Zahard considers him as a serious opponent.'
Zahard pulled out the weapon and swung it towards Bam.
[ Zahard's Style The Needle of War : Lecalicus ]
A giant beast like eel appeared right before Bam.
'Lecalicus isn't that easy to defend against. I wonder how that kid is going to face it...' Khun Edahn was worried. 'And is that girl fine on her own?'
He couldn't split his body into several clones and his children were all murdered by Zahard during their mission to find a mirror. Otherwise, he could ask one of his children to supervise the young girl. He was more worried about her now, because he didn't know her current situation at all.
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
In the third space, the four of them were still floating. Khun asked Big Breeder further about their plan and Big Breeder simply answered that their task was to lure the scale so that he could open the gate and cause a bug.
Khun kept back the Good and Evil Monitor and looked at Rachel, "...so? What should we do? Do you have any bright ideas about how to lure it?"
It was just a simple formality and Rachel really wondered what she should do.
'If we leave this place connected to the Bug Room, the connection may be broken. Then I would go back to the ordinary Rachel. There has to be a way to lure the scale somehow without moving from here....'
"No ideas? Then I'll do it," Khun said and prepared his throat.
"HEY!! YOU GODDAMN SCALE!!"
All eyes landed on the blue- haired man as he continued to shout at the top of his lungs, "HEY! YOU UGLY SCALE! LOOK OVER HERE!"
"WHAT...!!" Rachel looked at Khun in disbelief. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU CAN'T JUST SHOUT AT HIM LIKE THAT! WE NEED A PLAN!"
Khun ignored her words and as if he enjoyed this, he shouted even louder, "I'M OVER HERE, YOU STUPID SCALE!"
"HEYY!"
"I'm sorry but we don't have much time to be picky now," Khun spoke. "If we don't get the mirror out soon, Bam and Charlotte might be killed by Zahard and the puppet."
"SO YOU PLAN ON GETTING US KILLED TOO?!"
'Look who's screaming now....'
"I don't mind if you die," Khun honestly and earnestly answered. "The whole bunch of you--"
"You're such a jerk!"
His lighthouses quickly formed a barrier that protected him from the attack.
"AAAHHH!"
And the barrier was once again destroyed into pieces.
"What are those...?!"
Strange balls with two white antennas at their heads were surrounding the scale that coughed, "How did you get in here? Heroes?"
[ Scale of Past : Combat Mode ]
"You... you are not supposed to come here again!"
"They're coming...! Get ready!"
"Damn it! Because of you, we don't have a plan!" Rachel complained as she began to attack. With the power that she had gotten from being Icarus, she really could defend herself and attack those weird orbs.
"Stop complaining and attack!" Khun argued back.
"Am I not supposed to complain? I thought that you are a rational person! Why are you getting more and more irrational just like Charlotte?"
For Khun, he and Charlotte were different and similar in the same time. They were similar in some aspects like wanting to protect Bam and each other, and different in personalities. If he was cold as ice, then she would be as warm as fire. She was a hothead person and he was usually the brain of the team.
He knew that he was starting to change and he didn't think that it was actually a bad thing.
'If it's Charlotte who hear those words... how would she answer it...?'
If it was her, knowing her warm personality towards her friends who she cherished a lot, then she would definitely grin and asked back confidently, "And what of it?"
Rachel couldn't believe her eyes when she heard such an answer coming from Khun's mouth. Altaira, at the corner, was suppressing his laughter and was deeply amazed.
'Charlie, Charlie, you truly have proven to me that kindness could be infectious.'
She was out there fighting with her life on the line, she truly had grown up. It was something unavoidable, so he had accepted it from the beginning that his sister will one day leave him. But separations have always been painful.
'This is a good show that you can't miss, so you have to return quickly and safely. For now, I have to deal with the current enemy.'
[ Altaira's Style : Thousand Spears in One ]
He created a large electrical spear from shinsu and then threw it towards the spheres.
The single spear suddenly broke itself and became a thousand of spears, destroying the orbs around the scale and even injured the Scale of Past.
Altaira smirked to see his own result. In the original, it was White who actually entered the third space along with Khun, Rachel and Rak. He knew that some changes were bound to happen if he replaced White, but he was confident that in the terms of strength, he could be some help.
'After all, I'm the brother of the infamous Zahard Princess and irregular.'
The Scale of Past knew that it was wounded. But easily, it regenerated itself within the matter of seconds. The wounds that previously existed on the scale now disappeared. Altaira's smile vanished.
'Although I know that it has a regeneration ability... but that kind of ability is annoying when your opponent is using it well...'
"Alligator! Come out!" He gave a signal to Rak who threw his spear to the scale.
The scale dodged it quickly. If he was a second late, then he would definitely be severely injured by that spear.
"Bring it on, you reptilian freak!" Rak shouted. "I'm Rak Wraithraiser! And I'm here to save my companions' lives! I'M! RIGHT HERE!!!"
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Lecalicus took form of a giant eel and looked at Bam sharply.
Bam created an orb. During the process, the ground near him was began to crack as if there was an earthquake. His thorn also enlarged in size.
From the orb, black shinsu were released. The black shinsu approached Lecalicus like a whirlwind and covered the eel before it vanished.
When Zahard and Khun Edahn could finally see things properly, they looked all around to see Lecalicus who wasn't on their sight.
'Lecalicus...'
They couldn't sense its presence.
'... is gone...?'
They looked at the boy who stood on his ground firmly and they couldn't help but to wonder, 'Did he devour it?'
'At first, he looks like a little monster but now, he looks completely different. Only he himself is left... as if he devoured everything.'
But as terrifying his talent and power could be, Zahard couldn't admit it when he looked at Bam's golden eyes.
'That boy has such a honest gaze...'
His honest gaze told him that the boy was anxious.
'I can sense everything around me. Khun and his group has disappeared somewhere. Something happened. I have to hurry up and finish this battle somehow. The core... doesn't seem far away.'
After concentrating himself to find the location of the last hidden core, he realized that the core wasn't too far from him.
'I'm going to get it as quick as possible.'
[ 25th Night- Style Special Skill : Ultimate Blue Shield]
The previous Blue Oar has enlarged in size and destroyed everything on its way. The walls of the arena were cut into half, all in order to end the game quickly and find his friends.
Both Zahard and Khun Edahn were surprised again.
"He sure made it big," Khun Edahn spoke.
"But it seems like he can't control that overflowing power," Zahard said. He looked at the boy who was standing above the blue shield, impressed. "What a ridiculous little kid... we have in the tower."
'Now, I really have to get serious.'
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
How many people have died in her hand?
"I told you. It's all... your fault."
If Hoh's death was also caused by her, then he would be the first person to die on her hands.
Followed by Hoh were the regulars who just wanted to climb the tower just like her and the targets that FUG ordered her to kill.
"There are no friends here in the tower. Everyone in the tower is an enemy."
Prince and Akraptor died as well, because she chose to let the plot continue just like in the original one.
'Prince... Akraptor...'
Thinking about them, the two people who she will never be able to see again, the biggest mistake that she probably had ever done in her life, tears dropped from her eyes.
'I killed them.'
They were mixed with crimson blood.
They were not her enemies, but her friends. They were two of many people who trusted her deeply, loved her, cherished her. Even if she stabbed them with a sword, they would believe that she did it for a reason.
'Because they thought of me as their friend... and I betrayed them.'
In several years, the amount of people who she had killed could have just reached a thousand or more. With the lives of a thousand people died on her hands, wasn't she a monster? And in the future, there would be more people who will die because of her, willingly or unwillingly, directly or indirectly.
Charlotte remembered the revolution she had with Khun Edahn.
At that time, Charlotte felt that her revolution was not actually revolution. Because for most of the time, or perhaps all the time, whenever she had a revolution, she would meet the pink- haired lady again. And sometimes, in her dream, she would meet her again.
This time, during her revolution with Khun Edahn, she encountered the woman again.
"You are really everywhere," she said with a sigh.
"What? If you meet your brother every single day you won't complain, but when you meet me once a month you'll be upset. What an ungrateful brat."
"I'm just sick of seeing your face again and again."
"This kid! How can you possibly be sick seeing this pretty face?!"
Charlotte looked around. It was still the same green place as she remembered. Only this time, she could see that more trees were growing from the ground. The place had changed from an open field into a forest.
"This place has changed," she spoke.
"Because this place is connected with your heart," the lady answered. "If you change, it changes. If you don't change, it won't change. But I guess your improvement isn't that bad. This place is getting prettier and interesting than before."
She looked at the trees around her. The sun above was shining so brightly. But it didn't make her feel disturbed at all.
Charlotte knew that she would change. After what she has been through, from a little girl who entered the tower and unwillingly face the bloodshed in the tower, disguising herself as a man and a fake God worshiped by some fanatics, and then becoming who she was. She could feel it, she was slowly growing. She was growing to be a better person. She had to be someone better, in terms of strength or personality.
And when she knew that her heart had become just like that beautiful forest, it made her felt happy. She smiled like a child who has gotten her first candy. It was an innocent yet blissful smile.
But now, she lowered her head, wondering whether it was the truth.
"Your death today could have just saved the lives of many other people. Since you are a kind- hearted person who loves to save others, consider your death today as a sacrifice to grant others' wishes," the puppet spoke.
'No, I shouldn't listen to her words.'
What the puppet wanted to see from her the most was the sight of her crumbling and broken from inside, poisoned by her words before dying on her hands.
'I shouldn't give what she desires the most,' Charlotte thought. 'I must survive. Only when I survive could I punish myself by regretting for what I've done! Only by surviving could I sentence myself with the punishment of the sins I've committed!'
"Farewell, my sworn enemy," the puppet spoke and swung her sword. Charlotte noticed that and desperately, she thought,
'20 seconds... as long as there is something that could stop the time and delay my death... 20 seconds... feel so long...'
She could only close her eyes, waiting for the sword to cut her flesh.
But the sword never came to hurt her and instead, she heard the puppet shouting with a surprised tone,
"WHAT?!"
The sword never came to her as it was blocked by something else.
The mirror with blue glass was shining in the middle of the battlefield. It protected her.
"That mirror...?" She was bewildered.
Charlotte thought that the mirror could only be used to communicate with the others. But right now, in front of her eyes, the mirror that she mistook as a communication device was actually saving her!
But even so, how long will the mirror persist? The puppet's sudden chuckle gained Charlotte's attention.
"To think that one of the Glass Heart Mirrors is here. Noah must have stolen it and gave it to you, right?" The puppet smirked as she looked at the mirror. "But unfortunately, it's nothing but a communication device. The sole reason for it to be able to release this kind of strength must be because the holder of the second mirror has a deeply strong desire to protect you."
Who was the one who held the second mirror? The person was none other than Khun Aguero Agnes. Her teammate, her friend, her crush who had climbed the tower together with her for more than eight or nine years.
"I'll wait."
Charlotte thought that now that she was stronger than Khun, she would always be the one to protect him from danger. But turns out, even though he wasn't there by her side, even though he wasn't aware of it, he had saved her life.
"But a desire is nothing but a wish. No matter how strong a wish could be, how can it defeat the strength I've obtained by giving up my freedom?"
The puppet used more strength. She increased her strength step by step and the mirror seemed to be trying to keep up with her and slowly reached its point.
"NO!" Charlotte shouted.
She didn't want to lose that mirror. The mirror given by her friend, it was a precious gift that Noah gave to her. In the same time, it was the mirror that saved her through Khun's desire. She didn't want to see it shatter in front of her. But the puppet will not listen to her desires. Rather, when she knew what she wanted, she would definitely do her best to destroy the mirror.
When the mirror couldn't hold it again, it was shattered into pieces.
And Khun who was holding the mirror could definitely feel it.
He looked at the mirror. It was once transparent white. But now, the color has turned black. Something was telling him that the mirror was broken and could no longer be used. And the other person who was holding this mirror was none other than Charlotte.
'... She's in danger...'
He knew that he had to finish the problem before him soon.
The pieces of the mirror fell down one by one, right in front of her eyes.
"Glass Heart Mirror."
Charlotte thought that the name suited the mirror very well. A fragile but determined heart, fighting for its own desire until it couldn't take it anymore.
".... strong desire to protect you."
Khun didn't know about it, but he really had done Charlotte a big help this time. Through his desire and his wish to protect her, not only that he had saved her from death once, but he also gave the time that she needed.
"But a desire is nothing but a wish."
Even a simple but sincere wish could done her a great help. When she heard the sound of footsteps, she looked at the puppet who stepped on the pieces of Glass Heart Mirror.
"The outcome of the weak one is to be trampled and destroyed like this mirror," she said and raised her sword. "Now, let's finish what has been delayed before."
Charlotte grinned and agreed, "Right, we really need to finish what must be finished."
The puppet felt suspicious when she saw Charlotte's smile. At first, she thought that it was nothing but the last smile of an unyielding person when she felt something threatening her life.
"Do you think that you are the one with hidden card? I've waited and endured everything just to wait for this moment."
The puppet was sure that she had badly wounded Charlotte. She was sure that she made the chains well according to the instructions she received, all in order to defeat the woman she despised the most.
'But if that's the case, then where does she get her power again?'
"The moment where I can repay all the pain you gave to me."
The shinsu around them began to move and stir, as if something is going to be awaken. The chains that penetrated her body were shaking on their own as they couldn't handle the amount of power that were released from her body. Her wounds also began to heal in an amazing speed.
'What a pair of honest eyes she have... with that monstrous strength inside her...'
At the end, those chains couldn't hold her back and were shattered instead. And once they were shattered, she could stand up proudly again.
[ Charlotte's Style Domain ]
On the arena and in the floor where they were fighting, green grasses began to grow, even right under where the two of them were standing. The one who did that smiled in excitement as she whispered,
"[ Morning Forest ]"