Episode 269. Part Five
Lucion's enemy and the culprit in all of this has appeared, and I don't know if he's Lucion's teacher or a knight, but he's going to sacrifice him to corrupt Lucion.
Heinz did not bat an eye at the scene, even when he wanted to close it, but shouted.
"Gods! Show me the way!"
I know they're doing something to trap Veronia, but I want to know, even if it's just for a moment.
If I should just burst the light as it was, or if there was another way.
Latha comes to him and says something, but he can't hear her voice, nor her words.
Heinz clutched at his hair in frustration.
"It's no use."
Veronia mocked, her mouth bleeding.
But Heint stepped closer to Lucion.
"...I'm sorry, Lucion."
It was the only way to slow the fall.
He reached for Lucion with a hand full of light.
"Get lost."
At the sound of Lucion's tasteless voice, a turbid purple darkness rose at Haint's feet.
Haint rolled forward, narrowly missing it, and stared at it for a moment.
"You......."
Lucion was serious now.
He meant it.
Heint gritted his teeth and drew his sword.
Sigh.
There was nothing he could do if he resisted like that.
With a wave of Lucion's hand, the building suddenly shook.
Another night had fallen.
Latta's eyes fluttered as Hain's sword, which blocked almost all light, boldly pointed at Lucion.
A growl.
A low growl accompanied Latha's voice, and a violet darkness enveloped her, placing her between Hain and Lucion.
"Lata...?"
Heint stopped his sword mid-sentence.
-Lucion.
The darkness that had enveloped Ratha's body dissipated, and with a puff of solid black smoke, Ratha's body lengthened, and he became an adult and charged at Lucion.
Pfft!
Lucion slammed into the wall, and Ratha stood on top of him, sharp teeth bared.
-Lucion, please, listen to Ratha's voice.
Lucion's darkness flickered, but it scattered as Latta's howl curled his tail.
-Lucion......!
But the young sorrow in Lucion's eyes was as turbulent as a stormy sea, showing no sign of abating.
-Lata is Lucion's guardian.
Lata's forehead was furrowed with violet darkness.
-Ratha was born to protect Lucion, and Ratha will protect Lucion, no matter what it takes.
Ding!
Just then, the door burst open.
"Latta!"
Hume ran to Latta.
Black orb in hand.
No!
Lata, you can't do this! You'll die if you carry the Corruption!
The Darkness shouted as it appeared.
Hume threw himself at Latha, retracting the black orb, and grabbed her.
"Lata. No!"
-Let go, Hume! Lucion will be corrupted! No one can stop him then! Lata must do it!
Latta stiffened, looked at Hume, and burst into tears.
-Lata... she couldn't protect Russell. He disappeared before her eyes... and she couldn't stop Lucion. Lata, she was weak. You're not good enough.
"......."
Hume's grip on Lata weakened for a moment.
Hume's eyes widened and he looked around.
Russell was nowhere to be seen.
Nowhere.
Once he had the black orb in his hand, he heard a dark voice.
-Lata is in danger. Stop Lata!
Without hesitation, he lunged at the full-grown black fox, but was that Lucion?
With his disheveled hair, blood-red clothes, and a foul, ominous odor?
For a moment, Hume's breath caught in his throat at the sight of Lucion's horribly scarred eyes.
It was Lucion.
Lucion, warm as the morning sun, and what had happened to him?
"It's okay."
Asha walked over slowly.
Hume's eyes flickered.
"I am the orchestrator for this moment."
"...What."
Veronia's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Hume.
She couldn't help but be mesmerized as the glow of the orb grew thicker and stronger, enveloping her.
"Asha......?"
How could she not recognize her?
Asha.
"The first Ravien, and a traitor to the Ravien."
Asha stared at Veronia without emotion.
"...You were alive?"
Veronia asked, her voice cracking with emotion.
"You were the one who gave up on us."
Asha's voice was cold.
"No. I didn't give up on you, I never did!"
"Just press it into the light."
Asha turned her head to Hain and asked.
"Okay."
For some reason, Heint immediately ran to Lucion.
"It's... you again."
Veronia glared at the darkness that had emerged from her own darkness.
Only the darkness could hide Asha.
No, she asked you, you're nothing but a traitor.
Why should we listen to you? You were never worthy in the first place.
You're a fake!
The Darkness sneered.
"Shinsushi. You can focus now."
Asha bowed to the newcomers, then walked over to Lucion.
"Remember, traitor."
Veronia paused at Asha's scolding tone.
"There is no future for a servant of the darkness who betrays his king, who wears that shell."
Asha knelt before Lucion and clasped his bloodied hands in hers.
Her own tears were soon dripping down her cheeks.
"Lucion. Now wipe those tears away."
A black wind rose, carrying the corruption from Lucion's hand to Asha's.
"Oh, no, Asha, stop it!"
Veronia shouted.
For a moment, the light of the holy object pierced Veronia in the chaotic darkness, but he forgot the pain and stopped Asha.
But Asha didn't even look at Veronia.
She smiled tenderly and soothed Lucion's grief.
"Your sorrow is the sorrow of all who follow the darkness."
To judge the vessel, to prevent the vessel from falling.
That was the job of the Orchestrator.
"Lucion."
Asha called him softly, feeling Lucion's corruption, slowly fading.
"......."
"Grief is natural, but it shouldn't be consumed, but don't worry. I will always protect you."
"...Asha.
Lucion's dried-up eyes began to sparkle with life.
There were so many things she wanted to confide in Asha, but she didn't seem to have the time.
"This is my last gift to you, King of Darkness, as Lavien. May you always be happy, noble king."
Asha kissed the back of Lucion's hand.
The hand that had hovered over twelve began to turn backwards, carving a tiny leaf shape into the side of the clock.
Don't do this.
Please don't do this.
Lucion wanted to speak, but he couldn't even lift a finger.
"Hume."
Asha called to Hume.
Hume let go of Lata and walked over to her.
Asha pulled him into a tight hug.
"You're not alone, Hume, because I'm here to protect you."
"...Asha?"
Hume had a strange feeling in his chest.
It had hurt so much to see Lucion falling, and it had hurt so much to see Lata trying to stop him, but now it felt strangely tight.
"May you be happy."
Whoosh.
With a strange sound, Asha collapsed.
It was like the collapse of the sand castle they had built together while purifying the Sea of Death.
"...Ah."
Hume's hands shook as he looked at Asha, who had turned to dust.
Tears streamed down his face.
"Aaahhh...!"
The voice, filled with anguish, was unexpectedly heard by Veronia.
-Humph.
Troy barely opened his mouth when the circle of light that trapped Veronia was complete.
Seeing Lucion's tears streaming silently down his face, Troy couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
He wanted to stroke him and comfort him, but he couldn't move.
-Go.
Troy urged Hume.
-And tell Lucion. That Veronia's next target is the Sea of Death.
"Bertie... can you?"
Hume asked, wiping away a tear.
-I don't think so, not for long.
Troy answered, and Hume turned to Hain.
"Let's go, Mr. Haint."
-...Lucion.
Lata staggered over to Lucion.
Slowly, she shrank to the size of a black fox cub and grabbed Lucion's hand.
Lucion sobbed.
-Lucion. Latta is sorry. Latta is.......
Lucion sobbed as he grabbed Latta's front paws.
"...I'm sorry.
-Lataga, ugh.
Latta couldn't hold it in any longer and cried again.
"I'm sorry, Asha.
Everything was a mess.
She'd lost Russell, and she'd lost Asha.
-Asha, who had lost Russell, who had lost Asha, who had lost Russell.
She had violated Russell's teachings.
I failed to control the darkness.
I gave in to my emotions and almost became a corrupt warlock like the rest of the world.
But what could he do?
Russell, his beacon, his lighthouse, was gone.
'Master is now.......'
Lucion stopped thinking as he looked up at Hume.
There were still two black threads.
One black thread that connected Veronica to herself.
And the one that connected Russell.
* * *
Shaela and Krahn jumped almost simultaneously as they saw Lucion being carried by Hume.
The foul smell of blood wafted from Lucion.
"Lu... Sion."
Shiela covered her mouth.
Lucion's complexion was so pale that it was a wonder he hadn't collapsed.
The corners of his eyes were red, and his once-white clothes were stained red, indicating the horror of what had happened in there.
"Uh, we need to heal him!"
Krahn said, clasping his hands together.
What the hell was going on inside.
There had been a sudden collapse, and no one could get close.
"We've done first aid."
Hume replied.
He'd used his sunbeam to stop the worst of it before it happened.
"...Sister."
Lucion opened his stretched lips.
"Don't say it, Lucion. Fume. Get him in the wagon. We must leave now."
Shaela chastised herself for believing that shadow traveling could bring Lucion here so confidently.
"My... knight hasn't come yet."
Bethel was nowhere in sight.
Lucion's eyes wandered, fear quickly overtaking him.
Something was wrong with Lucion.
She looked straight at Hain, and he shook his head calmly.
Something bad had happened.
"Lady. Would you mind leaving him alone in the carriage for a moment?"
Hume looked at Bethel flying in the distance and pleaded.
"...Yes, ma'am. Put him in the carriage."
Shaela intuited what had happened, but didn't ask.
"Thank you."
Hume bowed his head slightly, then laid Lucion down in the wagon.
"Ms. Bethel is safe, Master. I'm......."
"He's fine, he's just groggy, give him a few minutes and he'll be fine."
"...I'm sorry."
Hume closed the carriage door without breaking eye contact.
Lata stepped out of the shadows and burrowed into Lucion's arms.
Without saying a word, he accepted Lucion's touch.
His hand was trembling.
[...Lord Lucion.]
At the sound of Bethel's voice, Lucion burst into uncontrollable sobs.
It was too much.
[It's okay. ...It's not the ball's fault.]
Bethel immediately recognized the situation from Lucion's tears and Russell's absence, and patted him on the shoulder.
Tears welled up in his eyes, but he swallowed and held them back.
What Lucion was going through right now was beyond his comprehension.
"...I'm sorry, Bethel."
[Heard... from Russell].
Bethel looked back and saw Lucion's mess.
What a mess.
"Bethel."
[Yes.]
"I, I ignored your teachings... and gave myself over to anger and hatred."
Lucion's hand stopped stroking Latta, and he spoke with the bitterness of a child confessing a wrong.
"Because of me, Asha... died."
-No. It was never Lucion's fault, Lata knows.
Lata turned and covered my face with her bloodied hand and threw her arms around Lucion, who was sobbing.
-Lucion didn't do anything wrong, he was just too sad, his grief was too much!
Lata squeezed her eyes shut and pulled Lucion away.
"I... fell, and Asha died trying to undo it, if I hadn't been so full of grief......."
[Lucion Gong].
Bethel called Lucion sternly.
[No matter how many times I tell you, it's not the duke's fault].
This was what Russell meant when he said it was better to have one missing than two.
He told Lucion to stop him because he was going to disappear anyway.
"...But, Russell. You were wrong. Lord Lucion's grief was far greater than you realized.'
Lucion, who had caused not only Lucion but all of Kronia to suffer, who had not been corrupted by the sight of King Norvion of Newbra, had become like this when Russell was gone.
[If I had the same power as Asha, I would gladly give me for a ball.......]
"No!"
Lucion shouted, forcing himself to his feet.
He let out a pained groan in the aftermath.
"Please... don't... don't. Don't sacrifice anyone for me!"
[So I'm supposed to watch Gong die?]
"Yes."
Bethel made a face at Lucion's cruel words.
[Lucion the ball. I... I can't do that].
"Then what about me?"
Lucion clutched at the hem of his robe.
"The me that's left...? The me that has to watch someone disappear? And if I'm the only one left.......?"
Bethel placed a hand on the back of Lucion's hand.
Immediately, Lucion's eyes turned downward.
As his hands and shoulders trembled quietly, Bethel tried to find his voice.
"...I know."
But it was Lucion who spoke first.
"That I'm the one left alive. But Bethel. I... I don't want to."
[I'm sorry, I pushed him, he's probably saying something he doesn't mean right now out of grief].
"Bethel."
Lucion, who looked like he was about to break down in tears at any moment, forced his voice through his eyes.
"The time for frustration is over."
[......?]
"Because Master is not gone."
A spark of determination flared in Lucion's eyes.
* * *
"Lucion.
The black figure called out to Lucion.
The figure was still masked, but Lucion's heart sank.
She had passed out, and Hume had given her the black orb.
"Look at me.
"Who the hell are you?
Lucion asked, glaring at the black figure.
"This is the fifth time today, I only need to look at you once, why are you so sensitive?
The black figure shrugged and said.
'Am I... the Dark King?
'Lucion. The story is.......'
"The king whose crown was stolen by Veronia!
"Russell has disappeared.
'......!'
Lucion stared at the black figure, stunned by his words.
"How am I supposed to know, Lucion?
The black figure took a step closer to Lucion.
"Guess what. You're starting to get it, aren't you?
Lucion thought it was ridiculous, but he said the name.
"Lucion... Kronia.
His own name.