hotmtlnovel Chapter 363
Chapter 363
A massive black sphere appeared in the sky above the city, blocking out the sun.
It looked dangerous at a glance, prompting the city’s heroes to urgently rush to the spot beneath the floating sphere.
And there, in the shadow cast by the colossal sphere...
“Hello, I’ve been waiting, and you finally made it,” a woman stood.
As usual, she wore her hooded cloak, and even from beneath it, her golden eyes shone vividly as she gazed at them.
Yoon Si-woo, who had encountered this woman not long ago, inwardly half-confirmed his suspicion and asked her for verification.
“...Is that thing floating in the sky your doing?”
“Oh, that? Yes, it’s my work,” she replied with a bright smile, pointing at the sphere.
Yoon Si-woo bit down hard at his response; he didn’t know what it was, but the woman before him was a witch.
Moreover, based on the deeds she had committed so far, it was clear she was not at all an ally to humanity, so he asked her with hostility.
“I don’t know what that is, but it would be best to get rid of it immediately. Unless you want to die.”
“Oh dear, how scary it is to be threatened to eliminate something without knowing what it is. Don’t you think you should know what it is first?”
The woman chuckled, clapping her hands.
In that moment, the black sphere floating in the sky began to fade away as if its outer shell was being peeled off, revealing the contents within.
“...W-What is that!!”
“Could all of that be magic?!”
As the black sphere disappeared, another black sphere emerged.
However, the contents inside exuded an even more ominous aura.
That floating, swaying thing was magic the heroes were all too familiar with.
“How is it? It’s magic born from the hearts of two witches, amplified using the sacred relics. No living creature could survive within that.”
Yet, what wasn’t familiar was the sheer quantity.
The amount of magic was so immense, it could cause even seasoned heroes to freeze in terror.
“What will happen to this city if that falls?”
The woman who casually spoke of dropping it smiled as if it were no big deal.
In response, Yoon Si-woo gritted his teeth and questioned her.
“...Who are you really? What is your purpose in doing this?”
Despite the tension in Yoon Si-woo’s voice,
“I am Auria. You humans refer to me as the Witch of Greed.”
Auria answered all his questions plainly.@@@@
“My purpose? It’s ‘world domination.’”
Yoon Si-woo couldn’t fathom Auria’s intent to ultimately kill everyone while talking about conquest.
However, facing her brilliantly shining golden eyes beneath the hood, he realized he didn’t need to understand her, nor did he want to.
And Auria too, did not seek the understanding of anyone.
Thus, Yoon Si-woo drew his sword toward Auria and said,
“I may not know much, but as long as I’m here, things won’t go your way.”
To protect the people, and especially the girl who would be left alone in the room.
*
Suddenly, everyone in my room left, and after briefly waiting inside, believing Yoon Si-woo’s words that it was nothing at all, I soon came to realize that something serious was happening.
“This...!!!”
To be precise, I tried to.
“...Ouch.”
The collision shocked my body.
I had toppled over with the wheelchair in my attempts to sit down.
...I usually didn’t realize it since someone else carried me, but it was quite difficult to manage on my own.
I might stumble and hit things countless times on the way too.
Yet, staying still while letting my beloved friends get hurt would undoubtedly be worse to endure.
Thinking this, I struggled to right the wheelchair that had fallen over.
Then it happened.
Something round rolled across the floor and nudged against my hand.
“...Huh, Ari?!”
Because it felt so familiar from always being hugged, I immediately recognized what it was.
How could this be? I had left it on the bed before I tried to get into the wheelchair.
“Could it have fallen off the bed due to the impact just now? I’m so sorry! You’re not broken, right?!”
Regardless, since I knew Ari was still here, I quickly held Ari in my arms and checked her condition.
While I was anxiously apologizing, Ari flinched.
And that was when,
“Isn’t it okay? I didn’t fall because of that, you know?”
It was a reassuring response.
It felt strange.
Usually, when Ari would stir, I would have no clue what was wrong. Yet today, it felt as if Ari’s intentions were directly flowing into my mind.
As I stood there, a little dazed by the mysterious sensation, Ari tilted her head and asked me,
“...Is it really that necessary for you to go, even if you have to fall?”
It felt like a reproachful question, yet I could sense Ari’s concern and dismay.
Ari didn’t want me to go.
More precisely, she didn’t wish for me to struggle so much for the sake of others.
Yet even knowing that, I could only respond to Ari in this way.
“...Yeah, I have to go. No, I want to go. No matter what.”
At my reply, Ari quivered slightly.
It felt like a sigh steeped in resignation.
And soon after,
“...Huh?!”
A crack appeared in the egg surrounding Ari.
For a moment, I was startled, but then the flames that spilled from the broken shell warmly embraced my body.
It was then that I finally realized.
It was the hatching and revival of Ari, something I had been waiting for so long.
With the feeling of my body slowly lifting into the air, Ari’s voice echoed in my mind.
[...Then at least I will take you there. So you won’t get hurt.]
“...Yeah, thank you, Ari.”