Chapter 10: One-Man Army

Dan Ga-yeon (4)

Comet was in a good mood. Dan Ga-yeon was still dazed, but she seemed to have successfully cheered her up and resolved her pangs of conscience.

Now, all she had to do was watch over her and spend time by her side. In this dangerous era, surely an opportunity to face complete death would come.

However, she hadn't anticipated this situation.

Along with a loud noise, a Monster's roar echoed. Dan Ga-yeon, jolted awake by the sound, headed towards the rooftop railing.

Comet scratched her cheek and followed her to the railing. In the distance, the air above the ground was distorting. Comet hadn't seen it in person before, as she had been safely inside during the Cataclysm, but she knew what phenomenon it was. A rift in the multiverse.

Come to think of it, she could feel a dense concentration of Mana, as if a grand magic spell had been cast. Although, as a Necromancer, it was difficult for Comet to truly grasp it.

A Monster's claw emerged from the rift, and a loud roar resounded. Dan Ga-yeon, assessing the distance to the ground, quickly opened the rooftop door and disappeared.

An alarm blared. It was the first rift since the Cataclysm that had devastated human civilization.

Comet gauged the scale of the situation and took out a Soul orb from her pocket. Then, she rested her chin on the railing and looked down at the ground.

Before Dan Ga-yeon could reach the rift, the Monster fully emerged. It was a Monster that stood on two legs like a human, but with the head of an animal. It had wings and a tail, and its height and size were overwhelming compared to a human, making it look like a demon.

The demon opened its mouth. Energy gathered, and then a breath was unleashed.

Comet gaped.

One of the buildings next to the rift was hit by the breath, and its facade melted away. Several souls floated up and flew into the Soul orb.

Comet checked the distance to the ground to see if the building she was standing on could collapse, and since it seemed okay, she simply rested her chin on the railing and watched the demon's actions.

Dan Ga-yeon, arriving late, slowed her sprint upon seeing the melted landscape. Comet was inwardly anxious that she might die pointlessly, but it was an unnecessary worry.

Dan Ga-yeon quickly dodged the incoming breath and charged at the demon. Her judgment was sharp, truly demonstrating her top-notch hunting experience. Starting with a deep gash on one of the demon's legs, a fierce battle ensued. Each time the Mana-infused sword and the seemingly limit-breaking claws clashed, small shockwaves rippled out.

The battle seemed to be going in Dan Ga-yeon's favor. Her attacks were successfully landing, and the demon couldn't land any effective hits. However, it didn't seem that way for Dan Ga-yeon, who was facing it head-on.

Dan Ga-yeon didn't press the attack further and instead retreated, watching the demon intently. Comet, wondering what was up, examined the demon closely and saw that its wounds were healing rapidly. Judging by the healing speed, it seemed that the healing was faster than the damage Dan Ga-yeon was inflicting. Of course, it was still a living being, so it couldn't last forever.

The demon flapped its wings and flew towards the melted building. Dan Ga-yeon ran after it, but there was no need. The demon plunged its snout into the melted concrete and swallowed it down. Its wounds healed at a significantly faster rate. The demon looked down at Dan Ga-yeon with a triumphant gesture and then flew in front of her and landed.

Oh... that demon seems like it can heal forever. Dan Ga-yeon will eventually run out of Stamina.

And that's exactly what happened. The demon flapped its wings and fled, even taking hits, only to heal, while Dan Ga-yeon's movements gradually became more and more flawed.

Dan Ga-yeon failed to dodge an attack and was sent flying into a building. The demon roared and flapped its wings, heading towards the building Dan Ga-yeon had crashed into.

That was a hasty judgment. While the demon was flying, Dan Ga-yeon opened a window that was in the demon's blind spot and jumped out. Comet couldn't see the alley Dan Ga-yeon had jumped into, so she tilted her head out of curiosity before giving up. A roar echoed from inside the building. It seemed she had missed.

Before long, Dan Ga-yeon reappeared some distance away, panting for breath. She seemed to be trying to recover her breathing, at least. After taking a few breaths, Dan Ga-yeon ruffled her hair and looked around, as if searching for an Awakened to move with her.

Then, Comet and Dan Ga-yeon made eye contact. Dan Ga-yeon stared blankly at Comet, who was watching from the rooftop where she had been all along. Then, her expression changed drastically.

Comet could clearly recognize that emotion. It was anger. Comet twisted her side hair as she pondered while Dan Ga-yeon climbed the building stairs.

"What are you doing?!"

It was the first time she had spoken informally.

Comet looked at the Soul orb and then back at Dan Ga-yeon.

"Why aren't you helping?!"

Dan Ga-yeon didn't seem to need Comet's answer.

"You can take it down alone!"

She didn't care if there was no answer and poured out her angry words.

Comet leaned against the railing and listened to her slowly. After venting her emotions several times, Dan Ga-yeon took a ragged breath and approached Comet.

But before she could, the sound of a building collapsing came from the ground. Dan Ga-yeon hurriedly ran to the railing and looked down. Judging from the angle and the sound, it seemed that the area near where she had been fighting the demon had collapsed.

Dan Ga-yeon looked down at the ground and said weakly.

"Why are you just standing there..."

It wasn't just a voice filled with anger. It was mixed with emotions directed at Dan Ga-yeon herself. Self-loathing and shame distorted the railing.

After muttering a few times, Dan Ga-yeon grabbed her sword and hesitated. Then, she turned to Comet abruptly.

Comet flinched at the sight of Dan Ga-yeon running towards her with her sword. Regardless of Comet's attempt to snatch the sword, Dan Ga-yeon continued to run and tackled Comet. With a sense of weight, Comet fell to the ground.

A breath passed through the spot where Comet had been standing. Comet stared blankly at the remnants of the breath. A part of the railing melted and fell to the ground.

"Please move."

Dan Ga-yeon looked down and grabbed Comet's sleeve. A sense of pressure was felt.

"Please move."

It was a tearful voice.

"Please save the people."

The sky was covered with souls. The souls gathered around the Soul orb.

It was a beautiful sight.

Comet was stunned for a moment before raising her hand and wiping away Dan Ga-yeon's tears.

"Speaking informally is nice too. Should we drop the honorifics?"

There was no answer. Dan Ga-yeon simply gripped Comet's sleeve tightly.

"You don't want to? Then only you can drop the honorifics. That's fine too."

Comet hugged Dan Ga-yeon, rolled over to reverse their positions, and then got up, straightening her clothes.

"There was no need to save them, but you did something unnecessary."

A knife was drawn.

Dan Ga-yeon looked up at Comet while lying down.

"I'm only helping you this one time as a special favor. From now on, if you want to save people, do it yourself. That's better for both of us."

Comet smiled brightly.

She walked away with the knife and the Soul orb and looked down at the ground. The demon had turned its attention elsewhere and was wreaking havoc.

The Soul orb floated up. Souls gathered around the orb and were absorbed. The wind howled, and Comet's clothes fluttered.

Comet slightly opened her mouth and bit the Soul orb. There was a cracking sound, and the orb shattered into pieces. Explosive Spiritual Power spread out, creating a small storm.

Comet slowly gathered the Spiritual Power. Spiritual Power gathered, and black wings slowly unfurled, and her body floated.

Comet closed her eyes for a moment. She could feel the screams and anger of the souls. Whether they were angry at the demon that had ended their lives or at Comet, who had ended their cycle of reincarnation, even the souls themselves wouldn't know. Now, it was up to Comet to decide.

She heard the sound of Dan Ga-yeon getting up.

Comet turned around and smiled brightly.

"I'll be back soon. Don't get angry that I took it down too easily."

The wind blew, and Comet fell towards the ground as if diving. The demon looked up and roared. As the breath flew towards her, she flapped her wings and increased her speed.

Comet maintained her speed as she flew, taking advantage of the gap created when the demon fired its breath, and took a throwing stance with the knife in her hand. Her wings scattered and disappeared, and explosive Spiritual Power gathered on the knife.

Chanting omitted.

Soul Severance.

The knife, flying with a black flash, collided with the demon. Comet, who had lost her wings, flew with inertia and punched the demon. The demon, staggering from the knife hit and leaking souls, crashed into the ground with the impact. The ground collapsed, and the demon's soul burst out and exploded.

Comet landed on a suitable patch of ground and used a small shockwave to clear away the flying debris and dust. She dusted off her hands and picked up the knife she had thrown, blowing on it.

She turned to look at Dan Ga-yeon, who was looking down from the rooftop. Comet waved her hand lightly, but when there was no reaction, she quietly lowered her hand.

Comet put her hands behind her back and lightly twisted her body. The damage caused by the demon came into view. She said she would catch it and come back, so now she had to go up to the rooftop, but she was a little afraid of how Dan Ga-yeon would react.

Comet scratched her cheek, took out a new Soul orb from her pocket, gathered souls, and hurried out of the area. Meeting Dan Ga-yeon could be done next time.

Even after leaving the area, the chaos didn't disappear. The rift in the multiverse would have affected the entire world, and there was no safe place. Still, it wasn't a situation serious enough to require the mobilization of the entire army, as there were no fighters or bombers in the sky.

Comet was satisfied as she watched the souls being absorbed into the Soul orb.

『Hey!』

A voice came from the Soul orb.

Comet's eyes widened.

"...Who are you?"

A soul was speaking perfectly.

『This body is the Princess of Blood and Shadow! Show some respect!』

It's a high-class soul.

Although, it seems to be mentally unstable.

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