Chapter: 158
The glow of the light faded, revealing the Glorifier pierced through the heart by the light sword.
His pupils had dilated, and anyone could see he looked dead.
And there, staring in a daze, was none other than Haring Lagrain.
On that fateful day when the sky of the Lagrain family was stained yellow.
In the midst of World Erosion, she had hidden alone in a solitary room, mourning the loss of her brother.
Endlessly counting numbers had turned her into an adult over time.
“I didn’t save you, I did this to survive. You weren’t at fault at all, got it?”
But deep in her heart, she couldn’t forget her brother’s last words.
“You’re not at fault.”
No matter how much she ruminated over those words, she couldn’t accept them.
If she hadn’t screamed that day, her brother wouldn’t have died.
If only she had been a little stronger, maybe she could have saved him.
Such thoughts consumed her mind constantly.
It felt like everything was entirely her fault.
The scars refused to heal, no matter how much she tried to cover them.
While living day by day like that, today.
An unexpected event took place.
A sky the same color as that yellow sky appeared again.
The man known as the Glorifier, with red hair, sat atop the roof of the Lagrain family.
And that man was the World Eroder who had seriously wounded her father this time.
Everything had gathered here today.
She tried to control her rage, but it overflowed, making it hard to bear.
All situations overlapping with her past felt like knives digging into her scars.
Yet she stifled her hatred again, not wanting to repeat the same mistake she made with her brother.
“Kraush.”
And for some reason, the sight of him made her see her brother.
She felt half out of her mind, yet she desperately followed Kraush.
Each time she used Invisibility, the heat she felt reminded her of her surroundings.
And in that final moment.
“Haring.”
Kraush called out to Haring.
“Watch closely.”
With a broad smile, Kraush raised dark flames before Haring.
“I’m going to smash that guy.”
His face looked serious yet playful at the same time.
Leaving those words behind, Kraush dashed toward the place where the light sword had passed.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
And as the Glorifier’s death throes echoed loudly, she saw it clearly.
The moment Kraush unleashed his final power of darkness in conjunction with the light sword.
It was the moment her life’s greatest embodiment of hatred, the Glorifier, met his end.
The wind blew, sending his hair swirling.
Drops of blood spilled from his body, staining the ground.
Underneath his red hair, the Glorifier’s eyes no longer held light.
The red eyes that had shone brightly in the yellow sky were completely extinguished.
Haring felt her legs weaken inexplicably.
Looking at the Glorifier, she couldn’t even manage a scream to express her emotions.
Thus, witnessing his death felt surreal.
Maybe that’s why the hatred she held within felt aimless, as if it was wandering without a home.
Then a boy caught her eye.
The boy, spouting thunder while exuding white smoke, soon turned to face Kraush.
“Haring.”
In that moment, Kraush called out to Haring.
As she slowly turned her still dazed gaze towards him, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“Did you see well?”
Haring’s eyes widened as she processed his words.
Then, without her realizing it, her feet moved forward.
Because Kraush’s body began to collapse.
As Haring ran to catch him, the heat radiating from him helped ground her in reality.
She realized just how much Kraush had strained himself for her lifelong grudge.
The moment she understood this, she felt her strength leave her body.
At the same time, her arms tightened reflexively.
“Kraush.”
“It’s still hot…”
Kraush dismissed her worries, insisting he hadn’t cooled down yet.
But without regard, she held him even tighter.
Could she ever repay this debt with her entire life?
Haring didn’t know.
One thing she was sure of, though.
The guilt for not being able to protect her brother melted away into the warmth of Kraush.
“…Thank you.”
Let’s pay it back.
No matter what happened, she silently resolved to live her life for him.
＊ ＊ ＊
While Haring supported Kraush, who wore an embarrassed expression.
[ You noticed it, didn’t you? What are you really planning to do? ]
He was bombarded by criticisms in his head from the Crimson Garden.
After all, the Black Witch wanted Ignis.
She had openly showcased it right in front of their eyes, so it was clear she’d be targeting Kraush relentlessly.
But Kraush didn’t throw himself mindlessly at the Black Witch either.
He had a way to prevent her from getting too close.
And he also had a method to keep an eye on Ixion’s movements.
“Let’s talk when we get back.”
Kraush mumbled to himself so no one else could hear as he glanced up.
Because the job was still not finished.
He had taken down the Glorifier.
But World Erosion was still present.
Now that the Glorifier had fallen, the immediate threat had passed, but Hadenhartz was probably in chaos by now.
‘My sister has the students, and the One Sword is with her, but.’
Still, uneasiness lingered.
Boom!
At that moment, the light sword embedded in the Glorifier’s body suddenly pulled out.
It stretched out straight into Rai’s hand and then vanished.
Cold sweat covered Rai’s face.
His usual calm demeanor was absent, showing just how difficult he found handling the light sword.
Of course, that made sense.
For that sword was none other than Mujang, Balok Balheim.
It was an aura that Balok himself had infused into the minerals, copied by Rai using his Lepetent skill.
In the past, when Rai had performed greatly, Balok had decided to grant him a wish.
And what he had received was that very light sword.
But even now, Rai was unable to wield that sword freely, as he had received it when Kraush was born.
The gap between Balok and Rai still felt immeasurable.
“I’m heading back to Hadenhartz first.”
As Rai retrieved the light sword, he shattered the Emperor’s Destruction Swords and spoke.
Since he had been informed of Kraush’s situation, he planned to return immediately and deal with World Erosion.
“I’m coming with you.”
Seina said the same thing.
She shot a glance at Kraush and subtly nodded her chin.
She knew about Ebelasque.
From what she had seen, though Ebelasque was a World Eroder, she could easily tell what feelings she held for Kraush.
A woman’s intuition told her.
At least Ebelasque might help Kraush rather than harm him.
Thus, she intended to leave Kraush and Haring in Ebelasque’s care.
Kraush gave a nod of thanks to Seina.
If she had been a rigid person, Ebelasque would have likely regarded her as an enemy simply for being a World Eroder.
As Rai and Seina departed, Kraush shifted his energy of the Red Dusk into his body.
Having experienced the Red Dusk once before, he absorbed that energy faster than expected.
With a breath of relief, Kraush exhaled.
“That’s better.”
He patted Haring’s arm, still supporting him.
Yet for some reason, Haring tightened her embrace.
“…You’re still not fine.”
Having just felt the warmth he hadn’t noticed due to the aftermath of the Red Dusk, Kraush tilted his head up.
Haring, who had run just like Kraush, didn’t smell of sweat, but rather had a lovely fragrance.
It must have been the unique scent of poison.
When Haring locked eyes with Kraush, she gazed at him for a moment.
Seeing those steadfast eyes made Kraush let out a faint sigh before speaking again.
“I’m really fine. I recovered partially. Just trust me.”
After listening to those words, Haring hesitated before gently loosening her grip on him.
“…Okay.”
Haring had weakened at Kraush’s genuine request, and she looked perplexed, even as she absentmindedly touched her own arms, wishing for the dissipating warmth.
Boom!
As the Blood Heaven created by the Glorifier crumbled, red shards fluttered in the sky.
And amid it, someone came rushing over.
“Kraush!”
It was none other than Ebelasque.
Her face was filled with concern.
She had to be cautious about revealing herself, considering Rai was present.
Therefore, she had waited anxiously, heart racing until now.
And as soon as Rai returned, she rushed over.
“Ebelasque.”
“How’s your body? You didn’t lose another arm, did you?”
She had grabbed Kraush tightly, inspecting him with a pale face.
After checking several times, she finally quietly sighed in relief.
Though he was bruised, Ebelasque knew Kraush’s reckless nature well.
While he would likely need treatment from the holy maiden, at least he was in a condition they could be relieved about.
“I’m fine. You can stop checking now.”
At that moment, Ebelasque looked up at a familiar voice.
The slightly deep voice that seemed to have passed through changes echoed in her ears, lingering in a curious manner before dissipating.
As she lifted her gaze, she froze.
Because she was still holding onto Kraush out of concern for examining him, and his face was far too close.
She could see his prominent nose and the blue eyes gazing at her.
Simultaneously, beads of sweat rolled down across his slightly strained face.
For some reason, Ebelasque’s cheeks began to flush slowly.
Kraush had saved Ebelasque twice.
Once physically, by giving back her heart.
And another time, he had volunteered to endure her long-held pain and trauma, mentally.
When it came to the heart, Ebelasque had been preoccupied with what was happening, not paying him any mind.
After all, he had appeared to her merely as a childish brat trying to act mature.
But the Kraush she encountered today was different.
Having grown up rapidly, he was closer to being an adult now.
He was tall enough that Ebelasque had to look up at him.
She knew boys grew quickly.
But she hadn’t realized they could grow this fast.
Maybe that’s why the comments Kraush had made earlier kept echoing in her mind.
Ebelasque averted her gaze.
For some reason, it felt strangely difficult to meet his eyes.
This feeling was something she had never experienced before in her life.
Just then, Ebelasque felt a pull from somewhere.
As she turned her head, Haring stood there emotionlessly.
“Kraush said he’s fine. Don’t stress him more.”
As Ebelasque made eye contact with her, she felt a slight annoyance.
“Who says? If he’s gonna stay with me, he needs to be in good shape.”
She grumbled and directed her annoyance at Kraush.
And she oddly emphasized the phrase “with me.”
While quickly checking Kraush’s reaction.
But Kraush merely wore a nonchalant expression, not seeming to pay much attention to her words.
His gaze met Haring’s again, creating an inexplicable current between them.
[ Look at that, this is all your doing. What a spectacle. ]
As the Crimson Garden seemed to mock, Kraush walked toward the fallen Glorifier.
With his chest blown open, only emptiness reflected in the Glorifier’s dead eyes.
“Ebelasque, can you retrieve the Glorifier’s corpse, including the bloodline statue?”
Ebelasque, who had been in a standoff with Haring, hurriedly rushed over as he made the request.
“I’ll do it. Is there anything else you need?”
She seemed oddly more obedient than before.
Kraush shot her an odd look, but it wasn’t a bad situation.
After all, her skills were now urgently needed.
“Yeah, there are residents in Hadenhartz too.”
Kraush observed Ebelasque swiftly recovering the Glorifier’s corpse.
“Let’s save those people first.”
Ebelasque and Haring turned to look at Kraush.
Kraush wasn’t someone you could easily label as a good person.
He was prickly, didn’t act like a noble, and often worried those around him.
But one thing was clear.
This aspect of him made people continually gravitate toward him.
“Let’s go.”
Seeing the one most battered take the first step, somehow, the two couldn’t help but smile.
If it were Kraush, then it truly felt like it would always be Kraush.
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