Side Story Chapter 121   - Endless Eighth (7)

[Gah...!]

The Flames of Voracity pierced Solar’s chest and spread throughout his body made of sunlight. Excruciating pain akin to being torn apart alive by beasts was sent to his brain.

[Hurgh, a-arghh.]

Solar crouched and placed his hand over his chest where the Flames of Voracity were devouring him. He used the light green gem, infused with the power of Nostrian, embedded in his palm to rewind time.

[Huff! Huff! Huff!]

The hole on Solar’s chest that looked as if he had been hit with a cannonball slowly closed. However, the wound couldn’t be fully treated despite turning back time to make it so that the event of him getting wounded never happened. Unless Nostrian were to do it himself, the destruction that occurred couldn’t be fully erased even if time were rewound.

“As I’d thought, your use of the power is sloppy at best.” Oh Kang-Woo snickered as he stared at Solar who couldn’t fully treat his wound.

[Kurgh...] Solar grimaced and clenched the light green gem embedded in his palm.

‘This won’t do.’

He couldn’t handle this great evil himself.

‘In that case...’

Solar looked toward Lunar who was fighting heatedly against the two who seemed to be the demon’s subordinates.

[Urgh!] grunted Lunar, who possessed a bluish body unlike Solar’s body as bright as sunlight, and jumped backward.

Kim Si-Hun quickly chased after her and muttered, “Sword of the Endless Horizon.”

The sword enveloped in white frost turned transparent as if it had melted into the atmosphere. The blade bent at an angle that was physically impossible to aim for Lunar. The arcane technique of the Namgung Clan was performed flawlessly by Si-Hun.

[Even so, it is but a human’s technique!]

Swish—!

The flexible urumi, enveloped in a bluish aura, slithered like a snake and deflected Si-Hun’s attack.

[It is no match for the techniques bestowed upon me by the Great Akart!] shouted Lunar fiercely and flicked her wrist.

Swish—!

Her urumi wrapped around Si-Hun’s sword like a snake and flung it out of Si-Hun’s hand, tearing his palm. There was nothing worse than a swordsman losing his sword, but Si-Hun did not falter.

“Three Palms of Heavenly Thunder.”

Crackle—!!

Si-Hun fluidly transitioned to a palm technique. He extended his palm, enveloped in blue lightning, toward Lunar’s stomach.

[Hmph!]

Lunar snorted at the palm technique aiming for her stomach and lightly flicked her wrist. The flexible urumi suddenly extended to a length of over five meters and quickly changed direction to wrap around Si-Hun’s arm.

“Kurgh...!” Si-Hun grunted.

At this rate, his right arm would be cut off by the urumi. Just then, Balrog grabbed Si-Hun’s collar from behind and pulled him backward.

“Move, brat!”

Si-Hun was flung away. He quickly maneuvered in midair to land on his feet and glared at Balrog.

“Balrog, you bastard!”

“Gahahahaha! That’s what you get for getting in my way!” Balrog laughed heartily and attacked Lunar as if he were put in after switching out Si-Hun. “Haaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”

His fist, wrapped in black armor, aimed for Lunar’s head. His fist tearing through the air sounded like a battering ram.

[You have formidable power. However...] Lunar fluidly moved backward to easily dodge Balrog’s fist and stared at Balrog coldly. [You lack elegance.]

She extended her arm to place her hand over Balrog’s fist and shook her arm as if shaking dust off of it.

“Kuh!!”

The giant Balrog was flung away as he twirled like in a wrestling match. It was not due to her strength but Balrog’s strength being used against him.

[Haaap!]

The blue light coming out of her hand created a storm and wrapped Balrog, sending him flying like a piece of paper and tumbling across the ground.

Boom!

“Gehe, gahahahahaha!! This is fun!”

Balrog burst into laughter despite being flown back powerlessly. The shock from his opponent, whom Balrog had thought would be as fragile as glass, overpowering him in such a way caused his blood to boil.

“Oi, brat. Isn’t there a technique like that in one of your martial arts thingies?” Balrog asked Si-Hun.

“It’s a form of grappling. Though I have no idea what she did to send a massive guy like you flying.”

Si-Hun clicked his tongue after observing the battle between Balrog and Lunar from a distance.

‘I couldn’t see it at all.’

Not even Si-Hun, possessing an innate talent for martial arts, could understand what Lunar did to send Balrog flying.

‘It didn’t have to do with her physical strength.’

Si-Hun recalled his battle against Lunar. She wasn’t physically strong; in terms of pure power, he and Balrog were far stronger.

‘But we can’t land a blow on her.’

It felt as if they were fighting the wind. It got further away the closer they tried to get to it, and it was right in front of them when they thought they had retreated far enough. Not only that but her flexible urumi was tricky to deal with.

‘I can’t believe... I would fall behind in terms of skill.’

Si-Hun had to admit it after several exchanges against Lunar; her martial arts, which Akart had bestowed her with according to her, was superior to his martial arts.

“So this is... a retainer of Akart.” Si-Hun’s expression froze. They were certainly on another level compared to the enemies thus far. “Balrog.”

“Hm? What’s wrong, brat?”

“Keep her eyes on you and I’ll attack her by surprise.”

“What? Are you suggesting we team up?” asked Balrog as he feigned laughter.

Although Balrog and Si-Hun were fighting against Lunar two-on-one, they were not working together. They were simply tagging each other in and out, which already hurt their pride as warriors, but Si-Hun was suggesting something far worse.

“We can’t defeat her unless we attack her together.”

“Hmm,” Balrog groaned with his eyes narrowed. As Si-Hun said, they would not get anywhere unless they worked together. Balrog lightly nodded and answered, “Very well. I will cooperate.”

Balrog was his king’s loyal subordinate before he was a warrior. Laying down his pride for victory was nothing for him.

‘Besides, most of my pride has already been damaged.’

Although he and Si-Hun did not fight as a team, they pressured her by switching mid-battle. That already damaged Balrog’s pride to the point it no longer mattered what he did.

“Do I just have to keep her attention on me?” Balrog asked.

“Yeah. I’ll wait for the right opportunity to strike.”

“Gehehehe! Don’t end up attacking me by accident, brat.”

“I can’t guarantee that since you’re so damn big.”

Si-Hun and Balrog killed their anxiety by exchanging jokes and charging at Lunar simultaneously.

[Hmm, it seems you’ve finally decided to attack me together.]

Lunar assumed her battle stance leisurely but her eyes were slightly shaking.

‘Dealing with both of them at once is a little...’

She bit her lip and gripped her urumi tighter. Like Solar, she had prayed to Akart and borrowed his power before the battle began, but that had not been enough to critically injure either of her opponents.

‘There isn’t much time... my body can’t handle the Great Akart’s power much longer.’

She would have even less time if forced to use more power to handle their team attacks.

‘In that case.’

Lunar looked toward Solar, who so happened to be looking at her as well.

[Solar!] Lunar shouted as if she had come to a resolution.

Solar nodded in understanding. [It seems that is the only way.]

They clenched their fists with serious expressions. The price to be paid would be massive if they used this power but they had no other choice.

[Lunar.]

[Come here, Solar.]

Solar and Lunar quickly retreated and flew toward each other.

Slash! Boom!

[Kurgh!]

[Ngh!!]

The price of turning their backs on their enemies during a battle was not cheap. Solar’s back was slashed deeply by Midir and Lunar allowed Balrog and Si-Hun’s attacks to hit her.

[Let us begin, Solar.]

[Understood.]

Solar and Lunar extended their arms toward each other and interlocked fingers.

Whoooom!!!

Blinding light exuded from them.

“The hell?”

Kang-Woo frowned as he stared at Solar and Lunar embracing each other.

[I am Solar, the essence of the sun.]

[I am Lunar, the essence of the moon.]

The light gradually amplified and created a colossal storm. They held hands and recited an incantation like a song as if they were in a musical.

[I was born as the sun to become the moon.]

[I was born as the moon to become the sun.]

Lunar and Solar locked eyes with one another. Their interlocked fingers melted as if becoming one.

[The sun and the moon meet to create the universe.]

[Return to the Primordial and become one.]

Solar and Lunar; the sun and the moon were about to become one.

“What the fuck?” Kang-Woo feigned laughter. “Are they trying to combine?”

That seemed to be the case from how they were slowly melting to intermix. It was an unspoken rule never to attack someone during a transformation, but...

“SI-HUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!! BALROOOOOOOOOOOOOOG!!!” Kang-Woo shouted as he sprinted like crazy. “NOW!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!”

Solar and Lunar were completely defenseless during their transformation.

“FUCK THEM UP!!!”

Kang-Woo stabbed Midir into the completely defenseless Solar.

[KURGH!!!] Solar grunted and collapsed.

[S-SOLAAAAAR!!!]

Lunar caught him in shock but Solar was trembling with his eyes rolled over, likely because their transformation was interrupted midway.

She glared at Kang-Woo and shouted, [Y-YOU COWARD!!!]

“Bwehehehehehehehe!!!” Kang-Woo laughed in pure joy. “It’s your fault for transforming mid-battle!”

He stabbed the trembling Solar in the back again.