Rain and the Fox (3)

Princess Olivia Theodora Alexis stood at the entrance of hell.

‘Father, please forgive your ugly daughter.’

Even though she knew it was impossible, she proceeded to search. This expedition was to show prominence in the superhuman society, to be recognized for the possibility of the future restoration operation of Gibraltar, and to obtain as much support as possible. With that common goal, she had joined hands with her brother, who felt like an enemy. But now… perhaps he had just been waiting for this moment.

‘The moment the gate opened, he ran away. Where did he acquire an artifact that enabled space movement? No, it’s useless to think about it now.’

Her desire to condemn him was pointless, but they would probably die here. There were artifacts that could be used to escape if you were alone. However, if he abandoned all of them and survived alone, he would be branded as the surviving family member who fled in disgrace and wouldn’t have a chance in the struggle for succession. It was better to die here than to survive so miserably.

“—Synthesis!”

When she calmly prepared for death, spikes tore through the crowd of monsters. When she saw the blackthorns scatter the monsters around her, Olivia trembled slightly. She was almost embarrassed by the salvation she never thought would come.

‘It was Eleanor.’

She wasn’t sure at first since she covered her body in a black coat and a half-mask, but she was sure once she saw her skillful handling of that spear. And, she was irrevocably convinced once she saw her desperate rush to save her sister. She didn’t know why she moved with the Death Puppeteer, but that was certainly her youngest sister, Eleanor Rosaline Redlake.

‘So stupid.’

Such a soft personality that drove her to rescue the older sister who expelled her from the country that wouldn’t serve her. No, wouldn’t she get herself killed in this place?

“I found a place to die, so why have you crawled here?”

Olivia muttered, her face twisted. The vassals, distracted by Eleanor’s performance, weren’t able to hear her. However, even with her great skill, she couldn’t save them. Even though the countercurrent had just started, monsters of SS-rank and higher were overflowing everywhere, and the moment the ground turned red, more than half their ranks fell, unable to overcome the mana density.

“Taylor, are you okay?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. But as it is…”

The comforting thing was that Boyd Taylor, 11th in the world ranking, remained by her side until the end, but that was because he was her fiancée, and he had missed the chance to run. Crucially, his power alone couldn’t overcome the situation. His ability was extremely effective in stopping the SS-rank monsters, but he suffered irreparable damage from the higher-ranked monsters’ attacks. The countdown to hell had already begun.

-Kyaaaaahoohoh!

-Guaaaah!

The aerial monsters led by her sister bombed the whole area, barely giving them a chance to breathe. Oliva clenched her jaw as she wielded her wand, squeezing out all the magic she had.

“Don’t lower your head! We are the guardians of the great British Empire! Do not back down!”

Until the moment she died, she was a princess of the British Empire. Until the end, she would maintain an elegant appearance! But that didn’t last long, either. In those red-colored lands, demons born of the blood of monsters and superhumans began to narrow the distance.

-Kyahahaaha, it’s ridiculous to think there is noble blood here!

-The bigger the delusion, the deeper the despair. What a suitable toy to play with today!

-It isn’t long before he comes. We have to hurry enjoying it!

The demons were superior to the superhumans in every way. Boyd stepped out to stop them but was unable to withstand the blow and fell. He seemed alive, as the shield he activated was still covering him, but he couldn’t continue fighting.

“The Thunder Empress has come, Your Majesty!”

“We just have to hold on a little more!”

The flow of mana was remarkably mitigated by the magic of the Empress that had miraculously appeared, but she couldn’t wipe them all out. No, rather, it seemed that she was concentrating her abilities on keeping the countercurrent from spreading, not saving them. In other words, Oliva couldn’t be saved.

‘She’s already chosen. She will do whatever it takes to end this, even at our expense!’

Olivia judged it right, but she didn’t have the authority to command the Thunder Empress. How did the successor to the British Empire end up in this place? Should she wait for the death coming for her? Should she be trampled by those guys who spat out human words?

“Your Majesty!”

Someone shouted out to her as it felt like she was treading water.

“It’s the Puppeteer!”

“Death Puppeteer? Olivia raised her head. The moment Eleanor had appeared, he wondered if he would come to help them. But what could he do? She knew he was stronger than Boyd, but what could he do that the Thunder Empress couldn’t?

-I’m full!

Her thought vanished as she watched the demon who came up to her after eating her men in one bite split in half and die.

“I came to help. Hm, do you have any potions?”

Boyd had been taken out in a single blow, yet this man had arrived without a single fear. He created a simple barrier that prevented the monsters’ attacks by wrapping invisible threads around them. Of course, it couldn’t withstand the demon’s power for long, but those few seconds were enough in such a desperate situation.

“Don’t reject it because it will give you a buff.”

“Buff? Do you mean that you possess even that ability…?”

One of Olivia’s subordinates spoke up, doubting the absurdity of his words which had been spoken in English. However, he didn’t respond as his eyes flashed golden through his mask. At that moment, Oliva felt new vitality rising inside her. No, she hadn’t recovered; she just felt stronger. Of course, it was a temporary change, but it was a ridiculous buff.

“This… What?!”

“Okay, drink your potions if you have them. I don’t know when it will disappear, so just try to survive.”

Shin Eun-hyuk gave a potion to Boyd and left him to another superhuman. Oliva stared blankly at him, swinging his two scythes to stop the demons.

‘Perhaps… Can I buy…?!’

One by one, the demons they thought couldn’t be overcome were taken out by the scythes. The superhumans under her, who had collapsed under the high mana density, were somehow standing and fighting thanks to Shin Eun-hyuk’s ability. In a sense, the change he brought was more dramatic than the Thunder Empress.

“Your Majesty! Are you safe?!”

“I’m fine. Taylor, how are you?”

“I’m surprisingly fine. What potion…”

“It must be the Alchemist’s. She’s famous.”

During the previous terrorist attacks in Paris, Shin Eun-hyuk rampaged around with the Alchemist’s assistance. Everyone acknowledged his abilities, but there wasn’t one who looked down on the help he received. He was perfect without her help; the Alchemist gave the man with wings a booster.

‘And that means… even without the aid of the Alchemist, he’s worth bringing in.’

Olivia’s eyes burned with a strange heat. Suddenly, she looked up and noticed the wyvern and her younger sister wielding a spear atop it.

‘If only I can survive here.’

No, she would surely survive if the Empress delayed the countercurrent, and the Death Puppeteer defeated the enemy’s main forces. With his support, the British superhumans might be able to clean up the remainder.

‘Every superhuman here witnessed my brother’s escape. If all of them could live and return, there will be no place for you to stand.’

The situation had changed so dramatically from having just one man as a reinforcement. Oliva clenched her fists, chasing after Shin Eun-hyuk with her eyes. Then, she raised her staff with the Redlake crest engraved on it and shouted vigorously.

“Live! We must live and return!”

“Oooh!”

The guardians responded similarly to her voice. It was at that moment that black lava began to rise from the ground.

***

Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to cover his ears at the display of spirit from the British superhumans. It was through the use of his trait that had brought them back from the brink.

“That spirit is good, but it did drive them to this stupid behavior in the first place.”

-I felt a new fox from that idiot…

[Anvil, the second wave will come. I can’t stand up yet, but it seems to be a bit tough to confront.]

“I can see it over there.”

The black lava was rising not far away from them. Kang Shin-hyuk saw that a life with mighty power was about to be born. It was an enemy that surpassed the current limit.

‘I have to drink the Transcendence potion.’

When he thought of the future, he wanted to surpass that limit somehow, but no matter how superior his ability was compared to the rankings, he couldn’t beat an enemy beyond it. He glanced at Shin Eunah. She was now controlling all the magic in the area in an attempt to suppress the countercurrent. It was thanks to her that more enemies weren’t appearing. That means this time, there was no chance he would waste the potion. He drank it without hesitation.

“Whoo.”

In an instant, all his stats reached the current limit. He tore through the SSS-rank demons, and his energy he had expended in helping the British troops was restored at once. But, defeating the enemy before him still seemed beyond him.

-It’s been a while, father.

The man-made lava was wearing armor that was familiar to him. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded in satisfaction.

“What Oh Joo-young was wearing was a replica.”

It had been cracked and destroyed by Shin Eunah’s lightning, so it couldn’t have been something Anvil made. What he was wearing right now was the real deal. No, the whole body that had been combined with Oh Joo-young must’ve been a fake.

‘But when I think about it, it feels dirty. Why keep making fakes? In the end, everything that appeared then was fake, right?’

Not only Bomber Girl, but also Oh Joo-young and even this monster! He felt like an idiot for preparing for a decisive battle with Oh Joo-young at that moment.

-For Jormungand, whose birth is fake, it is as natural as breathing.

[If it’s a fake that’s exactly the same as the real thing, you can’t dare call it a fake. Anvil, open your eyes. The body doesn’t mean anything to the executives of Jormungand. It is their soul that must be broken. You can do it, right?]

Tsukuyo offered him some specific advice. Kang Shin-hyuk filled himself with the energy of the Golden Dragon Fighter and created armor around it with spiritual power. He put the Great Heavenly Spirit in his belt, and his scythes away. If he had the Godslayer, he would be wielding it now. He couldn’t endure that it had been stolen. He clenched his fists; his heart filled with resentment as he looked up at the monster.

“Come on, you infidel.”

-I didn’t know I would be serving my father in this way… I don’t think you have any intention of backing down.

The monster clicked his tongue and lifted a greatsword made of black lava. Kang Shin-hyuk recognized that a part of Oh Joo-young was embedded in the greatsword, and his lips twisted into a smile.

“You made a good trade.”

-You will know soon!

It hit the ground and charged. Although its body exceeded three meters, it accelerated faster than the speed of sound with that might. The greatsword, which converted all of that terrible weight and speed into destructive power, swung in a straight line right at his head.

“Ha!”

Kang Shin-hyuk swung his fist against him, empowered with spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter. Then, a shield of lightning made with the magical power of Shin Eunah that was contained in the orb sprang up and blocked the sword.

-This is…?

“This will be fun.”

Kang Shin-hyuk’s eyes shone a golden hue. The shield imbued with the power of the dragon soared.