Extra in a Romance Fantasy

195 – King (7)

“Why the long face? Why such an expression?”

In a completely unscathed form, with an untroubled expression, the man casually asked me.

“……”

I couldn’t calmly return an answer to that question.

One doubt filled my mind.

I had not only cut the man but also his regenerative power at the same time.

With the intent that had stepped into the realm of transcendence, I had indeed severed it.

It was not an illusion.

Concepts like regenerative power are invisible, yet I felt it clearly with my expanded senses.

The man’s regenerative power was being severed by my intent.

However, the man had fully regenerated his body.

‘…How?’

How could he regenerate his body even after his regenerative power was severed?

I simply could not understand it.

And with that question in my mind.

“Hmm. Judging by your expression, you seem puzzled. You’re wondering how I regenerated my body.”

The man spoke as if he had peered into my thoughts.

“Truly, it seems you’ve forgotten everything.”

A wistful light appeared on his face.

“If it were up to me, I would like to tell you… but then, there would be no meaning in the fight.”

Shaking his head lightly, the man slowly raised one hand.

“Well then, it’s my turn now.”

His crimson eyes emitted a mischievous light.

Suu—

A sinister energy began to surge from his entire being.

“……!”

At that energy, I involuntarily held my breath.

The nature of that energy was something I was familiar with.

It was the same energy I had seen in the cult leader and in the devoured Mary, to the point of being sickened by it.

But.

The man’s energy was on a different level from what I had seen before.

The magnitude of the power, the intensity of the ominousness it possessed, was incomparable to the energy shown by the cult leader.

Faced with that energy, I was momentarily overwhelmed.

The energy was such that merely witnessing it made me feel a sense of vastness.

They say that when humans face something they cannot resist, they are overwhelmed.

For instance, when confronted with natural disasters like storms or tsunamis that no ordinary human body could possibly withstand.

However, I am not an ordinary human.

I have reached a realm that cannot even be described by the word “superhuman,” transcending humanity to a degree.

Yet here I was, overwhelmed by the man’s energy.

It was not a disaster or calamity.

‘A world.’

The energy emanating from the man, the pressure that bore down on me.

It truly contained the vastness and enormity of an entire world.

“Please, do not disappoint me.”

As he spoke those words, the man snapped his fingers.

──────────.

In an instant, everything was swept away.

*

Kuwung—

“What…?”

At the sudden heavy noise, those inside the academy looked up, turning their gazes toward the source of the sound.

It was the towering mountain at the center of the academy.

However, they soon averted their eyes from the mountain.

The sheer size and height of the mountain, combined with the distance, made it impossible to discern what was happening up there from afar.

Yet, not everyone turned their gaze away.

There were those who seemed as if they were nailed to the spot, unable to tear their eyes from the mountain.

Two figures stood at the heart of the battlefield, entwined with countless monsters and humans—Estelle and Kairn.

As soon as the deafening sound echoed, the two quietly gazed at the mountain’s peak.

In that moment, they exchanged no words, yet both were thinking the same thing.

Something unusual must have occurred at the top of that mountain.

Thus, Kairn’s gaze deepened, and the worry reflected in Estelle’s eyes grew more pronounced.

They realized that something was flying toward them from the direction of the mountain.

“What is that…?”

Estelle, furrowing her brow as she gazed at that point, soon opened her eyes wide.

It was because she realized that the sight of these approaching figures was familiar to her.

*

“…Hmm. I miscalculated my strength a bit.”

Saying this, the man brought the hand he had raised in front of his eyes.

His calm demeanor as he muttered to himself while looking at his hand from side to side was no different from before the thunderous sound echoed.

However, that didn’t mean nothing had happened in the crater.

The evidence lay in the changed surroundings.

The crater itself remained unchanged.

Yet, the landscape had undoubtedly transformed.

The monstrous beings that had filled this vast crater had vanished without a trace.

Not metaphorically; the monsters truly left no sign behind.

No blood, no flesh, not a single trace—monsters that were difficult to count had disappeared from the world.

The reason for such an outcome was simple.

The energy the man had unleashed had completely obliterated the space within the crater.

Thus, his creations had been erased from this world by his own power.

Yet, the man appeared utterly unconcerned by the result, wearing a calm expression.

“Are you safe?”

After a while of muttering to himself, the man suddenly turned his head and asked.

In the direction of his gaze was the cult leader, still bowing before him in an unchanged posture.

“Yes. Thanks to your care, my lord, I am safe.”

The cult leader spoke without even raising his head.

In his voice resided unwavering, steadfast loyalty.

“Good.”

Looking at the cult leader, the man nodded calmly.

Before the explosion, he had surrounded the cult leader with a protective barrier.

To ensure the cult leader wouldn’t be caught up in the obliteration of space.

However, it wasn’t because he particularly cherished the cult leader.

He acted that way simply because it was necessary.

The man and the cult leader had made a pact.

In exchange for the destruction of humanity in this world, the preacher offered his soul to the man.

However, humanity still remained intact, and the terms of the contract had yet to be fulfilled.

Thus, the man had to protect the preacher.

At least until the conditions of the contract were perfectly met.

It may seem strange that a transcendent being, capable of destroying the world if it wished, would be bound by a contract, but it is precisely because of such transcendence that it is bound.

Once a formal contract was established, the man was compelled to adhere to its terms.

For this reason, the man protected the preacher.

Having confirmed the preacher’s safety, the man turned his gaze forward once more.

Then he spoke.

“It’s been a while since I’ve used my power, so I can’t quite control it. Because of that, all the creations I painstakingly made have perished.”

Even as he spoke of the death of his creations, his subordinates, his face remained utterly serene.

“Well, it doesn’t matter, I suppose. Destroying humanity is something I can manage on my own. Don’t you think so?”

Suddenly, the man shifted his gaze and posed a question.

What lay in the direction of his gaze was none other than—

“Perdion.”

Wade, gasping for breath and covered in blood.

*

“Why on earth would you do such a thing?!”

A voice that usually bore only a gentle tone was, for once, tinged with fury.

The surrounding eyes turned to her, but the voice’s owner, Mary, paid no mind to their stares.

Her gaze was fixed on one place.

None other than Beluid.

“What were you thinking, leaving Wade behind there…!!”

Mary, who rarely raised her voice… no, who wouldn’t even utter unpleasant words, was pressing Beluid with an agitated tone.

The expression on her face was not defined by a single emotion, but the most prominent among them was anger.

Mary was angry.

Angry at Beluid, who had forcibly brought them here and left Wade alone in the crater.

But she was not the only one filled with rage.

Though they did not speak, the expressions of the other companions were not much different from Mary’s.

With slightly varied gazes, they all directed their attention toward Beluid.

However, even while receiving such gazes.

“…….”

Beluid remained silent.

He simply listened quietly to Mary’s words directed at him.

It was then.

“Stop it.”

A voice, quiet and out of place in the heated atmosphere, interjected.

The owner of that voice was none other than Estelle.

“The author must have had their reasons for doing so.”

With a calm expression, Estelle spoke.

“But…!”

In response, Mary protested.

Her attitude weighed heavily on the expressions of those around her.

They understood how terrifying it was to raise one’s voice against Estelle.

Under normal circumstances, Mary would never dare to do such a thing.

Yet, the current Mary was so agitated that she couldn’t even think of that.

Those nearby were worried.

They feared Estelle’s anger, and that her anger would harm Mary.

However, contrary to such concerns, Estelle did not get angry.

With an unchanged expression, she spoke without even glancing at Mary.

“Do you think staying there would have been helpful?”

“……!!”

At those calmly uttered words, Mary found herself at a loss for words.

She couldn’t possibly be unaware of it.

Beluid’s intentions.

The reason he forcibly brought everyone out of the crater.

“You would not have been of any help by staying there. So, just watch in silence.”

Saying that, Estelle gazed into the distance at the mountain’s peak.

“…….”

With that, Mary no longer said anything.

‘…Then, Wade is shouldering too great a burden alone.’

This thought was swallowed silently within.

In any case, the atmosphere grew quiet, and they all turned their gaze toward the mountain.

Hoping that the one left alone there would be safe.

In that moment of silence,

“Then, why don’t you just face the conversation we just had?”

A voice, calm and out of place for the situation, pierced their ears.

Naturally, they turned their eyes toward the direction of the voice.

They saw Ethan, staring intently at Beluid.

At those words, Beluid briefly glanced at his companions.

“…I don’t think this is something to discuss here.”

He expressed his refusal.

It was an act of consideration for Wade, who had wanted to keep his secrets hidden from the group.

However,

“Does it really matter? You probably don’t even know what we’re talking about.”

Ethan did not accept the refusal.

“It’s just been weighing on my mind. What you said.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

To Beluid’s calm question,

“Bringing that guy here. Was that really your doing?”

“……”

In Ethan’s eyes, certainty shimmered.

Listening to the conversation between Wade and Beluid, Ethan realized that Beluid was the one who had brought Wade into this world, and that there was another who had cooperated in that endeavor.

And having heard that much, Ethan thought.

Perhaps it wasn’t Beluid who had taken the lead in this.

There was no clear evidence.

It was merely a hunch.

His superhuman senses grasped the subtle atmosphere emanating from Beluid’s demeanor, voice, and everything else.

Yet, Ethan trusted his instincts, his intuition.

Thus, he asked Beluid.

—

The truth. And.

“Who really orchestrated that?”

The identity of the one who summoned Wade back to this world after his reincarnation in another realm.

At that bold and unreserved question,

“…That is…”

Beluid was just about to slowly open his mouth.

Step by step—

Footsteps echoed.