Predation – 3
[Echo of the Soul (???/???) – ???. ???]
[Annihilation of the Soul (???/??? )- ???. ???]
A useless notification window popped up before me. The pitch-black muffler, the Echo, didn’t assert itself once quieted. The dagger- the Annihilation, however, buzzed with a low-pitched hum. I knew why very well.
“You’re still fighting.” I threw all of it into my inventory, including the memento of the nameless monster bird who built the castle. No, it wasn’t quite a memento. If he had died, his name should have returned. But I still couldn’t recall it, which meant his existence remained somewhere in the world. That was the greatsword.
I was convinced his help blended the other weapons into the single dagger that was Annihilation. But there were two items, the Echo and the Annihilation of the Soul. The Echo banded souls together, but the Annihilation destroyed them.
‘For me, with my Predation, it’d be a bit more suited to me if they were all combined into one.’ While muttering about things that didn’t matter, I put away the dagger. There was nothing left to be seen here, no hint of the disaster that had occurred. Katsuragi was shaking, and Lee Chan-yu was collecting his monsters. Beyond that, the humans who had been fighting One Flag still remained.
“You didn’t run away.”
“No point in trying to.” The guild master laughed and gave me a shrug before lowering his head to me.
“I still don’t like you. I can’t grasp what you are with my abilities, and I don’t understand your power.” I hadn’t thought much of him. To be honest, I thought he was a human driven by the situation just like that man with the balding head. But as I listened to him, my perception of him changed.
“But, you saved us all. Thank you. Thank you very much.”
“Even if I got rid of One Flag?”
“If we’re damned without them, then it’s better to go to ruins quickly.” He responded firmly and turned his head away.
“We’ll pay you back sooner or later in some way.”
“Hmm.” He walked off. I couldn’t help but think that humans were curious creatures. An angel and a devil lurked in each one of them, making them impossible to control, and sometimes, both would pop out at once. It was impossible to judge or determine one human being at will, which was the way it should be. They were like smoke, unbound to a set form. That was why it was so fun, even though I didn’t really like it sometimes.
“Captain, let’s go back.”
“Yeah.”
[Do we have to continue doing such terrifying things in the future?]
“Katsuragi, you did a good job today. If you increase your abilities, you’ll be able to overcome the crisis of death just like today.”
[Okay, okay. I’ll try it. I can do it.]
I fired a few blackmines toward Katsuragi’s head to get him out of his weeping, then finally looked around. There was no sign of the Elakatra, not a trace. They couldn’t have predicted the souls’ mana running away at the last minute. Besides, it would’ve been too dangerous to approach. But I couldn’t hide the fact that I cleaned up this situation from them. I’d have to prepare for it.
“Come on.”
As soon as I arrived back at my fortress in the mountains of Seongbuk-gu, my younger sister ran out to greet me. She looked tense; Han Jia and Mireina stood near behind her, looking even tenser than her.
“Oh, you’re still here.”
“Fate!”
[Captain, I’m glad you’re safe…but what is that terrifying power?]
“It’s some artifacts I’ve reinforced; I’ll tell you later.” Cain nodded and stepped back into his dwelling place inside the wall. I waved at him and then took a deep breath.
“Let’s go inside.
“Yes, yes.” My younger sister moved stiffly. Lee Chan-yu let out a sigh, touching his forehead, and Katsuragi kept staring at Mireina, so I fired a few more blackmines at him.
“What were you talking about earlier?”
“It’s better to just listen to everything at once.”
“…” She went quiet, and I continued to hesitate. I gathered my resolve as best I could.
“First of all… I’m sorry I’ve been hiding it so far.”
“No, that’s a weird way to start!” I was having a hard time understanding what I should say. I still wanted to hide that I wasn’t originally human, but it was awkward to only reveal bits of the truth. With a sense of guilt and anxiety, I decided to spit it out quickly.
“Si-yeon, I’m your brother.”
“…Huh?” She raised her head, and the air seemed to change.
“I’m your brother.”
“…”
“Si-yeon, he is your brother…?” She opened her mother, as did Han Jia. I felt something strange happening at that point.
“Huh?”
“…Brother?”
“Yes. You didn’t notice?”
“…” Her face burned like an active volcano gearing up for an explosion. She muttered faintly as if holding back a wave of immense anger.
“Notice…”
“I should’ve admitted it right away, but I couldn’t easily say it because I was worried it would put you in danger. But you’ve become this involved already, and hiding it any longer felt meaningless.”
“…”
“I’m sorry, Si-yeon. I’m so sorry.”
“Eh..uh…” Tears filled her eyes, and I felt shame. I knew her feelings, how I hurt her by hiding it. There was nothing to say. But, contrary to my thoughts that she might immediately do something, she took a few deep breathes as if to hold onto something, anything. Her face was still as red as a tomato. Once silence had claimed us, she finally opened her mouth slowly.
“Brother.”
“Yes, Si-yeon.”
“I need to think for a moment.”
“Okay.”
“So get out.”
“…Huh?”
“Get out now!” Everyone was kicked out, including me, leaving only my sister alone in the castle.
“That was a shock.” That was natural. No matter how much I had expected it, hearing it from me must’ve been different. Lee Chan-yu was wondering aloud near me.
“Definitely a shock. The captain really goes in for the kill.”
“I was just worried about her, so I was kept quiet. Not that it means I’m innocent…” With the Elakatra, I still wasn’t sure if this had been the right thing to do, but it was almost impossible for her not to collide with them sooner or later regardless of me. It would be better, then, to be near her.
“No, maybe for a different reason…well, you wouldn’t know it, and you wouldn’t want me to tell you.” Lee Chan-yu shook his head. Han Jia and Mireina mimicked him for some reason. Then, Han Jia raised her head and spoke up.
“Isn’t Si-ha’s brother a fallen?”
“Yeah. Also don’t call her Si-ha.”
“Uncle Lee Chan-yu, too?”
“Why am I uncle- Yes, that’s right.” Han Jia’s eyes became strange.
“It was around here you two showed up. The mountain with the Black Palace.”
“…” I didn’t think she would be so sharp! I knew who she was asking about.
“Right?”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” Even if the place was the same, it was hard to imagine me as that weak goblin. I was making up some nonsense to make her retreat from that line of questioning.
“Si-yeon needs some time for now.”
“You didn’t even say you’re sorry.”
“Ah, I apologize for that.” I gave up understanding at that point.
“The captain is the captain, as always. It might be a good thing to do this.”
“Yeah?! What are you talking about? Maybe this elf isn’t an elf?!”
“Why do you think I’m not?” While Lee Chan-yu spoke with me, an argument quickly arose between Han Jia and Mireina. I couldn’t tell if it were a good thing they could talk so casually when angry. Lee Chan-yu calmed the two and quietly approached me.
“Captain.”
“What?”
“Before, there was something I wanted to say when the battle was over.” I remembered.
“Actually, there was a meeting of fallen before I met the captain.”
“Okay.” Someone sold the information about a group of fallen, which included Lee Chan-yu, to a guild. The guild moved, and Lee Chan-yu, the only survivor, fled to the Black Palace. That incident brought us together. I couldn’t have anticipated his next words, however.
“I succeeded in tracking down those who sold that information to the guild. They were connected to One Flag.” When he first came out to human society, he wasn’t focused on digging up the past. But, at some point, that had changed.
Only
“I would’ve moved faster if you’d spoken about it.”
“I couldn’t, because of my personal circumstances. I thought I shouldn’t get the captain into such a huge fight.”
“I see.” I smiled bitterly and tapped him on the shoulder.
“You fool.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you.” He hit me on the shoulder, which hurt quite a bit, given his growing strength.
“Thank you, captain.”
“…Keh.” It hurt to say anything, so I didn’t. I just stood by him.
That was enough for now.
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