Chapter 188: Aftermath
Click!
With a flick of her wrist, Camila dispersed the shimmering barrier, releasing a flood of relieved civilians and disoriented guards.
The little girl, her eyes bright with hope, tugged at Rel's hand.
"There's my mommy!"
She exclaimed, pointing towards a woman frantically searching for her child amidst the crowd.
Rel knelt down, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "Go on, then," he encouraged.
"Make sure you don't get lost again."
The girl beamed, a radiant smile transforming her tear-streaked face.
— Dory!
She rushed towards her mother, her tiny arms outstretched, leaving Rel standing alone in the aftermath of the battle.
With the barrier now gone, the freed crowd rushed towards Jan and Valencia, their gratitude overflowing in a chorus of cheers and applause.
"You saved us!" one woman cried, her voice choked with emotion. "You're heroes!"
— "You're the Sword Saint of our generation, aren't you?" another shouted, holding up a phone for a selfie next to Valencia.
— "Can we get a picture?"
With more crowds overwhelming them a crowd of girls began to surround Jan.
— Wow you're hot and strong can we exchange numbers?!
— What Academy do you go to?
— You're so strong!!!
Jan, overwhelmed by the sudden attention, blushed and stumbled over his words slowly trying to back away.
"It was nothing, really," he mumbled, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"Um... I don't really use my watch..."
Clap!
Then suddenly from behind a middle-aged man clapped him on the back.
"Don't be modest, young man," he boomed.
"That was some impressive swordplay! You have the makings of a true champion."
As the crowd pressed closer, Jan glanced around, searching for Rel.
But the figure in black was nowhere to be seen.
He had vanished as quickly as he had appeared, leaving behind only whispers of gratitude and awe.
***
[The France Flight Arc Has Concluded...]
[There has been no significant change in the story so far.]
As I headed down the stairs to the second floor of the Louvre, I couldn't help but think of the battle with Valencia and Jan.
Their synergy was as impressive as I'd expected.
But I was growing concerned about Jan's overpowered MC situation.
He seemed more nerfed than overpowered, which worried me.
Except for the fact that he seemed to be holding back towards the end.
His face said it all.
'Was he still human? Or had he become a demi-human with no turning back?'
Those were likely his thoughts, and he probably got his answer when he realized the truth:
Mutated variations of demi-humans could never revert.
That particular demi-human had consumed a different variation of the demonic serum, likely one that forced him into animal form with no way to return to a more human-like state like Jasper's...
Although I expected Jan to inflict some damage before defeating the demon, it became clear that having six elements would have been easier than just one.
So, I ended up stepping in to rectify my own mistake.
My plan was to be patient and wait until they truly needed me.
That would be the only time I'd intervene.
However, I also realized Camila's barrier was about to crumble if Jan didn't act, so I gave him the perfect opportunity to finish the demon off.
It was my way of offering an apology.
I just hope this was enough for him to realize that demi-humans and evil truly existed in this world.
But what I didn't expect from him was a special technique out his ass...
A technique meant to kill.
Scary, right?
A seemingly formless technique.
I knew that if Jan was using that kind of attack it was a message that meant he intended to kill whoever stood before him.
Because the moment he took that last stance, there was no way he was going to hesitate.
haah...
Now with all that over.
I need to go check up on Jasper.
The echoing silence of the museum's deserted halls starkly contrasted with the recent chaos.
I followed Jasper's destructive trail, my footsteps muffled on the plush carpets.
Each broken display, each shattered artifact from the rooms showed how intense the battle was.
"Well at least I could just tell-"
"...!"
As I rounded a corner, a scene that sent a chill down my spine greeted me.
A figure, slightly taller than myself, cloaked in blue, stood amidst the debris.
Slung over his shoulder was the unconscious body of Jasper.
"Ohhhhh... It seems... you were the one that beat him?"
The man drawled, his voice a chilling melody that seemed to slither into my very soul.
He pointed a finger at me, his eyes glinting with a predatory look.
Fear, cold and paralyzing, gripped me.
I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even breathe.
This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't part of the story.
"Do... you... not know English? Oh! No matter."
The man shrugged, his movements unnervingly fluid.
A second figure, identical in every way, materialized beside him, and he effortlessly transferred Jasper's limp body to the clone.
"Unfortunately, if you came here for a fight, I would've given you one!"
He grinned, his teeth gleaming in the dim light.
With a dramatic gesture, he pulled down his hood, revealing long, flowing light blue hair and cold blue eyes.
Just like in his original description, he had a long tattoo of black roses covering the majority of the right side of his face, adding to his intimidating aura.
[Cyran Grey The Leader Of The Sifters Organization]
"Remember the face!" Cyran declared, his voice booming through the empty hall.
"One day... I'll be coming for you."
He pointed straight at me, making me realise the words he meant.
Shit...
I watched, helplessly, as he pulled out a crimson-red crystal shard.
SMASH!!!
With a casual flick of his wrist, he shattered it against the ground, a shimmering portal opening up before him.
WHAM!
"In now!" Cyran screamed at his clone, pointing for it to jump into the portal.
The clone nodded and stepped through, disappearing into the swirling vortex with Jasper.
He looked back once more.
"And that stone... I've secured it!"
Cyran's voice echoed from the hallway.
The stone? Wait... No.
I spun around, my heart sinking as I realized what he meant.
The Tower Shard's display case was empty, its glass shattered, and the item was gone.
I desperately wanted to do something, but fighting Cyran here was equivalent to suicide.
Of all the leaders of Quadra, he would be the one I'd avoid.
Only one person was destined to beat him, and I hoped that when the day came, this menace would be wiped from the face of the earth.
"Goodbye," Cyran said with a mocking wave, his mission accomplished.
He stepped into the portal, leaving me alone with the bitter taste of defeat.
Damn it.
_________
Authors Notes:
- Cyran's Main Ability: The Fool Of A Thousand Lives - This extraordinary ability allows him to create perfect clones of himself, each possessing a fraction of the original's power and memories. These clones are not mere illusions but physical manifestations, capable of independent thought and action.
Moreover, Cyran can instantly transfer his consciousness and full power into any of his clones, effectively becoming that clone while the original body vanishes.
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