TVOTP - Chapter 162

Crunch―.

Bam.

I barely managed to avoid the bastard's blade as I flew, but the long lock of hair tied behind me was cut and fell to the ground.

My liver and gallbladder became cold.

It's a good thing my hair got cut off, I almost got my head cut off!

Kwakwakwang―!

Then, Velvet broke all the glass windows of the greenhouse with a water bomb as I had instructed.

‘Snap out of it!’

I immediately activated the magic to stop time.

At best, the retention time is 1 second.

I quickly cast wind magic at the glass shards that had shattered in the water and were floating in the air.

'Please!'

As time, which had stopped, began to flow again, a whirlwind filled with sharp glass shards violently swept towards Spine and the warlock.

“Ugh!”

The warlock, his entire body impaled by sharp glass and horribly disfigured, let out a desperate scream and collapsed with his eyes open.

With eyes that seemed to say, "I can't believe it," and that he doesn't understand anything.

But the spider familiar was so big that it didn't die, and instead, it staggered towards me with its body covered in shards of glass.

"Krrrrrrr. Yes, you. You're quite the show-off."

“You damn spider...”

Curses came out of my mouth without me realizing it.

I've already used two spells in succession twice, both advanced and high-level! At this level, I'm worthy of being recognized as a Grand Mage in the Magic Tower...

'I have to do more here.'

I gritted my teeth and leaped high, running head-on at the bastard.

Although my head was dizzy, I managed to use my magical power to instantly activate my specialty, flame magic.

“Ugh, Giselle...!”

As Spine's body successfully caught fire and burned, I used the gap to stab the bastard's stomach with my sword.

“Don’t call that woman. It’s hard enough!”

Black smoke rose from the stomach that had been stabbed with a sword, and eventually, the spider servant was also destroyed.

‘Ha, are you dead...?’

Exhausted, I knelt on the floor, breathing heavily.

“Ugh, ugh.”

"Yvonne, are you okay?"

Velvet came over and worried, but I couldn't say no.

“...No, honestly, it seems a bit difficult.”

I felt dizzy and lightheaded, as if my magic power was running out.

No matter how physically strong I am, I feel like I'm going crazy because I'm using my head, body, and magic all at the same time.

"Not yet. What if it's already hard? Yvonne Argenthoz, are you crazy? Hold on, at least with your mental strength!"

I gritted my teeth and stared at the ceiling. Blood was still dripping from above.

'I don't have time.'

I crawled across the floor, which was littered with shards of glass, to the spiral staircase and barely managed to reach the first floor.

'If this continues, I'll either die before I can get up there, or that devil bastard will appear before that happens.'

Contrary to my annoyed and anxious mind, my vision gradually became blurry.

Oh, this won't do!

"Yvonne, Yvonne. Come on. Oh, please."

Velvet.

The little fox that used to fidget and pace around here and there began to disappear.

My eyes are closed.

Oh, I wish there were a Pembe.

Pembe can also use healing magic. But I couldn't bring myself to summon him right now, since they might be helping those I sent to help.

What if I suddenly called them and they got into trouble? Besides, I didn't even have the strength to call the familiars right now.

I closed my eyes and tried to muster up some strength, but my mind felt like it was sinking further, and my limbs were getting heavier.

.

.

'Rudd.'

The name of the man I wanted to see the most rang in my heart.

Are you fighting well? You shouldn't get hurt, but you're not hurt, are you? I think I'm going to die like this...

Everyone has to live!

I twisted my body in excruciating pain that made it hard to breathe.

.

.

'Huh, huh...?'

But then, all of a sudden, my exhausted body felt like it was filled with water, and my thirst was quickly quenched.

The flow of magical power that had been tangled up in a mess began to return to its proper place, and the pain began to rapidly subside.

'What?'

While I was feeling embarrassed, a welcome voice reached my ears.

"Yvonne! Yvonne! Yvonne! Come to your senses! I knew this would happen! Yvonne!!!"

When I finally opened my eyes, a pink-furred hamster was right in front of me, slapping my cheek and crying.

'I told you this kid is a real crybaby.'

I licked my lips at Pembe, who continued to slap my cheek with his small hand, as if he hadn't noticed that I was awake.

"It hurts..."

Pembe's eyes grew wide like bells.

"If you're hurt, get up, you idiot! You should've called me a long time ago!"

"Heh, that's a lie. I didn't wake up because it didn't hurt at all. Our cute Pembe's fist is also a cotton fist, right?"

"You really... do you really want to get beaten up by a hellish familiar? Really?!

When I got up and chuckled, Pembe was startled and grumbled.

"Yvonne, are you kidding me?! Ugh! I really thought I was going to die!"

"Why didn't you call me sooner? I already completed the order you gave me earlier and was waiting!"

I heard Jan and Gorten crying and getting angry, so I looked around and saw that they had all been summoned.

I scratched my cheek in embarrassment.

“What the heck? I didn’t call you.”

"It seems that all of Yvonne's familiars were forcibly summoned because Yvonne's life was in danger."

Velvet, who was sitting at my feet, answered calmly.

‘I see. That’s interesting...’

Anyway, thanks to Pembe, who was forcibly summoned like that, pouring healing magic on me in shock, I was able to survive.

'I almost died.'

I grabbed the stair railing and, with trembling legs, barely managed to stand up.

“Now is not the time to rest like this!”

"But Yvonne. What's wrong with your hair?"

Pembe pointed to my shortened hair with a surprised expression.

Earlier, my hair was cut by the black scythe of the warlock, and it was cut short to my shoulders.

Hair is just a matter of growing it out again.

I untied my hair and combed my bobbed hair with a hand comb, asking the familiars to do the same.

"I have to get up quickly now. Would you like to come with me? I'm having a hard time, so I'd appreciate it if you could help me."

I smiled faintly at the crowded familiars, saying that it was obvious, and then quickly ran up the spiral staircase with them.

'Over there!'

As soon as we reached the veranda, we flung open the door and climbed up the wall toward the very top of the glass greenhouse.

I climbed up, breathing heavily because my stamina was depleted.

“Oh my, this is pretty tough.”

"Yvonne! Look over there."

Jan, who had flown up first, came to me in fright.

“Crazy, gross...”

At the tip of the glass greenhouse's pointed spire, a crimson vortex rose and swirled, and in its center, a large, bloodshot eye was glaring and looking around...

My stomach churned with disgust.

That's the entrance to liberation.

What about liberation? I felt like I had to close that thing right away to feel better.

The crimson eyes that had been half-hidden by the crimson swirl were now about to reveal themselves fully.

Just before opening.

'It's so close!'

"Master! There's an altar over there."

Looking at the place Gorten was pointing, I saw a man and a woman lying on an altar intricately engraved with strange patterns.

I ran over and checked and saw that their clothes were already soaked with blood.

‘I thought I was the main character, but it really feels like a dream...’

Adrian and Cordelia.

In the end, I wasn't the main character, but even so, this ending was too horrible.

“Your Highness Adrian! Princess Mare!”

No matter how many times I called them from the side, they didn't come to their senses.

'Is it too late?'

Adrian's face was pale, and he looked like he was already dead, but Cordelia was not.

I held Cordelia's arm and called loudly to her ear.

“Cordelia! Cordelia, it’s me! Yvonne Argenthoz! I’m here!”

“...Ha, here you are.”

A dry, hoarse voice.

Cordelia, who couldn't even open her eyes and was mumbling, reached out and weakly grabbed my arm, then spoke sharply.

“It’s too late, huh. What’s wrong with your head again?”

When she hit me, a tendon appeared on my forehead.

"Are you kidding me? I really gave it my all!"

"Well... I guess you could have come since you're the princess. But the gates to liberation are almost open. It's all over."

"What?"

"Haha, I was such a fool to believe the promise to stay together until the end and become a warlock. My revenge is over. It's so futile."

Cordelia's incomprehensible monologue dissipated into the air.

No, it was true that I couldn't concentrate anymore.

'Gasp.'

The spinning crimson vortex completely dissipated, and the red eyes that had been flashing at its center smiled.

“Damn, this is creepy...”

"That's the Great Demon Toylat!"

"It finally manifests."

The familiars sighed one after another. In an instant, thick dark clouds gathered around us, and black lightning struck us with a powerful crash.

"Master!"

Gorten and Velvet quickly gathered around me and formed a defensive barrier.

I gasped at the black smoke rising nearby.

'Oh, I almost died.'

Most of the palace, including my surroundings, was struck by black lightning and turned into burning ruins.

I crawled on my feet and looked down in a daze.

This is the power of the Demon Legion Commander.

It was just one time! What about Barden? There was a Barden nearby. What about Rudnine? What about my father? Is everyone okay?!

My head was a mess.

Besides, I had a bad feeling in my gut.

'Where on earth is Empress Giselle?'

As I was hurriedly looking around the distant, burning Palace of Peace, I discovered two figures fighting in front of the main building of the palace.

Blue aura and black magic clashed fiercely.

My heart sank.

“Rudd!”

I called out to him loudly until my throat was hoarse, but of course, my voice did not reach him.

I yelled at Cordelia.

"Quick, tell me how to become a warlock! Let me at least fight before I die!"

“What are you doing...? It’s a useless struggle in a situation where the Great Demon Toylat has manifested.”

"No, I will succeed. You hate Empress Giselle, don't you? I will take revenge. I don't care what grudge you harbored for betraying me, but use me! Tell me quickly. Tell me quickly before you die!"

“...You told me to tell you before I die, you cruel Princess.”

Cordelia, who was snickering, barely managed to lift her finger and send a jet-black magical energy into the air, and a strange black hole appeared.

“If you put your hand there, the most desperate demon will appear to see your potential and make a contract with you, and make you a warlock...”

"All right."

“Once you become a warlock... there’s no turning back.”

“I know, too.”

Without further hesitation, I reached out towards the black hole she had created.

I had been thinking about it for a long time, so there was no need to waste any more time.

"Even if the Princess becomes a great warlock, how can you possibly defeat the Second Corps Commander, the Archdemon Toylet? Unless the First Corps Commander, the Archdemon, appears... It's impossible..."

I responded irritably to Cordelia's skeptical grumbling.

“Well, it’s better if it’s stronger than Toylat.”

“...What kind of confidence is that?”

"Because I'm a genius. The great devil who recognizes my genius will come looking for me."

Speaking calmly, I plunged my hand deeper into the black hole. As the surroundings grew darker, I was overcome by a strange feeling.

I received Cordelia's final greeting, her face paling even more, along with a bewildered smile.

“Please, please do so.”

***

Time and space stopped.

"Ah."

I thought Cordelia would send me to hell to make a deal with the devil, but no.

Still here I was—in the glasshouse spire of the Verbent Palace.

The eyes of the hideous and horribly large Toylat were also floating in the sky, and the gazes of the dying Cordelia and the dead Adrian, and the four familiars looking up at me with concern, were the same.

But my heart pounded loudly, as I had a premonition that something tremendous was about to appear.

Thump, thump, thump.

Please, please.

I shamelessly told Cordelia that I was a genius, but that was just nonsense because I wanted to save everyone first.

Because it won’t work as an ordinary warlock...

In the distance, I could see the figure of Rudnine, who had stopped after clashing with Empress Giselle.

'Ah... Rudd.'

The moment I was about to reach out to him.

"How can someone like you exist? It's amazing."

A strange, low-pitched sound echoed behind me.

It was a wave similar to the voice of a familiar, but the presence was clearly different, and a sense of oppression swept over me.

I swallowed hard and slowly turned around, willing myself to face the being that was staring at me.

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