NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 82
Just before the crimson lightning of Akashmir struck down, I quietly reflected.
Indeed, I was woefully underpowered to fight a true strongman.
It was simply unavoidable.
It had barely been three months since I had awakened as Yuria.
While I might catch up eventually with continuous growth, I was running utterly short on time.
At this rate, I would be pierced and killed by that massive, ferocious bolt.
That was an unchangeable fate, already set in stone, even if a miracle were to occur.
“Well, I believe in the original story, but I don’t really believe in gods.”
In that fleeting moment, the spark of an idea flashed in my mind, and it was none other than about the Tesseract.
Let’s think about this. Could I navigate through this life-threatening moment with the Tesseract?
Like how it restored me and Anser, can it also bring Greg back to full strength?
No, even a fully recovered Greg would not be able to defeat Akashmir.
Setting aside the fact that Greg is at a disadvantage, there’s still a significant gap in our skills.
Then, how about forcibly weakening the opponent?
Unfortunately, I would have to be close enough to touch for that ability to work.
There might be logical possibilities, but realizing them would be out of the question, especially when facing death right now.
So, let’s change our thinking. How did Drakel use it?
He transformed into his youthful self from centuries ago, before aging set in.
However, there’s no way Drakel could become his eternally youthful self now.
Such a timeline does not exist, nor can it even be predicted as a possibility.
“The Tesseract holds the power to extract possibilities. Therefore, Drakel could bring forth his past self. What if… it was the future that hasn’t come yet?”
What came to mind was a future where I, having become the strongest, would not be overshadowed by Raven.
If there exists even the slightest chance among all possibilities… I won’t lose, no matter what.
“…!”
Thunder rumbled!
In the jet-black clouds that obscured the bright yellow moonlight, a red flash like blood flickered.
And with a sensation of something overflowing, the world in front of me creaked and trembled.
*
The crimson flash flickered before my eyes like a scar.
The lightning, falling faster than sound, was like a devil’s saw that tore the world apart.
Its absurd power was such that a mere human would turn to ashes in an instant. Is this truly the strength of the Seven-Attribute Magic?
Greg, with his eyes tightly closed, pressed one knee to the ground to avoid collapse.
But standing before him was Yuria, and as an adult, he could not afford to falter.
Such stubborn determination infused his failing body with strength.
‘Huh, but… why am I able to think so clearly right now?’
Then, he suddenly felt a dissonance. With a lightning spell of that magnitude, he should have been either killed instantly or severely wounded, barely clinging to life.
Yet, why was he able to think so clearly?
As Greg contemplated this, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at the spot where Yuria had stood moments ago.
At that moment, he heard a clattering sound as something fell to the ground.
‘…Who is that?’
Before him stood an unfamiliar woman.
She was slightly taller than Greg, who was kneeling.
There was no way she could be Yuria, who was notably small.
Yet, her flowing white hair on a rather tight-fitting outfit evoked a strange sense of familiarity in him.
‘No way…’
Gently, the woman, who had extended her hand upwards, turned her head back to look at him.
Greg couldn’t help but take a deep breath, his eyes widening in surprise.
The white-haired woman was an unbelievable beauty.
With a seemingly expressionless yet stunning gaze, she emanated a bittersweet aura.
In addition, her unrealistically perfect features and a presence so striking it could be described as that of a goddess.
But what truly shocked Greg was not the outer appearance of the woman.
It was the violet eyes that reminded him of flowers, filled with a look as if gazing upon a treasured person.
And the way her lips curved into a gentle smile sparked a nostalgic feeling within him.
“Yuria…?”
“…?”
The woman tilted her head slightly.
Her expression seemed to say, “Huh? How did you know?” as questioning as it was full of curiosity.
However, Yuria realized abruptly that she had no mask and jumped back in surprise.
How had she not noticed, while twisting to dodge the lightning falling from above?
She lightly brushed her neck, looking slightly embarrassed, and awkwardly bowed her head to Greg.
Is this the first time showing her real face? Nice to meet you.
Greg couldn’t help but chuckle at Yuria’s expression, which seemed to say something like that.
Though her appearance had dramatically changed, he could not doubt it due to her consistent behavior.
‘What is this… is this the true nature of Yuria? Or is this transformation merely a disguise and the childish form the real one…?’
Greg was simply bewildered.
Countless unresolved questions swirled chaotically in his mind.
But soon he shook his head as if to cast away such trivial thoughts.
At this moment, those things did not matter.
The only thing he needed to think about was one thing.
It was the fact that maybe, just maybe, Yuria could help him fight against this enemy.
Thus, Greg endured the rising pain, slightly grimaced, and asked Yuria,
“Yuria, is there… a chance?”
“…!”
“Huh, is that even a question?”
Yuria smirked, turning with a confident motion.
Her condition was better than ever. She felt like she could turn the world upside down.
Now, facing each other were Yuria and Akashmir.
The atmosphere between them was completely opposite from when they first met. Yuria was relaxed.
And Akashmir, with an irritated expression, opened her mouth.
“You… what are you? With how suddenly your appearance changed, you don’t seem human. But you don’t give off any magical aura of another race… What are you?”
“….”
“Hah, you’re saying there’s no point in answering? Ugh, it’s so annoying… If I burn that beautiful face of yours black, will you answer then? Huh?!”
Akashmir was clearly agitated.
Once, because her lightning spell, empowered by her full strength, was easily blocked.
And twice, due to the outrageous attitude of Yuria, who had changed forms.
Of course, Yuria still couldn’t speak.
To her, just ignoring her was irritatingly aggravating.
“Get lost! Collidor Fulminis!”
Crack!
What Akashmir chanted was a spell from another world that summoned a corridor of lightning.
The law that greedily consumed magic power manifested a vast space made of lightning before them.
And what followed was a rain of countless lightning bolts cascading down.
Every particle within that space was shredded by currents sharper than needles.
“This is…! High-tier magic!”
While Greg was astonished by the outrageous pressure of magic throttling him…
Yuria, with a nonchalant expression, casually crossed her arms, like saying “Is this it?” and raised a single finger.
Hey, isn’t this that magic I saw once in the original story?
To Akashmir’s misfortune, she knew just enough about how to dispel this magic, making it less threatening to her.
‘Can I do it like this?’
Zing!
A white arrow-like wave surged upwards from Yuria’s fingertip.
This was raw, unrefined pure power existing before Telekinesis.
Just minutes ago, Yuria would have been bewildered by such a display of wasteful energy.
However, that white wave pushed back the red lightning pouring down from all directions and reached the ceiling.
The weakness of the corridor, surrounding her enemy in a circle, was the ceiling. The wave shot out and shattered the prison-like corridor that confined them.
The figure of Yuria, who had just been struggling against attacks, was nowhere to be seen; her growth was astounding.
“What… How could she so easily dispel Collidor… This wretched girl!”
“….”
Boom! Boom!
Akashmir continued to unleash her lightning magic.
Each spell uprooted the ground, blackening buildings with its terrifying power.
However, surprisingly, Yuria responded quite comfortably to the magic.
Gathering rubble from around her and forcefully throwing them, or twisting the trajectory of the incoming lightning to drop in unexpected places.
The output, precision, and range of her Telekinesis… all seemed to have amplified several-fold.
“This can’t be… I cannot be outdone by some nameless, insignificant girl!”
Boom!
Currents surged everywhere like a colossal tsunami.
A deadly magic that turned the ground it touched into a mound of ashes in an instant.
Even the resilient Greg gulped nervously at the fatal sight.
Yet Yuria calmly took a deep breath, gathering her Telekinesis in her palm, and thrust it forward.
At that moment, white traces blossomed from the tips of her palm, and shortly after, an enormous wave that crushed everything in its path erupted forth.
The clash of the red lightning and the white wave. It was the white wave that devoured her opponent leisurely.
And when the flying dust settled, the outcome was clear.
Lying on the ground, clutching her abdomen, was Akashmir, and standing proudly was Yuria.
“Hack, cough…”
“….”
Yuria, with her white hair falling gracefully over her shoulders, tossed it back and smiled brightly.
Her face was incredibly innocent, a stark contrast to her adult figure.