Chapter 18 Part 4
This meant that I would have no choice but to call upon Caligo this time.
A biting cold that felt like it would flay my skin blew through the yellow-shattered moonlight.
Somehow, things had been going too well lately.
Even I thought it was strange. If Xenoph was the final boss in my life, he wouldn’t have collapsed so easily.
I didn’t expect there to be a separate final boss. And so close to me…
“…Ha.”
A hollow breath escaped between my teeth.
There were no other options left. If Bergo were summoned, neither Hyle nor I would be safe.
I could see Hyle gathering divine power to stop the activation of the magic circle.
Unfortunately, Hyle, who had not awakened, had no possibility of blocking Bergo’s summoning circle.
“Hyle Feros.”
Approaching him closely, I slowly uttered Hyle’s name.
Each syllable of his name was engraved deeply and languidly in my heart.
“Rosiel, it’s dangerous here, go back.”
Even in such an urgent situation, Hyle’s eyes were filled completely with concern for me.
Yes, now my constantly wavering eyes saw him clearly.
Hyle was obsessed with me. More quietly and calmly than anyone. And also firmly.
Perhaps I had realized it too late.
But so what if I did, now everything would come to an end.
“Hyle, look at me.”
His cheek that finally touched my hand was hot.
It was the best feeling I could give to Hyle.
* * *
A kiss at the most dangerous moment couldn’t have been more cruel.
Beyond the suddenly encountered sweet rose fragrance, Rosiel’s low voice flowed gently.
“…”
At that moment, as Hyle’s reason briefly blurred from the mysterious sound, Rosiel’s smoothly shining peach-colored hair scattered radiantly like a rose blooming at night.
Rosiel’s intense power, gathered from all her magic and divine power, poured countless times toward Bergo’s magic circle.
Like snow falling at midday, reddish streaks of light began to drift gently through the empty air.
They were all Rosiel’s life, her very existence.
“Ro…!”
Hyle wasn’t the only one surprised. Even Mattio, who had been watching the situation, stared blankly at the scene with an unopened mouth.
Bergo was a supreme demon of the demon realm, incomparable to any other demon.
Reducing his summoning circle to nothing was nearly impossible.
Yet just now, that impossible thing had happened before their eyes.
And it was done entirely by his one and only daughter, with her strength alone, without anyone’s help.
Summoning a demon wasn’t something that could be done easily at any time, given its scale.
The greater the demon’s presence, an enormous amount of magic would be consumed while energy would simultaneously drop rapidly.
As such, there couldn’t be a more appropriate time than now for Hyle to defeat Mattio. Yet despite knowing this…
“Rosi, Rosiel…”
Rosiel’s peach-colored hair was scattered about beneath Hyle’s feet as she lay fallen.
Her straight-closed eyes did not move, and her body, which should have trembled with breath, was continuing the last thread of life very, very slowly and faintly.
It was the worst possible state, where it wouldn’t be strange if her breath ceased immediately.
“Oh my, the shock seems great. Are you afraid of losing your loved one?”
At Mattio, who had somehow approached closely, Hyle raised his head with sharp eyes.
However, Mattio shrugged his shoulders as if he no longer intended to fight.
“Hand Rosiel over to me. The head of House Feros has many people to be responsible for, so you can’t die yet.”
It was a generous remark suggesting that if Rosiel were handed over, at least she would be spared.
Though Hyle immediately understood Mattio’s intent, he did not loosen his grip on the arm holding Rosiel.
“Rosiel didn’t want to return to you. So I can’t hand her over.”
“Oh? Then I’ll have to take her by force. Had I known my daughter had such abilities, I would have made her the Young Marquise, not merely a Lady.”
Mattio expressed regrets with a disappointed face.
It was an action brimming with confidence that he could take Rosiel from Hyle anytime he wanted.
“No, I will take Rosiel. I cannot give her to you.”
Hyle, who had drawn a firm line, immediately lifted Rosiel and rose to his feet.
Having collapsed on the cold ground, Rosiel’s body had already cooled.
“Well… it might be better to just kill her here than to hand over a talent like Rosiel to be Renesia’s puppet. If she’s willing to abandon being a Laté, I’ll kill her with my own hands.”
Mattio, who until just a moment ago seemed intent on forcibly taking her, now prepared for battle with an expression suggesting he no longer cared.
Though he must have lost a lot of strength, there was no hint of such weakness visible in him.
‘There was a reason she called him a monster.’
Seeing him, Hyle let out a small bitter laugh and slowly adjusted his hold on Rosiel into a more manageable position.
He had no intention of ever putting her down, no matter what happened.
He disliked both laying her on the ground and handing her over to Mattio’s grasp.
If there was to be an end for Rosiel, it had to be in his arms.
The sound of beasts howling mixed with the rushing night wind.
The chill of the dawn light that had settled was cold enough to sting the skin.
Finally, a breath swallowing anger shattered violently.
It was the final duel between two men to possess Rosiel.
The match, which seemed like it would be prolonged, soon came to an end.
A dark blade tip pressed near Hyle’s neck was clearly gleaming with a silver light.
“Didn’t Rosiel tell you? That I am a monster.”
It was a precarious situation where if Mattio moved his hand just slightly, Hyle’s neck would be severed in no time.
Mattio, who had been looking down at Hyle with a face guaranteeing victory, briefly glanced toward the fallen Rosiel with red eyes.
It was very brief, and just a momentary instant.
“Ugh…!”
In an instant, Hyle’s divine sword flew and stabbed into Mattio’s chest.
The impact on Mattio seemed quite significant, as if it had been an unexpected attack.
Not missing the opportunity, Hyle quickly backed away with Rosiel in his arms.
Though he had encountered and killed numerous magical beasts before, Mattio Laté was such a formidable opponent that he could hardly be described as a magical beast.
It felt like fighting an immortal demon that wouldn’t die no matter how much he was stabbed or cut.
Rosiel’s faint breath, weakly continuing in his arms, was becoming increasingly shallow as time passed.
In his heart, he wanted to leave this place immediately and grab a temple priest by the collar, demanding that they save Rosiel.
But if he did that, Rosiel’s reckless act of draining Mattio’s power and eliminating the demon summoning circle would have been in vain.
She had done such a reckless thing all because of him. Knowing this, Hyle could not possibly abandon Rosiel.
“Haa…”
Rough breaths burst continually from between his lips.
Moreover, he clearly felt the strength he had been holding in his fingertips gradually slipping away.
Hyle realized his limit was approaching. From the beginning, he hadn’t possessed much divine power.
Despite inheriting the power of the family head from his father, it had only improved from before; the miracle of exponentially increasing power that had been scarce from birth could not be expected.
Of course, he knew that his limited power was due to its intensity, and while that provided some consolation, it was inevitable to feel self-loathing when faced with such a helpless situation.
“Mattio Laté, I end this now.”
The divine sword he gripped again vibrated while emitting a brilliant blue light.
This would likely be his final strike.
Because he was holding Rosiel with one arm, Hyle could only use his right arm.
It was an unparalleled risk, but enduring a handicap was better than letting go of Rosiel.
“Kuk kuk. How amusing. Had you awakened, I might have lost.”
It was clear that this time, either Mattio or Hyle would definitely fall.
Sensing this, Mattio let out a small laugh and gathered an eerie red light above his hand.
It was then, as Mattio and Hyle were violently clashing in midair.
Suddenly, a pure white and intense light from somewhere instantly engulfed the entire Laté mansion.
