Chapter 241: Aestrea Against The World (XVIII)

Meanwhile…

After Aestrea left both Cecilia and Kagetaro literally under an avalanche…

THUMP!

A pale, blood-streaked hand burst out from beneath a thick layer of frozen powder, fingers twitching violently.

Cecilia dragged herself up first.

Her cloak was ripped, and her face was even worse.

Her body shook with every movement, and as she knelt on the cold earth.

“Cough, COUGH!” she coughed hard, before spitting out a thick glob of blood onto the snow.

Her eyes, glowing faintly with that unstable crimson hue, narrowed in pure rage.

“That bastard…”

She clutched her ribs, one clearly broken, her breathing shallow and harsh.

“That fucking bastard…!”

Her voice was shaking, half from the cold, half from fury.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, why is he so strong?!”

Her words came out bitter, fast, her mind racing through every possible explanation.

But nothing made sense for her. He was growing stronger, too fast, far beyond the growth of any normal awakener.

She pounded her fist into the snow.

“He’s not supposed to be this strong yet. We planned for this. We trained for this. I studied his entire damn arsenal!”

She groaned, coughing again, her lips stained red.

“He’s surpassed every damn limit we predicted…”

“HAHAHHAHAARAAHA!”

Suddenly, from behind her, a completely giddy laugh echoed, and she didn’t even need to turn to know who it was.

Still partially buried, he sat up, his long dark hair drenched in white, his chest rising and falling as he slowly peeled himself free from the snow.

His eyes glowed.

A vibrant, trembling violet, buzzing with excitement.

“…Haaaah~” he sighed, stretching his neck, his muscles cracking.

“That was beautiful.”

He looked like a man who had just fallen in love.

His face was flushed, his lips curled into a delighted smile, and his fingers trembled slightly from the rush still burning in his veins.

“Did you see it, Cecilia?”

He licked a bit of blood off his own lips, grinning widely.

“He aimed the spell right under our feet. No hesitation or mercy. Just that stupid gun gesture and—boom!” He laughed again, louder this time.

“A perfect trap. At the perfect moment. That rune didn’t appear before… which means that it was hidden. Meaning he planned it long before we even started talking…”

“Ugh…” Cecilia growled under her breath.

“Don’t sound so happy.”

But Kagetaro was smiling too brightly to care.

“Happy?” he chuckled.

“No, no, Cecilia.”

His head tilted, eyes gleaming like a child given a new toy.

“I’m thrilled.”

He rose to his feet slowly, brushing the snow off his shoulders, his ribbon-like weapons twitching behind him like they were just as excited.

“Aestrea… he’s growing.”

He took one deep breath, the cold air steaming from his mouth.

“And it’s glorious!”

Cecilia looked at him like he was insane.

And maybe he was, but Kagetaro didn’t care.

His heart was racing, blood was pumping, and his mind was buzzing.

“He’s becoming something special,” he whispered as his fingers twitched, flexing eagerly.

“…And I want to be there when he breaks everything.”

His grin widened, wicked and twisted.

“I want to be the one who pushes him off the edge.”

Cecilia spat again, wiping her lips, muttering a curse under her breath.

“…You’re sick.”

“Puh…”

But Kagetaro just laughed, until his breath hitched.

“Puhuhu…”

His shoulders shook, his head dropping slightly as his shadow stretched over the snow.

And then…

“PuhuhuhuhahahahahAHAHAHA—!!”

The laughter spilled out of him like a flood, loud and uncontrollable, echoing across the frozen forest like a scream of joy.

His voice was raw with amusement, mouth wide in a feverish grin that refused to fade.

His entire body trembled, not from cold, but from a twisted euphoria that curled into his bones and refused to leave.

Cecilia flinched at the sound, slowly backing away as he practically howled with laughter, clutching his ribs.

“Ahhh~ hahah…!” Kagetaro finally exhaled, wiping a tear from his eye.

“Gods, Cecilia… I-I just…”

His flushed face twitched with excitement, a red glow rising to his cheeks like a love-struck schoolboy, lips quivering with pleasure.

“I want to see his face,” he whispered, voice hoarse and breathy. “That face when he finds out…”

His pupils dilated as he brought a trembling hand to his mouth, biting his knuckle softly, trying to contain the pure rush overtaking him.

“That beautiful, calm expression of his… that arrogant confidence he always wears… just shattering.”

His smile turned almost gentle now.

“When he realizes…” he said slowly, his tone savoring every word like it was honey.

“That the Dark Elves he thought he could save… are under my complete control.”

Cecilia’s eyes narrowed in complete surprise.

He hadn’t told her about that.

“…What?”

But Kagetaro didn’t even glance at her. His gaze was far away, dreamy, almost delusional.

“And the Goddess he met… Gaia…” he sighed like her name alone tasted sweet.

“That soft, caring presence… all that holy light…”

He tilted his head.

“Just a projection. A beautiful, harmless illusion.”

His lips parted, and a soft moan escaped his throat.

“A hologram, really… built from fragments of the old goddess. So easy to control once I linked into the ruins beneath the capital.”

He turned toward Cecilia now, his grin back and bigger than ever.

“Everything she said to him? All those sweet little promises?”

He chuckled, licking his lips.

“My script.”

“You’re insane…” Cecilia’s face went entirely pale.

Kagetaro didn’t argue with her.

He just took one step forward, eyes glowing brighter with every breath, voice dripping with glee.

“I want him to believe. I want him to hope. I want him to think he’s saving someone.”

His hands curled at his sides, ribbons twitching behind him like they were excited too.

“Because when he finally realizes that all of it was fake…”

He closed his eyes and whispered with pure bliss:

“That’s the moment he’ll truly fall.”

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“Alright,” Aestrea muttered, adjusting the straps of his cloak one last time.

“I’m heading out.”

It was early morning, the frost still clinging to the ground.

The snow sparkled under the light like crushed diamonds, and Aestrea’s silhouette stood tall at the edge of the camp.

Or so he thought.

Because behind him…

“WAIT!!” James came sprinting up, slipping and nearly crashing into a tent pole.

“Y-You’re really just gonna go?? Just like that?! Without a dramatic goodbye?!”

“…Yes?” Aestrea blinked slowly.

Derek was right behind, dragging a heavy sack of snacks.

“At least take this, idiot. You barely eat. You’ll probably pass out halfway from hunger and make peace negotiations while half-delirious again.”

“I didn’t do that—”

“YOU APOLOGIZED TO A TREE.”

“…That was one time,” Aestrea muttered, face twitching.

Then came Zeva.

In full dramatic fashion.

She marched up, arms crossed beneath her chest, chin lifted, snow fluttering around her like a scene out of a romantic movie.

“…So you’re really going alone?” she said, voice solemn.

“That was the deal.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll be back in a few weeks… probably.” Aestrea sighed.

She stepped closer.

“I’ll really miss you.”

“…Okay.”

Even closer.

“I’ll cry.”

“…Sure.”

Now right up in his face.

“I’ll scream.”

“…Then scream.”

“I’LL DIE—!!”

Aestrea put a finger on her lips.

“Please don’t.”

Behind them, James was sobbing exaggeratedly while Derek opened a bag of dried fish jerky and threw a piece in his mouth.

“So dramatic,” he muttered, chewing loudly.

Then Zeva dropped the final bomb.

“Before you go… say you love me.”

“…What?”

The whole camp suddenly turned quiet at her words.

But then…

“DO IT!”

“C’MON MAN!”

“SAY IT BACK, BRO!”

“SHOW HER YOU ARE A MAN!!”

As if waiting for the right moment, random soldiers, some shirtless for no reason in the cold, suddenly appeared and started chanting.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!

Someone even brought a drum, and another person had lit a torch, and if that wasn’t enough, one guy was waving a banner that said “TEAM ZEVA.”

Aestrea’s eyebrow twitched.

“I’m not saying it in front of them.”

“Then whisper it in my ear~” Zeva teased, leaning in.

Aestrea inhaled deeply… very deeply.

“…I’m leaving now.”

“BABY—!!”

“Come back safe, my emotionally constipated friend!” James tackled him in a hug from the side.

Derek followed, patting him on the back with the grace of a wrecking ball.

“Don’t die. You still owe me one punch in the gut for earlier.”

“I’ll wait for you foreverrrrr~!!” Zeva clung to his other arm like a desperate bride.

The soldiers sang some awful off-key song in the background.

Aestrea stood frozen at their actions.

Almost dead inside.

And then his lips finally parted:

“…I’m gone.”

He literally turned on his heel, shoved James and Derek off, dragged his arm free from Zeva, who made sad puppy sounds, and walked straight into the forest like a man escaping a cult.

And just as he disappeared into the treeline…

“BABYYYY I’LL KEEP THE BED WARM FOR YOUUUU!!!”

“COME BACK VIRGIN OR NOT, WE STILL LOVE YOU!!”

“BRING BACK ELVEN SNACKS!”

“…I hate all of you,” Aestrea muttered as the cheers echoed behind him.

He really should’ve just ghosted them in the middle of the night.

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