(EP-320.2) Destined Rivals #6


    320 – The Twins Are Destined Rivals #6


    It was the reasoning of someone with a twisted personality. Being trapped in a smallmp for so long might understandably lead to thoughts of repaying kindness with malice.


    In any case, thanks to Yingying, we managed to avoid a troublesome situation. When I have timeter, I’ll be sure to give Yingying plenty of water. It loves drinking water—probably because it’s a cloud.


    ━Kyuiing.


    Then, as if suddenly curious, Narmi asked.


    “You said you were the one who split our bodies apart. Is that true?”


    The fairy nodded in response.


    ━Half true, half not.


    “Stop being vague!”


    ━It might sound vague, but it’s the truth. My once-strong power did split your bodies. The remnants of my power, scattered throughout this cave, fulfilled your wish. ?


    Seuk.


    The fairy pointed at a glowing crystal. She said it was a symbol of when her power was strong enough to shake the mountain.


    After her power was sealed by the early church fathers, it scattered and grew in the form of crystals all over the mountain.


    I suddenly remembered how Ste once said these glowing crystals were symbols of good fortune.


    It made sense now.


    If these crystals were the condensed remnants of a fairy’s power strong enough to grant wishes, calling them lucky didn’t seem far-fetched.


    ━In other words, while I didn’t do it intentionally, your intense desire to be separated manifested in this way. But it’s not good—it’s an iplete separation.


    Then Mirna asked.


    “… If it is iplete, will there be any side effects?”


    ━Yes. Forcibly splitting something that was originally one means the two parts will eventually pull each other back together. But this time, the weaker side might disappearpletely.


    The idea of either Narmi or Mirna vanishing was horrifying.


    ━However, I can tell you how to dy it. You need to connect the separated parts with a special medium. It’s a temporary solution, but effective.


    At this, Mirna pressed further.


    “What is this method you’re talking about?”


    ━Bring your ear closer.


    The fairy whispered something to Mirna, who had leaned in closer to listen. She spoke in such a low voice that even my sensitive fairy ears couldn’t catch it.


    However, as Mirna listened, her hair bristled, and her face turned beet red. She looked utterly flustered.


    “Is that really the only way!?”


    ━Yes.


    Rustle.


    As the fairy nodded, a violent tremor suddenly shook the cave.


    Rumble, rumble!


    I don’t know what happened, but my sensitive fairy senses told me that the cave was copsing. Did Marmar’s group touch something?


    In any case, we needed to get out of here quickly.


    “So, Fairy-nim. Can you get us out of here?”


    ━I can. But before that, half-fairy, there’s something I must tell you. It’s a story from a long, long time ago. For the miraculous n you’re dreaming of…


    The fairy drew closer to me and whispered softly into my ear.


    ━… look for…


    I strained to catch what she was saying.


    Crash! Rumble!


    The shaking noise got louder.


    Thanks to that, it was hard to hear what the fairy was saying. All I knew was that she was asking me to go find someone.


    Thud! Crash! Boom!


    Finally, massive chunks of rock began to fall from above. I realized if we stayed here any longer, we’d be crushed. Just as I prepared to cast a mana shield—


    ━My deepest wish has always been vengeance. Vengeance against those who imprisoned me. And I feel like letting you escape will fulfill that wish.


    The fairy clenched her fist and struck the air.


    Wurrr-!


    With that, the stone wall blocking the way copsed, revealing a passage.


    It was obvious to anyone that this was the exit out of here. As if realizing that fact, Yingying flew away.


    ━Yingyingyaing!


    Animals have a keen sense of danger in critical moments, and it must have sensed that going there would help us escape from the copsing cave.


    “Let’s follow it!”


    “Unnie,e with me!”


    Mirna and Narmi ran after it, and I followed closely behind them. Though the path twisted and turned, the fairy on my head served as a sort of navigator, making the escape much easier.


    ━Left, left, right, right, left!


    Finally, we got out from the long cave.


    I felt a sense of relief that we had survived, but only for a moment.


    Surrr-.


    I noticed that the fairy clinging to my head had shrunk to the size of my palm. Her small body was even bing increasingly translucent.


    ━Children, it seems this body’s time has finallye to an end. After burning through such a long life consumed by vengeance, it’s only natural to fade away, even unable to recall my own name.


    Swishhhh-


    With those final words, the fairy scattered into the wind and disappearedpletely. As I watched her vanish, I suddenly recalled the words she had whispered into my ear.


    ━Look for the big spider. She will be able to tell you what you want. But be wary—there will be many obstacles in your path.


    A big spider.


    Literally?


    Or figuratively?


    That’s when.


    “Ah-! Over there,rade! You’ve also made it out of the cave safely!”


    I could see imps waving at me from the top of the mountain in the distance. Their swaying tails were quite weing. It seemed Marmar’s group and Ste had managed to escape the cave safely.


    “Theo-kun.”


    “Ste-nim, I’m d to see you unharmed.”


    As Ste joined us, she began exining what they had encountered.


    “We retrieved the Queen’s Holy me. But as we removed themp attached to the statue, some mechanism must have triggered, and suddenly, the cave started copsing.”


    So, the cave’s copse was caused by Ste’s group.


    Regardless, this journey had yielded several aplishments. Now, all that remained was to descend the mountain, board the waiting carriage, and return to the city of Sandora.


    The ride back in the carriage was extremely quiet.


    The imps were sound asleep, their soft breathing filling the air alongside the ttering of the carriage wheels. In the stillness, everything we had just experienced felt almost like a dream.


    However, the undeniable reminder of reality sat right in front of me—Narmi and Mirna. They had been separated for some unknown reason, and had remained split.


    Both of them were silently looking out the same window.


    Just a short while ago, they had been bickering with each other. Now they were so quiet.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But the tension between them was heavier than when they had aimed sharply at each other like hedgehogs. Pretending not to pay attention, I kept my senses sharp.


    “… Narmi, I have something to tell you when we get back.”


    It was Mirna who broke the silence first.