Chapter 188: Light and Darkness 8
“Since when were you here, Riley?”
Lucas’s voice broke through the chaos as we cut down the swarming monsters flooding the streets. The creatures of darkness seemed endless, but neither of us faltered.
Every slash, every strike, cut through the shadowy hordes, but I couldn’t help but notice that Lucas was beginning to slow, his mana reserves draining.
He was relying heavily on his light-based aura, which was doing more damage than my own mana-infused strikes.
‘I wonder if he’ll notice his own divinity during this battle…’
His hidden divine energy radiated with each blow, searing the darkness like a burning flame, while my attacks, although effective, lacked the same potency.
It wasn’t that my mana wasn’t working—it just didn’t compare to the sheer destructive force of his light.
But there was something more.
The subtle feeling of my [Monarch’s Will] reverberated in the back of my mind, its usual effects—domination, suppression—had no sway over these creatures.
The skill, which had always given me an edge, was utterly ineffective here.
These creatures weren’t bound by will, nor were they phased by any mental assault.
They were darkness incarnate—driven purely by instinct, immune to the very nature of my command.
I knew then that I had to be extra cautious.
Even if they were considered mere “mobs” in the grand scheme of things, their danger was real.
Their attacks were erratic, ruthless, and driven by something primal.
I glanced over at Lucas as we fought side by side.
His movements were sharp, controlled, but there was a visible strain in the way his aura flickered.
His light attribute was perfect for this fight, but I could see he was nearing his limit.
Despite this, he hadn’t backed down, and his eyes burned with determination.
“I’ve been here long enough,” I replied, dodging a vicious strike from one of the creatures before cutting it down in a swift motion. “You seemed like you could use the help.”
He smirked, though I could tell he was pushing through the exhaustion.
“Could say the same about you. But… thanks.”
I nodded, watching as another wave of monsters surged toward us.
Honestly, finding Lucas here was a relief, in more ways than one.
He was a key player in stopping Dorothy in the original storyline, someone I knew could tip the scales.
But right now, based on the fight in the distance, I doubted his help was even needed.
Rose was clearly gaining the upper hand.
Even for someone like me, who was not adept at magic, it was obvious—Dorothy was losing.
The bursts of mana, the flares of light, and the sheer imbalance in their exchange told the story without words.
I could sense everyone’s presence around me.
Most of the capable fighters had made the smart decision to focus on keeping the civilians safe.
Merchants, random citizens, visitors—even children—they were all huddled in the corners of the dark veil that cloaked the district.
It was a good choice, considering the center of this place was a battleground, with monsters constantly spawning and chaos erupting at every corner.
The outskirts were safer, at least for now.
Keeping the civilians there made it easier for the students and any able-bodied fighters to defend them.
I couldn’t help but respect their efforts, though despite thinking of them as pathetic right now….
While the main conflict raged in the distance, they had their hands full trying to maintain some semblance of order amidst the chaos.
The dark veil that covered the area wasn’t just a backdrop—it was a living, breathing force of oppression, constantly spitting out creatures of shadow, forcing those here to remain on high alert.
As well as constantly draining down the mana in the air making it harder for mana users to actually fight freely.
Everything felt restrained and oppressive.
The occasional scream of terror or clash of steel against claws echoed from the shadows, reminding me that this battle was far from over.
Still, with Rose dominating the fight against Dorothy, my mind was already calculating the next steps.
Lucas, despite his dwindling mana, was still a valuable asset, and we’d need every ounce of strength if things took a turn.
After all, Dorothy wasn’t the type to go down easily, even if she seemed on the ropes now.
“Janica and the other students are currently protecting the civilians at the eastern gates. Maybe we should regroup with them first before we join Rose—”
“No,” I interrupted firmly.
“Huh?” Lucas looked at me, bewildered by my sudden refusal.
“We won’t join the battle against Senior Dorothy.”
At least, not for now.
“But—”
“Prioritize the safety of the civilians first. There are still people trapped inside some of the buildings and houses nearby. We need to help them before anything else.”
Lucas’s eyes wavered for a moment before his expression softened, and he smiled gently, nodding in agreement. “You’re right.”
‘Easy…’
Manipulating Lucas’s knightly sense of duty was almost too simple.
His desire to protect others was both his strength and his weakness, and I could use that to buy us the time we needed.
With this, Theo and Susan should have enough time to carry out their plan and, hopefully, save Dorothy.
Whether they succeeded depended entirely on how things played out from here.
Dorothy was a character I realized I knew too little about, her motives shrouded in uncertainty, too many factors swirling around her actions.
In the end, her fate—whether it ended in tragedy or redemption—rested on Theo and Susan.
The choices they made from here would determine everything.
I wanted nothing more than to rush to Dorothy’s side, to help in the battle unfolding between her and Rose. But it seemed fate had other plans for me.
As I stood there, a familiar and dreaded notification blinked across my vision:
[Note: Once Hero’s Will is activated, all evil entities under the user’s presence shall be eliminated.]
[Note: Command absolute and cannot be changed under user’s Soul History.]
There was no description about this when I got the skill….
It was a cold, emotionless declaration of what would happen the moment I stepped into the heart of the battle.
The moment I go there… would be the moment Dorothy dies.
Tsk….
The system, with all its unwavering authority, was essentially telling me there was no way to defy one’s own fate and destiny.
I wanted to scream at it, to demand some sort of alternative, some loophole that would let me intervene without condemning her.
But….
[…]
Even with all my frustrations and questions this thing was nothing more than a cog in the being that put me here.
…..
“Haah… haah…” Dorothy’s ragged breaths echoed through the air, her chest rising and falling with a struggle that seemed to push her closer to the edge with every second.
Despite the blood dribbling from her lips, painting her chin and staining the ground beneath her, a wide, eerie smile stretched across her face.
Her body was pinned against the wall, her back plastered against the cracked stone of a building behind her.
Red streaks of blood trailed down the wall, evidence of her body’s impact.
She was slumping, unable to keep herself upright as her strength faded.
But she fought to stay conscious, her will stubbornly defying her injuries.
“You’re quite merciful…” Dorothy’s voice was laced with a mixture of bitterness and twisted amusement. “Or rather, is this your way of torturing me perhaps?”
Her eyes, dark and bloodshot, flickered upward to meet Rose’s gaze.
Rose hovered in the air just a few feet above her, her cold eyes devoid of emotion as she surveyed the scene below.
Her wand was still raised, light magic shimmering at the tip, casting a brilliant yet harsh glow over the battlefield.
The air around Rose crackled with the raw energy of mana, the intensity of it stabilizing as she slowly descended, her feet gently touching the ground.
“You… you’re dying,” Rose muttered, her voice quiet, almost disbelieving.
She hadn’t expected to see Dorothy in such a state.
Sure, she knew she had inflicted damage, but not to this extent.
Rose had taken care to hold back, to restrain her spells despite the anger that had been burning inside her.
She had only used powerful magic when she was certain Dorothy could endure it.
But now, Dorothy’s skin was cracked like parched earth, fissures running across her flesh as if her very life force was splintering apart.
Her once-vibrant skin had turned an unnaturally pale white, and the whites of her eyes were veiled in deep, shadowy darkness.
The blood that had smeared against the wall and pooled beneath her was darkening, turning into an inky black substance that seemed to crawl over the ground.
It was as if something far more sinister was happening beneath the surface, something beyond mere physical damage.
Dorothy chuckled, the sound ragged and weak as she glanced at Rose’s face, taking in the surprise that had momentarily cracked her cold, composed expression.
There was something else there too—something unfamiliar, unreadable.
“Oh my, are you worried about me right now?” Dorothy’s voice was teasing, but it trembled with a mixture of amusement and despair.
Rose remained silent, her gaze hardening, unwilling to give Dorothy the satisfaction of an answer.
“I guess not, huh…” Dorothy’s smile faltered for a second, but she quickly forced it back. “But trust me, you really shouldn’t worry about others too much. For someone so greedy, you’re too kind-hearted for your own good. Though, I suppose that kindness is a little selfish, isn’t it?”
Rose’s eyes narrowed at the comment, her jaw tightening. “You talk like you know me.”
“Oh, but I do~” Dorothy grinned wider, though her lips were smeared with dark, thick blood. “I probably know you more than you know yourself, hehe…”
Her voice cracked as more blood spilled from her mouth, the sight gruesome, yet Dorothy ignored it, her gaze locked on Rose.
She wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, smearing the blackened blood across her pale skin.
“I’m actually doing you a really big favor, you know. It’s not easy to restrain something that’s spiraling out of control.”
Dorothy’s smile grew weaker, yet her eyes glinted with an eerie intensity as she continued to speak.
“You should be thanking me. If I let go, everything here would be swallowed by the darkness…”
Ignoring the pain that racked her body, Dorothy straightened slightly, her gaze sharpening as she met Rose’s eyes.
This time, her voice dropped, becoming more serious, more chilling.
“Aren’t you going to kill me now?”
Rose froze for a moment, staring down at Dorothy as those words sank in.
There was no mockery in Dorothy’s tone now—only a strange calm acceptance.
It was as if she had already accepted her fate, resigned to whatever end awaited her.
“Trust me,” Dorothy whispered, her voice low but firm, “this darkness won’t end if I don’t disappear. I’m the source… you’ve noticed that, haven’t you? But there’s something more. Riley… he’s free now.”
Rose’s gaze flickered at the mention of Riley, her eyes darting toward the distance where she could faintly sense his mana signature—strong, familiar, and far from here.
Dorothy’s words rang with truth.
“Did your anger distract you from noticing it? How careless for such a powerful mage~” Dorothy taunted, her voice a mix of amusement and bitterness.
Rose’s eyes wavered as she wrestled with the decision before her, feeling the weight of Dorothy’s words sink in.
She hated to admit it, but Dorothy was right.
This wasn’t just some reckless use of magic—this darkness that blanketed the square wasn’t a simple, subpar spell. It was something far more sinister and complex.
The sheer scale of it, covering the entirety of the district, wasn’t a knockoff of any dark magic Rose had studied.
It was a high-grade spell, expertly woven together, amplified by hundreds—no, thousands—of runes meticulously placed beforehand.
The sheer amount of preparation was staggering. Rose’s mind raced, trying to piece together why Dorothy had gone to such lengths.
Why all this?
Why so much preparation?
Why involve her, and Riley, and throw them into this situation that seemed destined to end in tragedy?
Dorothy stood before her, bleeding and broken, yet her expression was one of calm resignation.
Acceptance. It was clear no matter how many questions Rose would ask, Dorothy wouldn’t answer. She wasn’t going to explain any of it.
“You… why did you do all of this?” Rose’s voice came out, softer than she intended, almost pleading.
Dorothy let out a dry laugh, her breath coming out ragged and strained. “You’re only starting to wonder now? Riley really has you distracted, doesn’t he?”
Her voice was teasing, but there was a sadness beneath it, like someone who already knew the ending of a story before it was told.
“Well, he is a great guy, so I can understand, If it’s him then…. I can approve of it~”
“…..?”
Dorothy’s gaze drifted upwards, to the darkened sky.
The swirling mass of shadows and the chaotic, repeating voices echoed within her mind.
Hundreds of them.
Thousands, maybe.
They threatened to tear her apart from the inside, to rip through the fragile boundaries of her mind and soul.
The darkness within her was too much—it was barely contained, and Rose could see the strain on her face.
Dorothy was at her limit.
“I’m sorry,” Dorothy continued, her voice cracking as she coughed up more dark blood. “But as much as I want to tell you everything… it’ll only leave you with more questions than answers.”
Rose could feel the tension in the air, the oppressive weight of the magic pressing down on them both.
The spell was growing more unstable by the second, the darkness seeping further into every corner of the district, and Dorothy’s control over it was rapidly slipping.
Dorothy’s eyes locked onto Rose’s one last time. “The people are waiting for all of this to end,” she said, her voice quieter now, as if she was struggling to stay conscious.
“Kill me. End this.”
Rose stood there, her wand still raised, the shimmering light of her magic swirling around her.
[Mid-Grade Light magic]
[Solace]
“Goodbye…… President”
