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#096. Crying Woman (6)
“AAAAAAAHHHHHH───!”
Madame Lenia’s shrill scream pierced the wind.
The element of destruction contained in the voice spread out, shattering everything in all directions.
Kugugugu──!
The walls collapsed and the ceiling tilted.
Crackle! Crackle!
A large crack also appeared in the translucent shield surrounding the two boys.
Ray quickly drew up white mana to repair the defense.
‘…The power of magic is not insignificant.’
When I was on a different floor, I was relatively far from the scream’s sphere of influence, so I didn’t notice.
But the power of the magic I saw before my eyes was beyond my imagination.
Gusts and sound waves.
The output of both series of magic was far beyond the level of Madame Reina’s original circle.
And the reason why that is possible is.
’emotion.’
Sadness and anger.
Hatred and regret.
Resonating with the emotions running wild in her vessel, the ring’s mana was showing absurd efficiency.
“AAAAAAAHH …
The screams continued.
“My son. Our son.”
“Mom will definitely protect you.”
And a whisper echoes in my ear.
Amidst the wind-blown debris and objects, I could see Madame Lenia, hugging an old wooden box.
“Hey, we have to stop the magic first. If we keep doing this, the mansion will collapse and Madame Lenia will be seriously injured.”
“It’s not just your body that gets hurt.”
“What does that mean?”
“The mind is also in danger. Emotions are running wild. The vessel that holds the emotions will not be able to hold on for long and will break.”
Philip’s face hardened.
Because I knew the story of what happened to Walter when the bowl was broken.
“Then how can we prevent the bowl from breaking…?”
“I need to calm my emotions.”
“… … .”
“You would know how to do that much better than I do.”
Former hotel manager.
Also a negotiator who has made all kinds of deals with shop owners.
Philip has maintained a much wider network of relationships than is typical for boys his age.
He was quite knowledgeable about human relationships and the emotional issues associated with them.
That’s why Ray brought Philip up to the fourth floor.
That’s right, to find a way to calm Madame Lenia down without destroying the necklace.
“Do any of you have any ideas on how to calm the other person’s feelings?”
“… … .”
A sudden question.
But Philip was not discouraged, but reflected on his own experiences and thought about what method would be suitable.
“consolation….”
“consolation?”
“Feelings can be shared. You just have to share your feelings and comfort them.”
Anger. Sadness. Depression. Emptiness, etc.
There are endless ways to release negative emotions.
You can get rid of them by apologizing or giving them a gift.
You can help by giving some realistic advice.
Or you could just yell and drive away your emotions.
But regardless of the type of emotion, the common method that had the greatest effect was comfort.
“Just tell them it’s okay. It must have been really hard. I understand. Just hug them and pat them.”
Philip explained once more.
So that Ray, who is not emotionally sensitive, can easily understand.
“… … .”
At those words, Ray recalled the moment when he patted the backs of his crying younger siblings in Sector 50.
It was an act of finding an efficient method of its own, but it seemed to have been a consolation.
‘Even back then, I could clearly see my younger siblings’ emotions being resolved.’
Ray said, confident that comfort would work this time too.
“To do that, I first need to get closer to Madame Lenia.”
“That’s right. Well, that’s true… but…”
Philip looked ahead, his voice trailing off.
Whioooooooooo──!
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The violently gusting wind made it impossible for me to even think about taking a step forward.
Moreover, the wind was blowing all kinds of objects and debris, making it impossible to move forward without colliding with anything.
“Don’t come near me…!”
“Don’t hurt my child…!”
“These devilish bastards…!”
Madame Lenia’s voice kept ringing in my ears.
Philip swallowed hard.
“It seems like they completely recognize us as enemies. What did Veronica say earlier? T… t… .”
“Trauma.”
“Yeah, that one.”
Trauma.
A severe emotional shock that has a lasting effect on the mind.
“I don’t see a kid named Joshua in the mansion. If Joshua was killed by others in the past, and the trauma from that time is coming back to haunt us and make us look like the murderers… .”
It was a convincing reasoning that allowed me to understand Mrs. Lenia’s current attitude.
Ray continued, observing the storm within.
“If we narrow the area and focus our magical power on one person, we can get through that storm and get to Madame Lenia’s location.”
“Are you just going to approach it?”
“Then you can try something. Whether it’s comforting or something else.”
“Okay. So what am I doing here? Waiting for instructions in case of an emergency?”
Philip nods his head resolutely.
But that determination soon turned into deep bewilderment.
“You’re not supposed to wait here.”
“uh?”
“You will go yourself.”
“Me, me?”
“Yeah. You.”
Philip, who had become dumbfounded for a moment, came to his senses and poured out his embarrassment.
“Uh, um… It’s not that I can’t do it, but considering the objective conditions, wouldn’t it be more likely to succeed if you go?”
Ray has far superior stamina and agility.
The fact that the child in the photo looks similar to him, so there is a possibility that the wife may mistake him for her son.
“And if Madam Lenia acts out of turn while I’m approaching her, it’ll be hard for me to deal with it. Even if I approach her and try to comfort her, I’m not sure if her emotions will really subside. After all, this isn’t a normal situation, is it?”
“… … .”
Ray thought.
Suddenly Philip’s tongue became longer.
But I knew that it wasn’t because he was afraid to come forward.
‘Even though I’m a bit timid, I’m the type of person who will definitely step up when I have to.’
I’m really afraid that the operation will fail.
So, that’s why Lenia is acting like that because she’s afraid of becoming mentally unstable.
‘I wonder if my chances of success will be higher if I go.’
I shook my head inwardly.
From Ray’s perspective, it was Philip who had a higher chance of success.
Stamina and agility. Sudden situations.
There was a reason beyond that.
But since time was limited to explain it, Ray took effective action to get his point across.
Boohoo──!
“Huh, huh?”
Philip, whose butt had been kicked by Ray, flailed his arms and dashed bravely into the storm.
“Okay, okay, wait a minute─! I’m not, not mentally ready─!”
My mind went blank.
I pictured myself being torn apart by the storm.
Oh, so this is how you die.
This is how my short 16-year life ends.
I haven’t even had a girlfriend yet.
widely.
But when I managed to keep my balance and stop in the storm.
“… … ?”
Philip could only look down at his body with a bewildered expression.
A transparent film was covering his skin, leaving him completely unscathed, and his legs felt much stronger than before.
Thanks to this, I was able to keep my balance without flying away.
‘So you can use protection like this. Sticking close to the skin. This will definitely reduce the area that takes damage and lower mana consumption. It also seems to increase the output of strengthening magic.’
Philip, who quickly realized the situation, looked back in admiration.
Ray located within a much smaller shield.
─I think it would be better to leave right away. I don’t have much time.
Ray’s voice came clearly into my ears.
The message was magic.
To be exact, it feels like the sound is transmitted directly into your head rather than your ears.
Philip nodded, exchanging glances, then turned his gaze forward again.
Whioooooo───!
Your current location is on the outskirts of the storm.
Philip, having made up his mind, walked towards the center of the storm.
‘The wind…! This is no joke…!’
As the area of protection decreased, her hair and the hems of her clothes began to flutter madly again.
It was not easy to advance due to the strong wind pressure.
Moreover, all kinds of objects are flying in the wind like weapons.
─Left, bow your head.
─Two steps back.
Of course, it wasn’t a big problem.
Because Ray’s instructions were carried out with surprising speed and accuracy.
Thanks to this, even Philip, who was not used to using his body, was able to avoid objects with precise movements.
─How is it? Is it worth a try?
“It’s not as difficult as I thought.”
Reduced anxiety and tension.
That much rising confidence.
Philip watched Madame Lenia while minding his own movements.
“Ah …
As the room was not small, there was still quite a distance left to reach her.
The screams were still heard, continuing to shock the defenses.
“Ah …
Philip, who was closing the distance at a slow but steady pace, suddenly realized something.
That wasn’t a scream.
It was a scream.
A mother who has lost her child cries out in grief as if her body is being torn apart.
‘… … .’
For a moment, I felt dizzy and at the same time, I felt like crying.
They say emotions are contagious.
The commonality is that they both have an empty space in their family.
I found myself picturing the other person’s sadness and pain in my mind without realizing it.
Old memories came back to me.
Park. People. Voices.
Wind. Dust. Footsteps.
Biscuit plastic. Rustling sound.
The back of my mother as she turned and left.
Back view, back view, back view, back view.
Gulp.
“… … .”
That was when.
Philip’s posture slumped.
Suddenly, my steps became difficult, and my hands and body did not move as I intended.
It feels like invisible hands are rising from the ground and pulling my whole body.
─It’s magic. Don’t panic.
At that moment, a light pink mana was reflected in Ray’s pure white pupils.
“Ah …
The owner of the pink mana was Madame Lenia.
The pink mana within the ring was resonating with the owner’s emotions and running wild.
Woof woof woof──!
Mana was crying.
I mourned, I cried, I screamed.
A deep sense of helplessness and debility was cast upon every living thing in the room.
Ray outside the door also could not escape the sphere of influence.
‘I don’t have any strength in my body.’
The main components of the pink mana were the elements of weakness and decay.
A rare element that even Graham had no knowledge of.
Although the explanation I heard at the time was almost non-existent, it did not pose a major problem in understanding the situation.
The movement of mana and the resulting phenomenon unfolding before your eyes.
Because by looking at it, I could immediately figure out the element and its magical bond.
─Keep moving. It’s not time to stop. It’s just a magic that doesn’t have any effect other than simply restricting movement.
Ray diverted most of the mana he had allocated to his own defense into increasing Philip’s strengthening magic output.
“okay!”
Philip, who came to his senses at Ray’s voice, wiped away his tears and strengthened his legs.
The strengthening and weakening magics cast on one body were in a tight tug-of-war.
Woohoo──!
The result is a slight advantage for strengthening magic.
Thanks to this, we were able to continue moving forward at a slow but steady pace.
Kugugugugugu──!
“… … !”
Just as he was about to reach Madame Lenia’s location, the floor beneath Philip’s feet gave way.
Philip quickly reached out and grabbed the exposed side of the floor that had split open.
Booths──
Debris from the floor fell.
As I looked down, I saw that the pillars that supported the floor had collapsed.
─Are you okay?
“Well, for now.”
This is happening right in front of the destination.
I tried to use my arms to climb up, but it wasn’t easy because of the weakening magic that was still in effect.
“Haa… Haa… Strengthening magic, can you increase the output a bit more?”
─This is the limit. I’ve been using up my mana ever since I was on the first floor.
Philip gritted his teeth.
I felt impatient.
My heart started beating like crazy at the thought that I might not be able to save Madame Lenia.
“Please return the mana used for the protection on my body to strengthening magic, leaving only the minimum amount.”
─… … You’re going to get hurt.
“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”
Soon I felt strength flowing through my whole body.
At the same time, the output of the defense was lowered and I felt an excruciating pain in my hand that was holding the side of the floor.
It was because of the sharp bottom edges and the wind storms that were located above.
“Eugh… … !”
Overcoming the pain that felt like his hand was stuck in a grinder, Philip climbed back up onto the floor.
It appeared before my eyes.
The image of Mrs. Lenia sitting down with her head in her hands.
Thump, thump.
He approached her with weary steps, knelt down, and embraced her.
“It’s okay… It’s okay… .”
It was the center of the storm.
The wind was no longer felt.
What are you talking about?
I don’t know what else was okay, but the words just came out naturally, as if I was possessed.
The woman’s head was raised.
Unfocused, tearful eyes looked at Philip.
“Joshu… Huh?”
The screaming has stopped.
The wind storm also began to weaken and completely dissipate.
What came was silence.
All that could be heard was the sound of a tattered hand patting the woman’s back.
Thump── percussion──
And so on, for a long time.
Then, when Philip and Madame Lenia stopped moving, as if they had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
The shadow of the collapsed rubble suddenly stirred.
A pitch-black shape popped out from within it.
A figure covered in a mask and black cloth drew a parabolic arc toward the boy and the woman.
With a naked murderous aura emanating from every part of his body.
And soon.
Kuung──!
I fell to the floor with a terrible feeling of helplessness gripping my entire body.