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▶Another Tale◀  
This is yet another story.  
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[There was a celebration in the family]  

[The wedding that had been postponed numerous times had finally taken place]  

[Cheers and applause filled the air]  

[Amidst everyone’s blessings, the bride and groom appeared]  

[The rumors were true]  

[The young lady, whose condition had worsened day by day, had regained her health]  

[Her wrinkled and sallow skin had become as fresh as if reborn]  

[The groom, who had seemed to have lost all joy to despair, smiled brightly today as well]  

[But—]  

[Was it just his imagination?]  

[The groom's bright smile seemed strangely weary]  

[It was as if the shadow that had once hung over the bride had transferred to him]  

"**Dares. What are you thinking?**"  

"..."

[It felt like something from a distant past]  

[Before she had fallen ill]  

[He remembered the smiles she used to give]  

[They were bright, just like this one]  

[Surely, this was the same bright smile—]  

[Then why?]  

"Dares?"  

[Why did her smile now feel so unnatural?]  

"...No."  

[It must be his imagination]  

[The groom shook off his unpleasant thoughts]  

[He had fought hard to reclaim this happiness and sense of normalcy]  

[Now, he could only savor it]  

[-Even if it was nothing more than a hollow facade, a false happiness rotting from the inside.]

▶Fate 41: Happiness Riddled with Worms

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"**D-Damin!?**"  

Todina screamed.  
Her maid, Damin, who had been with her since childhood, had suddenly transformed into someone else.  

...Into something indescribably grotesque.  
A wrinkled old man with white hair, still dressed in a maid’s uniform.  

The shock wasn’t only emotional, but physical (to her corneas).  
Todina clung to her sanity, desperately trying to keep from fainting on the spot.

However, the elderly man was equally bewildered.

Gusra, the dark sorcerer, had spent years crafting this plan, dedicating months to perfecting its execution.

Everything had been done to ensure perfection.  
And, indeed, everything had gone flawlessly—  

—until Risir handed that "lucky coin" to Todina.  

Gusra quickly regained his composure and made his escape from the carriage.  
Being trapped in such a small space was too dangerous!

"Ah."  

As soon as Gusra disappeared, Todina collapsed, dizzy and faint.  

"Take care of her,"  

came a cold voice, though it was laced with intense emotion.  
Dares brandished a staff adorned with a red gemstone and set off after Gusra.  

"Eltni!"  
"Yes, Master Tophin!"  

Tophin also entrusted Todina to his assistant, Eltni, and followed the others in pursuit.

"Let’s go."  

Risir’s group, now comprised of those whose souls had been severely damaged by the dark sorcerer’s magic, chased after the escaping Gusra.

A spear of flame scorched the air as it hurtled towards Gusra.

"Kuh—"  

With his mana destabilized by the sudden disruption of his magic, Gusra struggled to gather enough power.  
A black barrier formed around him, barely neutralizing the flaming spear.

Fwooosh!  
Fwooosh!  
Fwooosh!

The fire spear clashed repeatedly with the barrier, burning and extinguishing.  
The atmosphere grew so hot that even the cold surrounding air shimmered with heatwaves.  
The clash finally came to an end.

"Why…!"  

Dares spoke for the first time, having expended half his strength in the attack.

"Why did you target Todina? Why did it have to be her?"

"..."

Blood dripped from Gusra’s nose and mouth, dark red and thick.  
The accumulation of damage from the disruption of his magic and Dares’ relentless assault had taken a toll.  
Surges of mana wreaked havoc on the old dark sorcerer’s insides.

"Dares, excuse me for a moment."

Tophin stepped in, healing Dares.  
Gusra, meanwhile, had no one to assist him.

Yet, despite everything, Gusra smiled, a smug, aged grin spreading across his face.

"It didn’t *have* to be Todina. It just so happened that she was the one caught in my net when I reached for opportunity. If you want to blame someone, blame your fiancée’s weakness and naivety."

"You bastard!!!"  

Dares’ power flared again, uncontrollably, and flames engulfed him.

"Dares!"

Tophin cried out in panic.  

Unleashed, the roaring flames threatened to consume everything around them.  
Dares' skin began to dry and crack at an alarming rate.

"Damn it..."

Despite appearing overwhelmed on the surface, Gusra inwardly sneered at Dares.

‘Even though he's from the prestigious Durayeg family, he's still just a child.’

To lose his composure so easily.  
Gusra's black eyes gleamed like a snake eyeing its prey.

Dares, of the Durayeg family.  
One day, he would surpass even Gusra himself.  
But now?  
He was still far too immature to face Gusra.

Gusra no longer saw Dares as a threat but as prey.  
His true focus, however, was elsewhere.

"..."

Gusra’s gaze wandered to Risir’s group and the carriage in the distance.

‘That lucky coin…’

That was what Gusra feared most at the moment.

‘That illegitimate brat... Ever since that coin came near the carriage, my powers have been unstable.’  
‘And the moment that "lucky coin" touched Todina’s body, my control over her was broken.’  
‘That’s it. I must destroy that coin!’  
‘Before that foolish boy realizes the true power within it!’

This duality of anxiety and smugness filled Gusra’s mind.  
The best outcome for him now was for the young mage before him to lose control and self-destruct.

A talented magician.  
A skilled healer.  
And that accursed coin.

Time was on their side.  
Any delay would only bring greater loss to Gusra.

"Dares. Why have you stopped?"

"..."

"Is this enough? Is this how you avenge your fiancée, after she was toyed with by me?"

Gusra covered his face with his hand.  
His skin writhed and shifted, once again taking on the form of the maid, Damin.

"For months, I spent countless hours with Todina, just the two of us, Dares. Don’t you want to know what happened during those times?"

Cackling laughter echoed from the twisted smile that now stretched across the maid’s face.  

"You bastard!!!"

With a blast of flames nearly akin to an explosion, Dares was consumed by fire.

"Dares, calm down! He’s provoking you!"  
"How—how can I calm down after hearing that!?"  
"You must! Right now, your magic is unstable. If you continue like this, you’ll experience a full mana outburst!"  
"I don’t care!!! As long as I can turn that vile monster into ashes!!!"  
"Damn it!"

The searing heat forced Tophin to back away from Dares.

‘This is a disaster!’

If Dares, their strongest ally, self-destructed because of the dark sorcerer’s tricks, it would be catastrophic.  
Tophin’s mind swam with the worst-case scenarios.

"Get a hold of yourself, Dares!!!"

Tophin, a mid-level healer, put all his strength into trying to calm Dares.  
The healing mana he sent forth to soothe Dares was instantly scattered by the raging flames surrounding him.

"Move aside."

A confident voice cut through the chaos, as a white-robed figure approached Dares.

"It’s dangerous if you get too close!"  

The searing heat scorched the edges of the girl's robe, but she extended her hand toward Dares without hesitation.

The mercy of a **Jinjo** surrounded him.

"...!"  

Dares’ eyes widened.  
His body and the fiery magic that had consumed him quickly relaxed.

Thud.  
He collapsed, holding himself up with his staff.

The flames that had once threatened to consume him had vanished, leaving his body completely calm.

"How…?"

Tophin was stunned.  
The girl’s power was beyond what his experience as a mid-level healer could comprehend.

But the girl seemed unfazed.  
With the same casual attitude, she turned and walked back to where she had stood before, beside Risir.

Pean, having returned to Risir’s side, snorted at him and smirked, her expression both proud and mocking.

"Well? You couldn’t do something like that with your powers, could you?"

"Of course not."  
Risir responded with a thumbs-up.

"As expected of Pean. The treasure of our party. You’ve gone beyond merely sparing people’s lives—you can now save them too."

"...Are you mocking me?"  
"Not at all! My poor vocabulary is simply inadequate to express your greatness. Do you have any suggestions for words I should borrow?"  
"Forget it. Just shut up."  
"You’re amazing. I love you. Hug me."  

Though Pean turned her head away in disgust, her twitching expression betrayed that she didn’t entirely dislike the compliments

 

Gusra stood frozen, staring in disbelief at the scene before him.

Just moments ago, everything had been going according to plan—  
But now, it was as though ash had been sprinkled over a meal that was nearly finished.  
And the way it had been ruined was truly ridiculous.

"Tophin..."  
"Dares! Are you alright!?"  
"Ah... I feel clear-headed now, though I’ve caused you all worry..."  

"What nonsense is this!?" Gusra finally yelled, unable to contain his frustration.  
It had happened again.  
Every time things seemed to be going his way, these people would meddle and ruin everything.

"You damn insects!"  

The old dark sorcerer finally lost all composure.  
Black-red blood poured from every orifice on his face, the toll of forcing his unstable magic to its limits.

"...!"

And now, the others would pay the price for making him push himself to the brink.

Gusra abandoned his original goal of minimizing losses.  
Now, he was determined to destroy everyone here.

"I’ll kill you all. You insects."

Pean, watching the scene from afar, spoke with a sigh.  
"Shall we leave?"

"Leave?"  
"What else? Are you planning on getting involved in that mess?"

Pean briefly glanced at Gusra and shook her head in distaste.  
A dark sorcerer like him, with such grotesque and corrupted power, was far from worth the trouble.

There was no reason for her to risk herself fighting someone like Gusra.  
Risir felt the same.

"We’ve done more than enough. Honestly, we could steal that carriage right now, and they couldn’t complain. Don’t you think, Lona?"  
"Uh... yeah? I mean, I guess I agree. Leaving here seems like the smart move."  

Lona, who had previously been asserting her masculine confidence, now spoke with an unexpectedly submissive tone.

"You... criminals by nature. Your way of thinking is so different from ours..."  
"That’s not what I meant at all!"  
"...I’m joking. But I get what Pean is saying."

They had already provided enough help.  
There was no reason to endanger themselves any further.

Risir understood that logic, intellectually.

But why couldn’t he just leave them?

Devotion? Sacrifice?  
Was it because of an unusually heroic instinct?  

No. It was something else.

‘Is there really any danger in continuing this?’  

Risir’s instincts, honed by his power, told him there was no need to avoid the dark sorcerer.  
It was as if he posed no more threat than an ant.

"Sigh."

Pean let out a deep sigh as she watched Risir.

"I know what you’re thinking. You believe that with your strength, you’ll somehow manage, don’t you? But let me ask you this: do you really think that thing—"  

‘That thing’ was the dark sorcerer.  
Lona’s face twisted in humiliation, though she couldn’t bring herself to refute the comparison.

"Pean. As much as Lona wasn’t exactly pleasant before, she was never as hideous as that."  
"That’s not what I meant... wait, was I really that hideous?"  
"Honestly, can you try being serious for a moment?"  

Though Pean seemed irritated, she understood Risir’s attitude.  
Like him, she didn’t feel that Gusra was a significant threat.

As much as she hated to admit it—being next to someone like Risir made it hard to feel any real fear towards such a dark sorcerer.

She couldn’t quite explain why—  
But when it came to this type of power, she couldn’t imagine Risir being humiliated by anyone wielding it.

Not after what had just happened.

‘What even was that?’  
To neutralize the magic of a dark sorcerer of that caliber with just a coin?

Pean no longer felt fear or awe towards Risir’s power.  
She simply found it absurd.

"So. What exactly are you planning to do?"

Pean asked, seeing Risir still deep in thought.

"I understand now. You’re worried about me. Honestly, I’m touched."  
"Worried? About you? I’ve never—!"  
"So here’s what we’ll do."  
"Just so you know, I won’t help you. Don’t expect me to."  
"I wouldn’t dream of dragging you into it. I don’t want you getting hurt because of me."

Pean’s lips twitched at his words, frustration visible on her face.

"I won’t help, but if you *really* begged me for it..."  

Muttering under her breath, Pean’s words went unheard as Risir made his way towards the carriage.

---

"Ahahahaha!"

A strange, cackling noise that was part scream, part laughter, came from Gusra.

"As expected of Durayeg! So hot-blooded! But still!"

The flames that had been burning his body suddenly died down.  
His melted skin began to regenerate.

Now fully restored to the appearance of the maid Damin, Gusra sneered.

"You’re still too inexperienced! To think you could burn me with such flames—how naive!"

"Kuh…"  
Dares and Tophin gasped for breath, exhausted from the fight.

"Dares. Can you still hold on?"  
"To be honest—I'm close to my limit."  
"Damn it—"

They had known from the start that Gusra’s powers weren’t ordinary.  
But for him to be at the pinnacle of the 5th level, nearing the 6th, was beyond what they expected.

As the battle dragged on, their chances of victory grew slimmer.  
The two of them were well aware of that.

Clicking his tongue, Gusra looked at Dares with mock regret.

"What a shame! Such a fine vessel, and I have to be the one to break it!"  
"What did you do to Damin... to Todina’s maid?"  
"Still worrying about such a petty girl at this point? How touching. Don’t worry about her. She’s my precious puppet now, performing her duties elsewhere. And rest assured, your fiancée Todina will meet the same fate. Her body and mind will be consumed by my power, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell."  
"..."

"It’s time to end this. The longer that cursed object remains in contact with her, the more dangerous it becomes."

"How dare you—"  
"Tsk, tsk. Come, young magician. Don’t you want to rescue your fiancée?"

Once again, Gusra drew upon his power.  
And once again, the magician and healer had no choice but to muster the last of their strength.

The final battle was about to begin—  

"Dares!"

All eyes turned to the carriage.

While they had been fighting, Risir had returned to the carriage and retrieved the coin he had previously given to Todina.

In that moment, he infused the coin with his own power—  
Mastering the art of enchantment on the spot.

"...!"

Gusra shuddered as he saw the coin in Risir’s hand.

‘No doubt about it! That’s a holy relic!’

The dark sorcerer’s evil powers recoiled in fear from the energy emanating from the coin.

**Destroy it!**

"Take this! It might help!"

Risir tossed the coin into the air.

"Where do you think you’re going!?"

In that instant, Gusra’s arm began to bubble and stretch, its length growing endlessly.  
He snatched the coin mid-air—only for it to explode in his hand.

The collision of Gusra’s dark magic and the power within the coin sent shockwaves through the air, shaking everything in the vicinity.  
It all happened in an instant.

"Haa... haa... haa..."

The arm that had stretched so far,  
and half of Gusra’s face,  
were now melting like mud.

Yet Gusra grinned, triumphant.

"It seems that your cursed luck has finally run out."

Destroying the holy relic had taken a massive toll on Gusra.  
The exhaustion from the battle with Dares paled in comparison to the cost of breaking the coin’s power.

But it didn’t matter.  
Nothing could stop him now.

Seeing the despair on the faces of Dares and Tophin, Gusra felt a deep sense of satisfaction, though he knew he couldn’t relish it for long.  
Even he had his limits.

"Damn pests."

The dark sorcerer muttered ominously as he began to advance.

"Wait...!"

But once again, Risir’s voice interrupted him.

"There’s another one! Catch this!"  
"...?"  

His tone was so casual, like he was pulling coins from his pocket.  
Gusra couldn’t believe his ears, and soon, his expression filled with utter despair.