[Even if you're a Melvinger...! Are you completely insane?]
『Puhaha! Yes! This is what a Melvinger should be! Since the day I made a pact with you, this is the most satisfying sight!』
The God of Camellias screamed the moment she saw General Winter being released from her restraints.
On the other hand, Mephistopheles burst into laughter as if he was dying from amusement.
The seal's power had been weakening for some time, and General Winter's influence had been growing day by day, but now Elric had completely released her!
It was only natural for the God of Camellias to have a headache over it.
As expected.
The General Winter, freed from the seal after 40 years, began to rise slowly, unleashing a mighty cold storm.
[You said you were going to trap her in an ice crystal, but now you've completely let her loose! What are you planning to do?]
The God of Camellias looked sternly at Elric.
Elric smiled brightly, as if to say, "Don't worry."
"Do you know why I'm strong?"
[…?]
『…?』
"Because I'm a runaway magician."
[….]
『…This madman.』
As soon as Elric said that, he immediately turned around and started running.
The God of Camellias could only shake her head, unable to stop herself.
***
Andrew shouted in frustration as he watched Elric start to flee from his subordinates.
"Chase him! I said chase him down!"
If they lost the Melvinger here, it could lead to even greater disaster. Andrew… no, the demon possessing Andrew, made that judgment.
Elric was far stronger than their organization had anticipated. Somehow, he had managed to grow at an incredible rate, far beyond what they had tracked.
If they let him go now, who knew how much stronger he would become and how much more of an obstacle he would be in the future?
'I should have nibbled off all the Melvinger buds when I had the chance!'
But no matter how early regrets come, they are always too late.
So, he had to catch him by any means necessary, even now.
Flash! Whoosh!
The subordinates, who had been hesitating between whether to capture Elric or restrain General Winter, all stopped worrying and hurled themselves toward Elric.
Andrew tried to charge forward through the freezing storm as well, but—
Thud!
His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Ugh! Blood began trickling from the corners of his mouth.
It was a sign that the possession had reached its limit.
His physical body's vitality was almost completely depleted.
'Damn it! Of all times, why now…!'
The General Winter was just about to go on a rampage, and this happened? If only he had at least caught Elric, he wouldn't be as furious!
Blood vessels bulged in Andrew's eyes.
"Lord Judas!"
"Are you alright?"
His subordinates, who had been chasing after Elric, turned their heads toward Andrew in alarm.
"What are you doing?! Go after him already! Don't worry about me, just catch that bastard!"
At his command, the subordinates resumed their pursuit.
However...
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
To make matters worse, the General Winter's cold storm, now too powerful, was already gripping the subordinates by the ankles, slowing them down.
***
"[Accelerate], and [Accelerate]."
Elric repeatedly cast haste spells on himself, running faster and faster.
On top of that, he poured mana into his legs, making him far quicker than most martial artists.
And chasing right behind him—
Screeee!
The General Winter let out a ghastly shriek as it pursued him.
It looked like a ragdoll, with no discernible expression, but it was obvious that the creature was furious with him.
『Why does that thing keep chasing you?』
Mephistopheles looked at General Winter, tilting his head in confusion.
The God of Camellias, arms crossed, smirked as if mocking him for not knowing.
[It's because the scent of Melvinger's mana is too strong. Did you already forget that I told you Usdun Melvinger was the one who sealed the General Winter?]
Mephistopheles shot an irritated glare at the God of Camellias.
『Do you think I'm incapable of making such a judgment?』
[Aren't you?]
『Then why isn't it going after the demons? Why isn't it attacking the other beastmen who tormented it just as much?』
[That's because…!]
For the first time, the God of Camellias was at a loss for words, pressing her lips tightly shut. Mephistopheles, feeling triumphant, raised his voice even more.
『I'm just saying, it seems like it's seriously mad at him specifically, not just for a simple reason!』
The God of Camellias shifted her gaze toward General Winter.
Indeed, the General Winter was charging toward them with an uncontrollable fury.
The anger was glaringly focused on Elric.
'Has General Winter ever been this specifically angry at someone before?'
Even the God of Camellias, who had observed the General Winter for a long time, finally realized that something was off.
The General Winter's anger typically targeted living beings at random, specifically those who possessed things it lacked by nature—like life itself.
But the rage it directed at Elric felt... different. It wasn't the usual chaotic fury.
What could it be? It felt like—
'Like it's seriously provoked...!'
The God of Camellias' eyes suddenly widened, and she turned toward Elric.
[You! What did you do to the General Winter this time?]
Elric let out a small chuckle as he responded.
"Nothing much."
[What could you have possibly done to make her so furious?!]
"I just gave her a flick on the forehead when she broke free from the sealing circle."
[A... flick?]
Elric quietly nodded.
"Yes. I gathered some ice arrows and hit it right on the forehead, and now she is chasing me like this."
[….]
The God of Camellias' jaw dropped at the absurd and unexpected explanation.
"Oh, and I pinched her arm with the Seal of the Winter Wind and poked at her with the Seal of Maleficence. I guess that really got her worked up."
The God of Camellias finally noticed that Elric's seals were glowing in sequence, repeatedly forming mana fields around the General Winter.
Whenever the General Winter's attention seemed to waver, Elric would immediately provoke it, making her temper flare even more.
[Why are you going out of your way to do that?]
"So I can lead it exactly where I want it to go," Elric replied with a grin.
[Ah...!]
"And while I'm at it, I can get rid of these annoying flies too."
Elric's gaze fell upon the beastmen, who had already surrounded him in a tight formation.
"There's a human!"
"An intruder! Stop him!"
"Catch him!"
The beastmen, upon spotting Elric, shouted angrily, gesturing to each other in an attempt to coordinate.
However...
"[Pierce]."
Elric conjured a cluster of ice arrows, condensed them tightly, and fired them in concentrated volleys at a single point, forcefully clearing a path.
"Graaah!"
"Aaagh! My arm! My aaaarm!"
The power of the ice arrows alone was formidable, but with ice poison infused at their tips, the areas struck by the arrows quickly filled with the beastmen's screams and wails.
Frozen chunks of flesh flew through the air, and shards of ice littered the ground in a gruesome display.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
"You won't escape!"
Seeing that Elric was about to slip through their formation unscathed, the fighters rushed toward him in desperation, unwilling to let him get away.
"[Swirl]."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
A fierce snowstorm whipped up into a whirlwind, blocking their approach. There was nothing they could do to stop him.
But an even bigger problem arose right behind them!
Screeeech!
"Why is General Winter here?!"
"R-Run!"
The beastmen's faces turned pale as they belatedly realized the presence of the General Winter.
Even though they were part of Fury's ranks, very few of the fighters—other than the top executives—knew General Winter was here.
Naturally, the General Winter's sudden appearance was like a lightning bolt out of a clear sky for them!
Crack, crack, crack!
In an instant, a dozen beastmen froze solid where they stood. As the cold storm grew even fiercer, the fur of the beastmen attempting to communicate grew heavier, making movement increasingly difficult.
The beastmen, who had regarded General Winter as an unstoppable calamity, saw their tight formation crumble in the blink of an eye.
"S-Save me!"
"My father and brother were both killed by General Winter! I can't die here too!"
"Move! Get out of the way!"
As their leaders began to flee, the rest of the beastmen desperately tried to distance themselves from the General Winter.
As a result, all attempts to capture Elric ceased.
"Hold your ground! Don't be afraid of the Gener—ugh!"
The commands were abruptly cut off as the chaos grew.
Some tried to quell the chaos, but soon found themselves silenced as shadow blades, controlled by the Seal of Maleficence, swiftly slashed across their throats.
『…This is pure mess.』
Mephistopheles shook his head, finally realizing that this entire mess had been orchestrated by Elric from the start.
However, Elric's grin only grew wider, as if this was just the beginning.
"If they're holding the cards, you have to shake the table. And since they've already started, I'll shake it even harder."
『How?』
"By turning everything into a complete disaster."
『No way.』
"They're working with Gregory, right? It wouldn't be bad for you either, Mephi."
『Puhaha! You're right about that.』
Mephistopheles let out a loud, maniacal laugh, realizing what Elric was planning.
His eyes gleamed with madness as he looked at Elric, baring his fangs through his wide grin.
『You know what, kid?』
"What is it?"
『Since we started working together, this is the first time I've genuinely liked you.』
"That's because our goals are the same, isn't it?"
Elric smiled lightly, as if everything was going according to plan, and stirred up even more chaos within Fury's collapsing formation.
Boom, boom, boom—
And then.
[Hey, nephew-in-law! What the hell is going on here?]
[The cold wave seems to be getting stronger! Are you hurt at all?]
Through the communication orb, the worried voice of the Blue Hawks came through repeatedly.
They were waiting at a distant location from the Night's Quarter, just as Elric had instructed, anxiously waiting for him to return.
They could see the commotion erupting in the Night's Quarter and knew something was happening, but not knowing the details had left them on edge.
They were beginning to argue over whether they should jump in to help, especially after noticing the beastmen forming a perimeter.
[That ruckus? I caused it, so don't worry.]
Elric quickly brought the communication orb to his mouth, knowing he needed to calm their concerns first.
[Whew!]
[That's a relief.]
[Seriously... hey, nephew-in-law. Be careful out there. If you get hurt, we'll be in big trouble with your wife.]
Elric chuckled lightly. Even though their words were casual, he could tell they were genuinely worried about him.
[But seriously, what kind of trouble did you stir up this time to cause such chaos?]
[It's nothing serious.]
[Nothing serious, and yet this mess...?]
[I just bought General Winter along.]
[....]
[....]
[....]
For a moment, the previously chaotic communication orb fell into a stunned silence. The faint static indicated that the communication spell was still active.
[...You really are beyond imagination.]
[See? Didn't I tell you? Nephew-in-law can't be measured by common sense anymore. Haha!]
[So, what's the plan from here? How can we help?]
Behind the laughter of the Blue Hawks, Herman's serious tone cut in, though it was clear he was trying hard to stifle his own laughter.
Elric smirked as he responded.
[Cover me.]
[You're planning on going somewhere, aren't you?]
[Of course.]
Elric's eyes sparkled mischievously.
[I'm heading straight for the Fury tribe.]
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]