Chapter 546

Chapter 546

## Chapter 546

Berkhia’s blade sliced through the air.

It traced a magnificent path across the sky, an artistry unexpected of a mindless undead warrior.

Watching the incoming weapon, Bihar’s gaze grew solemn.

It was undeniably an exquisite blade, executing movements that mirrored drifting blossoms.

Yet, this weapon was entirely different from the one etched in Bihar’s memories.

The slashing aura, which once radiated a comforting warmth, now carried nothing but a freezing chill.

*Kwagagagak!*

The sharp energy exploded outward like scattered petals, ruthlessly tearing apart Bihar’s phantom clone.

Grip tightening, Bihar shifted the dagger in his grasp.

*Hwarereureuk!*

A blazing shroud of fire erupted from Bihar’s blade.

*Hwiooh!*

Simultaneously, a swirling gust of wind intertwined with the dancing flames.

‘Astonishing.’

Observing the clash from the depths of her subconscious, Chen Xia was filled with awe.

She was the one who had permitted Bihar to take control of her physical form.

Even so, her mind remained fully awake.

If anything, her perceptions had become incredibly sharp.

She felt every single motion.

She witnessed every single glance.

Not a single detail escaped her.

‘She bears a striking resemblance to young master Leo.’

Witnessing the fierce duel between Berkhia and Bihar from the front row, Chen Xia caught distinct traces of Leo’s style in both combatants.

It was a mesmerizing realization.

Berkhia and Bihar utilized entirely distinct martial forms and footwork.

Nevertheless, the underlying cadence of their strikes, the unpredictable maneuvers meant to shatter an opponent’s poise, and the instinctive calculation of the enemy’s next move all pointed to a common origin.

Leo’s undeniable influence permeated their exchange.

This was an epiphany she could only grasp because she had surrendered her physical vessel to Bihar.

‘He is instructing me.’

Recognizing that Bihar was utilizing this battle as a living lesson, Chen Xia concentrated her mind completely.

She diligently carved every sequence of Bihar’s movements deep into her memories.

Bihar initiated a rapid aura stride.

Flowing as effortlessly as a rushing stream, Bihar penetrated straight into Berkhia’s guard.

A confrontation between a long sword and a short dagger.

Bihar could secure the advantage only by completely eliminating the space between them.

He executed that fundamental rule of engagement with absolute perfection.

Having breached Berkhia’s defenses in an instant, Bihar extended his open palm and struck forward.

*Kwaang! Kugugugung!*

A crushing force, heavy as a falling boulder, slammed directly into Berkhia’s torso.

The sheer violence of the impact caused the solid ground beneath them to shatter and sink.

Yet, Berkhia did not give an inch.

‘Animus Armor.’

Chen Xia winced internally as she identified the defensive spell safeguarding Berkhia’s body.

She had previously witnessed Eiran casting that very same ward.

While it was unquestionably the identical spell, its absolute durability was on an entirely different level.

“In the past, that marked the absolute end of my capabilities,” Bihar called out to Berkhia, who was already counterattacking with her sword. “My failing physical form simply could not endure any longer.”

*Chae-eng!*

Deflecting Berkhia’s incoming strike, Bihar continued.

“Which means you carry no blame for what happened, Berkhia.”

Suddenly, Bihar’s silhouette dissolved into nothingness.

For a fleeting second, Berkhia completely lost sight of her opponent.

Concurrently, Chen Xia felt an agonizing sensation, as if the skeletal structure of her entire body was being ground to dust.

The toll on her physical frame far surpassed what Chen Xia’s capacity could naturally bear.

Even so, Chen Xia clamped her teeth together and refused to yield.

‘If I black out now, everything falls apart!’

While it was Bihar’s indomitable willpower driving Chen Xia’s limbs, it was entirely dependent on a temporary spiritual possession.

Under these circumstances, should Chen Xia lose her grip on reality, Bihar would instantly lose his anchor to the physical world.

‘Pain is an old friend of mine! Hold on!’

‘My thanks.’

Expressing his gratitude to his descendant who was enduring the agony, Bihar accelerated his pace.

Despite having lost her sanity, Berkhia exhibited terrifyingly precise techniques.

Such was the martial prowess of a champion who had once shouldered the fate of the realm and secured its salvation.

‘Even so, this is a mere fraction of her true capability.’

Bihar’s piercing gaze swept across her stance, searching for a fatal flaw.

In her corrupted state, Berkhia was incapable of besting an adversary of equal or superior mastery.

And at this precise moment, in this very location.

There stood someone in this realm who wielded an equivalent level of dominance.

Slipping beneath Berkhia’s guard once more, Bihar pressed both of his palms flat against Berkhia’s sternum.

Then, he unleashed his internal energy.

*Beonjjeok! Kwaang!*

A cataclysmic shockwave erupted outward.

Berkhia was thrown violently into the air before crashing heavily onto the dirt.

“Aaaah!”

With a piercing shriek, Berkhia forced herself back up, only to lose all vitality a moment later and drop to her knees.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

Bihar, observing her agonizing cries with a melancholy expression, suddenly felt the body give way.

Chen Xia had finally drifted into unconsciousness.

*Puk!*

Leo darted forward and safely caught Chen Xia’s collapsing form.

“Master… the remaining path is yours to walk.”

“Understood.”

Gazing at Leo’s reassuring nod, Bihar closed his eyes in peace.

Leo carefully transferred Chen Xia into the care of Eiran, who had hurried over to assist.

This particular conflict had reached its resolution.

The only matter left to settle was Berkhia.

—

“Aaaaaaah!”

Berkhia wailed.

She detested this existence. She detested absolutely everything.

She poured her resentment upon the realm that had stripped away the people she cherished most.

Yet, while cursing that very realm, she simultaneously loathed herself for harboring a desire to incinerate the world that her mentors had sacrificed their lives to preserve.

She despised herself for extinguishing the life of a companion who was practically a sister to her.

“Aaaaaaah!”

What path was she supposed to take?

How was she supposed to survive this?

As she thrashed in profound despair, resembling an abandoned child with nowhere left to turn.

*Teop.*

A gentle hand descended onto her head.

In that exact split second.

*Hwaak!*

Berkhia lashed out with her blade.

Regardless of the trauma she had sustained, she possessed more than enough lethality to sever the throat of anyone reckless enough to approach her.

The living deserved nothing but her hatred.

Just as she was poised to surrender entirely to her monstrous instincts as a creature of the dead.

“What could possibly be weighing so heavily on your mind, you foolish apprentice?”

*Utteuk!*

The vocal cadence that reached her ears was strikingly familiar.

“You have endured enough… no, you performed spectacularly.”

“Ah…”

“Even when the burden grew unbearable, you gave it your all. You didn’t merely attempt it; you flawlessly executed everything demanded of you. And yet…”

Her vision blurred with impending tears as that familiar, rough hand affectionately mussed her hair.

“Why do you insist on placing all the guilt upon yourself?”

It was the exact tone that used to berate her whenever she committed a blunder.

“Resenting the very world we fought to protect and wishing to see it burn?”

And yet.

“That is a perfectly natural reaction. I would have harbored the exact same desires.”

It was also the comforting voice that invariably ran to her defense when the dust settled.

“Inflicting harm upon Bihar and causing his demise?”

The steady presence she yearned to rely on whenever the weight of the world became too heavy.

“He explicitly stated it occurred through no fault of yours. Therefore.”

Regrettably, it was a presence she had never actually allowed herself to lean on.

Because her greatest ambition had been to demonstrate, as quickly as possible, that she could stand tall on her own merits.

She had desperately wanted to become a reliable figure he could count on, rather than a constant source of anxiety.

‘Master Kyle, why must you be so incredibly stingy with your praise?’

‘I offer praise when it is warranted.’

‘You have only done so a single time!’

‘When you achieve something truly worthy of commendation, the praise will follow.’

‘But Master Luna and Master Arion shower me with compliments constantly!’

‘Those two would applaud you simply for successfully consuming the meals they place in front of you.’

‘So tight-fisted.’

“You did an exceptional job.”

Leo offered a sincere, tender caress to Berkhia’s head.

“You truly did magnificent work.”

The fog clouding Berkhia’s consciousness finally dispelled, leaving her mind clear.

She gazed upward at Leo with wide, unblinking eyes, whispering softly.

“Master Kyle…”

Seeing that her sanity had been fully restored, Leo withdrew his hand and offered a warm, gentle smile.

An instant later, he drove his clenched fist squarely into Berkhia’s jaw.

“Just perish already! Go ahead and die! You were nothing but a troublemaker in your youth, and you haven’t mended your ways at all now that you’re grown!”

Witnessing the sudden outburst, Lunia and Eiran were gripped by absolute panic.

“Hold on, hold on! Leo! Pull yourself together! She literally just came to her senses!”

“L-Lord Leo! Lady Berkhia has endured so much suffering already!”

Lunia threw her weight onto Leo’s arm, while Eiran desperately clamped her arms around Leo’s waist to hold him back.

In the middle of the frantic scramble, Chen Xia, who was supposed to be supported, slipped and slid unceremoniously onto the floor.

Naturally, neither of them possessed the spare attention to note her fall.

“I am striking her precisely because she is conscious! I am striking her because I have suffered immensely through this ordeal as well! Perish! No, experience death a second time! You wretched apprentice!”

“Uwaaaaaah!”

“Please control yourself!”

Leo’s furious shouting blended with the panicked shrieks of Lunia and Eiran, carrying high into the heavens.

“Is it truly acceptable… for things to proceed in this manner?”

Chen Xia, who had awakened while resting flat on the ground, let out a weary sigh as she questioned the situation.

Her physical form had reached its absolute threshold, leaving her unable to reposition even a finger.

-She has inflicted an immense amount of anxiety upon everyone; a minor physical reprimand is well deserved.

Hearing Bihar’s composed commentary within her mind, Chen Xia allowed a faint smirk to trace her lips.

‘I must ensure I cause no further distress to young master Leo moving forward.’

—

The surrounding metropolis was engulfed in total pandemonium.

The supreme leader of the governing council along with the entire body of holy knights, who represented the primary military might of the establishment, had been thoroughly incapacitated.

Furthermore, the elven population previously confined to the subterranean sectors had successfully migrated to the upper levels.

Seeking a brief respite, the companions gathered inside a structurally sound residence located within the devastated combat sector.

Seated within the main parlor, Lunia crossed her arms tightly and let out a heavy breath.

“Resolving this situation is going to be an absolute nightmare.”

“Undeniably so.”

Eiran voiced her agreement with Lunia’s assessment.

Simply contemplating the impending political and social fallout made her head throb with pain.

“What sort of discussion do you think those two are having right now?”

“They likely possess an immense backlog of matters to resolve between themselves,” Leo remarked evenly.

“Berkhia’s unfulfilled attachments and Bihar’s lingering regrets were, fundamentally, centered entirely around one another.”

Berkhia had transitioned into an undead entity driven by the crushing remorse of taking Bihar’s life by her own hand.

Conversely, Bihar had bound his soul as a spirit due to the guilt of failing to shield Berkhia until the very end.

A creature of the dead and a wandering spirit.

Though the methods behind their extended existences differed, the core motivation for their survival remained identical: each other.

“Young master Leo’s perspective on the matter suggests…”

“What knowledge remains to be imparted to an apprentice who has already reached maturity?” Leo stated nonchalantly, resting his chin in his palm. “Even if there were lessons left, she has undoubtedly absorbed them by now.”

Hearing his perspective, Chen Xia offered a soft, knowing smile.

Lunia, who had been quietly absorbing the exchange, spoke up with a slightly irritated tone.

“So, what you are implying is that the two of you intend to remain entirely uninvolved in the aftermath?”

“Young master Leo and I merely need to secure our passage back to Lumerin,” Chen Xia replied, a gentle grin playing on her features.

At those words, Lunia’s hand clenched tightly into a trembling fist.

For some inexplicable reason, the sheer detachment of it irritated her.

Right at that moment, Berkhia stepped into the room with hesitant strides.

“Has everyone been inconvenienced by the wait?”

“Ah, Lady Berkhia!”

“Have the two of you concluded your conversation…?”

“Wait, what…?”

The expressions of the three young women instantly froze as they stood up to greet her.

“By a stroke of luck, an abundance of culinary provisions remained intact.”

The trio began to tremble with genuine apprehension.

“L-Lady Berkhia. We really haven’t built up an appetite just yet…”

“One must consume hearty portions after exerting so much physical energy. That is the sole method to ensure you grow robust and powerful.”

With a serene, matriarchal smile, Berkhia proceeded to arrange an immense spread of dishes upon the dining table.

Observing the absurd quantity, Leo knit his brows in disapproval.

“This is an excessive amount of food.”

“Master, you have become remarkably gaunt yourself.”

Berkhia delicately clasped Leo’s wrist with both of her hands, her features melting into an expression of profound sorrow.

“To be reduced to nothing but fragile bones. I worry they might fracture at the slightest pressure. This apprentice’s soul weeps to see you in this state.”

‘Has she truly recovered her mental faculties, or is she still compromised?’

-Master. While your consciousness belongs to an elder, your physical vessel is still in its developmental years, meaning proper nutrition is vital. I firmly believe you must consume a substantial amount.

Bihar promptly offered his agreement, mimicking Berkhia’s worried expression perfectly.

“You are welcome to leave portions behind if it becomes too difficult, but please consume at least a fraction of it. I poured my utmost effort into preparing this meal.”

Faced with the synchronized badgering of his two students, Leo let out an irritated click of his tongue.

“Very well.”

“The rest of you must ensure your plates are entirely cleared, understood?”

The complexions of the three girls instantly drained of color.

“L-Lady Berkhia! Lord Bihar! I hold the prestigious title of student council president at an institution known as Seirun!”

“Ah, the name Seirun is familiar to me. I understand it to be a highly respected academy, meaning the position of student council president must carry immense administrative authority, correct?”

“Precisely! And at this very moment, the territory of Eldon is locked in absolute chaos!”

“Goodness… you have my sincerest apologies, as my actions brought this about.”

“No! Lady Berkhia carries no responsibility for this! What I am trying to convey is… given my duties as the student council president of Seirun, it is imperative that I depart immediately to manage the unfolding crisis!”

“I see.”

Berkhia offered an understanding nod.

“Yet, is there not a well-known proverb stating that haste only breeds failure?”

“Excuse me?”

“Furthermore, if one desires to accomplish monumental tasks, one must secure an even greater amount of sustenance.”

Without missing a beat, Berkhia transferred a massive portion of food from Leo’s platter directly into Lunia’s dish.

Lunia’s face turned utterly pale.

With that, the grueling banquet commenced.

As the three girls forced down the food with completely hollow, glazed expressions.

Leo leaned back against his chair, posing a question that had lingered in his mind.

“A certain curiosity has been bothering me for quite some time.”

Leo shifted his gaze directly between Berkhia and Bihar.

“What exactly caused the two of you to engage in such frequent arguments during the old days? Under normal circumstances, your companionship was perfectly amicable, was it not?”

Hearing the query, Bihar let out a soft “Ah…” before responding.

-Our disputes invariably revolved around you, Master.

“Centered around me?”

-Indeed.

Berkhia adopted an incredibly solemn expression as she clarified.

“Our conflicts arose from disagreements regarding whether Master should ultimately wed Master Luna or Lady Lysinas.”

“What earthly reason could you possibly have to clash over such a topic?”

“For what other reason could we have possibly fought?”

Berkhia and Bihar fixed their gazes intently upon Leo, their expressions shifting into ones of genuine, profound exasperation.

“Splendid, so you both genuinely believe you are mature enough to patronize me now, do you?”

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Leo promptly meted out physical chastisement to Berkhia once more.

Following the brief interlude of chaotic discipline.

“This particular era feels incredibly comforting,” Berkhia murmured with a gentle, serene smile.

“I truly wish this peace could endure indefinitely.”

She spoke softly while turning her gaze toward the window.

The dark hours of the early morning had already slipped away, and the first light of a new day was beginning to break over the horizon.