Chick 357
by Cristae357
“……”
Joorim looked down at the impossibly small hand, then glanced past Gru at Bailach and Mephisto, standing protectively behind her.
Normally, they could be a bother, but neither of them would ever put Gru in danger.
Joorim wrapped both his hands around Gru’s. Her small, soft hand was completely enveloped by his large ones.
It was a hand so tiny and delicate that he had never dared grip it firmly, afraid it might get hurt.
Just watching those fern-like hands wield chopsticks felt moving and proud…
“…Tell me what you want to do.”
At Joorim’s sighing words, Gru smiled innocently.
Her gaze, unwavering and resolute, fixed on him.
A redevelopment district enclosed by fencing.
Doan had acquired the redevelopment rights, leading to the demolition of everything except the elementary school, which, slated for remodeling, stood alone.
Throughout the old red brick building, walls crumbled; rust overtook abandoned railings and playground equipment, turning them ghastly.
Joorim stood in the middle of the dark playground, adjusting Gru’s outfit.
“Are you really not cold?”
“Nope.”
Nod, nod.
“Not cold at all.”
“Alright then.”
Resigned, Joorim stored the scarf and gloves back in his inventory.
Without a word, Gru held Joorim’s hand. With just two of his fingers, her palm was filled.
“Aren’t you cold, Dad?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
After her final check, Gru turned her gaze.
“Fer.”
Lucifer, perched on her shoulder, perked up its sprout.
“Open it.”
“Kkyu!”
Soon, frost began to settle over the playground.
A chill widened out from where Gru stood, delicate ice crystals forming over the cracked ground.
Snow piled thick on the earth, transforming the school grounds into a white winter field in an instant.
Cold air made Joorim’s breath white and visible.
A chill that seeped into the very bones.
Reflexively, Joorim checked on the child, but as she’d said, Gru didn’t seem to feel the cold at all.
Joorim gazed at the wondrous landscape, taking a deep breath.
‘This is Gru’s snowfield…’
It was the first time he saw Gru’s snowfield.
Again he slowly took in the view.
He was overwhelmed by the child’s ability to manifest a new world, yet one corner of his heart felt uneasy.
She had grasped so much, far more than he could ever hold for her.
“Will he come?”
Joorim stroked the back of Gru’s hand with his thumb, sensing her tension.
“He’ll come.”
Gru, heartened by his calm reply, pressed her lips together in determination and squeezed his hand tight.
At that moment, a strong gust blew.
Beyond the snowfield, something twisted in the deep darkness.
Their gazes turned to the shadows.
Both instinctively understood.
‘He’ had come.
“Run.”
At Joorim’s signal, their joined hands parted.
Gru started running across the snow, leaving prints as she hurried toward the school’s main building.
Joorim watched the small back retreat, clenching his jaw.
Golden magic surged around him.
Cabalon, who had crossed the subspace, landed lightly on the snowfield.
Crunch.
He touched down atop the piled snow, frowning.
He felt the world itself pressing him out, a sense of rejection.
Even with Shea, the master of this permafrost, inside his body, the snowfield was rejecting him.
Cabalon, unnerved, bit his lower lip and lifted his head slowly.
Before a long trail of small footprints stood a man with a cold, unfamiliar face.
On Joorim.
Steely eyes tinged with gold confronted Cabalon.
The distance between them was not far, yet an invisible barrier stood between the two.
Joorim did not once glance back after Gru’s retreating form.
He simply started gathering his mana, slowly but steadily.
Joorim emanated a tension so fierce that if Cabalon even twitched, it seemed he might shred him to pieces.
It was an attitude utterly unlike when he had fought On Ijo.
Was it because he was protecting the child? Or was it that he knew this was not On Ijo?
“Joorim, don’t do this. I don’t want to kill you.”
Cabalon mimicked On Ijo’s gentle tone.
Joorim curled one edge of his lips.
“You sound just like a parrot, don’t you?”
Cabalon’s face hardened.
“Hiding in my brother’s head all this time, is that how you kept aping him?”
As expected, On Joorim knew well that this was not On Ijo.
He even seemed to know that Cabalon had long tempted On Ijo toward corruption.
In his head, Shea’s mocking laughter spread.
Damn it! Cabalon tried suppressing the rampaging Shea inside him.
Ever since losing half of Gnosis’s Eye, controlling Shea completely had become nearly impossible. Especially after seeing Joorim and Gru, Shea’s rage only grew more violent.
Cabalon clenched his fists.
There was only one way left.
[Skill ‘Walpurgis Night’ activated.]
He had to kill On Joorim and recover Gnosis’s Eye from the child.
As Cabalon invoked Shea’s skill, the golden aura around Joorim blazed fiercely and began to swirl.
Flash!
Clatter!
Gru burst through the main building’s doors and into the school.
Inside, Daniella clasped Gru’s face in her hands.
“Gru, are you alright?”
Nod, nod!
Gru bobbed her head.
Behind Daniella’s trembling smile, Chuen was preparing for the ritual.
Chuen had shoved all the desks to the edges and sat in the empty center of the classroom.
Cross-legged, she was soon circled by countless goldfish, swimming around her.
Sweat beaded Chuen’s brow as her face grew ever paler.
Just then—
Flash!
Golden mana exploded in a flare outside the window.
‘Dad’s mana.’
Sensing Joorim’s aura, Gru clenched Daniella’s hand tightly.
While Joorim bought them time, Chuen was to use her skill to awaken On Ijo’s soul.
As Gru struggled to calm her nerves—
Pop!
A goldfish burst with a sharp sound.
Gru and Daniella startled, shoulders going rigid.
But that was only the beginning.
Pop! Pop! Pop-pop! Pop!
The goldfish disappeared one by one, their numbers rapidly dwindling.
One, two… five, ten!
Chuen poured in more mana, but the pattern was already unraveling.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
There was no stopping the chain of bursting goldfish.
Soon, Chuen was dripping with cold sweat as she lifted her head.
Her pale face spelled distress.
Reading her troubled expression, Daniella uttered a groan.
“Chuen, don’t tell me…”
“I—it’s okay. I’ll try again. Again…”
Chuen summoned more mana from her core.
The goldfish sprang back, but she could not keep up with those that vanished.
Even without a word, everyone in the classroom could feel her strength wasn’t enough.
Again, light flared outside the window.
A tremendous collision of mana raged beyond any chance of intervention.
If they wanted to save the fathers…
Gru released Daniella’s hand. Fork in hand, she made to dash outside immediately.
Mephisto quickly seized Gru’s wrist.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Outside—”
“Absolutely not!”
Daniella slammed the door shut with a shout.
Bailach blocked her path firmly.
“There’s nothing you can do if you go out now.”
At his cold words, Gru’s large coral-colored eyes trembled.
“But the dads…”
Flash!
Gru looked back at the window, now glowing fiercely. If this continued, someone could die.
Ding!
At that moment, a message popped up right before Gru, as if blocking her way.
[Urgent! Caregiver Quest has occurred! Would you like to check it?]