Transmigrated into a Female-Oriented Card Game
Transmigrated into a Female-Oriented Card Game Chapter 505

Yozen swept his sweat-soaked hair back with the hand holding his dagger. He was someone who had always fought in battles so silent that not even his breathing could be heard. But just this once, it was hard to hide his ragged breath. That was how much he had poured everything into the fight.

The Demon King, having entered a defensive stance, had cloaked herself in demonic energy, leaving her body unguarded. The reason was unknown, but one thing was certain—she had to be taken down before she resumed her actions. That was why Yozen had pushed his freshly awakened body to the brink just to launch a barrage of attacks.

“……”

The Demon King vanished. In an instant. Had he let his guard down at the sight of her lying still, like a corpse? No. Yozen had not let his guard down for even a second since stepping into this place. He had observed her closely—down to the very strands of her drifting hair imbued with energy. And yet, even so, Yozen couldn’t determine where the Demon King had suddenly disappeared to.

‘Her presence is completely gone. But the demonic energy that fills this space is still here. She didn’t leave entirely. Then where did she go?’

Could it be. Could Cadel have arrived at the castle? Had the Demon King sensed his presence and gone to eliminate him? Uneasy thoughts surged through his mind, and Yozen bit down hard on his lip. Even if his fears turned out to be true, he didn’t even know how to escape the corridor, let alone intervene.

Behind Yozen, who was restlessly pacing with no clue what to do, Mamil, who had done his utmost to protect Yozen and their allies, leaned his staggering body against the wall and spoke.

“Not being able to see must be quite frustrating.”

“……?”

“The Demon King’s true body is over there. In another space-time where Lumen Dominic is trapped.”

The rooms that formed the corridor were all under Emilia’s control. They were special spaces that no one but the Demon King could interfere with. That’s why Yozen’s dark energy hadn’t been able to detect the rooms in the corridor. Unable to detect them, he couldn’t map out their outlines, nor grasp the presence beyond.

When Yozen turned his head as if to ask for an explanation, Mamil, his eyes gently closed, continued speaking with difficulty.

“Maybe because the Demon King’s true body went in, but I can’t see inside clearly. It’s hazy, like fog, so I can’t tell exactly what’s happening. But one thing is certain—there has been a collision between the Demon King and Lumen Dominic.”

“……Is it a dangerous situation?”

“The Demon King’s true body and her clone are both targeting Lumen Dominic at the same time. Wouldn’t it be strange if it wasn’t dangerous? But what’s even stranger is why the Demon King would go after Lumen Dominic herself in the first place.”

Even though she had already deployed a clone, the fact that the Demon King made a personal appearance implied one thing—that there was now a possibility Lumen could defeat the clone and emerge. Perhaps, beyond just taking down the clone, another variable had appeared, one dangerous enough from the Demon King’s perspective to warrant her direct involvement.

“Whatever the case, Lumen Dominic must be stirring up something big. If he succeeds, it would pose a fatal threat to the Demon King, and for us, it might just open up the slightest sliver of hope.”

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Mamil collapsed with a harsh cough. Yozen instinctively stepped forward to check on Mamil’s condition, but Mamil raised a hand to stop him from coming closer.

“Let’s regroup before the Demon King comes back. I’ll stop using my mana and focus on stabilizing myself, so you—tend to the others from the rear.”

“Got it. ……But how exactly am I supposed to do that?”

“……Unbelievable.”

Mamil let out a dry laugh at Yozen’s genuinely clueless expression, then pulled back the barrier behind him. There lay Modeleine, looking practically like a corpse, and several knights slowly regaining consciousness.

“Slap them, pinch them, do whatever it takes to wake them up and get their minds back in order. If you find someone with a severe injury, report it to Sir Modeleine. If it’s just light bleeding that needs stopping, call me. I’ll cauterize it with fire.”

Yozen quickly nodded at the dry instructions and moved into the group to tend to the others. Confirming that Yozen’s attention had fully shifted, Mamil let out a faint groan and clutched his chest.

There wasn’t much time left. In that fleeting window, he had to think about what was the best he could do.

* * *

He could feel that he had died. Does that even make sense? To feel death? Wasn’t death supposed to be the state of nothingness? Where nothing is felt, nothing is thought? Lumen was surprised to find that he still retained consciousness even after dying.

Could it be that he was about to reincarnate? After all, a human soul wasn’t a one-time thing. It clung to new bodies and wandered the universe for eternity.

Such pointless musings didn’t last long.

[There shall be light beyond death.]

With a low voice he had heard once before, Lumen’s eyes opened.

“…….”

What spread out before him was an endless sea. On a transparent, deep blue sea, Lumen stood alone. The sky was so clear it was nearly white. Under the dazzling sky with not a single cloud in sight, the sea was utterly calm—without a single wave. On the distant horizon, nothing appeared, and not even the sound of seagulls flying nearby could be heard.

Upon the vast sea where no sign of life could be felt, Lumen muttered,

“So this is what death is like.”

Wandering endlessly on a still sea. Neither sinking nor escaping, helplessly tracing the memories of life. If this was death, it was an utterly dreadful thing.

But he did not end up experiencing that dreadful death. Just a moment ago, the sea had been empty. Now, someone appeared.

“……Who are you?”

A cluster of light in human form. Because of the bright light outlining the figure, he didn’t even dare to look at the face. As Lumen asked cautiously, the light answered.

“Kelligan.”

With that simple and direct introduction, Lumen’s eyes widened. Not because the guardian deity of the Empire had appeared before him.

“I really must be dead, huh.”

There was no clearer proof of death than witnessing an ancient guardian deity in such an unknown place. With a deepening unease, Lumen furrowed his brow. He was worried about the aftermath his death would bring. But Kelligan gave him no time for concern.

“You have died, yet you shall never truly die.”

“……What do you mean by that?”

“Your soul and will shall be sealed within my sword, to vanquish the evils of the world and bring peace.”

That his soul and will would be sealed within Kelligan’s sword? Instead of asking questions about the vague statement, Lumen calmly began to think.

Before arriving here, he had been stabbed through the heart by the Demon King who had appeared out of nowhere. It was Kelligan’s sword that had pierced his heart. Unless Garuel suddenly appeared from somewhere, defeated the Demon King, and performed healing magic, his chances of survival were as good as zero.

And yet, he still possessed a sense of ‘self,’ and now stood face to face with Kelligan in an unknown space. While being told that his soul and will would be embedded into the sword.

He clenched and unclenched his stiff fingers. As his lowered lashes cast shadows over his eyes, a light of realization flickered in his deep blue irises, clear as the sea.

“So your sword is completed with my soul.”

The voice that had echoed in his head at the brink of consciousness, even as he refused to give up the fight.

[Sacrifice your life for victory. There shall be light beyond death.]

‘So that’s what it was.’

Only those prepared to sacrifice their lives for victory could release the seal on Kelligan’s sword through their will. But that wasn’t the end of it. Only those who truly gave up their lives would be shown the light of victory through Kelligan’s sword.

‘Is this sword trying to become some kind of living weapon that feeds on my soul? Ridiculous.’

Just imagining how flustered the Demon King would be when the sword that pierced a human suddenly went berserk and turned against her—it was almost funny.

“By your will, humanity shall end the cursed war and bask in eternal peace.”

“…….”

“I shall grant you the victory you longed for.”

The victory he longed for. That’s right. He did wish for victory. To defeat the Demon King, to find the final Stone of Peace and seal away the Demon Realm. To reclaim a peaceful world where not a single person would have to bleed. He certainly wished for those things.

But victory wasn’t all he wished for.

“I don’t want to die like this.”

Lumen slowly stepped forward toward Kelligan. The closer he got, the more it felt like the blinding light would scorch his eyes.

“Bring me back to life. You’re a guardian deity, aren’t you? Don’t you have the authority to revive a single human? If you have the power to seal a soul into a sword, reviving someone should be possible.”

“Even if you are revived, the future of victory will not come. You are not enough. A mere human body cannot wield the sword that holds my power. That is why your soul must be placed into the sword.”

“You won’t know that until you try, right? Just give me one chance.”

As he reached Kelligan, it felt as though his eyeballs were heating to the point of burning. Even so, Lumen tried to meet Kelligan’s gaze, to make out his features.

“Even if my soul and will are sealed into the sword, it won’t be enough. That sword won’t be able to kill the Demon King.”

“…….”

“Instead, it will find the one and only person in this world, and stay by his side. That’s the victory I seek.”

The victory in war, the peace of the world—those only held meaning because Cadel existed. He wanted to live in a peaceful world with him, to share everyday life together. That was why Lumen had wished for victory. And so, he had no desire to abandon a future with Cadel in exchange for becoming the sword that would slay the Demon King.

Call it selfishness. Criticize him for choosing sacrifice over the easy path. He was willing to atone for it over a lifetime. As long as he could survive and stay by Cadel’s side, that would be enough. Because—

“I’m not the one who will kill the Demon King. The one to pull off that insane feat is someone else. So bring me back, let me protect the one and only hero. I’ll wield your sword with my life on the line.”

He wasn’t the protagonist. If there was only one person destined to end this war, it was Cadel. He believed that without a shred of doubt. And so he wanted to survive, no matter what, and protect his only hope—because he believed in the victory that was to come.

“If you truly are Kelligan…… then I beg you. My light is out there.”

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3 Comments
  1. escapee has spoken 3 months ago

    “my light is out there” IM SORRY???? AAAAARRRGGHFHFJDKCKDK THEY ARE SO JN LOVE AAAAAHHHH I KNEW I LOVE LUMEN FOR A FKING REASON BRO WHAAATTTTTDFKGMD IT’S ALWAYS I LOVE YOU BUT NEVER “MLIOT” AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH ILOVEITILOVEITILOVEITTTFJDKFKDK

    Reply
  2. GaruelsSpareEyepatch has spoken 3 months ago

    “i love you” is boring. outdated. lame.
    “my light is out there” FANTASTIC AMAZING SHOW-STOPPING JAW-DROPPING DELICIOUS MAJESTIC WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL MWAH 😍💕

    Reply
  3. elusiveplotter has spoken 3 months ago

    “If you are truly Kelligan… then I beg you. My light is out there.” hrhehehdbdjn 👍hhhaha hehe! 😆 the way all of them havve sacrificed the world for each other at this pt . sigh sigh dighfhhdhneeje 😝🙌😍

    Reply

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