<Chapter 49. Arranging the Stage - 5>

The next morning, Lee Shin Woo was staring into the eyes of Seira, the beauty with gray hair and eyes. She had somehow figured out that Lee Shin Woo's goal was to kill Seagald and had grabbed onto him.

"I'll go too."

"No."

"I'm going."

"Stay here and train some more."

"Keut. I'll go no matter what...!"

Why was she clinging to him? She obviously wanted to go with Lee Shin Woo. It was easy enough to figure out, but...

"Don't you remember how badly you failed last time? Don't you think you should just stay and watch?"

"This is my primary reason for living, even if I had to become an undead. I won't overdo it. Please let me go with you."

Seira was calm and collected. He didn't know what she was thinking, but at the very least, she didn't show any signs of insanity like before. Honestly, it would be a huge problem if she did show any signs. Since the effects of the undead curse had been completely dispelled.

"I beg of you, Lee Shin Woo. I'll do everything you ask of me. I won't be foolish like last time. Please take me with you."

"...Do you really need to see your older brother's death that badly?"

"Yes, I must."

A faint light shone within her gray eyes. Lee Shin Woo realized that these were a Banshee's Tears. The dense magic within them was difficult for even Lee Shin Woo to comprehend.

"Please don't doubt me. I should be able to help you. I also practiced my Banshee abilities plenty. Right now, I'm definitely... definitely a good match for you."

"A good match, huh. Banshees specialize in mental confusion, right?"

"...To be more specific, it's the ability to manipulate a situation."

"Manipulating a situation... If it's as you say, then it does indeed have good compatibility with my Wild Card skill."

Honestly, he didn't really know the specifics to a Banshee's ability, even though he was the one who led to her creation. However, he'd heard that Banshees were an undead species that possessed a peculiar authority. They were an incredibly rare species and their creation required several conditions... Because of these stringent conditions, they were extremely powerful in exchange.

Moreover, she was no normal Banshee; she was a level 8 Elder Banshee Princess. Her authority was definitely amazing. Lee Shin Woo briefly thought about it... and if he followed her logic, then she would indeed be a trustworthy ally. However...

"Alright, then prove it. I can't take you with me before I have a chance to assess your abilities myself."

"Of course. It'd be nice if there were a dungeon nearby."

"You'll find one if you follow the mana patterns of living monsters. Just wait a sec. I'm going to use the Mana Radar to... Huh?"

Lee Shin Woo rummaged for his Mana Radar, but then stopped. Chi Paul, who should've been in the middle of destroying one of the Anti-Skull bases, sent him an unbelievable report.

[We're being pushed back, Father! Please send reinforcements!]

He couldn't believe what he was hearing and listened vacantly.

"You're being pushed back...?"

No matter how large Anti-Skull was, their forces were split among four bases (if he included the base on the surface, then they would probably be split among five bases), so he thought his Pauls would be more than enough to clear them out. But they were being pushed back?

[It's the Annihilation Flame Sword God, Father! He appeared out of nowhere while we were fighting...]

"What...!?"

Why had the Annihilation Flame Sword God, who should still be on the surface, suddenly appeared underground? Lee Shin Woo furrowed his brow at the unbelievable news and then Chi Paul added something else he couldn't understand.

[Huh...? He disappeared again! He sustained heavy losses, but... we have several members who need immediate treatment. Father, I apologize, but could you come personally!?]

"What!?"

Chi Paul was so flustered that Lee Shin Woo couldn't understand him! Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth, called Jin over, and mounted her. Seira followed suit and rode behind him, grabbing onto Lee Shin Woo's waist."

"Hey, let go!"

"I'm sorry. Please excuse me."

"Shin Woo, I don't like this girl!"

"I knew that already, but the situation's urgent, so we have to go right away. I have to go and check things out myself. Full speed ahead."

"...You got it."

"Full speed... Ouguaaaaaaah!?"

Jin paid Seira back for treating her like some convenient ride and by the end of it, Seira looked like a reanimated corpse. In any case, they quickly arrived at their destination due to Jin running at top speed.

[We once served the Empire together, so why do we have to fight against each other!? Open your eyes, soldiers!]

[You're the one in the wrong! We saw Seagald preach freedom while stabbing his younger sister in the heart!]

[You fools...!]

He came to the sight of a battle in full swing between the Pauls and Anti-Skull. This base was well-hidden and was protected by a barrier, so Lee Shin Woo thought it would just take some time to break the barrier and fight them; he didn't think the Pauls would have any problems against them. But what he saw...

[L-Lord Paul Zero has come!]

"Father! My apologies, but please take care of these guys!"

Once he saw Lee Shin Woo, Chi Paul, who fought more fiercely than anyone and was protecting the wounded, rejoiced and yelled. Lee Shin Woo looked at Chi Paul and doubted his eyes.

Chi Paul, who had become a level 8 Android Zero just a short while ago and had gained a body similar to Arema Steelworker's, was a complete mess! Of his injuries, his most severe were...

"Burns... Chi Paul can wield fire and possesses Fire Resistance, yet he's been burned? Then, it really was Seagald... No, did he even really disappear?"

"I'm sure of it! But I believe there was some sort of condition for appearing so suddenly..."

Lee Shin Woo listened to Chi Paul's report and immediately activated the Mana Radar, but Seagald really wasn't here.

However, he wasn't on the surface either. He was underground, probably in... the centermost Anti-Skull base! No wait, his location just changed. Seagald had moved to another base!

"This is like that damn Lich's... Whatever, so long as he's not here. Let's start treatment first. Come over here if you're dying!"

Lee Shin Woo activated a wide range Bone Reinforcement on the wounded Pauls.

This was why he'd accumulated all these bones. Lee Shin Woo had expended 20% of his stored up bones all at once, fully restoring the health of the injured Pauls. They were all in perfect condition, aside from those who'd been broken into pieces and died.

"But in that short period of time, we lost 700 of them..."

"Once he appeared, he used a widespread flame. Those at high levels were able to endure it, but anyone level 5 or less didn't have enough resistance, so..."

Lee Shin Woo listened to the rest of Chi Paul's report, who sported a bitter expression despite being fully healed, and gritted his teeth. This was the first time he'd ever sustained such heavy losses since taking command of the Pauls.

He felt even more bitter, as he'd sustained such losses from something he hadn't expected. If he knew this would happen, then he would've eschewed the idea of sending the Pauls to gain some combat experience and come himself. But it was too late to start regretting it now. His rage towards Seagald would not abate and burned bright.

"One of the level 7 Giants was killed. If Arogan and Ellata weren't here, then we would've sustained even heavier losses."

As expected. Even now, the two level 7 Elite Titans, Ellata and Arogan, rampaged about on the frontlines of the battlefield. They had sustained some severe burns as well, but their anger gave them strength and allowed them to push through the pain.

"Why did Seagald show up here all of a sudden... Let's figure that out later. First..."

"This is a good place to show you what I can do."

Lee Shin Woo was about to rush forward to the front lines, along with Ellata and Arogan, but then, Seira, who had been drooped over, recovered and stepped into the air. Her gray hair and dress fluttered in the air.

"You could fly!?"

"Now really isn't the time to be asking that, is it!?"

[I'm a Banshee, so isn't it only natural that I can change into an astral body?]

Her body slightly shone. In this way, she was quite similar to an Immortal, Dana's species. Seira realized what he was thinking and smiled slightly.

[Perhaps it was because you revived me first that you were able to turn Dana into an immortal after. Banshees and Immortals seem similar, but they are fundamentally different. Though it took me some time before I came to that realization...]

"Specifically?"

[Immortals avoid death, but I bring death. Lee Shin Woo, you made us like this. Your ability to switch between life and death made us like this.]

She said and entered the battlefield garbed in her fluttering dress. Lee Shin Woo saw crystals of light form around her eyes and instinctively covered his ears.

[Gyaaaaaaaaaaahk!]

"Guaaah!"

The frightening shriek resounded throughout the battlefield. All who heard her cry staggered. Her cry didn't differentiate between ally or foe, and all were anguished by it. But then, something happened; something so shocking that it made him forget about what had just happened.

[Kuhahk!?]

[How can this be... Lord Seagald. Lord Seagald will rescue... Kueok!]

The grievously wounded Anti-Skull troops toppled over all at once, as if they'd planned this beforehand.

Hundreds of soldiers had been incapacitated, and the Pauls took that opportunity to finish the rest of them off. There were some among the Anti-Skull troops that died by themselves without them needing to finish them off.

"This is... I see. This is a Banshee's Cry. It's not a cry that forewarns death, but a cry that actually calls death...!"

[Gyaaaaaaahk! Huhiiiiiii...!]

Whenever her screams, which sounded akin to wailing or sobbing, resounded far and wide through the battlefield, the Anti-Skull soldiers would stagger. The lower leveled, unwounded soldiers would fall to the floor, and the level 6 and 7 officers were affected as well.

[This is our chance. Push them back!]

[A Banshee's Cry... This cry is helping us. It's a funeral march. The Banshee is singing a funeral march for our enemies!]

Everyone should be able to hear her cries, yet for some strange reason, only the Anti-Skull were affected; the others weren't negatively impacted by her cries at all. At most, they would feel goosebumps. Although it was such a formidable authority, it could differentiate between friend and foe.

Hundreds of Anti-Skull troops met death at the hands of her cries, and then hundreds more died. When Lee Shin Woo had first arrived, the battle was a close one, but now, the fight had entirely turned in the Pauls' favor!

"This... has elemental power mixed in."

In the midst of all that, Lee Shin Woo came to a realization. She wasn't just crying. Seira was imbuing her cries with the light element.

Light was the power of severing. With it, she wouldn't allow it to affect anyone on her side... In other words, she was controlling it so that it wouldn't affect anyone in the same contract as her! It wasn't something just anyone could do. Seira could proficiently wield the light element, so it was possible for her!

'...Wait a sec. Isn't this the first time that that granny's actually making herself useful?'

Lee Shin Woo thought momentarily, but it was obvious she'd hate him if he said it out loud, so he kept his mouth shut.

A Banshee's Cry resounded through the battlefield once more. And 30 minutes later, the battle ended.