TWPND 23

Chapter: 23

A Glimpse of Power

“Aaargh!!!”

“Urna!”

Urna’s face was ashen.

From the looks of it, the crow Urna was supposed to handle hadn’t been completely annihilated and had left behind a fragment.

The followers of the Dark Divine Beast had to be completely ‘annihilated.’

Otherwise, they would remain as fragments like that and inflict great damage on their target.

Ekiel gritted his teeth.

Then, he teleported to a location where he could intercept the fragment as quickly as possible.

In an instant, his view changed.

Standing on the roof of the Imperial Palace, he watched the fragment flying from the distant sky at an angle.

Ekiel unleashed his mana to quickly analyze the properties of the black fragment.

‘No.’

The boy’s expression hardened.

That fragment was more malevolent than he had expected.

If it fell as it was, the Imperial Palace would be blown apart, and most of its inhabitants would die.

‘A large-scale shield.’

Ekiel took a deep breath and began to draw upon his mana, constructing a shield more than three times the size of the Penterin Imperial Capital.

An ordinary mage couldn’t even dream of it, and even other archmages would struggle to calculate a magic circle of this magnitude so easily.

But because it was Ekiel, he could do it quickly and with ease.

‘Of course, the mana consumption will be immense, so I’ll be a bit tired.’

Just as Ekiel was thinking this.

He saw a small creature on a terrace of the Imperial Palace. Bathed in the sunset glow, the tiny being stood on a table, wagging its tail.

It couldn’t be.

Ekiel wanted to believe it wasn’t true.

But his eyesight was too good to have been mistaken. No matter how he looked, it was a white tiger, and its eyes were even blue.

The little cub, Jusi, who had come out onto the terrace alone and was standing on the table, was staring intently at the black fragment falling from the sky.

Ekiel was so focused on casting the wide-range shield magic that he couldn’t even tell Jusi to flee to a safer place—inside.

It was unlikely his magic would fail. Still, just in case, he should have told her to run.

*Vwooom—.*

As Ekiel’s wide-range shield formed, the black fragment’s descent accelerated.

But then, Jusi suddenly leaped onto the terrace railing and raised a front paw.

‘?!’

In that instant, a hole was momentarily torn in Ekiel’s shield magic circle.

Panicked, Ekiel’s face went white with fear for Jusi’s safety, and he tried to cast a new spell.

Casting another spell in this situation was unthinkable, but he believed he could do it.

‘A spell to just push it away…’

But a wave of dizziness washed over him, and unable to cast the spell, Ekiel screamed inwardly.

‘No!’

It was then.

Standing on the terrace, Jusi watched the black fragment fall toward her, then swatted at it irritably with one front paw.

*Boom!*

The black fragment, struck squarely by Jusi’s paw, erupted in blue flames.

It then burned up in an instant, disintegrating in mid-air.

“Kyang.”

Jusi wore an expression as if she had just swatted an annoying bug.

Then, she hopped down from the railing and wiped her paw on a blanket spread over the table.

Jusi glanced around before staring fixedly in the direction where Ekiel was hiding.

Then she went back inside.

Silence soon fell over the Penterin Imperial Palace.

The royal guards immediately reported the strange phenomenon of a black object falling from the sky and disappearing with a flash of light to their superiors.

However, since no one within the palace knew anything about it, the matter was closed by simply reinforcing the perimeter security.

Meanwhile, Ekiel, who had released the shield and was hiding in a spire on the palace roof, wore a dumbfounded expression.

He was even breaking out in a cold sweat.

Belatedly, Ekiel blinked and muttered.

“My goodness.”

What in the world had he just seen?

To take care of something so sinister with that tiny, adorable paw.

It was truly incredible.

The white tiger cub—no, Jusi—was not a glass doll. She wasn’t weak.

I guess Anash is Anash, after all?

Still, isn’t it cheating to be both cute and strong?

Ekiel was confused.

“Your Majesty! Ah, there you are. Are you all right? I apologize. It was my mistake. Thank you for taking care of it.”

Urna, having finally found Ekiel, bowed deeply in apology.

But Ekiel said nothing.

Urna, thinking the Emperor was angry, scratched his head.

“Are you very angry? So angry your face is turning bright red? I’m so sorry.”

At Urna’s words, Ekiel covered his flushed, burning face.

“No.”

Ekiel shot up from his spot and, leaving Urna behind, warped down to the Imperial Capital alone.

“Your Majestyyyyy~~~~”

Urna’s sorrowful cry to be taken along echoed from above, but it couldn’t be helped.

His heart was beating so fast that he needed some time alone to calm down.

***

Until this afternoon, Jusi had been in a very good mood.

Whether it was because she had met the white tiger Anash and fully awakened to her past life as Anash, or because she had just recovered from a serious illness, she wasn’t sure.

But she could finally use her supernatural abilities, little by little!

While playing with Sophie and Uni in her bedroom at the Imperial Palace, Jusi realized her body felt much lighter than before.

Then, she playfully pawed at one of Ritain’s belongings, and it even got dented.

‘Oh?’

Jusi quickly approached Xaviet, who was on standby.

Xaviet, trying to control the dopey grin spreading across his face because of the cute Jusi, cleared his throat and knelt on one knee.

Then he spoke with great solemnity.

“Ahem, what can I do for you, Your Highness?”

“Kyarheungheung.” (Take this out.)

As the princess tapped his scabbard with her little white paw and yipped, Xaviet’s green eyes widened.

“Th-the sword, you mean?”

“Kyang kyang!”

Jusi, proud of Xaviet for understanding her so well, smiled and nodded.

She even wagged her tail in greeting, making his heart ache with affection.

‘Good heavens, she’s too cute.’

As he hesitated, wondering whether to draw the sword, Uni crept up behind him, pinched his side, and threatened him through clenched teeth.

“D.o.n.t.y.o.u.d.a.r.e.d.r.a.w.i.t.”

“Keuk!”

The immense pain made Xaviet crumple forward.

“Kyang! Kyaaaang.” (Uni, get away!)

“Eek! Your Highneeeeess. It’s dangerous!”

Only after chasing away the sniffling Uni could Jusi finally face Xaviet, who had drawn his sword.

Xaviet looked like he was about to cry.

Facing off against the little white tiger cub who had only just recovered today, he was the wicked villain.

“I’ve dreamed of being a hero since I was a child…”

Xaviet sniffled and swung his sword half-heartedly, and for the sake of such a hero, Jusi willingly played the part of the villain.

***

“*Pant, pant!*”

‘I did it!’

Amid the cheers and applause, Jusi stood dumbfounded, her eyes wide.

“Your Highness, you can use your supernatural ability!”

“Wow!”

Xaviet, who had been taken aback when Jusi suddenly used her ability, extended his palm to extinguish the blue flames clinging to his sword.

Jusi was startled.

‘Is that Xaviet’s supernatural ability?’

Deciding to ask him later, Jusi slowly recalled Anash’s memories.

Then, she formed the blizzard into sharp, spear-like shapes and sent about twenty of them flying toward Xaviet.

“!”

The look in Xaviet’s eyes changed. He threw himself aside to dodge, then instantly charged at Jusi.

“Kyahang?!”

“Hehe.”

Xaviet grinned, scooping Jusi into his arms and rolling onto his back.

Uni rushed over and started smacking Xaviet’s back.

“Ow! Ow!”

“What do you think you’re doing!”

“W-we’re practicing combat! It’s training!”

Xaviet protested indignantly, getting up while holding Jusi, his back stinging.

But Uni paid him no mind and shouted shrilly.

“Let her go this instant!”

“Kyahang!” (It’s okay!)

“Still. Uni is on Your Highness’s side.”

Jusi sighed deeply, shook her fur, and got to her feet.

Xaviet wiped the corners of his eyes, claiming that his back, where Uni had hit him, hurt more.

Lying on the bed, Jusi mulled over what Xaviet had taught her.

Being able to use her supernatural ability was a good thing.

Moreover, while her ability level might be higher than Xaviet’s, she would lose in a fight if her physical skills didn’t match up.

‘I need to either learn to humanize or become an adult.’

Should I start physical training? Needing some time alone to think, Jusi sternly told her maids and guards not to follow her and went out onto the terrace.