The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w

Chapter 197: The Witch's Resolve (4)

“Ah, ugh!”

A groan escaped from Lanez as the ferocious power of the blessing surged uncontrollably.

The raging snowstorm brushed against her skin, leaving patches of necrosis in a purple hue.

A horrifying pain, as if being slashed by sharp blades, tore through her body.

“…I don’t understand.”

The wolf mask frowned as he watched Lanez groan.

“Why insist on the difficult path?”

Surely, she must know that the power of the blessing could be controlled effortlessly with the magic stone.

After all, she had personally experienced it.

And yet.

Why choose such a foolish decision, rejecting the easier method?

“Do you doubt His power? If that’s the case, there are other ways…”

“No.”

Despite the raging snowstorm, Lanez squinted her eyes and replied softly.

“I don’t know who this 'He' you speak of is… but I do understand that the magic stone holds the power to control the blessing of frost.”

“Then why destroy the magic stone? If you didn’t want to follow me, you could’ve used its power to fight me instead.”

Lanez was undoubtedly well aware that she couldn’t win against him now without the ability to control the blessing.

“…You’re right.”

She admitted it plainly.

It would have been wiser to use the magic stone’s power, even if only to avoid being dragged away.

However.

“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have left the academy in the first place.”

The power of the magic stone was extraordinary.

But it paled in comparison to Dale’s fire.

It was far easier to control the blessing with Dale’s fire by her side than through the magic stone.

“Even so… I must overcome this on my own.”

Whether it was Dale or the magic stone, relying solely on others to wield the blessing was unacceptable.

If she couldn’t control it with her own hands, her own strength…

then there was no place for her alongside her companions.

“How foolish.”

“I think so too. But…”

With a faint, precarious smile, Lanez took a step forward.

Whooooosh!

The raging snowstorm savaged her body.

It hurt.

It was cold.

Unbearable and excruciating.

Even so.

“I won’t give up.”

Amid the raging snowstorm, her unwavering violet eyes fixed on the wolf mask.

“…Tch.”

Clicking his tongue, the wolf mask scowled at her.

“It seems I’ll have to revise the information about Lanez Malam’s personality.”

Weak, timid, with low self-esteem and heavy reliance on others—that had been the existing assessment.

But the Lanez standing tall amid the savage snowstorm didn’t match any of that.

“Still, first things first… I need to bring you to Him!”

Boom!

The wolf mask kicked off the ground, charging forward.

His massive greatsword sliced through the raging snowstorm as it swung toward her.

“Haaap!”

Lanez let out a sharp cry, stretching out her hand.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The raging snowstorm coalesced into a wall.

It was unstable, with cracks forming as though it might shatter at any moment.

Clang!

Crash!

The greatsword collided with the wall, shattering it.

The fragments of ice from the shattered wall flew, showering both the wolf mask and Lanez.

“Guh…”

“Ugh…!”

Groans escaped from both of them simultaneously.

Lanez, being in the path of the sword’s swing, bore the brunt of the ice shards.

But.

“Obey… my command!”

Just before the shards could tear into her body, they halted abruptly right in front of her skin.

She lowered her outstretched hand roughly and shouted.

“Freeze!”

The ice shards remained suspended in midair.

Lanez, refusing to give up, kept shouting.

“Freeze! Freeze! Just freeze already!!!”

Her voice, filled with desperation and anguish, tore through the storm.

“Do you think yelling will grant you control over the blessing?”

The wolf mask shook his head in disdain.

But then.

Crack-crack-crack!

“…!”

The frozen shards of ice scattered across the air, as if the void itself had frozen over.

The raging snowstorm intertwined with the ice shards, blooming like petals.

It looked just like…

“A… snowflower?”

A massive snowflower bloomed in the air.

“Hah… hah… hah!”

Panting heavily, Lanez gazed at the enormous snowflower.

Instinctively, she knew how to wield it.

“Kaihwa (Blossom).”

Whooooosh!

The petals fully unfurled, unleashing a fierce snowstorm.

The ice shards rained down on the wolf mask.

Each shard carried a fearsome chill.

“Tch…!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The wolf mask spun his greatsword like a windmill, deflecting the shards.

But it didn’t last long.

One by one, the shards pierced through his defense and lodged into his body.

“This is… difficult.”

Clicking his tongue softly, the wolf mask made his decision.

Realizing he couldn’t win, he turned and fled without hesitation.

“Stop right there…!”

Lanez tried to send ice shards after him, but.

Crack!

“Ahhh!”

The snowflower shattered.

The ice shards went berserk, flying in all directions.

Boom!

The ground touched by the shards turned pale white, frozen solid.

At that moment.

“Lanez!”

A voice, so familiar, echoed in her ears.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w

"Ah..."

Lanez's eyes widened in shock.

Even though they hadn't been apart for even a full day, just hearing his voice made her heart pound as if it would burst.

"...Dale."

"Damn it! Stay right there!"

Dale stormed toward her with an angry expression.

Shards of ice that had been swirling everywhere aimed themselves at him, but—

"Out of my way."

Fwoosh!

The fierce blaze that erupted from him instantly melted the ice shards.

Step. Step.

Dale moved toward Lanez, melting the icy storm surrounding them.

Lanez bit her lip hard and shouted.

"Don’t—don’t come any closer!"

"No, I’m taking you with me."

Dale shook his head resolutely, continuing his stride.

"Ah, no! That’s not why I told you not to come! If you come now… it’ll all be meaningless!"

"...What?"

Dale looked at her with a puzzled expression, trying to make sense of her words.

Lanez clenched her fists and placed a trembling hand over her chest.

"I… I can’t accept help!"

If she took Dale's help, she'd be able to easily control the rampaging blessing within her.

But if she did that—

It would mean she couldn't control her blessing without him.

To stay by his side.

To keep those dear to her safe.

"I have to…! With my own strength…! I need to do it alone…!"

She reached out her hand toward the raging blizzard.

"Ah, ugh!"

Her outstretched hand turned blue, decaying rapidly, and excruciating pain shot up her arm.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

The pain overwhelmed her, even with Dale standing right in front of her.

"AAAAAAARGH!"

"Lanez!"

Dale tried to rush toward her, unable to stand by any longer.

Thud!

A massive spear of ice struck the ground right in front of him, blocking his path.

"I can do this… alone…!"

Lanez gritted her teeth, raising her decayed, frostbitten hand once more.

She could do it.

No—she had to.

‘I’ve been running… all my life.’

Yes.

Her life had been a never-ending series of escapes.

Fleeing from her mother who had killed her father.

Fleeing from the people who mocked her as a witch.

Even fleeing from the person she cherished the most.

She had run away, closed her eyes, shut her ears, and suppressed her heart.

She had convinced herself it was the only way.

But—

"I don’t… want to run away anymore!"

This warmth she had finally found.

This happiness she had yearned for all her life.

She didn’t want to destroy it with her own hands.

"I…!"

CRAAAAASH!

The raging blizzard surged even more violently.

The berserk frost blessing froze the entire surrounding land.

Centuries-old trees, iron-hard rocks, even the leaves fluttering in the wind—

All froze and shattered.

In the wake of the rampaging blessing, a pure white expanse of snow stretched endlessly.

‘...Ah.’

Lanez recalled what Dale had told her.

How, in a past life, he had wandered through such a frozen continent in search of the Primordial Flame, all because of her power.

‘He had been in a place… this cold and terrifying.’

For an immeasurably long time.

"……."

Lanez didn’t know what kind of existence she had been in her past life.

She didn’t know why she had become the “Witch of the Night,” slaughtering millions.

And she didn’t want to know.

But—

Lanez knelt, placing a hand on the snowy expanse.

Haa.

Even just breathing froze the air into crystals.

A brutally cold, suffocatingly white world.

"Dale."

With a faint smile, Lanez grasped the snow with her frostbitten hand.

Slowly, she stood up, pressing the handful of snow against her left chest.

"I won’t let you feel cold anymore."

Just as Dale had shown her warmth—

Now it was her turn to give warmth to him.

Whooosh!

The raging blizzard was drawn into the stigma carved into Lanez’s body.

In an instant, the endless snowfield melted, returning the land to its vibrant, green state.

"...Lanez."

"Hehe. I did it."

Lanez smiled brightly.

Stagger.

Her body swayed, losing balance as she collapsed.

"Lanez!"

Dale rushed forward, catching her as she fell.

Even without using his flames, a warm, gentle heat spread between them.

"Dale… I did it… with my own strength…."

"...Yeah."

"Hehe. I did well, didn’t I?"

"Yeah, you did great."

Dale smiled softly, stroking her back.

"So, no more dropping out, right?"

"Ah…."

Only then did Lanez remember she had run away from school without permission.

Blushing furiously, she lowered her head.

"...Sorry."

"It’s fine."

Dale gently lifted her chin, leaning in to kiss her.

"Mmph?!"

Lanez’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden kiss.

"D-D-Dale?! Y-you suddenly—k-kissing?!"

Her flustered reaction made Dale chuckle softly.

In the aftermath of the storm, the place that had been frozen solid was now filled with warmth—one that felt impossible in winter.

[PR/N: Trash. I said it before and I’ll say it again, he’s trash.]

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w