Youngest on Top - Chapter 177

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 177

I startled and lifted my head.
Not just a message—I could hear an actual voice?
That meant Anakin could interfere with the Human Realm.

‘We’re doomed.’

“How dare you steal my power. What trouble are you trying to cause now?”

Just as I’d anticipated, his reaction came back exactly as expected.

“Want to die?”

A gale-force power swept through from the connection.

“Kyaa!”

Roana screamed and collapsed to her knees.
The other children were holding on, but they looked like they were struggling.

‘Damn it.’

I told him to descend if he was upset, and now he’s actually coming down?
I swallowed hard.
If Anakin descended for real…

‘No. No matter what, a full descent is impossible.’

But other methods were possible.
Anakin’s essence that existed in the Human Realm.
If he used that essence to attack me—

‘Damn his temperament!’

If Kailros was a bastard, then Anakin was just a son of a bitch.
That comparison didn’t come out of nowhere.

‘First, I need to get the children to safety—.’

KWAAAAAAANG!!
A wave of explosive force crashed down upon me.

“Ugh….”

I squeezed my eyes shut and crossed my arms in front of my face to withstand the impact.
If I couldn’t hold firm, the children would bear the full brunt of the shock.

As the tempest of force subsided, I heard that bastard’s voice.

“What’s this? Why are you so pathetically weak?”

Pathetically weak?
Indignation flared within me as I snapped my head up.
And what appeared before my eyes was….

“…!”

Six pristine white wings.
A face carved from ice, cold and severe.
Eyes sharp and arrogant, looking down upon all things beneath them.
A gleaming halo and a radiant corona above the head—

“Huh?”

—belonging to a tiny angel.
That sprite-like bastard… no, it was Anakin.

* * *

Dmitri, Ilay, Edmund, and Roana blinked in astonishment.
An overwhelming surge of force had struck them, and then suddenly an angel appeared.

…Though it was a palm-sized miniature angel.
That did nothing to diminish the sanctity radiating from it.

The four children stood speechless, gazing at the sight before them.

A Sacred Maiden who resembled the angels depicted in holy scripture.
A tiny angel hovering around such a Sacred Maiden.
Light swirling through the surroundings and an auspicious aura.
It was truly like a miracle captured within a sacred painting.

The problem was….

“Hehe, so who’s the weakling now?”
“Damn it!”
“Where’s that buzzing insect coming from?”
“You want to die?!”
“Can you even kill me?”

The children stared at the scene with dumbfounded eyes.

“…An, an angel? You are an angel, right?”
“…But she has the exact same personality as Sae.”

At Edmund’s murmur, Saelika and Anakin simultaneously whipped their heads around.

“Did you just call me a bastard?!”
“Are you saying I’m the same as this troublemaker?!”

The two of them shouted with identical expressions of fury.

“….”
“….”
“….”

The children exchanged meaningful glances with one another.
They had so much they could say….

‘If she has the same personality as Sae, we shouldn’t provoke her!’

It was a truth they had learned through years of experience.

Anakin, who had seen the sacred magic circle with the children, let out a quiet snort.

“Did you really think you could fool me with something like this?”
“….”
“What were you planning to do by stealing my power? Stop causing trouble. If you’ve become the Sacred Maiden of Artemia, you should at least have some sense.”
“I’ll handle it myself.”

Saelika pouted.
Even Artemia had praised her—why was Anakin of all people lecturing her?

“There’s no family here to cover for you if you cause trouble.”
“I have the children.”

Saelika replied stubbornly.
The children puffed out their chests with pride.
Anakin’s expression seemed to darken considerably.

“What? Those weaklings can cover for you?”
“Besides, I never had a family to protect me in the first place.”

A lump caught in her throat.
Anakin’s face contorted.
Saelika asked.

“Why did you even come here? You even created a welcome illusion.”
“Why? Is there a problem with that?”
“I thought you’d attack me, saying I was stealing your power.”
“You really are—!”

Anakin burst out shouting.
Looking at Saelika’s face, he abruptly turned his head away.

“Do you think I’m doing this because I wanted to see you?!”
“No.”
“….”
“…Could it be you wanted to see me?”
“Are you insane!”

Anakin looked down at Saelika with an arrogant expression.

“I’m warning you because you’re bothering Artemia. I was never bothered by you.”
“Okay.”
“I was never bothered by you.”
“…? I said I understand?”

Even though I’d answered clearly, he seemed dissatisfied about something.
Anakin looked down at Saelika with his arms crossed.

“I don’t know what you’ll use it for, but I’ll lend you my power anyway.”
“Really?!”

Saelika’s face brightened instantly.
Seeing that expression, Anakin turned his head away with a “Hmph.”

“It’s not because I want to lend it. I’m lending it because you’re the Sacred Maiden that Artemia chose.”
“I know.”
“It’s absolutely not because I want to lend it.”
“I said I know.”
“It’s not because I’m worried about you being weak either. It’s because if someone as weak as you becomes Artemia’s Sacred Maiden, others might look down on her.”
“I’m the strongest among the Sacred Maidens.”
“…You’re weak. So weak that you desperately need my power. It means I’m not giving you strength because you’re already strong enough—I’m doing it out of concern.”
“Ugh, seriously! I get it!!”

Only after Saelika snapped at him did Anakin stop talking.
He flew closer to Saelika’s side.
And pressed his lips to her forehead.

Whoooosh!
Light erupted like spray from where his lips touched her forehead.
Anakin’s stigma appeared on Saelika’s forehead, then faded as the light subsided.

Anakin withdrew his lips and spoke curtly.

“Use it well. Noble power now dwells in such a humble place.”

His form was growing translucent.
Anakin hadn’t actually descended into the Human Realm—he’d manifested through an illusion created from essence.
As he transferred the power contained in that essence to Saelika, he no longer had enough strength to maintain his form.

“Troublemaker.”
“What?”
“I’m serious—don’t you dare cause any trouble, understand? If you do, you’ll answer to me.”

Even as Anakin faded away, he continued his warning until the very end.
Saelika was thoroughly exasperated.

After Anakin had completely vanished, Saelika turned to the children and asked.

“Is everyone alright?”
“Yeah, we’re fine.”

The children nodded in agreement.

“But what just happened?”
“It doesn’t seem to be a descent… but still, to communicate so directly with an angel like that.”
“The essence of Anakin contained within the brooch served as the medium.”
“I’ve never heard of anyone directly communicating with an angel by utilizing an angel’s essence.”
“Normally, it would be impossible. But I recently received power from Artemia, remember?”

That power must have been what made this possible.

‘The gateway closed because I invaded the Heavenly Realm.’

When I had invaded the Heavenly Realm because I needed Kailros’s authority.
Upon seeing the final gateway that wouldn’t open, I simply destroyed it.
Naturally, the Heavenly Realm fell into chaos.
Security became stringent and the gateways sealed completely.

For a Sacred Maiden, the connection to the Heavenly Realm is absolutely vital.
Because my abilities are determined by how strongly I establish that connection.
That’s why Artemia personally bestowed her power upon me to pierce through the connection to the Heavenly Realm.

‘The problem is that the performance is far too excellent.’

I merely touched Anakin’s essence, and I became connected to him.

‘If I’d known this would happen, I should have sought out another angel’s essence instead of touching Anakin’s… wait.’

A sudden thought made Saelika pause.

‘Then if I obtain the essence of the other brothers as well, everything will connect?’

Of course, obtaining an essence was no simple task in itself.
This brooch alone proved that.
Though it had been passed down through the Imperial Family for generations, no one had known that Anakin’s essence dwelled within it.
It meant that acquiring them through inquiry would be extraordinarily difficult.

But if I could somehow obtain them….

‘That would be incredible.’

As if reading Saelika’s thoughts, the children clapped their hands together with a sharp sound.

“Well, it worked out!”
“We were only trying to draw out the essence’s power, but we ended up receiving angelic authority too.”
“And it wasn’t nearly as dangerous as we worried it would be.”

Saelika was dumbfounded by their words.

“What are you talking about? It was genuinely dangerous. You have no idea how shocked I was when I heard that voice. Anakin could do anything if things went wrong.”
“Well, he seemed to be concerned about you, Sae.”
“Ilay, did your eyes go bad?”
“No, from what I could see, he was quite worried about you—.”
“Edmund, didn’t you hear what Anakin said? He emphasized it several times.”
“No, but that’s exactly the part that—.”
“Never mind, Roana. No matter what we say, Sae won’t understand anyway.”

Ilay, Edmund, and Roana whispered amongst themselves.
And they gazed at Saelika with peculiar eyes.

‘There’s something strange about that pitiful look in their eyes that bothers me….’

Only Dmitri snorted indignantly in anger.

“This is absolutely ridiculous! What did you say about my Protagonist?! If you show your face again, I’ll beat you to a pulp!!”
“Dmitri…!”
“My Protagonist is so strong and magnificent, yet you called him weak! How dare you say such inauspicious things! I’ve told you countless times not to worry, not to be concerned!!”
“That’s right! Who doesn’t know? It’s absolutely ridiculous!”

Watching Dmitri and Saelika in perfect agreement, the other children thought to themselves.

‘Dmitri, that’s not it.’
‘How can they be exactly the same level?’

Somehow, I felt sorry for Anakin.

* * *

I finished my prayer and lifted my head.
The sacred power I had used while touching the essence had recovered somewhat.

The other children had gone to training, and only Ilay remained by my side.
Ilay asked.

“Are you done now?”
“Yes.”
“Then we can finally use Anakin’s power.”

I nodded.

“What is Anakin’s power?”
“Anakin is an angel with the Eyes of Omniscience.”
“Eyes of Omniscience…? That’s unexpected.”
“Why?”
“Well, he just seemed like someone explo—ahem, more like a vanguard or frontline commander. But such an intellectual ability?”
“…Sometimes I think you speak too harshly, Ilay.”

Ilay looked at me with a face that said, ‘How dare you say that?’
Why, what, why.

“In any case, this ability will definitely be helpful.”

It depends on how far I can push it.
Anakin’s power was truly a formidable ability.

“Escaping the Heavenly Realm was genuinely exhausting. It was incredibly frustrating.”
“…What on earth were you doing in the Heavenly Realm?”

I closed my eyes calmly.
Now, let me focus my concentration….

Anakin: So you do understand. Just how tremendous my power is.
Anakin: It’s exactly the kind of strength a weakling like you desperately needs.

“….”

Enrik: Don’t say that to the youngest. Compared to when I first met him, he’s become incredibly strong.
Anakin: That?
Enrik: Shh! The youngest will get hurt feelings!
Enrik: He’s lived his entire life with nothing but his fists!

Enrik’s defense only made me more irritated.

Kailros: My sweet rain, my sunshine, my rainbow has grown so weak only because he hasn’t been with me.
Kailros: When we played tag together in the Heavenly Realm, how formidable he was.
Anakin: Why is this bastard really like this?
Kailros: Anakin, as an angel of Artemia, correct your conduct and speech.
Anakin: It seems like it’s your conduct and speech that needs correcting?

“Ah, come on! Let me focus for a moment!!!”

Unable to hold back any longer, I burst out shouting.

Anakin: …If you need to concentrate this hard for something like this, just how much of a weakling are you?
Enrik: Shh! The youngest is getting hurt!
Kailros: If only I had been by my sunshine’s side, I could have been a great source of strength.

‘Ah, I wish at least one of them would be silenced.’

Between Enrik and Kailros alone, things were already chaotic enough, but with Anakin joining in, it was truly unbearable.
I deliberately ignored the dialogue window and focused my concentration.
Perhaps this could serve as concentration training.

Uuuuuuung—!
Anakin’s power dwelling within me began to resonate with my divine essence.
Even with my eyes closed, I began to perceive many things.

Ilay watching me.
Rabbit knitted items filling my room.
Leaves rustling outside the window.
And—

Whoooosh!
As my vision expanded, a map of the entire Continent materialized in my mind’s eye.
I gazed upon the world unfolding before me.
But then.

“…?!”

I opened my eyes in shock.
Even with my eyes open, the Continent in my mind’s eye did not fade.

“What’s wrong?”

Ilay asked urgently, but I could not respond.

“This… is this really the current situation?!”

Nearly half the Continent was stained a dark crimson.

“Why are there so many contaminated regions?!”

The dark crimson aura signified contamination.
Countless areas across the Continent were corrupted.
Around the Temples, bright light shone brilliantly, pushing back the crimson corruption, but that was all.

“This can’t be right.”
“Sae.”

Ilay gripped my hand firmly.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing his calm honey-colored eyes, my agitation subsided.
As I explained the situation to Ilay, I too began to organize my thoughts.

After hearing my full explanation, Ilay nodded.

“There certainly have been many strange phenomena.”
“Right, the demons growing stronger too. That never happened before the regression.”

Ilay’s eyes deepened with intensity.
But my heart felt lighter.

“Actually, this is fortunate.”
“Fortunate?”
“Yes, it’s an opportunity to train with flame arts, isn’t it?”

For some reason, Ilay’s face went pale.
I unfolded the map that had been in the room.

Crisis is opportunity.
Just as training in the Dantallian Desert had proven effective, this too was a valuable chance.

‘The contamination has already progressed anyway.’

Then simply knowing where and how much contamination had spread would be a significant advantage.

“We should start here first.”
“Why there? Is that the most… severe?”

For some reason, Ilay’s voice seemed to tremble.

“No, that’s not it.”
“Then why?”

Why indeed.
Because Shuri is heading there.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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