_Sola’s crime is simple._
_Gluttony._
_Her greed was excessive._
_Saving her brother was commendable, but…_
_She chose the wrong target to wish for._
_It was okay to reach out, but she shouldn’t have reached out to the Four Heavenly Kings._
_For now, it seemed like I had no way to change Sola’s mind._
_Her brother, Zenon, was held hostage._
_As long as Zenon was in Luna’s hands, Sola had no choice but to get entangled in evil, willingly or not._
_Thus, I had to wait._
_For Sola to realize on her own._
_Until she notices that her greed has brought forth anger._
_Until the journey to save her brother becomes a journey that could kill him._
_That moment has come._
_Now it’s my turn to act._
_Sola’s crime is simple._
_Therefore, repentance is also easy._
_Sola’s sense of justice is still alive._
_Even if it’s hypocritical and cowardly, she hasn’t fully turned to complete evil._
_Sola’s crime merely amounts to witnessing the atrocities of the Four Heavenly Kings._
_There is still room for redemption._
_And I will help her redeem herself._
_”Yoo Jin. Can’t you just not go?”_
_”………”_
_As the holy mana flowed into my body from the hand resting on my back,_
_A trembling voice echoed in my ear._
_A voice so lovely that I didn’t want to leave her behind._
_”If you don’t want to go, you can just stop supplying mana.”_
_”B-but then… Yoo Jin would hate me…”_
_”………”_
_I didn’t deny it._
_It’s somewhat true._
_”You think someone who doesn’t want to be hated by me can issue a bounty on me for attempted rape?”_
_”I’m sorry… I made a mistake…”_
_Jill apologized in a voice that crawled in without any particular excuses._
_I was momentarily taken aback._
_The Jill I remembered from my first playthrough never apologized for anything._
_’There’s some leniency here.’_
_Technically, the bounty itself is a secret one that hasn’t been made public, so it’s hard to view it as a defamation against me._
_Moreover, since Jill had unilaterally registered my identity, the attempted rape charges have also been nullified now._
_So yes, she did act like a bitch, but_
_It’s not to the extent that there’s no way to undo it._
_Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not still a bitch move…_
_”I was scared… I was scared you wouldn’t ever want to see me again…”_
_”………”_
_”Why are you silent…? This… this isn’t the end, right? You aren’t leaving, are you?”_
_”I am leaving.”_
_I couldn’t bring myself to lie._
_I will leave._
_I’ll leave from here, and eventually, from this world as well._
_I can’t let her harbor false hopes._
_”Yoo Jin… I had something to say. Until now, I was too scared… too scared to say it because I thought it would seem childish… I like you. I like you a lot. The empty space left by your absence is too big… I realized it after you left. From now on, I’ll do better. I’ll genuinely treat you well and cherish you as much as I can. So please… won’t you stay by my side…?”_
_”………”_
_I cannot stay here._
_Accepting Jill’s feelings here would lead to a game over._
_Neither can I stay and just use Jill’s goodwill while continually pushing her away._
_That’s the cruelest option._
_”…I’m sorry.”_
_”Yoo Jin… you’ve changed. You didn’t talk to me like this before.”_
_Had I?_
_I had used honorifics with Jill during the first playthrough._
_I just remembered that._
_”You weren’t this blunt either.”_
_I can feel that too._
_Over the course of 12 playthroughs, my emotions have drained significantly._
_I was probably at my most vibrant during the first playthrough._
_”And you weren’t this reckless either…”_
_Boom! KABOOM!_
_Even now, I hear the sounds of explosive magic erupting from afar._
_It’s bound to be Sola getting wrecked by her own brother._
_I’m heading there now._
_Jill knows that too._
_If it were me from the first playthrough…_
_I would have insisted on escaping to a safe place with Jill._
_When targeting the three main heroines, having just a single scar can be a disadvantage, so my and the heroines’ safety would come first._
_”You’ve changed… the Yoo Jin I knew was definitely a cowardly and superficial guy… Why have you become so strong…?”_
_A cowardly and superficial guy._
_That’s a perfect description of me from the first playthrough._
_”And that annoys me… I still like you, even this you… Even if one day I might die quietly away from home… I still like you, I can’t help it… I’m so anxious… I want to hold you, but I’m scared you’ll hate me… Even now, I want to stop you… I can only supply you with mana…”_
_Before I knew it, Jill’s voice changed to a sobbing tone._
_The touch that gently caressed my back slowly moved to my chest, and then from behind, she tightly hugged me._
_I could feel the increasing speed of mana transmission along with the delightful softness touching my back._
_”You’re leaving, aren’t you…?”_
_”Yeah.”_
_”Promise me you won’t die…”_
_”I won’t die.”_
_”You won’t say you left because you hated me… I haven’t made you hate me, right? Right?”_
_”………”_
_”I don’t know the reason, but I’ll wait. I can endure, knowing you’ll come back. I can live, knowing you don’t hate me. So absolutely, absolutely don’t die…”_
_Slowly, a holy blessing enveloped me._
_It was a thin barrier, yet quite sturdy._
_If this barrier is any stronger than the one I saw in the first playthrough, it seems Jill has grown a lot._
_”That’s enough. Just charge up to here.”_
_”But I haven’t given you everything yet…”_
_”Use the remaining mana to heal Sola.”_
_”What? That traitor…!”_
_”She’s a traitor with many uses. She hasn’t fully betrayed us yet.”_
_”You’re risking your life again…”_
_”………”_
_”Don’t die. If you do, I will kill you. Got it?”_
_”Sure.”_
_Tears began to wet my back._
_Jill slowly released her hug._
_It’s time._
_Time to bring the strongest swordsman on our side._
_I drew my magic sword and headed toward the battlefield._
_”Stay back, it’s dangerous.”_
_”…yeah.”_
_Before I knew it, Mi Jeong had naturally moved to my side._
_The plaza, once full of explosive magic, had now turned to ruins._
_Sola was in the middle of it, gasping for breath, reduced to a bloody mess._
|You will die.|
_’Stop your unlucky nonsense, just pass her off to Luna already.’_
|Are you really heading there?|
_’Yeah. It’s already too late.’_
|…|
_Magic sword whining loudly._
_If I lose here, the magic sword will be trapped in Luna’s hands, just like Zenon._
_Realizing that, the magic sword’s voice began to quiet down._
_Even in its view, helping me was the best option._
|Can you grant me just a little access to your magic?|
_’What? No way. Why would I?’_
|Only a small amount, but I think I could mimic the powers of my main body, Belphegor. I can cast magic.|
_’Damn it. What do I lose by trying?’_
|I will try my best.|
_I couldn’t afford to die here, so I allowed the magic sword access to a bit of my magic._
_I then transformed it into a large two-handed sword._
_A sword suited for defensive Frost-style swordsmanship._
_”Luna. Please, give your order…”_
_”Okay! Okay! The main force of the Sacred Knights is approaching! I’ll heal you right now, so annihilate the Sacred Knights-“_
_”Sola.”_
_Right before I completely cross over,_
_I gently spoke while tapping Sola on the shoulder._
_Nicholas, no, Luna shot a fierce glare at me as if she would kill me._
_Sola flinched and reacted._
_It seems she can understand my voice._
_That’s enough for now._
_This should be enough for Jill to save her._
_”If you bow your head here, you won’t come back again. If you do, I will have to kill you.”_
_”As I thought… you weren’t one of the Four Heavenly Kings…”_
_”Of course not, you fool. It’s stupid to be deceived. Now choose. Do you seriously intend to cross over?”_
_”I have no other choice…!”_
_”No, you do have a choice. Let me drop a hint. All of Luna’s puppets currently in Cologne have been destroyed by me.”_
_”What the hell are you talking about?! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!”_
_”What this means is, if we kill that cardinal, the medium will disappear and the necromancy will lose its effect.”_
_”…!”_
_Luna screamed, attempting to disrupt, but_
_My words were conveyed directly into Sola’s mind through the tremor of my magic, so it was useless._
_Understanding my meaning, Sola’s eyes slowly widened._
_”Heal yourself and follow me. I’ll hold you back so you can’t escape.”_
_I poured three high-grade potions into Sola’s head all at once and moved forward._
_Jill’s healing magic would take about 5 minutes to heal Sola to be able to move._
_I just needed to hold out for 5 minutes._
_I inherently didn’t expect to win._
_How could I win against a flying mage?_
_”Kill that bastard, Zenon!”_
_SWHZZZZ!_
_Magic was concentrated at Zenon’s fingertips, creating a terrifying wave._
_At first glance, it seemed like an 8th or even 9th-tier great magic was about to be cast, but_
_The fact that he uses this much magic just for a simple 4th-tier explosion spell is laughable._
_’The magic efficiency must be terrible. He can’t keep firing endlessly.’_
_The way to beat it is simple._
_Dodge._
_Dodge it and close the distance, and then slay Cardinal Nicholas to win._
_’Didn’t you say you could cast?’_
|Uh… maybe?|
_’Hey! “Maybe” isn’t a proper answer. State what you can do!’_
|I CAN DO IT!|
_’No, say it to me, not yourself. Say you can do it.’_
|I think I can do it…|
_’Great…’^
_The magic sword seemed unreliable right now, but I had no choice but to trust it._
_”Frost-style, Incantation Number 3.”_
_Fuhwaa!_
_Explosion magic was cast._
_A mass of magic gathered at Zenon’s fingertips and shot directly toward me._
_I could evade by accelerating, dodging outside the explosion range,_
_But that would just lead to the second explosion hitting me when I fell._
_I could take a few hits from a monster like Sola, but not me._
_One hit and I’m gone._
_Nah, even brushing against it would be fatal._
_So I had to face it head-on._
_I stared straight into the magic mass flying toward my forehead._
_At the precise moment,_
_Slash._
_”Counter!”_
_KAAN!_
_I swung the sword and struck the magic orb directly._
_Normally, magic wouldn’t be greatly affected by physical force, so it should have passed through and shattered my skull, but…_
_BOOM!_
_”What the?!?!”_
_The magic mass could not pierce the magic sword’s blade and exploded instead,_
_The pressure scattered into the air due to the sword’s resistance._
_Luna’s expression contorted in shock as she watched this._
_”K-kill her! Hurry!”_
_This time, it was a consecutive strike._
_It seemed to have somewhat lower power, but rapid successive explosions followed closely behind._
_Boom! KABOOM!_
_”W-what the hell is happening?!”_
_I sliced through the successive attacks with rapid slashes._
_To a swordsman, what was “fast” for a mage falls far behind._
_I had already taken three steps forward._
_Realizing the distance was closing, Luna quickly turned her back and tried to run away._
_But she couldn’t escape._
_”Wh-what?! This is Kali’s ability…!”_
_A mirror-like sphere encompassed and trapped Luna._
_Heavenly Armor Plate._
_In there, Luna cannot escape._
_No, she could transform into a spirit form and quietly flee, but_
_If she does that, she’ll lose her connection to the necromancy and lose Zenon._
_She has lost._
|I can’t keep striking! I’m running out of focus! I’m reaching my limit!|
_”Hang in there.”_
_Could using Dakia-style secrets take Zenon down?_
_I’m not sure._
_From what I can tell, it seems there’s a barrier, so I may not land a single hit, but…_
_Even if I pour out a flurry of strikes, I might take her down._
_But splitting Zenon in two could lead to unknown consequences with Sola._
_For now, it seems the best option is to drain Zenon of all his magic to leave him out of breath._
_And yet, the momentum of Zenon’s explosion magic shows no sign of tapering off._
|Is he not unlimited in magic?! Even though he’s throwing away 90% of his power into the air for inefficient spells, he’s still able to cast like this?!|
_”No way could it be infinite…”_
_At this point, it may very well be._
_I’m starting to lose my convictions._
_I thought I would be able to endure._
_Boom! KABOOM!_
_Successive strikes poured in._
_I cut the magic and kept slashing, but the explosion magic kept coming._
|I can’t cut anymore… I’m going to sleep…|
_Slowly, the magic sword quieted down._
_The magic-cutting event was over,_
_And now, I’m left to just dodge._
_”Ugh! Damn it!”_
_Boom! KABOOM!_
_I dodged the hailstorm of three strikes._
_I wasn’t dodging based on the magic’s path but rather Zenon’s fingertips._
_”KAHHH?!?”_
_But as if he took notice of this, Zenon began to launch spells in entirely different directions._
_I was struck by a direct hit and flew away, rolling on the ground._
_I only realized afterwards that I had fainted for a solid second._
_If it were in the past, I should have been dead by now, but…_
_Thanks to Jill’s barrier, I was merely left in tatters._
_The barrier, however, was gone now._
_Another hit would be the end._
_”H-huff… huff…”_
_My hands and feet had suffered the most injury due to the barriers wearing off, and shrapnel stuck all over my body._
_Sola would probably say what a wuss I was for this much injury, but…_
_I genuinely felt like I was going to die._
_”I can keep going all day. Let’s see when you run out of magic, punk.”_
_”………”_
_Zenon glared at me with a hint of anger._
_His fingertips began to gather overwhelming magic energy._
_The amount of magic was on a completely different level than anything he had cast before._
_”Huh?”_
_I couldn’t dodge that._
_If I got hit, I would die._
_Nah, there wouldn’t even be a complete corpse left._
_With that level of power, it could wipe out the entire plaza, no, the whole block of the city._
_I had to block it._
_I had to slash it._
_”Dakia-style secret…”_
_I hurriedly transformed the magic sword’s form into a cleaver._
_Preparing to lift my sword._
_Just as I tightened my grip to strike—_
_CRACKLE!_
_”…?”_
_Suddenly, dark clouds gathered, and rain began to fall._
_In the midst of confusion—_
_”Aaaaargh!”_
_A lightning bolt struck down and scorched Zenon._
_Weak and helpless, Zenon fell from the sky._
_A gust of wind brushed by me, and Sola, enveloped in electricity, flew to catch Zenon._
_”I’m sorry…”_
_Then Sola pierced through Zenon’s protective shield that resisted and pressed her hand against his chest._
_”I’m sorry…”_
_”Aagh! Aha… Ahhh…”_
_Her hand plunged in, tearing his heart out._
_The blackened heart was pulled from Zenon’s chest and clutched in Sola’s hand._
_It beat weakly for a moment before finally stopping._
_It’s over._
_Sola ended it with her own hands._
_Now to wrap things up, I release the Heavenly Armor Plate._
_”Damn… what a mess.”_
_Swoosh!_
_I butchered the naive-looking Cardinal Nicholas._
_He indeed seemed long dead, as not a drop of blood came out._
_The still body exuded a cold energy that dissipated into the distance._
_I may have missed the spirit form, but I destroyed all the puppets existing in Cologne._
_Necromancy can no longer be exercised._
_Sola and Zenon are now free._
_Free to die._
_”Sister…”_
_”Yeah, Zenon. It’s me.”_
_Amidst the pouring rain,_
_He managed to lift his hand while spitting blood._
_Sola embraced him and placed his hand on her cheek._
_Life sparkled in Zenon’s eyes._
_His will to live was evident._
_For a moment, Zenon stared at Sola with those brilliant eyes and then offered a faint smile._
_”Zenon… no…”_
_His blood flowed weaker and weaker._
_His arms lost strength and fell limply at his sides._
_The vibrant light in his pupils dimmed until they were vacant._
_No matter how much Sola called or touched him, there was no response._
_”Aaaaah!!!”_
_Sola’s scream rang out, a wailing agony followed by a storm of rage._
_Thunder rumbled ominously from the dark clouds above, sending ripples of anger across the surroundings._
_”Aaaaah…”_
_Sola stopped her shriek._
_As she cradled the bloodied Zenon, tears that were indistinguishable between blood and rain began to flow._
_”What is this chaos?”_
_”…?”_
_An old man with a cane and umbrella squinted his eyes in annoyance as he dropped a comically large toolbox._
_Kern._
_He arrived at exactly the right moment._
