Chapter 80: S2. Resentment To The Stars – 3
“Please… come back. Don’t get hurt, okay?”
“Sure, I’ll do my best.”
“Promise.”
“If we don’t come back, just wait until time runs out. No need for unnecessary deaths.”
“…Don’t say ominous things!”
Tara looked at Bennett with a worried expression and straightened his crooked collar. However, Niolle’s eyes saw much more than that.
Blushing cheeks, trembling eyelids, hesitant hand movements, legs pressed together as if worried about exposure, a posture that unintentionally emphasized her chest, slightly askew lingerie that was barely holding on, and a hint of pink blooming in her eyes.
On the flip side…
Bennett appeared calm, but his cheeks were tense with anxiety about the future, a subtle burden he felt as Tara stood closer than usual. His gaze wandered down as if he was starting to recognize the woman in front of him as a romantic interest, yet he still regarded her more like family, twinkling stars in his eyes.
Once all that information settled in Niolle’s eyes…
“Hey, Bennett. When you come back, I have something to s…”
Niolle slipped her hand between Bennett’s side and hooked her arms around him. Then she pulled him toward her with some force. Bennett’s upper arm pressed lightly against the side of her chest. Tara, witnessing this, noticed a complex reaction brewing in her eyes.
Within Tara’s favorable gaze toward her colleague, a sprinkle of suspicion and jealousy quietly blended in.
Let’s go, Bennett.
Niolle mouthed the words.
“…Okay.”
She felt like her heart was being poked with a stick. Even as Niolle interrupted Tara, she couldn’t understand why she was acting this way. Driven by an anxious impulse, she instinctively barricaded Tara.
The journey to set everything right brought Niolle into a whirlpool of confusion she had never experienced. She tightened her grip around Bennett’s arm.
===============================================================
The road to the meteorite pit, where countless people once sacrificed themselves, was suffused with silence. The reason was straightforward; there was no one left to scream.
On the ground, human legs poked out upside down. One individual had become one with a tree after teleporting right into it. Corpses littered the path, each met with bizarre circumstances.
You’d seen a fair share of corpses already.
In a world where monsters roamed, wars erupted spontaneously, and an individual could challenge a nation, blood and violence were familiar companions.
You’d witnessed even more gruesome deaths. If you got hit by an ogre’s club, the human body literally exploded. Yet, such deaths, while horrifying, weren’t as grotesque as they could be.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
You felt a slight rumble beneath the ground. That feeble vibration traveled through the soles of your shoes, creeping up to your brain through your toes. The sound that usually slipped by unnoticed felt particularly loud today.
Perhaps a hapless individual had been randomly transported here.
Niolle imagined that someone down below might be buried alive, screaming for help, frantic in their struggle against the dirt. Who knew how many could be lost beneath the concrete?
This notion blurred the boundaries between reality and illusion, filling her with an unsettling dread.
Bennett opened his mouth as if to distract himself from the grim reality.
“…Do you think we can prepare the magic circle?”
[Yes. I’ll use the original circle of Isaac. I plan to use the Goddess’ Crystal as the power source.]
“It might be partially damaged. We went around disrupting the surrounding circles.”
[Including the damages, we might need a bit of reinforcement.]
Step. Step.
The two walked down the empty street discussing their plans. Bennett would handle any disruptions from the fanatics, and if their output fell short, they would utilize the corpses in the pit.
Though it might seem disrespectful to the deceased, they hoped that the spirits would understand, considering it a necessary evil to save the world.
They didn’t dare mention the possibility of their ritual failing.
Meanwhile, Niolle’s mind was tangled with unresolved doubts. Bennett and Tara were both great people. She liked both of them dearly.
Yet, something felt off.
Whenever Bennett and Tara were together… Whenever they seemed to grow closer, a twinge of discomfort nagged at her, and before she knew it, she was getting in the way.
Niolle resolved, When we get back safely, I need to apologize to Tara.
Even though she had sensed Tara’s feelings long ago, Niolle’s heart was shrouded in guilt, preventing her from confronting it.
If only she had a bit more time or the chance to look in the mirror, she might have been able to parse through her feelings.
But the situation was dire. She was anxious, with an inevitable conflict looming ahead.
And then, the stars whispered at her.
===============================================================
In this world, there exists an emotion only one person can possess.
It’s incredibly small and precious but can unleash tremendous power. It can be a lethal poison that you can never stop inhaling or a Holy Grail offering boundless happiness.
It’s called love.
Surprised? Don’t fret, Niolle. As long as you don’t blush or let that delicate body tremble, your ugly secrets won’t be discovered by Bennett.
Ah, I know you are shocked by that sudden insult. But it’s the truth. Look back at yourself. Who has sabotaged Tara’s love confessions every single time?
Niolle.
No matter how much you insist you had no idea… you didn’t want to let him go, did you? You reached out unconsciously. Your subconscious holds a lot of information. This is what you’ve desired. To stop Tara from achieving her love.
And to take her place.
Tara is pretty and used to flaunting her body. I can’t even count how many ways she is superior to you, merely a bag of lard. I might run out of fingers before I finish.
But right now, she’s lost her divine powers and is nothing more than an empty shell. This is your chance. Yes, Bennett needs strength, and you have it. Of course, I don’t mean by killing Tara.
How could anyone do such a thing? Killing an innocent person for love?
You can kill for the sake of saving the world, but not to seek love. Yes, I respect your hypocrisy, Niolle.
You’ve cut ties with your conscience for your benefit. Additionally, I think your friend might meet her end soon. For someone as pathetic as you to achieve love──.
===============================================================
Smack.
Niolle smacked her forehead with the grimoire.
From that moment on, as a small crack formed in her heart, the stars crept in, stirring her thoughts with their whispers.
Niolle envisioned a bonsai. With pruning shears in hand, branches that obstructed her screamed as they were cut away. After enduring that long, painful process, a stunning bonsai would emerge.
She felt akin to the bonsai.
Trimmed for the sake of purpose. One by one discarding the values she once held dear, eliminating them in sequence. Though the stars urged her, it was she who held the ultimate choice.
To support her friends. To avoid repeating her failures. That’s why she let those values go.
But what if.
What if after all I’ve discarded I still falter? If only the branches fall, leaving behind an unworthy bonsai? If the voice fully consumes me, what becomes of me?
She trembled at the thought.
Niolle grabbed Bennett’s hand as he took a step ahead. He glanced back, allowing her to hold onto him without a word.
She inscribed her fear onto Bennett’s palm.
[I’m scared.]
“What of?”
[I’m afraid of failure. That a small mistake on my part could destroy the world.]
“It’s not your fault.”
Niolle halted her steps! Bennett stopped in response.
[Is it truly alright to think that?]
“…”
[You see, Bennett. I feel like I’m being whittled away. Whether it’s due to the grimoire… or if this wicked heart of mine has always existed, I can’t tell. Once, I wished to save everyone, but now just one is enough.]
As Bennett tried to respond, Niolle pressed her index finger against his lips and mouthed, ‘Please, listen a bit longer.’
[Now, maybe I could kill an innocent. For someone more cherished and valuable. But at times, such thoughts feel alien. Do you feel that too? Have I changed so markedly?]
“…You are…”
[I know. Plus, I’m aware I will change moving forward. But what will that change entail… that’s what eludes me. Bennett. Perhaps at the end of this, I’ll become an immense villain.]
Niolle gazed deeply into Bennett’s eyes and slowly blinked. As her ideals shattered against reality, remnants of guilt, love, and gratitude-filled friendships remained.
From the moment he was shot while trying to shield her, those feelings had been incrementally stacking up. They grew each time he radiated his brilliance.
And the connections forged during their shared journey. Friendship with Tara, who had her back, fighting together, grieving together, laughing around the same table.
But now, that small gap between them was manipulated by the starlit whispers. To capture Bennett, she would need to sever her current friendships. Therefore.
Before her fragile self fell for the bait and plunged a knife into her friend.
[So… Before I spiral into darkness… Before it’s too late… Can you take my hand and pull me back?]
“…I will.”
[Pinky promise. Here.]
With a gentle smile, Niolle extended her pinky like soft moonlight. Bennett linked his finger with hers and vowed.
Niolle resolved to use this promise as her guiding light. Despite the still echoing whispers of wicked outer beings, enticing her to abandon her feelings, declaring she’d suffer no more hurt.
She believed that just as he had saved Tara, he would save her in her moment of weakness.
After exchanging vows, Niolle stepped ahead with newfound energy. The burdens on her shoulders felt shockingly lighter. Everything seemed poised to go perfectly.
Then they arrived at the meteorite pit.
Activate the ritual, expel the Outer God, and save the world.
“I’ve been waiting.”
Standing in the way of Bennett and Niolle, who had arrived for a singular purpose, was the leader of the Order of the Silver Twilight.
===============================================================
The Cult Leader, perched atop the corpses of a family, stood, brushing off the dust.
“How….”
“‘How do I know?’ God has told me. Heretics would come here to disrupt His arrival, after all. He is omniscient and omnipotent. Everything occurs just as He desires.”
“…”
Bennett drew his longsword. Scanning the area revealed no other zealots or living civilians. The implications were clear; no living sacrifices remained.
The Cult Leader’s barrier was activated at the cost of living sacrifices.
Therefore, the Cult Leader should be… utterly unguarded right now. He must be.
However, something primal prompted him to run. We need to escape right now. This is not something humans can overcome. It’s unwinnable.
The Cult Leader observed Bennett’s cold sweat-drenched face and lightly applauded him.
“Have you noticed? You have quite the good senses.”
“…What have you done?”
“God himself has filled my body. Truly… a blessing. I am now one with Him.”
Snap.
Blood vessels thickened in the leader’s neck, bulging to the point of bursting. Ultimately, they couldn’t withstand the pressure and ruptured, yet no blood spilled.
Crackle. Crack.
The wounds miraculously healed, as if time itself were rewinding.
The spectacle of his entire form fracturing and reconstituting echoed the pulsation of a star. With each heartbeat, every inch of him morphed gradually. And then…
“He said, ‘2%’… ‘Are you watching?’ Then he asked, ‘How! Can! They! Possibly! Stop! It!’ HE SAID-!!”
Bang!
The grotesquely swollen figure resembled a bloodied giant with four tentacles. The Goddess’ Crystal flickered urgently as if to warn them of impending danger.
“…We have to overcome this! Without the barrier, our attacks should connect!”
[……!!]
“Niolle-!!”
As the cold crept up his spine, Bennett turned to Niolle, only to witness her gut pierced by a spear of bones and muscle.
It was a spell Niolle often used, one that borrowed power from the cosmic Evil God.
Naturally, such power would not work against the very being that lent it… against the monster before them—
Niolle, aiming to aid Bennett with the bone spear, found herself skewered by her own magic.
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