Chapter 19
Irid walked forward to ensure that Centra wouldn’t get caught up in the mess. Beyond the passage, a fluttering red color was getting closer.
The sound of their footsteps echoed chaotically before suddenly stopping at the same moment.
Under the dim lighting, the prince and the mercenary faced off. Irid stood tall, gripping his dagger tightly.
Swish.
Ronya drew her longsword and placed it on her shoulder. Her expression was a delightful mix of annoyance and fury. She spat out her words as if trying to avoid getting them stuck in her throat.
“I had a bad feeling about you from the very beginning. Such a punchable face you have.”
“And you were annoying too, lowly mercenary.”
“If it weren’t for that damn Centra picking you up, you’d have been a slave ages ago. All you know how to do is—”
“You’re rambling. It’s a waste of time. If you’re just going to yap, why don’t you run away now? I won’t bother chasing you.”
“Who the hell do you think you are—!!”
Ronya gripped her longsword with both hands and charged. This was a move Irid recognized. It had only been a week of practice, but Irid had desperately practiced until his hands were sore.
Clang—! Screeeech.
The weight of the longsword was a bit much for the dagger to handle. Every time their blades clashed, and Irid twisted just right to barely deflect it, his body swayed like a leaf in the wind. But he didn’t fall.
One clash. Two clashes.
The sound of metal scraping echoed ominously against the walls of the secret passage. Sparks flew into the darkness, igniting each time they clashed like fireworks.
Ronya’s eyes blazed with rage, while Irid’s determination solidified.
He blocked and deflected. Ronya felt a parched dryness in her throat. Each of her attacks was thwarted. The harder she swung that sword, the more impotent she felt!
Time was on the prince’s side. If she didn’t off Centra and disguise it as the ‘Kingdom Alliance’s’ doing, everything she’d prepared to eliminate the Resistance would go down the drain.
Ronya’s movements grew anxious and sloppy. Irid seized the moment. In the weave of silver trajectories, he inched his blade forward.
Slash—!
Blood sprayed.
Ronya, with a stunned expression, stepped back two paces and looked down at her cut forearm. Blood flowed. Bright red blood. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Irid gasped for breath. His lungs felt constricted, and his arms were almost numb. Though there was no visible wound, exhaustion piled up. If it turned into a battle of endurance, Irid was sure he’d eventually crumple.
In that moment, both Ronya and Irid had the same thought.
They needed a trump card to end this fight.
Ronya pulled a black pill from her bosom. Irid grimaced. He recognized that pill—it was a narcotic doping agent produced by a black wizard and circulated in the shadows.
The pill slipped down Ronya’s throat. If the taste was as terrible as it looked, she coughed a few times, then let out a chuckle.
“……Heh, heheh. This, this stuff is really something…”
Her muscles and veins bulged, and black blood began to ooze from her injured forearm. The doping effect varied for each individual, but generally, it boosted abilities by about 30%.
This was one of the worst-case scenarios discussed in their strategic meetings. The first princess had cautiously anticipated defeat. But to Irid, it seemed victory was still within grasp.
Irid held the dagger upside down and steadied himself. Whispering to himself, he stripped away his lingering doubts.
“……I wanted to go on a date.”
“I wanted to sing together. I wanted to finish our unfinished chat. My true feelings…..If I could, I’d love to express them too.”
“But it seems time might run out…”
Even if the magician was a lunatic. Even if he was fooling himself. He didn’t lie. The magician had proclaimed the safety of this dimensional travel was assured.
Indeed, when Irid returned from his first dimensional flick, despite enduring all sorts of persecution in the future’s Crownhall, his body remained unchanged.
The body from dimensional travel and the actual body were separate.
If that’s true, what does death mean in the dimension he traveled to? The answer was so near at hand. Irid glanced at the watch tattoo on his wrist.
There was still plenty of time left on the watch that began its countdown from 1 to 0. Perhaps in that space between 1 and 0, he could have found a moment to confess to Centra.
Now, it remained just a figment of imagination.
Gurgle… gurgle. Ronya writhed in agony, frothy drool dripping from her mouth. Was she hallucinating? She twisted her head back and forth. With her eyes rolled back, she stared at Irid.
The red beast roared and charged.
“DIE, WITHER EMPEROR──!!”
Clang-!!
The longsword swung by Ronya felt faster and more powerful than before. In a single strike, Irid’s arm was flung wide as his chest lay exposed.
Ronya pulled out a dagger from her waist. Predictably, the decisive final blow was delivered by that dagger. He could block it, sure, but even if he did, the outcome wouldn’t change. He wouldn’t stave off the next blow, or the one after that.
So, Irid embraced her.
He felt a searing pain as if engulfed in flames. The dagger pierced through his ribs, straight into his heart. Blood gushed out, and with each heartbeat, he felt the life ebbing away.
It was the chilling sensation of death.
“……Ergh, so you want me to say…this is just an……illusion?”
Irid chuckled weakly. The pain was numbed beyond expectation, but the sensation of dying was disquietingly vivid. If this was an illusion, it was as if it were replicating the sensations felt by someone truly dying.
At that moment, the watch tattoo burst forth in radiant purple light. The clock hands began whirling rapidly, swirling into a blur between 1 and 0.
Just as he expected. He wouldn’t die.
If he wouldn’t perish, then he would gamble with death.
Irid reached out and firmly grabbed the back of Ronya’s head.
“……I can’t stand the last…embrace being with…a bitch like you, but….”
“D, Die—! D-……Get off me—!!”
He raised the dagger he held in reverse grip. His pale reflection faintly shone on the blade that was raised. Even so, he wore a cheerful grin. Why wouldn’t he? He had held out to the very end.
Thud—! Thump—!
Irid plunged the dagger into Ronya’s neck. Again and again, until her twitching ceased and she lay cold as a corpse. Ronya’s movements came to a halt.
As he released his grip, her body slid down to the ground. Irid, clutching the wound on his chest, staggered for a moment before collapsing.
“Die, Wither Emperor………you said? If that’s your wish, I’ll die as many times as it takes.”
After all, there was now no Wither Emperor left to bring ruin upon the empire.
===============================================================
You struggled to lift your heavy eyelids. It seemed to be raining.
When you finally did, you saw the woman you loved crying sorrowfully. It was both a heart-wrenching and joyful sight; although heavy, lifting your eyelids suddenly felt surprisingly worth it.
“Irid……..Irid! Please, come to your senses, please…….!!”
It’s okay. I’m just heading back to my original world.
I’m not meeting my end. I’m just…traveling a little further back, to 100 years in the past.
Your lips moved, but no sound emerged. How frustrating! You wanted to console her; this adorable woman deserved to smile.
“Someone, anyone…please help! Somebody…..!”
No one would show up in the secret passage. Even if someone did come along, your injuries were severe… And no one could gather together the rivers of time that had flowed away.
Can’t any part of me move? I have something to convey.
Fortunately, it seemed like your hand was able to move. You cautiously lifted your hand and wiped away Centra’s tears. However, it did little good. The rain kept coming.
If that’s the case…
You took hold of Centra’s hand. Just as she had guided you, you wished to guide her too. To share warmth, to provide joy instead of sorrow.
Maybe your feelings finally reached her? Centra, with tear-stained cheeks, forced a smile. She held your limp hand dear, hugging you tightly as if pleading you not to go, and smiled.
“I love…….I love you. Irid.”
What a blissful confession that was.
You needed to reply. To convey that you felt the same. You tightened your grip, albeit feebly, as if almost fragile. Still, it seemed like Centra understood.
“I love you so…..! I love you, so don’t go. Stay by my side……Please don’t die, don’t leave me, Irid…….!”
Finally, you exchanged love, confirming each other’s feelings. As for romance, you had taken your very first step. But time had run out… and deep down, you knew this was to be the last step instead.
If only there had been more time…
As you exhaled your final breath…
Centra appeared to make some sort of resolution as she tilted her head. Long lashes, eyes red and puffy from crying, glimmering tear-filled eyes, and those lips.
Centra leaned in to kiss you…
===============================================================
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
The Second Prince Irid let out a hollow laugh of despair.
He lay in a daze on the magic circle. Regret, joy, and countless other emotions became entangled, leaving him dizzy. How indifferent fate could be, having time elapse during the most crucial moment.
If only there was 3 seconds more………no, even just 1 second longer. Then perhaps…
No, maybe… it was a blessing to have preserved Centra’s virtue. She should meet another man, create a delightful family, and live happily. Thinking this way, maybe that gentle kiss wasn’t really needed…
No, still… it felt like a bitter yearning remained.
Irid splashed water on his face and rose. Looking around, he saw the mad wizard tearing out his hair in agony, while the Purple Mage Master consoled him.
Not sure what the hullabaloo was all about, but Irid had no energy to concern himself with others’ problems. After all, hadn’t he just bid farewell to his first love?
Leaving the two illusion wizards behind, he stepped out of the Magic Tower.
The First Princess and the boy knight awaited him. He had already told the First Princess about the dimensional travel magic. First Princess Elaine cautiously asked,
“…….Did you save her?”
“I did. I’m worried about what’s next, but….if anyone can handle it, it’s Centra.”
“That’s a relief. Truly a relief…”
The incident was over. Now, in this place from a hundred years ago… He merely needed to strive for a future where Centra could thrive. Even now, in his heart, he wished to ask if there would be another chance, and if there wouldn’t, to create one…
Yet, he decided to hold on to that hope for a time when he truly couldn’t bear it any longer.
For now, let’s just be satisfied that he managed to save Centra.
Irid took a step toward the future, envisioning the touch of lips he never had the chance to…
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.