“Rubia!”
Shh-!
As Ser’s voice echoed, dozens of arrows and a fierce wind surged forth.
Upon seeing this, Rubia immediately channeled her divine power, creating a barrier that enveloped both her and Ser.
“Well done.”
Confirming the barrier’s existence, Ser summoned dozens of spirits around his body.
Kaboom-!
With a single strike, he blasted away the enemies, forming a massive fire demon.
“Tch, what a nuisance.”
From a distance, Sirin, watching the bodies of the fallen enemies sliced by the great sword, clicked her tongue and hurled a flame ignited at her fingertips onto the pile of corpses.
“It feels like they’re regenerating endlessly, just to taunt us.”
Chuckling, Ser looked around while shaking off the hem of his skirt.
“…I can sense divine power.”
“Indeed. It’s not identical, but I can feel your divine power, Rubia.”
“Those bastards took it too far, huh? Well then, since this place is somewhat cleared, let’s move!”
As Sirin snapped her fingers, their bodies began to float gently, shooting forward.
“Is Noa… okay? Is he hurt?”
“His body is fine… but it’s close.”
“Ah…”
Hearing the sound of the sky collapsing, she feared for Noa and immediately dashed out of the cave.
However, what awaited them was a mass of people imbued with strange powers.
Masters who had been created.
They weren’t as skilled as Kalt, but they were no joke either.
When an arm was severed, the leg would roll on the ground and reattach itself.
When their intestines spilled out, they’d haphazardly stuff them back in, clutching their abdominal skin.
Even with their heads blown off, they moved without restraint, showcasing their madness.
Still, ignoring them was not an option.
Damage to the village of Cartia was certain.
Thus, deciding to eliminate them all, they had no choice but to get caught up.
As the delay stretched out, the ominous power and ghastly sound from where Noa was grew louder.
Rubia was on edge.
Noa, angry because of her, had gotten embroiled in such chaos outside the cave.
She wanted to follow Noa out, but since she was only wearing her underwear, she couldn’t pursue.
After hurriedly dressing, she still couldn’t find him, and all she could do was wrestle with her anxiety.
“Rubia, try not to worry too much. Noa doesn’t seem to be losing.”
Sirin, soothing Rubia’s back, also wore a worried expression.
He wasn’t losing, but the bracelet of spring was reaching its limits.
If she removed the bracelet, she could easily defeat the two masters, but if Noa acted recklessly or treated death lightly like before, the situation would certainly escalate.
“Do you not trust Noa?”
Ser, summoning several water spirits, tilted his head as he burst one.
“I believe in him. But…”
“I believe Noa can overcome this.”
With a refreshing smile, Ser burst the thirteenth spirit.
“I was only joking earlier, but even I, the genius of the century, can’t guarantee a victory against Noa.”
“…Yes.”
Rubia could feel Noa’s overwhelming power emanating from the sky, yet her face couldn’t brighten.
She well understood Noa was strong.
She had faith he would overcome any situation.
But she only resented herself for not being by Noa’s side during such times.
If she had managed herself just a little better.
If she had swallowed her pride and chased after him in her underwear.
Noa wouldn’t have to stand alone in such circumstances, and if it came down to it, she could be there with him.
“Thus, Rubia, you might want to think about how you will apologize to Noa.”
Ser chuckled with a mischievous look.
“…Could I get away with just hitting him once?”
“If hitting him will ease your frustration, feel free to slap my cheeks or my rear.”
Smack-! Thwack-!
“Gyaah-?!”
A scream escaped Ser’s mouth as the chunk of divine power shot out from her fingertips hit him on the head and butt.
“Ugh… you really did hit me…”
Then, he cast a resentful glare at Sirin.
“Did you not bring this upon yourself?”
“That’s… It’s just that Noa and Rubia’s reactions were too funny…”
“Is that why you have no friends? Just keep that mouth shut.”
“No friends… that may be true, but that’s too much.”
Ser sulked and rubbed his head where the divine power struck him.
“Rubia, I’m sorry. I can’t use teleportation like before due to exhaustion.”
“Sirin, you don’t have to apologize… It would all have been resolved if I were just more capable.”
“Was Noa that strong? To the point that it wore you out?”
“Right now, the bracelet of spring is keeping him sealed, but when we were training, holding him back took an immense amount of my divine power. Not to mention, in the end… Ahem, anyway.”
Sirin cleared her throat, stroking her neck while gazing at the sky.
In that moment.
The once blue sky turned crimson, revealing a black sun that couldn’t emit any light.
“…The black sun.”
Ser’s voice, normally soft, plunged into an icy tone.
“Ah… no…”
A sigh escaped Rubia’s lips.
And then, shortly after.
A dark mark etched itself across the sun.
“In the end, it has come to this. We need to hurry.”
“…What on earth is that…?”
Rubia recognized the black sun.
She had witnessed it during her battle with Kalt.
However, she didn’t know of the dark mark sprawled across the sky.
And it wasn’t just any mark.
From this mark oozed a menacing energy, dripping—
mingling despair and dread echoed.
“Noa is causing this.”
“Wha…? Such a sinister force…?”
“Sinister, indeed… it’s understandable you see it that way. Regardless, we’re almost there, so let’s prepare.”
Sirin bitterly smiled at Rubia while brandishing her great sword, igniting her magical power.
Ser summoned not tiny spirits, but human-sized ones to brace for battle.
And now, in the midst of what seemed like an apocalypse.
Noa’s collapsed figure could be seen atop a pool of blood.
“Noa!!”
*
Before the severed arm of Galra hit the ground, it regenerated.
Both legs and neck could be severed, yet regeneration continued unrelentingly.
[It seems this guy is resetting time to regenerate his body.]
Not just the body, but also stamina, magical power—everything reverted to its pre-battle state.
And then.
Chop-! Crack-!
A mark was inscribed in the place I stood in the past.
In the place I would stand in the future.
A fatal mark was drawn.
If I took a step back, I would be cut down.
If I stepped forward two paces, I would be cut down.
…Like cutting through the timelines of past and future.
[Dammit. What a damn annoying ability.]
With Karping’s blood aura and Cartia’s voice as my shield against the onslaught, I barely managed to evade, but it was clear I would fall first if this dragged on.
Dozens of arrows transformed into hundreds.
The places to step were rapidly vanishing.
Of course, it wasn’t a concern at all.
The greatest problem now was that my mind was becoming increasingly clouded.
I could sever Galra’s limbs with a single strike.
I could shatter his body on the second.
But each time, my consciousness dulled, the injuries multiplied, and the thought of dying and reviving chimed incessantly.
This is dangerous.
Without Karping’s blood aura supporting me, I’d likely have committed suicide long ago.
Now, trying to conserve as much strength as possible to take down the archer was futile.
[This should be enough. Can’t you see the data forming in your perception?]
‘If I expand it, it forms, but doing so right now, I feel I’ll get cut!’
[Quit dancing around the obvious. You’ve got ten seconds left.]
Behind Karping’s mocking voice, a violent sound echoed.
With every swing of the great sword came dozens of explosive sounds.
All the magical power in the area burst forth, evaporating into nothing, leaving not even a trace behind.
I gasped for breath as oxygen seemed to’ve vanished.
[Anyway, don’t even think about capturing that archer. Just concentrate on killing this guy. We can’t afford to delay.]
Nodding, I kicked Galra away to create some distance.
‘…Hey, buddy. Just hold on for five seconds.’
Then.
I squeezed every ounce of remaining strength into the great sword.
The vision filled with Frey’s heart responded, helping me rise.
Galra’s expression contorted.
Dozens of arrows, once again increasing into hundreds, rained down.
With Karping’s blood aura as my belief, I focused my mind.
A pain struck my head like lightning.
Cells, veins, muscles, and organs within me felt as if they were being liquefied, torn, and burst apart.
Blood sprayed from my seven apertures, soaking my entire body.
As five seconds stretched into what felt like five hours, when Galra’s great sword approached before me.
I channeled my breath through my clenched throat, swinging Frey.
There was no sound.
Not a clamor—simply silence.
A line etched from the ground up through Galra’s body into the sky.
The scenery surrounding us oxidized and erased itself.
Galra’s form and essence were devoured by the drawn line.
But that mark, still unsatisfied, cut through the black sun, creating a deep scar in the world.
The arrows immediately ceased.
Time returned to its course.
Torn time found its form again.
Galra’s twisted body crumbled to pieces.
As my strength drained away, Frey scattered into thin air.
The hazy blood aura of Karping gradually laid me down to the ground.
Then.
In the numbness of my ears.
Annoyance.
Anger.
Resentment.
Yet also longing.
Seeing them all together brought warmth.
The beloved voice broke through.
“Noa!!”
The sluggish blood aura eke out from my body retrieved the great sword, placing it in my hand, and filled the bracelet of spring back on my wrist.
Thanks to that, the pain eased slightly, and the surroundings became vaguely clearer.
In the sky, descending freely was Rubia.
The startled expressions of Ser and Sirin, who shouted, “Are you insane!” while trying to catch Rubia.
[Hey, hey. Can you hear me?]
‘Y-yes…’
[Then, when Rubia comes close, just start vomiting blood.]
‘…Why, though? It’ll only worry her more.’
[Seriously, trust me. Just do it once, and you’ll feel great afterward. I swear. Plus, Rubia might need to blow off some steam too, right?]
‘Ugh… that’s true, but… okay, I’ll give it a shot…’
“Noa! Noa!! I’m sorry! I… I’m sorry, sniff… Noa! sniff … I’m so, sob …”
Finally, as Rubia safely landed on the ground, she fervently wrapped her arms around me.
And simultaneously.
[Now!]
“Ugh… cough- cough, gargle…”
“Uh, w-what?! Noa…? Oh no… please… please, please…”
Following Karping’s orders, I spewed an entire bucket’s worth of blood.
[Doggy! Hit him so hard he remembers it!]
‘Wait! Just a sec…! Be gentle! Soft—’
Slap-!
A pain exploded like my head was split in two.
And then, darkness consumed me.
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