Under the dark sky.
Waves of brilliant divine power spread wide, soaking the rough wilderness.
The experiment bodies touched by the undulating divine power scattered, no longer releasing human screams, but rather the dying wails of monsters as they became part of the wave.
In the midst of that wave, a purple aura rampaged fiercely, creating a massive ripple.
Hermila, deftly deflecting attacks mixed with repulsion and destruction, pressed on without stopping, finally locking eyes with the completed master.
Her body was so covered in wounds that it was hard to find intact skin, but her gaze and momentum shone fiercely, unwavering.
At that moment, all the experiment bodies that were headed for Rubia turned towards Hermila.
“Ha.”
With a crack, Hermila’s body shot forward as her jaw fractured under the strain.
Her blood-soaked, dull blonde hair flowed wildly.
The purple eyes, filled with killing intent, constricted.
Crack—!
The heads of whatever made contact with her fists shattered.
The bodies that suffered blows from her extended legs were torn to shreds.
“Die, all of you!”
With a roar that sounded like a growl, the level of destruction soared sharply.
The bodies of the experiment bodies that touched it distorted and shattered, creating a massive scene of bloodshed.
At the same time, dozens of spells surged towards Hermila. Aware of it, Rubia concentrated all her divine power on Hermila, creating a massive barrier.
Boom—! The overwhelming spells contained with magical power were stopped by the barrier conjured by Rubia, losing their strength and scattering.
“Gha… grgh… ugh…”
As the backlash left Rubia’s body empty, dozens of arrows and about a dozen spearheads were embedded in her.
Gulp— As she gathered the surging blood, trembling arms raised again.
She reclaimed the divine power focused on Hermila and swung it towards the enemies surrounding her.
Every time her delicate arms, which seemed ready to break, swept through the air, dozens of experiment bodies fell away like leaves.
As Rubia trapped all nearby enemies, she roughly pulled out the blades embedded in her body and looked at Hermila.
Finally killing all the experiment bodies, Hermila reached right in front of the wizard.
At the same time, with all her strength, her outstretched fist exploded the body of the wizard into countless pieces.
Seeing this, Rubia once again waved her arms to clear out the experiment bodies around Hermila.
Crackle—!
The divine power that flowed out with the dying experiment bodies added to the waves, creating an even bigger wave.
From Rubia’s perspective, it was the best battlefield for handling divine power. If only not for the solid red curtain standing firmly behind her.
A few more hours passed.
Having killed all the enemies surrounding the mainland, Rubia collapsed as she stuffed the last awakening potion into her mouth.
“Hoo… how many hours has it been…?”
As Hermila approached, Rubia asked while pulling out the blades from her body, finally flopping down.
“Huh… about 52 hours, I think.”
“What’s the situation…?”
“…Not good.”
Hermila, sitting on the floor with her hands wrapped in scraps of cloth rather than tattered bandages, gazed at the spot where screams rang out.
“Still, thanks to Ser, the Temple of Memory seems to be standing.”
Rubia also turned her head following Hermila’s gaze.
Above the sky where the Temple of Memory was located, colorful spirits still painted the sky.
Though it was down by more than half from the beginning, there were still enormous numbers.
“Is Noah… okay?”
“…Yes. She’s alive.”
With her frail hand, Rubia grasped the thread connected to Noah and closed her eyes.
“But… she seems to be struggling a lot…”
The emotions felt from the thread connected to Noah were a mass of despair collecting all kinds of negativity.
Feelings as if drawn up from the deep abyss without a bottom.
“Is that… so?”
Hermila, gritting her teeth while checking her injuries, took out a potion.
Rubia slowly rose her body and infused divine power into Hermila.
“You could just use potions, you know…”
“It’s exhausting.”
“Hmm… Yes. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Upon confirming that all her wounds had neatly healed, Hermila took out some dried meat from her robe.
“Rubia, can you turn this into steak or something?”
“Of course not…”
“Well, they say gods can do that. Since you borrow the power of the gods, I thought I’d ask.”
Pointless banter.
But Rubia caught on to Hermila’s intention to lighten the mood and smiled faintly in response.
“…True, it is a somewhat valid point.”
Nodding, Rubia took the jerky and subtly channeled divine power into it.
“Ah, it does warm up a bit.”
Then she chuckled softly and shoved the jerky into her mouth.
“Did the taste change?”
“It tastes like warm garbage.”
“Oh my… then I’ll eat it cold.”
Sounds of chewing jerky echoed out in the silent ruins.
“Still no word from the Ursphere reinforcements?”
“No. They probably ran into the enemies on the way. I wonder if they’ve survived…”
Hermila pulled a cracked crystal out of her spatial pocket and gulped down her jerky.
“But those aren’t the kind of people who would die that easily. Besides, once their personnel arrives, the tide of battle will shift significantly. Well… though it seems it’s already too late.”
Hugging her knees, Rubia lowered her head, exhaling shakily.
“To be honest… even if we say we’re going now, I think the situation over there would improve a lot.”
“That’s true. But if we did that, it seems like Ser would be quite angry, no?”
“Hoo… that’s… true.”
“I predict they would grumble, ‘I’m a genius. A genius like me couldn’t possibly be stopped by such thugs! Are you underestimating me? Get the hell out of here! Go and join Noah!’.”
“Oh… that sounded quite similar.”
At that moment, an overwhelming presence surged from the place where Ser was.
The made master.
Not a completed master, but the true strength of a master.
While a completed master could be said to be strong, true masters operate on a different level.
The experiences they’ve accumulated and the battlefields they’ve crossed over become overwhelming experience points.
Moreover, the mental state they’ve honed over time creates a gap that the created ones cannot hope to follow.
Yet, such things were…
“Two… there are two, right now.”
“…It seems so.”
Two exist in the battlefield where Ser would stand.
“They seem to have just joined up…”
Hermila, trailing off, turned to look at Rubia.
Receiving that gaze, Rubia quickly nodded and spoke.
“Go ahead.”
“…Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Of course. Honestly, if it’s just that much, Ser won’t be able to say anything.”
Cheerfully responding with a grin, Rubia pulled out the bandages she had and handed them to Hermila.
“Take these.”
“…What is this?”
“Hmm… I have someone near me who uses bandages, you see. I brought extras just in case. It’s new, not used, so… go ahead.”
Hermila, tilting her head for a moment, chuckled softly saying, ‘Ah ha…’
“I taught you how to tie those knots, so you can do it well now?”
“Yes. I’ve learned to squirm and tie them by myself.”
For a moment, as she recalled the cute image of Noah, Rubia’s heart felt a sharp pang.
“Now, hurry and take it. Don’t die out there… hold on.”
Nodding slightly, Hermila accepted the bandages and got up.
“If something goes wrong—”
“That won’t happen.”
Rubia firmly cut off Hermila’s negative conjecture with a shake of her head.
“Noah will definitely return victorious.”
“Understood.”
With bandages wrapped around her hand, Hermila momentarily gazed at the red curtain before turning away.
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Yes.”
Step by step—
The sound of Hermila’s steps grew distant.
Then, moments later.
When Hermila’s presence had completely vanished.
Someone stepped into the wide expanse of the divine power barrier that Hermila kept secret.
An individual dressed like a makeshift creature with a leather hide crudely stitched together by wire.
A completed master.
Three of them.
Taking a resolute breath, Rubia rose.
She had to protect this place.
Must endure for an unknown period of time.
With her immortal body.
With her monstrous physique.
No matter what.
Thud—
Three people.
One step.
The other two…
Crack—!
Suddenly rushing towards the spear, a barrier of divine power was raised. Thwack—! The spear, making a rough tearing sound, halted mid-air as it pivoted away.
She reached out towards the incoming blade.
Slice—! The blade emitting a fierce light scraped her skin and cut into bone. Immediately pouring out divine power, she halted the advancing blade.
An overwhelming pain made her head spin.
Suppressing the scream escaping her mouth, she gathered the divine power spreading around her.
With all the gathered divine power concentrated at one point, she stomped on the ground.
Boom—!
On the rough earth, a tranquil ripple erupted as powerful divine energy engulfed the monsters.
Next, she shot the arrow of divine power, sharpened to its limit, at the faraway wizard, raising a finger.
The trajectory of the arrow, which was supposed to pierce straight, began to waver and danced through the air following her finger.
The arrow flew, dodging the wizard’s barrier, passing through the protective shield, and shattering magic.
Boom—!
The instant Rubia clenched her fist, it exploded.
After blocking the magic that came through a sandstorm so dense that it was impossible to see ahead, she shot another arrow at those who had escaped the tide of divine power.
Clang—! The figure that lightly deflected Rubia’s arrows with a spear vanished.
And then, Crack—!*
“G-gah…”
The spearhead that shattered ribs and pierced her lungs rose behind her back.
No movement.
A spear that appeared and disappeared.
Spatial displacement.
After that…
Sizzle—! The swung blade pierced her shoulder.
Zzzt—! The current flowing through the ground burned through her veins.
With each breath she took, the bitter pain seeped through.
With each writhing from that pain, the blade lodged in her shoulder burrowed into her muscles, cracking her bones.
Every time she tried to channel divine power, the current running through her body obstructed it.
Her vision blurred.
Her knees buckled.
Her back curved.
Her mind clouded.
Yet…
She had to hold on.
Because when everything was over.
Noah might feel lonely.
She might struggle.
She might be hurt.
She might shed tears over the despair filling her heart.
Clutching the ultra-thin thread connected to her hand, she ignited her divine power.
Unexpressable agony tore through her body.
Crack—! Her tightly clenched teeth shattered.
Her inflated lungs wrapped around the spear as they swelled.
Blood burst forth.
From her pierced back.
From her shouldered blade.
From her eyes, her nose, her mouth, her ears.
Yet, she drew out divine power and endured.
Accelerated her healing.
Strengthened her crumbling knees.
Awoke her hazy mind.
Thus, she gathered enough divine power to shake space itself.
Boom—!
Waves of radiant light flowed across the wilderness.
Droplets of brilliant light that warmed this world, which had been nothing but dark, descended upon it.
The three bodies that had surrounded her melted away.
As if time had turned back, the wounds on her body disappeared completely.
And then…
Thud—
Thud—
Thud—
Thud—
Thud—
Another group of completed masters.
Walked towards her.
A total of twelve.
As their presence approached her.
They charged, vanished, and reappeared.
When they finally reached her.
Blades were drawn.
Spear was shot.
Arrows surged.
Hammers dropped.
Great swords pressed down.
Halberds swung.
Daggers lunged.
Magic erupted.
Fists extended.
Pikes thrust up.
Spells activated.
Spears were shot.
When all death approached her…
Sizzle—!
The barrier behind her split apart.
Zzt—!
In a space that seemed to freeze in time.
“I missed you, Rubia.”
The voice of someone she loved so dearly resounded.
“No…ah.”
“Yes… it’s Noah.”
A gentle voice.
Contrasted by eyes filled with malice.
With those eyes, Noah faced the dozens of deaths suspended in the air.
Frey swung from Noah’s hand.
Along that path…
The sky was flipped.
