The strength began to drain from my body, starting from my right arm that had been pierced by Jiz’s attack. I bit my tongue and chewed on my lip. I circulated the magical power within me to awaken my senses and opened my eyes wide to steady my fading consciousness.
A tiny gap emerged as a result.
Chains from behind me and the dragons’ magic slipped through that small opening and ensnared my whole body.
My movements ceased. My breath halted. The flow of magical power circulating in my body came to a stop.
In a world where even thought seemed to be stopping, everything felt frozen.
Rustle- A sinister sound echoed beneath my shoulder.
“Damn it…”
I managed to roll my unresponsive eyes and stared at the source of the sound.
In this world frozen in time, I saw my arms, neatly severed, falling to the ground.
The resolve I was sure I wouldn’t let slip away began to feel distant.
Then—
The pain that had been absent began to spread throughout my whole body.
The heat from the breath seared my clothes, digging into my skin.
The magical flow that resonated to my very bones opened its maw toward me.
I had to find a way.
By any means necessary.
I had to endure this onslaught.
Twirling my immobile body, I felt the pain of the severance in detail. I recalled the metallic taste of blood that flowed down my throat. The smell of burning fabric filled my nostrils. With fierce eyes, I tirelessly sought a way to survive.
Amidst a deafening roar that threatened to burst my eardrums, I caught a peculiar sound.
Following it, squish- I took a laborious step forward.
And then, feeling as if it was already too late.
Countless magics were devouring my entire body.
Unfazed just before death, I stretched out my feet again.
At the same moment—
Chop- A clean slicing sound reached my ears.
Swish- Between the gaps created by my severed arms, my familiar great sword plunged through.
“You idiot.”
And then, I heard Frey’s weary voice that had found me.
“…Are you, here?”
Whatever she was up to below, there wasn’t a single unscathed spot on Frey’s body.
Her fingers twisted as she clutched the great sword awkwardly, and her front teeth seemed to be missing somewhere, making her look absurdly foolish.
“Ha, are you laughing? You find this funny? Huh? Damn it, who do you think put me in this position?!”
Rustle-
“Shut your mouth, huff… it hurts to laugh, ugh… because of you, I’m… choke… laughing, dammit…”
Boom—!
“Damn it, should I have just left it to die?”
Crash—!
Frey, her face as red as a tomato, growled out curses and grabbed my collar. At the same time, she sliced through all the chains that had been constricting me.
Thanks to that, my body regained freedom.
Confirming that, Frey released my collar and turned towards the dragons, swinging her great sword.
―――!
As usual, Frey’s great sword glimmered with a serene light while slicing through every attack aimed at me.
“Your arms are truly useless, flapping about like that.”
Frey’s sharp curses floated through the deafening noise.
“Honestly, you can’t do a damn thing without me.”
“…I got ambushed.”
“Yeah. If it were me, I would have dodged that.”
“Shut it.”
The same banter. The same atmosphere.
Yet behind that lighthearted exchange, new magic from the dragons was unfolding. Their bodies writhed as they gathered breath.
In this utterly hopeless situation, thankfully—
The dragons beneath our feet remained entangled in strange chains, unable to move, and it seemed they were too intimidated by Frey’s momentum to act recklessly.
“Do we have a plan?”
“I’ll start thinking now.”
Though I replied with a calm voice, the situation wasn’t that easily resolvable.
If it were only one arm, it might have been manageable. But with both arms entirely severed, what could I do as a swordsman—not a martial artist?
No, I hadn’t become entirely powerless.
If I lacked arms, I’d just have to bite with my mouth.
If I dislocate my jaw, I’ll shove the hilt of a sword into the severed end and keep fighting.
Even in this condition, I could surely massacre those arrogant lizards.
However, the battle with the primal beast that remained would surely be a situation where even if Frey and I fought together, victory wouldn’t be guaranteed.
Still, seeking Laila’s help wasn’t an option—I’d need to contend with that nameless hassle as well.
Honestly speaking—
This is a truly dreadful situation.
It seemed Frey reached the same conclusion and nodded while clicking her tongue.
However, her expression looked surprisingly refreshed.
“Okay. Then, once this is over, you’re buying drinks. Something sky-high expensive.”
Finally, Frey turned from me towards the dragons.
“Twice. No, four times!”
“Three times.”
“Damn it.”
Frey’s voice chuckled as the laughter faded.
“Since it’s three, let’s make it three minutes.”
And with that, she enveloped her great sword in sword qi.
“I’ll hold out somehow for the next three minutes.”
Thump- She shoved my body.
“Wrap this up quickly and come back.”
“What are we wrapping up—”
My body, weakened by her gentle push, began to fall toward the ground without a moment of respite.
At the same time—
Brilliant lightning surged up from where I had been.
A whirlwind took shape, countless feathers crashed onto the dragon’s head that had been our platform.
[GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRAAAAAAA―!]
Jiz’s roar resounded across the entire world.
A roar infused with tremendous fury.
That fury was directed not at me, but at Frey.
The reason was easily evident.
Her face, which had appeared unscathed moments ago, was now a complete wreck.
Her head, encased in fur tougher than steel, bore deep, rough scars.
One eye dripped with pus and was crushed, and among the tightly packed teeth, bright red gums were shown.
The maw that seemed ready to swallow everything was neatly torn, blood flowing from it like a waterfall.
But that wasn’t all.
Numerous wounds marred Jiz’s massive body as well. From light scars to severe injuries where flesh dangled loosely.
How that weakened girl managed to deal with something like that to save me—
Even if I didn’t want to know, I had no choice but to find out.
For on Frey’s blade, the light was colored not with sword qi but with the hue of her very soul.
Teeth clenched tight.
Rising anger choked my throat while the creeping powerlessness tightened around my breath.
Meanwhile, the light of souls glimmering around Frey’s great sword was growing ever stronger.
My powerless body was infinitely drifting away from that light.
And still—
The golden thread that had been severed remained unlinked.
Finally, my body, which had simply been falling, landed softly upon a plush flowerbed.
At the same time, the flower stems wrapped around my whole body.
They offered me their life force and staunched the blood flowing from my severed arms.
In a battlefield filled with the scent of death—
Among the stench of despair in my body, the fragrance of Gladiolus spread.
And then—
An eerily familiar beast’s scent drifted in.
I turned my head toward that scent.
There stood—
“Whew, huff… ca… Carpen.”
Twisted expressions on Noah and—
“Uhuhuhuhuhaha!”
And a wolf beast with red hair, wolf ears, and a tail that waved joyfully.
“Wow, is that really the Carpen I knew?!”
Once, we had sworn a pact together.
Now, having turned into the Monster of the End—
“Carpen…?”
Carpen stood before me.
“Carpen? Carpen… yeah. I’m Carpen now.”
Carpen, lifting Noah’s body, stood in front of me.
“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been this way. Hoo, ha.”
Gently placing Noah down, Carpen stepped towards me with long legs.
“You, how did you… in that form—”
Ignoring my words, Carpen looked to the sky.
“Wow… it brings back memories, doesn’t it?”
Although Carpen gazed at the sky, her lips, forming a sharp curve, spoke of a distant past.
“Didn’t we help you humans because you couldn’t fly?”
Carpen’s head fell back toward me.
“So, how about a little help again this time?”
Swish- The rough wind swept Carpen’s stiff hair back.
Revealed beneath that were the red eyes.
With a leisurely expression, an intensified ambition seeped into her look, even more prominent than a thousand years ago.
“Just promise me one thing in return?”
Thinking my silence was agreement, Carpen chuckled and lifted herself up.
“It’s nothing grand, just don’t forget.”
The world we lived in.
The feats we accomplished.
The past when we laughed together.
Our—
Nothing special—
Story.
“How about it? Easy, right?”
Carpen’s gaze remained on the sky.
Meanwhile, her fist was directed toward Noah.
“I’m counting on you opposing party, no.”
Swish- Carpen’s tail wrapped around Noah’s wrist.
Then, with a tap- she brought Noah’s fist to her own.
“Divine Noah.”
A thousand years ago, just like back then.
To tear off the wings of the arrogant.
To slam the conceited faces of those bastards into the ground.
For the survival of our distant descendants.
With a bright smile—
Toward hope, not isolation.
She leaped forward.
