The door to the spirit realm opened suddenly.
From within, billions of primordial spirits and tens of thousands of intermediate spirits all bowed their heads in unison.
At the forefront stood the high spirits, along with the three supreme spirits, doing the same.
And then.
[We meet the master of all life and spirits.]
Their king also knelt before Laila, bowing his head.
“Why, hello? How did the Spirit King get here?”
The Nameless One, unfazed by their attack being blocked, smiled brightly like a child who had found a new toy upon seeing the newly arrived king of spirits.
“Didn’t you say you were sealed in the spirit realm? You broke the taboo. That’s… something that even you cannot ignore; it must have been the ‘regulation’ set by Lilith. How did you come out?”
[There is no obligation to answer you.]
The Spirit King’s cold voice made the Nameless One sulk for a moment, but quickly regained his smile and nodded.
“Ha… Why is everyone so cold? Well, I can find a way to know what you won’t say… huh?”
But that moment was short-lived.
The smile vanished from the Nameless One’s face.
The gently rising corners of his mouth drooped, and his refined eyes widened in shock.
A complete lack of emotion displayed on his face.
“Wow… Are you weighing something?”
The abyss clad in a mask stared at Ser, nestled in Laila’s arms.
“The spirit realm, holding their own lives?”
Click – The Nameless One took a step forward.
“When exactly did you do such a cheeky thing?”
At that moment, millions of primordial spirits stood in the way of the Nameless One. The colors of intermediate and high spirits painted the world. The mystery of the supreme spirits standing guard over Ser surged toward the Nameless One.
In response, the divine power following the Nameless One raised its massive form. A wave arose, threatening to swallow everything. A gigantic hole reminiscent of the abyss yawned open.
Eyes emerged from the waves. A mouth appeared. Teeth, hands, feet, ears, and noses formed. The horrid amalgamation of everything in existence surged forward, devouring the spirits defending Ser in an instant.
The massive opening was no different. Impeccably grown teeth twisted around the countless tongues that appeared, tearing and twisting the spirits before shoving the dismembered ones into the dark void.
And so, with three steps.
In just three steps, the Nameless One annihilated seventy percent of the spirits and reached out toward Ser.
And then.
Crunch – Three pairs of wings vanished from its eight pairs.
The hand of the Nameless One was retracted.
The vacant gaze looked up to the sky.
“Ah-ha?”
There, the sky was opened.
It was clear and transparent, restored without following the world’s laws.
The black sun, along with the powers the Nameless One had imposed, disappeared entirely.
The sky that one human had longed and dreamed for.
The sky of a new era lay open.
“How? How could it be that I, this world, and Lilith had prevented you all from approaching the ‘regulation’? By what means?”
At the same time.
“Well.”
The wizard opened his eyes.
“Because I’m a genius.”
*
The sky was no longer dark.
The light of the black sun settled upon the land.
The sky bathed in Rubia’s power.
The shadow of Cartia that had protected me.
Everything dispersed and vanished.
That was why I couldn’t lift my head.
My eyes, blinded by the brightness, saw nothing.
This warm light was so unfamiliar.
The weight left by Cartia was incredibly heavy.
I wanted to turn away from the sky she had opened.
With my head lowered, I could only clumsily feel the black feathers and embers that remained.
Shink –
I groped for the bracelet resembling her hair color, which would never connect again.
“Noah!”
At that moment, a somewhat prickly palm rested on my head.
Soon after, a fluffy tail, carrying the faint scent of blood hidden behind a warm aroma, wrapped around me tightly.
“Sniff… Ha… Nice smell…”
“Ugh, what…?! Ca-Carpen?!”
“Haah… Just stay still. I can’t do this unless it’s now. Sniff—”
Carpen, who took in my scent at my crown, ears, nape, and chest sequentially, soon let go of me cautiously and smiled.
“Haah, I feel the urge to mark my territory.”
“Go do your business over there on the sandy beach if you don’t want a smack.”
“Yip?!”
Next, Frey, who was squeezing the blood from Carpen’s tail, squinted at him.
“You filthy dog!”
“What, you filthy girl?”
Ignoring the growling Carpen returning her stare, Frey approached me.
“…F-Frey too?”
“Why the face as if you’ve seen a ghost?”
“Ah… y-you see…”
Cartia, Valoran, and Brunhilde had disappeared.
Having turned into pieces of the key to open the gates of Paradise, their existence had vanished from this world.
But how did Carpen and Frey… get here…?
“Carpen and I still have work left undone. That’s why we’re here. There’s still… some lingering attachment.”
“So… Once you and Carpen finish your tasks—”
“Ha, I guess it’s no surprise given you’re not my disciple. You’re quite needy.”
With my words hanging in the air, Frey squatted down and lifted my chin.
“Relax those furrowed brows.”
Frey’s hand.
Her calloused hand rubbed my furrowed brows.
“Don’t scrunch your nose.”
Next, she pinched my nose firmly.
“Loosen your cheeks and lips.”
With one hand kneading my cheeks and the other lightly raising my lips, she said.
“Hmm, when you do this, you’re quite cute. Well, cute is cute, but we still have to do what we need to do.”
Then, with a gentle smile.
Smack!
“Ugh…!”
She delivered a flick packed with magic to my empty forehead.
“Get up, you brat.”
“Ah, ugh…”
“One, two, three.”
Smack!
“Gah…!”
My head throbbed. A pain invasive enough to shake my brain reverberated throughout my body.
“Oh, come on? Not getting up?”
“Hick, sniff… it hurts too much…”
Though tears welled from the unexpected shock, I stubbornly forced myself to look up.
Then, Frey’s face crumpled like an ogre, and she clenched her fists tightly.
“Are you crying? Are you crying?! You should definitely be grateful you met Cartia. If it were me, I would…”
“Yikes…”
Shivers went down my spine at her threatening tone, but I felt a slight release as I caught her last word.
“Tsk, I have so much to say, but… I guess I have to leave that for someone else.”
“Someone else…?”
At the same time.
“Then, I’ll graciously accept the baton.”
Thud – I heard a familiar step.
“Noah, what are you doing? Are you crying again?”
A refreshing breeze blew.
Gentle droplets enveloped my body, and warm light gripped my somewhat cold hands.
“Ser…”
“Yes, it is I. Noah, your friend. Ser.”
I hastily got up and fervently checked Ser’s body, examining her condition.
“I-Is your body… alright?”
“Yes. I’m fine. But, is it okay for you to grope another woman’s body just because Rubia isn’t here?”
“N-no… that’s not…”
“What’s not? Is it that you want my body even if you don’t love me? Well, I can see why you would think that. After all, there are many things missing in Noah. Besides, I believe my body is perfect in its own right. My chest is in proportion to my body, unlike Rubia’s abnormally large chest. Though, Rubia’s might feel better to touch, I’m confident about my shape and color. How about it, want to take a look?”
“W-what… are you talking about…?!”
Startled by Ser’s almost delirious words, I quickly covered her mouth.
Then, chuckling softly, Ser carefully lowered my hand and bowed her torso.
“So, how’s the condition of your body?”
“I-It’s fine.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Swish – Ser’s finger gently brushed up my philtrum.
“Why are you dripping snot everywhere? So clumsily. How can you keep up with someone as brilliant as me?”
“Ugh… it’s not snot…”
“Not? If my friend wants to, always be bold and fabulous whenever and wherever you are.”
Thump – Ser’s forehead lightly bumped against my head.
“Don’t just sit there pitifully like before.”
Ser’s flowing hair brushed against my cheek. Leaving a small ache on my crown, she turned her gaze to the bracelet, feather, and small ember in my hand.
After a brief moment, her lips quivered as she chose her words, before speaking slowly.
“…Noah, I cannot know your pain or suffering. The depth of emotions that people feel differs, as does the threshold. Therefore, I cannot empathize. It’s arrogant and unpleasant to assume to understand someone’s feelings without knowing them fully. So, having lived a different life from Noah, I cannot comprehend or sympathize with you now. However—”
Ser’s gaze lifted.
“I dare to say this: Noah, you cannot crumble here. Naturally, you must not break.”
Beyond me, past Frey and Carpen.
Towards the sky that Cartia opened.
“Such actions would be a disgrace to Lady Cartia.”
So,
“Lift your head. Rise from your seat and face this damned world. And be proud. The one who opened the sky, Cartia who defied the god, is ‘your teacher.’ She believed in you, entrusted everything to you. Forever remember it, cherish it, and upon boldly moving forward—”
Thud – Turning her back, Ser spoke in a slightly subdued voice.
“Become the protagonist of the story that is about to begin anew.”
Then, she grasped the roots of Yggdrasil that appeared in the air. Simultaneously, a rough sound erupted as the roots were pulled out, transforming into a brief wand in Ser’s hand.
“If you, Noah, wish for it and act accordingly—”
Ser’s hand waved through the air.
A magic circle.
What she drew was a magic circle.
Not one drawn with the power of spirits, but a magic circle made entirely of true magical power.
“I, the genius Ser, will be the cornerstone of that story.”
The wand of Yggdrasil pierced the center of the magic circle. From that point, a massive ripple swept across the world.
At the same time.
Crack.
The opened sky split apart.
Boom—
Between me and Ser.
“It’s been a while.”
A familiar great sword was thrust into the ground.
