The magical power that was covering the space is withdrawn.
Roughly… about 30% is left.
It does seem powerful, probably because all the seals were released.
I expected around 60% to remain, but I’ve used double that amount.
The great sword in my hand disappears, and another great sword, stuck in the ground, appears.
I pulled it out and approached Tylant.
It’s hard to believe it’s still alive in such a fragmented state, but it is alive.
The flesh bits writhing and sticking together… it’s definitely alive. Ugh, gross.
I twisted my stiff body around to check my range of motion.
Not great.
I’m not sure if I can do anything with the elixir and magical power left in me, but I’ll give it a shot.
I still have some thirst left.
As I got closer, Tylant’s eye balls started rolling and looking at me.
Grrrrr- Grrrrr- Gururur-
It’s opening its mouth, but because its body is shattered, only blood bubbles are spewing out.
First, I squatted down and peeled the skin off the large bits of flesh.
After getting all the intact skin, I smashed the remaining flesh bits.
I spread them out, tore them apart, and smashed them to bits.
I crushed the heart and popped its eyeballs.
I also picked up Kalt’s sword and struck countless times to break it.
“Ha…”
Now watching the flesh bits that can’t even spit out blood bubbles and only wriggle, I took a step back.
Heart, eyes, body, catalysts.
I smashed everything so bad that resurrection is impossible, so even if the blessing activates, there’s only one possible option left.
I do feel like I’ve used it all to break Tylant’s seal.
But just in case, I made sure to finish the job.
A faint light began to rise from the scattered flesh bits.
The faint light transformed into dazzling divine power that enveloped the surroundings, starting to isolate the space.
A completely white space unfolded.
Filled with warm and radiant energy, the space was so absurd I chuckled and greeted it.
“Hello, Lilith.”
Then, a voice wrapped in malice replied.
“Who are you?”
Right now, it’s prickly, rude, and disgusting.
But it used to be warm, gentle, and lovely.
“How about we have a little chat?”
The voice of Rubia, whom I pierced through the heart with my own hands.
*
I ran unceasingly towards the place where the great sound echoed.
Not long ago, I felt ominous magical power, but now… now I feel divine power.
I don’t understand.
At the same time, uneasiness washes over me.
I shook off the oppressive pressure that was weighing down on me and ran.
Gradually, a landscape of a mountain range, completely different from what I knew, unfolds.
The scenery of a ruined world.
The mess caused by the fight with Kalt was like child’s play compared to the devastation around.
Everything except the sky was ash grey.
The orange-tinted autumn leaves.
Along with them, the rocks that emitted the same atmosphere.
The ground, which should have been white with snow.
Blood scattered thickly.
Everything, without exception, was ash grey.
And in the center of that ash grey.
A being that had a different color stood out.
Noah.
I ran.
My legs gave out, and I fell.
Fell and rolled awkwardly.
But I kept running.
“Noah…!”
I sprinted while calling Noah’s name.
But she sat there blankly, staring at the sky, seemingly not hearing me.
I could see Noah clearly.
She became vivid.
There are no injuries.
Her clothes are stained with blood… but why is there not a single wound?
Potion? But there are no scars either.
Is it not Noah’s blood?
I get closer.
She has no visible emotion, her expression is blank.
I see her vacant eyes.
I can hear her breathing.
My pace slowly slows.
I stop in my tracks.
With a heavy, drooping hand, I slowly raise it.
At that moment, Noah’s face gradually turns towards me.
“Uh, Rubia?”
A smile blooms on her previously emotionless face.
Her dulled gaze brightens.
The Noah I do not know.
Noah.
Is looking at me.
It’s certain.
It’s not Noah.
It’s Noah… but it’s not Noah.
There are so many things I need to ask.
So many things I want to ask.
I want to hold her right now, to smell her scent.
I want to stroke her cute little head.
I want to give her the jelly I brought in my pocket.
But… first.
“Can I call you Noah…?”
“Uh?”
Noah’s eyes widened at my question.
She stared blankly for a while, then nodded her head with difficulty.
“Yeah… you can call me Noah.”
“I see…”
I don’t know how to treat her.
The atmosphere she’s giving off is so different.
Her expression, her gaze, her laughter.
The Noah I knew cannot be found.
If it were the Noah I knew, I would have embraced her right now, smelling her hair while patting her head and feeding her the jelly simultaneously.
It’s hard to speak carelessly.
Why can I see her in front of me?
What has happened to the Noah I knew?
Is this, right now, the true Noah?
If it’s not… what will happen to the current Noah when the real Noah comes back?
If it is… then how on earth should I act?
I cannot ask.
Because I fear the answer I want won’t come back.
Because I worry Noah might get hurt.
Because I might… find it too hard.
“Um… Rubia.”
“… Yes?”
I must have lowered my head without realizing it.
Slowly lifting my head, I see Noah holding the white fur with a wry smile.
“This is Tylant’s skin, you know? If you make a coat out of this, it’s really warm, you know? You can get through winter just wearing this. Ah… Well, of course, Rubia will keep ‘me’ warm with divine power too… but there’s really no need to say—”
She doesn’t stumble over her words anymore.
She doesn’t speak formally.
Her voice carries strength.
“Ahem! Anyway, let’s wear it together. You can sell it if you don’t need it… the material is good, so you can get a lot of money for it. I also planned to keep some materials like teeth or claws… um, that’s too bad.”
But.
Her hands are trembling.
Her voice is shaking.
She can’t look me in the eye.
Guilt is etched on her face.
Following Noah’s gaze, I finally see a pond made of blood with floating flesh bits.
Not a puddle, but a pond.
So… is that Tylant?
“Is that Tylant’s corpse…?”
“Yep.”
“Did Noah catch it alone…?”
“Yep.”
“How…?”
Her too cheerful answer makes me curious about the expression she’s making, so I turn my head.
“Did I do well?”
She’s just smiling brightly.
“It’s Tylant.”
“Right?”
“The master… only managed to seal it.”
“Yeah.”
“Also… it seems several seals were released.”
“All of them released.”
“… All?”
“Rubia.”
“Yes…?”
“We don’t have much time, so let’s go down. I’ll explain in detail while we eat.”
Suddenly, Noah stood up and took my hand, pulling me along.
My body, pulled up weakly, began to stagger after her.
“Oh right, let’s recover the fragments first. Is the central guild going to take this? If so, then there’s nothing we can do. We can get strong enough without this stuff anyway.”
Noah, who was stirring the blood water, smiled brightly as she raised her hand.
Strangely, not a drop of blood was on her clean hand.
And in that clean hand, she held a blue fragment.
“Ta-da.”
“Is this Tylant’s fragment…?”
“Yep. Just taking this should be enough for them to acknowledge I defeated Tylant.”
Noah examined the fragment carefully before putting it in her pocket and taking my hand again.
“Let’s go.”
And she walked forward with a bright smile.
In that smile, still.
There was no happiness.
*
“Wow!”
Noah’s face lit up with a big smile upon seeing the jelly I had stored.
“Can I eat all of this?”
“Of course.”
“Really…? You’re not saving this for someone else?”
Does she understand what that question means?
Does she realize how frustrated I feel because of it?
“It’s all for Noah.”
Noah tilted her head for a moment, then nodded and stuffed the jelly into her mouth in a fistful.
“Umm! Yummy!”
Her expression while enjoying the jelly was the same as before.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“There’s no place that’s open right now… isn’t Revuze bringing food?”
“Well, yes, but… you said it would take quite a while.”
“Hmm. It’s fine. I’m just filling up on jelly.”
Every time she chews the jelly, her hair flutters the same way.
Watching her like that makes me feel a bit.
Just a bit more at ease.
“By the way, Rubia. The festival will have fireworks and lots of delicious food, right?”
Noah swallowed a jelly and asked, looking at me.
“Right?”
The festival.
As soon as we came down from Karahan, I briefed Revuze on the situation…
She cried and immediately bowed down to the ground, pleading for me to make sure the main character, Noah, can participate in the festival by spending her entire fortune.
After that, so many things happened.
In conclusion, they said they would hold a festival in Ursphere.
A grand one.
They’ll be holding a festival every year to commemorate today.
“There will be all sorts of accessories for sale. And lots of clothes too.”
“Seems likely…”
“But the highlight will be the fireworks. The fireworks… will be super colorful, right? Noisy and crowded… especially since they explode in the night sky, it will be even more dazzling. And many couples will form during it, right? You know how it is; you suddenly feel confident and like everything will go well… that feeling.”
“… Yes.”
“Sounds fun.”
She’s not showing an expression of excitement.
Though she’s smiling, it’s not a true smile.
She’s looking at me, but it’s as if she’s not seeing me.
She’s not expressing joy.
She’s not feeling happiness.
“Did you say it’s in two days?”
I nod quietly.
“I see.”
Noah, who was looking out the window, turns to me.
“I really want to see the fireworks.”
Beneath her faint smile.
There was regret.
