Book 15 Chapter 19

On the ruins of that day,

Arch-Nemesis of Fate (5)

In the Empire's magical system, 5-star magic is commonly understood as 'a power that can completely alter the terrain of an entire area.'

'That brat…'

Earthbound Reversal Realm (地縛反塵界).

'The Earthbound Reversal Realm, with the remnants of the collapsed prison…!'

This 5-star magic is a spell that envelops the target in an entire area of land, and its use in protected zones was forbidden due to the significant distortion of the terrain it caused.

'He's casting a 5-star spell with seven hand seals…!'

Zernix, who instantly nullified the obstacles that covered him in vast darkness with a spatiotemporal spell, had to momentarily teleport his body upwards.

It was a clear threat (威脅).

Evading the hero who repeatedly pressed forward with the tip of his holy sword, Zernix, finding no space to dodge, ascended higher, higher, and even higher, while Rista fiercely pursued him, kicking off the outer wall.

'For Osarius's rosary to awaken in that kid's hands…'

He must be eliminated. Before he becomes a greater threat, his bud must be cut here.

It was an instinctive hunch.

Malice (殺意) stemming from jealousy. And at the same time, fear born from past experience.

'Even if he has awakened Osarius's rosary, my skill in wielding magic is still overwhelmingly superior.'

Exchanging attacks and defenses with Rista, Zernix, who had by then escaped the prison ruins and burst into the skies above <Ikegrade>, thought.

'A hero who seems to transcend time itself, and a shrine maiden who freely controls flames.'

If I just abandon those two, making this puppet and that kid annihilate each other will be no big deal.

'The parallel line barrier is still effective, except for that brat's attack.'

I'll block the holy sword and the witch's fire with this barrier, and then focus offensive magic on him to kill him.

Magic circle construction, 5-star.

Strange Whirlpool (奇警流渦).

A storm of virulent energy, fiercely roaring in blackish-purple and raging.

Originally, poison applies to physical objects, whether organic or inorganic.

However, this storm, with geometric singularities applied by Zernix, melted and made the very concept of space scream.

'That kid has no spell to break through this magic. If so, all he can do is support.'

But suddenly, a realization came… that even such a thought… was happening… so… slowly…

Had I… overused… this puppet's… brain… so much… that my thoughts… had slowed down…?

No… the speed of the… magic square… rotating… on my palm… is also strange… The world, the world… has become… too fast…

'Could this power be a psalm? Since when?'

The power of the Detailed Psalm is to restrain beings that go against providence. In summary, it can be called area-of-effect deceleration.

The Psalm scroll majestically unfurled around Friede, who was looking up at Zernix and chanting a holy word, brilliantly shimmering.

Zernix, thus slowed, anticipated the hero's sudden attack. He raised all his magic power for defense, but the hero did not come.

"I am Rista Alter Shirphan."

He merely held his sword in a reverse grip, horizontally, and placed Zernix on the trajectory of that horizontally-held blade.

"I wish for the entire land to be filled with true laughter."

The Sword's Prayer (祈願).

A command to the holy sword to materialize the chosen hero's wish as a clear form of power.

'That, that must be avoided.'

The holy sword is a power that punishes evil (魔).

If struck directly by that, both Forbidden-type Orbios… that is, the puppet connected by runes corrupted by the abyss, and the main body, will suffer immense damage.

'If I can't avoid it, I need at least enough time to break the possession spell from this puppet.'

Then, a cold, chilling, terrifying, fierce… sensation ran down his spine.

Déjà vu (旣視感).

It was not because of the holy sword blazing in the hero's grip, nor because of the psalm binding spirit and flesh with invisible chains.

'I give up on defense.'

That kid's eyes.

It was because of that kid's eyes.

'Kill him.'

It was a state of selflessness (無我). Eyes that forgot their own existence and advanced into a distant world unreachable by ordinary people, a state of ecstasy (無我之境). The eyes that old geezer had shown then.

"Osarius-style Hand Seal, 5-star."

Lightning (電).

Field (場).

Throw (投).

Fall (落).

Flash (閃).

"Secret Art, Thunder Field Defense (奧義 : 雷場防穴)."

Reverently, quietly, beautifully, as if a single brush was embroidering the world… the feast of light forming on his hands surged into the sky, creating a heaven-flash (天閃).

"First Thunder (第一雷)."

Zernix's wave of virulent energy, condensed in a form most suitable for slaughter, was annihilated by the thunderbolt that tore through the sky in a golden light.

"Second Thunder (第二雷)."

Following that, the second.

Originally, magic is an exchange between opponents, and immediately after one spell clashes, both sides need time to prepare a new spell.

Minimizing this time is the core of archmage combat, but this thunderbolt had virtually no interval.

'The reason I felt déjà vu was…'

That absurd, continuous surge of power instantly and perfectly nullified Zernix's defensive spells and barriers.

'Was it because of the helplessness of being overwhelmed by casting speed, just like when I fought that old man back then?'

However, even if the parallel line barrier hadn't been nullified, everything would have been over the moment it was directly struck by the wave of transcendent (超越的) power that surged in the next instant.

"Time-Space Annihilation (時空殲)!"

Cracks spread over the peaks of the mountain ranges, stretching out like a folding screen.

[Wait…]

As a child playfully tears a piece of paper, as a child playfully breaks a toy.

[You, you three…!]

A power too irrational and unrealistic for the world to accept tore a rift in providence itself.

[I will come, to kill you… myself!]

As providence swiftly repaired the rift that had opened for an instant, what was placed upon it… that is, the man with his mouth agape as if mad, vanished from this world itself along with the rift.

* * *

"Whew…"

Rin sank to the ground, feeling a pain like her shoulder blades were being sharply scraped with a chisel.

Was that all?

Side effects from excessive use of magic led to rapid expansion of blood vessels, causing blood to flow from her nose and mouth.

"Heh, hehe, hehehehe…"

But why? Why was only laughter coming out? How could it be so exhilarating?

Because she succeeded in her revenge?

In fact, revenge was only a little more exhilarating than expected, and only emptiness remained.

"Hahaha, hehe, hahahahaha…!"

However, she had finally completed it. The secret art of thunder magic she had dreamed of since childhood, Thunder Field Defense.

The top item on her [Strongest Mage Bucket List] was [Me, shouting "Secret Art, Thunder Field Defense" in front of a powerful enemy].

She decided to forgive Ken Serman for allowing her to complete that bucket list in such a perfect situation.

And honestly, it was also a bit pitiful that the young master of a noble family had become a 'cool older brother'.

"It's all thanks to you."

The rosary, its task finished, had somehow returned to its original form, wrapped around her hand.

Whatever happened, this power is incredible. The greatest hand seal magic has been completed!

To be honest, it's not yet complete.

Because she couldn't even dare to use the source rune Thunder (雷) as 5-star magic, she had to compromise with Lightning (電).

"Kyutkyutkyut, kyutkyut, kyutkyutkyutkyutkyut…!"

Just then, seeing Sval laughing slyly along with her from her embrace, a strange feeling surged within her.

What?

Why did this guy get so small? Seriously, I don't know. That's when it happened.

"Rin, Riiiiiiiiin!"

Instantly, a pain like her heart was about to burst shot through her.

This was not a metaphorical expression; she genuinely feared that all her ribs were breaking and her heart would burst.

Rista hugged Rin tightly with a power mightier than a polar bear in the snow mountains, and if Rin's childhood saying, 'gorillas tear people apart,' had actually come true, this might have been her end.

"I thought you were dead, I thought you were dead, so I was really, so sad, and hurt, and scared, but how are you alive? How are you perfectly fine like this? Huh? Huh? Sorry, I need to blow my nose. *Snoooort*!"

"Crazy, stop it! Ugh, gross! Don't blow your nose! Help! Folks, the hero is killing the strongest mage with snot!"

"Alright! Then I'll blow it on Sval, *Snoooort*! *Sniff, sniff*!"

"Kyoooooooot?!"

Friede, watching from behind, let out a hollow laugh.

Where had that earlier appearance gone, the one that made even herself, a comrade, writhe in murderous intent (殺氣)…

However, the relief that came with the release of the taut tension didn't feel strange.

'Did that guy, my master's enemy, really end like this? Something feels too empty.'

And he seemed to have said he would return… but how on earth could he return?

'Does he mean he'll revive?'

How?

Does he have another comrade who can revive him by borrowing the power of the abyss?

'Is there someone who can revive such a powerful being?'

In the midst of her unresolved thoughts, that's when she took her pipe to her mouth.

"Sister."

"Sister, sister, sister."

Instantly, Friede was startled.

It wasn't just a voice. It was a gesture, a reality she had to accept but didn't want to and couldn't, a hand placed on her shoulder.

Maturely, like an older sister, like a shrine maiden, Friede, who repeated these words to herself like a hypnotist, turned around with her pipe in her mouth.

"You know, all of us… now that the hallucination is gone, our memories have returned."

"Really?"

"I'm sorry, sister… somehow… I lingered at the gate they call heaven, with lingering regrets, and the abyss whispered from behind. It said it would let me meet you again, so I… I came back, even though I knew I shouldn't."

One by one, then another…

Friede's family members were crumbling into corrupt mud.

Humans are made of earth, so when they die, they return to earth, but those corrupted by the abyss become such rotten mud.

"No, no, what, what, don't go. Pipi is here."

Pipi, unable to understand the situation, flapped her wings frantically and whined mournfully in front of the people who had turned into mud.

"I wanted to see you and Pipi again… but I, we all, just wanted to tell you. That what happened to us… wasn't your fault."

"……"

"Friede, you always lived tied down here because of us. Even when Lady Alraza adopted you and falsified your family register to show you as a noble lady raised in <Aurelinople>. But because you kept lingering here, bad rumors circulated, saying 'isn't she really a child of the prison'…"

It felt as if she was swimming in a dream.

Connections severed in a time that originally couldn't be joined, a time when they couldn't reach or meet each other…

Was this moment, which allowed them to face each other for even a fleeting instant, the will of Creation, that even the schemes of evil ultimately bring about good?

"Don't pay attention to such rumors! What's wrong with living proudly without caring about what others think? And it's not a rumor, it's a fact."

Even as she shouted that, her family members disappeared one by one. All of them were smiling at Friede.

"You always did your best only for us, thinking you owed us something. I, we, now wish you would live your own life."

"What are you talking about…"

"The reason I supported the former witch here was for that very reason… but you always only thought of us, so it was a bit frustrating, but now I feel a sense of relief."

Mina stepped forward.

The number of remaining family members was small now. Already, everyone seemed to have entrusted their words to Mina.

"Representing all the families of <Ikegrade>, I, Mina, the Witch of Flower Language, ask a favor of Lady Friede, the Shrine Maiden of the Fire Dragon."

Mina looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment. But her younger sister didn't cry.

For some reason, that made her sad.

She was a child who, when happy, would be the first to hug Friede and laugh, and when sad, would cry, but now, at this moment…

"Now, Shrine Maiden, please live a life for yourself. And if you truly think of us, please live even happier, for our share."

It was truly a cruel request. An incredibly brutal request.

How could she forget all of this and live happily?

But even if it was pretense, even if it was a lie, she hoped she could see her sister off with a smile, a smile she could muster for this one moment.

"I'll spend my life charming handsome older brothers you and Master couldn't even dream of, and when I get a little tired of it… I'll come back, so don't worry."

Friede, feigning a "Hmph," turned away with her pipe in her mouth. She pulled down the brim of her conical hat to hide the tears welling in her eyes.

"Ah, ah~ Now I feel a bit relieved. Just as you said, it feels like some burdens have disappeared from my life. Now I'll live happily, charming lots of cool older brothers in the city without worrying about others' opinions."

Mina turned her gaze towards the others… her comrades who were still making a commotion.

"Such a cool hero and a cute mage are your comrades, sister, I'm so relieved, really. Pipi, please take good care of sister."

"Pipi, Pipi, don't worry. Pipi is Mina's friend."

"Yes, Mina is Pipi's friend."

Finally, the sadness of farewell receded from her sister's face, and in its empty place, the joy of relief appeared.

"I don't know what judgment I'll face, but it was good that I came back…"

With that, Mina's head also crumbled into mud, and Pipi, who had been sitting on her head, stared blankly at Friede.

What remained were a few free young men who had come up from other places to clean up the prison… and now, a family member who it was no exaggeration to say was the only one left.

It was the old man who had guided Rin and Rista here.

"Friede, it seems Mina and your friends have said everything I could say."

"Grandfather…"

"It's my job to return those mud figures to their graves. You, with your comrades, go on the journey of your life."

"No, even so…!"

"Burying family in the ground twice is not something a person should do…"

As the old man hugged Friede tightly, just as he had when she was a child, sobs escaped through Friede's gritted teeth as she closed her eyes in his embrace.

"Damn it, why, damn it, why on earth, why truly… did this happen… I, I wanted to properly, truly properly, repay everyone…"