Volume 1 Chapter 109 Pray, Just Keep Praying
"Apologize, Ark! Right now!"
I can hear Merletta urging me again, for what feels like the hundredth time.
I have made up my mind to never obey her words.
As soon as Lulue, who has transformed into a black dragon, lands, I run towards it.
I have no choice but to engage in close combat while it's still on the ground. I am aware that I need to close the distance before it can fly again.
I dodge it front paw, which is about to stomp on me, by running straight ahead and swing my sword at its hind leg. But I can only shatter one of its thick scales, I can't inflict any significant damage.
'Grrrooarrrr!'
Lulue thrashes around like a mad beast. I manage to defend myself with my sword while retreating.
Time is running out.
In the air a little further away, Ragius and Albain are fighting. If Ragius loses, I will have to face both Iria and Albain at the same time, and my chances of winning will be almost nonexistent. I must settle this before the worst-case scenario unfolds.
"Please just die already, Iria."
I raised my sword again and spoke honestly.
She surely didn't want things to turn out like this.
Iria drew her bow and shot an arrow. But strangely, the arrow pierced the ground in the wrong direction.
"...?"
——Why did it miss?
Could it be that she could hear my voice?
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, Lulue immediately began to gather its magic power.
"I won't let you!"
I leaped and swung my sword towards Lulue's head. I couldn't cut it off, but I should be able to control the direction.
As soon as Lulue's head lowered, a shockwave was released.
Lulue's shockwave dissolved and broke through the floor.
The ground trembled. The entire plaza started to crumble from that one strike.
This is bad. If this continues, I'll eventually lose my footing.
No, let's calm down.
There must be some way to overcome this situation.
Come to think of it, there's something I find a little strange about the battle.
Lulue hasn't tried to fly at all since then.
Even though it could maintain an advantage by fighting while airborne, why does it choose not to?
Is there a reason for it?
If there's something it would have trouble with when flying... no, what could it be?
——Could it be that it's protecting the king and princess?
If Lulue and Iria under some kind of mental manipulation, they would be following some kind of command. If that command is to protect the two of them, then it would make sense.
If Lulue were to fly, the two of them would be defenseless. That's why they can't separate from them.
If this speculation is correct, then there would be no need to create an opening in the first place. I should be able to cast magic without leaving any gaps.
"Iria, can you hear me?"
Calling out again, an arrow was released.
It missed again.
I recognized this strange movement.
Just as I tried to kill Fatina, Iria also seemed to resist with her own mental strength.
"I can't save you, but I can set you free."
Lulue stopped the attack and deployed a magical defense.
It's as if it sensed what I was about to do. And it seems like it's protecting Iria, her master.
Lulue... are you still trying to help her even in that state?
But only one of us can survive. I can't afford to lose.
I point my sword towards Lulue.
"Oblivion, devour everything and return to nothingness."
──Activating Quadruple.
"(Ruin)"
When the incantation was complete, the surroundings suddenly plunged into darkness.
Not just dim, but pitch black.
The rain, the wind, the flames, even King Ragius and the others fighting—everything vanished. Only Lulue, Iria, and I remained in this space.
I opened my status.
My health and magic power were decreasing at an alarming rate. Judging by the numbers, they would soon be depleted.
Slowly emerging from the darkness was the reaper that appears when using Ruin── it was larger than ever before, far surpassing Lulue in size. It had six arms instead of a scythe. It seemed to be more than a mere quadruple strike from 'Quadruple,' something different altogether.
The bones in the arm extended towards Lulue all at once. They enveloped the magic defense that had been deployed from all sides, grasping and crushing it, attempting to shatter it.
Crackling sparks scattered like fireworks, each time causing cracks to appear in the barrier.
'Ggrrroooarrr!!!'
A painful cry echoed through the space. It was Lulue's agony.
"Cough!"
In the midst of this, a sharp pain ran through the body and caused vomiting blood. My field of vision began to distort.
It was now a matter of whose life would be lost first. Keep consciousness firmly.
If I lose consciousness, this spell will likely be undone.
"Guh...! Arrrgghhhh!!"
Iria threw away her bow and held down the helmet she was wearing with both hands.
It seemed like she was enduring the pain. This didn't happen during their previous battle. Perhaps the terrifying magic's enhancement had changed the way she was connected to Lulue, and maybe the manipulator had also shared sensations.
Don't resist anymore.
I remember when I talked to Iria at Trasverum. It's getting harder and harder to hear her voice.
As if in response to my wish, the barrier was finally completely destroyed with a loud crash.
──Thank you.
In the midst of the flash of light, I felt like I heard those words overlapping from somewhere.
"Haaa... haaa..."
Colors return to the surroundings.
It was the square where I was just a moment ago. The strange space created by "Ruin" has completely disappeared.
Lulue's body swayed and then fell sideways.
Iria's body was thrown out, and her helmet fell with a clattering sound. Her long hair, once beautiful and blue, is now completely black.
There was no longer anyone or anything moving in the rain.
'You've unlocked a new ability by defeating a special monster.'
A new message appeared, but I quickly dismissed it.
I didn't want to see it.
By absorbing Lulue's soul, my energy was restored. Without hesitation, I ran towards the king and princess who were in the back.
"I don't know what you did, but it seems like I lost."
The two didn't resist. The princess smiled fearlessly, and the king looked at me with cloudy eyes.
"That's right."
"Well, then you should just kill me. That would make you satisfied, right?"
With a smile, Merletta spread her arms. It didn't seem like a trap of any kind.
So, without hesitation, I thrust my blade into her chest.
"Ugh...!"
As I pulled out the sword, Merletta groaned and collapsed on the spot.
Her red dress was slowly stained with blood. She was still breathing, but if left alone, she would die like this.
"Maybe it was impossible for me after all."
The king murmured softly, standing dumbfounded.
I kicked his body with all his might.
The man who was once the king of Cretia was blown out of the arena without uttering a single word, falling down.
It was an unbelievably abrupt ending. Still, it might have been better than begging for his life.
"...It's over, Fatina."
Finally, our journey, which had become distorted, was set right.
Because of this distortion, both Fatina and Leanne lost their lives.
There was nothing left for me anymore. Only an unbearable emptiness settled in the depths of my heart.
"Ark! Use the key! Hurry!"
Ragius' voice could be heard. It seemed he noticed our situation.
"To have the luxury of worrying about others during a duel, Ragius."
Albain said, swinging his staff. A dark wave of magic power radiated in a straight line. Ragius defended against it with magic defense.
"Let's stop, Albain... Sharna won't be happy with this."
"Don't speak as if you know! What do you understand?"
Albain becomes furious.
This is the second time I've heard the name Sharna. I remember he said Fatina look alike. Are they both acquainted with each other?
"There's no way to save you anymore."
Ragius clasps his hands together as if praying, and a dense magic power can be felt even from here. He is planning something.
However──
"You fell for it, Ragius!"
Suddenly, Albain sneers, and the magic power disperses like mist.
Ragius freezes in mid-air as if turned into a statue, then falls to the ground.
"It was predicted that you had received the technique of time manipulation from Astal-sama. The (Hacking) was a success."
What's happening is almost impossible to understand, but I understood that Ragius messed up.
"Let's carefully analyze the magic after peeping into the memory, so──"
Slowly, the old magician descends. I am the one in his sight.
"Let's return to the original purpose."
"The original purpose...?"
"Indeed. I came here to eliminate the person with the extraordinary ability of Instant Death Magic. In other words, I came to kill you."
To kill me?
Is it because I have the skill of Instant Death Magic?
What exactly is the meaning of this skill?
"At first, being near the king was just a joke to see Ragius make a fuss, but I've been watching you since you got the key in the underground garden. I'll acknowledge the effort you put into creating a magic barrier in a short period of time, albeit incomplete. But you were just a little short... Hehehe."
I felt an ominous presence and braced myself, and Albain waved his staff.
"Wha?"
Suddenly, I felt lighter, and realized 'my right arm was missing'.
The severed arm fell to the ground. Something unseen had effortlessly sliced through to my bone.
"Darn it..."
"Now, curse your fate and die without knowing anything."
Is there no way out? Is this the end?
There are no friends to help, no one to pray to.
Still, there's no way I'm dying here.
"What!?"
As Albain let out a surprised cry, the rain suddenly stopped.
The dull gray clouds that had covered the sky seemed to move away from the square.
Even though it should be night, a calm light shone throughout the area.
Looking around, a beam of rainbow-colored light stretched towards the sky from a slightly elevated position above the square.
Standing right next to the origin of the light was Merletta.
She seemed to be holding her chest and forcing a smile, despite looking in pain.
That's right. She owned the three keys.
She threw the keys into the altar. But why would she do such a thing?
"You, Cretia woman! Once again, causing trouble!!"
An extraordinary amount of magic power gathered around Albain. However, with a snap, the staff he was holding flew into the air.
"You've lost, Albain!"
"Ragius... Are you once again interfering with me?"
Ragius, who had stood up, disrupted Albain's magic.
"So, you haven't abandoned us after all."
In the light that Ragius was staring at, there was someone.
It was hard to see clearly because of the backlight, but the shadow of someone was floating high in the sky.
"Hmm... It seems that further discussion is necessary."
Upon saying that, Albain disappeared into the darkness that suddenly appeared behind him.
Even though he was overwhelmingly dominant, did he run away? Does that mean a threat is approaching right now?
I was saved, but I couldn't calm my feelings or shake off the unease caused by various events.
What will happen next?
The key has been offered to the altar. Merletta said that the Level Cap and skills will disappear. It must have a tremendous impact on the world we live in, beyond imagination.
"...Hmm?"
Suddenly, I felt a strange sensation and looked at my body.
The fingers of my left hand were disappearing in tiny grains like sand. It was as if they were melting into the air.
"What, what is this..."
Frantically waving my arms, but instead of stopping, the disappearance continues to spread throughout my whole body.
Not just me, but Merletta and Ragius as well.
"Ark! You must remember what I said!"
Even though more than half of his body is disappearing, Ragius said.
Remember?
How can I remember anything in such a helpless situation?
Before even considering the meaning of his words, my consciousness began to scatter.
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