Chapter 411
Chapter 411
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 411
Chapter Title: 2-34. Incomprehensible
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The sphere scattered, revealing the night sky.
The sea of stars that had been hidden unfurled above his head.
Akasha's body, having lost its momentum, began to plummet.
Blood sprayed from the severed surface, staining the heavens.
『...■.』
Cracks spiderwebbed across the monster's mask once more.
This time, it wasn't shaped like a smile.
A mechanical roar from hell's machinery erupted in a deafening bellow.
『■■■■ ■■■!!』
It was probably a scream, he figured.
The hellish mechanical roar sounded sweeter to him than any lullaby.
He bit his tongue to steady his mind.
Having expended too much power, his consciousness was fading.
"Not... yet..."
Failing to sever its neck had been a mistake.
Whatever it took, he had to end it this time.
The miracle that granted wishes had long since left his body.
Boom!
He swung his sword across his chest, triggering an explosion.
It was a crude midair maneuver, but he had no other options.
His endlessly ascending body now plunged toward Akasha.
"Die right here!"
The world flipped upside down.
He gripped the hilt with both hands, preparing his final strike.
Suddenly, Akasha extended its right arm.
『■■!』
"Guh?!"
He reflexively assumed a defensive stance.
But this time, it wasn't an attack.
Akasha's index and middle fingers were crossed.
A gesture he'd never seen before.
At that moment, the rain of Akasha's blood halted in midair.
'The blood?'
It was just like Sita's ability.
The suspended droplets of blood began converging all at once.
Beneath the falling Akasha's back, a long red line appeared.
The instant he untwisted his fingers—
Shwaaaaa!
The line split open like jaws, revealing a massive rift.
"What the...!"
This rift felt utterly different from any before.
Within the mana storm raging inside stretched a narrow, elongated path.
At the path's end gleamed another identical rift, beyond which a sunlit meadow sprawled.
'Parallel world.'
Deducing the situation was simple enough.
This rift was a dimensional gate to the next parallel world.
Akasha, cornered by death, was trying to flee.
"Like hell."
He couldn't allow that.
Even now, the distance between them was closing rapidly.
Just twenty paces away.
As he gripped the hilt, the blade glowed red.
Kaboom!
Accelerating with another explosion, he swung his sword.
"Stand still, you bastard!"
The scenery blurred.
His speed was enough to crush his eyeballs.
The sword, trailing a red tail, was about to tear into Akasha's neck—
『■■■■!!』
"What."
In a desperate flail, both its arms spread wide.
Four more cracks split the smooth mask.
Arrayed in a circle around the center, each resembled an eye.
Even the original mouth-like crack had shifted into a pupil.
With sclera and iris inverted, it was utterly eerie.
"Ugh...!"
Five eyeballs glared at him.
Five reflections of his face rippled across five retinas.
For a split second, his head spun.
Kwaaaaaang—!!!
A powerful repulsion erupted centered on Akasha.
"Graaak!"
The blade digging into its neck bounced away.
His body flew backward as if struck by an iron orb.
In the end, the rift swallowed Akasha whole.
A rage-filled roar tore from deep in his throat.
"Fuck!!"
It had been by a hair's breadth.
There was nothing more he could do.
Having wrung out every last drop of strength, even his body had none left.
His parabolic flight began a slow descent.
"Come out, you dog! You call yourself a calamity?!"
No matter how he shouted, Akasha gave no reply.
He'd ultimately let it escape.
His falling body tore through the energy layer and emerged.
The sphere was gone, but the night sky remained a cauldron of frenzy.
Fire, shadows—colors exploding from Seniel's destruction swirled like a storm.
'Is that okay?'
Sweat beaded his palms.
The sight was overwhelmingly oppressive just to behold.
Honestly, it felt like he shouldn't leave it alone, but he had no idea how to intervene.
He was starting to adapt to the falling sensation.
Suddenly, a thunderous shout echoed from below.
"Muuu—waaaah!"
A familiar kiai.
The moment he turned his head—
A massive bulk seized his nape.
"Gek!"
No time to complain about the chokehold.
It tucked him under its arm and plummeted to the ground.
Kwaaaang!
A massive boom erupted on impact.
"Keurgh!"
The bulk that tossed him aside sprawled flat.
A modest deer antler protruded from the head of the spread-eagled giant.
Its severed left arm was tightly bandaged.
He scrambled up and rushed over.
"Holy shit, you okay?"
"No way I'm... gasp... okay..."
Fantasion panted heavily.
Just staying alive in that state was a miracle.
He looked far worse than right after getting pummeled by Akasha.
Blood frothed at his smiling lips.
To leap that high in such condition—what a mad bastard.
"Thanks anyway. Where's Orse? Why'd you come?"
"That demon dragon... huff... is busy right now."
"Busy?"
"Yeah... over there..."
Fantasion nodded toward his back.
Come to think of it, it wasn't just Orse missing.
Most of the resistance, who should have gathered on the ground, had vanished somewhere.
He turned and froze in place.
"What the..."
Not far from headquarters lay Navardoje, collapsed.
Prostrate, she resembled not a living being but a crimson mountain.
The resistance huddled around her head, sobbing.
"Hic! Lady Navardoje...!"
"You can't go like this. Pull yourself together, please?"
They sounded like they were encouraging a patient on their deathbed.
The vibe was terrible.
Orse, returned to his true form, breathed fire over her body.
【Gasp... Damn it, wake up!】
Dark red flames enveloped Navardoje's form.
Her scales repeatedly heated and cooled on contact.
He realized it was akin to artificial respiration.
【After that brat pulled it off, you think you're just gonna leave like this!? Open your eyes!】
Orse roared.
Even fiercer flames poured over Navardoje.
Her scales glimmered beautifully, but her sealed eyelids refused to lift.
"Big sis."
He staggered toward her.
Fantasion, about to speak, collapsed in exhaustion.
The people spotting him gasped, hands over mouths.
"My god, Lord Ronan!"
"Thank goodness you're safe! But your body...!"
The crowd parted.
Healers rushed over in a swarm.
His gaze fixed on Navardoje, he shook his head.
"I'm fine. What happened to Lady Navardoje...?"
"Sob, she hasn't woken since the battle with that mage. No visible injuries, yet... Lord Orse barely caught her fall...!"
An elderly elf wiped tears.
He explained how Orse, staking everything, had caught Navardoje's body.
Drawing out all remaining power, Orse performed a miracle—like a five-year-old lifting an armored warhorse.
But Navardoje remained silent.
Her ever-gentle eyes were hidden beneath heavy lids.
He didn't know the issue, but Akasha was likely culprit.
She'd closed her eyes falling from the sphere.
Gazing at her, he clutched his forehead.
"...No."
This wasn't right.
His own state was dire, but that didn't matter now.
With Seniel shattered and Navardoje dying, it was all over.
He drew his sword and slashed his forearm.
Red blood gushed out.
"L-Lord Ronan?!"
"Kyaa!"
People cried out in shock.
Ignoring them, he approached Navardoje.
His blood wasn't a panacea, but he had to try everything.
One of her teeth was nearly man-sized.
As he poured blood into her mouth—
Krummmble...!
Suddenly, an ominous boom resounded from high in the sky.
"Kyaak!"
"Hiiik! Wh-what?!"
This was no sound to ignore.
Everyone, including him, looked up simultaneously.
The lingering energy in the air converged in one spot.
"What the hell is that."
The vortex blanketing the night sky was ominous.
The power's flow churned chaotically, forming another sphere.
Far smaller than Akasha's, but its density was incomparable.
Black, red, green, blue, and golden particles intertwined, flickering.
What insane bullshit was about to happen?
Gripping his hilt, ready for anything—
The sluggish coalescence accelerated wildly.
The particles blotting the sky vanished in an instant.
The moment stars cleared in the open sky—
Fwaaaaa—!
The sphere detonated massively, sending radiant waves across the world.
"Gwaaaah!"
【What.】
The world brightened.
The waves consisted of the sphere's multicolored particles.
The bizarre particles spread everywhere, transforming all they touched.
Grass and flowers sprouted on barren earth.
Frost-covered soil turned fertile enough for immediate crops.
Churning muddy seas cleared instantly.
Less than a minute, and everything regained vitality.
Someone, staring at the horizon in awe, leaped up shouting.
"L-look! Humpback whales!"
"That's impossible... Huh?"
People turned.
In response, three humpbacks breached the sea surface in formation.
Astoundment etched every face.
Just this morning, not a single sardine swam there.
"Schools of fish...!"
The humpbacks chased schools of other fish.
Species once common but extinct after giants conquered the stars.
The miracle didn't end there.
Beyond inland mountains, hundreds of white gulls took flight.
"Life..."
Exclamations rose from the crowd again.
Like everyone else, he stood frozen, watching the world revive.
Unbelievable.
No matter how much power poured into Seniel, life never returned.
The excitement hadn't even faded.
Navardoje, silent till now, twitched like a waking child.
【......Ah.】
【Na-Navardoje?!】
Orse gasped.
A change no amount of fire had provoked.
At last, Navardoje opened her eyes.
Her large, clear crimson irises held no pain or fatigue.
Scanning around, her gaze locked on him.
【Ronan.】
Speechless, he stepped back hesitantly.
Suddenly, she closed her eyes.
Her massive body dissolved in light.
Fwaaa...!
In the empty clearing, Navardoje appeared in human form.
"...Ugh."
"Big sis!"
He supported her staggering frame.
Not a scratch marred Navardoje's body.
Leaning on him, she smiled with her eyes.
"Yeah, thanks."
"You okay?"
"Yeah... as you see."
"Haaa... Thank god. You scared me."
He sighed in relief, patting his chest.
When she wouldn't wake, he'd thought it was over.
Pointing to the fish-filled sea, he spoke.
"Anyway, pulling off something like this? Incredible. How?"
"......I did nothing."
"Huh?"
"I can't comprehend it. That mage..."
Navardoje murmured, stroking her hair in confusion.
A expression he'd never seen.
"Ronan."
"Listening."
She stopped muttering and gripped his hand tightly.
"Chase Akasha. Right now."