Chapter 422
Chapter 422
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 422
Chapter Title: 2-92. Whatever You Desire
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The iron chains binding Seniel shattered.
The life force that had been flowing into Akasha was instantly released. A blindingly brilliant burst of light exploded forth, hot enough to scorch the corneas.
“Kuaaack!”
“Guhk!”
The red-haired girl screamed and curled up. The werewolf in prisoner garb couldn't endure it either and raised his arms to shield his eyes. Only the unconscious Ronan2 failed to react, his butt twitching faintly.
“Urk.”
"Good job."
Even in the midst of the chaos, my gaze drifted there. The outcome was exactly as predicted, not a single deviation.
I wanted to kick that pathetic ass right then and there, but there was no time for it now. The moment the chains broke and I landed, a counterattack came flying. A wide hole appeared in the mist of life particles.
Akasha was on the other side, pointing three fingers at me—index, middle, and ring.
Three, huh. Pushing yourself when you're already weakened.
With that thought, I moved to defend. At this weakened state, I figured I could definitely shatter the spell. Just as I predicted the trajectory and swung my sword—
Puk!
Suddenly, the shockwave split into two and slammed into my face and gut.
“Guh!”
Nausea surged up. My head snapped back, the ceiling coming into view. I felt the impact burrow into my forehead, shake my brain, and exit through the back of my skull.
I tumbled backward but managed to flip and land on my feet.
“You bastard...!”
I gritted my teeth. This was a different type of attack from before. I'd expected a single massive blast, but it caught me off guard. A mild concussion and searing pain in my abdomen clouded my mind.
“Kraaap!”
But it wasn't enough to bring me down. With a beastly roar, my wavering focus sharpened.
After getting pummeled through two parallel world trips, my durability had grown beyond imagination. My neck, bent to its limit, snapped back like a spring.
Looking straight ahead again, I let out a disbelieving chuckle.
“Not easy, huh.”
Seven holes had torn through the mist of life force above it. The same attacks were incoming on erratic trajectories. Another hit now would definitely kill or knock me out.
“But you think it'll work twice?”
Still within expectations, though. Gripping the hilt, the blade gleamed with autumn leaves.
I swung my sword through the air like a dance. Seven small sword beams shot out in different directions. Nearly simultaneous explosions erupted in midair. Small enough to slice with sword qi alone. Akasha's intercepted shockwaves dispersed harmlessly.
『■■■...!』
A voice of dismay echoed from beyond the mist.
It must have sensed how I'd changed since our last fight. I slashed widely toward the source of the sound.
Shaaa!
The mist tore vertically, revealing Akasha and Seniel.
“Knew it.”
Senieel was still held captive by Akasha despite being freed from the chains. It had jammed its grotesque, deep-sea-fish-tooth fingers into the rock, directly draining life force.
“I'll cut that arm right off!”
I declared and charged.
Akasha had no left arm left to fend me off. Its right hand yanked desperately from deep in the rock.
Shruk!
From beneath its sleeve, pitch-black chains slithered out and coiled around its right arm. The lively motion evoked a snake. Darker in color, far tougher than the metal that protected Abel.
Just as the chains and my blade were about to clash—
“Fooled you, idiot.”
『■?』
I smirked faintly. Things unfolding exactly as planned was always satisfying.
I twisted the sword's trajectory just before contact. Focusing my mind slowed time. In this world, only I and the sword I held could move at normal speed.
Faint scars remain. Definitely the same bastard.
It was a technique honed fighting the bald King in the previous parallel world.
Scanning Akasha top to bottom, I narrowed my eyes. Dozens of sword marks scarred its body, as expected.
Ronan2's handiwork. Inside the slowly fluttering cloak, its torso was wrapped in chains. Like with Abel, it had encased its entire body like armor for battle. Seemed like Akasha's own contrivance after losing its waist and left arm.
Infusing mana into chains for armor wasn't a bad idea. Even killing Abel, protected by thinner chains, had been a hassle. That Ronan2 only managed scratches meant these were insanely tough.
Deepen the scars. Strike the same spots.
No other choice for me. I pulled the hilt. The lunging blade raced through the slowed world. Dozens of slashes overlaid the previous sword marks.
Intense fatigue hit as time snapped back.
"Tch... If not for the side effects, it'd be a great technique."
『......■?!』
Akasha's eyes widened at the anomaly.
Red light seeped from the overlapped cuts. Chunks of severed chains tumbled from under its cloak.
Puuuuk!
Crimson blood spurted from the gaps in the dozens of cuts.
『■■■-!!』
Akasha wailed. Far more horrific than when its body was bisected. Blood bubbled from its three bulging eyes.
“Eat this!”
Ignoring the fatigue, I pressed the attack. An upward slash from lower left to upper right burst more blood from its chest.
Another wail. The rift to the next world flickered distantly. Gripping the hilt to finally sever its neck—
『■■■■!』
“Huh.”
Suddenly, Akasha jammed its right arm back into Seniel. Rock crumbled. A light several times fiercer than when freed from the chains erupted from Seniel.
“Kuh!”
My vision went white. A flash like a scream of agony. I thrust my sword instinctively, but stabbed only empty air. Thick life force mist billowed, obscuring even a half-step ahead.
“Damn. Needed one more hit.”
It had definitely fled through the rift. I hadn't expected to kill it here outright, but letting it escape now stung. With the next world likely the final stage, I needed to press harder. As I rushed toward where the rift had been—
Fwaaaa!
A brilliant glow burst from my coat's inner pocket.
“Ugh, why now...”
I winced reflexively. The glowing object was the Seniel fragment from the previous parallel world. Before I could reach into my pocket, the flooding life force in the hall swirled toward the fragment.
“What...!”
Like watching a storm birth. In a blink, it absorbed all the life force, its glow fading as if nothing happened. My blurred vision cleared sharply.
It felt like it was helping me—an intriguing phenomenon—but something more attention-grabbing existed.
『■...■■■.』
Akasha staggered toward the rift like it might collapse, shoving its head in.
The unfinished rift looked unstable. Without thinking, I swung. A blood-red crescent moon shot along the sword path.
Shaaa!
The sword qi severed Akasha's left leg, piercing the rift's lower edge.
“Got it.”
『■■, ■■■■!!』
I clenched my fist. A definite scream burst from beneath the mask.
The severed leg flopped to the floor. The partially destroyed rift collapsed rapidly.
Maybe I could really end it. As I kicked off with all my strength for the finishing slash—
『■■■!』
Akasha's body boiled like liquid. Its head squeezed into the rift, followed by its melting form.
“Fuck, what are you, a cat?!”
Unbelievable. My blood pressure spiked, vision spinning. I stabbed my sword into the hole where Akasha vanished. Only the faint brush of its cloak transmitted through the tip.
The rift, crumbling from the sword qi cut, vanished completely, leaving just a fist-sized patch. Escaped again.
“Argh! So close!”
In frustration, I hurled the scabbard. It bounced elastically onto Ronan2's head.
Even now, the monkey with my face was groaning senselessly. The redhead and scruffy wolf guy had face-planted, passed out.
Staring at the rift, I gripped my bangs.
Failed. Can't even fit my stuff in there, let alone my body.
Missing Akasha was bad, but this was worse. Unlike the previous world, the rift's condition was wrecked. Unless I polymorphed into a fish or snake, physically impossible to squeeze through.
Suddenly, a familiar cry from my feet.
“Pya, pyaa.”
“...What. You stayed here?”
Looking down, a marten sat with paws together, gazing up. Sita2. I extended my hand like I did with the original world's Sita; it scampered up my arm to my shoulder.
“Glad you're unhurt despite the shitshow. Better than your owner.”
“Pyuuung...”
“What do I do, Sita. Might end up unable to even swing my sword on the way back.”
I muttered with a sigh.
Sita2 alternated glances between my gloomy face and the tiny rift.
Idly reaching into my pocket, I felt the vial Sarante gave for return. Akasha's blood—sprinkle to open a rift to the original world.
As I pondered returning first—
-I barely got this. Sita did great work. Just enough to make one rift.
Sarante's words flashed through my mind.
“Wait.”
My eyes widened. I pulled out the vial. Akasha's blood sloshed inside. Something was off.
It should turn into a rift on contact with air, right?
Sarante had whined about barely obtaining it. Akasha's blood turned into dimensional rifts the instant it touched air.
But now, Akasha's blood splattered my clothes, face, and feet—several times the vial's amount. Figuring it out was easy.
I snapped my fingers.
“Right, fuck! No time to activate the magic!”
“Pyak?!”
Sita2 bristled in surprise. A tiny hope sprouted.
Sane blood wouldn't turn into a rift untouched. The rift blood had extra magic from Akasha.
I lifted the puzzled Sita2 from my shoulder with both hands.
“Sita. Need your help.”
“Pya?”
“See the blood on me and around? Gather all of it like this and bring it to that sparking hole. As fast as possible.”
“Pyuu...?”
Sita2 tilted its head. I waited calmly. If it was Sita, it'd understand.
“Pya pya.”
Sure enough, it blinked and hopped down. Circling the area, it puffed its bushy tail. Red eyes glowed, and Akasha's blood everywhere coalesced into droplets.
“Pyaaaa!”
“Shed this much and still didn't die. Tough bastard.”
Now I saw Akasha had bled massively—like juicing two men my size.
Thousands of droplets wriggled alive toward the rift. The moment Akasha's lingering mana touched them—
Shaaa!
All the blood absorbed instantly, amplifying the rift.
Big enough for a person to pass comfortably.
“Yes!”
I cheered. Thrilling like winning a long-shot gamble. My hunch to reinforce like patching worked perfectly.
Sita2 panted, tongue out, exhausted. I scooped it up and rubbed my face on its tail.
“Good job, Sita! You're the best in this parallel world!”
“Piaat?!”
It squirmed, hating the tickly whiskers. I kept rubbing anyway.
The rift's interior resembled the previous crossing. Akasha's mana blanketed to block intruders, next world's scenery shimmering afar.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled away.
"...Alright. Time for me to go.”
“Piya?”
“Heal those two if you can. Don't know who they are, but without their delay, I'd have lost it pathetically.”
I pointed at the fainted woman and werewolf. Their courage bought the time to catch Akasha.
Wanted proper thanks and drinks, but no time.
This girl's hair color's just like that dwarf. Hope she survives.
Her red locks evoked Asel. With threats gone and requests to bigshots like Rorhon and Schlieffen, she'd thrive if alive.
Hoping so.
Too rare a talent to vanish into history.
As I prayed for survivors' peace and turned to leave—
"Wait, hold on!"
“Sis?”
"Haaa... Finally caught you. What’s with the speed...”
The hall doors shattered as Naviroje appeared. Heavily winded from chasing. Seeing her familiar face lifted my spirits.
She gasped, surveying around.
"No way, already over...?!”
"Yeah. It was weakened, so quick win. Couldn't kill it, had to chase right away... Where's old man Rorhon and Zaifa?”
"Still coming. Rorhon can't teleport without exact coords, so the cat's helping. I came ahead."
“Too bad. Still, glad to see you. Wanted to say thanks anyway.”
I grinned, rift at my back. She raised a brow. From our deep fireside talk, she knew what I meant.
"......You're going. To catch it."
"Yeah. Gotta see it through."
“Never see you again?”
“Probably. Owe you a lot.”
“...I see. I owe you more. Without you, I'd have died in Rodolan or become their puppet. You're my benefactor.”
She smiled sadly.
"Just did what I had to."
"Many dream, few achieve. Don't downplay your feats."
"Correction: What I had to and could do."
"Sharp tongue in the short time apart."
Approaching slowly, she stood before me. Always thought her beautiful. Not flashy noble lady, but proud like a noble panther—that suited her better.
Her beloved sword Urusa broken, but her confidence undimmed.
Could leave reassured.
As our eyes met—
"Ronan."
"Yeah?”
"Close your eyes."
Before I could ask—
She grabbed my collar and yanked. Faces neared. Her ash-gray hair brushed my forehead.
Seconds passed. Releasing, she wryly smiled.
“......So like you.”
“Sorry.”
Her lips had met my palm.
Blood from my split lip stained it like lipstick.
“Lips no good. Got a fiancée.”
She lowered her tiptoes. Gently cupping her face, I pressed foreheads and spoke.
“Thanks. You'll meet someone better.”
“......”
No reply.
Looking up, she suddenly bowed her head.
“Uh, you okay?"
“......No. So this is rejection.”
"Sis."
“More crushing than imagined. Better now.”
Licking her lips, she lifted her head. Eyes faintly red. Time precious, awkward silence brief.
I nodded at sprawled Ronan2.
“Take care of that dummy. Dumb now, but teaches well. He's me, after all.”
"Already announced as my disciple. Can't let that sly cat steal a gem."
“Good. He'll prefer learning from you over Zaifa.”
“Why?”
“'Cause you're a beauty. Obvious question.”
“Heh... I know. Wanted to hear it from you.”
She smiled with her eyes. Truly time to go. After farewell, I stepped toward the rift.
“Was fun, Naviroje.”
“Farewell, Ronan. Thanks for saving me, the world.”
I smiled instead of words.
Cleared false charges from future bro-in-law wannabe.
Killed fake regent, reinstated emperor and Sword Saint.
Freed masters from Scream Fortress.
Cured grand mage's dementia.
Defeated alien evils poised to invade, eradicated zealots.
Saved another world's me.
Sis should be happy now.
Long if long, endlessly short if short—the second parallel world adventure ended.
"Wait up, Akasha."
Next world was final.
Pushing past montage flashbacks, I took another step. The rift swallowed me.
From far behind, Naviroje's voice echoed.
“Whatever you desire, may you achieve that wish.”