No Moon
Mu-wol "Why do you go so far..."
—Boom!
—Crack!
Tsuki could only stare blankly at the battle unfolding between Lucifer, who had fallen to become a mengmang-grade ghost story, and Eclipse.
"You've lost so many memories, just like me..."
Tsuki had sealed Eclipse away for a thousand years, which had turned her into something akin to a ghost story herself. That's why she knew all too well what changes befell a fallen human.
The curse named 'forgetfulness'... No, now that I've recalled my own past, maybe it wasn't a curse at all—perhaps it was a mercy.
No matter the memory, time would inevitably fade and wear it down—that was the natural order. For humans who had fallen into ghost stories to forget their pasts... it might just be the gods' final act of kindness.
"Lord Lucifer... You've forgotten even your name, haven't you? Everything."
She herself, who had been with Eclipse—the one wielding catastrophe-grade power—had lost everything but her name. There was no need to spell out what state he must be in, wrapped head to toe in mengmang-grade power.
"And yet, in that condition, you're still throwing yourself into protecting us... protecting humanity without hesitation..."
Lucifer, who had fallen while shielding people, was still acting to protect them even after becoming a harbinger of doom.
—Slash!
【There's no reason I need to tell you.】
Eclipse grinned maniacally as he began conjuring something from his pitch-black aura.
—Creak, creak.
A massive spear spun wildly, as if tearing space itself, surrounded by countless black blades. Tentacle-like shadows shot toward Phantom at speeds no human could perceive.
An all-out assault from Eclipse, bent solely on killing one being. But for some reason, Phantom simply stood motionless in place.
"Ah... No! Dodge it, Lord Lucifer!!"
The air whistled as hundreds of blades engulfed Phantom.
Boom—
Kaboom—
Explosions erupted in sequence. The massive shockwave rattled the space, warping the Netherworld's terrain in its wake.
But when the onslaught finally ceased, Phantom stood there unchanged from before.
【......】
Not a single one of Eclipse's countless attacks had touched Phantom. It was as if his very existence rejected all harm—every blow scattering pointlessly into nothingness.
Enormous arms erupted from the darkness, blades raining from the sky like a downpour toward Phantom. But he still didn't budge from his spot.
......Why isn't he counterattacking?
Lord Lucifer wielded power greater than anyone's. Even a fraction of what he'd shown so far could easily strike back at Eclipse.
"Lord Lucifer, why won't you take even a single step...?"
That's when Tsuki noticed Eclipse's attacks scattering perilously around her.
Slashes that missed her by a hair's breadth, teetering on the edge of disaster.
Ah... Lord Lucifer...!
Gazing at his steadfast back, Tsuki finally understood.
Behind Phantom lay Ren and Leon, collapsed. The wounded guild members. And most importantly, one other person.
"I was here...!"
The reason he hadn't moved. The reason he silently withstood Eclipse's brutal onslaught head-on.
Lord Lucifer was protecting us.
Despite possessing unmatched might, he focused it entirely on shielding everyone.
......Lord Lucifer.
Her chest ached with a profound heaviness. In the past. And now.
He had always put others before himself.
Eclipse's ceaseless mockery. But Phantom merely met the ghost story's provocations with calm resolve.
"To end your story."
"Savior or harbinger of doom."
⟨ I will become whatever it takes ⟩
Phantom's cold black eyes remained unshaken amid the torrent of lethal threats.
In truth, it was a far cry from reality.
...Dude, you seized control all cocky-like not even a minute ago, right?
『Hic... hic. F-Forcefully transferring authority caused side effects—』
—Zzzzt!
『Phewww. Si-hyun, do something... This zapping feels all wronggg...』
The notification window had suddenly gone full throttle, then crashed from "side effects."
I was an idiot for expecting anything. Thought it'd at least go invincible mode on me. Guess I have to handle it myself again?
『S-Sorry, Si-hyun. I'm just... a useless notification window... Waaah.』
Whatever. More importantly, these super deadly spears and blades are flying at me in real-time. This cool?
『I'll teach you an invincible spell! Repeat after me: Tekkai!』
When I get home, I'm tossing every manga in the trash.
—Boom!
Eclipse's barrage halted as if blocked by an invisible wall, not even grazing Si-hyun's vicinity.
Works like a charm.
『Kuhehe. M-My beginner package has OP treasures...』
Yeah, yeah. Stay down. I'll figure something out.
Determined to do something, Si-hyun tried to move—but
—Twitch, twitch.
For some reason, he couldn't take a single step.
What the hell? Suddenly can't move at all.
『Si-hyun, duh. Tekkai paralyzes you—that's basic knowledge. Hehe.』
Infuriating. Don't make it so realistic.
But strangely, everyone around misinterpreted the scene.
Ren, Leon, the guild members. Even Tsuki, all gazing at him in awe.
Here we go again. This damn misunderstanding.
To them, Phantom appeared as a serene mountain, stoically absorbing every assault with immense presence.
Intentions aside, results are what matter. Good is good.
Now fully in "enjoy the ride" mode, Si-hyun.
"I will become whatever it takes."
Not Lucifer, not a savior. And doom's crashing at my place, asshole.
Eclipse cackled grotesquely, extending a hand toward Tsuki, collapsed behind Si-hyun.
"N-No...!"
Jet-black chains burst from Tsuki's shadow, coiling around her.
She resisted desperately, but she was already part of Eclipse. If he willed it, assimilation was inevitable.
"No... please...!"
Tsuki tried to push back with the faint remnant of the moon's power, but
"H-How...!?"
A desperate crisis. Even if Phantom tore through space to appear, Eclipse's Netherworld remained intact. No moon power existed to counter Eclipse, who had turned the moon itself blood-red with eclipse might and claimed it.
Ugh, I just wanna smack cocky bastards like this one good.
Si-hyun yearned to punch the laughing Eclipse right in the face.
Hmm... There has to be a way—
『Y-Yeah... As expected of Si-hyun! You even prepared moon power?!』
You were flat-out a second ago—what're you on about now?
『Playing dumb? That thing on your head since morning! I sense massive moon power from it!』
Si-hyun raised a hand to brush his hair. There gleamed the crescent moon hairpin Luna had pinned in his hair that morning, insisting he wear it.
—"Si-hyun... wear this out..."
The girl with silver hair like moonlight and golden eyes. The hairpin, infused with Luna's feelings, held lunar glow just like her name.
Does it shine because Luna had it? No clue what's going on.
Whether because Luna was princess of the moon kingdom or just its moon-like appearance, Si-hyun wasn't one to waste an opportunity.
Eclipse, you screwed up. Shouldn't have spilled your weakness.
Our cute Luna's hairpin is the world's best.
Tsuki thought it was all over.
Moon power was special. Even a savior like Lord Lucifer couldn't wield it freely.
At least, that's what she believed.
"Wh... how...?"
Something in the pitch-black man's hand. Its form was obscured by erupting silver moonlight, but an immense lunar force emanated from that tiny object.
"Moonlight I've never felt before... But how does Lord Lucifer have it...?"
The glowing moonbeams from Phantom's hand filled Tsuki with awe—and Eclipse with
unprecedented terror.
"Eclipse. If a story begins, it must end."
Phantom slowly raised his right arm skyward.
—Whoosh!
Silver light burst from his hand, stretching straight into the form of a blade.
"Your story ends here."
As Phantom's right arm swung down in a clean arc toward the ground,
Mu-wol
His sword path neatly bisected space itself. True to its name Mu-wol, it erased Eclipse—the symbol of eclipse—without a trace.
As it vanished, the moon began reclaiming its original light from blood-red. Everyone felt the catastrophe truly end.
Amid it all, the one who ended the nightmare simply gazed calmly at the moon, seemingly desiring no thanks or reward.
His jet-black eyes lost in wistful thought.
"Ah... Lord Lucifer. You're rejoicing at reclaiming the silver moon..."
Wrong.
The distant look in Si-hyun's eyes dwelled on two things.
Sorry! Ripped off the technique name right to the end!
And the other.
I'm past curfew with Luna!!!