Things to Do While Alive
With a sharp clang—clang! clang!
The darkness that filled the vast space burned with a single sword.
Surrounded by pure mana, Enril swung her blade with all her strength, again and again.
“…”
Her lips were tightly shut, her eyes locked solely on the enemy before her.
Yet deep inside, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration.
'It’s sinking in little by little. It’s really working! It’s different from before—I can feel it!'
The darkness she couldn’t see a step ahead was being devoured by her own mana flames.
If I were to evaluate myself up until now, I had only been desperately clinging to survival.
Even when I first faced that existence, I had been defeated in a single strike.
The gap in power had been clear. No matter how much mana I poured out, I couldn’t even leave a scratch.
No, I couldn’t even land a valid hit, let alone stand up from the ground.
In short, an overwhelming difference. It had seemed impossible to overcome.
Yet only a month ago, that pathetic sight had been mine—
Boom!—
The sword energy wielded by the Tower Master turned to ash and scattered across the floor.
Enril’s strike was completely burned away by the mana it carried.
Seeing this, Enril flashed a joyful smile and rushed straight toward the Tower Master.
Amazing. Too amazing. It works. I can do it!
Even though it was only a fleeting victory, hope had bloomed in her heart.
'If I had studied harder, I might have been a little better than this!'
When that thought crossed her mind, another suddenly surfaced.
If I survive again this time, I want to learn more from Rion.
Together with that man who told me to live, I want to become stronger!
Meanwhile—
'She’s gone mad. Completely insane.'
Sitting on the throne, Rion endured Enril’s attacks and let out endless admiration.
He was more surprised than Enril, and more greatly so.
I never expected this. I hadn’t anticipated it at all.
It had only been less than a month since I began learning the mana cultivation technique.
To be honest, it was still at the level of just reaching the starting line.
Yet Enril had gone far beyond my expectations.
From a direction I had never imagined, she unleashed an attack of unprecedented power.
Still, because she wasn’t yet fully accustomed to the extremely pure mana, this was the limit.
But if time passed, she would soon reach a point where even sitting would become impossible.
If she trained well, she could go beyond valid hits and inflict real injury.
Crack!—
Even the barrier protecting the black throne had developed a fissure.
Compared to the helpless defeat she had suffered just a month ago, the difference was night and day.
If she continued growing like this, she would one day be able to defeat me.
Not only herself, but also her entire world and my own.
'Of course, that’s only in the future. It’s not something to talk about now.'
I admit things have changed. But that’s all.
Unlike simply breaking one barrier, Enril was clearly approaching her limit.
The rough, labored breathing and the trembling mana were proof enough.
As combatants, neither of us would deliberately lose the final confrontation.
Both would give everything they had.
That was why the final confrontation that came was the only way to save everyone.
That was why today, Rion had decided to let Enril live.
Boom!—
“Kyaaah!”
It was a bit cruel to Enril, but I added a little pain and injury.
Whoosh!— boom!—
With a deafening crash, Enril was sent flying toward the wall and slowly collapsed to the floor.
She had definitely arrived here while carrying the mana refined through the cultivation technique.
But since even that had its limits, defeat had been the natural outcome.
Puff…
The flames of mana gradually faded, and the darkness descended.
Between them, Enril’s appearance was as disheveled as before.
“Cough… cough!”
Coughing up blood, Enril glared at Rion seated on the throne.
Without knowing who the person before her truly was, she was simply burning with hatred toward the Tower Master.
“I had some expectations, but it’s still disappointing. It’s lacking. Eleonore Celestine.”
Perhaps to prevent the flames from dying out, she tried to feed them more fuel—anger and hatred.
She wanted to train even harder outside the tower for the next challenge.
To firmly grasp the hope that had been caught and run with all her might.
“…Haha.”
But Enril’s next reaction was different.
“Haha! Aha ha! Aha ha ha!!”
“Has she gone crazy? Why is she laughing?”
Then Enril answered with eyes flashing as if shouting.
“There was no such enemy. Because you thoroughly played with me, today you blew me away as if angry! Arrogant one. Tower Master! Now you’re worried about saving me? About saving me! It seems like it will become a sword that will cut you down one day?!”
This woman. She told me to live, and now she’s asking to be killed.
Since the opponent was none other than Rion himself, I simply endured it.
If it hadn’t been him, I would have been furious and taken her life right away.
“It’s a bit different from the mana I’ve been using. Since I can’t do it with my own skill, did you receive help from someone?”
“Yes. Unlike you, stronger but not arrogant, I received help from some person.”
“Is that so? Then there’s one more reason to save you this time.”
Rion pushed Enril out the door and wore the most contemptible smile he could manage.
“Go and tell them. It wasn’t anything special. It couldn’t even be a short amusement.”
With those words as the final goodbye, Rion sent the hero out once more.
*
I gave my all. I poured everything I had into it.
Yet I still couldn’t win. I was defeated again.
And once more, I survived regardless of my will.
“…”
My body was thoroughly battered by internal injuries, dizziness from mana depletion symptoms.
I had hoped it might not come, but it did anyway—disappointment and anger toward myself.
All kinds of pain arrived, but what tormented Enril the most was—
“Go and tell them. It wasn’t anything special. It couldn’t even be a short amusement.”
The fact that not only herself, but another person had been mocked.
To the existence that must be defeated. To the one she wanted to defeat.
It was too painful that not only Enril herself, but Rion had also suffered humiliation.
Grip—
Red blood dripped from between clenched teeth and fists that were about to crush.
I was lacking. Because I was lacking, not only I but others were made to be mocked.
'Tower Master. You must—must be…!'
The dark vision suddenly brightened as if burning, and the scenery changed.
From the inside of the tower, which had been hell itself, to the outside world I always saw.
Awaking to the fact that I had returned, Enril struggled to stand up.
“Enril!”
“Hero!”
“Enril-nim!”
The people guarding the tower quickly welcomed her.
Her return, which they had grown accustomed to.
Although she had failed to destroy the tower, she was the only survivor.
The only hero who had continued to show possibility.
Because of that, there was no negative gaze, but—
“The tower… the tower is fine.”
“Then… it seems you failed again this time.”
“Aah…”
Enril who had come out alive from the tower, yet the tower remained standing.
What this situation meant was only one thing: the hero’s failure, the world’s destruction was still ongoing.
It was evidence that she had not fulfilled her destiny as a hero.
“You worked hard, Enril-nim.”
People greeted her with forced indifference.
But in their voices, eyes, and actions, emotions they couldn’t hide remained.
Disappointment, emptiness— it was natural they couldn’t conceal those feelings.
Because they had believed it would be different this time, such reactions came out.
Since they had expected, it was only natural to be disappointed as people.
At first, Enril had taken quite a lot of wounds from such appearances.
She herself had given everything she had, but the result was like this.
Seeing people disappointed while looking at that, her heart felt torn apart.
But now it was different. Now, just let it be, and move on.
It was true that she had failed. It was true that she hadn’t fulfilled her duties as a hero.
On that subject, how could I blame them for showing such faces?
Even though I had received a life-saving from the Tower Master, how could I be disappointed?
'Yes. That’s why it’s okay. I’m not bothered. I am…'
While forcing a smile, just as she was about to open her mouth to say sorry,
“Enril.”
A familiar voice. Enril turned her head to find the owner.
There stood a person she had never expected, without knowing when he had arrived.
“…Instructor Rion.”
Seeing his face, the words the Tower Master had said naturally resurfaced.
It wasn’t anything special. It couldn’t even be a short amusement.
Rion had given his all, but it seemed his poor self had ruined everything.
It seemed he had brought such humiliation even to himself, making it too painful.
He had trusted himself and given everything, but against that, himself…
“Thank you.”
Rion lightly hugged Enril and gently patted her back.
Thank you. You worked hard. And whispering the next words,
“Surviving. Thank you for coming back alive. Really, thank you. You worked hard, Enril.”
Not disappointment, not hope—just one word of thanks.
Enril who had been blankly staring at Rion lowered her head and said nothing.
“…”
She had just barely swallowed the tears that were about to burst out.