Chapter 124: Monologue (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 124: Monologue (7)
With Dorothy’s interference, the trial was recalibrated, and the hidden truth was finally revealed.
This was the 2nd Round.
This wasn’t the first time I had experienced this freshman life since transmigrating into ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
I had lost my memories when everything was initialized, but as I reached the threshold of forgotten truths, the regrets of this world began to overwhelm my heart. One by one, the significant memories that had once broken me were returning.
I had failed to save Dorothy. She left me with a single word of gratitude before facing her end along with the Floating Island.
I remembered myself gazing blankly at the statue of Dorothy erected in Märchen Academy. Overwhelmed by helplessness, an unbearable wave of remorse had washed over me.
I couldn’t protect the Imperial Princess, the Priestess, or Kaya. I couldn’t protect any of them.
The mere thought of protecting everyone on "Hell" difficulty was utterly absurd.
‘Hell difficulty?’
In a flash, that expression felt intensely out of place. It was as if a Gestaltzerfall had occurred; the consonants and vowels in my mind scattered, giggling at me.
In the first place, difficulty levels don’t matter when hell is everywhere.
I took a deep breath to calm my feelings, which were as warped and knotted as a piece of twisted bread.
I remembered boasting like a fucking idiot about how strong I’d grown just because I’d gained some meaningless enlightenment. Well, at the very least, it had made my mental fortitude more robust.
It allowed me to keep moving forward.
I had solemnly eliminated my enemies and finally reached the very end of the scenario.
And in the end, I was defeated by the Evil God Nephid.
And then...
‘A system window appeared, saying that the Evil God’s magic signaled the demise of ‘all worlds’.’
Never in my wildest dreams could I have known that "all worlds" included Earth, the world I had previously lived in.
A massive secret was hidden behind the scenes of my possession. I still couldn’t figure out exactly what it was, but the overwhelming burden of whether someone as worthless as me could handle such a secret weighed on me like a boulder.
“How disappointing…”
At that moment, Luce’s low lamentation echoed in my ears.
“I really wanted to marry Isaac, though.”
“…What?”
What is she saying out of nowhere?
My attention snapped to Luce.
“I had a daydream. A daydream where you and I lived… in harmonious joy with one another.”
Even though I used [Psychological Insight], I couldn’t read her mind, perhaps because I was in the middle of a trial. However, the Third-Year Luce already knew I was the Black Monster. I knew all too well that she loved me.
“Do you want to hear it?”
Luce gazed at me and smiled sweetly.
She seemed to take my silence as affirmation, beginning her story with a small smile and a gentle voice.
“Do you know Asverika? The city of magic and education. Apparently, if you bring a Märchen Academy diploma there, your life as a wizard is set. After graduating, we would go to Asverika together and buy a house… I would be diligently perfecting my work at the Magic Tower, and you would work as a wizard in a guild. When we both finished our daily work and returned home, I would give you a kiss. I would say, ‘You did well today, Isaac,’ and while I hugged you, I would whisper into your ear. You’re so weak to my voice, after all. Hehe.”
Luce’s fingers squirmed weakly as she tapped the back of my hand.
“We would eat delicious meals together, share small talk in bed before falling asleep… And then, I would propose, very simply and modestly, right there on the bed. We would dress up nicely at the church and get married… and even after that, we would repeat the same daily routine. At that time, it might be a bit embarrassing, but we would call each other something different. Like… ‘Welcome home, dear.’”
With her head bowed, Luce continued. I listened silently, hanging on every word.
“Maybe five children would’ve been nice? Isaac’s body is so robust, a healthy baby would surely have been born. The child would have cried energetically without a moment’s rest. It might be a bit exhausting… but still, I would have been truly happy because I would have loved those children so much. There definitely would be tough times. But we would get through them, right? We would depend on each other, share our difficulties over a drink, comfort each other… and in the end, find things to smile about. That… that’s how we would live. That’s how I imagined it.”
It was only then that I realized why I didn’t have to worry about the Bad Ending 「Bird Cage」, even after resolving the Evil God issue.
Luce… truly wished to build a future with me.
However, I couldn’t say anything. I knew exactly why she was telling me this story now.
I felt a terrifying mana outside the cave. The Black Flame horde, the Evil God’s minions, would soon break into this place. Luce was sharing her final wishes because, realistically, she knew there was no hope.
“Aren’t you a little sad? You didn’t get to marry me.”
Even in this situation, hearing Luce’s teasing made a dry laugh escape my lips.
“That’s what you want, thou—”
Click.
Suddenly, a metallic sound accompanied by the resonance of mana echoed from my wrist. Startled, I stopped speaking and looked down. A handcuff imbued with Luce’s mana was fastened to my wrist, firmly affixed to the wall.
Did she touch my hand just to put a handcuff on me…?
My memory was still hazy, so I hadn't been able to prepare for this.
“You let your guard down.”
“…What is the meaning of this?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll be released after some time passes.”
Only then did Luce stand up. A strong sense of unease enveloped my entire body.
“What are you doi—”
I caught my breath at the sight of Luce standing before me.
I couldn’t see her right arm. Even in the dim cave, I could tell that blood was dripping from an empty stump.
Of course. There was no way Luce had saved me easily. She had lost so much along the way.
Luce knelt on one knee, bringing her face level with mine. At this close distance, I could see the dark shadows beneath her eyes and her lips turning a pale blue. Her complexion was deathly white.
I held my breath.
With her remaining left arm, she gently caressed my cheek, wearing a smile as faint as moonlight.
And then, she spoke.
“I love you, Isaac.”
She spoke as if she were certain she would never be able to say those words again. As if these were the last words she so dearly wished to leave behind.
With a heartbreakingly sad voice, Luce whispered.
“I like you. I love you… I really do love you…”
Luce carefully swept back my bangs before kissing my forehead. As if time had stopped for her, she lingered there, enjoying the warmth of my skin with her blood-stained hands and chapped lips.
Then, she pulled away, revealing an elegant smile.
“Stay here quietly. I’ll be back soon.”
With those words, Luce began to limp out of the cave.
“Hey, Luce! Luce!”
I tried to rush toward her, but the handcuff jerked me back. Even when I pulled so hard that my wrist began to bleed, the cuff refused to snap.
I was in a state of mana depletion; I couldn’t even cast proper elemental magic. More importantly, if I used mana, the Black Flame Legion outside would sense it and swarm the cave.
“Stop! Hey!!”
Luce didn’t stop. She trudged out of the cave without hesitation.
In no time, she was out of sight, disappearing around the bend of the cave wall.
Luce’s reason for leaving was clear. She could feel the dark mana outside. She was going to sacrifice herself, fighting the minions of the Evil God before they could find this hiding spot. She had cuffed me because she feared I would try to sacrifice myself in her place.
Lost memories resurfaced.
During the 1st Round.
Right before the initialization finished loading, I had left the cave as soon as the cuff automatically released. And I had witnessed her die in agony, devoured by the black flames.
The guilt of leaving her to die a painful death… the despair of hearing the eerie laughter of the black flames surrounding her…
Engulfed by the Black Flame Legion, she had to face their mockery alone while I could only stand by and watch. The remorse… the utter helplessness…
It pierced my heart, tearing it to pieces. Even at my end, I felt as though I was sinking into an abyss.
“Luce!! I said stop!!”
When the initialization occurred, the transcendental power—the so-called ‘Status Window’—would reset everything to the beginning. Although I didn't know what entity created this Status Window, I was certain the god-like bastard would reset the world no matter what.
So, I begged her not to leave.
I screamed repeatedly, but Luce did not return.
My mana was exhausted. Even the Frostscythe within me had depleted its strength.
How could I remove this restraint? What did I need to do?
「Ice Generation (Ice Element, ★1)」
A small shard of ice appeared. Even in my depleted state, my mana was slowly recovering. At the very least, creating small chunks with [Ice Generation] or [Rock Generation] was possible.
It didn't matter if the Black Flame Legion sensed me. I had to get to Luce. I didn't want any more regrets.
The fingers of the hand fastened to the cuff were gradually turning into stone. Using [Ice Generation], I created an ice chunk infused with high-density mana and slammed it down onto my petrified thumb.
Kwajak──!
“Keughhh…!”
My thumb crumbled into pieces.
My carpal bone had not transformed yet, so the surge of pain nearly rendered me unconscious. Even so, I couldn't slip my hand out. I gritted my teeth and shattered the metacarpal bone connected to where my thumb once was.
This was enough. I yanked my hand from the cuff, scrambled to my feet, and sprinted toward the exit.
“Ah!”
I couldn't balance myself. I looked down at my legs. There was only empty space below my left knee. I hadn't felt it because it had turned to stone. It seemed I had lost my leg while fighting the Evil God.
I hopped on one leg. Every time I fell, I forced myself back up and sprang forward.
Repeating this desperate cycle, I finally reached the cave exit. The path led upward.
At some point, one of my arms had turned to stone. The other was mangled from the ice chunk. But my palms were still usable.
I gripped the irregular surface of the wall with my palm, hooked my arm over a ledge to lift myself, and used my teeth to bite into the protruding rocks. Like a madman rock climbing, I did whatever it took to ascend.
“Keuhak, Haaah…!”
Finally exiting the cave, I collapsed on the ground, panting for breath. I spat out my broken teeth. It was fortunate the exit wasn't too high.
As I lifted my head, a scene of total devastation filled my vision. Ash scattered beneath a sky choked with rock mana. It was a shockingly vast wasteland, created when the Evil God’s magic evaporated the sea. The place I had been hiding was originally an underwater cave deep in the ocean.
Beyond the horizon, a gigantic eye exuding ominous mana contemplated the world. It was the Evil God’s minion, Angra Mainyu.
Black flames blazed fiercely across the land—chunks of high-density mana that annihilated anything they touched.
I turned around, sensing a tremendous surge of mana. Luce was standing alone, facing the Black Flame Legion.
Now that I could see her in the light, her condition was even worse than I’d imagined. It was a miracle her battered body hadn't collapsed already. Numerous magic circles unfolded above her head, flickering unstably as her strength waned.
She was facing off against bizarre, demonic shapes made of black flames. An infinite number of them, created by the Evil God, formed a legion targeting her.
High in the air, a gigantic three-headed dragon let out a grotesque roar: the Apocalypse Dragon, Azhi Dahāka.
Hwarererereuk────!!!
The Black Flame Legion spewed their fire. A storm of annihilation raged.
“Luce!!”
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.]
[The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!]
[Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!]
[Your skill tree temporarily becomes +10!]
Using [Rock Generation], I pulled pillars from the ground to forcibly propel my body forward. I flung myself directly into the storm of black flames.
I had almost no mana left, but I could unleash one last attack.
I poured every ounce of remaining strength into my ruined right hand, condensing ice mana within it. I swung my arm to unleash [Frost Explosion].
Kwaaaaaaaaah─────────!!!!
The explosion of pale blue ice mana cut through the black flames. The ice was incinerated instantly, but it diverted the storm away from us.
Now, I was entirely drained. There was nothing more I could do.
Horrifying pain washed over me as I fell to the ground. A ghastly crack echoed—my ribs had fractured from the impact. I didn't even have the strength to groan. I could barely breathe.
“Isaac!!”
Luce rushed to me, falling to her knees and desperately trying to lift my body.
“I-Isaac…! Isaac! I’m sorry, I’m sorry…! Ah, ah…!”
Luce’s voice broke completely. She was wailing. This was the same girl whose voice was always as upright and aloof as her persona.
She was drowning in guilt because the cuff she used had forced me to ruin my own hand to escape.
But there was nothing to be sorry about.
With no strength left, I leaned into her. I buried my face in her slender shoulder; her nape smelled of blood.
Ash fell like snow. The Black Flame Legion was closing in. The roar of the Apocalypse Dragon made the very earth tremble.
What should I say?
I didn't want to leave you alone.
The reason I adored you was because you were so lovable.
I didn't want to say such cliché things, like a character in a romance movie.
"Luce..."
I just wanted to respond to her sincerity.
"...Thank you for loving me."
I couldn't know what was going on in Luce’s mind. Her only reaction was a quivering breath as she fought back tears.
Soon, a heavy, terrifying mana pressed down on us. The Apocalypse Dragon, Azhi Dahāka, was gathering dark mana in its maw. It was preparing to erase us.
Luce took a deep breath.
“…Isaac, it’s a bit of a funny thing to say, but…”
Her voice was gentle and benign, like moonlight. She caressed my head and whispered low.
“If… I’m reborn… I’ll recognize you no matter what.”
I could feel a slight tremble in her voice.
“I’ll find you again. I promise… I’ll find you again…”
Suddenly, I remembered the first semester of my 1st Year. When Luce had asked me to be her friend.
Despite her strong aversion to others, Luce never felt that way toward me. From the outside, I wasn't anything special. But she told me that seeing how diligently I trained made her want to keep watching me. Looking back, her explanation hadn't made sense at all.
…It was a bit too romantic—excessively so—to think that a small part of the emotions Luce felt at this moment had somehow carried over to the 2nd Round. I couldn't help but let out a burst of laughter.
It was certainly a funny thing to say.
“See you later.”
Luce left me with those words.
Somehow, I felt a sense of peace in her arms. From the very beginning, my goal had never wavered.
My mind became clear. I had always been this way. As long as a goal was in sight, I would keep going no matter what.
From being the Academy’s Weakest, I would become a Demon-Limited Hunter. I would eradicate these legions and kill the Evil God.
I would finally reach a happy ending and put an end to this shitty story.
The Apocalypse Dragon spewed its black flames. As the pitch-black fire engulfed us…
[99%...]
[100%]
[Initialization Start.]
[Moving onto the 2nd Round.]
Chieeeek…
Click.
Amidst the sensation of annihilation, my vision filled with static before cutting to black.
“Haah.”
I exhaled deeply.
The parts of my body that had turned to stone began to return to their original state. It started the moment my hand touched the hilt of the greatsword plunged into the ground, the center of the swirling light-brown mana.
By meeting my end together with Luce, I had successfully overcome the Trial of Sandstone. Because most of my body had been petrified, I had struggled to crawl all the way here.
But now, I could finally be at ease.
A tremendous amount of rock mana permeated my body. The yellow stone fragments floating around transformed into powder, absorbed into my skin.
With legs that had regained their sensation, I stood up and gripped the hilt of the greatsword with my right hand.
A firm grip. I pulled the blade from the earth.
The yellow-jade rock mana swirled ferociously, welcoming its new master.
Gormos’ Obsidian Blade.
The ultimate rock weapon was now in my hands.
[You have passed the Trial of Sandstone with an iron will and a tenacious mentality!]
[Congratulations, you have acquired the trial reward: [Gormos' Obsidian Blade]!]
[You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos' Obsidian Blade]: [Earth Breaker]!]
[You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos' Obsidian Blade]: [Heavenly Rock Strike]!]
[You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos' Obsidian Blade]: [Rock Sovereign's Barbican]!]
[You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos' Obsidian Blade]: [Stone Breathing First Form]!]
[You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos' Obsidian Blade]: [Stone Breathing Second Form]!]
[You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos' Obsidian Blade]: [Stone Breathing Third Form]!]
[You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos' Obsidian Blade]: [Eclipse]!]