Epilogue: Moonlight Sword's Deadly Flash
The short sword slipped free from the girl's waist with a sharp shling. From its white blade, a pure white haze seeped out, pale as moonlight captured within.
◈ Known to the world as the Moonlight Sword
That mystical weapon was now aimed squarely at Earth Worker. He, of all people, knew best how this would play out next.
"...Fuuuuck!!!"
Earth Worker gripped his wand with crushing force. With his roar, the room itself began to warp physically in every corner.
"You think this is the end for me?!?!"
Overcoming his terror through sheer survival instinct, Earth Worker swung his wand wildly. At his command, the floor cracked open, the walls twisted, and jagged protrusions erupted from the ceiling.
Krunch!Rumble rumble rumble!
Hell Fang - Earth Devour
The entire room twisted and compressed like a hurricane's grip. Twisted stone and iron mixed chaotically, reshaping into something nightmarish. Soon, it resembled the innards of a massive worm lined with teeth—a living, writhing space that lunged from all directions to swallow the girl whole.
Not stopping there, razor-sharp spikes erupted diagonally from the floor ahead. The girl was now perfectly trapped in the predator's maw.
'Your arrogance is your downfall!'
Earth Worker smirked triumphantly but immediately prepared his next attack. He knew his place among true powerhouses. This strike would likely be countered. But in that brief moment of nullification... if he could exploit it, victory was possible.
Blue veins bulged across his body, his breaths ragged. He poured everything in, ignoring any backlash. It didn't matter. Fail here, and there'd be no tomorrow.
Burning pain scorched his brain. Yet his mind was sharper than ever. Beneath heightened perception, the world seemed to slow, time itself crawling.
Gritting his teeth, Earth Worker thrust his wand forward, blue mana surging wildly.
'Die!'
And then—
Pffft—the mana condensed in his wand dispersed harmlessly in an instant.
"Wha...?"
Earth Worker's eyes widened to their limit at the incomprehensible sight. In slowed time, his gaze instinctively dropped to his wand.
Scraaaape—a thin crack had already etched into the wand's head. It sharpened, and the tip began sliding along that line. Like ham sliced smoothly by a blade. The wand's head fell away slowly, severed.
"Ah..."
No, it wasn't just the wand's head falling. The wand itself. His right hand gripping it. The right arm supporting that hand. They were all drifting away from his vision. Dropping limply downward.
In that moment, Earth Worker realized. The girl who'd been right in front of him... was gone.
No, wrong. She hadn't vanished. He sensed it instinctively. That chilling presence now emanated from behind him.
The instant he realized it, slowed time snapped back to normal.
Shwick—
Phantom Sword – One Flash
Only then did he realize he'd been slashed.
Crunch crunch craaaash! The razor fangs protruding from walls and ceiling shredded like in a blender. The engulfing spikes ahead splintered like dry reeds.
And Earth Worker's cleanly severed right arm thudded limply to the floor.
"Gaaahhh!!"
Blood sprayed from his empty right shoulder. Overwhelmed by agony, he screamed like a beast.
He hadn't even noticed the sword being drawn. Before he could register her movement, his arm was gone. This situation hammered home a horrific truth: this girl was beyond his control. His life and death hung entirely in her hands.
The moment that despair sank in—
Bam!
"Guhk!"
No time to recover—the girl's foot slammed into him. He flew helplessly toward the wall without resistance.
Crash!
Earth Worker smashed into the wall, cracking it. The problem? That wall was twisted razor-sharp by his own power. Its jagged structures tore into his back.
"Aaaagh!"
He slid down the floor, twitching in spasms. The girl approached slowly, looking down at him. Beneath her mask, her expression twisted savagely.
"What's wrong? You were grinning ear to ear while massacring people."
A foot heavy with dense mana crushed his gut.
"You even hit one of our orphanages. Not so fun now, huh?"
That spot had been pierced by a Black Star's blade. Earth Worker flopped like a fish on dry land.
"Of course, you won't be having fun anytime soon. You'll spill everything you know."
The girl sheathed her sword. Then lightly smacked his head with the flat of the scabbard.
Crack!
A brutal, clear sound echoed. Earth Worker's worm-like writhing halted abruptly.
"..."
The girl glared at him briefly, then pulled a potion from her bosom. She sprinkled just enough on his shoulder to keep him from dying.
She crouched to drag him away. At that moment—
Footsteps echoed from outside the room.
"Hehey. Why bother moving him yourself? Leave the cleanup to your big sis!"
A girl with dark green short hair and a boyish vibe entered slowly. She patted the silver-haired girl's head.
"Selnia."
Selnia, the green-haired girl, grinned brightly.
"Yup yup. I'd rather big sis handle it~"
"Technically, I'm older."
"Hehey, what matters is how you look, right?"
Selnia circled the girl with bouncy steps, then casually draped an arm over her shoulder.
"Loosen up that face first. Think about how smoothly it all went?"
"...Sorry, Selnia. Hard to control my emotions in this state."
Only then did the girl seem to notice her own condition, calming her expression. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and the oppressive pressure in the air eased.
"Stage 2 memories have a lot of unpleasant stuff."
She spread her right hand and murmured lowly.
"Lebnen, seal activation."
Mysterious Beauty Module: Reactivated
"...Of course, against trash like this, I don't feel like holding back."
"Yeah, same here. Shall we get out? Pielsha's waiting."
"Yes. Let's hurry."
And so, in the dead of night, a shadowy clash that would rock the world when revealed quietly drew to a close.
Sunlight filtered through the window. Outside, not a cloud in sight—a brilliantly clear day.
But there was no room for pleasant thoughts amid the sunshine.
"Cough, cough."
His vision blurred slightly. Muscle pain stabbed through his whole body. Dry coughs kept rising from within.
In short, he felt appropriately half-dead.
"Noctiaaa... what time is it tooo...?"
"6:20... No, don't change the subject! Answer me!"
"Well, you see... cough cough!"
"Ugh, drink this first."
Small, delicate arms propped his body up slightly. A cup of water pressed to his lips, and warm, smooth liquid slid down his throat.
"Wow, neutralizing Erchella's powder medicine with honey water. Noctia's getting better..."
"Idiot. That's not the point right now."
Oh no. The nickname had reverted to "idiot" after ages.
He reached out to soothe her, toward the girl who looked about ten—with ashen-gray skin and black fairy wings.
But she swatted his hand away with a sulky scowl.
Noctia, summoned in her usual child form. Her emotions showed more openly than in adult mode.
"I woke up way sooner than expected. Doesn't that seem weird?"
"Hmm, maybe I slept better than usual."
"Don't dodge!"
Noctia climbed onto the bed. Her tiny frame glaring down wasn't threatening at all, but he sweated inwardly anyway.
"A few hours ago, my recovery speed spiked hard for a bit!"
Ah. So that was it.
"Pushing yourself somewhere again? Something big?"
"No way. School just started yesterday. Where would I even find the chance?"
"Then what's this?!"
Noctia squatted and pressed both hands firmly on his thigh. No hesitation.
"Ugh...!"
Mysterious Beauty Module: Excessive facial muscle movement detected. Auto-adjusting.
"Hmph! Your body's honest, idiot."
"This is from training alone yesterday..."
"Don't lie."
"...This is tricky."
His strength was linked to Noctia's. If he mana-doped or suddenly powered up, her recovery would accelerate too. That's why she'd woken far too soon.
He'd wanted to hide this wrecked state, at least.
"Pushing yourself in a body like this again..."
He didn't want to see her worried. Despite her angry pout, her eyes glistened with moisture.
He hugged the sniffling girl and gently laid her beside him.
"Sorry. Cough. Did I scare you that bad?"
"Of course! Woke up to you half-dead, idiot."
Avoiding her drooping black wings, he stroked her back softly. Only then did her frustration burst out, wetting his clothes with tears.
"Your body's weak... don't overdo it..."
Noctia mumbled into his chest. He listened patiently, stroking her back and hair.
Then—
Bang!
"Harne, I swear I heard a kid..."
The door flew open. Runes stumbled in, half-asleep. She froze upon seeing them.
They, embarrassingly close, froze too.
A brief silence.
Noctia bolted from his arms and stared at Runes.
"Ah..."
She made a grimacing face.
Runes, obsessed with cuteness. Noctia had instinctively sensed her drooling essence.
And one beast awakened to instinct.
"Kyaa! What's this adorable creature?!"
Runes's eyes flew wide, charging the bed. No trace of drowsiness.
Before he could stop her, she scooped up Noctia in a hug.
"So squishy! Tiny! Fairy-like! Cute! Am I dreaming?!"
"Guh, get off, human!"
Noctia flailed, pushing at Runes's chin, to no avail. Vast size difference left her helplessly nuzzled.
But doll-Noctia's ordeal ended quickly. Eyes widening in realization, she opened a tiny subspace and dove in.
Had she just remembered she was a summon?
"Ah... she's gone..."
Runes, robbed of her doll, swiped at empty air with a blank look.
But only briefly. Convinced he had answers, she thrust her face close.
"Hey Harne, who was that kid just—"
Her sparkling eyes halted mid-sentence. Her smile vanished.
"What's wrong?"
Runes's gaze scanned his face and body thoroughly. Then her expression paled.
"Kyaa! Harne, what happened to you?!"
"Cough, cough. Huh? What's the—"
"You're a mess! Total mess! Hold on, I'll get help!"
"Wait a sec—"
Next thing he knew, he was on a stretcher, being carted off. The staff's faces were gravely serious. Runes clutched his hand, fidgeting anxiously.
'So much for slipping by quietly... Noctia, did I look that bad?'
[Hmph! Why do you think I freaked out?]
'Ah.'
The day after the entrance ceremony incident. A peaceful morning under school suspension.
He was back in the academy infirmary.
