LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 32
Chapter 32
—–CROW—–
While it had been a dream before, now it was a fragment of a memory. After the incident with Arieta, the corresponding memory began to flow into me as if speaking to me.
Only then did I realize there had been four children at the monastery: Arieta, myself, and a pair of red-haired siblings. I wished I had realized it sooner.
Because it was a dream, I couldn’t observe my surroundings. I couldn’t connect them. Even though the dream had been telling me about Alexios and Lena’s existence from the beginning, I hadn’t recognized it.
“-No need.”
I saw Oz uttering cold, heartless words. Even I, merely observing, felt a pang of guilt at his contemptuous expression. Torn between the urge to intervene and the need to observe, I watched the situation unfold.
“-Don’t you get it? You’re no help.”
Could those harsh words have been for their sake? The Oz I knew wasn’t this cruel. He was arrogant and blunt, but he wouldn’t express that kind of contempt.
“-Useless things.”
I couldn’t understand Oz’s feelings as he uttered those words. I couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or if he was intentionally being harsh for their benefit. His gaze seemed genuinely sincere.
“Strange…”
Yes, it was strange. It was vastly different from the previous dream. I couldn’t understand the meaning of his words, as if I were watching a different person. No, before that…
“…Just who is watching Oz right now?”
My viewpoint was low. My body trembled, whether from the cold or an unknown fear. I was watching Oz from the shadows. So, who was I, watching Oz? No, more importantly, *was* it Oz I was watching?
“Ah, you already noticed?”
And at that moment, my eyes met with the one who had chased Alexios away. Another kind of memory began to flood in.
* * *
“Ugh…”
I regained consciousness with a sudden headache. What had I just seen? The moment my eyes met Oz’s, I saw Alexios’s corpse, Lena’s corpse, the Mother Superior’s corpse, and Arieta’s corpse. I had witnessed their corpses, those who had followed and been caught up in his wake, from the past to the future.
“Damn it…”
Did Oz have some kind of foresight? Confused by the incomprehensible sight, I forced myself to focus. Alexios’s attack was already upon me. There was no time to think. My extremely calm mind dispelled the fear. Time, already slowed by [Observation], slowed even further.
But it wasn’t enough.
To turn the tables, having been constantly retreating to maintain distance, I had to approach him. To defeat Alexios for sure, I needed to unleash my magic at the closest possible range.
“He’s coming closer…?”
I rolled forward, dodging the heat-infused fist that reached my face. The moment I got up, I stepped towards him. I cast a spell as I approached Alexios. Intermediate magic was still my limit.
Intermediate Magic
[Gust Piercing]
But it was much smoother and faster. I drew nearly a dozen spell formulas simultaneously, just like when I used [Magic Bullet].
[96/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
[Mana Dominator] drew the spell formula for the basic magic [Stone Cannon]. I needed to utilize everything I could. I launched [Stone Cannon] not at Alexios, but above his head. I detonated it with one of the [Gust Piercing] spells I had prepared in the air, scattering the fragments above Alexios. It wouldn’t defeat him, but it would be a nuisance.
“Such petty tricks!”
As Alexios extended his fist upwards, obliterating the fragments, I closed the distance further. Seeing this, Alexios swung his other fist. He was impressive. Despite having the upper hand, he wouldn’t let me approach without knowing my intentions. As expected. I rolled to dodge the attack before his fist reached me.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
But another attack came before I could even get up.
[97/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
Another basic spell. [Little Bomb].
There was no way to block the attack with this, no matter what I tried. So, I twisted my body to the right and detonated it towards my left. Using the shockwave from the explosion, I narrowly dodged Alexios’s attack.
“Hah…!”
But comparing the power of a basic spell to [Flame Cloud Thunderclap Fist], I had gained a significant advantage. [Mana Dominator] didn’t harm me, so it couldn’t get any better than this.
“Now, it’s complete.”
I unleashed the ten [Gust Piercing] spells I had painstakingly prepared, piercing through Alexios’s attack.
“Tsk.”
Alexios took a light step back, dodging the magic that had broken through his attack. With this, I had neutralized [Flame Cloud Thunderclap Fist], a powerful ranged attack that could only be used while stationary.
[98/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
I gradually formulated my plan. The moment Alexios’s following [Great Collapse] slammed down, I used [Dig] to deeply excavate the ground in front of me, blocking it. But I didn’t have enough time like before, so I couldn’t block the entire shockwave. I offset the remaining shockwave with a spell generated by [Mana Dominator]. I endured the rest with my body and continued to approach. Retreating was not an option.
[99/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
Even without his skills, Alexios unleashed gusts of wind infused with the heat of [Unprecedented], blocking my advance. It wasn’t as threatening as [Flame Cloud Thunderclap Fist], but I couldn’t ignore it completely. I took some hits, neutralized others, and continued to approach. I threw off my cloak, nearly 50% of its protective magic depleted. It was just a hindrance now. I couldn’t be teleported out before it was over.
More than that, this damn skill was forcing me to hit the pity limit. When I was building up the stack, it appeared around 40 uses, messing with me, and now it was infuriating me.
[Erosion Blade 40%]
A perfected mind, perfected magic. In a state infinitely close to Oz, I extended my arm towards Alexios. At this distance, I could definitely take him down.
[Spatial Barrier Lv. 1]
[Spatial Barrier] blocked Alexios’s attack, which came flying during a momentary lapse. Knowing that [Spatial Barrier] would easily shatter, I continued to extend my hand without hesitation.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 2]
[0/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
And finally, the completed SSR-rank magic.
My fingertips touched Alexios’s forehead.
“…Have I lost again?”
At that moment, Alexios quietly closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He had accepted defeat. To think he could do that after being consumed by so much rage and hatred… He was truly impressive.
“Are you saying… that we’re truly useless, just like you said…?”
“Alexios.”
Considering what happened earlier, I knew it was better to say nothing and avoid making any assertions, but I had to say something.
“You’re not useless.”
“Are you trying to deceive me?”
“No.”
I didn’t know the meaning behind Oz’s words in the memory I had seen, but I could say this much with certainty. He wasn’t that cruel. He just didn’t know how to express himself to others. Thinking about it, it had always been that way. Even on the day Arieta left, he couldn’t express his vow in front of her. Oz had always been a capable but foolish, comical character.
-Useless things.
So, that memory was wrong. I didn’t even know if that was truly Oz, so I would act according to my own heart. 40% of my heart was Oz’s heart.
“You’re too valuable. It would be a waste to use you now.”
“Ha…! You idiot…! You should have said that earlier.”
[Curse of Eternal Snow]
“Then I would have at least tried to believe you.”
And a blizzard, capable of freezing even the sun, erupted before Alexios, painting the world white.
“Sorry I’m not good with words.”
With those words, which he could no longer hear, my relationship with Alexios was settled.
* * *
I picked up my cloak, leaving the frozen Alexios behind. I could put it back on, but the magic cast by [Mana Dominator] didn’t affect me.
“Arieta.”
“Ah…”
I draped my cloak over Arieta, who had been watching from a distance to avoid being caught in the crossfire. I thought I had been pretty cool just now. Wouldn’t even Eleanor acknowledge this?
“Thank you, Oz.”
See? This was an angel. Unlike the little devil Eleanor, Arieta offered a pure smile even for such a small gesture.
“Have you settled things with Alexios?”
“Yes, well…”
It felt awkward talking about it in front of Arieta. Because I had severed my connection with her, I felt guilty. But it was impossible to resolve our relationship with just a few words now. It had become too tangled when we first met. And above all, I couldn’t take Oz’s vow lightly. Even if it had been Oz himself, not me, our relationship would still have been severed. Oz was a stubborn person. He wouldn’t have approached her until he fulfilled his vow, even if they were in the same place.
“Oz, your expression is dark.”
“…It’s fine.”
So, I would endure it for that moment. Until the day I came to retrieve her, I would keep my vow. I would definitely bring her back from God’s hands.
“…”
I covered my mouth and thought. It was just a moment. Yes, just a moment.
[Erosion Blade 40%]
My mind had just been consumed by 40% of Oz. And I hadn’t felt any doubt or alarm. I had become accustomed to it. The gap between us had melted away.
“Oz, you look pale. Are you really alright?”
“I’m fine…”
In truth, I wasn’t fine. A chill still ran down my spine. Both Oz within me and me within Oz were afraid that we had come to think of this as “fine.” It would have been better if Oz had been trying to erode my mind and assert ownership. Then, at least, I could have maintained my sense of self through that resistance. But it was different. It wasn’t me, but *us*, merging together.
“Mmm… I’m fine thanks to the cloak you gave me, Oz, but you must have been cold.”
“I’m fine…”
My pale complexion wasn’t from the cold, but from the [Erosion Blade]. The temperature was actually quite cool and pleasant. I was about to stop Arieta, who was rustling as she untied her cloak, when…
“Here!”
Suddenly, Arieta hugged me and draped her cloak over me. She wasn’t giving it to me; she was sharing it. Feeling the warmth as we shared the two layers of the cloak… Yes, warmth. A warmth that calmed my heart. Only then did I realize…
“Now we’re both warm, right? Hehe.”
“Yes…”
…that, as Arieta said, I *had* been feeling cold. That I had been feeling a deep loneliness from the unspoken worries in this disconnected world.
“Thanks to you, I’m no longer cold…”
Thanks to her, I could feel a warmth in my heart, even if just for a moment. Yes, I could understand Oz’s feelings. He had been cold too. For him, who saw too much, this small warmth must have been precious. Precious enough to want to reclaim it, even from God.
“Oz, I think sometimes you need to lean on someone when you’re tired. The world is too hard to endure alone.”
Arieta nestled her face within the cloak and spoke softly, consoling me like a priest. Unconsciously, I spoke as if making a confession.
“Do you ever want to lean on someone, Saintess?”
“Of course. As the Saintess, I *need* to lean on someone sometimes.”
Arieta began to gently tap my forehead with hers from inside the cloak, as if scolding my foolishness. It wasn’t painful, just cute.
“To become someone’s hope, I also need to have hope in someone. I can’t give what I don’t have.”
Focus. Arieta’s words seemed serious.
“I still have hope. Hope that even if it’s been severed, it can be reconnected.”
Her words about the mission she carried as the Saintess weren’t pleasant to hear, to be honest. I didn’t like the fact that so many people placed their hopes on this one girl. Oz must have felt the same way.
“Even I have times when I’m struggling.”
Arieta took a step closer to me. We were already incredibly close, but she came even closer.
“Times when I want to lean on someone.”
She clung to my clothes as if seeking support.
“So… Today… I’m a little… tired.”
As if she wanted to lean on me. It was only natural, in a way. I had settled my past with Alexios, even though I didn’t know how it would end. I didn’t know if he would still be hostile when he woke up or if our relationship would be a little more positive. But my relationship with Arieta was different. It was still severed. The connection was too deep for me, a possessor, not Oz, to resolve on my own.
“Is it okay if I lean on you just for today? Oz.”
This was probably jealousy. She was jealous of Alexios, seeing the severed connection between us.
“Arie…”
“Uh… Mmm… Sorry to interrupt while you’re busy, but can I talk to you for a moment? Oz.”
A familiar voice suddenly called out. At the sound, which awkwardly tried to assert its presence, Arieta quickly pulled away.
“…I really am sorry to interrupt, but could we talk for a moment? Oz.”
“Yes, Headmaster… I thought you’d be coming soon.”
“But still… that… Never mind. Forget it.”
Tia was about to say something but stopped when she saw Arieta’s pitifully withdrawn form. Even she, with her bad personality, didn’t want to upset Arieta.
“…”
Arieta covered her face with the double layer of the cloak. It wouldn’t matter since she didn’t see with her eyes, but her appearance, which looked suffocatingly uncomfortable, made *me* feel uncomfortable too.
“…Please, talk.”
“Yes…”
“Um, sorry. Should I have come later?”
“Please stop tormenting me with such words, Headmaster.”
“Uh… Okay. Ah! Come to think of it, there seems to be a patient over there who needs healing. Could I ask you to take care of him?”
“Yes.”
Arieta scurried away. Even with her face completely covered by the cloak, she seemed to have no trouble moving.
“Ouch…”
And realizing that the person the Headmaster had pointed to was Alexios, Arieta covered her face again, realizing she had forgotten about him. Even though I couldn’t see her face, I could tell she was embarrassed.
“Uh… Hmm, hmm. Oz?”
“I’m listening.”
“…I haven’t said anything yet.”
Tia muttered, scratching her cheek. If she was going to be this awkward, it would have been better to say nothing at all. She was making everyone uncomfortable.
“Did you do that?”
Tia pointed at the unconscious Alexios and asked, her face filled with perplexity.
“Of course.”
I shrugged and answered. Tia touched her eyes, distressed.
“This is driving me crazy…”
It was understandable. Despite me wearing her magic tool that suppressed my magic, I had unleashed such power. It meant there was a flaw in her design. No one in the world could blame her, but if this continued, her authority would be damaged. For a dragon, having her authority damaged would be unbearable humiliation.
“This is insane… How did you bypass it, you bastard?”
“…You must have been careless with the magic tool, Headmaster.”
“You little…!”
There was a clear method, [Mana Dominator], but revealing it now would be foolish. Moreover, no one would believe I had a way to surpass a dragon’s power. Tia couldn’t prove my method anyway. Even if she did, people wouldn’t believe it. They would have to acknowledge the existence of a being as threatening as her. In the end, people would simply attribute it to Tia’s careless nature.
“Headmaster, if you’re having trouble, why don’t we make a deal?”
“…What are you thinking?”
Today, with the blizzard still raging, I finally had the upper hand against this lizard.
“…Why are you smiling like that?”
“Don’t worry, Headmaster. It won’t be anything bad.”
It was finally time to shatter the [Hades King]’s plans.
—–CROW—–
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