The Extra's Academy Survival Guide Chapter 157: Krepin Subjugation (8)
Clang! Clang!
By the time 'Condemnation' hit the floor, the result had already been decided.
Crash! Slam!
Arwen, who was pierced by Ed's dagger, smashed onto the floor. She coughed, splattering blood out of her mouth.
Ed sat on top of Arwen as he pushed the dagger further into her shoulder. His hand was tightly wrapped around the handle as he pushed even deeper into the floor.
"Keheub… Keuk…"
Arwen was a skilled swordsman, but she's not the type with absolute strength.
Once Ed overpowered her, it was impossible for her to easily escape. However, Ed didn't know about that, either, so he continued to push down on Arwen as he held the dagger tightly, shoving it further into her.
"Keuuueuk…"
Arwen tried her hardest to stand up several times, but as she kept bleeding out from the dagger, she was losing strength little by little.
Soon, she stopped struggling as her trembling arms lay quietly down on the stone floor.
Ed, who had clenched his teeth suppressing Arwen, started to relax his body little by little. He realized that Arwen no longer had any energy left to resist.
Arwen closed her eyes as she spoke.
"Finish me."
"Sister Arwen!"
At that moment, Tanya, who barely managed to stand up, shouted out.
Behind Ed's back as he sat on Arwen, Tanya staggered, approaching them.
"We don't have to do this."
Tanya spoke with tears running down her face.
Tanya, who had just entered the fight, didn't fully understand the situation. Even so, despite Arwen's bizarre appearance, she was sure that the girl in front of her was her older sister Arwen, who held her tight and genuinely cared for her in the past.
"I don't know what you've been through, but…"
Tanya was one of the people who was closest to Arwen.
More than anyone else, Arwen was praised as a suitable heir to House Rothstaylor. She also understood Krepin's deepest and innermost thoughts.
As she was the first heir, there was a high chance that Krepin also sympathized with Arwen, not hiding anything from her.
That was why she was the person who probably realized the darkness with Krepin faster than anyone else.
Still, Arwen didn't go against him. Tanya couldn't believe that.
"…We can start all over again… Let's just talk first."
"One thing's for sure…"
Arwen spoke clearly despite coughing up blood.
"When my body is free, I will raise my sword again. Of my own will."
"There's no reason to do that!"
Tanya ran over, looking at Arwen as she cried saying,
"Look at the situation now. The mansion is destroyed, monsters are flying in the sky, and people are dying… Is this really what you wanted, sister? You wouldn't have wanted something like this!"
"Ed."
Arwen spoke with her eyes closed."
"End me."
When Tanya heard that and was about to say something more, Arwen continued saying.
"I also need to rest."
Hearing those words, Tanya was left speechless.
Arwen's body, pushed onto the floor and barely breathing, was in no way fine.
Some of her body had been restored by Mebula's power, but her original body was already half-gone.
While being a part of Krepin's research for a long time, she had endured an enormous amount of pain and held on no matter what. That was because she knew that if she died, his next target would be Ed and Tanya.
In the end, she even dragged that body of hers over to fight. She was stabbed by a dagger alongside the already innate pain throughout her body. Just as she said, Mebula's power brought gruesome pain.
"I've lived a hard life. I've suffered a lot."
"Was it worth it?"
Arwen only smiled at that question.
She followed Krepin all her life. As his daughter, his heir, and the only one who understood his self-proclaimed evil nature and evil deeds.
To acknowledge him, she turned her head away from moral standards. She lowered it in front of her brother and sister, who walked a different path, and could only shake it towards her vassals who tried to dissuade her.
So, Ed only had one question for Arwen.
Was it worth it?
She didn't answer. That meant he had to see Krepin for himself.
Ed slowly closed his eyes, opening them once more. He raised the dagger high. A ceremonial dagger that was used for various ceremonial occasions within Rothstaylor Mansion. It was one of the few tools that Ed had when he first started out in the wild.
The dagger that had gone through highs and lows with him shone bright in the moonlight.
It was the end of someone's long journey.
* * *
After entering the estate and traveling at full speed for a long time, the mansion finally started to get closer.
Princess Penia traveled across the road with her body close to the horse's head. The escort knights accompanying her also quickly traveled at a high speed on their horses.
Traveling on the galloping horse, the monsters in the sky started to slowly come into view.
The monster that was covered in eyeballs and a horrific mass of flesh was clearly the Evil god of the Mythic age, Mebula.
What was unbelievable was the fact there was another monster that was exchanging attacks one-on-one against Mebula.
Boom! Bang!
Mebula's advent was still incomplete. However, that didn't mean it was an enemy that a single human could handle.
Mebula was a walking disaster, but right now, there was another disaster fighting against her.
The number of magic circles that covered the sky were all advanced magic circles. Just casting one required a skilled magician to use all their strength.
A magician who could cast countless advanced magics as if it were nothing. It was hard to see who she was because of her small size and the fact she was far away, but Princess Penia recognized her right away from her silhouette. After all, they were acquaintances.
Lucy Mayreel. The rare genius who attended Silvenia.
It was obvious why she was fighting Mebula like that. It was probably to help Ed Rothstaylor.
Princess Penia knew that Lucy Mayreel was someone who was strangely close to Ed Rothstaylor.
Clip! Clop!
Finally, the exterior wall of the mansion became visible. And right at that moment she was going to enter inside with the escort knights—
Clang! Slash!
Princess Penia could see a fairly large number of knights. They wore armor that was engraved with a turquoise vine of sorts, making it evident that they were the Telos Religious Group's Knight Templars.
They were fighting against all sorts of tentacles, gremlins, and fleshy monsters that were in the shape of humans at the entrance of the mansion.
"Shit! We have to get through this way! But even more hordes of gremlins are coming from further inside!"
"We can defeat them, but…! There are too many! If we want to protect the Saint, we have to clear the path and enter at once…!"
"I think we will have to be in separate groups to enter! It looks like we will only be able to reach the central mansion, where the Saint is, if we have multiple groups that go to separate buildings!"
The gremlin army seemed to be commanded by someone.
Only an appropriate number of them were sent to subdue those who were wandering alone. But against a huge army, the number of troops mobilized was a larger number.
Also, the entrance was too narrow.
Once they could break through towards an open area, they would be able to disperse the enemy forces by moving in separate groups towards different buildings. After all, the goal wasn't to defeat all of them, but rather to rescue the Saint.
However, there was only one entrance on that massive outer wall, which was rather narrow for the troops to go in and out of. So, the side that was defending had the overwhelming advantage.
Fwoosh! Clang!
As soon as Princess Penia's escorts reached the battlefield, they jumped off their horses joining the fight. They struck the tentacles with magic as they used swords against the gremlins that held blades.
"Y-You all…! No…! I apologize! My manners!"
The commander of the Knight Templars, who was leading the fight from the rear, saw the face of Princess Penia as he quickly knelt down.
As soon as the aides around him, who were also helping, saw Princess Penia they also quickly lowered their posture.
Princess Penia shook her head, telling them all to stand up. Now it wasn't the time to show their respect.
"What's the situation right now?"
Princess Penia quickly jumped off the horse as she rolled up the hem of her dress. Although it was already covered with dirt, Princess Penia didn't care, looking as dignified as always.
"We haven't been able to figure out the entire situation yet. Since the Saint is participating in the social gathering, we camped outside here, waiting. And then, suddenly… It's as you see…"
There wasn't a need for a longer explanation. The situation was dire, and you could tell the status of things just by looking at the present situation.
Princess Penia bit her lower lip as she looked above the mansion. All sorts of advanced magic spells of an unbelievable scale were being traded between Lucy and Mebula.
The sight was so extraordinary that you couldn't help but drop your mouth in awe looking at it.
The night sky continued to be lit up by their magic. Even though it was a useless metaphor that didn't fit the urgency of the situation, it was dazzling like a fireworks display.
Then, at that moment—
Boom! Boom!
The thick exterior walls of the Rothstaylor Mansion. The other side was smashed open by advanced magic.
Kwakakakak!
Fwoooosh!
In an instant, a large hole was formed as dust rose in the air. The knights were startled as they prepared for battle. If a horde of gremlins were to pour out of there, it would be no different than being attacked from their side.
However, the first person's face that came out was… Sinir Bloomriver, the head of House Bloomriver.
She was breathing and sweating heavily. Before all the knights could react, Sinir looked back as she shouted.
"Everyone, run out here now! The Knight Templars are here!"
A group of distinguished guests, who were being escorted by spirits, ran out of the mansion's walls.
"Ahhh! We're alive!"
"We finally escaped from that hellish mansion! I survived! I survived!"
"Oh god, thank you! Thank you for saving this worthless life of mine!"
Seeing the group of distinguished guests run out, the commander of the Knight Templar quickly ordered his men to protect them all.
The reliable knights quickly ran over to the guests, who shed tears, overwhelmed with emotions as they sighed in relief.
"We need to quickly tell the imperial family what took place here!"
During it all, a nobleman who had come to his senses raised his voice.
"More than three high-ranking nobles have already died, and more than ten nobles of smaller regions have died. Anyone who conspired such an act should be reported to the imperial family and hung in the gallows!"
"Yeah! Those Rothstaylor bastards! They were crazy bastards to do all of this!"
"Prepare to send a letter to the imperial family right away! We need to tell them just how horrific the catastrophe here is!"
"Princess Selah was even here, yet they committed such an act… This is clearly a challenge against the Imperial Family."
Little by little the nobles began raising their voices.
Shortly after they exchanged opinions with each other, they rushed towards the commander of the Knight Templar.
The moment they were about to tell him to prepare a report for the imperial family, Princess Penia came into their view.
The third princess, Penia Elias Kroel. There was no need for any further introduction after hearing that name alone. She was the most famous girl amongst the imperial family, whom all the nobles looked up to highly.
"P-Princess Penia!"
"Wh-What are you doing here Princess Penia…?!"
"No, this place is…!"
The nobles' faces began to turn red. They didn't know why Princess Penia was there, but if she had seen it all, then there was no need to explain just how atrocious House Rothstaylor's actions were.
Princess Penia was one of the key individuals within the imperial family that held great influence. If they could convince her of the situation, then everything afterwards would be handled easily.
"Princess Penia! Look at what has happened! We saw everything that took place inside! House Rothstaylor has been planning this slaughter for a long time!"
"That madman was going to sacrifice us all to that monster! We had no choice but to escape like this!"
"The same goes for the rest of those Rothstaylors! Whether it be his successor Tanya Rothstaylor or his son, Ed Rothstaylor! They are all worthy of death! So are all his vassals! Many of them have already turned into monsters!"
Princess Penia calmly judged the situation as she listened to the nobles shouting.
The one who was buying time against Mebula, who was flying in the sky, was definitely Lucy Mayreel, who is on Ed's side.
In that case, Penia concluded that at the very least Ed wasn't on Krepin's side. Rather, the correct judgment would be that he is standing in opposition to him.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for Lucy to be fighting against that giant monster.
Princess Penia, who had quickly judged the situation, was about to evacuate all the nobles to a safe area when—
Fwooosh.
A few spirits flew back inside the broken wall.
The huge number of spirits that covered the sky as well as those that flew through the wall… There were very few elementalists in the world who could handle such a number of spirits.
The few spirits that hovered around them seemed to be confirming their safety. They then flew back towards the hole as they went back into the mansion.
Before anyone could stop her, Princess Penia jumped onto her horse and quickly went towards the broken outer wall.
"Wh-What?!"
"Princess Penia?!"
The knights were so startled they couldn't react. After all, who would go back into that hellish mansion like that?
However, Princess Penia got off her horse as she followed the spirits. Jumping over the broken outer wall and running alongside the walls of the mansion for a while, she finally saw the final destination of the spirits.
A sparrow sat on top of the girl's hand as it fluttered its wings a few times, chirping. It was as if it was a subordinate that was reporting everything it had seen.
What Princess Penia had witnessed was the girl who had rescued and escorted all of the nobles outside. It was clear that she had contributed greatly to reducing the number of casualties as much as she could, by leading them out with her army of spirits.
On top of that, that girl was alone, surrounded by a pile of gremlins.
She had saved dozens of high-ranking nobles by herself.
It was a great achievement in itself that wouldn't only receive imperial commendation but also a small title… Though the girl didn't seem to care about that at all. In the first place, she barely showed herself in front of them.
Rather, she seemed rather busy. As if there was something more important that she had to do.
"Yeah, I got it. It's important to clear up the misunderstanding, but it's more important to stay alive right now… But I have to go to Ed… You can persuade me later."
The girl quickly exchanged thoughts with a spirit underneath the moonlight.
Only then did the girl seem to notice Princess Penia.
"Ehh!"
The girl, whose appearance was innocent enough to not match her power, was startled by the appearance of Princess Penia.
The cat had caught her tongue as her arms fluttered in the air. She seemed perplexed, unsure of what to say.
"You… Protected all the nobles, Yennekar Palerover."
"I just did what Ed asked me to do. But now I have to go to him."
Yennekar didn't explain much. Although she succeeded in minimizing the number of casualties, they still hadn't completely shut down all of Krepin's plans.
The most important thing was to defeat Krepin. He was the mastermind behind everything, and the medium in which the Evil God Mebula would descend upon them.
"Ed… Rothstaylor…?"
"Princess. You can't listen to those nobles. I know they are saying to tear down House Rothstaylor, but…"
Yennekar looked straight at Princess Penia as she spoke.
"Right now, Ed is trying to stop Krepin Rothstaylor. Please believe me. Even though he is a direct descendant of Krepin, at the very least he wasn't involved in his plans. Even though he is a member of the House, on his own Ed is…"
"I understand. I believe you."
Seeing Princess Penia's calm response, Yennekar's hand trembled.
She didn't think that Princess Penia would calmly trust Ed like that.
She thought she would have to convince her with a more logical explanation. However, Princess Penia had never doubted Ed from the start.
If he really did stop Krepin, he wouldn't be hung in the gallows—rather, he would be revered as a hero of the empire.
"However, I need to meet with him in person to see it myself. Where is he now?"
When Princess Penia spoke, Yennekar turned her gaze towards the annex of the mansion.
On the roof, there sat Krepin Rothstaylor.
* * *
The sound of footsteps on the stairs echoed up to the roof.
Clang!
A sword was dragged across the floor and shortly after, there was the sound of someone stepping on the stairs.
A blonde boy, covered in blood, walked up the stairs to the rooftop.
In one hand, he held onto a dagger, and in the other, he held the handle of the great sword 'Condemnation'. It was an item left behind by Arwen.
Luden's holy sword, which had the advantage over any defensive magic as well as acceleration magic… Now, it belonged to Ed.
The other great sword Arwen wielded, 'Dawn's Blade', was much heavier than he thought. Also, the elemental spells engraved on it were ones that Ed was already capable of, so he didn't take it.
In the first place, Ed had never trained in swordsmanship. So, even if he carried a greatsword, no matter how powerful the weapon was, he couldn't fully draw out its abilities.
Clang!
However, he had a different reason for carrying the sword.
As he climbed the stairs, the sound of the greatsword striking the stairs echoed through the roof.
Krepin Rothstaylor had a gut feeling. Ed Rothstaylor was coming.
He was a monster covered in blood, who had lost all respect towards his family. He came with only the goal to hunt down Krepin.
The mansion was already a living hell, but the annex was strangely quiet, as Ed had cleared the path.
Tanya sat next to Arwen's body.
She took her hand, which was getting colder, as she buried her face into her shoulder. Ed left Mugg to watch over her as he climbed up to the roof by himself, leaving Tanya alone so she could calm herself.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of the blade of the sword hitting the stairs came to an end as it slowly changed into the sound of it being dragged across the roof. He had finally reached the roof.
Under the open sky, a boy that was covered in blood walked towards him.
Carrying the greatsword he dragged on the floor, he glared at Krepin, who had been sitting quietly on the broken railing.
Krepin recognized the greatsword in Ed's hand at once.
"You've come."
Hearing Krepin's words, Ed didn't answer. All he did was take out Arwen's greatsword, which he had been dragging along, and shoved it onto the floor.
Clang!
The blood-covered sword struck the floor.
The reason he brought the sword was to clearly show him who he had to cut through to get here.
In the end, the road Ed walked was a thorny one. Krepin knew that fact as well.
From the railing that looked like his throne, Krepin quietly stood up. The sacrificial magic circle was still working. Although it was far from being complete, the target was still clearly aimed at the nobles.
Even at that moment, the nobles had no idea that the magic was still aimed at them.
"It's been a long journey."
Krepin spoke softly.
"So, let's finish it now."
Ed stood next to the greatsword that was on the ground as he quietly raised his head.
That was where his relationship with the horrific House Rothstaylor would come to an end. He quietly lowered his head as he finished readying himself to use his full power. While drawing magic power out of his body, he stared at Krepin with intense eyes on his blood-stained face.
The wind blew by.
On the roof of the annex of Rothstaylor Mansion, a swirling wind whirled around Ed.
As the rising wind quickly subsided, the howl of a massive wolf rang out.
Awoooo.
Merilda's cry cut through the night sky over Rothstaylor Mansion.
She could be seen at a glance from anywhere across the Rothstaylor Mansion.
A huge wolf, which was overwhelming just looking at it, growled on the roof of the annex.
-x-X-x-
I had killed someone before.
It was an old story of the past.
As Ed Rothstaylor, it had already been quite some time since I began struggling to survive in that cruel world… Though, the time I spent in my previous world was several dozen times longer than the time I had lived in my current world.
So, I was still just a stranger in the world.
To me, the act of killing people in modern warfare was so simple that I wondered if it was really okay. Just aim your sight, hold your breath, and pull the trigger and it's done.
And just like that, a person's life came to an end. It was simple and clean enough to make one laugh.
At first, I didn't even realize that I had taken someone's life like that. My hands trembled at what I had just committed so casually. I felt rather bewildered, not realizing and truly feeling what I had just done.
The really scary thing was when I went to bed that night.
Those facial expressions I saw through the sight, their lively gestures, and the traces of life that quickly disappeared as soon as they were struck with a single shot. All that remained of them was a chunk of flesh.
The moment I realized that fact, I was filled with guilt, like a nightmare that corroded my mind.
That was something that happened to everyone on the battlefield.
On a battlefield, where your life was at risk, you didn't feel it because you were only saving your life. But when you retired and moved into a peaceful world… Those memories returned like ghosts, trying to eat away at your sanity.
It was a disease like measles that anyone who had lived on the battlefield for several years suffered through. But over time, it was something that you could recover from.
I also had a severe case of those 'measles' once, but I quickly overcame it. I regained weight, met with friends, joked around, watched a few movies and played a few games, and my outlook on life became clearer.
Now, I didn't do anything cruel that would make me suffer from those memories again. Yet occasionally, from time to time, they did come back.
After killing someone for the first time, the feeling of guilt that flooded one's mind was the same for everyone.
That was particularly the case in times of war. During those times, normally one would mentally escape from it all, as there was no choice but to kill them. Because in order to survive, you had to kill the other person.
That was something that couldn't be helped.
Mentally escaping was something that everyone did, and I was no exception.
Even the upper officers understood that fact. By looking at the faces of the soldiers, which were starting to change little by little, you could gauge their fighting spirit.
The issue was, there were those who ended up going the other way. Perhaps those were the people I had been the wariest of and distanced myself from.
—Because I thought that, if I were careless, I could become like that, too.
It was reasonable to run away, justifying it to yourself by saying that it was something you had to do. However, those who rationalized the truth by saying, 'I always used to be like this…'
Those were the really dangerous guys.
They always loved killing.
A person who took pleasure in stealing another's life.
To them, there was no such thing as guilt. They had no intention of being understood.
Running away from your guilt and saying such a thing, in the end you would only end up mistaking yourself for being 'pure evil'.
Free from the guilt that ate away at their minds, they spent years on the battlefield, becoming monsters. All before ultimately retiring.
If things went well, they could get a job in the defense or security-related industry and live a life where they were socially treated no different from madmen. But those who went in the wrong direction and weren't so lucky end up smuggling guns and hanging around gangs, only to die with a bullet shot through their jaws.
True to those words, I had experience turning my life around right on the brink of turning into one of those madmen… Thinking about it again sent chills running down my spine.
That was why I lived a life fighting against my guilt to the end.
Living as such, I became a person who did not hastily take responsibility for anyone else, nor did I try to save someone from a crisis without reason.
I just didn't want to face the heartache and pain that would come if I failed… It was such an absurd reason. But still, I believed it was the right choice for me to make.
Those who strayed were not just murderous maniacs who enjoyed killing. They were unable to bear a single ounce of guilt, running away… Just like fucking cowards.
That was why there was a question that I always wanted to ask those bastards who had gone astray.
…Do you still treasure the feeling you felt when you first killed someone?
* * *
Drip!
The sound of blood dripping. The seal of the evil god engraved on Krepin's left hand began to turn red.
The dripping blood filled the gaps in the seal as an ominous magic power energy began to bloom.
Soon, that magic power began to wrap around Krepin's entire hand. That vast energy transformed his entire left forearm into a grotesque mass of flesh.
Karuk! Pwshh!
A few tentacles sprouted out from his left hand as they wrapped around the nearby area. Although Krepin was still in the form of a human, if you only looked at his left hand, he looked no different than a monster.
In his right hand he held a long sword with the seal of the house. Unlike his left hand, which had been transformed into a grotesque shape, it was still completely fine.
"I can feel the power."
Krepin spoke in a gentle tone.
"I've always wanted this kind of power. Now, the magic of immortality isn't far away."
Saying that, he clenched his grotesque left hand.
—At that moment, Storm's Blessing disappeared.
I couldn't even feel the magic power. At a speed that was impossible for a person to react to, he gathered and compressed the pressure around me.
It was useless to wait for the re-activation of Storm's Blessing, and it was clear that I could never drop my guard against him.
It was impossible to avoid Krepin's attack by reacting in response to his flow of magic power.
It was the same in
I had to dodge his attacks by predicting how he would attack by only looking at how he physically moved. It was similar to the idea of dodging a bullet by looking at the direction of the muzzle. It seemed possible in words, but actually doing it was a near impossible feat.
However, just because it was unreasonable, didn't mean that I shouldn't give it a try. After all, I had already climbed to the top of that hell.
Either I would defeat Krepin, or I would die. Now that it had come to one of those two options, I wouldn't act hastily, nor would I act too cautiously.
Kyaaaaaghk!
The high-ranking wind spirit Merilda's roar echoed through the grounds of Rothstaylor Mansion.
She tried to smash Krepin's body with her forelegs, but when he twisted his left hand strangely, an unknown physical force blocked Merilda's forelegs.
I tried to cast the elemental magic Wind Blade towards Krepin. However, as expected, it was also neutralized by an unknown force just before it reached him.
Just as Lucy said, he used magic that was outside of the realm of normal types. And that was the power of Mebula.
But if it was a fight against a magic power that was impossible to understand, I also knew how to use one.
A dark red energy rose up as it began to wrap around my body. I gathered Celestial magic power at the tip of my finger before sending it straight at Krepin.
Krepin briefly frowned. His eyes widened as if it was hard to believe that I could use Celestial Magic. However, that wasn't a situation where he could afford to be surprised.
Forced Collection.
The power of Celestial Magic surpassed all innate relationships between objects. It was similar to Mebula's power in that it was impossible to deal with.
Krepin was in trouble, as he thought that he was the only one with a power that could surpass the innate relationship between objects.
In an instant, Krepin's body was pulled right towards me. By the time he realized it, my dagger was already right in front of me. However, at an unbelievable speed, a tentacle grabbed my arm.
Kadedeuk.
I clenched my teeth as it grabbed my hand.
About five or six tentacles protrude from his left arm. Each of them were wriggling in their own way, smashing everything around them.
I strengthened my arm as I turned around and pulled it towards the greatsword that was stuck on the floor. While doing so, I dragged the tentacle towards the blade of the greatsword, cutting them off from me. I shook off the remaining part that stuck to my arm.
The reflexes of the tentacles were absolutely absurd. It was impossible to be sure that I would win against him in close combat.
I had suddenly cast Celestial Magic without any warning, but he still managed to deal with it impressively.
I stood back up again as I stared straight at Krepin.
Krepin Rothstaylor's mid-battle pattern had always been like that. In close combat, the tentacles protruding from his left hand were utilized, and in long-distance battles, he used the magic power of the Evil God to cast magic.
Midway through the battle against Krepin, maintaining distance like that was the common strategy. Trading blows in close-combat and responding with magic when the distance was greater.
Having the sense to recognize what he would do from what range, it was possible to read Krepin's attacks. Thanks to the tentacles, he was extremely powerful in close combat. However, when he gathered magic power, he wouldn't be able to react as quickly. I needed to take advantage of that timing.
"Whew…"
Krepin let out a long sigh, relaxing his body. Then, little by little, his body began to float in the air. That marked the beginning of the real battle.
An aerial view of the mansion, where Mebula and Lucy's battle was in full swing. With countless magic circles being cast and disappearing behind him, his body floated higher, little by little.
His collar flapped in the air as if he were a ghost. A strong wind began to blow through the rooftop.
"My son, Ed Rothstaylor. He has always been a coward."
Krepin knew everything. The fact that Ed Rothstaylor had seen Krepin's darkness, but never ended up rebelling against him in the end.
"He had no ambitions and only thought of living peacefully with the family and the vassals. Maybe that wasn't appropriate as the eldest son of a noble family, but it was a fine attitude for my son. After all, having useless ambition never helps."
At that moment, Krepin narrowed the distance quickly as he held out his long sword. Even a simple stab became a fatal surprise attack thanks to the fact he could fly around using Mebula's magic power.
Clang!
As I evaded, taking a big leap backwards, the longsword—which had nowhere to strike—ended up striking the floor.
"It's not that I don't understand why he ran away to Silvenia. However, to have planned to purposely use the princess to be excommunicated! I didn't think he would be that meticulous. So, when I heard that he was still alive, I was skeptical. He wasn't the type to survive something like that."
"In the first place, aren't you the one who sent Kadek and Nox to kill me?"
"No, I'm not talking about that time."
Krepin seemed to be vaguely aware that I was a separate person from Ed Rothstaylor.
It wasn't impossible to understand, but it was strange to come to such a conclusion, because there was no clear evidence.
And that reason. Krepin explained it clearly.
"It's already been over a year and a half since I sent the letter informing him that he had been excommunicated."
Krepin Rothstaylor's letter of excommunication.
It was the first document I looked at when I came to this world, and it was the only medium through which I was able to grasp my situation after being kicked out of Ophelis Hall.
For me, it was a letter that started the whole story. It signaled the start of my survival in that shitty world.
"After that, before he was expelled from Ophelis Hall, the reply my son sent me… I guess you wouldn't know."
"What did you say?"
Now, that was a completely new piece of information.
If there was a reply to that letter, it wasn't from me… It was certainly from Ed Rothstaylor, before I possessed him.
Krepin's remarks that followed were completely unexpected.
"He said that he no longer felt a reason to live. He meticulously wrote down every single feeling he felt before dying, sending it to me. He didn't even bother telling Tanya."
At those words, I took a deep breath.
Ed Rothstaylor abandoned the prestige of his house and ran away. Only then did he realize that there was no longer a place for him in the world.
He drowned in an endless emptiness as he looked down quietly at the school outside his window.
In a quiet room. It was nearly time for him to get kicked out. A life where he would have to endure pennilessness all on his own in the cruel world. The only future left for him was darkness.
After sitting quietly alone in that room, the path he ended up choosing… Was the end of his life's journey.
There were many ways he could do it in a quiet and secluded room. All one would need was a rope and a chair that was easy to knock over.
However, I was certain that I remembered seeing Ed Rothstaylor's face briefly being shown in the ending credits. He didn't look great, but I definitely remembered that he was still alive.
The difference between my memory and reality.
Ed Rothstaylor was certainly going to end his life that day.
However, even that failed.
Even his death didn't go according to his plan. Why?
The only thing that could be considered the cause is—
To be honest, I was incredibly surprised.
Bell Maya.
The day I was kicked out of Ophelis Hall. Despite having a reputation that was nothing more than a fool, she strangely wanted to take care of me.
I thought she was just a person without any prejudice, fulfilling her duty as a maid of Ophelis Hall….
But I had no idea that you were living like this… When you left Ophelis Hall, you had an expression on your face that made it seem like it was the end of the world. I thought you would end up leaving the school.
Anyway, I'm relieved that you're doing well.
The meaning in each of her lines felt completely new.
She had said that as if she was relieved, seeing me become healthier and more outgoing after that incident.
Managing to always maintain her professionalism, she never went against my feelings.
Whenever she had free time, she came to the camp to check on me, and if there was anything she could do to help, she would do so.
Seeing what she did, I always thought she was treating me strangely well. However, that was because the maid Bell Maya, who was in charge of Ed Rothstaylor, had witnessed the moment he made an extreme decision, coming to stop him.
Then the confusion behind Bell Maya's unnatural actions were all coming together like pieces of a puzzle. Even the reason why I came to that world started to come to mind.
Ed Rothstaylor, who had lost his will to survive. He didn't want to live a life of darkness any longer.
I… received the life that he abandoned.
Slash.
Was he aiming for the moment I was caught in my thoughts?
Krepin's blade pierced my shoulder. I couldn't feel his magic power, as it was a speed that was hard to notice.
As the pain rose in my arm, I could see Krepin grinning right in front of me.
My body, which had already reached its limit, screamed out. Then I felt my consciousness slowly fading.
* * *
A strong wind blew around the annex of the mansion.
Everyone gathered at the mansion could see what was unfolding with their own two eyes.
Above the rooftop, there was a man fighting with an ominous energy.
A massive wolf roared as it ran wild. The night sky over the mansion was lit up with all sorts of different advanced magics being sent back and forth.
There, if I closed my eyes, it felt as if I was in a pure white room staring into a mirror.
In front of a large mirror that reflected my entire body, I brought over a wooden chair, sitting down.
A blonde man, with a serious expression, sat in the mirror with his hands together, looking directly at me.
Mirrors reflect everything in the world equally. However, it sometimes felt like something on the inside was peeking out.
The blonde man in the mirror looked straight at me with a somewhat unfamiliar gaze.
Ed Rothstaylor was staring at me.
The look in his eye showed he was thinking back on his life, where he faced a massive injustice but didn't fight back. He couldn't do anything aside from running away.
He had too much work to do.
Kicked out of the Ophelis Hall, he had to find a place to live right away. He was still a student, but there wasn't any way to get help to pay the tuition. He only had a few pieces of clothes to wear, as well as minimal food to eat. His reputation in school was also bad, so there was no place he could go to ask for help.
Even after running away, there was no place for him to rest comfortably… It might have been better for him to just give up on life instead.
Clenching his teeth, he struggled, managing to escape from the darkness of his house… But the result at the end of it all was in vain. Life in itself was worthless.
Receiving the baton at that point, what kind of life did I end up living?
I slept less than four hours a day, struggling to survive in whatever way I could…
I broke off pieces of bark and boiled them to eat. I continued to use my old clothes by sewing them. I somehow managed to utilize magic theory with my body despite having a worthless talent in it.
Only by clenching my teeth and bearing through it all was I able to create a simple but scrappy camp.
Eventually, there was a large cabin, a couple of storages made of timber, a campfire that was great to start a fire in, and a wooden shelter where Lucy sometimes came to sleep. There was also the cabin where Yennekar was staying. Soon, there would also be Lortel's villa, which she was starting to build, as well as Bell, who came by often to lend a helping hand.
It had become a hideout that I didn't want to give up to anyone else. I could even say that it had truly become my home.
My position within the school had also changed a lot.
My grades improved, I became a scholarship student, and I recently became the top student in my grade. There were also a bunch of underclassmen who follow me around quite a bit.
As I walked around school, there were now quite a few people who looked my way and greeted me. I'd also grown to know quite a few influential people, so people no longer said that I had no connections.
"I'm jealous of you."
The source of the suddenly raised voice was me inside the mirror.
After saying that, the man—who had his head lowered—didn't say anything else.
I sat down in front of the man as I stared at him.
That boy who had his head lowered for a while.
He had already lost the will to live. All he wanted to do was rest comfortably.
However, I had something I needed to say to him.
"It's okay. So, you should rest in peace now."
"You've already done enough… So, I'll take care of the rest for you."
Perhaps my thoughts had reached him, as the boy continued to keep his head lowered.
Kwak!
I grabbed Krepin's right hand, which was stabbing my shoulder. It was the last thing I did before my vision returned.
As Merilda's rising wind enveloped our surroundings, she got rid of some of Mebula's magic power that was floating around… I grabbed Krepin's right arm as I threw it back.
Kwang! Boom!
"Keuheuk…"
Krepin, who didn't expect a counterattack, thinking that he had cleanly landed a critical blow, let out a moan. It seemed like he had received a major shock as his back hit the floor.
The sword piercing my shoulder also went deeper from the impact. However, I clenched my teeth as I pulled it out. Blood was oozing out of the wound as the pain welled up… After clenching my teeth and bearing with the pain, I put my foot on the fallen Krepin.
Blood dripped down.
He was already covered in blood as my own dripped onto top of him.
"Keheuk…"
I gasped for air. I couldn't breathe like I wanted to. Nevertheless, I clenched my teeth as if they were going to shatter as I raised the dagger.
Even the ceremonial dagger was completely soaked in blood.
I'd already experienced moments of crisis in my life multiple times. Before and after coming to that world, it was all the same.
I'd even experienced death. There were also many times when I was seriously injured, and there were times when I even collapsed from overworking.
There were countless hardships that chased after me as if I were cursed. Despite them chasing after my life, I overcame all of them.
When I was running around on the battlefield, I remembered what my comrades had said to me.
It wasn't a great nickname, since I didn't like how it sounded.
"I'm a cockroach."
Not caring about my dripping blood, I pinned Krepin down. Looking down at Krepin, as I spoke.
I ground my teeth as I brought the dagger down.
Thwack!
He managed to block it with his left arm. Putting strength into my trembling hands, I somehow managed to lower the dagger, piercing through that grotesque arm of his.
Krepin clenched his teeth again as he endured it through his strength.
"I will never die. Never"
He spoke in a cold voice. Even those corrupt eyes of his seemed to be cold.
Out of sheer grit, he somehow continued to struggle clenching his teeth.
-x-X-x-
The dagger lodged in Krepin's left arm made a slicing sound as it cut through his flesh.
The tip of the dagger that pierced through his wrist stopped right in front of his eye as it trembled.
I clenched my teeth as I tried to push down on the dagger with the weight of my body, but Krepin managed to hold on as he swung at me with his tentacles.
Fwack!
I quickly took a defensive stance, but I was still pushed away by the impact, rolling over a few times on the stone floor.
Krepin, with a dagger stuck in one of his hands, gulped as he stood up.
As he brushed his left hand, the wound began to heal in an instant. However, he frowned as if the pain was still there.
"Usually, until the moment you are about to die, you can never even imagine your own death."
Krepin stood up as he picked up his longsword again. And with his grotesquely twisted left hand, he gathered Mebula's magic power once more.
Fwooosh!
Dozens of tentacles started to come out again. The tentacles were covered with bizarre chunks of flesh that made me feel nauseous just looking at them.
Awooo!
Crash! Kaaaaak!
However, more than half of them were slaughtered and disappeared because of Merilda's howl, which could shout out magic power.
The Wind Blades that Merilda used were different in scale from normal elemental magic. Blades made of magic power that were sent flying in all directions destroyed the surroundings. Even Krepin's body was struck by the aftermath of that magic.
Slice! Slice!
A few pieces of his flesh fell off as he continued to form new scars. However, he somehow managed to minimize the impact of Merilda's attack as he healed his wounds with Mebula's power.
However, that power wasn't infinite. Krepin hadn't yet fully received all of Mebula's magic power.
In the end, if he wanted to use Mebula's magic power, he would have to use his own magic power as a medium to some extent. Of course, the result was tremendous compared to the amount of magic power he put in. But at the same time, it wasn't a means to completely replace his own magic power yet.
Krepin, who hadn't fully received Mebula's strength, was in a tough spot. That was why he needed to end the fight quickly.
As Krepin tried to regain his balance, the dagger in his left arm exploded. Unaware of the spiritual skill that caused the explosion, he staggered for a moment. And that moment was enough time for me to jump closer.
Fwoosh!
As soon as I kicked off the floor, I felt as if my body was floating.
Merilda's wind magic made my body's movements lighter. Moving faster than I expected, I quickly narrowed the distance. I then gathered magic power as the dagger returned to me.
Krepin wouldn't get hit twice. Avoiding Merilda's feet, who had rushed at him, he started to float up as his body rose above the entire mansion.
His fighting style was starting to become more cautious.
He flew higher than the railing as he floated in the air with the moon behind him… now it was impossible to fight him in close combat.
Fwooosh!
Again, magic power began to gather in his hands. It was an attack pattern I knew.
Eye of Malice. Among Krepin's attack patterns, it was an attack that appeared close to the end. Seeing that he used it already meant that he acknowledged the situation wasn't favorable for him.
Of course, there was no reason to leave him alone as he cast it. I fired six magic power arrows towards him as I summoned Lacia.
Boooom!
The magic power arrow that was flying through the air exploded. Water fell down from the sky over the mansion like a waterfall. In that brief moment, Lacia popped out from the Manifestation of a Water Source that appeared in the waterfall. She flew towards Krepin, biting his shoulder.
"Keuaaaaak!"
Krepin screamed as he tried to knock Lacia away.
The wound continued to heal, but the pain was still there. Since there was a limit to the human mind, he would certainly eventually fall if we continuously attacked him.
Krepin started to fall down as Lacia bit his shoulder. The result of that attack was completely unexpected.
As he fell down towards the mansion, I chased after him.
"I'm chasing after him! I have to make sure to end him!"
[If you make a mistake, you will fall and die!]
"Then take care of it for me! You have a lot of magic power left, after all!"
[Please!]
As I stepped on the railing and jumped into the sky, Merilda's wind blew through me.
Merilda's Spiritual Skill, Updraft. I floated for a while under the rising air current. Shortly after, I began to fall back down again under the force of gravity.
Only the sound of the passing wind and my flapping collar filled my ears.
At the very end of my vision, I could see Krepin falling straight down after somehow managing to shove Lacia away.
Boooom!
Maybe because he wasn't used to using the magic power yet, he tried to bring out Mebula's powers somehow… But still ended up crashing into the central garden, causing dust to rise in the air.
Fwoosh!
Using Merilda's wind magic, I chased after him while minimizing the force of gravity.
Boom! Crash!
In a flower bed in the burnt central garden, I landed on top of him, taking out my dagger and pushing it into him. That time, it was in his right forearm, which held onto the long sword.
"Keuaaaaak!"
Since he hadn't received all of Mebula's powers, Krepin seemed to feel an even greater pain.
He screamed and shouted because of the pain. But things weren't done yet.
I took a big leap backwards with my dagger stuck in him.
The skin-crawling sight of the night sky full of stars wasn't the only thing that came into his sight as he laid down.
At that moment, a giant wolf-shaped spirit jumped off from the roof, attacking him and swinging down its heavy feet.
Booooooooom!
The impact was as if an entire container had fallen and crushed him. A normal human would surely die from that.
However, Krepin, who used Mebula's magical powers, boasted a ridiculously tenacious vitality that was extremely frustrating to deal with.
Of course, I also thought that things wouldn't end with that, so I prepared an additional attack…
Rumble, Boom!
The ground that couldn't withstand the heavy impact collapsed.
The ground was already unstable because of the numerous tentacles rising up through it and making holes. There was even a huge laboratory in the basement, so it wouldn't be strange if it collapsed immediately.
As if Merilda's attack was the final blow, the entire floor of the central garden collapsed into the underground laboratory.
Craaaaash! Boom!
Lacia quickly ran towards me, trying to protect me, but she couldn't stop me from falling down inside as well.
Krepin and I crashed into the large hall of the underground laboratory.
Crash! Clang!
Fwooosh!
Dust rose as I could see the entire underground facility once again. It was the large hall where Arwen was pierced by that greatsword.
However, the ceiling had completely collapsed, making the night sky easily visible. It was shaped like a gladiator's arena in a colosseum.
In the center of it, I could see Krepin standing up on his feet with his grotesque flesh wriggling around. He was still alive.
The grotesque flesh had covered the entirety of his left arm and was now spreading to his upper body. The further it went, the more of Mebula's magic he actively received.
If one were to try and handle Mebula's magic past their limit, they would lose their sanity.
Just like the servants wandering around the mansion.
Since Krepin had been studying Mebula's magic for a long time, he had a particularly deep understanding of it. Therefore, he could handle a deeper level of magic power compared to the others. But in the end, he was no different, as he would end up losing his sanity if he went past his limit.
However, despite the pain he dealt with, he was still holding onto his consciousness.
I was familiar with that appearance of his, with half of his body covered in that flesh. The fully awakened Krepin… In Act 4 of
In fact, the Mebula Subjugation was more like a raid. It was enough to just remember its attack pattern and strike it in the appropriate spot with God Slaying Sword. That was why the fully awakened Krepin was actually closer to being the actual final boss.
He attacked with all sorts of instant death moves. He even periodically summoned tentacles to attack those in the back. Plus, he could recover his own health, and he resurrected multiple times just when you thought you finally killed him… he was a completely disgusting boss.
Visually, he looked horrific and the boss battle itself took place in a building full of flesh. Because of that, he was the boss who traumatized the majority of players. He was extremely difficult to face, and the atmosphere was horrific. He was a terrible enemy to face in many ways.
He rose to his feet as he exhaled heavily. He was already in a state where he couldn't be called a human.
The horrific flesh twitched as he drew out Mebula's magic power.
"I didn't want to draw out my power like this until I went to take over the Imperial Castle."
He once again drew magic power to the Eye of Malice, which was spread out in the sky.
When the magic power gathered in the eye of malice, hundreds of rays that were difficult to avoid covered the area.
In
What I was certain about was that I couldn't risk checking it myself.
The moment I gathered magic power from my hand, the massive wolf stood up through the fallen debris.
Even in that impact, she only had a slight scratch. In the first place, high-ranking spirits can't be wounded easily.
Merilda's wind covered the area as I charged towards Krepin to disperse his magic power. However, the power of the fully awakened Krepin was enormous.
As he gathered his magic powers, he raised his left arm, which had now become so horrendous that it was difficult to even call it a hand.
"Stop moving! Merilda!"
When I shouted, Merilda quickly stopped moving without hesitation or question. The massive wolf's body stopped as dust flew away.
Blade of the Void.
Gathering magic power and releasing it after a short while, it was an instant death skill that burst the hearts of all living things moving around him.
It could only be avoided by stopping all your movements at the right time as he gathered his magic power. The problem was the gremlins and tentacles.
In
A group of gremlins descending from the sky attacked us as tentacles rose from the ground to attack. During all of that, I clenched my teeth and stopped moving.
Hwaaaaaaaak!
Crunch! Crack!
Keeeeeeeeek!
After a while, all of the gremlins around us coughed up blood as they collapsed. Thankfully for us, Blade of the Void didn't distinguish between enemy and ally.
After seeing that, I quickly started running again as I rushed towards Krepin. However, he already injected enough magic power into the Eye of Malice.
A chunk of flesh floating in the sky. A beam of magic power was about to shoot out from that bizarre piece of flesh, which had four tiny eyes on it.
I'd experienced it several times before, but it was still an extremely difficult skill to deal with. I clenched my teeth as I thought that I needed to stop it at all costs.
I tried to gather magic power through my body to cast a defensive magic circle, but no matter how much I thought about it, I didn't think it would be enough to completely block that light beam.
The moment I tried to protect my vital points, thinking I had to at least avoid a fatal wound…
"Kyaaaaaaaak!"
A girl jumped down from the sky.
My eyes looked towards her from the sudden scream.
The open sky from the central garden that had collapsed.
Saint Clarisse, who was running across the central garden, looked down at the collapsed ground as she jumped inside herself.
Against the backdrop of the night sky, the saint descended with her holy robes fluttering in the air. Her eyes looked flustered, but her lips were tightly shut.
It was as if time had slowed down as she descended into the underground underneath the moonlight.
It looked as if an angel was coming down to the earth. But in reality, she was just a human who had clenched her fists and jumped down with courage.
In her arms, she held a wand wrapped tightly in a leather cloth. She looked to be in a dangerous situation. If someone didn't catch her, it looked as if she would get seriously injured.
If a fragile girl like Saint Clarice fell from that height, it wouldn't end with just a few broken bones.
My body reflexively jumped towards her as I quickly took a position to catch Saint Clarice. In doing so I canceled all my defensive magic.
Hwaaaaak!
As I slid towards the saint, as if doing a sliding tackle, she fell into my arms and landed safely.
Clarice's sacred robes flew up from the aftermath as dust rose again.
"Keuh… Ugh… Cough, cough! Saint… What are you…!"
Before I could finish saying anything, Clarice wrapped herself around my shoulders as she hugged my head tightly. She then turned around as her back faced Mebula.
Hwaaaaaaaak!
At that moment, numerous rays of light poured out of the Eye of Malice. Its power, which devoured the world around it, was so massive that it was difficult to block all of it.
However, everything was equal in the face of the Holy Blessing that Saint Clarice had around her. Only those who had received the blessing of Telos could kill her.
Clarice closed her eyes as she hugged me tightly. She concentrated on casting Holy Blessing.
Only after the attack had passed did I realize that I had survived without any injuries thanks to Clarice's Sacred Magic.
"Saint. Why did you suddenly…"
"I believed in you, that's why. Can you bother me about how dangerous it was later?"
Saying that, Clarice hugged me tightly. Between our bodies was the wand that I had requested from Yennekar.
She risked her life to deliver it to me, even jumping from that height. Of course, all with the belief that I would be able to take care of this mess.
That went beyond just being dangerous. It was completely reckless. But Clarice didn't care as she spoke while wiping my cheek.
"The place you were hurt…"
But she didn't finish those words.
Hwaaaak!
Then, a shock wave shot out from Krepin. Rather than an attack of hostility, it was more of a by-product of receiving additional magic power from Mebula.
That was why Clarice's protection didn't activate as she collapsed. I got struck at the same time from behind, but I clenched my teeth, expecting some type of attack.
"Euheuk…"
"Saint."
"I'm fine."
Clarice clenched her teeth as she stood up, looking straight at Krepin. She frowned at his grotesque appearance, but the will in her eyes didn't disappear.
The left arm that was being eaten by the flesh was getting bigger and bigger. There was barely any untouched skin left on his body.
The increasingly grotesque appearance made him look closer and closer to a monster.
Krepin bent over for a while accepting the magic power. He then suddenly turned his gaze to me.
"I see you're still alive."
Saying that, he took out the longsword as he jumped forward.
A horde of gremlins poured down from the sky as the tentacles continued to rush at me with the sole intention of tearing my limbs apart.
Thanks to Merilda's roar, most of the minor enemies were wiped out. But Krepin had clenched his teeth and withstood the aftermath of that attack.
Clang!
I managed to dodge the longsword. I grabbed the saint's shoulder as I dragged her body to the side, slicing one of the nearby tentacles with Wind Blade.
"Kyaaa!"
Clarice screamed as she clung to my body.
As I said before, the heads of the Rothstaylor family were baptized by the Telos Religious Group, generation after generation.
I didn't know what would happen if he attacked using Mebula's power, but if he attacked her directly using physical means then even the Saint wouldn't be safe.
That was because the Holy Blessing the Saint wore didn't have any effect against the same believers.
"Lacia!"
As I shouted, before I could give any further instructions, a lioness made of water appeared and snatched the saint's collar.
"Kyaaa!"
After abducting Clarice, Lacia evacuated to a safe zone far away.
Whooosh!
Krepin, who looked towards me, was twisting his body bizarrely again.
"Sigh… Whew…"
I sat down and took a deep breath. I removed the leather bag that was holding the wand as I pulled it out. It was the 'Thousand-year-old wooden wand struck by lightning' that had all sorts of spiritual skills engraved on it.
Besides that, it was a magic engineering item that let you use elementalism to the max while also raising your spiritual resonance level to the max.
That item alone increased one's combat efficiency absurdly. However… it still might not be enough to win against the fully awakened Krepin.
That was why I was in trouble.
I definitely had to subdue him. But to do that, it was necessary to mobilize an additional means.
"What a tear-worthy scene. Risking her life just to give you that wand."
Krepin grinned as his blood dripped.
"You must have quite an emotional connection with the saint. Whether it's love or just friendship, there must have been times where you felt satisfied with such a warm relationship."
As he finished twisting his body, he continued to talk while laughing.
"Unfortunately, I, Krepin Rothstaylor, am far above those kinds of people."
"..."
"Yes, for I am 'pure evil'."
Krepin picked up his sword.
"If you want to reach a stronger power, more authority, a higher position, you need to learn to use and throw things away. Whether it be a family member or a vassal. If you have to kill someone, you kill them. If you need to backstab someone, do it as much as you see fit. There is no need to rationalize nor to be understood."
His evil and horrific laughter made my skin crawl.
"That's who I am. Do you understand now?"
Saying that, Krepin gathered magic power.
Mebula's magic power, which had gotten even stronger, was gathered towards the Eye of Malice.
It would be best to get rid of the eye itself, but Mebula's body hardly took any damage unless it was from Taylee McLaure Swordmaster's Skill God Slaying Sword. It was possible to damage it by attacking like a madman with a massive amount of magic power, but in reality, it was like pouring water into a pot with a hole in it.
As it was magic that was cast from a part of Mebula's body, it was impossible to effectively damage that eye unless you used God Slaying Sword.
"Heuk."
I knelt down, hunched over, and clutched my cane.
Physically, I was at my limit. I used Merilda's spiritual skills multiple times while summoning her in her original form. I also had been using multiple mid-ranking spirits for a long period of time.
Nevertheless, I continued to draw out magic power again and again.
Now that I had my wand, I could gather magic power more efficiently than before.
It had been a long time since I came to that unknown world, enduring it all. Practicing in Elementalism and training like crazy nonstop.
Now, I could even use a high-ranking spirit without the help of any magic tools.
It would be ridiculous to say that I couldn't draw out any more magic power because I was exhausted now.
However, I needed to draw out even more power than that unbelievable enemy.
I took out the last resort that I had been saving in my pocket all that time.
Without loosening the strength of my right hand, which held the wand, I held 'Glast's Golden Phoenix Ring' in my left hand.
I took a deep breath in, and then exhaled deeply.
If I decided to wear the ring, I had to finish it all in one go.
The power of the ring drew magic power from the future. So, once I used it, afterwards I would not be able to use magic power for some time.
So, I couldn't even think about ending things with a mediocre level attack.
Even stronger. More concretely.
I had to bring my resonance to the max with the wand while utilizing the magic power that I receive from the ring. I had to push past my current abilities.
I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth tightly.
The feeling of my blood vessels bursting as I tightly bit my lip.
Only after fully concentrating more and more did I start to feel the magic power flowing through my entire body.
Only after I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling of magic power was I able to understand my feelings.
The head of house who claimed to be pure evil. His body floated in the air as he reigned over the night sky. Mebula's magic power, which filled the underground laboratory, made it difficult to even breathe.
I clenched my teeth as I continued trading attacks with Krepin.
Those born with the fate of being a villain. A monster that burned the world, sought greater power, and took pleasure in doing evil deeds.
After hearing that, I understood why I kept clenching my teeth. It was one of the things that triggered my anger the most.
"Don't fuck with me."
Like a whisper, it came out.
"Where in the world is there such a thing as pure evil?"
Krepin's expression twisted at my sudden words. I continued to speak without hesitation.
"I've seen bastards like you to the point I'm fucking sick of it. You cowardly bastard."
The magic that flowed through my body was enormous. An incomparable amount of magic power than normal filled the hall of the underground laboratory.
"Don't pretend to be a snobby prick. You just don't want everyone to know that you're a fucking coward who ran away in fear."
A stream of profanity came out of my mouth without even realizing it.
Did he feel uncomfortable with my sudden swearing? Krepin's expression became even more distorted.
A person on the battlefield that turned into a crazy madman after shooting someone for the first time.
Rationalizing to themself that they always enjoyed killing.
Saying they were pure evil. That they were always madmen in the first place. All because they didn't want to face the fact that they committed an evil deed.
That was Krepin Rothstaylor.
At first, he must have become a villain just to survive in a cruel struggle for power.
From his sacrificed ancestors who used to be the heads of house, his wife who he couldn't protect, the daughter who he ultimately ruined the life of, the vassals he abandoned, and the people he killed in order to keep his position.
It was a blood-stained life, but he didn't want to bear the weight of murder.
"What do you know?"
"I know better than you."
A vast amount of magic power shot out with such a force that it soared up into the sky. Using such a large amount of magic power, I couldn't even imagine how bad things would be afterwards.
Anyway, it was more important to cut Krepin's neck. The latter was something I'd have to think about later.
So, I drew out more and more magic power.
Those who had been on the battlefield knew the weight of death better than anyone.
From my senior who was shot in my place on the battlefield to the bard who had bled out in Glockt Hall.
I had endured many deaths, and never once tried to turn my eyes away from it. The corpses were lined up side by side and I was carrying their deaths on my shoulders.
Whether they couldn't help but die, out of necessity, by my mistake, or by my own will. The fact that they died weighed on my shoulders, constantly on my mind.
The whispers of temptation to forget that weight came to me hundreds of times. Whispers that it would be better for me to pretend I didn't see anything, turn my head, and treat it as something that never happened.
But not once had I ever been tempted by it.
I still remembered all their names.
That was the crucial difference between us.
"Bastards like you… I despise the most…"
There wasn't a person out there without dirt on their hands. Where was the person who lived an entire life without committing a single evil deed?
The only thing that mattered was one's attitude towards that evil deed.
Kwaaaaaaaaaang!
Summoning it, the entire surroundings was swallowed and filled with light.
Heat spurted from the magic circle.
By using both the power of the wand and the power of the ring to its limit, I tried to manifest a spirit beyond my ability into the world.
Flames shot out like a volcano.
A wall of flames rose in the central mansion.
There was only one 'Ultimate Spirit' for each element.
No matter how extreme the means were, I couldn't summon him completely… Only part of him was possible.
The ultimate fire spirit was said to have burnt down a massive mountain range in the Mythic Age. 'Theorpis.'
In the blazing flames, a head came out of the magic circle. The heat spewing from its wide-open mouth had the power to burn everything in the world equally.
The 'Thousand-year-old wooden wand struck by lightning' had the ability to cast all spiritual skills of a spirit, regardless of affinity or if there was a contract.
The ultimate spiritual skill – Blessing of the Fire Dragon.
The power of a hellfire that completely burned all the 'magic power' in the area.