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Chapter 35 - The Hero Has Arrived... Or So It Would Seem

"Sister Hycinth, I-it's gonna be alright, you're gonna be fine. See, the cut is not that big–BLERGH!"

Aesil vomited to the side, unable to continue gazing at Hycinth. Lying down before him was the heavily mangled body of Hycinth, missing her signature twintail and all of her left arm, along with some of her skull. Though he portrayed himself as being strong and manly, Hycinth could see it through her jade-green eyes that the young man was shaking, possibly from the fact that he was about to lose her, but more realistically from how she looked at the moment:

Her scalp was mostly gone, along with the right side of her face. Her left arm was nothing more than a bloody stump, and her right side twisted beyond belief. Below her once silk-like stomach, shadowy tendrils could be seen inching above from where the shadow mage had inflicted their spell at her, not to mention the corrosion slowly eating away at her sanity. She knew better than anyone how much time she had left, and though she loved Aesil, she knew better than anyone...

That she had little time left

I'm sorry, little Aesil. I wish I could answer to your confession, but it looms like I won't be able to ho,d your hands underneath the- wait, what is that...?

Through her tears, she saw a bright green light erupting from far beyond her. Frightened at what it could signify, she held onto Aesil's hand tightly, for though she and he met together late in life, they could leave together with each other, arm in arm.

Ne~...it's been a wonderful journey with you, Aesil. I hope we'll be able to meet again in the next life...

And with a final tear, she closed her eyes, basking in the warm, comfortable light...

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Dragged deep inside his mind, Natsuki was met with the gear that started it all (though to be more accurate, it was actually Scaramond ramming his truck right through Natsuki, but who's counting anyway...?). Now etched with 8 words that depicted his inner self, gone was the look of weakness. Radiating an archaic atmosphere, he could feel the gear slowly powering up his body, removing any frailty from within.

But more than anything, it had given him a new power, a power that has the potential to turn the tides

As he returned to the materium, he found himself face-to-face with a crowd of people kneeling before him, hands clasped as if greeting a saviour. "Oh great healer, please help us..."

Her face filled with piety, Hycinth knelt the closest to Natsuki. Now healed from all her maledictions, her face displayed such fervour that even Natsuki was a bit disgusted (though her cute face kind of negated it). "Please lord, please save us lost lambs, deliver us freedom from the hands of the wretched!"

Though he wanted to brush her off, he found that the rest were no better. Seeing that all were acting this way, he decided to solve the issue with the Demon King Army before dealing with these fanatics. "Stand back everyone!"

Clasping his hands once more, Nastuki entered the inner sea, landing close to the gear.

Bro, if you've got anything, please give it now!

Perhaps his pleas were strong (or most likely it was disgusted by Natsuki's weedling), the gear began spinning at speed impossible, glowing brighter and brighter, until it illuminated the entire space...

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Seeing the city nearly overrun, Noxis hid in the corner of the storeroom. Breathing as quietly as possible, he tried to escape from the senses of the shadow wolf that was outside, hellbent on hunting him.

Please, anybody, please save me–

AWOOO!

With a gigantic rip, the young boy was met face-to-face with the drooling maw of the wolf. Seeing the malice deep within its eyes, Noxis knew he had no chance. Closing his eyes, he prayed that the monster would at least make it quick, not making it drawn out as little Betty, whom he saw being tossed around as a toy, her scream echoing across the war-torn land, before being put out of her misery.

Goodbye, mommy...

Clink, clank, clink, clank, clink...

A bright green light illuminated the sky, drowning everything in its radiance amidst the roaring of the man and monsters...

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