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The sensation of something embedded like flesh

I couldn’t kill it, but I surely felt its touch.

At the moment I tried to pull out the dagger and retreat

<Crack!>

My hand holding the dagger was caught by something, unable to break free.

“What is this… a hand?”

As the fog dissipated, the first thing that entered my view was

Ned’s hand, which was pierced by the dagger, gripping my own.

‘Did he just block the dagger with bare hands?’

He didn’t seem quite sane, but he appeared even crazier than I imagined.

“… Was that just a Wind Cutter?”

Ned continued to chat excitedly, unbothered by the fact his hand was pierced.

“Wow… amazing…! I never expected you would be capable of magic too!”

“You really were the raw gem!”

“Let go of me… I have no hobby of holding hands with uncles…!”

No matter how much I struggled to pull free, it seemed to tighten even more.

‘What the heck, how is this guy so strong?!’

“I’ll say it again, join under me, and I’ll make you the strongest.”

His face displayed even more madness.

“Stop joking…! I will never join someone like you!”

“Hmph… if you insist that much…”

Ned pressed his hand against my head.

“What are you doing…”

“Then I’ll take you by force.”

Suddenly, my vision rose higher.

“Wait…”

Then I plunged downwards in an instant.

Bang!

“Ugh… ack!”

The sudden shock ravaging my whole body nearly made me lose consciousness.

“Ugh… it would have been easier to just faint at once…”

“N… you… cough”

I tried to say something, but perhaps due to the intensity of the shock, I couldn’t finish my sentence.

“Then should I do it once more?”

Just as he was about to grab my head again and slam it down,

“That’s enough!”

A deep voice sounded from behind, and several mana spheres surrounded us, Ned and me.

“…. Is this a time-out?”

*

“Put the boy down, carefully!”

The spheres around glowed ominously, as if warning that any dangerous moves would shatter my skull.

Ned sighed as if he had no other choice and slowly set Nova down, raising both hands.

Then, he cheekily greeted the voice coming from behind.

“It’s been a while, Master.”

“You don’t have the right to call me Master.”

Despite the tension in those words, Ned’s expression remained calm.

“It’s only been a few days since the information spread, and yet you move so freely, as if it’s fine for the Master of the Magic Tower to do so?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to capture the disgrace of that Magic Tower, which is you.”

“Be sincere, huh~? Even though you were quite the favorite disciple, you show no mercy.”

“Your aura feels much more sinister now. Have you learned Dark Magic?”

Ned, who had been talking leisurely, suddenly fell silent.

“I’m sure I mentioned that anyone who tries will end up dead…”

“Hey, old man…

It’s better not to prattle on.”

As Rokpelikan interrupted, Ned exuded a fierce killing intent and opened his slitted eyes, revealing snake-like pupils.

Rokpelikan couldn’t hide his bitterness as he looked at Ned.

‘Does he still have regrets?’

“What were you doing here?”

“……”

“I don’t need any more answers.”

Rokpelikan aimed the surrounding spheres directly at Ned’s head.

“I won’t kill you, thinking back on old times. However, you should brace yourself to be maimed.”

At the moment the magical bullet was about to pierce Ned’s body,

“Master, you are indeed strong.

Right now, there’s no way I could win against you.”

Wanting to hear what he was trying to say, Rokpelikan momentarily halted his movements.

“But your weakness is glaringly obvious.”

Suddenly, a black aura began to emanate from Ned’s hand.

“You’re vulnerable to personal feelings.”

With that statement, Ned directed his hand toward the heart of the fallen Nova.

“Oh no!!”

‘If I shoot that thing, the boy will die!’

Realizing that, Rokpelikan transformed the spherical bullet into a wide shield to protect the boy.

However, there was no sound of the attack colliding.

“….. Was it a ruse?”

Looking around, Ned had vanished from sight.

[Today I’ll hold back, but if you continue to interfere with my work, even you, Master, should give up on thinking you’ll be safe.]

In the next moment, Ned’s warning echoed throughout the entire space, sounding like a thunderclap.

“… What exactly are you planning, Ned…?”

Rokpelikan looked toward the direction from which the echo came, his voice filled with resentment.

*

In the silent atmosphere,

nothing could be heard.

Only the sound of something crackling and burning lingered in the air.

Among everything visible, not a single building retained its original form.

The ground was pockmarked with craters thousands of meters wide, resembling a mirage.

In a space devoid of human shape, tainted red, a man walked along the road.

“… Where on earth is this…? ”

The man couldn’t contain his astonishment at the horrifying sight.

“Who… who could have done this?”

At that moment, something resembling a skull suddenly grabbed his ankle from behind.

[… You… you did this.]

Then a voice echoed, filled with regret.

“I… me…?”

[Yes, you. You did this.]

As the voice resonated around him, forms that could hardly be defined as human surrounded him.

“I… I definitely…”

Some had their faces half-burned, while others crawled with only one arm intact, their limbs missing.

[You made this world… like this.]

“I… I didn’t mean to… I never intended…”

The man barely managed to stammer out, his voice trembling.

[You’re a filthy piece of trash,

more evil than the Demon King.]

“I… I am not.”

[Was this the plan from the start?]

An all-too-familiar voice sounded from behind.

Turning around, he saw the forms of his former companions glaring at him.

[Indeed, I should have killed you back then.]

“… I am not…! No! …!”

Screaming, he ran forward without thought.

How long did he run?

The surroundings had changed into a familiar landscape.

A village he had seen many times before.

The only difference was that everything was engulfed in flames.

“This place…”

Reflected in the shattered mirror of the burning ruins, the man’s image transformed into that of a small girl with purple hair.

Suddenly, a thought surged in her mind, and the girl began to sprint frantically toward the edge of the village.

“Hah…hah…”

After running for a while, a familiar path came into view.

“No… it can’t be…”

As she entered along the path, the small cabin that should have been there was also engulfed in flames, without exception.

“Nova…! Nova! It’s me, Stella!!”

Ignoring the raging fire, the girl rushed into the cabin and began searching every nook and cranny.

Finally, as she ascended to the second floor and opened the door, she saw the familiar form of a boy with a doll-like appearance, looking back at her.

“… Nova! You made it!”

The girl panted heavily, then, calming down, slowly approached and placed her hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Nova, it’s dangerous here! We should…?”

As she tried to pull him up, what she saw was not the boy’s face, but something grotesque, half-melted, with eyes burned away, and skin melting away.

“Eh!!!”

Startled by the sudden situation, she fell back on her rear.

“Nova…?”

With a bizarre expression, it smiled and spoke to her.

[Why are you trying to kill me too?]

“… um… um…”

[Are you trying to destroy this world too? Like you did before?]

“No… no, that’s not it…!!”

Screaming, the girl cried out.

“I swear… I will do everything right… I was wrong… please just give me one more chance…”

[Don’t worry, Stella..]

At that moment, countless voices echoed around her, resonating like a chorus.

[We’ll always be with you, wherever you go.]

“… Uaaahhhhhh!!!!”

*

“Ugh…. huh… huh….?”

“Are you awake? It seemed like you were in a tight spot. Are you alright?”

Stella, waking from the terrible nightmare, looked around and spotted an old man.

“Who… who are you?”

With a voice tinged with wariness, Stella gazed at the old man.

“Don’t be so wary, child. I’m the one who saved you.”

You? When the old man spoke, Stella hesitated for a few seconds, realizing something.

“Nova… are you referring to my friend, the one with black hair…?”

“If you’re talking about your friend, he’s lying right next to you.”

Looking down, she saw Nova peacefully asleep, not in the terrible form she had seen in her dream, but looking intact and unharmed.

“… Did grandfather really save us? Thank you so much.”

As she tried to get up, the old man gestured with his hand.

“Not yet, don’t move. You’re brimming with life force, but trying to move so soon, how’s your body doing?”

“…. Do you know about my condition?”

Not being able to gauge his abilities, she thought he was no ordinary old man. Could he perceive Innate True Qi?

Re-establishing her guard slightly, the old man spoke as if bemused.

“To think you’d forcibly pry open the mana gate near your heart, you must be quite out of your mind, wishing for death.”

Stella was left dumbfounded by the rather sharp criticism.

 

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