Chapter 101 – Cartia (7)

A mountain of corpses sprawled across the desolate wilderness. A sea of blood flowed down the hills, soaking the land.

Reflected in this grotesque scenery was the Black Sun, growing darker with each passing moment.

Amidst this surreal backdrop, a pair of elegant, curved blue eyes met mine.

“Just one left now, Noah,” Rubia said softly.

“…Yeah.”

I lowered my head and closed my eyes.

“I’ve done everything I can for now. What about you, Noah?”

“I’ve… taken care of everything I could too.”

“I’d love to know what you’ve prepared, but since I’m not going to tell you, you shouldn’t tell me either.”

“What? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Wouldn’t that make things more fun? Next time, next time… we can talk all about it then.”

“We could… talk all day without that, though. What’s…”

A faintly trembling hand brushed the corner of my eyes.

“Why are you crying so much? You’re going to ruin your cute face.”

She chuckled softly and ran her hand over the greatsword lying discarded on the ground.

“When you take up Cartia’s greatsword, the emotions from this moment will be passed on. That’s why we have to make sure these emotions are happy ones… always.”

“That’s… cruel. What if I can’t pick it up?”

“Pfft… Well, that can’t be helped. Feeling these emotions will at least help a little during the trial. And… if it’s the Noah who reached me quickly, you’ll be able to pick it up without even needing to face the trial. I’m sure of it.”

In the silence that followed, I thought about the plans I’d set in motion. The pivotal events—the turning points. Among them, the trial at the Temple of Memories was likely the most… critical.

“I have to believe. This sword… is the most important key.”

I opened my eyes.

The faces of those I had killed—those whose hearts I had ripped from their chests—filled my vision.

“Now that I can see again, it’s… unsettling.”

The warm hand I always knew cupped my chin.

“I wanted you, at least, to see only good things. Hmm, I suppose the best thing you could see right now is my face. Go ahead, look as much as you want. I’ll even make whatever expression you’d like.”

Rubia’s always-warm smile began to crack.

“This is the last time. Look until you’re sick of it. Ah… but don’t actually get sick of me. That would make me a little upset. Hehe…”

Her gently curved eyes filled with tears.

“What do you think? I haven’t bathed in a while, but… am I still pretty?”

“Yeah… there’s a hint of decadence now.”

“Ahaha, good. Then, between the me you saw in your world—what was it? A game?—and the me you see now… who’s prettier?”

“Both… Rubia, you’re beautiful in both.”

“Wow, you finally got the right answer. You’ve improved so much…”

“It’s the result of… being brainwashed. Pfft…”

Her cracked smile shattered completely. Tears welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

At the same time, Rubia wrapped her arms around me. Her blood-soaked clothes, her body, her hair—everything stained red as they pressed against me.

“Now you don’t stutter, your voice is louder… you can even see. Really… only happy things should be ahead now.”

“Only with you, Rubia. You’re the only one I can talk to like this.”

“You don’t need to talk to anyone else. Not even a word. Just talk to me.”

“Are you saying I should live as a complete outcast?”

“You’ve managed just fine so far, haven’t you? What’s the big deal?”

“Well… that’s true. Pfft.”

“Oh my? If you laugh while crying, hair will grow on your butt.”

Rubia’s laughter reverberated through me.

“Do you actually believe that nonsense?”

“What? You’re the one who told me that, Noah! How ridiculous.”

“That was… just a random thing I said. Anyway… Rubia.”

“Yes?”

I gently pulled her away and asked in a serious voice.

“If I did grow hair on my butt, would you hate me?”

“Pfft! What kind of question is that all of a sudden?”

“Think about it. It’d be kind of gross.”

“Not at all! Then, would you hate me if I grew hair on mine?”

Rubia, who had been laughing with her shoulders shaking, suddenly grabbed my face, her expression serious.

“Of course not. But if that happens… I’ll have to apply hair growth cream to mine too.”

“W-What?! Why would you do something so ridiculous?!”

“Well, if it’s just you, it’d be embarrassing. If it’s both of us, we can share the embarrassment and cut it in half.”

“What kind of… bizarre logic is that…? You’re driving me crazy.”

Her broken voice carried a wet undertone.

“That’s just… so Noah-like… Your answer is really… awful.”

“…If you laugh while crying, horns will grow instead.”

“That’s… not good… really not good. You can’t shave horns, after all… Hehehe.”

Rubia laughed like she couldn’t believe it, then pulled me into her embrace again. At the same time, a shadow began to stretch across the wilderness.

“Hah… Noah.”

“…Yeah.”

“I don’t want to hate you.”

“…You can’t.”

“I don’t want to forget you, ever.”

“You have to.”

Rubia’s trembling, her heartbeat, her emotions—I could feel them all.

“Noah, if you could go back to the past… would you?”

“Yeah. I would.”

“Even if it meant throwing away all the time we spent together?”

“…Yeah.”

“Even if we’d never meet and couldn’t remember these moments?”

“Yeah. If it meant I could save you, I’d do it without hesitation.”

Rubia slowly pushed me away.

“Then… do you regret making this choice?”

“…Yeah. I regret it. If only you hadn’t met me… Rubia, at least you would’ve been happy.”

Her once-radiant silver hair had turned black.

“I don’t regret it.”

“…Rubia.”

“I’ve been truly happy. The year we spent together… has been the most precious time of my life. From the beginning until now… I’ve been happy, and that hasn’t changed.”

Rubia’s hand enveloped mine.

“Noah.”

Her clear blue eyes grew clouded, tinged with crimson.

“I… love you.”

The hands that had always stroked my hair, That had always guided me with such faith, That had been my eyes in darkness, The hands of the one I loved…

Plunged my own hand into her heart.

“Forever.”

A radiant divine power erupted. A dark crimson divinity burst forth.

Lilith’s scream rang out.

The despair of everyone I had killed, The consequences of my false virtue, Resounded like wails in the heavens.

The laws enforcing order, The rules suppressing balance, The concepts perpetuating reincarnation, The foundation maintaining the world…

“I love you too, Rubia.”

The sensation of crushing her heart.

The overwhelming emotions that poured forth with it.

Sank deeply into the greatsword.

***

[What the hell…]

As always, I was surrounded by pitch darkness, with Rubia’s figure etched in my mind.

In my right hand was Cartia’s greatsword. In my left, my own greatsword.

Instead of the warmth and softness I had expected, There was only coldness and rigidity— A familiar sensation.

[No way… What the hell is this?] Cartia exclaimed.

I felt a droplet slide down my cheek.

I released Cartia’s greatsword and wiped it away.

Tears.

Or was it blood?

Why blood?

[Hey… Priestess. What’s wrong with her? Why’s she crying all of a sudden? Huh? I should be the one crying here!]

I couldn’t breathe.

Indescribable emotions. Unfathomable feelings.

Kept rising uncontrollably from within.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

“Noah.”

A warm sensation wrapped around my back.

“Ru… Rubia…”

[What the… Is it broken from disuse?]

Bang! Bang! Bang!

[Hmm… No, it seems fine.]

Bang! Bang! BOOM!

“Are you okay?” Rubia asked gently.

[Ah, yeah. The sword seems to be—]

“Lady Cartia, could you please be quiet?” Rubia interjected.

[…Alright.]

“Noah, are you okay?”

“…Yes.”

“Then turn around and hug me too.”

The arms that had been tightly holding me loosened.

“Hurry.”

I slowly turned toward Rubia.

“Why are you crying so much? Your cute face is going to be ruined.”

Her warm hand brushed against my tear-streaked face. Then she embraced me tightly again. I buried my face in Rubia’s arms, responding to her embrace.

Feeling her gentle strokes across my back, I took a deep breath and calmed myself.

[Still, don’t you think this is a bit much? There’s an elder here, after all. Even if I’m not in my prime, I’m at least 1,000 years older than you two,] Cartia complained.

“Pfft—Hahaha… You’re like a grandma.”

“My, my. Didn’t you say that laughing while crying makes hair grow on your butt?” Rubia teased.

“…No, I… I checked last time, and it didn’t happen.”

[Unbelievable.]

Thanks to Cartia’s noisy chattering, the overwhelming emotions quickly subsided.

What was that…?

The moment I grabbed the sword, it felt like I… like I had a dream.

I don’t know. The more I think about it, the more I recall those horrifying emotions…

I don’t want to think about it anymore.

After my hiccuping body fully calmed down, I slowly pulled away from Rubia.

“Are you okay now?”

“…Yes.”

[Good? Then try grabbing it again. It must’ve been malfunctioning earlier.]

“I… I don’t want to.”

[…Why not?]

Cartia, who had been enthusiastically carrying her sword, looked visibly taken aback.

Why not…?

Hmm… I don’t know.

I just don’t feel like grabbing it.

But…

Still, since Cartia helped calm me down so quickly…

“Actually… Fine, I’ll try grabbing it once more.”

“Are you sure, Noah? It seems… incompatible somehow,” Rubia said, concern in her voice.

“It’s fine.”

[Good idea. I made sure to fix it properly. Now it should work perfectly.]

Rubia smirked faintly at Cartia’s boastful claim.

“You say you fixed it, but all you did was hit it with your fists.”

[Yeah, that’s how we did it in my time.]

Cartia banged her greatsword loudly a couple of times before sticking it into the ground again, as if it were the most natural thing.

[Alright, give it a go.]

I nodded and approached the sword.

[Whew… Now I’m nervous.]

Cartia placed a hand on her flat chest and exhaled deeply.

“L-Lady Cartia, why are you nervous…?”

[It’s just one of those things, kid. Now, go ahead and do it.]

“…Yes, ma’am—Grandma.”

[Gr-Grandma?! I’m only 35, you little brat!]

“Hehe…”

For some reason, I felt more at ease with Cartia now. Smiling mischievously at her, I reached for the hilt of the greatsword. Just before my hand touched it, a random thought crossed my mind.

“Um… Rubia.”

“Yes, Noah?”

“Would you… Would you dislike me if hair grew on my butt?”

“…What? Where did that come from? Well… if I had to answer…”

Her radiant smile.

The overwhelming emotions—so beautiful, so painful—rushed toward me.

“Not at all. Then, Noah, would you dislike me if hair grew on mine?”

“Ahaha… No, I wouldn’t. In fact, if that happens…”

Feeling lighthearted, my steps grew lively.

Feeling clear-headed, I reached for Cartia’s greatsword.

“I’ll apply hair growth cream to mine too.”

And I lifted it.