Chapter 234 – Serr the Mage

With fading consciousness, I constructed the spell.

I reached out my hand. I swept it through the air. A magic circle unfolded. Mana was drawn into it. Is it not enough? No, it’s enough. My calculations were perfect.

The price?

I already paid it.

The magic circle was complete. I reached my hand through it.

At the same time, 

Spilled, dripping, scattered blood seeped into the wounds as it closed. Warmth returned to my cooling body, and my staggering posture straightened.

I exhaled a rough breath and looked down.

Even my torn clothes had returned to their original state. I tidied my tangled hair.

Then I reached out to the Nameless One walking toward the Gate of Paradise. A mass of pure mana shot forth, splitting into countless threads that stopped her in her tracks.

“Oh my? Weren’t you dead? You were definitely dead. What was that little performance just now?”

With eyes wide in genuine surprise, the Nameless One cut through the threads binding her legs and asked.

I ignored her and looked at Noah.

Noah was looking at me too, face full of questions.

“I just created this spell. Are you curious about how it works?”

Nod.

Noah slowly nodded her head.

Just now, I died.

To be precise, my body died.

My heart, the most vital organ in a human body, was pierced, how could I survive that?

Even so, I am alive because, right before the attack landed, I moved my soul into Noah’s consciousness.

The dead body I just discarded was rebuilt using the information from Noah’s [ki sense] and the memories stored in my own mind.

Yes. This body, and the organs making it up, aren’t truly mine.

This Serr is newly created from the combination of the information from Noah’s [ki sense] and my own memories.

It’s a little unsettling.

But now… it doesn’t matter anymore.

So, should I say it or not?

If I do, how should I explain?

In that split second, I thought over it all.

I quickly came to a decision.

“I’m not telling you.”

“…What?”

“Noah, you have your secrets too, don’t you? So I’m not going to tell you either.”

This cheeky brat.

I’ve been waiting for her to explain her plan, but she intends to take that secret to the grave. Such an insolent, wicked little brat.

Well, even that aside, 

If she thinks I died trying to protect her, this timid child will certainly feel guilty.

If that happens, she’ll try to sacrifice herself again.

I don’t want to see that anymore.

I want to see her smiling, not in despair.

Because Noah looks best when she’s smiling like a fool.

So, I won’t bother explaining.

“I was going to let you go, but now I’m too annoyed. Just stay there, tied up.”

I clicked my tongue and turned away.

My movements felt natural. My breathing, my voice, my sight, my hearing, my sense of smell, touch, and taste, 

Everything was just like the original body.

Of course it was.

It’s a spell I designed and cast, so it has to be perfect.

I nodded in satisfaction and moved to continue. 

Clatter. 

There was a sound like someone trying to break free of chains. I turned back to Noah, the culprit, and smirked.

“Noah. If you want me to release you, then from now on, listen carefully to every word I say, every spell I use, every miracle I perform. If you remember every single detail without missing anything, then I’ll let you go without hesitation.”

And, 

“I’ll even give you a special present.”

It’s a present Noah will absolutely love. She’ll smile so brightly she might even cry.

Of course, it might be a little tough for her afterward.

Still, she won’t despair.

That’s what the gift is for.

I unconsciously wiped away my smile and looked down at my feet.

The ground was blackened, covered with spirits.

I looked up.

I saw the Nameless One with wings so black it was like a hole had been torn in space.

I saw the darkness that covered the world.

And, within that, I saw a faint glimmer of light.

I reached for that light. I seized it. Mana exploded within me. Light spread. Darkness was pushed back. Winter receded. The black sun was hidden.

And then, 

The being at the horizon.

The existence I guessed was the [End] looked at me.

I looked back at it.

It was blurry. Its colors were indistinct.

It was just a shape that felt like it stood there.

That being, the [End], 

Smiled brightly, and stopped on its own.

At that moment, the missing sounds returned. The halted mana surged. Air began to move again. The world that had been devoid of life began to pulse.

The roars of the spirits rang out. Their march shook the earth. Thunderclouds gathered, waves crashed ominously, and amid it all, sharp slashes and trivial spells were unfolding.

Standing at the center of it all, I closed my eyes.

I realized what the [End] was, who it was.

With just that one action from the [End].

What had only been a guess was now certainty.

But for me, right now, that’s not important.

That’s something Noah has to deal with.

So for now, I focused on what I had to do.

I cleared my mind.

I sensed the mana of the air, the mana of the world.

The mana that had fled in fear of the [End] now began to creep back, gathering around me, welcoming me.

I welcomed the mana as well.

With my eyes closed, I reached my hand forward. I gathered mana. The magic’s effect was the same as before, turning back time.

As if winding back a clock, I twisted the hand grasping mana to the left.

Tick.

The sound of a clock’s second hand echoed out.

I opened my eyes.

Every attack aimed at me had vanished.

Even the spirits, seemingly confused, stopped their deafening roars.

But only for a moment. Soon, they started screaming wildly again.

Roars without language pounded my ears. Feet stomping in rage shook the sky. The beating wings of dragons, wyverns, manticores, and all kinds of flying beasts sounded like swarming insects.

I reached out toward them. I spread my palm.

Like swatting bugs, I swept my hand, 

At that moment, 

―――!

All the mana in the area crushed the swarming insects at my command. Their bodies were pulverized, shattered, chewed up, and erased without a trace. Then, I silenced the mouths of those on the ground. I swallowed up the noises that leaked out. I stopped the arrogant stomping feet. I shattered the sharp weapons.

And in the perfect silence that followed, 

“If you keep using mana at that cost, you might be erased from everyone’s memory. Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

The Nameless One spoke with a sneer.

Regret.

I turned to look at Noah.

I recalled our conversation from earlier.

She said she’d grant any reasonable request.

And she declared, as if she believed in me completely, that I’d do the same.

That’s why I, 

“A genius never regrets. From the beginning, I don’t do things I’ll regret.”

Even if I’m erased from memory, I won’t regret it.

Never.

“Ahaha. Your arrogance reaches the sky.”

“I’m not arrogant.”

The Nameless One’s smile deepened. Her wings spread wide. Divine power erupted from them, turning into chains that tightly bound my body. Next, guillotine-like blades floated around my neck, each one radiating the same terrible divine power that had ravaged my body earlier.

But my mind wasn’t on those threats. Rather than the blades rushing for my neck, I was more concerned about Noah’s expression.

A look as if asking, What are you talking about?

Does she really think I’m arrogant?

What is arrogance, anyway?

It has many meanings, but in the end, 

It means to be insolent and conceited, right?

To be insolent is to overstep one’s place.

To be conceited is to act superior or look down on others.

But I acted within my place.

Conceited? It’s not conceit if it’s true.

And I never looked down on anyone.

Is it looking down on someone to give advice to those below me? No, absolutely not.

Yes.

I’m definitely not arrogant.

“I’m not arrogant.”

Noah’s face twisted up even more.

At a time when she should be on my side, she makes a face like that. I’ll have to give her a good flick on the forehead later.

I turned my eyes to the blade poised at my throat.

“I’ve actually lived humbly. I’ve always considered myself lacking and thought that, someday, greater mages would appear.”

Clack.

The blade stopped right in front of me.

“But from now on, I think I’ll stop being humble.”

Crunch.

The chains binding my body bent.

“I doubt there’s ever been or ever will be a mage greater than me.”

Creak.

A giant scale appeared behind my back.

A perfectly balanced scale.

On the left was the price I’d paid, on the right was the result I wanted, in perfect balance.

“And seeing that Noah doesn’t believe in me, well, that hurts my pride.”

I reached out my hand.

Creak.

The scale tipped.

To the left.

“So, Noah, watch carefully. See for yourself if I was arrogant or not.”

And then, again, 

Creak.

The tipped scale leveled out.

At the same time, 

The chains binding me shattered.

The blades hurtling for my neck broke apart.

The divine power overlaying the world evaporated.

The spirits on the earth disappeared.

The smile vanished from the Nameless One’s face.