Black Sun

Noah stood with the Black Sun behind her.

The Nameless One’s body began to tremble violently at the sight of her.

The Black Sun. The symbol of the Nameless One, and what it had been conjuring until now, was merely a mockery of Lilith, concealing the sun’s light and form.

It had tried to completely deny that sun, but it couldn’t. The power Lilith had left behind was like an insurmountable wall.

Even after completing the Perfect Myth, it couldn’t deny that sun. Therefore, it had no choice but to use or imitate the power of that sun, the power Lilith had left behind.

But now.

Now, the Black Sun floating before its eyes.

It knew that it wasn’t conjured to mock it.

It knew that its entire existence had been denied in an instant.

The sun. Everything that Lilith represented.

It knew that this human, this tiny human, had surpassed it.

It had surpassed even what it, who was born as a god, who existed to devour gods, could not.

How could this human have surpassed it?

It wanted to ask.

It wanted to voice its question and make it heard.

It wanted to hear the answer.

But it couldn’t.

It knew that even if it asked, it wouldn’t receive an answer.

Moreover, its body, steeped in fear, despair, and dread, couldn’t utter a single word.

A faint sigh was heard.

The sigh dissipated, and the greatsword was raised.

[W-wait… wait…]

An arm sprouted from the Nameless One’s body, composed of an unknown substance. Noah’s face contorted at the grotesque and unsettling sight.

Silently cursing, it changed the shape of the arm. It changed the shape of its body. Into Rubia’s form.

That was the worst mistake it could have made.

“Don’t.”

A quietly whispered voice.

Simultaneously, its body shattered into pieces.

She didn’t swing the greatsword. She didn’t move her body. It wasn’t that she didn’t see it. Noah didn’t move. Yet, the Nameless One’s body was torn to shreds.

It couldn’t even scream. The organs to make a sound were all destroyed.

With only its head remaining, the Nameless One desperately thrashed about, lapping up the Divine Power pooled on the ground. But, what remained was Noah’s Divine Power. It felt a pain that threatened to shatter its mind, but it somehow managed to absorb it.

And with that, it barely managed to create a body.

A repulsive, insect-like body.

It was insignificant and pathetic as a body, but it was the best option for the Nameless One at the moment.

[Wait, wait… Noah, please, please listen to me…]

Noah’s brow furrowed.

It immediately changed its tone, its voice.

It bowed its head and hunched its body.

[P-please… listen to me…]

A posture that seemed to abandon all pride.

Humiliating. Self-loathing washed over its entire being.

Its teeth gnashed, but it hid it and continued to speak.

[Even if… even if everything else is meaningless… if I disappear, this world will truly be in danger…]

Not an excuse to buy time.

But an explanation to survive.

In this moment where everything had been denied, there was nothing the Nameless One could do.

Even if Noah spared the Nameless One, it would have to endure eons longer than the eternity it had lived to regain its power.

Still, the Nameless One wanted to live.

Whether it was instinct, desire, or emotion, it didn’t know, but it wanted to live.

[A world… without a god… is merely easy prey for gods from other dimensions, for Outer Gods… Just like… just like I was…]

It wasn’t a lie.

Truly, this world would be in danger if a god disappeared.

It would be reduced to a sandcastle before the waves.

Of course, the human before it.

Noah had acquired Divinity. In other words, the conditions to become a god had been met.

But, a human was still a human.

Not a being who had existed as a god from the beginning, but a newly born existence.

An existence that other gods would look down on and find easy to meddle with.

Therefore.

[I… I will help you. If you can’t trust me… I, I will entrust you with all of my [Aura]… Please…]

Without finishing its sentence, it slightly raised its head and looked at Noah.

Her expression was serene. Unreadable.

That’s why it was even more afraid.

Those red eyes that evoked the Abyss.

Eyes whose depths could not be fathomed.

At the sight of that abyss that made it hard to breathe, the Nameless One quickly lowered its head.

[Please, I beg you…]

After a long while.

Noah’s lips parted.

“…Okay.”

The Nameless One, startled, trembled and strained its ears.

And then, the sound it heard was.

Swish—

The sound of something being cut.

The sound of the Nameless One’s body being sliced.

The sound of the Nameless One’s existence being extinguished.

The sound of its [Aura], its past, its future, everything it had built up until now, being shattered.

And.

“Rubia, you’re awake.”

A single sentence as if she didn’t care about it at all.

Hearing those words, the Nameless One raised its head.

With its rapidly collapsing body, it looked ahead.

There, only Noah, grinning and turning her back, and the Black Sun, blazing as if to mock it, remained.

I definitely said I would kill it, but I don’t know why it keeps making excuses.

The reason I stopped while it was talking was.

Because Rubia’s consciousness seemed to be returning soon.

I was worried about what to say when her consciousness returned, but it wasn’t because I was considering sparing it or listening to it.

Anyway.

After confirming its demise, I turned my back without any regrets. It wasn’t worth looking at.

From the beginning, that thing was no match for me.

What I truly had to face was ‘myself’ and one other person.

Other than those two, I didn’t care about anything else.

I was a little angry that it hurt Rubia during the fight, but the moment Rubia woke up, the moment I heard her soft breathing, the moment I heard her stirring.

Everything melted away like snow.

And so, splash—

As I stepped onto the ground, I hid myself, avoiding Rubia’s gaze as she looked around.

I surrounded myself with dark [Aura], like a curtain concealing my appearance, and looked down.

…It’s a mess.

My clothes are tattered, and my injuries are severe.

Especially my right arm. The right arm I shoved into the Nameless One’s maw is a bit of a mess, I think.

Blood is dripping in real-time.

What should I do…? Rubia will be very worried if she sees it.

Besides, this place right now.

A very ominous-looking crimson Divine Realm.

The Black Sun floating in the sky.

No matter how you look at it, it looks more like the end of the world than a victory in battle.

Of course, I made it all.

But… I don’t know how to get rid of it.

Even if I did get rid of it, if my Divine Realm disappeared from this place, which was originally created as the Nameless One’s Divine Realm, I don’t know what might pop out, so I can’t get rid of it.

I wish I could at least do something about that Black Sun.

The Nameless One seemed to be up to something shady, so I just covered the sun, the source of it, the light of the sun… Why did it become a Black Sun?

And why doesn’t it disappear?

I wanted to greet Rubia in a bright place, basking in the warm sunlight.

…It’s all ruined.

Moreover, Rubia, who doesn’t know anything about this situation, will be surprised if she sees this place.

So, I have to go and reassure her as soon as possible… But I’m in this state… Ugh…

First… let’s stop the bleeding first.

I got rid of the sword in my hand and pressed down hard on the areas where the wounds had opened.

It hurt so much that I wanted to scream, but I gritted my teeth and swallowed the pain.

Like that, one by one, I forcibly healed about a dozen wounds and rubbed the blood off my hands on the ground.

I looked at my face reflected in the pool of blood on the ground and massaged my stiff facial muscles.

I also softened my tightly closed lips by puffing air into both cheeks.

Now, I’m somewhat ready to go.

Then… should I close my eyes and surprise her? Or should I open my eyes from the beginning?

What would surprise Rubia more?

While I was thinking about that.

“…Noah?”

Rubia, who called my name, stared intently at the direction I was standing and began to get up.

A staggering wobble as if she would fall at any moment.

Seeing that, I reflexively ran towards Rubia.

“Ah, uh… ugh…”

My heart began to beat wildly.

Not because I was running, not because I was tired.

Everything is over.

All the battles are over.

There are still unresolved problems left, but.

Now, for now.

Now.

No more.

Rubia doesn’t have to die.

Rubia doesn’t have to sacrifice herself.

Rubia doesn’t have to cry.

Rubia can smile.

Rubia can face tomorrow.

Rubia, Rubia, Rubia, Rubia.

Rubia.

Can be happy.

Rubia.

I saved her.

I.

I, saved Rubia.

At that thought, at that result, at that feeling.

My heart, my mind, my body, were burning madly.

I’m out of breath.

My vision is blurry.

I want to call Rubia’s name. But, the breath that had risen to my chin, the emotions that had blocked my throat, prevented me from uttering a word.

The wounds I had forcibly healed opened up.

Blood droplets, leaving my footprints, were scattered.

Even so, I kept running.

“No, ah…”

Rubia walked towards me.

She ran. Staggering, but without stopping, she ran towards me.

She’s not afraid even in this place.

She wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t worried.

Did she know that I created this space?

Did she know that what filled this place, that these ominous colors, originated from me?

I hope so.

No, she will.

Rubia would know.

Because, she’s Rubia.

Because she’s the Rubia I love.

Because she’s the Rubia who loves me.

At that thought, at that fact, the corners of my lips lifted.

There was no need to loosen my stiff face.

Just, just by looking at Rubia’s face, by thinking about her smile, by recalling her embrace, her scent, her warmth.

It would loosen on its own.

A smile would appear on its own.

“Ru, bia… Rubia, Rubia!”

I uttered a choked voice.

I desperately called her name.

I didn’t stop my feet.

Rubia stopped in her place.

She’s standing in her place, waiting for me.

She’s opening her arms, trying to accept me.

She must be weak, can she accept me?

Even if I throw myself, can she endure it?

I don’t know. I don’t know, but… I just, I think I’ll be happy even if I fall. Embraced in her arms, even if I roll on the floor, I think I’ll be happy.

Still, I have to protect Rubia from getting hurt at the moment of falling.

Four steps.

Rubia’s face is clearly visible.

She’s crying. She’s distorting her lips, clenching them tightly, biting them, and calling my name.

Three steps.

Her scent reached the tip of my nose.

It was mixed with the smell of blood, but still a blissful scent.

My face distorted. It distorted uglily.

I didn’t care. Even with this appearance of mine, Rubia will love me. That’s why I ran, shedding tears and snot.

Two steps.

Rubia is smiling. Brightly.

A smile that brightly illuminates this dark space, this place where not a single ray of light enters, is directed towards me.

It’s only directed towards me.

One step.

And with that last step remaining, I.

Thud.

“Ugh…”

I fell to the bare ground, not into Rubia’s arms.