Ch.116Fight me if you don’t like it

1.

Crack.

With an unpleasant sound of something being crushed, right after Ran’s death was reenacted.

Casler, who had been quietly observing it, calmly opened his mouth to suggest.

“I think we’ve had enough of such unpleasant acts, so how about having a cup of tea for a change?”

His expression was serene, without the slightest hint of agitation.

Seeing his rather pleased demeanor, the crushed Ran also responded cheerfully.

“Tea in a situation like this. As expected, you have neither blood nor tears, huh? Casler of the cold heart.”

“Well. I don’t know about the rest, but I do have plenty of blood.”

“Pfft! Was that supposed to be a joke?”

“I’m serious though.”

A reunion between the crushed hero and the blood lord.

“Then I have a joke! Want to hear it?”

“If you must.”

“Right now, I am… a hero. Our distorted… no, crushed hero.”

“Not funny.”

“An immediate response!? So cruel!”

One looking down, the other continuing the idle chat while crushed.

It was a horrific sight that would make anyone who saw it vomit, but the two continued their conversation comfortably, as if familiar with it, or as if it had been a while.

The only one bewildered there was Flora, the fourth elder of Eclipse.

Hiding herself from Casler’s sight, she observed their bizarre conversation and unconsciously furrowed her brow.

‘What is this…?’

Ran, crushed and burst by something,

Casler, watching with a smile,

The two engaging in pleasant conversation.

Honestly, this was not a normal situation by any stretch of the imagination.

Yet paradoxically, Flora was relieved that the two were strange.

‘He was always a strange person. It wasn’t because of Eclipse… because of me that he became strange.’

I could just continue on my way, pretending I didn’t see anything.

As she was comforting herself like this, her conversation with Yuria came to mind again.

-How to be happy? Well…? In my case, I was saved by a ‘god’ who suddenly appeared, but that’s really a slim chance.

-Oh, would you like to believe with me!!!? We have a vacancy since the senior punisher went crazy–!!

-Hmm… you don’t want to? Then I won’t force you. Forceful evangelism is bad. Anyway, let me share what my previous faith taught me…

-You need to be forgiven. Face your sins honestly and apologize to those affected.

Thanks to Yuria, Flora began to recognize the ‘sins’ she and Eclipse had committed.

Although the other elders and the Proxy denied it, the one who commits a sin knows it best.

-What if… the path I’ve been walking all this time was a path made entirely of sin.

-What if the Proxy’s words were lies, and I was just a person who condoned and allowed his sins.

-What should I do from now on?

Although I tried to access memories to find answers to my questions, I was once again trying to turn away from the sins I had committed.

Sins piled up once more.

【Non-playable character – The seed embedded in <Flora(SS+)> is germinating.】

The mysterious power bestowed by the First Elder grew, nourished by guilt.

【Calculating accumulated sins.】

【Seed of Destruction – <?? ?? ???> affirms her sins.】

【Growth.】

【<Flora(SS+)>’s ultimate skill – <Germination> is strengthened.】

Though she couldn’t see the system window, she instinctively understood.

‘Even if it’s impossible to intervene with those two now, I can peek into the past.’

There was no hesitation.

Gritting her teeth, Flora extended her hand toward Casler, drawing out her remaining strength.

【<?? ?? ???> affirms.】

【Accessing memories of designated target – <Casler(Ex-)>.】

Leaving the two still chattering in a dream, Flora dispersed like mist.

If they were sinners, she would continue to punish sinners as she had done until now, and if she herself was a sinner…

‘…What should I do?’

As she hesitated, the scenery changed.

‘Let’s observe for now.’

If, as the <Black Wolf> members said, <Eclipse> was the root of all evil.

If I had been deceived by the Proxy and committed sins,

‘Then I will gladly give my life.’

2.

Casler thought.

【Calculating accumulated sins.】

【Seed of Destruction – <?? ?? ???> affirms her sins.】

【Growth.】

【<Flora(SS+)>’s ultimate skill – <Germination> is strengthened.】

What is this unpleasant power?

“What are you doing suddenly, Casler?”

“Wait a moment.”

“Hmm… I’m about to die though?”

“It’s fine. It’s just an illusion anyway.”

“Eck, that’s harsh. Anyway, I understand.”

Pausing his conversation with Ran, Casler focused on the sinister power blooming.

‘…A dragon?’

It was similar to the flow of Dragon Lords who used powers from other dimensions in the distant past.

‘But it’s embarrassingly weak in comparison.’

The dimensional magic of Dragon Lords was something that even Casler, who had returned alone, found challenging.

‘It’s similar in that it twists dimensions to draw something in… but the amount of power used is small.’

Then why does it give such an ominous and terrible feeling?

After pondering briefly, Casler quickly decided on his next action.

‘Time to get out of here.’

He had known it was a trap all along.

The only reason he stayed was because of ‘Ran.’

Of course, the Ran before him was an illusion, and their current conversation was just a waste of time, but

“…When I leave this time, I’ll never see you again.”

At Casler’s sudden words, Ran looked up at him.

“Huh? Leave? What do you mean?”

Since she asked with a smile, Casler also smiled and answered.

“You know, Ran. This place is made of illusions, everything here is false.”

“Eh…? Are you okay…?”

Seeing Ran worried about him instead, Casler immediately told her the truth.

“You died. Hundreds of years ago.”

“Me?”

“Yes. By my own hands.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ran chuckled.

“Come on, that can’t be true. There are three reasons why you can’t kill me.”

Casler responded with silence, but Ran spoke cheerfully as if she had heard an answer.

“First reason! Artifact!”

As soon as she finished speaking, her previously miserable appearance began to recover rapidly.

【Transcendent Artifact – <Ring of Iasos(SS+)> activates.】

【<“Remember, no pain can kill you.”>】

Crack, crunch!

Though somewhat grotesque, Ran returned to her original form and showed a V-sign.

“Ta-da!”

Dark blue hair,

Snow-white skin,

A mischievous expression.

“……”

Seeing her appearance after so long, Casler unconsciously closed his mouth, and she spoke with her blue eyes twinkling like stars.

“Second reason! Casler, you liked me.”

Grinning, Ran approached and pushed Casler’s shoulder, knocking him down.

The sensation of sinking into soft darkness.

Before Casler could react, she straddled him and raised her pink lips in a smile.

“See, you can’t dodge because you like me.”

Since it wasn’t exactly wrong, Casler silently nodded.

Then Ran’s face suddenly flushed, as if she had never been smirking.

“Oh, this, um. Well… I’m happy, Casler,”

As she was touching her face with playful, exaggerated movements,

‘My emotions are starting to waver… it might be dangerous if I delay any longer.’

…Swish.

Casler naturally reached out to push her away and escape, but,

“The third and final reason.”

Ran grabbed Casler’s hand and pushed him roughly, adding,

“You’re weaker than me.”

“?”

Casler pondered for a moment.

‘Some of my memories have been blurry since I entered this place.’

But…

“I’ve never been weaker than you though?”

At Casler’s calm words, Ran chuckled and shook her head.

“You’re weaker than me.”

“What…?”

At Casler’s calm words, Ran chuckled and shook her head.

“You’re weaker than me.”

“What nonsense–“

At Casler’s calm words, Ran chuckled and shook her head.

“You’re weaker than me… you’re weaker than me. You’reweakerthanme. You’reweakerthanmeyou’reweakerthanmeyou’reweakerthanmeyou’reweakerthanmeyou’reweakerthanmeyou’reweakerthanme…”

Her eyes, as if not her own, lost their light and became murky.

【<?? ?? ???> affirms.】

【Accessing memories of designated target – <Casler(Ex-)>.】

There was a sound of something opening with a thud.

Casler looked around to identify where the sound came from, but soon realized there was no need.

It was,

.

.

.

“My Lord. The hero has arrived.”

The sound of his mental barrier collapsing.

“Are you listening!? It’s the hero!! The first hero ordained by the goddess…!!”

And so Casler began to revisit his memories as Flora intended, and he muttered while holding his head.

“…What a nuisance.”

Why would someone be so desperate to peek into another’s past?

‘I have no intention of playing along.’

He would release the power of the Blood Lord and escape this space immediately.

Just as he finished that thought and was about to leave the throne to exit the castle of the blood clan,

Boom!

The castle gates opened roughly, and the 1st generation hero – Ran – entered, raising her holy sword and shouting.

“Can’t we use animal blood instead?!! Not human blood! Animal blood!!”

“?”

“Ah, if you don’t like it, then fight!!!”

“…?”

Casler’s headache doubled in intensity.