Ch.139139. The Star-Cutting Sword (1)

I cut down the scarecrow.

Looking at the scarecrow that still appeared intact, I exhaled a labored breath. This wasn’t the answer. My body moved as I wanted it to. The sword’s trajectory didn’t waver, and the certainty in my mind as I moved my arm didn’t disappear either. Cold sweat ran down my face. A reality that felt unreal. My heart wasn’t beating but trembling in place. The sword slipped from my hand and stuck into the ground.

“That can’t be…”

I hurriedly approached the scarecrow. Only as I got closer did it collapse to the ground. I could see the cleanly cut surface, as if space itself had been separated. I picked up half of the scarecrow and exhaled with difficulty. No. I had certainly reached a new level, but it wasn’t like the slash the Holy Sword had shown me. My sword still remained at a human level.

“No.”

My hands trembled violently. There was no time. External stimuli were completely blocked, but my senses told me it wouldn’t be long before I had to leave this place. I turned my head to look at the sword stuck in the ground. A sword that looked identical to the Holy Sword. But I couldn’t hear any words from it.

“…I have to try again.”

I picked up the sword. Time tightened around my throat more fiercely as it approached, like a hunting dog that had caught the scent of blood. I needed to empty my mind, but my head was filled with white noise. A ringing sound echoed in my ears, and my vision wavered hazily. The scarecrow rose again in the empty space. I pointed my sword at it and spoke.

“How am I supposed to do this?”

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out. If I couldn’t complete the sword to cut the comet, there would be no one else to cut it in my place. With the giant or the fog, even if I died there, Aryen could have been the insurance to stop them. But the comet? If I couldn’t stop this, there would be no convenient excuses like “next time” or “insurance.”

“Aaaaargh!!”

I swung the sword. The scarecrow was cut again. Of course, it couldn’t have been cut properly. As I shook my head, a new scarecrow rose up. I swung the sword. The scarecrow was cut in half. Again, and again. I kept swinging my sword, knowing there was no way my slash would miraculously be perfected.

How did Aryen in the original work achieve the third release?

The memories of the “original work” were becoming dimmer the longer I lived here. By now, how Aryen had released the third stage remained only as very vague fragments of words floating in my mind. Just incomplete information that Aryen was strong and had an unbreakable will, which allowed him to achieve the third release.

I forcefully swung my sword. Am I not strong enough? Is this the karmic retribution for making the world progress in a direction different from the original work?

“…Don’t be ridiculous.”

I gritted my teeth. I had no doubts about myself. I had no intention of judging whether my actions were right or wrong. I had no desire to convince those who opposed me. All my thoughts and actions were affirmed by someone’s smile. Because it gave me a reason to move forward. That’s why I had to swing my sword.

One, then another.

With each scarecrow that fell and reappeared, my despair deepened.

Cutting a star. Cutting the moon. Cutting the world.

It was a dream. A dream unreachable as a human. A dream unattainable within established limits. I pointed my sword at the newly risen scarecrow and stood still. The scarecrow was also pointing its sword at me. More than the giant, more than the fog, more than the fanatics, I feared the scarecrow.

“I have to do this.”

I walked forward, encouraging myself. I don’t think the vision the Holy Sword showed me was an illusion. I wasn’t tired. I had to overcome this. If I couldn’t do it, everyone would die.

“Ilroy.”

The Holy Sword stood where the scarecrow had been. Was I seeing things? I gripped my sword and glared at her. The Holy Sword was quietly looking at me with those red eyes. Sorrowful eyes. She approached me and wrapped her hands around mine that held the sword.

“I couldn’t do it.”

I said in a dazed voice.

“I couldn’t cut the star.”

“Ilroy.”

The Holy Sword called to me. Her hands held my cheeks firmly. The Holy Sword was smiling, but her eyes seemed to be crying, wet and trembling.

“You can do it. No, only you can do it.”

“I…”

“I will permit the third release.”

At the Holy Sword’s words, my vision returned. The Holy Sword exhaled a long sigh. As if reluctantly forcing out words she really didn’t want to say, she was hesitating.

“The burden on your body will be tremendous.”

“I can endure any burden.”

The Holy Sword shook her head at my desperate reply.

“If it were simply damaging your body, there’s an excellent healer, so I wouldn’t be this worried. Forcing someone who isn’t ready to bloom comes with a price.”

The Holy Sword then looked at me with concerned eyes.

“Ilroy. I don’t want to lose you. But I hate myself for having to make this choice.”

It’s because of my lack of ability. If only I could have become stronger. If only I could have overcome my limits and completed the sword that cuts stars. Then, the Holy Sword tightened her grip on my face.

“It’s my selfishness.”

Regret permeated the Holy Sword’s voice.

“So, don’t blame yourself.”

The Holy Sword’s hands moved from my cheeks to hold my hands. I put the sword down on the ground and held her hands. She took a very deep breath, then slowly exhaled and said:

“I will begin the third release.”

==

The threshold of hell.

I don’t know if I’m being sucked in or escaping out. But there is one common point: I can vividly see inside. The castle wall was the threshold, and beyond it was hell.

“We’re being pushed back.”

The commander’s voice was now calm. The sun was shining as it set. It was a miracle they had held out this far. The battle had been going on for hours without a single lull. People were dying to protect the walls that were meant to protect people. The commander was the one continuously pouring people into that.

“That side too… Is it over now?”

The commander was looking at Natalie with bitter eyes. Natalie, who must have killed thousands of monsters by now, was shedding blood tears from her eyes. With each battle, Natalie’s appearance moved further away from that of a human. The snake scales that were once barely visible had become armor completely covering her body, and sharp fangs had sprouted from her mouth, tearing at the necks of monsters and drinking their blood.

“I wonder if there was a reason to fight like that.”

Natalie’s mind was calm. Though she had no reason to fight, as even the purpose of her life was blurry, Natalie fought. She was designed that way. Killing was the purpose of her life. Natalie grabbed two monsters with her vicious hands and tore off their heads. Flesh and blood poured out. When she opened her mouth, a disgusting taste invaded her tongue and throat.

“Damn it-!!”

What captured Natalie’s senses as she was about to rush forward again was someone’s anguished cry. Natalie turned around, piercing an approaching monster with her tentacles.

“You can’t fall here! Get up!”

Eugene was holding Cora, who had collapsed with blood flowing from her chest. His pupils, split like a snake’s, dilated. Eugene forcibly squeezed out magic to push back the monsters climbing up the castle wall. Dark red blood flowed from Eugene’s nose, but he paid no attention. Where had the commander gone? The commander who should be directing the knights and soldiers was nowhere to be seen.

A monster was climbing up the castle wall. It was a Crawler. And Eugene seemed completely unaware that the Crawler was climbing the wall.

==

The edge of the sunset was touching the head of twilight. A centerline was drawn in the sky, and small shining dots began to appear one by one. The weather was unnecessarily good. The mountain ridge, layered with clouds like torn feathers, was still writhing.

“It’s coming.”

Nella’s voice was trembling with impatience. The battle wasn’t even over yet, but destruction was approaching. There was still enough magic power left to be effective. Mages who realized the time was approaching were gathering below the castle wall. Nella bit her lip as she watched the mages gathering.

“Mage?”

“We have to go. The comet is approaching.”

Nella said this as she began to jump down from the castle wall. A hand trying to catch her from behind futilely swept through the air. Daphne Ephiphone… also seemed to have noticed and was coming down from the wall. The defense of the wall now had to be completely left to Laura as they rushed to confront the comet.

“I’ll leave it to you, Marianne.”

Daphne said this in a heavy voice. Marianne Prim nodded. Having released her holy spear, she was almost single-handedly blocking off one section of the wall. Monsters fell helplessly under her spear, and even named monsters couldn’t hold out for long. Just like Ilroy, Marianne was holding the front line.

“The wall will not fall.”

Marianne’s words were a support. A support that made it okay not to look back. A support that gave faith that the wall would be safe. So Daphne could run.

“Magic reserves… still okay.”

It was a miracle that Nella had reached the 6th circle. With much more flexibility in magic operation, she could pour more magic into this defense battle. Daphne looked up at the sky. The sun only left its trace lingering in the west, and a purple veil covered the sky.

“Damn it! Daphne!!”

Nella’s completely hoarse scream was heard. She must have been shouting quite a lot during the battle. In the past, Daphne would have responded with irritation to that voice, but now, such a normal reaction reassured her. Daphne hurried her steps and approached Nella’s side.

“You crazy woman!! I told you to save your magic!! Don’t use magic for walking!”

At Nella’s shocked reaction, Daphne let out a hollow laugh. Her words, completely lacking in dignity, were so like her.

“Let’s hurry. The preparations at the magic tower should be complete, right?”

“They’ve been holed up in the tower since the battle started. Do you think they need more time or magic to activate the spell? If it’s not ready yet, I’m going to kick all those bastards out of the tower.”

Nella’s green hair fluttered in anger.

“It seems to be working somehow.”

The roof of the magic tower, immersed in the shadow of twilight, came into view. Daphne felt relief as she sensed the faint precursor of grand magic. It seemed they had managed to complete the groundwork somehow. Nella, walking beside her, also sighed and raised the corners of her mouth.

“Good. I won’t have to kick anyone out of the tower for now.”

The magic tower was pulsing magic throughout the entire royal capital. An invisible ring of mana was wrapping around the tower and rotating. An artificial heart. To complete a single grand magic, the tower had become the mages’ second heart. Nella and Daphne reached the front of the tower and looked up.

“Are you watching?”

“…Yes, we need to hurry.”

A comet with a pure white tail crossing the purple sky was beginning to appear.