Ch.64So you’re trash too, huh?

# The Great Sage Marine Blue

The hero who became a member of the Light after achieving the impossible 8th Circle.

Her mere presence could turn the tide of battle, so they say everyone on the battlefield hopes never to encounter her.

Because of this, people worldwide wanted to befriend her and actively tried to do so, but those she chose as friends were extremely few.

Many asked her friends how to become close to Marine, but they kept their mouths shut, saying they couldn’t reveal the method.

Such was the Great Sage.

A person whom everyone, regardless of age, gender, or race, sought to befriend.

After all, if disaster struck, having her friendship might save one’s life.

And now, this Marine…

“Who are you people?”

“Me? Persona! Oh, and this is Puppy!”

“…What?”

She was unleashing her fury at the one who had killed her close friend, Viscount Richmond.

【High Magic – <Large-Scale Binding Barrier (SS+)> activates.】

Rumble…!!

Countless magic circles layered upon each other, completely covering Viscount Richmond’s mansion.

“Wait, Marine…!”

“You’re wrong, Vulcan. Prepare for the aftermath.”

In that place where even the Gardner and Selena could barely stand, only Marine, glowing like blue glacier, moved freely.

“Child, I’ll ask once more just to be sure. Did you do this to my friend?”

Crack,

Crackle!

With each step she took, mana resembling blue glacier rose and bound Luna, so Puppy quickly howled toward Marine.

“I saw it clearly!! This woman is definitely the one who assassinated Viscount Gospel!!”

“…Child with a malicious aura. I did not ask you.”

Swoosh!

“W-Wait…!!!”

Just as the mana crystals used for binding curved toward Puppy’s heart—

【<Masquerade Ball> begins.】

【By wearing <Mother>, your rank temporarily rises to <SS+>.】

Crash!

Luna, who had suddenly donned a familiar mask, glared at Puppy while smiling with just her lips.

“If you go back and forth one more time, I’ll really let you die, okay?”

“Sh-shit, woof woof woof growl growl woof woof!!!”

“That’s right.”

The Whispering Nightmare’s Calamity hid behind Luna with a delighted expression.

Only then did Luna smile as usual while facing Marine and asked:

“Are you friends with this?”

Her blood-stained hand pointed at the torn corpse.

Marine responded not with words but by activating magic.

【High Magic – <Swamp (SS+)> activates.】

【Large-Scale High Magic – <Chilling Glacier (SS+)> activates.】

【Large-Scale High Magic – <Spear of Flame (SS+)> activates.】

The ground beneath her feet sank and immediately froze again, gripping her entire body.

Above, crimson spears filling the sky blazed as they fell toward Luna.

So Luna wrapped her arms around Puppy.

For a moment, it seemed she had given up her life before the Great Sage’s mighty power.

Boom!

But Luna emerged from the binding without a scratch, carrying Puppy on her back, and declared:

“You’re garbage too.”

Her emerald eyes behind the mask flickered with intense killing intent.

A friend of someone who trafficked humans, especially children, harvesting and selling their organs.

‘These people are likely connected to those Eclipse guys.’

Though she wanted to “clean up the trash” right away,

“…The Captain’s orders come first.”

Luna, after scanning the faces of the Light, Ian Red, and Hallorand, warned them:

“The Black Wolf’s main enemy is Eclipse. If you’re involved with them even slightly, it would be wise to be careful from this moment on.”

If they turn their eyes away from the darkness even for a moment,

“Your head might be gone.”

A smile filled with killing intent.

“…Eclipse?”

As everyone except Hallorand and Nahan was confused by this sudden name,

“Look forward to it. Everyone connected to Eclipse will have nightmares every night from today on.”

Luna sneered as she turned slightly and activated her mental world.

【Mental World – <Disappearance> unfolds.】

Her appearance,

Her presence,

Even the words she had just spoken.

Everything faded like a distant dream, and even her scent vanished in that moment.

【Reverse Heaven’s Sacred Magic – <Mental Reversal (SS+)> activates.】

Thanks to Marine’s belated reaction, they were able to preserve the memories that almost disappeared.

The Viscount Richmond murder case.

“Black Wolf… I’ll kill them first.”

“Calm down, Marine. We need to investigate not only the Black Wolf but also this organization called Eclipse.”

“…Tch.”

Unlike the <Original>, this became the catalyst for discovering the existence of <Eclipse>, but their pursuit of their main enemy, the <Black Wolf>, remained unchanged.

‘This much shouldn’t change the future. No, it’s actually a good thing.’

Whatever Eclipse’s plans were, whatever Duke Hallorand’s true intentions were, both the <Black Wolf> and the <Light> would now be watching them.

‘Now I just need to return to Asha’s side and prevent her death to end one bad ending. Next, I’ll move as the Yellow Dragon to save the <Emperor>, then as Ian Red to prevent the <Dissolution of the Light>.’

If that happens, a total of three bad endings would be resolved, causing Duke Hallorand and Eclipse to become more cautious, which would help resolve the remaining two bad endings.

‘One by one, slowly.’

Let’s proceed as before and solve things step by step.

Having finished his thoughts, Nahan carefully moved to hold the hand of Richmond’s corpse.

“……”

Inwardly, he cursed the trash for deserving death, but outwardly he remained silent, pretending to pray.

Led by his prayer, the Light and Duke Hallorand also observed a moment of silence.

Depending on the priest, prayers for the deceased usually last more than 10 minutes.

Nahan, pretending it was an accident, stabbed the eye he had failed to detect and pondered.

‘Bad Ending 8, <Death of the Hero>—what causes this bad ending?’

Asha Mirabel is the sole triple S-class being in the <Babylonia> world, the strongest.

Unlike the Black Wolf in the original work, no one can subdue her one-on-one now.

‘Then how?’

Who could possibly drive the world’s strongest being to her death?

Betrayal from within the Light?

The Black Wolf, stronger than in the original?

The Emperor, whose whereabouts are unknown?

Many candidates crossed his mind, but only one group seemed certain.

‘It must be Eclipse.’

In the <Original> Babylonia, the Black Wolf appears to die by Asha’s hand, but looking closely reveals something strange.

‘First, the gap between ranks.’

Though the Black Wolf was exhausted in the final chapter, so was Asha.

While SSS and Ex ranks differ by just one level, most characters cannot overcome this difference.

‘An unreached rank is truly a wall.’

No matter how exhausted the Ex-ranked Black Wolf was, with enough determination, he could have achieved victory or at least mutual destruction.

But the Black Wolf didn’t.

In the final moment, as Asha plunged a blade into his heart, he merely whispered:

-Beware of Eclipse. They can seal even your power.

-…Eclipse?

‘Wait. Also?’

Could it be that the Black Wolf was defeated because Eclipse sealed his power?

Let’s think.

‘Currently, Eclipse has targeted the Saint, Yuria, as their first elimination target.’

The reason being that when a Saint and Hero coexist, evil cannot use its power.

‘But what if after this attack, realizing the <Black Wolf> is unbeatable, they changed their target from the Saint to the Hero?’

What if they plan to use whatever <something> that sealed the <Black Wolf’s> power in the <Original> against <Asha> instead?

‘If the Ex-ranked Black Wolf had his power sealed by that <something>, it would work even better on Asha, who is of a lower rank.’

If all these hypotheses are true, he can prepare to some extent for Bad Ending 8, <Death of the Hero>.

‘…Let me organize this.’

Through the main scenario, <Those Who Cannot Be Saved>, the members have grown stronger.

Thus, they now possess greater military might than the Black Wolf in the <Original>.

Therefore, Eclipse, which originally planned to assassinate the <Saint> for their plans, now judges that eliminating the <Hero> would be easier.

They intend to use whatever sealed the <Black Wolf’s> power in the <Original> to seal <Asha’s> power before assassinating her.

‘…Then. What can I do in this situation?’

One, lead all of the <Black Wolf> to annihilate <Eclipse>.

‘Though the members have grown stronger, we still don’t know Eclipse’s full strength, so this is rejected.’

Two, as the <Yellow Dragon>, receive the Emperor’s support to annihilate <Eclipse>.

‘This is also rejected for similar reasons. Remember that the Emperor is also someone who needs to be saved.’

Then the third option.

‘As the free priest, <Ian Red>, stay by Asha’s side and respond immediately to threats.’

With some of the Black Wolf’s original power having returned, in the worst-case scenario, he could abandon the <Ian Red> act and save her…

‘Create a plausible reason to leave Asha unattended. When Eclipse, having monitored the situation, launches a surprise attack, quickly intervene and subdue them. This is the most likely method. And to execute this plan…’

He needs to naturally separate the Light from Asha’s side until Eclipse lowers its guard.

‘For that, I first need to build deep bonds with everyone in the Light…’

Let’s conquer them one by one, slowly.

‘Selena and Gardner already have favorable impressions of me, so I’ll start with Marine.’

Having finished his thoughts, Nahan put down Richmond’s hand and approached Marine.

“Your grief must be immense.”

“…Yes.”

Marine’s face, usually languid, was now shadowed deeply.

The Great Sage Marine Blue.

The hero who became a member of the Light after achieving the impossible 8th Circle.

Her mere presence could turn the tide of battle, so they say everyone on the battlefield hopes never to encounter her.

Because of this, people worldwide wanted to befriend her and actively tried to do so, but those she chose as friends were extremely few.

Many asked her friends how to become close to Marine, but they kept their mouths shut, saying they couldn’t reveal the method.

But Nahan knew.

The one-person army,

The ruler of the battlefield,

The reason why the Great Sage of Victory considered such trash a friend was just one:

“The cookies made at Viscount Richmond’s mansion were really delicious.”

Because he provided delicious desserts.

A rather easy condition for befriending the Great Sage, but one that only those in the know were aware of.

Therefore, he,

“…?! How did you…?”

As Marine visibly flustered, he whispered gently in her ear, as if comforting her:

“Though it’s not quite a replacement, I’ll make something even more delicious for you.”

“…? You will?”

“Yes. Have you perhaps…”

Heard of tanghulu?

2.

Several days later.

“Is it true that the Blooming Flower’s Calamity is bleeding?”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

The Empire’s Hero, Asha Mirabel.

“She’s been wandering alone lately, so now is the perfect time to use <that>.”

“…What shall we do, O Destruction?”

“Execute it.”

Eclipse’s operation to assassinate the Hero begins.