That Light Cut My Neck Back Then Too.

“…This is troublesome. Even if I’m Mom, there’s a limit to my stamina.”

“Your stamina’s getting drained like crazy because you’re trying to completely annihilate these guys who keep endlessly reviving.”

From the beginning, the nature of the power these guys are dealing with originates from lingering attachments.

And lingering attachments keep arising endlessly until they’re resolved.

As if teaching that they’re derived from such power, the undead rising here are standing up again, making all the ones we’ve crushed meaningless.

The only ones not regenerating are those I’ve beaten down using holy power, but even that’s just pissing in the wind compared to the whole.

“I’m not very good at using my head… Is there any way?”

They’re still at the containment stage so they’re just surrounding us, but they’ll rush in soon.

We’re both pushed to our limits.

As the bitch with her back to mine raises her chipped sword, I can clearly feel her breath hardening.

It’s not the right time to split the blockhead’s skull, but…

Damn, I’m at my physical limit too. It’s natural since I’ve fought several consecutive battles against top-level strong ones on the front lines.

“…We should tear the main body’s neck.”

The fortunate thing is that there’s not absolutely no answer to this desperate situation.

The bitch swallowed her breath, feeling puzzled at my words.

“Will that take care of it? Just slitting the neck…”

“That’s enough. Look at the main body.”

Drip, drip.

The giant Halo made of clumped filth. Cracks are forming on its surface and melted chunks of flesh are falling.

The main body also seems to have difficulty maintaining balance, supporting its weight with one arm. Although we should look at it differently from humans, anyone could see it was exhausted.

“It’s a little unsteady, isn’t it?”

“…Is it because the damage has accumulated?”

“Rather than that, it’s probably because faith has been shaken.”

“Faith, shaken?”

“The very thing that forms that guy’s body is his believers.”

A Halo is itself a vessel containing a god’s consciousness.

For that existence to be materialized, the believers must exert their will to embody it to that extent.

Conversely, if the believers can’t maintain their faith, the Halo collapses. The god itself becomes like a state of death.

“Simply put, faith is ‘expectation’. The ones forming that guy probably think that the lord they serve will never be broken.”

Yes, even if they’re lumps of lingering attachment monsters. If faith exists, there must certainly exist enough cognitive ability to lead to expectations.

Like the strong ones of the old era we fought fiercely before.

If there exists enough cognitive ability to feel the ‘hope’ needed to maintain their faith.

“We don’t need to kill them all”

They’re not human, and they have endless regenerative power, so it’s impossible to completely annihilate them even if we push with firepower.

Conversely, the fact that they’ve imitated human bodies means they’ve also imitated the organs needed to maintain those bodies.

That goes for the hands, the eyes glaring at us, the giant heart pulsating inside…

And the ‘blood vessels’ connected to it.

“Just a little… If we can deliver a critical blow enough to disrupt the balance.”

As I continued such explanation, I showed the bitch in front of me my finger containing holy power.

The medium that can create a ‘blade’ even sharper than a hand blade, made by joining the index and middle fingers.

“…In short, our daughter will deliver the finishing blow, right?”

“Why, are you unhappy about that?”

That the creator-approved self-insert daughter can’t deliver the finishing blow?

“No, that can’t be.”

The bitch smiled bitterly, once again forging her sword with mana and gradually lightening the weight loaded on her back.

As if preparing to move forward soon.

“The old folks in the back room should quietly exit.”

Saying that, she lowered her posture and her eyes aimed at the army about to rush in.

But regardless of her resolve, her words sounded unpleasant to me.

“You talk about old folks in the back room when you haven’t actually done anything from the start.”

“Even with such a pathetic mom, our daughter fights together.”

“…Because only you can stop that monster.”

It’s almost time.

Soon, when Nero Astra regains his strength, the army of thousands surrounding this area will rush in, aiming for me and the bitch.

“I’m telling you this because you might misunderstand.”

I spoke, borrowing that momentary reprieve.

“I’m not fighting together because I like you.”

That when this fight is over, our relationship will return to how it was before.

“No matter how this fight turns out, I won’t ever see you in a good light.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“In the first place, you tried to face that monster alone for your personal reasons too, right?”

There’s no need to clear up misunderstandings or anything.

Even if I know this person’s tragic circumstances, it won’t change how I think about them.

Regardless of the truth or their inner thoughts, they’ve ultimately lived turning their back on the world as if acting out the role of an ill-fated protagonist despite having power.

For me who has seen their deaths, there will never be a reason to like this person as a human being, even if a lifetime passes.

“…Yeah. That’s right.”

They seem to understand that point too, quietly raising their sword.

“But still.”

But as if some lingering attachment remains, they began to continue their words without facing me.

In a very bitter voice.

“I’d like you to know that my love for you and your dad is sincere.”

But this damn bitch whispering love towards me with sincerity.

Such twisted affection contrasted with the journey I’ve lived, making me feel sick to my stomach, but on the other hand, I felt a bit unburdened.

“…It’s ironic. That I think even someone like you is better than that bastard father from my past life.”

Because that person wouldn’t even allow his child to speak more than three words in front of him.

Compared to that person, this woman who at least listens to me cursing her out is better because she can be a target for venting my anger.

“Huh? What did you just say…”

“Never mind. They’re coming!!”

-Rumble!!

The incoming army.

A giant snake’s maw stretching across them.

Inside the moving giant cave, countless dead were reaching out their hands while making crying sounds.

The moment one is swallowed by that mouth, numerous mouths inside would finely tear apart the swallowed target as if digesting it.

-Whoosh!

Even such a monster is torn apart and scattered by a fierce sword strike, creating an open space in its place.

“Run!!!”

The path has opened but only for a very brief moment.

Soon, an army of corpses swarms in as if to fill that space.

I advance ahead, throwing stones to blow off their heads, and then swing my hand filled with mana to strike them down.

-Bang!

The knight’s body flips 180 degrees with a roar.

As soon as I kick its back to push away numerous undead, a sword strike passing by my side sweeps away the ones rushing in from the side.

-Whoosh!!!

A torrent of mana.

The moment a slashing attack swung through that gap cuts off the neck of an undead crossing the shockwave.

A bandage wrapped around the severed head from that whips through the enemies’ midst, disrupting their balance.

The moment the formation trying to check the next strike temporarily collapses.

-Slash!

Countless lines drawn from the sword at that moment soon spread among them, temporarily reflecting light.

A phenomenon that solely heralds the attack that will unfold afterwards.

-Slash!!

The army splits into several branches with one swing.

As their bodies split and fragments spread in all directions, bandages rampaging through that gap additionally cut down incoming enemies.

And I run.

-Whoosh!

Cutting their bodies with the blades of both hands forged in flames.

Ducking my head to avoid the sword strike following behind that and swinging my fist at the bodies of additional ones rushing in.

-Bang!!!

Advancing while crushing flesh and shattering bones with force.

Freezing their joints with frozen hands to seal their movements.

At the moment distance is created by kicking their bodies away, I grab whatever is in my hand and throw it indiscriminately.

-Clang!

Crushing, cutting.

Swallowing my breath while overcoming the wave of corpses rising with powerful force.

And running.

Swinging arms stained with rotten blood and filth, repeating only that gradually.

-Clang!!

But fiercely.

At the moment when I close the distance while overwhelming the army to the extent that he can’t just watch from behind.

-Sion…

The moment even the neck of the beast sweeping through the army flies into the air.

A small growl began to leak from Nero Astra’s mouth as he watched that scene intently.

-Yes, that light… That insignificant light cut my neck back then too.

What’s that? What’s he talking about?

-Siooon!! If it weren’t for you, it would have been Ganian dying there!! That abominable brother would never have sat on the imperial throne!!

In the midst of not understanding what’s going on, soon Nero Astra began to aim at where I am, gripping a huge piece of debris in his hand.

“…Why is Dad coming up here?”

“Huh? Seine didn’t know?”

“Know what…”

-Rumble!!

…Ah, right.

This isn’t the time for idle chat.

-Do you think you’ll interfere with me again like back then!! Do you think I’ll be so easily defeated by you again!?

The moment the huge debris is gripped in his hand and thrown.

Amidst the corpses rampaging mercilessly in the wind pressure created by that collision, even before that aftereffect subsides, Nero Astra’s other hand begins to stretch towards me.

-Boom!!

What blocked that attack was the bitch’s sword stabbed into the ground.

The sword’s current spreading through the ground rushed up along the cracks, pushing away the hand reaching for me and twisting its trajectory.

“Run!!!”

“I know!”

After climbing onto the arm stuck in the ground, I concentrate mana in both feet.

As pressure bursting out with each step increases acceleration, the arm stuck in the ground begins to thrash violently.

But it can’t lift up.

From the moment the hand was stuck in the ground, the sword stabbed in its back was restraining its movement.

-Don’t interfere!!!

“I can’t… do that…!!”

The bitch exerting all her strength in a tug-of-war as if driving in a stake.

It was absurd that a tug-of-war with a god was even possible, but that too would ultimately be only for a moment.

The surroundings are in chaos making it difficult for the army to approach, but soon that guy’s surroundings will be crawling with corpses.

-Sion… You wench!!

But between that guy being devoured by corpses and my hand slicing through the god’s neck.

Which will happen first, even he who has watched the battle so far should know well.

-How dare a mere thing like you climb on my body!!

Crash!!!

Countless stems rising from the arm along with the shout.

The moment those like tentacles approach with their mouths open, I rushed in between them without hesitation.

-Boom! Bang!

I run while holding my breath.

Avoiding all the attacks pouring down aiming at me, pushing them away with my hands.

-Kyaaaaa!!!!!

At that moment, countless hands of corpses surging up where I step.

Terrible screams were heard between them, but I ignored all of that and dashed forward.

Aiming solely for his neck.

Aiming only for the neck.

-Crack!!

But contrary to such wishes, the moment the path itself is blocked.

A giant human figure rising from near the shoulder.

When it appears suddenly and tries to strike my body, my body reflexively falls off the arm at the sense of crisis felt from behind.

-Whoosh!!!

The sword that was stuck in the hand.

That sword spreads its power as if to split the arm, and as the place where the power spread collapses, fragments formed scatter in all directions.

“How cruel, daring to look away from me…”

-Bertayu… How dare you…!!

Along with a horrible scream, an army of corpses rushes in from all directions.

While the bitch engages to face them, Nero Astra’s gaze begins to move around again.

-Where are you.

He’s probably chasing after me who disappeared from the previous impact.

But he won’t know even if he searches the ground for a hundred days.

-Where the hell… No way!?

Yes, that’s right.

Among the pieces of his flesh that scattered from the previous impact.

Some of them had flown into the passage pierced upwards for over ten layers.

As expected of the strongest in the world view.

Regardless of personality issues, his power alone is really amazing.

To throw up a mass that would follow upwards just by wrapping my bandage around it, to this height.

-Sizzle.

Well, I suppose this much is necessary.

To exert enough power to cut that guy’s neck…

-Sion…

After flying in the air for such a long time that I could light a new cigarette, and just as I was about to give my body over to gravity.

-Sioooon!! How dare a mere thing like you look down on meeee!!!!!

Countless chunks of flesh pouring out from the open mouth.

Arms coming out of arms, and beyond that, intertwining with each other as they fly in – the sight was more hideous than anything I’ve seen so far.

To the point of making one nauseous just by facing it…

-Whoosh!!

Yes.

It must never happen that such hideous things are sent up here.

-Crack!

The moment the hand blade imbued with that will is forged along with the cigarette flame.

The blade splits the stems of flesh faster than my consciousness, and begins to secure a path forward.

-Slash!

Quickly.

-Slash!!

And strongly, more fiercely.

Cutting everything visible, kicking with my feet to adjust the course.

-Crack!!

At the end, the moment I slide down stepping on the stem touching my foot, the friction heat that even scrapes off my shoe soles begins to heat up my feet.

The moment that heat receives momentum and turns into a rising flame.

-Whoosh!!

My body flies with the thermal expansion that finally occurs, and my vision becomes an afterimage.

At that moment, beyond sound, as if becoming one with light, everything in my vision was covered in radiance.

At the moment when a force strong enough to advance ignoring even the tentacles flying in, a speed that even they couldn’t perceive, struck my body.

But the target existing at the end is still visible.

The power concentrated to the limit in this hand.

The light held at its end must pierce through, clearly where it should.

-Bang!!!

The fall achieved at that end.

The moment everything visible around regained its original form, something began to pour down in my eyes looking down at the ground.

The opened skin of a thick neck.

A stream of rotten filth pouring like a waterfall through that gap, soaking the ground along with the dead forming its contents.

-Boom!

Following that.

Even the body of the being called a god, losing its power, began to crash into the ground.