Chapter 137 – The Temple of Memories (4)

We raced towards the summit, shaking off grasping hands, deflecting blades, dodging projectiles.

Hermilla, despite her missing arm, slaughtered the monsters with brutal efficiency.

Vishur, abandoning his broken rapier, moved like a wraith through the horde, his dagger a flicker of death.

And Serr…her attacks were a force of nature.

The earth opened, swallowing monsters whole. Formless meteors rained down, targeting only the enemy.

But their numbers didn’t diminish. They regenerated, their resilience…terrifying.

“Just…how many
are
there?” Hermilla muttered, her voice strained.

“Were they…like this…in your visions?” Rubia asked, panting.

“They existed…but not…so…resilient…”
Hngh!
She obliterated another wave of monsters, her expression grim. “Their regeneration…it’s faster… They weren’t like this…”

Her gaze fell on the shimmering sea of divine power below, and she fell silent.

Rubia’s expression twisted into a self-deprecating smile.

“My divine power… Does it…strengthen them…?”

“I’m…not sure.”

“I was unsure before…but now…I know. Every time a Beast of the End dies…my power grows. You felt it too, Noah, didn’t you?”

I nodded, swinging Frey.

It was true. With each Beast slain, Rubia’s power had surged, the divine energy within her growing exponentially.

“And…it feels…so natural…so easy to control…as if…it’s always been mine…”

Rubia’s voice trembled. My grip on Frey tightened. My movements grew more frantic.

“It’s…it’s not just…growing stronger…” A fractured smile touched her lips. “…It’s like…I’m becoming…
complete
…”

CLANG!
My sword energy, amplified by my surging emotions, tore through the air.

Hermilla flinched. “It’s not certain! And even if it is…it doesn’t matter! They still die easily enough! Especially with our resident genius up there!”

Swish!
A blade of wind sliced past, severing the grasping hands reaching for us.

“Geniuses have sharp ears, too.”

Crackle!
Lightning flashed.

Rubia chuckled, watching their banter, drawing on her divine power.

“Well…regardless…we have a job to do.”

[See that look on her face?]

‘I can’t see her eyes…’

[Not literally, you idiot.]

Cartia clicked her tongue.

[You’re being reckless.]

‘…I know.’

[You little shit… You owe me for this.]

‘…I know.’

[If you
know
…then—! Ugh. Just…don’t screw this up.]

I swung Frey, my frustration fueling the blow. The blade energy didn’t just cut, it obliterated, leaving massive craters in its wake.

‘Better me than Rubia.’

[…
Sigh
. Do as you like, you stubborn brat.] Cartia’s voice faded, replaced by a heavy silence.

I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand, carving a path through the relentless horde.

And then…we reached the summit.

Serr’s voice, strained and desperate, echoed across the battlefield.

“Don’t just stand there!
Run
!”

Rumble.
The path behind us collapsed.

Rubia grabbed my wrist, pulling me forward.

Vishur and Hermilla led the way, clearing a path through the monsters. Serr, staggering, held back the pursuing horde.

Almost there.

Blades of energy hurtled towards us, vanishing against Rubia’s divine shield.

Petals, swirling from a headless corpse, reached for us, only to be scattered by a gale conjured by Serr’s wind spirits.

Hermilla’s fist slammed into a rune on the ground. Vishur’s dagger found its mark, striking a distant Master in the back of the head.

Just a little further…

Clang!
Karok’s massive blade sliced through the torso crawling on the ground.

Blood spilled, blooming into crimson flowers. One, then two, then three…

The flowers multiplied, covering the blood, and then—

—the petals scattered.

A gentle rain of crimson, blanketing the world, reaching for Vishur’s arm.

Crunch!
Without hesitation, he tore it off, yelling, “Don’t touch the petals!”

Blood sprayed from the wound, blooming into more flowers, scattering more petals.

Vishur discarded his dagger, pulling out a magic scroll. He ripped it with his teeth and remaining hand, igniting it, then pressed the burning parchment against his wound.

“Gah…!”

The flesh sizzled, the bleeding stopped.

Rubia gasped, erecting a barrier of divine power.

Crackle. Crackle.
The petals struck the barrier, leaving hairline fractures, then dissipated.

I expanded my senses.

Wherever the petals touched, monsters disintegrated, their bodies riddled with holes, twisted and torn apart.

And from the spilled blood…more flowers bloomed. More petals scattered.

An endless cycle of death.

The barrier wouldn’t hold. Nothing would. Not magic, not flesh, not even bone.

Rubia, seeing the inevitable, pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Noah, don’t let go.”

Clink.

The familiar sound of handcuffs.

[HA! DAMN IT! BOTH OF YOU! CRAZY! ABSOLUTELY BONKERS!] Cartia’s voice, a furious shriek, echoed in my mind.

I smiled.

Rubia…so much like me…

Her lie…so selfless…

I understood. The agonizing choice. The burden she was willing to bear.

I loved her. Fiercely. Completely.

And for her…I would do anything.

My mind, which had been a tangled mess, was suddenly…clear.

I nodded, pulling away from her embrace.

And then…I ran.

Towards the summit. Towards the Temple of Memories.

Crack.
The divine barrier fractured. Hermilla’s aura flared, pushing back the petals. A gale, conjured by Serr’s spirits, shielded us.

“Oh, Goddess of the Sun!!” A desperate cry echoed. A shadow fell upon the earth.

“Your apostle begs you!!” Dark light enveloped the petals. A heavy aura settled over the land.

“Grant me the power…to slay this heretic…who dares to defy the heavens!!”

Divine light, pouring from the scarred rift in the Black Sun, illuminated the man.

“The price…is everything! My soul…my very being!”

Silence.

And then, a familiar voice.

—
Hee hee… I accept.

“AAAAAHHHHH!!!”

The man’s body began to swell, his stomach splitting open, spilling blood and gore. He plunged his head into the gaping wound, devouring the entrails.

Silence.

And then—the signal. Rubia’s divine power, enveloping us.

Serr’s spirits unleashed their full might. Hermilla, cloaked in [Desolation], charged. I gripped Frey, shielding Rubia.

Just as the spirits’ attacks reached the man—

—his grotesque, filth-covered head snapped up.

Where his eyes should have been…mouths.

His nose…a mouth.

His ears…mouths.

Mouths. Everywhere.

And teeth.

Crack. Rip. Tear.

The mouths opened, and a massive maw, like a gaping abyss filled with countless teeth, appeared on his back.

More maws opened in the sky, in the air, on the earth.

And then—
chomp
—they snapped shut.

The monsters vanished. The petals disappeared. Half the earthen wall surrounding the Temple crumbled.

Crunch. Chomp. Crunch.
The mouths devoured the spirits’ attacks.

Another maw opened beneath the Temple.

And as it slowly began to close—

“ROAR!!!”

—a booming voice echoed from the sky.

CLANG!

The maw was forced open.

A massive figure landed, muscles bulging, a prosthetic arm of unknown metal etched with runes, wielding a halberd.

And…

“AHAHAHA! Why so serious?!”

…a bald head.

GONG!
A deafening chime, distorting space itself, wrenched the maw open further.

“Ready to arm wrestle, kid? Though you seem to have shrunk.”

“…Heinzel…Uncle…?”

“Yep!” Metal shrieked as he moved his prosthetic arm.

“What do you think? Pretty cool, huh?”

“H-Heinzel?! That arm—?!”

“Oh, hey there, Lady Rubia! Had it made so I can finally beat the kid at arm wrestling! Whatcha think? Lookin’ strong, right?”

Clink. Clank.

“Strong my ass! Just kill that monster already, you bald idiot!”

Charlotte.

“He’s definitely lost whatever few brain cells he had left.”

Yuria.

And then—

“Defend the Temple of Memories!”

““ROAR!!!””

Hundreds of figures charged forward, led by Juur.

“They’re…finally here…” Hermilla sighed in relief, her shoulders slumping slightly.

“What…is all this…?” Rubia gasped, staring at the newcomers.

“The Ursphere subjugation team,” Yuria replied, landing gracefully on a tree root. “And a few…
enthusiastic volunteers
…who insisted on protecting Noah.”

The battlefield, which had fallen silent for a moment, erupted in renewed chaos.

“Protecting Noah…from Ursphere…?”

“They were…quite adamant…about avenging Noah’s…
heresy
… I had no choice but to bring them along.”

Tears welled in my eyes.

“But…they could all…”

“Without Noah…we would already be dead. This is…the least we can do.” Rebuge knelt before me, bowing his head. “I, Rebuge, swear to protect you, Miss Noah. With my life.”

“Uh…”

“AHAHAHA! Kid! Why the tears?! Smile!” Heinzel’s massive hand clapped me on the back, sending the tears spilling down my cheeks.

“I…”

“Noah. Rubia. Don’t get complacent. They might have reinforcements of their own.” Serr landed lightly, her gaze sweeping over us.

“Ugh…” I wiped my tears, nodding.

“Baldy and I will clear a path. Yuria, connect the route with your roots. And you, Magic To— ”

“Call me Serr, Charlotte. And…formalities are unnecessary.”

“Ugh, fine. Serr, you…do your thing.”

“Indeed.”

Charlotte turned sharply.

“Hermilla. What happened to your arm?”

“I got jealous of Heinzel’s prosthetic. Hee hee.”

“AHAHAHA! Hermilla, you’ve seen the light! The sheer magnificence of this arm!”

Clink. Clank.

“Shut up and follow me, Baldy.”

“Right! Though I haven’t had a proper chat with the kiddo yet.”

“We’ll talk later, damn it!”

“Kiddo, you’ll talk to me later, right?” Heinzel looked down at me, stroking his chin with his prosthetic hand.

“Of course… We still have…our arm-wrestling match…”

“HAHAHA! Excellent!” He clapped me on the back again, beaming. “See you later, kid. And don’t die.”

“Let’s move. Vishur, with me.”

“It’s an honor, Your Highness.”

As the others moved away, Hermilla turned to us.

“We’ll handle things here. Go.”

“…Okay.”

Tree roots sprouted from the ground, forming a path to the Temple of Memories.

A massive maw opened beneath them, but—

BOOM!

—Heinzel’s power held it at bay.

“I should go too. Hurry.” Hermilla smiled, then turned and walked away, her every step radiating an aura of destruction.

Rubia and I ascended the roots, climbing towards the Temple.

Thump. Thump.

Ten steps.

Safe.

Eight.

Even the Beast of the End wouldn’t be a problem.

Five.

So…

Four.

It’s okay…

Three.

To leave Rubia behind.

Two.

I can go.

One.

Clink.

The familiar sound of handcuffs. I slipped away from Rubia’s grasp, removing Cartia’s bracelet and the Bracelet of Verdure, fastening them onto her wrists.

She collapsed, her strength gone.

In her hand…the handcuffs.

“Hee hee… Too slow.” I whispered, kissing her softly. “No need for sacrifices, Rubia.”

“Noah…? Wait…!”

“Cartia. I’m counting on you.”

I turned, drawing my greatsword.

“I really like you, Rubia.”

And then, I leaped towards the Temple of Memories, swinging Frey with all my might.

“I’ll be back.”

Rumble!

The Temple collapsed.

And a familiar scene…

…came into view.