Not a Name for You to Call

“Um, Rea sister. Are you very… angry?”

Rea’s expression began to soften at the child’s apologetic tone, but it would be a blatant lie to say she wasn’t angry.

Because every time she encountered the corpses of monsters defeated by the child, she felt her heart sink.

After finally hearing from Adrian about what had happened while she was suffering from the monster’s poison, she even felt a sensation of dizziness at her feet.

Above all, it felt like the child’s reckless and excessive choice was due to none other than Rea herself.

Whatever had happened before, regardless of the situation, it was true that the child had become noticeably urgent after seeing her condition worsen.

“R-Rea sister, it’s not your fault. I should have blocked the poisoned needle before you got hit.”

What she faced was an even more cautious blue gaze.

A youthful voice followed, saying that if the child had noticed the poisoned needle a bit earlier, Rea wouldn’t have been hurt.

However, the sight of the child blaming everything on themselves like this troubled and worried her more than anything.

Even the child’s self-punishment might have been an extension of unnecessary self-blame.

“Me getting hurt wasn’t your fault, Lua.”

Right after that, she made the child lower their hand that had been raised high until now.

She added that she was angry only because the child had put themselves in danger, not at all because she was hurt by the monster.

Yet, why did the child’s expression remain dark?

“Either way, everyone came to the Tower because of me. I can’t fail to protect them properly.”

“I promised… Rayner. That I wouldn’t let any of you get hurt.”

“If it weren’t for me, Rea sister wouldn’t have gotten worse. You wouldn’t have had to be in that much pain…”

At this point, she couldn’t tell whether the child was being kind or foolish.

Why did they feel guilty about so many things and apologize even for things they didn’t need to apologize for?

“It’s true that I need your help… but I never intended to put your lives at risk.”

The voice saying that no matter what happened, it would be better for the child to get hurt or be in danger rather than them.

That in most cases, the child at least would be safe in the end.

Therefore, if there was a need to take risks, it should be limited to just the child.

They were all wrong words filled with things that couldn’t be called right, but…

For some reason, nothing but sincerity could be felt.

In other words, to the child, what they had just said with their own mouth was natural without any exaggeration.

“I know Rea sister is worried about me. I’m also grateful for always thinking of me like this. Truly.”

“But I also… don’t want to see you getting hurt and being in danger. No matter what.”

“…Lua.”

“You can scold me until I cry my eyes out after everything is over, but please let me do things my way just a little, just a little bit more. Please.”

She was finally left speechless by the sight of the child worrying about her more than she had been worrying about the child.

Nevertheless, the voice that eventually came back was another apology for making her worry.

“I’m sorry for making you worry. But we’re really almost there now, so let’s hang in there a little longer.”

After that, the eye level she had been facing gradually began to rise.

It seemed that the small shoulders looking heavy today was not just an illusion.

However, because the child, who had returned to their usual youthful face as if they had never been serious, called Iris and Adrian from far away.

Eventually, after looking around and somehow picking up a dragon scale that had fallen haphazardly on the ground.

Because they approached carrying the visibly heavy object with difficulty and asked her to cast a spell so they could carry it.

“Um, Rea sister. Could you cast a lightening spell on this? I need a shield a bit bigger than an umbrella.”

“…Alright.”

As always, this time too, she had no choice but to follow the child’s wishes.

But well, as the child said, they really were almost there.

She decided to postpone adding to the burden the child was already carrying in their heart, just a little.

There would be plenty of time to talk with the child after everything was over.

Until then, she had planned to encourage the child to act childishly like other children their age, throwing tantrums and acting spoiled.

“Thank you… for everything. …Take care.”

Swish!

Without even imagining what choice the child, weighed down by thoughts and feelings that could not be called light even in jest, would ultimately make.

“Phew…”

What she faced was a gate rippling just like the numerous gates they had passed through so far.

Unlike the gates they had seen so far, the only difference was that this was the single gate leading to the top floor, which made her heart beat a little faster.

Nevertheless, she steadied her breathing slowly and somehow suppressed the tension rising from deep within her chest.

“Well, I’m… going. Everyone’s ready, right?”

She tried to compose herself while making eye contact with Rea, Iris, and Adrian one by one.

As expected, all three also showed noticeable signs of tension, but thinking about it, it would be strange not to be tense.

“Well, if anyone’s scared, you can run away even now.”

Knowing that there was no one who would run away at this point, she deliberately spoke playfully.

Not even a few seconds later, Adrian’s index finger poked her left cheek.

He said that if they ran away in front of a child like her, they would surely become a laughingstock.

“So, Lua, you’re responsible for making us heroes. Got it?”

“Don’t worry. You won’t have to become heroes.”

“That’s a promise. I won’t let you off if you break it.”

Even just exchanging such frivolous jokes made her heart feel a bit lighter.

Right after that, she finally took a step beyond the gate leading to the top floor.

After that, using the dragon scale lightened by Rea’s magic as a shield, slowly advancing through the vast ruins.

“L-Lua. Is that…?”

“…Yes, it is.”

Only when the silhouette of the final monster that needed to be defeated began to appear in the distance did she send Rea and Adrian to different positions.

Only the tank, me, and the sword fighter, Iris, would approach.

And so, somehow moving her increasingly heavy feet forward by the second. Finally reaching a distance where we could recognize each other.

Right after that, she signaled to Adrian and Rea, who were watching her and Iris from afar, holding their breath.

“Now.”

Almost simultaneously, kwagwang.

White magic circles that instantly filled the surroundings began to attack the monster by shooting red electric currents.

What followed were bullets filled with corrupted mana.

The explosion created by the bullets lodged in various parts of the monster’s body, bursting like bombs, hit her ears violently.

However, since she knew that even though powerful attacks had been inflicted from the beginning, it was still far from being completely defeated.

Ding

[You are about to use Shield (A) on <Blue-Horned Dragon’s Wing Scale (S+)>.]

[Object Name: Lua’s Health Stat and Regeneration Stat have been applied to <Blue-Horned Dragon’s Wing Scale (S+)>.]

[Skill: If Words Come Bad (P) has been applied to <Blue-Horned Dragon’s Wing Scale (S+)>.]

She prepared for the powerful strike that would soon sweep all around while hiding Iris behind her back.

After that, she continued to firmly hold the wide scale, waiting for the monster to attack….

But no matter how long she waited, the monster sitting still on the broken throne showed no movement at all.

“…What’s going on?”

Slightly confused by the situation that was completely different from what she remembered, she approached a few steps closer with Iris.

Right after that, a long shadow was cast from above.

At this, Iris’s eyes, who had met the owner of the shadow before me, shook greatly as I unknowingly raised my head.

After realizing why Iris’s eyes had shaken, I too couldn’t help but doubt my own eyes.

However, before I could realize what was happening, it gradually approached me using the air as stairs.

The pressure created by the extremely quiet footsteps forcibly made me aware that this was the most dangerous situation ever.

“Lua…?”

Nevertheless, Iris, who had carefully opened her mouth and spoken those two dubious syllables.

“…That’s not a name for you to call.”

Slash

Because she staggered after being cut by a blade flashed within the brief moment of exhaling a breath.

“Ugh-!”

“Ah, Iris sister!!”

I checked Iris’s wound in a panic, unable to even raise my shield in time for the instantaneous strike.

Right after that, red-glowing bullets and thorny trees protruding from huge magic circles attacked the shadow in front of me.

However, it returned Rea and Adrian’s attacks to nothing, literally without even glancing at them.

As a result, turning my back from Iris, I once again faced the red-eyed gaze directly.

Ding

[Executing ‘Repulsion’ stored in Unstoppable (P).]

Boom─!!

I forcibly charged with the shield I was holding and pushed it all the way to the end of the ruins.

The priority was to knock it far away before it tried to harm Iris again.

But…

“An attack even more… pathetic than I had thought.”

Tap

Tap

Because it just brushed off small rocks piled on its shoulders as if it hadn’t taken any damage at all.

With only the certainty that something was going seriously wrong, I tremblingly managed to open my mouth and asked why it was doing this.

The story that followed from the person who slowly opened their mouth was the kind that should never be realized.

“What you were trying to eliminate is already dead. No, I should say I’ve put it in a state of suspended animation.”

“When <The Nameless One>’s Source Stone goes berserk and finally absorbs everything in your world… I’ll use that power to start over from the beginning.”

I didn’t need to specifically ask what it meant by starting over.

The translucent message windows that had been gradually appearing before my eyes since a moment ago were already telling me things I didn’t want to know.

[The Punisher of the destroyed otherworld longs for the ‘life’ possessed by the guardian of the current world.]

“Only the first choice diverged. Yes, just that… it’s unfair that only I should suffer.”

[Stop the one trying to continue the cycle of theft to prevent the destruction of the current world.]

“I too just want to live beside the people I cherish. Like you do now.”

[Upon success, the Tower will completely disappear.]

“There is no option other than one person monopolizing it. One person named 『Lua』 is enough.”

[Upon failure, the rights to exist in the current world will be stolen, and the destroyed otherworld will be rebuilt.]

“I’m not sorry. If you were me, you would have made the same choice. Because 『you』 are ultimately 『me』…”

[*Caution: The concept of goodwill is neutralized by the title 『Punisher』.]

“So, understand, even if you don’t want to understand.”

[…The one who has lost their name is hostile to you.]

Rustle

“Ugh, this time it’s a desert… …Wait. Why is the gate already open?”

Asha’s puzzled mutter was uttered at the sight of another gate visible despite having already passed through the gate to the next floor.

However, the person who knew the truth about the gate couldn’t say anything.

Really, not a single word.

If by any chance that madwoman discovered that Rayner himself had sent the child and Academy students to the upper part of the Tower — even providing a high-class airship — his head might fly off without it being at all strange.

Although he had belatedly headed to the Tower due to the pangs of conscience stemming from sending only Academy students — his picky secretary had literally snorted when she heard this.

Although he had somehow joined Asha, who, unlike past Towers, had formed a suicide squad and was climbing the Tower at an incredible speed, after various twists and turns.

“Rayner, don’t you find anything suspicious?”

“…No, I don’t.”

No matter what, revealing anything about the child to Asha would mean instant death.

Strictly speaking, the Lunatic vice guild master, who acted as a restraint, was by Asha’s side. But Asha in a properly crazed state couldn’t be stopped unless a god were brought in.

Why would a madwoman be called a madwoman for no reason?

The best option was to stay quiet and behave as much as possible.

“Are you coming or what?”

“Yes, I’m coming…”