Chapter 79 – The Battle Against Tylant (2)

Flames engulfed Charlotte’s body, melting the ice beasts that charged at them.

Yet the beasts didn’t stop. Falling snow regenerated their forms, allowing them to persist.

“Such a nuisance!” Charlotte growled.

Only when her flame-covered sword cleaved through their cores did the beasts finally cease.

“Hah…” she sighed, wiping her brow.

The split avalanche scattered, transforming into snow as it fell on Ursphere. Upon touching ground, that snow became beasts attacking people.

Thanks to Rebuge’s group’s swift response, there were no fatalities, though some were injured.

The beasts weren’t strong—just persistent.

Even ordinary adventurers and knights handled them with relative ease.

The same went for Rubia’s group.

Massive roots erupted, skewering dozens of beast cores at once. Divine power beams shattered more cores in blinding flashes.

Charlotte clicked her tongue, lighting a magic cigarette.

“So, Rubia, what about Noah?”

Her voice was casual, but her sword never stopped cutting.

“…She seemed able to see.”

“Didn’t you say she lost her sight, even after the elixir?” Charlotte asked, not breaking stride.

“Yes…” Rubia replied, her divine power flickering uneasily.

Sensing weakness, more beasts charged, only to be torn apart by Yuria’s roots.

“My elixir… it’s not better, probably worse… unlikely to restore sight,” Yuria added uncertainly.

“But if Noah can see, isn’t that good?” Hephaestus asked, clinging to Yuria’s side.

“Well, yes, but… it’s odd. It felt like Noah, but also… not Noah.”

“Hmph… What’s that mean? Did she get smarter?” Charlotte quipped, eyebrow raised.

Rubia hesitated, then nodded slowly.

“…Yes.”

“What…?” Charlotte’s sword wavered.

“Wait, what?” Yuria echoed, disbelieving.

“Uh… Noah got… smarter?” Hephaestus asked, equally shocked.

The group froze, processing what they’d heard.

“Yuria… didn’t you say the elixir could lower intelligence?” Charlotte asked slowly.

Yuria nodded hesitantly, troubled.

“Then what… did it backfire so badly she went mad?”

“I don’t think she’s crazy… if anything, she felt like Sirin,” Rubia mused.

Before anyone could respond, divine power shot past Charlotte’s neck, obliterating a nearby beast.

“Argh! You lunatic!” Charlotte shrieked, clutching her neck. “Why so close?!”

“Noah’s cute, but not a child,” Rubia retorted. “That’s not what I meant. It felt like she knew something we didn’t.”

Charlotte frowned, rubbing her neck.

“Oh, that irritating know-it-all vibe? Makes you want to punch someone? But Noah? Sure it wasn’t just the chaos messing with you?”

Rubia shook her head firmly.

“No. I’m certain. I know Noah best.”

Rubia had always observed Noah closely.

Her head tilt when lost in thought. Her lip curl when lying. Three sighs before bed. Lip licking at jelly. Fumbling for Rubia’s hand in the bath. Three deep breaths before gripping her greatsword. The exact shape of her fingers on the hilt.

The subtle head tilt, shallow breath, curling lips, and softening voice when saying Rubia’s name.

All those small details only Rubia noticed—she had them memorized.

But today, Noah had been… very different.

“R-Right… impressive,” Charlotte murmured, clearly lost for words.

Realizing what she’d shared, Rubia glanced around.

Hephaestus blushed, covering her mouth. Yuria stabbed roots into the ground, avoiding eye contact.

“Ahem… anyway, something felt off,” Rubia said hastily. “And I’m sure Noah cut that avalanche. I felt her mana surge.”

“Noah’s always done crazy things… so it’s possible. But that’s… seeing is one thing, believing another.”

“I’ve seen Noah beat Kalt and those shadows, but this… it’s hard to believe, even for me,” Yuria admitted, awed and confused.

“I… didn’t see it,” Hephaestus muttered, disappointed.

The group, minus Hephaestus, shuddered at the memory of the near-devastating avalanche.

Then, recalling it being sliced apart, they swallowed hard.

“Well… once this is over, I need to talk to Noah. She started to say something—”

Suddenly.

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!]

A monstrous, bone-chilling roar filled with rage echoed through the air.

The ground trembled. People collapsed, clutching their heads.

Like when Carpeng awoke, many foamed at the mouth, falling unconscious. Others clawed at their ears in horror.

“What the hell…” Charlotte’s gaze shot towards the roar’s source.

Karahan’s summit. Nothing visible.

Too far for normal sight, but through magic, a massive white figure could be discerned.

The sky’s magic circle began cracking.

A foul aura made Rubia’s divine power twitch uneasily.

Yuria’s beasts cowered. Plants wilted. Charlotte’s flames dimmed.

All of Ursphere turned to Karahan’s peak.

A faint white speck through the lingering blizzard. The avalanche that nearly swallowed the city. A roar injecting terror into souls. The towering, ominous white figure.

“T-Tylant…?”

Charlotte’s whisper sent ripples through the crowd.

Low murmurs grew to panicked screams. Adventurers and knights abandoned weapons and fled.

Some grabbed discarded weapons. Others crawled desperately.

Knights threw off armor, pushing away those trying to help.

Monsters trampled people in the chaos, while a few brave souls fought on.

Tylant’s name alone plunged Ursphere into madness.

Only a handful kept fighting, while most succumbed to hysteria.

Rebuge’s voice occasionally boomed, trying to restore order, quickly drowned by chaos.

Meanwhile, the assumed Tylant grew, expanding and approaching.

“Yuria, Charlotte, we should… actually, Hephaestus might be safer with us,” Rubia said, trying to focus.

Her mind reeled, knowing Noah had gone towards Tylant.

But they couldn’t stand still.

The sooner they handled this chaos, the sooner they could help Noah.

Sensing Rubia’s urgency, the group sprang into action.

Charlotte’s voice rang out, commands carried on unleashed flames lighting up Ursphere.

Yuria’s roots rose, steadying the battlefield and impaling threatening monsters.

Rubia’s divine power flowed like healing rain, closing wounds and felling beasts.

Yet her gaze remained fixed on distant Tylant.

She thought of Luchi, dead fighting Carpeng. Of Heinzel, arms lost in battle. Of Noah, fighting fiercely, battered and bruised.

The memories overwhelmed her.

Noah hadn’t fully recovered from fighting Kalt.

She’d seemed fine, but there could be lingering effects, physical and mental.

Tylant was different from Noah’s previous foes.

A being that took 16 masters and a raid party to merely seal.

Even if Noah beat Carpeng and Kalt, Tylant was another level entirely.

Humans couldn’t overcome nature’s force. No matter how powerful. Not alone. Not without help.

Rubia’s determination surged. She had to help Noah, whatever the cost.

Even if she couldn’t do much, she could be a shield—she could protect her.

Better to take the pain herself than watch Noah suffer.

Maybe after this, she too could collapse for a month, like Noah had. Then Noah would understand her feelings.

But Noah lacked divine power to stay clean. Or Yuria’s potions. Or Charlotte’s money… No, Noah had money.

Still…

No, collapsing for a month wasn’t ideal. Maybe half a day, letting Noah care for her. That sounded better.

And if Noah did something improper while she “slept,” well… Rubia was prepared to forgive. Maybe even enjoy it.

“Haha…” Rubia chuckled softly.

Refocused, Rubia released most of her divine power at once.

BOOM! A light pillar shot skyward, forming a second sun over Ursphere.

The energy burst, raining down, healing people and destroying beasts.

Charlotte’s jaw dropped at the spectacle.

“What the… They say couples resemble each other… but this? Both pulling off divine shows of strength?”

Rubia gave Charlotte a soft smile as she walked forward.

Her fantasies were distant, but they fueled her resolve.

Even if she couldn’t win, she’d save Noah, no matter what.

That thought alone lightened her steps.

But Rubia’s fierce determination shattered the moment she reached Noah’s supposed location.