episode_0234

“Um, Zeke-nim. May I ask you a favor?”

“Hm? What kind of favor, so suddenly?”

A long time ago. Before leaving Karizan and heading to the Kriton region, while I was fishing by the lake for a while, Aria asked if she could ask me a favor. When Aria suddenly said that, I was flustered and curious about what could be so important that she would ask me for a favor. I waited for her to speak again, and soon Aria opened her mouth and spoke to me.

“If I ever lose my mind and harm Zeke-nim… could you kill me then?”

“….Why are you suddenly saying something like that out of nowhere? I’m already dying from anxiety because of the Camilla cult.”

When Aria suddenly asked if I could kill her if she lost her mind, I was so flustered that I answered her with a serious expression. Aria then looked at the lake with a sorrowful smile and spoke to me.

“I remember… when I was controlled by Cecilia before. If something like that were to happen again… Hehehe… I just feel like I’d cause so much trouble for Zeke-nim… so I’m a little scared.”

“How can someone with such incredible mental strength say something like that? Anyone else would have been left a wreck by Cecilia’s abilities, but you overcame even that with your mental strength, didn’t you?”

“Still, it’s just in case. I don’t want to hurt Zeke-nim… and I especially don’t want to be someone who hurts Zeke-nim and doesn’t even care. So, if that time comes… I hope Zeke-nim will kill me. I don’t want someone like that trashy me to be in this world… or by Zeke-nim’s side.”

“Sigh…”

Aria was so anxious that she said she didn’t want to be in this world if she were to harm me and not even care, so I was certain such a thing wouldn’t happen and simply sighed. Then, just as I thought I should at least encourage the still anxious Aria and turned my head towards her…

“Zeke-nim… please kill me….”

I saw Aria, weeping tears of blood, pleading with me…. And now, I saw that image superimposed on the Aria in front of me. Just as Aria had worried, it had become reality, and recalling that day’s promise, I… decided to act contrary to Aria’s request this time and parried Aria’s staff with Trahan… I… I will surely save Aria…!!!

*I will surely save her.*

“I can’t understand how you obtained such power, Zeke-nim…!! It feels like only about a week has passed since we parted… How did you become strong enough to be on par with me in such a short time…?”

“To save you, I’ve mastered various powers…!! And those who, like me, want to save you are now giving me strength…!!”

“People are giving you strength…?”

Aria couldn’t understand how I had become so strong so quickly, strong enough to parry her attacks, so I replied that various people were giving me strength and once again parried Aria’s swinging staff with Trahan. While I was fighting Aria, Dio V Runner, who was spewing flames at Camilla, was startled and flustered upon seeing my fight. Uncle Gid, noticing Dio V Runner’s bewilderment, looked puzzled and asked Dio V Runner.

“Dio V Runner? Is something wrong? Is Zeke’s return problematic for some reason?”

“No… in fact, Zeke’s arrival here was what I wanted most. But… this is different from what I expected… I thought that no matter how brainwashed Aria was, she would immediately regain her senses upon seeing the face of Zeke, whom she loves so much… but for them to fight like this….!!”

“Isn’t that obvious, otherworlder…!!”

“…!! *Groan*….!!!”

As Dio V Runner was flustered that Aria, contrary to his expectations, was fighting me instead of regaining her senses even after seeing my face, Camilla attacked him by emitting a light beam from her hand and said it was obvious. When Dio V Runner blocked her attack with flames, Camilla then shot a light beam at Bivi, who was about to spew cold air from her mouth beside her, and said,

“Aria is my precious follower, closely connected to me right now…!! So she can’t just regain her senses simply by meeting her lover…!!”

“Damn it…!! Now that you mention it, considering how much you valued Aria, I guess it makes sense…!!”

“Are you flustered because the situation is unfolding differently than you expected, otherworlder… But don’t worry. Soon, you won’t even be able to feel flustered…!!!”

“Damn it….!! Not yet… I still don’t know…!! If it’s Aria, who’s crazy about Zeke, surely…!!”

As Camilla, certain of her victory, increased the output of the light beam she was emitting towards him, Dio V Runner gritted his teeth and released a larger flame, trying somehow to block Camilla’s attack. While Dio V Runner continued to resist, not losing hope even though the situation was not going as he expected, I kept swinging Trahan, deflecting Aria’s staff. Then, as Aria’s movements slowly became visible, I gripped Trahan tightly with both hands and shouted.

“Trahaaann!!! Let’s counterattack now!!!”

“It’s no use, Zeke-nim…!! I will surely subdue you and show you the ideal world…!! Oh, omnipotent one in the heavens, grant me the power to lead others…?!”

As I swung Trahan more fiercely and slowly began to corner her, Aria smiled as if to say the games were over and began to chant a prayer. At that moment, black tentacles suddenly emerged from the ground and bound Aria’s legs. While Aria was flustered by the sudden appearance of the tentacles, I made mana surge like flames from my hands and spoke to Aria.

“I told you, didn’t I…? That I would surely save you… You were willing to go to any lengths to save me before, weren’t you?”

“….?”

“I think I understand why you did that back then, Aria…. Because I feel the same way right now!!! Freeze…!!!”

‘….!!! Th-this ability is Yuria’s?!’

After binding Aria’s legs with mana tentacles, I transformed the mana surging from my hands into frost. Seeing this, Aria was greatly alarmed, realizing I was about to use Yuria’s ability. However, I didn’t give Aria a chance to compose herself and swung Trahan, now imbued with frost.

“Slash!!!!”

“….!!! *Aargh*….!!!”

As I swung Trahan, releasing a powerful wave of frost towards her, Aria, greatly flustered, urgently gathered divine power in both hands to block my frost. Meanwhile, Yuria, seeing me use her ability, was also greatly flustered.

“Th-that frost… H-how can Zeke use my ability?!”

“Yu… Yuria-nim…!! Are you…!!! Oh my god, an injury….!!”

“Ke… Kelly Village Head….”

The moment Yuria was flustered seeing my ability, Kelly, who had healed Viola, rushed towards Yuria. Seeing Yuria’s abdomen pierced, she urgently gathered healing energy in both hands and emitted a green healing light towards Yuria’s wound. Yuria then felt her wound healing and smiled sweetly, speaking to Kelly.

“Thank you, Kelly…. I almost lost consciousness…”

“No… I don’t understand how you’re still alive with such a wound… How in the world…?”

“I froze the area around the wound…. Of course, it was an emergency measure, so I would have died if I hadn’t received treatment or strong frost like this…. By the way… Zeke is using my frost right now… Do you know anything about that, Kelly?”

“Huh…? Zeke-nim’s fro…!? W-wait, that magic circle is… Akada’s…?!”

“What….!?”

Kelly, who had been staring at me in shock that I was using Yuria’s frost, saw me forming a circular array emitting a purple light above my hands. Realizing it was Akada’s arcane circle, she was greatly alarmed. Yuria, too, was greatly alarmed that I was using other people’s abilities, and Aria was also alarmed to see me using other powers she had never seen before.

‘Z-Zeke-nim definitely only used Iruvan’s flames and mana…. The tentacles holding my legs just now, and the flames he caused on his way here, those were supposed to be all of it… How…?!’

“Flustered, aren’t you, Aria…? What’s more, you’ve never seen this ability before, so it must be even more bewildering…!!! Fairy Trap.”

“…?! M-my body won’t move…?!”

The moment Aria was flustered by my strange abilities, I felt the circular array complete. I swung Trahan into the air and activated the ability. Aria was greatly flustered when her body emitted a purple light and wouldn’t move, and I kicked the immobile Aria in the abdomen, sending her flying backward. Protega, who was watching this, was greatly flustered and said to Andres beside him.

“Unbelievable…!! Even if Dio V Runner overpowered Aria, for Zeke to overpower Aria like *that*….”

“Moreover, he’s using abilities a human shouldn’t be able to… Who in the world is that person, to be using the abilities of other races….?! W-wait a minute, Protega…!! Look at that person’s mouth…!! That’s….!!!”

“….That thing gathering in his mouth…!!!! Is that my Breath ability?!”

At Andres’ urgent shout, Protega saw a black aura slowly gathering in my mouth. Realizing it was his Breath ability, he was greatly alarmed to see me, a human, attempting to use his dragon ability. Meanwhile, Aria, who had been flung backward by my kick, gripped her head and tried to get up, but seeing me gathering energy in my mouth, she became greatly flustered.

“That’s…. that energy is a dragon’s….?”

“Aria…!!! Until you truly engrave my words into your mind… I have no choice but to use powerful attacks to defeat you!!! So please, just break free from that strange ideology!!!”

“….Zeke-nim… those are truly selfish words…. Of course, I’ve said many selfish things to Zeke-nim myself so far, but… this time, I would like you to respect my opinion…. Because I hate that there are too many obstacles in this world…!!! Oh, omnipotent one in the heavens…!!”

Not wanting to continue fighting like this, I begged Aria one last time to please leave Camilla’s side. But as expected, Aria simply ignored my words and began chanting a prayer, leaving me feeling utterly devastated, almost wanting to sigh. Damn it…. So, in the end, I have no choice but to use even this ability…!! I was prepared, but I still wanted to hold onto a glimmer of hope, damn it…!!!

“If it’s like this, I have no choice either, Aria!!! Black Stream!!!”

“Grant me the power to use the light that will illuminate the future!!!”

As I released a powerful black wave from my mouth, Aria emitted a light beam from the tip of her staff, deflecting my wave. Thus, two attacks, imbued with powerful energy, began to clash. The shockwave of the clash was so strong that the surrounding ground where the two attacks collided began to tremble, and even those who were fighting were startled by the immense power felt from the clash and turned to look.

“What is this…? Why is a human using our kin’s energy… Protega-nim’s energy…?!”

“Saint Aria’s light beam can’t break through that wave…? How is that possible?!”

“Those are truly very powerful attacks… To the point of shaking the very ground…!!”

Everyone was utterly astonished by the clash of the two powerful energies. Especially great was the shock of those who had never imagined I would use such powerful abilities. As everyone was admiring and marveling at our attacks, at that moment, a powerful explosion erupted where the two attacks had collided. When Aria couldn’t see due to the dust cloud caused by the explosion, she brought her hands together and thought.

‘Did you think you could just block my vision like this, Zeke-nim? Zeke-nim, who has watched me closely for so long, must know that I can sense presences with divine power… It’s a little bittersweet…?’

The moment Aria, thinking I had forgotten she could sense presences through divine power, felt a little bittersweet, she sensed something swiftly passing by her side and was startled, turning around. And when she saw me standing there with Trahan held sideways, Aria, greatly flustered, urgently blocked Trahan with her staff and asked me,

“What in the world is happening, Zeke-nim…!! Why can Zeke-nim use the abilities of others…?!”

“After we parted, I studied mana through Cecilia’s memories…!! Mana is a power that represents the fluidity of will…!! Through that power, I can use other people’s abilities, though not perfectly… Of course… I can only use the abilities of those who have given us their hearts so far…!!”

“What exactly do you mean by that…?! Those who have given you their hearts…”

“Well… I wonder if you’ll understand if you see this, Aria… You’ll surely know what this means…!! Oh, Spirit of Wind!!!”

“….!? Th-that ability, surely…!!!”

As Aria didn’t fully understand my words, I began to chant a spell, and with my incantation, the energy of wind began to infuse Trahan. Aria then realized this was Veronica’s ability and was greatly flustered. I concentrated mana into Trahan, releasing a strong gust of wind from it, repelling Aria backward. Immediately after, I wrapped Trahan in Iruvan’s fire, turning it into a sword of flames, and shouted at Aria.

“It would be troublesome if you forgot that I too trained my body for this journey, Aria!!!”

“….!! Ah… So that’s what it was, Zeke-nim…!! That’s how you’re using those abilities!!!”

As I swung the fire-imbued Trahan at her, Aria immediately blocked Trahan with her staff, then swung her body again, sending me flying backward. Thrown back and falling to the ground by Aria’s strength, I immediately got up and looked at Aria with a flustered expression. *Ugh*…!! Her strength suddenly increased, didn’t it…?! Could Camilla be giving Aria power…?!

“I see… Zeke-nim, you’re reading the lingering energy within the items you received from them with mana and manifesting their abilities… The small remnants of their energy…!!”

“Uh… but manifesting them takes a lot of power… yet to save you, I would….”

“…That’s truly saddening, Zeke-nim….”

“What….?”

Aria realized the true nature of my ability—that I was manifesting others’ powers through the faint lingering energy in their items—and then suddenly bowed her head slightly, speaking sadly, which flustered me. Why did she suddenly say that was sad…? Could Camilla’s influence be slowly fading…?

“Zeke-nim… seeing you use the abilities of those who tried to kill you before… it’s so saddening… for this situation to force such a choice upon Zeke-nim… This won’t do….!!”

“Wh-what is th-…? W-wait a minute, Aria… Are you perhaps….!!!”

“I can’t take it anymore…. I can’t bear it… especially seeing Zeke-nim use the abilities of his enemies…!!!”

Seeing me use the abilities of those who had tried to kill me before, Aria burst into tears, saying she couldn’t stand it anymore. She spread her arms and began gathering divine power. I realized what Aria was about to do and, greatly alarmed, urgently shouted at her.

“Ariaaaaa!!!!”

“Now… the time for purification has come… to purify everything… and to an ideal world….”

The moment Aria gathered divine power, a powerful light burst forth from her, blinding everyone with its intensity, forcing them to close their eyes. I, who had closed my eyes due to the dazzling light, slowly opened them as the light faded and looked at Aria. Seeing her black saintess attire changed to white, and a circular halo appearing behind her, I instantly recognized what Aria had done and said with a sigh of lament.

“Halo of… Saint Transformation….”

“Zeke-nim… now I too… will act with my true intentions… if only to ensure Zeke-nim no longer displays such unsightly behavior…!!”