episode_0346

**Chapter 346: Conclusion**

-Aaaargh! -Damn it!

Countless deaths flashed before her eyes.

Deborah, reading the future through her foresight, immediately moved to respond.

However, there were far too many futures revealed, and it was impossible for her alone to prevent all those deaths.

“Aaaargh!”

In the end, she missed one death.

Deborah bit her lip tightly as she watched life drain from the eyes, amidst the scattering blood.

‘I couldn’t save another one.’

How many times had it been already?

She had never counted, but it felt like it was already in the double digits.

She had never harbored such arrogant thoughts as being able to save everyone alone, yet the fact that she couldn’t prevent an fated death still brought her considerable guilt.

If only she had tried a little harder! If only she had been a little faster! Then perhaps she could have stopped it?

Such whispers churned through her mind, tormenting her.

But even so, she couldn’t stop.

Even at this very moment, new futures continued to unfold, and the deaths occurring within them were countless.

Even a brief moment of hesitation, of deliberation, would lead to irreversible consequences.

That was why Deborah, despite feeling guilt, couldn’t stop her actions.

She thought of her beloved.

‘Ruan….’

Always full of mischief, yet in dangerous situations, more trustworthy than anyone else in the world.

She missed him terribly.

She wished he would appear right now, defeat the Dark Church, and bring salvation to everyone.

Deborah knew such weak thoughts wouldn’t help, yet she instinctively hoped for a miracle.

It was then.

-Aaaargh!

Another future was revealed.

However, unlike previous ones, this future delivered a huge shock to her.

“Ah, no.”

Because the subject was Regina.

She didn’t personally care for her, but Regina was also Ruan’s lover. She absolutely couldn’t let her die.

Of course, the fact that she was a strong candidate for the imperial succession was also important.

But unfortunately, this particular future crashed into reality almost simultaneously with her glimpsing it through her foresight.

“Dieee!”

The Dark Vice-Captain, battered by their combined attack, approached Regina in a desperate attempt at mutual destruction and swung his sword.

According to its trajectory, the sword would pierce her side, cleave her heart, and pass through.

No doubt about it, instant death.

“Ah…!”

Regina, sensing her impending death, let out a small sigh and wore a bitter expression.

At that moment, Deborah’s eyes already reflected the future beyond.

Regina, her body split in two, spilling blood and organs, growing cold, and Isis, embracing her, plunged into grief.

And even the Dark Vice-Captain raising his sword to kill even Isis.

‘No! Noooo!’

Deborah cried out in despair at the irresistible fate.

And finally, the moment the sword reached Regina’s immediate vicinity.

Shatter!

A massive fissure spread across the air.

And from the rift in the broken space, three people appeared.

Simultaneously, pure white flames descended.

Blaze!

Flames, more intense and pure than anything else, incinerated all the surrounding darkness.

The future that showed Regina’s death also turned to ash and scattered from the edges, as if consumed by fire, bringing forth an entirely different future.

Fate had been altered.

Slam!

As if to prove it, Ruan, enveloped in pure white flames, now stood boldly before Regina, having blocked the Vice-Captain’s sword.

Flames, transferred from the sword blade, incinerated the Vice-Captain’s flesh.

“Aaaargh!”

He dropped his sword with a scream and recoiled.

But once the fire had taken hold, it didn’t extinguish, continuing to blaze until it had consumed his entire body.

Only after the Vice-Captain was annihilated, leaving not even a speck of ash, could Deborah finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness. Truly… thank goodness.”

Deborah smiled and sank to the floor.

*

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, ah….”

At my question, Regina struggled to speak.

Her face was a complex mix of relief and surprise.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Why are you crying? Were you that scared?”

I tried to offer some comfort with a joke, but her tears didn’t stop.

‘She must have been very shaken.’

Considering her usual fierce personality, this reaction was astonishing.

However, to me, who was pondering what to do, Regina gave a completely unexpected answer.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“…Huh?”

“Do you know how worried I was that you might have died? You idiot.”

Regina sobbed sadly.

Seeing her like that, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning.

‘She was worried about *me*?’

It wasn’t because she was overwhelmed with emotion after a narrow escape, nor was it because she had caused Isis distress, but because she was crying out of fear for *my* danger!

Just a few days ago, she was stubbornly insisting she couldn’t possibly love me, but now she was being completely honest.

‘This is lesbian correction!’

She was so adorable that I wanted to shower her with kisses right then and there.

Just as I was struggling with that impulse, I sensed a presence.

“Ruan!!”

“Ah!”

Isis, rushing forward and shedding tears, buried herself deep in my embrace.

She hugged my waist tightly, as if she would never let go. Her flowing tears soaked my chest.

“I’m glad you’re safe. Thank you for being alive.”

“Don’t mention it. You’re the one who suffered.”

I stroked her slender shoulders.

Her clothes were full of countless marks, indicating how tough a fight she had endured.

However, there wasn’t even a scar on her exposed skin.

‘She has gained enlightenment.’

Having reached level 300 this time, I should have been able to instantly discern Isis’s level as before, but it remained vague.

This was proof that she, too, had reached the same realm as me.

After patting Isis’s back and comforting her, I gently tried to pull her away from my embrace once she had calmed down sufficiently.

My heart wished to continue feeling her warmth, but the battle wasn’t over yet.

Isis would understand.

“Isis. Now, let go.”

The problem was that it wasn’t I who said those words, but Regina.

Isis’s brow furrowed.

“What did you say?”

“I said, let go. This isn’t the time to be idle. How long are you going to cling to him?”

Crackling!

As their eyes met, it felt as though sparks were flying.

Isis, given the circumstances, didn’t stubbornly resist and let go, but she didn’t retreat entirely.

“And you, Lady Regina, why don’t you stop being so jealous?”

“What? Jealousy?”

“Yes. Frankly, it’s all just an excuse, and you just don’t like me being close to him.”

“You…”

At Isis’s accurate remark, Regina seemed struck at her core and couldn’t easily respond.

I was astonished once again.

‘Is this really reality?’

It was unbelievable that Regina, who wouldn’t even bat an eye at assassination to claim Isis, was now actually jealous between me and her, trying to force us apart.

Gawking in astonishment, I quickly intervened, realizing this wasn’t the time for such things.

“Both of you, calm down. Right now, we need to drive back the Dark Church first. I’ll go assist Johann, so both of you help Rainstor. Understood?”

As I gave the instructions swiftly and accurately, leaving no room for objection, Isis and Regina exchanged a glance and then nodded.

Having settled that, I immediately leaped into the high-flying battlefield.

Calisto, who had been fiercely clashing with Johann, seemed to have been aware of me from the start, as he retreated before I could even intervene.

-Keh heh heh… Don’t tell me you defeated Hersculer?

“Can’t you tell by looking?”

-That fool was always bragging about being immortal and whatnot, but for all his big talk, he died pretty quickly.

“Still, it won’t be boring. Because you’ll be following him soon enough.”

Blaze!

I warned him, igniting the Primeval Flame.

Calisto, facing the fire, remained still for a while without any movement. He seemed lost in contemplation, gazing at the Primeval Flame.

-That flame. It’s similar to the power Repentia wields.

“Similar to the Goddess of Light?”

-Yes. Although it’s merely a subordinate concept, its power is almost equivalent. But…

Calisto grinned and was about to continue.

“Perish, evil!”

Swish!

If Johann hadn’t interrupted and launched his sword.

As if he had no conversation to share with an apostle, he swung his sword relentlessly.

The sword, imbued with divinity, and the demonic sword clashed, releasing a tremendous shockwave.

I clicked my tongue and had no choice but to assist Johann.

“Tch! I was curious about what he was going to say next.”

It was cut off at an important part.

But in truth, it wasn’t that I couldn’t guess what Calisto was trying to say.

Blaze!

The more I used the Primeval Flame, the more unstable the demonic energy lodged in a corner of my dantian became.

Originally, the pure flame, destructive flame, and demonic energy were in harmony as three, but as the two became one, that balance had been broken.

Though it was still stable for now, if I overexerted myself, the demonic energy might run wild.

A prolonged battle was out of the question.

‘So, I’ll stake it all on one strike.’

I sent a telepathic message to Johann.

-Johann-nim. Please create an opening.

-…Understood.

And fortunately, Johann readily agreed to my request.

I immediately began preparations.

‘The firepower doesn’t need to be immense. I just need to focus on a single point.’

The Primeval Flame incinerates everything.

Since it wasn’t limited to merely physical objects, even a small amount of power would be enough to destroy Calisto.

Increasing speed and precision would suffice.

In that case, what was the fastest technique I could use right now?

‘Photonic Transfiguration.’

Photonic Transfiguration was, in essence, one of Repentia’s authorities.

Calisto had clearly stated that the Primeval Flame was a subordinate concept to the power Repentia wielded.

This meant that the Primeval Flame was, to some extent, connected with Photonic Transfiguration.

Then, what if I combined the two into one?

A power that was faster than anything and could burn anything would be born.

-Now!

Just then, Johann’s signal came at the perfect moment.

Convinced, I synthesized all my insights and created a single technique.

‘Primeval Incineration (初炎化).’

Blaze!

The Primeval Flame enveloped my entire body.

Just like when using Photonic Transfiguration, but instead of light, flames replaced my physical body, freeing me from the constraints of the material realm.

At this moment, I was a single streak of flame.

Becoming a meteor of scorching flame that transcended physical limits, I charged towards Calisto.

-Damn it!

He realized it too late and tried to dodge, but even a demonic sword forged over tens of thousands of years couldn’t match this speed.

By the time Calisto reacted, my fist had already struck the sword blade.

Shatter!

The fist of flame, compressed to its limit, annihilated the demonic energy and destroyed the sword.