Nelson

I spoke confidently to Ellie, but inwardly, I was desperately trying to figure out how to escape this situation. Spatial magic was unusable because the chaos emitted by Confession had disrupted the spatial coordinates. That meant I had to face Confession using Non-Materialization and Spear Arts.

Of course, I have knowledge of magic engineering and Rapid Growth magic, but the opponent also has a powerful magician who can disable Ellie’s hands. Even the Vice-Leader is a magician close to a Great Magician.

Still, I intend to protect Ellie and fight no matter what. Like I said, I don’t want to lose anyone anymore. I’ve focused all my concentration and magic power, ready to respond at any moment.

But… something’s off. A subtle sense of unease surrounds me.

What feels strange is that the Vice-Leader and Confession, who could kill me and Ellie at any time, are just watching us. As if waiting for something….

Suddenly, something popped into my head. The story from the latter part of the novel, about a character who loses their life saving Roel and Ellie from the cult’s trap….

Right now, it’s me, not Roel, who’s by Ellie’s side… but I don’t think it’ll affect the story’s flow. Iron Blood, who would have killed Nelson, has become our comrade, but this isn’t a story focused on Iron Blood’s killings. The focus was on Nelson, a reliable ally, exiting the stage.

,”Is your preparation complete? Waiting for your struggles is also boring.”

The Vice-Leader, after spitting out some appropriate words, gestured to Ards and another swordsman. A woman with long blonde hair tied up in a single braid. In Confession, there’s only one female swordsman. Nero of Revelation, who holds the 4th seat.

Ards, who has skills comparable to Roel, and Nero, who is less skilled but can fight Roel on par with her abilities. To be blunt, I can’t beat either of them in my current state. But I have to fight.

Nero was the one who made the first move. I barely dodged the blade that stabbed at my neck by twisting my head, and thrust my spear towards her chest.

Puwook-!

At the same time as piercing Nero’s chest, I abandoned my spear and immediately materialized another to block the sword flying from behind.

Kang-!

I blocked the sword, but I’m being pushed back by the force. As the spear was pushed back in an instant, I momentarily took the strength out of my legs, naturally sliding backward and abandoning the spear to create distance.

Nero, who regenerated her pierced chest, charged in relentlessly. Ellie is behind me. If I dodge the charge, Ellie will get hurt. Inevitably, I unleashed a barrage of attacks against her charge. Attacks aimed at her arms, legs, thighs, and joints became meaningless as the wounds regenerated as soon as I retrieved my spear.

Ignoring the attacks and charging forward, Nero used Non-Materialization, and I also collided with her shoulder. My body flew backward with a huge impact, but I managed to regain my balance in the air and land. However, Ards had already predicted where I would land and swung his sword.

Kwaaaang-!

I barely managed to block the attack with a hastily materialized shadow spear, but the impact made my head spin. As I staggered and gasped for breath, I felt a strong impact on my face.

Part of my mask was shattered by the punch Nero swung. Instinctively, I swung my spear, but Nero, trusting in her regeneration, didn’t dodge the attack and countered it head-on. My body was pushed back, and Ards, who had been waiting, swung his sword at me.

I can’t avoid this.

Chewack-!

“….”

At first, I couldn’t feel anything. But soon, my whole body was burning with pain, and blood gushed from my split chest, soaking my clothes. The blood-soaked clothes felt too heavy.

Staggering and trying to regain my balance, I couldn’t react to Nero’s charge from behind, and my body floated up, rolling on the floor several times before stopping in front of Ellie.

,”Ro, Ross….”

Seeing Ellie looking at me with difficulty, I spat out blood and tried to get up somehow. But I couldn’t muster any strength. A shadow fell over my head. Ards had come to finish me off.

My spilled intestines touched the floor. It was hard to even breathe, so moving my body was impossible. Is this how I die… What will happen to Luna in the space warehouse if I die? Will Roel be able to reach the ending he wants without me?

As various thoughts flashed through my mind, a huge storm of magic power appeared from somewhere and swept away Ards. Pushed back, Ards didn’t approach any further. He couldn’t move recklessly against the person who had appeared in front of me.

,”Are you alright?”

It’s a voice I haven’t heard in a long time. Still soft and warm. It’s a voice I wanted to hear at the last moment, but didn’t want to hear until the end. Because I know what it means for Nelson to appear here….

As Nelson waved his staff, a green light enveloped me, temporarily stopping the pain and injuries. Watching my spilled intestines return inside, I looked up at Nelson.

,”Nelson… Headmaster-nim.”

,”You’ve been through a lot.”

As Nelson waved his staff again, Ellie’s body floated up from the floor and flew to my side. Ellie also had a surprised and happy expression at Nelson’s appearance.

,”H, Headmaster-nim… What happened is―”

,”I know what happened. You don’t have to explain.”

Nelson smiled gently, nodded to Ellie as if to say it was okay, and turned to look at the Vice-Leader.

,”I’ll give you a chance to retreat.”

,”…Haha, are you telling us to retreat now?”

,”Protecting two people while fighting isn’t difficult for me.”

As Nelson showed his confidence, the Vice-Leader stared blankly before bursting into laughter. It was a laugh full of ridicule.

,”You foolish old man. We expected that if we targeted your disciple, you would naturally appear to protect her.”

,”So, can you stop me?”

,”We alone would be insufficient.”

The Vice-Leader raised his hand. Something black was endlessly undulating on his palm as if it were alive.

,”But the Lord-nim, who foresaw all of this, has more than enough.”

Cassis opened a huge book. Black light flowed from the book, which opened its pages on its own, and three naked pregnant women walked out of the book. In an instant, I recalled the encounter in another world. Meeting the Demon King who possessed the baby the pregnant woman was carrying.

,”Rejoice and prostrate yourselves in worship.”

As the Vice-Leader flicked his fingers, the pregnant women’s bellies caved in. I heard the sound of something wet falling to the floor. Babies connected by umbilical cords were crawling on the floor filled with amniotic fluid and blood.

,”Be grateful that you can dare to witness the Lord-nim’s appearance.”

The babies connected by umbilical cords crawled clumsily, then gathered in one place, reaching up with their hands. At first glance, it looked like the small baby hands were grabbing something invisible.

Woodudeudeuk―――

A mask appeared in the air. Then, the babies’ bodies swelled up and burst, their flesh forming a body. The pregnant women, pulled by the connected umbilical cords, also became flesh, becoming materials for one body.

Suddenly, the sky darkened. I unknowingly raised my head. No, the sky didn’t darken. Something huge was blocking the sky. Finally, I realized. That’s an eye. A huge blue eye was looking down on the Death Gorge.

,”Th…Th-This is, what the hell….”

Ellie, stuttering and not understanding the current situation, stared blankly at the sky. Wondering if Nelson knew something, I turned my gaze and met Nelson’s eyes, who was looking down at me with a strange emotion.

,”Headmaster Nelson-nim…?”

Suddenly, I felt uneasy. I hadn’t experienced that look often, but it was similar to a look that remained in my memory as something too big for me. That look resembled the look my uncle… no, my father, showed me for the last time.

,”My story ends here.”

,”Huh? What does that mean….”

,”I sincerely apologize to you.”

I was about to protest why he was apologizing as if it were the last time. But for some reason, I was speechless and couldn’t say anything. Could it be because it was an apology from one of the people I trusted most in this world?

Nelson is the one who gave me so much help and supported me so many times when I was collapsing. I once thought of him as a substitute for my father, who hated Ross, and sometimes as a kind grandfather.

Nelson, after looking at me and Ellie once, smiled gently.

,”I believe you’ll be able to do well until the end.”

A transparent barrier formed around me and Ellie. In an instant, the surrounding temperature dropped, and snow began to fall over our heads. It was as if we had entered a snow globe.

,”…N, No. If we run away together… Headmaster-nim…. Please, please… You’ll die if you stay here. That’s, that’s, I hate that… So, so… together….”

I whined endlessly like a child. Nelson smiled faintly, lowered his body, and met my gaze. Shining his light green eyes, Nelson said in a soft voice.

,”You’re doing well enough.”

Behind Nelson, I could see the body made of three women and three babies being completed. When that body, wearing a mask on its face, finally opened its closed eyes, my vision was reversed.

,”Ah….”

Everything around me had changed. Nelson, Confession, and the Lord’s appearance were nowhere to be seen. All I could see around me was snow.

,”Ro, Ross….”

Ellie, unable to support herself, called my name with difficulty. belatedly regaining my senses, I hugged Ellie, who was growing colder.

,”It’s okay. It’s okay now….”

,”What about Headmaster-nim…?”

At Ellie’s question, I wiped away the endlessly flowing tears and repeated the same words.

,”…It’s okay. He’ll be okay.”

Ellie also seemed to have noticed something, and she began to shed tears. But she had lost a lot of blood and soon lost consciousness. belatedly regaining my senses, I quickly looked around. I couldn’t afford to lose even Ellie like this.

Something caught my eye in the blurry vision caused by tears.

A door standing alone in the middle of a snowy mountain.

Seeing it, I realized.

That this place is the snowy mountain that exists beyond the Messiah Club’s closet.