「What are you afraid of, what are you holding back for!? If you all really tried, you could easily strangle me to death! Domination! Just use a bit of your power! There’s absolutely no need to fight all politely with a sword!!」
“!”
Crack!!
As Grellod swung her arm, black lightning surged every time her dark feathers swirled through the air.
A white-haired woman was flung away by the force.
“War! You too! Wield your powers, your curse! What are you all dressed up for!? You could kill so many more if you just let loose!”
“Hunger! A high-ranking creature by birth! What a disgrace you’ve become! You, who are harmful just by existing, what are you even trying to prove now!?”
The two women were being pushed back by Grellod’s violence.
“Unleash your sins, all of you! Killing, suffering, and being hated—that’s what life is! Why are you pretending to be so refined now? Show your true selves! We’re all monsters here, so let’s fight like monsters!”
Raw, raging magic.
Frenzied bodies.
In the face of true magical violence, I couldn’t move a muscle.
But they were different.
Those women, clad in those clothes and wielding their swords…
“Scarlet, Crow, are you keeping up? Every attack is infused with dark magic. Just deflect it.”
“No problem, White. We owe our thanks to My Lord. These clothes, this sword, they suit me well!”
“Heh… A seasoned witch… hard to kill, but… kind of fun.”
Even as they were blown away and slammed down, they continued to challenge the formidable foe.
—Ughhh, Snow, buff us! Buff us!!
—…These enemies are so annoying! The worst!
—Hahahaha! We’re gonna die! We’re totally gonna die! Hahahaha!
They reminded me of us, of the Brotherhood back then.
“What’s with you!? You think you can fight like humans now!? You think you can become human again!?”
The witch, having turned into a monster, aimed her claws at her fellow monsters and shouted.
“We can.”
“We are human.”
“Not ruin, not a curse.”
Their reply came with a smile so pure it was almost refreshing.
—Don’t act like you’re wearing our clothes and my memories like it’s some heartwarming story.
“Hehehe! Don’t make me laugh! You, who are literally the prophecy of the world’s destruction!”
Even the magic in her voice shook the world.
The witch laughed loudly.
But the women’s smiles did not waver.
“Our curse alone won’t destroy the world.”
Their faces were filled with peace and satisfaction.
The expression of those who know they are loved.
“You…”
Grellod’s magical power surged.
What… What is this? This isn’t something any living creature should be able to release…
But the torrent of power suddenly stopped.
“Enough.”
The young Grellod suddenly muttered, her expression turning blank.
“…What?”
“This is strange, I’m done. It’s abnormal that you’ve changed so much. Something’s up. No, something’s here, isn’t it?”
“What are you saying?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? I’m retreating.”
At Grellod’s words, the women raised their swords.
But faster than that—
“Invasion—”
The witch stained the world black.
“!!”
“Haha, I’ve got you now.”
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
The blackness that poured from Grellod stopped its spread into the world.
Instead, it began to engulf her like a vortex.
“We’re withdrawing, kids. The ritual for the death goddess, my beloved’s resurrection—everything will have to wait.”
Amidst the vortex, the dark-winged woman smiled defiantly.
“The risk isn’t worth the reward. There’s something abnormal here that’s changed you so much. Sorry, but I intend to live a long life.”
“You think you can escape?”
“No, White. She’s already gone. What’s left here is just a shell, infused with residual magic.”
“Heh, l-let’s chase her… we can follow the scent of her magic…”
“Of course. In fact, we can use the teleportation gate Grellod left behind… Ah, I’ve already disabled the trap. We can pursue her now.”
Snap.
The red-haired woman snapped her fingers.
With just that, a black vortex appeared in the void.
The women vanished into it.
“Wait!!”
“…”
The three women stopped walking.
They wouldn’t stop anymore. Relief at escaping death loosened my restraints.
“Take me with you too! I still haven’t heard anything! You haven’t answered anything! Who are you!? What is the King!? Why are you wearing our Brotherhood’s clothes…?”
“There’s no need for that.”
“Huh? W-what…”
“You have people more important to protect, don’t you? Besides—”
The white-haired woman pointed her long finger at me.
“Our King has no interest in the weak.”
“Ah… ah… wait…”
“And we will never meet again.”
They disappeared.
Leaving me with nothing but questions.
Kept outside of everything.
Why? Why am I in such a panic?
“Snow, you know best, don’t you? That’s a thorn.”
A voice whispered.
“The past you thought you had ended, the things you thought you discarded—they mean more to you than your reason can admit. Look—those clothes, those memories, are the ones you threw away.”
The voice echoed.
“Did you see? Their faces… They looked happy, didn’t they? Just like the old you when you were playing Life Field.”
The voice was irritating.
“Do you want to know why you’re suffering so much right now? It’s because you’re weak.”
…
“You’re weak, so you can’t choose. You can’t make those women tell you what you want to know, and you can’t follow them. All because you’re weak.”
…That’s right.
Even if I used my Gift, I wouldn’t be able to touch Grellod or any of those women.
“If only you had power. If only you were the strongest, you wouldn’t be feeling this way.”
I know this voice is poison.
A voice that speaks to me at a time like this? It can’t be anything good.
And yet—
“You want power, don’t you, Snow, Player?”
“I do…”
“Very well, then let’s start with practice—practice choosing fate, and defying fate. I’ll give you a mission quest.”
“Main Quest: ‘Noble Responsibility'”
“Quest Objective: ‘Choose whether to follow the women or save your classmates.'”
“Reward: ‘Prophetic Child Skill Tree'”
“……Ah.”
“This is just practice, Snow. Choose as you like. I will affirm whichever choice you make.”
I think.
My classmates are still crucified.
Thanks to Grellod’s influence fading or perhaps the magic of those women, their complexions are slowly returning to normal.
At this rate, I can maintain their health with my gift.
But if I do that, I won’t be able to follow them.
I’ll let these women escape.
It’ll be fine—I can protect everyone with the spirit magic barrier, and then…
“No, I can’t…”
If I leave now, probably――
The vortex engulfs them, and they disappear.
There’s no way to make it in time.
“Reincarnated Hero.”
In the stillness of the night, like the soft sound of snow piling up.
“From this point forward, this is our place, our domain. You are not involved.”
――Ah.
“――Time’s up, it seems.”
Shun.
The moment the vortex vanished, the women disappeared as well.
“But here’s your reward. You chose not to choose. I hope you can make a choice next time.”
“You have acquired the ‘Apostle of the Gods’ Skill Tree.”
The voice is no longer audible.
Behind me, my classmates are there.
Crucified, but alive, their faces at peace.
It wasn’t because I saved them.
I couldn’t make any choice; I couldn’t fulfill my responsibility.
I――
“…I am weak.”
There was no one left to answer me.
◇◇◇◇
The man waits alone in the field, waiting for the time.
“Your skill tree has been developed.”
“Gift: Spell Creation.”
“Your gift will interfere with the skill tree. You have some skills that can be combined.”
Sifting through the various information visible to him.
The sensation of looking at a skill tree is akin to the pleasure of watching a slowly growing bank account.
“…I’ve decided. This one and this one.”
“You have fused ‘Curse Power Manipulation & Enhancement’ with ‘Curse Power Element: Lightning.'”
“You have acquired the skill ‘Veins of Lightning.'”
“Any entity that attempts close combat with you will receive lightning damage if they fail a resistance check.”
“Oh man, oh man, oh man, I just came up with an insane combo—I might be a genius!”
“…Player, they’re coming.”
At the navigator’s voice, the man slowly stands up.
The great vortex that had swallowed the field rises slowly, slowly, into the sky.
“Well then, looks like that’s all for now. Tch, they’re chasing me, huh. I should’ve set a trap for that reincarnated hero… huh?”
The vortex shrinks and disappears.
In its place appears a woman—a beautiful woman with black wings.
With the ease of taking a breath, she tries to kill the man sitting on a log at the edge of the field.
But the killing intent, so casually directed like dusting off a table, instantly transforms into doubt.
“…Wait, how are you inside the barrier…?”
Confusion, shock.
The beautiful woman mutters, her face filled with various emotions.
“Tomato.”
“Huh?”
“Return the tomato.”
“What?”
“If you can’t…”
The man’s voice, quiet.
“Die.”
A skilled magician can understand the outcome of a battle just by meeting the eyes of their opponent.
A legendary magician who has lived for a thousand years.
The emotions racing through her mind were――
“Eek.”
Magic and curses.
The supernatural apex of different worlds, instruments of death from realms beyond human comprehension.
Magic and sorcery.
The magic-cursed battle of Holga Village――
“Spell deployment.”
――Begins.
