Awakening (2)

"that is… oh! Oh hello… ?"

When I first woke up, I opened my eyes. There was a familiar face in front of me.

Lana von Sader.

One of the scions of the Third Dark House, and one of the people I was supposed to protect on this mission.

But why was she with me on the ground?

A moment ago, I followed Nox's words and fired an arrow.

[Watershot].

It might have been nothing to a normal person, but not to me.

My bow, with the blood of the Mermaids in it, was something that even her master, Luna, could not take lightly.

But... why is the woman in front of me still alive?

Was she not swept away in the aftermath?

If not, did Nox von Reinhafer really stop me?

"Chu, that's enough, I think you're going to panic… I held that... in check, so you shouldn't have to worry about it exploding...."

Lana von Sader stammered.

It made sense, really.

A trait of the Sader family.

It's called Daze, and it specializes in controlling people by acting as a kind of gears.

{TN: Puppet strings>gears?}

Perhaps, if it had worked, it could have stopped my rampage. Nox knew this and asked her to help me.

The price, of course, is unknown, but....

"Where is Nox?"

I asked, my voice cracking slightly.

He's part of the radical faction that recognizes the existence of the Lunatics and supports them. There's nothing to be gained by hiding my identity here.

Lana hesitates slightly before answering.

"They're… fighting."

"What?"

I crinkled my brow.

Did I hear that right?

They're fighting....

In such a desperate situation, that can only mean one thing.

Paimon. The arch-demon who has earned the title of Archduke.

A mere lunatic fringe fighting such a mythical being?

One barely fifteen years old?

"We should go."

"Don, I don't think it's a good idea...."

"That's my decision...."

[Is she awake now?]

At that moment, a voice, ragged from the ensuing battle, pierces my ears. A voice that is both familiar and relieving.

Nox von Reinhafer.

He's been telepathizing with me.

[Luna isn't dead yet, and by the way, neither is Dean Noah].

[It's not Luna, it's Dean Noah. …From the way you're reporting, you look fine, too, rookie.]

[Yeah.]

It's only been a few days.

Have I grown attached to a child I've only known for a few days? If not, is it right that I should feel such relief?

Now I'm not so sure.

[The Marksman knows there's no time for sentimentality].

Nox.

As usual, he's only speaking to say what he has to say.

I guess that's how he is.

If not, should I be angry at the kid for not having a bullhorn, I don't know. Right now, all I can feel is relief.

It's not an emotion I should have in this situation, but it is.

I quickly gather my emotions and stash them away in the darkness.

Like when I watched the glass tubes disappear one by one from the bottom of the lab, I erase my emotions and remember to force a smile.

Then, in a calmer voice, I reply.

[Of course.]

[I think you've already figured out what's going on. Marksman. Help me. You're still under the spell of Lana von Sader, so at least you're in control of your powers now].

[So?]

[Shoot the bow].

Thud.

(dugeun.)

In that moment, I feel my heart sink.

I can feel it pumping like crazy. But Nox's voice is calm, as always. His low, bass voice doesn't even change, as if he's doing what he's supposed to be doing.

It's strangely reminiscent of the sterile lab people, but reassuring. Why, I wonder, why do I feel that way about him?

Nox doesn't even wait for my question to be answered.

He doesn't give me a pause and continues.

[I am now confronting Paimon with our leader, and as soon as I give the signal, you will shoot your bow at me].

[…What?]

I could only reply, forgetting to act.

[Paimon is fast. No matter how good a bowman you are, he'll easily dodge your attacks, so shoot while I'm holding him, and you'll be sure to hit].

[That's called saying it now....]

When he said he would sacrifice himself, he said it with such nonchalance. It's like he's trying to sacrifice himself now, just like Jay did in the past.

But I don't know.

For whom?

I didn't understand, but one thing was certain.

That Nox von Reinhabfer was someone I could trust, despite what I first thought.

So I couldn't help but ask.

[Rookie… why are you sacrificing yourself?]

[It's not a sacrifice].

[Otherwise, who would tell you to shoot themself in the back of the head?]

I sob a little.

I run, unable to do anything, until I'm out of breath. I climb over the wall and reach the roof of the building where the battle is taking place.

I already know.

I will not be able to shoot my bow.

I'm not strong enough.

I'm not as strong as the newcomer, Nox.

I'm not used to killing people, to sacrificing myself.

And so it is, near the burning dormitory, with the night sky in the foreground. The sparks of war were everywhere.

[Trust me.]

I heard a cold voice say.

[Newcomer.]

I couldn't even hide my trembling voice now.

It was a shaky, shuddering voice, and I was gripped by the horror of having to kill someone again with my own hands.

Of course, it's not like I haven't killed other people in my time at Lunatic.

But to kill someone I thought was mine again?

I muttered to myself, stupidly forgetting that I was a marksman.

[If you're going to do this, why did you save me....]

Wouldn't it have been better to let him fight me and Paimon, and then kill him when he was out of control and me and Paimon were at each other's throats?

That would have been many times better than having to sacrifice yourself. I would have done the same thing.

If I had been rational enough.

But.

[This is the only time I'm going to say it twice, so open your ears and listen].

A clearing of the throat.

I imagine Nox's throat rumbling as he spits something out at me.

His gray hair tangled in blood,

and provocative lavender eyes that hadn't lost their edge,

and that sacrificial spirit that would kill itself in the end, as if it could see right through my current weakness.

But Nox's answer was far from what I had imagined.

[Trust me, I'm not dying].

In that moment, for some reason, I blurted out, wiping the tears from my eyes, even though I already knew it was a lie.

[Can I… trust you, rookie?]

[Yeah].

Jiiing.

As soon as I heard those words, I began to materialize my magic power.

Craft a bow. The bow glows with a transparent blue light as it takes shape as a complete artifact, and then the arrows are molded with magic.

Secret of the Mermaids. My bow modifiers are maximized and my physical abilities skyrocket.

'If this bow were to take a direct hit, no one would survive.'

The thought crosses my mind for a moment. Knox says he won't die, but I realize that's because he's never been hit by my bow before.

Even Luna has emphasized that my water shots are dangerous and that I must be careful, so it would be fair to say that his death was preordained.

But why?

When Nox says those words, when he says he's going to live, it gives me a deep sense of relief.

Because.

I couldn't help but laugh as I cried. The tears that hang like threads are probably invisible to him, and maybe I'll never see them again.

But I know.

That this is really what he wants.

[Laughs] ...Stay tuned, rookie, because I'm about to nail you right in the back of the head].

[On cue].

A taut protest. It took only a few seconds for the blue bow to be aimed at his head.

* * *

Paimon.

I never thought I'd have to deal directly with the Great Demon, but now that I'm here, I have to do something about it.

I'm a pretty quick thinker. I think to myself all the time.

When I lost my memory of my family because of this.

And when I have nothing left.

And even when I was given a life sentence, I was still playing games.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure not many people can do that.

It's hard for a human being to rise from the depths of despair.

I've been there, and I've been close to dying. In the past, and now.

It's the same.

Nothing has changed.

Except for one thing… one thing that has changed.

The way I survive has become very simple.

If I don't kill you, I die.

If I kill, I live.

Inner Lunatic. A simple truth in a world that was now a reality.

I repeated this to myself and asked the protesting marine for his timing.

Then, when Noah was protecting the students and this entire place with her last ice spell. Nurturingly to Luna, I said.

"Just once."

Luna's eyes narrowed.

"Break through that barrier."

Paimon is currently shielding himself with three layers of High Magic.

Its offensive power isn't very strong, so even I'm holding out… but, as with any defense, it's pointless if we can't break through it.

"You're thinking of something, aren't you?"

Luna gave me a look of trust in her eyes.

I watched as she charged toward Paimon, seemingly convinced. Blonde and beautiful, but more than that, what caught my eye.

A sword skill that glowed like... moonlight.

[A young girl who doesn't even know the water in the world is installing a fountain without knowing!] {Paimon}

"Moonlight Sword. Third Form."

Luna's sword shoots toward Paimon's heart, swiftly.

Her voice is clear and beautiful, like marbles rolling off her lips.

[Moon Slash]-.

I smile faintly.

She finally took it out.

[Moon Slash]. This is one of Lunatic's most offensive moves, and it's a great way to catch an enemy off guard.

Luna leaps towards him, hiding in the darkness where there is no light. The process is simple enough, but the sight of it is awe-inspiring.

Then, a brilliant light, accompanied by Luna's voice, cuts through the pitch-black darkness and bisects Paimon's body as if slicing through the moon.

...No, I thought it was something like that.

[It was quite a strong sword technique… but it didn't reach me, at most it broke the first barrier...!]

At that moment, I didn't even hesitate for a moment before charging at him.

It wasn't a graceful leap like Luna's, just a quick dash to close the distance, but it would have to do for now.

I raised my sword, and when I was within striking distance. I sent a telepathic message to Marin.

[Now].

Piing-!

He felt the bow slowly close in from behind, emitting the loudest crackling sound he'd ever heard. Paimon gritted his teeth and shouted.

[This lowly, lowly race…! Trying to kill themselves!]

"Who says I have to die?"

I say in a cold voice. With my magic at its peak, I put everything on the line, activating the skill that has always kept me alive in extreme situations.

[Activates the Active Skill 'Hour of Genius'].

Suddenly, Luna's body leans forward, her back to the moon.

I can see Marin's arrows firing at me, and Noah's expression as he struggles to keep her magic maintained.

With that, I smile faintly.

Then, I assess.

The time remaining before Marin's arrow hits my head.

'One.'

I think back to when I watched Marin's bow from the sidelines. I remember the setting that said his bow was capable of at least 400 kilometers per hour, so it's hardly more than half a kilometer per second.

When I think about the rooftop archery demonstration, the distance from here to there is about….

0.3 kilometers.

That's three seconds, if not more.

'Two.'

Of course, I'm not a mathematician, and this is not an exact calculation.

That's why I have to rely more on my characteristics and the sensations I've lived with in this world so far, because sometimes they guarantee my life.

Then I count the last one.

Three.

Piing!

The sound whistled past my ears, and I quickly turned my head.

My cheeks burned.

But it's okay. My ear wasn't blown off, just a small cut.

Luckily, the... calculation is successful.

Boom!

(kwaaaaang!)

There's a loud explosion, and another shield is ripped off of Archduke Paimon. This time, a scream erupts from the demon's mouth as it seems to be taking direct damage.

[Cough!]

Paimon's eyes widen.

[How dare you… how dare you!!!]

The Archduke's scream is heard. However, he quickly turns to a tone of complacency, as if he's heard the last of it.

[After all, the last barrier could not be broken. My victory….]

"Who said it wasn't broken?"

Without a moment's hesitation, I raise my sword.

I focus my mind, feel a faint breeze, and return to the most basic of sword techniques.

Shadowblade, now advanced to Intermediate.

I put all my strength into it.

Before I take the leap, I surround myself with an artifact, so I'm all set.

[Artifact 'Stormbringer' drains your health to the limit!]

[Artifact 'Conquest of the Lunatic Order' activates its special effect].

[The player's offense is increased!]

But if I had stopped there, I would never have charged at him. There's still one more step to take to break through his final barrier.

I summoned all my strength and drew on my remaining reserves.

[Activates Active Skill 'Limit Break']!

[This is an overly strong enemy! A defeating blow will cost an extremely high amount of lifeforce].

[Caution! Physique from enemies killed with 'Limit Break' cannot be absorbed by 'Black Brimstone Ring'].

[Do you want to activate the skill?]

Ha. What am I supposed to do now?

'Activate.'

Stormbringer.

The black sword expands, sucking in all the darkness around it. But it's not like what Luna has shown us before.

That was a sword that dispelled darkness.

This was a technique that shaped the darkness itself to cut through its enemies.

I took a calming breath and looked at Paimon.

And then.

'Black Sword, first half, 1 second.'

[Ebony Dawn].

The moment of return.

The blade of the black sword became one with the darkness and drew a slash, which began to seek out the demonic creature with a destructive power unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Slash!

(seogeog!)

The sound of something being cut came first.

Kwaaaaaaaah!!!

This was followed by an enormous explosion, and the demon's form was slowly distorted as it was consumed by more darkness. Paimon's harsh voice begins to penetrate your ears.

[No, no… no… I'm finally… finally… finally… waking up… again!]

Paimon screams, and my vision begins to flicker.

My ears go deaf, and I can't hear or see anything.

Just the sensation of something being cut.

It dangles faintly at your fingertips. But it was enough.

I'd cut him down, and he wouldn't get back up.

With that, I lost my consciousness.

[The player's life has been drastically reduced!]

[Caution! Player's lifespan is less than 30 days!]