Final Battle ⑫

Katie's Perspective

The body of Kyōya crumbled to dust before her eyes.

Immediately after witnessing this, Shun collapsed without attempting a roll.

"Shun!?"

"Seems you've reached your limit as well."

The Dark Dragon, Reise, stated calmly.

He approached the fallen form of the Thunder Dragon, Gōka.

"Any final words?"

"My stomach... it's empty."

"Regrettably, that body can no longer consume anything."

Gōka's body was crushed beyond recognition, struck directly by Kyōya's blow.

With Shun now unconscious, revival is impossible.

And there is a time limit for Shun's revival.

It must be performed immediately after death.

"Byakku-san!?"

"He's occupied elsewhere. Won't make it."

Reise lifted his gaze toward the distant horizon, where healing light glimmered faintly.

Just now, Syu, who had been drawing on Byakku-san's power, had been blown away by Kyonya.

Even though Syu had been using Byakku-san's power, it was impossible for him to survive after blocking Kyonya's strike.

The fact that he had been sent flying an astonishing distance, despite having guarded, made this obvious.

Byakku-san, the recovery specialist, was treating Syu on the spot.

That meant no time to reach this location.

"Ah, if I die, you can eat me. It’ll at least fill your stomach."

"Are you serious? Eating something that small won’t fill a stomach."

Goka spoke, his words impossible to gauge as joke or earnest.

In response, Hyuban, the Wind Dragon, replied with a tone that mimicked mockery.

Yet Hyuban's voice trembled.

"Ah... but before I die, I must offer myself too."

With those words, Go Ka’s body crumbled into dust, just as Kyoya’s had.

“…You idiot. You can’t even eat this. You’re a fool to the very end…”

“…”

Hyouban, voice breaking, watched Go Ka dissolve into dust. The Fire Dragon Gen covered his face with one hand.

“Contact Lord Ronant. Retreat for now. Regroup and reorganize.”

Yet Reise alone remained calm.

Cold, even.

“Why not wait a little longer?”

The remark escaped me before I could stop it.

“Even now, Iena is buying time. You would have her sacrifice mean nothing?”

No reply came. The words left me speechless.

“Reise is right. I’ll handle the communication.”

Gen, pressing down on the severed hand he’d lost to Kyoya, spoke.

Shun lay fallen. Everyone, including Gen, was battered and broken.

I’ve been maintaining a purity barrier nonstop—MP is nearly depleted.

If even I’m in this state, then Gen and the others who actually fought must be worse.

“Ah well. Finally able to leave this sweltering place.”

Suddenly, the previously invisible Ice Dragon Nia appears.

Where had she been hiding all along?

“Nia. Retrieve Byak and Sureshia.”

“Why me?”

Complaining, Nia nonetheless heads directly toward the light of Byak’s healing.

Shortly thereafter, through teleportation, Lord Ronant arrived and we were temporarily evacuated from the Elro Great Labyrinth.

“How is the boy?”

“He hasn’t awakened yet.”

Back at base, we each rested.

I sat by Shun’s bed, observing his condition.

“You should rest a little too, miss.”

……I can’t sleep.

Despite Reston’s concern, my eyes remained shut, yet sleep would not come.

Fatigue had reached its peak.

“Your mind’s too agitated. Common on the battlefield. In such cases, consciousness simply cuts out all at once. Like a child.”

Reston shrugged, speaking as he did.

The resurrection performed by Shun had looked grueling even to watch.

They must have pushed Guen and the others to the very edge of collapse before reviving them.

“Yet the child’s collapse wasn’t just from that, was it?”

Reston’s gaze fixed on the doorway.

There stood the Dark Dragon, Rayse.

“Sharp instincts.”

“Old age. I may not match the ancient dragons.”

Rayse’s words carried the weight of something concealed.

Something about Shun.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t make that face. I didn’t know either.”

Rayse approached the bed and leaned in to examine Shun’s face.

“Costs are involved.”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t it strike you as odd? Reviving the dead—such a miracle should not exist. Not even in a world with a system. If anything, the existence of a system makes such a miracle impossible. Yet the price for such a miracle is only MP? Doesn’t that seem too low?”

“That… is…”

Upon reflection, it was true.

In the previous life’s game, resurrection magic had been commonplace. He had assumed it was normal. But in reality, reviving the dead was nothing short of a miracle.

And now that he had heard it, a sense of dread settled in.

Not a doubt. A certainty. A bad omen.

“He’s wearing down his soul.”

A sharp intake of breath.

The image of Kyoya dissolving into dust flashes through his mind.

“If this continues, his soul will shatter completely. Once that happens, rebirth will be impossible—regardless of the system. Not death. Nothing.”

“Such a thing…!?”

Death is terrifying.

But nothing is more terrifying than nothingness.

And Shin?

“The soul of a reborn individual was protected by a barrier. But that barrier has been eroded by continuous use of compassion. His ability to unleash compassion repeatedly was only possible because of that barrier. He was being salted by the enemy. She didn’t intend it, of course.”

Rayse’s words pass through him, unheeded.

Kyoya offered himself—his body, his soul—by his own will.

He chose, more frightening than death, the state of nothingness.

He had prepared himself with such resolve to face this battle.

What about me?

I did not possess that kind of resolve.

And because I acted recklessly, Shun now stands at the brink of nothingness.

White noise fills his mind.

"How many more times can I use mercy?"

"Shun!? His eyes!?!"

Without notice, Shun had awakened.

"...Well. I'm no expert on souls. There may be no more uses left. Or there may still be some."

"Is that so."

"Shun, you must not use mercy again."

"...That's not possible."

Shun lifts himself halfway up the bed.

"I chose to fight. I made that decision myself. Kyoya showed me what this battle truly is. I can't turn back now, not when I'm the only one who might flee."

Shun clenches his fist, staring at it intently.

The resolve was insufficient. Therefore, resolve must be made.

There was no hesitation in those eyes.

The insufficiency of resolve was mine.

"...Sorry. Just let me be alone for a moment."

As Shun spoke, I rose.

No words came to mind.

"I'll bring something light to eat later."

"Yes. Thank you."

Then we left the room together.

"You said you didn't know? Yet you must have suspected, did you not?"

Lord Ronant interrogates Rayse.

"Otherwise, how could you have predicted symptoms of something unseen, like a soul?"

"Your insight is accurate."

"! You—!?"

That meant this person had foreseen that Shun's soul would deteriorate the more he used mercy—and had allowed it to happen.

“You’re blaming the wrong person. I never forced you to use mercy. All of it was his own choice.”

“Force wasn’t applied. But I did encourage it.”

“True enough. Otherwise, we couldn’t have defeated that monster.”

It was painful to admit, but it was correct.

“Did you see Go-kah’s end? We were prepared to sacrifice ourselves, win or lose.”

“That… is”

“We entered this battle with that resolve. I didn’t expect the enemy to share it. Do you have that resolve?”

“……”

“That’s why we cannot afford to lose. We’ll use whatever means necessary.”

No counterargument came.

The resolve was lacking.

“Hmph! Don’t try to mask your weakness with bold words.”

Lonaunt-sama interrupted, displeased.

Your resolve means nothing to me. Is merely possessing it truly so admirable? Does it justify sealing the future of a promising youth? Concealing and exploiting them—can you truly hold your head high and claim righteousness?

……

This time, it was Reise’s turn to remain silent.

……I am accustomed to playing the villain.

Hmph! Well then. Regardless of what I say, the course will not change now. But remember this—I am displeased by this matter.

I shall keep it in mind.

Reise turned away from us and walked off.

Young lady, now is the time to descend.

I could not ignore Lord Lonaunt’s words.

But…

I am following Shun.

That is my responsibility—for bringing Shun into this conflict.

Skill cost

Skills do not consume energy from the fundamental system. To do so would be a reversal of purpose. The cost of any skill is borne entirely by the user. Titles such as "Hero" are exceptions.