Extra's Path: The Eternal Frost Monarch

The portal was close.

So close that Akari could almost feel the strange dimensional energy brushing against her body.

’We’re going to make it.’

For the first time since the abomination had emerged, a faint glimmer of hope appeared in her heart.

If they could just cross that portal, perhaps they could escape this nightmare. There was a chance after all.

WHOOSH!

The ground ahead erupted.

More tentacles emerged from beneath the corrupted earth.

Their blackish-red flesh split open.

One after another, grotesque red eyes appeared within them. They stared directly at Akari and Noah.

Their gaze were hungry, murderous, waiting. Then the flesh surrounding those eyes tore apart.

SQUELCH!

Countless mouths opened. Rows of irregular teeth emerged from the rotten flesh.

And then something released from them.

"HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!"

Laughter echoed across the forest, not from one mouth but from dozens, hundreds.

The sound overlapped until it became an unbearable chorus of madness.

Akari’s expression changed.

"What—?"

HAAAAA!

Every mouth exhaled simultaneously. A massive wave of crimson smoke surged toward them.

Akari immediately tried to accelerate. It was too late. The smoke swallowed them.

"AAAAARGH!"

"ARRRGHHH!"

Both Noah and Akari screamed.

The pain was immediate. It felt as though countless needles had been driven into their skin at once.

Akari’s flesh began darkening. The corruption seeped beneath her skin, eating away at it.

Even her newly awakened dragon body couldn’t completely resist it.

Noah wasn’t spared either. His exposed skin rott faster then hers. Dark patches spread across his arms and face.

His blue eyes became bloodshot, tears streaming uncontrollably from them.

"NO!"

Akari looked at him. Forgetting her own pain, she immediately released an enormous amount of mana.

KRAK!

A layer of blue lightning and mana enveloped Noah completely.

The crimson smoke struck the barrier.

HISSSSSSS!

It began eating through it. Now it was slowly, but it was enough.

Akari gritted her teeth.

"Hold on!"

She forced more mana into the barrier. But her speed had already dropped. Her body was becoming weaker.

WHOOSH!

A tentacle came from her blind side.

Akari’s eyes widened. She couldn’t dodge while protecting Noah. So she made her choice. She turned her body to other side.

BOOOOOOM!

The tentacle slammed directly into her back. She took the hit, only on her.

"ARGH!"

Blood sprayed from her mouth. The impact sent her crashing downward.

She fell through the corrupted air before finally landing in one of the few remaining clear patches of ground.

BOOM!

The earth cracked beneath her. Yet her arms never opened.

Noah remained safely held against her chest.

Akari’s breathing became ragged from exhaustion and pain.

"Haa... haa..."

Noah coughed violently.

"Cough! Cough!"

He slowly lifted his head.

"A-Akari..."

She looked at him. Her beautiful face was no longer untouched.

Parts of her cheek had become blackened and damaged, the corrupted energy eating away at her skin.

But her eyes her eyes remained the same. They were clear blue color. As beautiful as always.

But now they filled with tears.

Noah stared at them.

’She’s crying.’

A tear rolled down Akari’s cheek, then another.

"I... I’m sorry, Noah." Her voice trembled. She could no longer hold back her pain, her sadness, her crumbling hope.

"I couldn’t protect you."

"No..." Noah replied, trying to tell her she was not at fault.

"Even after everything..." Her tears continued falling. "I had so much power..."

She lowered her gaze. "Yet I still couldn’t protect you."

She sniffed in shame and defeat.

Noah’s chest tightened.

"N-No, Akari..."

Before he could finish. Tentacles came to attack them.They didn’t stop even after harming them so much.

BOOOOOOM!

But Noah didn’t let them come so fast. Huge walls of ice erupted from the ground around them. The incoming tentacles crashed against them.

CRACK!

The first wall shattered. Another rose immediately, then another.

Noah’s remaining mana poured into the defenses.

His body trembled from exhaustion. But he forced himself upright.

"Don’t apologize..."

Akari looked at him.

Noah slowly reached toward her face. His fingers gently touched the damaged skin on her cheek.

"Don’t... apologize to me."

His voice was weak. But he stilltry to keep a gentle tone.

"But... we won’t die here."

Another wall shattered. The tentacles pushed closer.

Noah pulled Akari into his arms.

"N-Noah?"

"We’re getting out."

His body trembled violently.

"We have to get out!!"

He tightened his embrace. "You still have to meet your daughter."

A faint smile appeared on his damaged face.

"And scold her..."

He coughed.

"...for me."

Akari’s lips trembled.

"You’re still thinking about that...?"

"Of course."

His breathing became heavier.

"We promised each other that we’d get out together."

The last ice wall shattered.

BOOOOOOM!

Tentacles surged toward them.

Noah slowly stood. His legs trembled but he still pushed himself.

His legs nearly gave out. Akari tried to rise as well, but her body refused to cooperate. So he held her in his arms, supporting her to stand up.

"Noah..."

He gaze at her face. He wanted to save her, protect her. But he was too weak. What could he even do?

He clenched his teeth.

He looked ahead. The world seemed strangely slow. The tentacles moved toward them.

The crimson smoke drifted through the air. The corrupted forest burned beneath the storm.

His heartbeat grew louder.

Ba-dump.

His eyelids became heavy.

Ba-dump.

No, he clenched his fist. This shouldn’t end here. His thoughts became chaotic.

’The system... There has to be something. Someone... Something... someone brought me here... so they have to protect me!! They cannot let me die!!’

His head slowly tilted upward.

The sky had changed. The crimson clouds were beginning to separate. And for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

The rain had stopped. Silence descended. A gap appeared between the clouds.

Soft, pale light poured through it.

Noah’s eyes widened. A familiar celestial glow appeared above the battlefield. It wasn’t sunlight. It wasn’t lightning.

It was softer. It was colder, like ice. Beautiful, like some calm cold.

His pupils trembled. He stared at the glowing sphere emerging between the clouds.

At this moment, all he could think about was that single person.

His lips slowly parted.

"Moon..."

The moment he whispered that single word, everything went silent.

---

[A/N:Hello guys!! Finally coming to last part of this arc!!]

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