Perserque used magic to drive away a large number of powerful reptiles, dragons among them.
Individually, they were no match for her, but there were simply too many of them to deal with while also avoiding the black swamp. Driving them all back would inevitably take a considerable amount of time, preventing her from providing any assistance.
Davey was fighting some being in the distance, so Kouna felt she had to do her part. Even as the continuous rumble occasionally threw off her balance, she ran toward the giant with black flames covering its body first. It was in the most critical state of all.
Unfortunately, it was tough to get close with its writhing in agony and thrashing about. However, her power wasn't restricted to just the strength she'd recently awakened.
[Haitai, help me out!]
Resonating with her will, the power of Haitai within enveloped her entire body.
Whoosh!!
Floating like a butterfly soaring through the air, she flew toward the giant, dodging its massive, wildly swinging arms.
Its skin, which possessed immense defense, was a mess. Even once she managed to put out the fire, it was clear that the flames that created the swamps would certainly leave severe burns across its body.
“AAARGH!!!”
“Hurts! Hurts! Fairy lady! Save me! Hurts so much!!”
“Kyaak!”
Neither the divine beast power she possessed nor her original strength worked at all. In fact, she was so mentally and physically exhausted from the power she'd used for purification moments before that she could barely use any of her power properly.
If anything, the giant was thrashing around, resisting her power and even trying to swallow her whole.
“What should I do...”
She had no intention to stand around helplessly and watch the situation spiral out of control. She quickly focused all her concentration on forcibly drawing out her power.
‘If only I could use my power...’
It was true that she'd grown somewhat. Yet, being so exhausted, there was a limit to the amount of power she could exert. Just as Davey had explained, she still couldn't draw out a large amount of power like when she went into a trance.
‘Move...’
Yet, in the end, she thought that it shouldn’t matter. After all, all that power ultimately belonged to her. It was hers to draw on and utilize fully.
However, it was true that there were a few problems. It normally took time for her to manifest her power, and its effective range was narrow.
It was also proving a challenge to subdue the giant, which was squirming on the ground, and prevent it from moving.
She recalled Davey’s earlier words.
- Your power doesn't grow. It's closer to returning. If you dig deeper, it's a different direction, but for now, understand it like that.
If his words were true, then even without falling into a trance, she should be able to use her full power and revert things back to normal.
‘Move!’
Unlike magic, she figured the power she’d awakened was based on her willpower. Therefore, forcing the dormant power to move had to depend on her will.
‘Move, I have to move now!’
Alas, the power wouldn't obey her will.
Swoosh!!
Just then, the giant's massive fist, which had been wildly flailing around, inadvertently came hurtling toward her.
Thud!!!
The divine beast power instinctively manifested to protect her from damage, but it couldn't prevent her from being flung away by the force.
“Argh!!!”
Her arm turned into a mess after being thrown tumbling across the ground. Given how exhausted she already was, her original strength wasn't coming out properly.
Nevertheless, she grit her teeth, got up, and walked forward once more.
‘Move.’
She had to do something! She knew she couldn't stay by Davey’s side if she couldn't even control a single power properly.
No, in fact, if she couldn't handle even that much, she felt like he wouldn't even see her as an equal.
As long as she managed to resolve the situation herself, then he’d need her even more. Once that happened, she could stay closer to him for a little longer, and he probably wouldn't even realize it.
Her cheeks flushed red at the thought.
If he needed her, and they continued spending time together like they had recently been doing, they’d naturally grow closer without even noticing. Then, she might have a chance.
However, if she couldn't fix it, things would be different. If she hesitated, accomplished nothing, and had to rely on his help again, she’d never escape their guardian relationship.
The fear that she wouldn't be able to get any closer to him made the blood in her whole body run cold. A crushing wave of anxiety washed over her, as if thousands of needles were piercing her skin all at once.
‘Absolutely not!’
Her expression changed.
“Move!!” she shouted fiercely.
Then, surprisingly, her will indeed began to forcibly move the power.
“Will you take responsibility if this goes wrong?! Move, NOW!!”
Putting everything else aside, her subconscious fear of losing Davey's approval and being unable to approach him made her will even stronger.
Fwoosh!!
Eventually, her eyes turned sky-blue, and a sky-blue afterimage began to spread around her. At the same time, something amazing happened. The power dormant within her exerted immense strength as her will grew stronger.
Anyone who was familiar with her situation would’ve been left wondering how terrified she had to be of losing his trust, seeing how crazy she was for him.
“Argh. Ugh.”
“Poof...”
The giant looked blankly as the black flames on its body and the black swamp eroding its skin disappeared, its skin reverting to its original state.
“F-fairy lady put out fire!”
“No hurt anymore!”
Perhaps due to its inherent strength, it shot up as if nothing had even happened. Then, it started looking around in surprise.
Kouna was releasing her power as if performing a dance, the black flames and swamps that had been spreading and consuming everything in every direction began to disperse and vanish.
* * *
Boom!!!
There was an overwhelming presence.
The Winged King, who had been pressuring Perserque with Dragon Fear, was pierced by a massive spear she’d created with demonic force.
It whimpered as it splayed flat on the ground.
“Hmph. I’ve gotten pretty rusty.”
She looked surprisingly relaxed for someone who had just fired off magic above the 8th Circle without restraint. Perhaps dissatisfied that it still hadn’t been enough, even with Transcendence's Demise supporting her, she grumbled while opening and closing her hand.
With the Winged King down, the attacking reptiles slowly began to retreat.
More important were the black swamps and flames that had spread everywhere. Most important of all was the phenomenon in the sky which seemed to summon the end times.
Boom!!
Soon, a massive meteorite fell from the sky and crashed to the ground far beyond the mountain ridge.
“Things are getting pretty serious. Our first priority has to be dealing with this black swamp.”
Perserque suddenly looked at Kouna, eyes wide with surprise. “Oh my goodness...”
The sky-blue afterimages that spread out from Kouna gradually extended outward, purifying the entire forest area. She felt like she was watching a miracle unfold in front of her.
The forest, which had just looked like a black hell from above, was returning to its original state. Whether it was time reversal or memory restoration, the power Kouna had inherited from Arbit was astonishing.
“No. All of this must be possible because it’s Kouna using it.”
If Arbit had been able to wield so much power without restraint, he wouldn't have spent such a vast amount of time in the Red Void.
The black swamp had been relentlessly encroaching and spreading on the dimension, but Kouna’s purification gradually accelerated. Her power finally slowly subsided, but only after enveloping the entire surrounding area.
However, the doom in the sky still remained.
Perserque flew toward Davey, who was floating blankly in the air. “Davey, what's going on with the sky?”
“It's some kind of sorcery. I don’t know the method, either, though I'd likely be able to understand it after spending enough time analyzing it.”
“There's a sorcery even you don't know?” Perserque asked, surprised. “How about the enemy? Who are they?”
“The enemy?” Davey sighed and slowly looked at Perserque. “Let’s stop that thing in the sky before worrying about that. If the Gate of the End opens after Kouna went through all that trouble purifying the area, all that effort's going to be wasted.”
Perserque couldn't help but wonder how things had ended up like this. Then, she clenched her teeth. “Davey, I honestly don't think this is your concern or responsibility anymore.”
He was surprised to hear that from her. “Hm?”
“It was already ridiculous from the start that they chose to saddle you with this burden. Let's go back to meet Solomonia and let him deal with this.”
Davey, who had initially been reluctant to do the job, resolutely declared, “No, let's keep going.”
Her eyes widened seeing his resolve. “You're not doing this because of Kouna, are you? If you’re just worried she might get hurt...”
“No. It's not just her problem.” Watching the sky tear and meteorites fall one by one, he slowly continued, “You said there was a being creating the black swamp, right?”
She flinched, sensing that he was going to say something shocking. “Yes, I did.”
He let out a deep sigh and said in a low, quiet voice, “Well, that being is Darian.”
Her eyes widened into saucers.
* * *
The sky tore open and large meteorites fell.
It wasn't some sorcery that summoned meteorites. Were it such a simple mechanic, it wouldn't have been a system Woochi and Davey had never seen before.
The magic Darian cast was a taboo that shouldn't be touched, as it distorted the rules existing in the dimension's firmament.
The giant was panicking at the sight.
“Sky! Fire! Fire fall from sky!!”
“Looks hot hot!! Mess up, my place will poof!!”
For now, they were only small meteorites. However, as time passed, larger and larger ones would begin to fall. As the elements maintaining the dimension's firmament continued to break down, the atmosphere, land, and every other force sustaining the world would eventually collapse.
“Haah. Haah.” Kouna, panting heavily, sank to the ground, her face pale. No matter how outstanding her will was, the range she could affect with her power was narrow. “Did... did I do well?”
Even with everything else going on, she couldn't help but ask if she had done well. Perserque sighed, and Davey flicked her on the forehead.
“Kyaak!”
“What do you mean ‘well,’ you dumby?! You want to die from mana exhaustion?!”
It wasn't mana exhaustion, but she had overworked herself to the point where her will had bottomed out.
“B-but I... I did it. I can handle my power to some extent now!” she insisted.
Though, it was very likely she couldn't repeat what she had just done another time.
One success didn’t mean mastery.
“First, I’ll analyze and break that darned sorcery. You guys just need to block the falling meteorites until then.”
“There are too many. Since you can't interfere much with this dimension either, I’ll be overwhelmed doing it all by myself,” Perserque muttered gloomily.
She'd used a lot of mana, and the sorcery’s range was too vast. The sorcery was only a gateway, and the pouring disaster didn't consume power like her spells did.
In other words, Perserque was at an overwhelming disadvantage when it came to energy efficiency.
It was an insane attack to use.
“Fairy lady! We help!”
“We smash!!”
The giant slowly got up and ran toward a massive boulder.
“Cooperate!!”
“Do together!! My home no destroy!!”
The two heads, who usually fought, took a deep breath simultaneously.
Krrrrk!!!
At the same time, massive veins bulged on the giant’s skin. It picked up a boulder the size of its body and let out a great battle cry.
“Urararara!!”
Thud!!!
The boulder, infused with power far beyond anything the giant normally displayed, shot into the sky and slammed into a massive meteorite.
Both the meteorite and the boulder shattered on impact, unable to withstand the immense forces colliding against each other, before fragments rained down from the sky.
The giant couldn't stop the downpour completely, but it could drastically reduce the damage.
“Have guys who help me! Me ask for help!” the giant said, panting heavily.
“How long will it take to break apart that sorcery?” Perserque quickly asked Davey.
“I need to analyze everything from the ground up first.”
Perserque's face hardened at his answer, despairing as she asked, “Then... we’re talking days?”
“One hour,” he solemnly answered.
“Huh?” Surprised, she stared at him with a blank look.
“Perserque, I was taught by the world's best sorcerer. Sticking to something for more than an hour would be a blow to my pride.”
She nodded blankly at his words, then chuckled. “Right... That's more like the Davey I know.”
Davey turned to the side. “Kouna, I can't focus on anything else while I’m breaking the sorcery, so I won't be able to help you two.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not sure exactly what your power is, but if you use it well, you might be able to replenish Perserque's mana.”
“I'll do my best,” she replied, nodding her head.
“Remember—you need to prioritize your safety. Getting into trouble by overusing your power is absolutely unacceptable.”
He hadn't intended to get so deeply involved in the dimensional business Solomonia had thrown him into. However, once he discovered Darian was the one responsible for all of it, and after hearing what he had said, Davey felt obligated to track him down and give him the beating of a lifetime.
Riffle riffle!!
Thousands of talismans flew from his hand. They spun through the air as if forming a barrier, while arcs of electricity crackled and echoed throughout the area. At the same time, they formed into countless shapes that floated in the sky as if the patterns were alive.
‘I see what’s going on now.’
He was dealing with a blend of his and Woochi's forms of sorcery, overlaid with Darian's own qualities.
Spells weren't typically something one could just make if one wanted to, but Darian seemed to have accomplished just that.
‘Wait, wait. I don't know if it's really Darian.’
Darian was still a very young child. There was something off with the idea that the Darian he’d just met and the Darian who could barely talk were the same entity.
It was more likely that he was a being from the future like Abel, or a version of Darian from a parallel world.
‘First, I’ll destroy that damned spell.’
Davey let out an immense amount of energy and began to hack at Darian’s spell. It somehow struggled and rampaged to resist.
“Nope. You've still got a long way to go, my dear boy.”
* * *
Back when Davey had just left for the bubble world, Darian toddled into Davey's room.
He slowly reached out as he looked at his sleeping mother and father, along with Kouna, who were all wearing VR equipment.
“Dada. Dada.”
Though slightly slurred, he poked Davey's cheek and giggled, clearly enjoying himself. Then, he crawled onto the bed and nestled into Perserque's arms.
“Mama.”
After pondering for a moment, he tugged on Davey and Perserque's arms, making them hug him tighter. He then made a happy face.
As Darian burrowed and wriggled like a kitten clinging to its mother, something caught his eye. It was the virtual world connection gear that his sister Willow had made.
After silently looking at it for a few moments, Darian crawled off the bed and toddled over to grab it. Once he reached it, his eyes flickered, and he slowly put it on.
He plopped down and began to press random buttons, inadvertently activating it.
Poof!!
Then an amazing thing happened. Something black emerged from within him, only to be sucked into the virtual world.
Darian, who didn't know what he had done, continued to press the buttons. When nothing was sucked in like before, he became bored and roughly tossed it off.
“Ooo. Nuthing... no fun.”
He then toddled back to the bed and snuggled into his parent’s arms, falling fast asleep.
* * *
In the quiet room, Darian could see many pale figures facing him.
“We succeeded in driving out wrath after pride... but benevolence was also thrown out in the process,” one figure lamented.
“That was the only way to shake off wrath,” another figure insisted.
“We don't have time. If we don't quickly shake off the rest of them, the end will awaken.”
“If the end awakens, we'll all disappear.”
“That's why we awakened. To prevent that.”
Darian’s head tilted, unable to understand what the pale figures were saying. “Mama... where Dada?”
He simply couldn't understand why he was there. Then, one of the pale figures slowly approached and hugged him.
It was a woman's figure. She gave him a warm feeling.
“Saintess, don't interfere with the main body.”
“Just a little bit, please forgive me.”
“It's one of the least probable possibilities anyway.”
“Keehehehehe... Well, how likely is it that a boy becomes a girl and turns into such a benevolent Saintess?”
“Don't tease. It's not impossible, just improbable. I might be the one to gain the greatest power in the end, you know.”
“Father will take that well.”
“I don't know about that. He's not the type to love his children based on gender, is he? Oh, of course, he'd be furious if he saw me devote myself to the Goddess.”
The figure put Darian down from her arms and assumed a praying posture.
“Consider yourselves lucky. If God Neltarid hadn't given our possibilities a will, we don't know what would've happened with all our possibilities getting mixed up in the blink of an eye.”
“We were lucky that a virtual space where we can chase out the problematic possibilities appeared.”
“Yes. This way, we can avoid the worst possibility.”
“Conversely, they'll think we're a nuisance.”
“But it's also true that because this happened, the possibility of the end gained great power. We must use every means possible to stop that.”
After saying those words, the figures grew even fainter. Darian listened to their conversation and began to whimper, “Ooh... Mama... Maamaaa!!”
“Oh, dear! We need to send the main body back quickly.”
“More importantly, I want to quickly get rid of lust...”
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