Chapter 49

Eve stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the letter containing the secret that her mother had given her.

Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Eve, lying in Levi's arms like a fragile little princess, was now like a precision instrument running beyond its capacity. Her body radiated heat far exceeding that of a human, and without Levi's support, she could not even stand.

"…Did you… kill it?"

The girl in his arms let out a pitiful sigh. No matter how harsh Levi was, he could not scold her for acting recklessly at this moment. After all, everything Eve did was to help him. Seeing her weakened state, a strange feeling welled up in Levi's heart.

"Yes, well done."

Levi smiled in approval at Eve but slowly backed away without showing any signs. The attack was perfect; even a dragon would find it hard to escape the call of death. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough...

"Haha! Wasted effort! My Berserker can't possibly be defeated!"

If Tohsaka Shinji were to be a sports commentator, he would undoubtedly be a failure. His loathsome hysteria alone would surely provoke the audience to throw tomatoes at his face.

Ignoring the comedian who looked like a drowned rat in the seawater, Levi held Eve and stared intently at the mass of flesh not far away. He slightly raised his arm to block the girl's view. He didn't want the scene, which resembled a bizarre and terrifying crime, to leave any shadows on this little princess.

The Twelve Labors, worthy of the trials endured by the most arduous of heroes, Heracles, possessed the ability to regenerate even when divided into countless fragments. The blood and flesh, as if poured from a blender, were drawn together by some force, quickly coalescing into a dark red, amorphous mass. The living blood mud writhed before Levi, gradually forming the original outline of the giant, as if to demonstrate the evolution of primitive life in an instant.

"Roar!"

The Berserker, finally restored to his original form, let out a bestial roar. His lifeless eyes exuded a strong scent of blood as he picked up the rock sword. Deprived of reason did not mean he lost all senses. The successive attacks had thoroughly enraged the Greek hero. His relentless charge was not just to obey his Master's command but also to prove the glory he represented. He wanted to show the world the honor of the mighty Heracles!

Holding Eve, Levi could not move as nimbly. However, he relied on his peculiar ability to manipulate space, escaping from fatal attacks time and again. But this teleportation, like Eve's body transformation, consumed a vast amount of mental energy. This was why, despite having such a stealthy ability, Levi rarely used it frequently in battles.

The giant, catalyzed by madness, reached a state of insanity most fitting for his class. The power he exerted now truly represented the majesty of the mighty Heracles.

His innate keen sense of smell allowed the giant to accurately determine Levi's location almost every time, leaving him no chance to catch his breath. He dared not stay in one place, only able to overextend his nearly exhausted mental energy despite the severe pain in his head.

—Not good!

Already running into the forest, leaning against a tree, and preparing to teleport again, Levi suddenly felt a heavy blow to his head, followed by a brief blankness. He knew it was a symptom of overusing his mental energy. But when he slightly recovered, he found the monstrous beast already right in front of him!

—Too late!

"Levi!"

Accompanied by the girl's scream, the rock sword, almost as large as Levi's body, swung in front of him. It was about to crush both him and Eve into a bloody pulp. At the last moment, the black decorative gun, which had been hanging near his thigh, appeared in the path of the giant's sword.

Worthy of being Levi's long-time companion, the gun remained undamaged even under the full force of the mighty Heracles, perfectly blocking the rock sword.

"Hmph."

The black decorative gun did its job well, but its user did not have a body as hard as metal. Although he managed to recover in time and teleport to avoid the sword's remaining force, the Levi who reappeared from a distance had no strength left to fight.

The weapon fell at the feet of the Berserker, as Levi's right shoulder and below were completely shattered. The gushing blood was the only proof that an arm had once been there.

"Levi! Your arm…"

Without her right hand, Eve could only勉强 stand, leaning against Levi, staring blankly at the still bleeding wound.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry…"

The girl tore her dress to bandage Levi's wound, tears streaming down her face, soaking his chest.

The scene was touching, but the beast acting on instinct had long forgotten human emotions. The Berserker did not give them any time to catch their breath. With the excitement of finally achieving a victory, the giant raised his rock sword and charged again!

"Ahh!"

Eve, who had already stepped into despair, was no longer silent. Levi, who held her, swept away his previous tension. Looking at the girl in his arms, who had closed her eyes and was crying, he smiled with relief.

"Roar! Roar!"

With the momentum of his charge, the Berserker's full-force strike was suddenly caught by a hand that appeared on the sword's hilt.

It was a pair of delicate hands, even smaller than Eve's, like those of a child. The pale skin, though frighteningly pale, did not show any unnatural color even under the weight of the giant's sword.

Even if Heracles' reasoning ability remained, he probably could not understand the scene before him. A tiny hand, barely covering his eye, held the rock sword so firmly that he could not pull it out no matter how hard he tried.

"Phew, you finally decided to show up."

Seeing her appearance, Levi finally relaxed. He ignored the Berserker, who was glaring at him from close range, as if he were lying on a comfortable bed, and fell backward.

The short battle had drained his physical and mental strength. Knowing he had survived the hands of the most famous Greek hero, the mighty Heracles, this man, often criticized for his lack of ambition, closed his eyes in peace.

Holding a cute girl, lying on the comfortable grass in the forest, anyone who saw this scene would probably envy Levi's good fortune. No wonder a relieved smile hung on his lips.