Chapter 56

EP.56 The Frenzy of Derailment - 4

It feels like Toga is about to appear.

Is it because the girl in front of me died instantly in just three seconds?

Is it because the girl's body was so grotesquely fused into a monster?

No. Ariasphil knew the most disgusting answer.

Just acknowledging it would make her feel so nauseous that she would die.

“...”

Ariasphil remains silent.

“Don’t you have any feelings? Or is it because the performance is still lacking?”

Togasa smiled at Leonardo’s face and pushed away the modified girl.

“Would your feelings change if we played together? Since she’s a girl, let’s play some pretend.”

“...Grrr...!”

The modified human let out a roar and charged at Arias.

It wasn’t threatening, but...

Whoosh

Ariasphil couldn’t counterattack.

“Not counterattacking? Did you like the clay doll I gave you?”

Arias had the advantage in both speed and power. If she switched from defense to offense, she could decapitate the target instantly.

“Grrrr...!!”

But Ariasphil didn’t attack. She focused all her posture and movements on defense and evasion.

“Gh... Save... me...”

The moment it was confirmed that all these monsters were once people, Ariasphil couldn’t bring herself to decapitate them.

[...Arias... you’ll die...]

[But... people... and...]

Arias herself had directly killed her brother. She couldn’t bring herself to decapitate a girl who had done the same.

If she were to cut any further, it would pile up more sins.

Ariasphil couldn’t bear it.

[I understand. Arias.]

This time, vines sprouted from the ground. The earth and plant spirits grew the vines to bind and subdue the monster.

“Hey, spirit magic~ It’s not a good match for me~”

“...You... you...!!”

Arias charged at Togasa with genuine anger. There was no need for guilt in killing such a creature.

“Why? Don’t you like my work?”

“Shut up...!!”

Arias’ sword strikes were fast and accurate, even in her rage. Even Togasa, skilled in assassination and murder, couldn’t avoid Arias’ sword and was injured.

“To make people like that...! And you can say such things?!”

“Haha, this is really too much.”

Togasa healed the injuries and transformed his hand into a blade.

“You’ve killed too, haven’t you? Why do you speak so boldly like a hero?”

At that moment, Arias’ thoughts froze. The first monster she had decapitated and the girl’s brother paralyzed her mind.

“You’re a murderer too.”

The girl had thought the same thing and looked at her.

“Haha! Your weakness is so obvious. There’s no twist.”

Saying that, Togasa grabbed Arias’ stomach.

“This is the twist.”

Suddenly, a pain was felt, as if each cell was being picked up and rewoven with tweezers.

“Gah!”

Arias’ aura exploded. The pressure of mana and wind pushed back Togasa’s innate magic.

“You instinctively defended yourself. If you were a bit slower, it would have been more interesting.”

Even though she defended, it didn’t nullify the impact. The pain still lingered in her stomach.

The excessive amount of aura she emitted also contributed to the pain.

“Should we change the strategy?”

Togasa extended his arms again and launched his innate magic. The longer the arms, the easier it was to dodge the trajectory.

“I told you, it’s an important twist.”

The extended hands grabbed the two subdued monsters, still alive but bound.

“I don’t leave any materials behind.”

The two monsters melted like wax exposed to fire. With grotesque screams, the two masses fused into a giant.

“Sister who mixes with a stranger in front of her brother, not a bad title, right?”

“...You... demon...!”

It was a nauseating evil.

Not just a human who doesn’t feel guilt for murder.

This murderer genuinely found artistic beauty in fusing living corpses and took pleasure in the reactions of those who watched.

Arias felt the stench deep in her heart.

“Why? In the end, it’s also your fault for not killing them.”

At that moment, something in her rationality tightened. It wasn’t due to aggressive emotions like anger or hatred.

“...No...!! I...!”

“Really? Did you really refrain from killing them out of concern?”

The giant punched. The harmony of the two heads connected to the body was almost a wail.

“You just didn’t want to dirty your hands. You didn’t have the courage to bear the sin of murder.”

“No...!! No, I didn’t!!”

Strong denial was met with a helpless affirmation. The madness emitted by the maniac was gradually affecting Arias, making her sword skills rough and fast.

“By the way, let me tell you something.”

The giant attacked again. She dodged the powerful attack, but the problem was Togasa’s hand coming in for a combined attack.

If it hit, she would definitely be hit. She could barely block it by summoning spirits.

<Fire...>

“You’re a murderer too. Just like me, you’ve committed a sin that can never be erased.”

She lost the ability to communicate. The taut thread of her mind snapped.

Because it was an undeniable fact, Ariasphil couldn’t fill the momentary gap.

“Good material...”

•Arrow Form 9th Type Sa (射) Aim and Fire

The dirty arm was torn off along with the arrow.

“Of course it’s different. Bastard.”

The arrows didn’t stop. Continuous volleys of arrows flew.

“Who the hell are you comparing me to?”

Four arrows simultaneously hit the giant’s two heads and the heart.

“You’re a pleasure killer who murders innocent people, and the lady is a hero trying to stop you. Do you need to be told that?”

The arrows were fired by the fake Togasa and Ariasphil’s knight.

“Why is it bad to not want to kill more? I like a lady who values life, even in such a situation. I really like such an Ariasphil.”

Leonardo continuously threw fireballs. Three fireballs hit Togasa directly.

Boom, Boom

Togasa was slightly pushed back by the explosion’s impact. He was only pushed back by the shock, not killed or dismembered.

But it was enough for a smokescreen. The heat and smoke from the explosion obscured the view.

“So, it doesn’t matter if you’ve already killed or will kill. Even if the lady’s sin lasts a lifetime, I’ll bear it with her for a lifetime.”

Declaring this, Leonardo ran to the smokescreen. He then started running, holding Arias’ hand.

“Hold on tight. We’re jumping.”

“Wh... What?!”

Leonardo said this and threw a black stone wire at the building.

The extended wire contracted, pulling Leonardo into the air.

“...Leonardo... where...? No, how...!”

“I’ll answer when we’re farther away.”

With a short answer, Leonardo ran on the rooftops and roofs, putting as much distance as possible between them and the scene.

During this time, Ariasphil saw. No, she couldn’t help but see.

The injuries on Leonardo’s body, from minor to severe, and even fatal if not treated.

She felt ashamed of her own collapse due to mere guilt.

“...Here... they won’t find us immediately.”

“Leonardo... your injuries...”

The wounds he had barely staunched had long reopened from the jump. The bloodstains on his clothes seemed to indicate the extent of his pain.

“Lady, please heal me with spirit magic first. If you heal me, I’ll be fine.”

“...Okay...”

Ariasphil started calling the spirits around her with mana. She gathered as many as she could, and the spirits of the world began to surround Leonardo.

“Heal... Leonardo.”

[I understand.]

[I’ll help.]

[I’ll do my best.]

The spirits answered and granted healing power to Leonardo. Broken and shattered bones realigned, and torn and split wounds began to heal.

‘...The blood itself isn’t restored, but this is good enough for now.’

The fact that she had learned spirit magic in a short time and performed high-speed healing was praiseworthy.

“Are you okay?”

“Thanks to you. I would have been in danger if you weren’t here.”

It was a lie. If he had chosen safety, he would have taken refuge in a large building like a magic tower and asked for healing from mages.

“What about... that guy? If you cut him, he’ll heal, and if you touch him, you’ll die.”

“...We have a plan. If it succeeds, we might survive.”

Indeed, it was Leonardo. Always calm and thinking of the next move.

“What plan...”

Crack

Leonardo used an electric spell, lightly hitting Arias’ neck.

“Sorry.”

Arias, who had relaxed, was knocked out by the strong impact.

“...I can’t see you.”

Then he spoke to the invisible spirits around him.

“But please, move Arias to a safe place. As far and as safe as possible.”

There was no response, but it seemed the message was conveyed as Arias floated and moved through the air.

“...Then...”

Leonardo picked up his weapon again.

[...Hey.]

“...”

Leonardo didn’t answer. He just ran back to the scene.

[Answer me.]

“...”

[Answer me.]

The sage demanded an answer. But the boy remained silent.

[What are you planning to do?]

“...Buy time.”

Until Ariasphil could escape.

[Do you plan to die?]

“...”

Silence was affirmation.

[That guy, Zehard, lives in a different world. From the point that his injuries heal through restoration, not regeneration, there’s no chance of winning, and your body is only healed, not your mana.]

A harsh and cold assessment.

All of it was true and bleak.

Still, Leonardo ran.

Soon, Togasa’s monsters appeared, already using other people as materials while they were escaping.

“So, I need to buy more time.”

He cut the enemies. Blood splattered, and flesh was sliced. He tore through the screams and cries with his sword, dealing with the monsters.

[...Then what?]

“...At least Arias can survive.”

His own survival was not a given.

It was a plan based on his death.

[Yeah.]

The sage’s resigned words.

[Is the guilt gone?]

The sword trembled for a moment. He couldn’t even glare at the sage, just killing the enemies.

[If you’re going to die anyway, know this.]

He cut them to pieces.

[What you did isn’t a sacrifice for Arias.]

He beheaded them.

[Arias would rather die fighting with you than survive like this.]

He pierced their hearts.

[You just want to make Arias survive to ease your own conscience. If you die beside her, you’ll really go mad.]

He killed and killed.

[This isn’t a sacrifice, it’s stubbornness. A stubbornness to seek self-comfort in self-pity.]

Finally, the boy exploded.

“Then what should I do?!”

Finally, a monster appeared from behind. As expected.

“To ensure Arias’ survival, this is the only way...!!”

[Yeah, you can save her life. But,]

But from the cut monster, Togasa emerged. Like a snake shedding its skin, Togasa touched Leonardo’s face.

[Did you think about Arias’ feelings?]

The counterattack was too late. Even if he emitted aura beyond his limits, the target was the brain.

Even if he defended, the shock would cause internal injuries and brain damage. There was no way to survive, both mentally and physically.

<...I’m sorry.>

It was an apology and a last will.

[Apologize to her, not me.]

With the sage’s words, Togasa flew away.

What sent Togasa flying was the wind of the sword, a mix of spirit and knight’s sword strike.

“...Leonardo, I’m really angry.”

Arias, who said this, climbed up to the rooftop and stood there.

“Why did you lie?”

Finally, a potion was thrown at Leonardo. It seemed to be a high-quality item from a nearby magic tower’s potion shop.

“...I’m... sorry...”

“For saying you’d stay by my side forever.”

“...Yes?”

A confusing statement. Leonardo asked for clarification.

“...What...”

Arias looked at him with a chilling and brilliant gaze.

“Stay by my side forever. Don’t make a choice. No matter what you do, I’ll keep you by my side. Resistance is futile. Your opinion doesn’t matter.”

No matter what, even death couldn’t separate them.

“You’re mine.”

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