Chapter 193

CHAPTER 28 Wraith Cerceus wears an ethereal expression as he gazes at Mash before the table hidden under a white cloth. “Conflict… War… It’s absurd. Wouldn’t you agree?” “Tsk. What the hell do you want?” “Throw down your sword, Mash. That thing’s dangerous. The tip is pointy, and it hurts when you touch it.” I’m shocked by the words that come out of the mouth of the God of Swords. Mash stares at him in mute amazement as if he felt the same. “Why is this geezer spouting the obvious to me? You better not say you know me, too, because I’ve heard enough bullshit for one day.” “You’ve gone astray. Nothing I say now can change that. Which is why I have this.” Cerceus vigorously pulls the white cloth, revealing a large, glorious chocolate cake sitting on the table. Wh-what an amazing cake! Cerceus really put a lot of work into it! “I put everything I had into this chocolate gâteau. Sweets have the power to heal even a heart of stone… Mash, you’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?” Cerceus smiles while placing a knife and fork on the table. “Come! Have a slice of cake with me!” Th-this must be Cerceus’s way of trying to save Mash! He really put a lot of thought into this! But I wonder if this really would be enough to change him! My concern is well founded, it seems. Mash glares at the cake as if it were garbage. “What’s that? A pile of shit?” “…?! No! It’s chocolate gâteau!” “Tch. I wonder if you’ll still think you’re so funny when I smash it!” “Wh-what?! No, don’t! I worked really hard to make this for you! At least have one bite!” “Silence!” Cerceus screams as Mash raises Igzasion into the air, but there is someone who moves even quicker than Mash. “Atomic Split Slash!” A thunderous roar follows after the sudden impact. Seiya has swung his sword once vertically, destroying not only the cake and table but pulverizing the ground into dust as well! As Cerceus and I are being blown away by the shockwave, we shout: ““Why’d you smash it?!”” “It was an eyesore and would only get in the way during battle.” Mash’s nose twitches. “I—I’ve had enough of your stupid games! I’m gonna slice each and every one of you into tiny pieces!” Eek! Things are just getting worse! A black aura rises from Mash’s body as he brandishes his sword, and the crest of the dragon begins to give off a sinister glow. “Heh-heh-heh. Let me show you the ability I gain by equipping the holy sword Igzasion: Full Haste.” By the time I hear a thud from Mash kicking off the ground, he’s already right in front of Seiya, who has been cautiously keeping his distance. “Seiya!” I scream in a panic, but Seiya, already a berserker, blocks Igzasion with two swords. Their blades screech as they lock, but Seiya is being pushed back. And yet, his expression hardly changes, despite the fact that wounds caused by Igzasion can’t be healed. “I see. So that speed is the result of Igzasion’s power as well.” “It’s an ability given only to the wielder of Igzasion, just like the one I used to neutralize your move. It increases my legs’ strength several times over the moment I activate it.” “Oh? You can specifically increase your leg strength, huh? I will keep that in mind.” “You’ll ‘keep that in mind’? That won’t be necessary…because you’re about to die!” Mash swings Igzasion at Seiya so quickly that I can’t even see it. It’s a furious blow utilizing little more than brute strength, but Seiya blocks the attack with both swords, then repels Mash’s blade. It’s a strange sight to see. Mash, whose adventure with us came to an end before he ever got the chance to prove himself in battle, is having no problem keeping up with the Hero who even defeated the Demon Lord, Ultimaeus of Ixphoria. Rosalie clenches her teeth and says: “Igzasion is most likely increasing the Dragon Lord’s power severalfold as well.” “It can deactivate his opponents’ abilities, increase his stats—what can’t that sword do?!” whines Cerceus. The violent sounds of swords clashing fill the air. Each one of Mash’s attacks slowly pushes Seiya back. S-so this is the holy sword Igzasion that Elulu gave her life for! You wouldn’t even need to use Gate of Valhalla to defeat Thanatos or the Demon Lord with that! Mash swiftly swings the rainbow-glittering blade. Seiya blocks it with his swords, but one of his blades suddenly begins to crack! “Th-the Hero’s sword…!” “Whoa! That sword was a really high-quality weapon from the underworld, though! This is not looking good!” Rosalie and Cerceus are panicking… “Don’t worry. He has a spare.” I’m totally calm. Seiya throws his broken sword at Mash while simultaneously unleashing Hellfire. He then creates a safe amount of distance between them before throwing his other damaged sword to the ground and reaching behind his back. By the time Seiya brings his hands back around, he is holding two new swords. “Double Wind Blade!” He immediately unleashes two blades of air, but Mash notices the distortion, casually turns his body, and dodges them. The only reason the move almost hit him was probably because Mash was hardly concerned. His smug grin is more than proof of that. “It looks like you weren’t lying about being a Hero. I’ve never seen a human move like this before.” Seiya uses this moment to move away from Mash once again. Mash seems amused as he watches the Hero cautiously strike before immediately jumping back. “Heh-heh-heh. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a formidable opponent. Elulu’s going to be thrilled.” “E-Elulu?! What are you talking about?!” A white hand suddenly appears behind Mash, and before I even realize it, the redheaded woman in the light pink dress is standing behind him. I-it can’t be…! She draws her lips toward Mash’s ear and whispers: “Kill them, Mash. The human, the gods, the Hero—all of them.” “Yeah, I know. I’ll make sure they suffer as much as possible while I’m at it.” So…that’s Elulu?! For some reason, Mash and I seem to be the only ones who can see her. I didn’t even realize that was Elulu, though, and it’s not only because she’s an adult now like Mash. It’s because her eyes are empty cavities and her cheeks are sunken in like a wraith’s. Mash’s eyes are filled with hatred as he glares at Seiya. “Elulu’s suffering won’t end until every last demon and human are dead.” “Hmm… It sounds as if you regret turning Elulu into the holy sword, so you’re taking your anger out on humans and demons. You’re a fool.” “What did you just call me?!” “‘Until every last human is dead,’ was it? A shame that isn’t going to happen, since I’m going to kill you first.” “I’d like to see you try, Hero.” “Of course. That is my job, after all.” Seiya changes his stance, and Mash tilts Igzasion in front of himself to act as a shield. “Automatic Phoenix Infinity.” A flame-like aura suddenly bursts out of Seiya’s body. Countless fiery birds instantly materialize and take shape until hundreds, if not thousands, are circling the sky over the dilapidated chapel. H-h-h-how many of them are there?! Seiya uses Automatic Phoenix quite frequently to clean up leftover enemies or to scout, but I’ve never seen him create this many before. “What power… I haven’t been this excited in a long time.” Mash sounds like he really loves to fight. His lips curl in anticipation as he watches the throng of Phoenixes roam the sky. But the countless firebird suddenly scatter in all directions! They fly away from us, heading to who knows where. “Wh-what the hell…?” Mash is left in openmouthed astonishment…but seriously! What was that?! Where did they all go?! What was even the point of making all those?! “I’m going to kill you. But now is not that time.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “I have a good idea of what you’re capable of. That is all I need for today. The next time we meet will be the day you die.” Seiya reaches into his pocket and pulls something out. The moment he throws it on the ground, a thick cloud of smoke emerges with a pop! A—a smoke screen?! Someone sternly grabs me by the wrist within the smoke, and I suddenly hear Seiya’s voice by my side: “We’re retreating, and you’re turning invisible as well. Igzasion’s effects have worn off already.” O-oh… We can use Invisibility again… Wait. Why did Seiya have a smoke bomb when he can turn invisible?! How cautious can you be?! “B-but Seiya, there’s no way we can clear our minds like this!” “You don’t need to do anything.” “Huh?” “Invisible Round.” In the blink of an eye, Cerceus and Rosalie vanish into thin air! And when I hold out my hand, I can’t see it, either! “What the…?! Why am I invisible without even doing anything?” “It’s one of my moves. I turned all three of you invisible.” A move that can turn other people invisible?! O-ohhh! So that’s why Seiya didn’t double-check our Invisibility before we left! It’s because he could turn us invisible whenever he wanted! How little does he trust us?! “Rista, get rid of the gate you just made. We’re going to head back to where Rosalie’s teleportation circle is.” “O-okay!” I—I have to hurry, or… Wait… Why isn’t Mash coming after us? “I—I’m gonna kill every one of you little shits!! Graaaaaahhhhhh!!” Mash suddenly yells from beyond the smoke, sending a shiver down my spine. “Wh-what’s going on?” “I took advantage of the smoke and had my Phoenixes come back to distract him.” “So that’s why you made them…!” “Come on. Let’s get out of here before our invisibility is removed again.” Seiya, while invisible, pulls me along by the hand. I can hear Mash furiously shout in the background as we jog ahead. “All right, if that’s how you want to play, little Hero! Demons are already on the verge of extinction! The world will soon be ruled by dragonewts once I destroy that annoying barrier around Iglu! The next time we meet, I’m gonna rip out that Goddess’s eyes and shove them down your throat!” “…?! Um… Seiya?! Mash is saying some pretty scary stuff!” “He’s just mumbling to himself. Don’t worry about it.” I’m pretty sure that was more than just talk, but the farther we run, the more distant his voice becomes. After returning to where we first appeared in Nakashi Village, I immediately open a gate, then call out to Cerceus and Rosalie to make sure they’re there before returning to the underworld. Seiya removes our invisibility when we reach Uno’s house. Cerceus and I head straight to the living room and immediately drop to the floor from exhaustion. Seiya, on the other hand, sits Rosalie down on the sofa and begins examining her wounds. At first, I thought he might be worried about her… “Interesting. It was only a few moments ago, yet the wounds appear as if they were several years old. The bleeding has stopped, but the arm can’t be regenerated. Crushing Wound… It’s probably similar to a curse.” But he is just calmly analyzing Igzasion’s ability. Seiya ordered Rosalie to attack, and it cost her an arm… It wouldn’t be unreasonable to be furious in the least, and yet she seems apologetic. “Please allow me to apologize for my blunder! I was unable to kill the Dragon Lord!” “Can you materialize your demon arm like this?” “I will give it a try!” As Rosalie unleashes her demonic powers, a reddish-black arm appears from what is left of her severed arm. But when she seals away her demonic powers, the arm disappears as well. “Good. It appears you won’t have any problems in battle.” “Yes, sir!” “I’m glad you’re alive.” “H-Hero…!” A dash of crimson spreads across her cheeks. D-does he really feel that way? There’s something fishy going on! Cerceus, who was idly watching the exchange, suddenly chimes in as if he has realized something. “By the way, Seiya, why did you not tell us you could turn everyone invisible like that?” “Because you wouldn’t have taken your training seriously otherwise. After all, there could be a time when you need to turn invisible and I’m not around.” “Oh, that makes sense. Anyway, the move surprisingly isn’t that useful. Igzasion’s ability immediately blew our cover.” “Even if I can’t use it against Mash, the move was worth learning for hiding from ordinary people or weak enemies.” Hearing Mash’s name seems to make Cerceus think back to the fight as he looks up at the ceiling. “Mash… He used to follow you around like a puppy, calling you Master Seiya. It’s hard to believe that’s the same guy.” “Mash was my pupil in the original world. That thing we saw was nothing more than a twisted illusion, and I won’t hesitate to kill it.” Seiya stands up from the sofa and glances at me. “I used up a large amount of mana when I created those Automatic Phoenixes, so I’m going to take a nap.” Seiya’s definition of “large amount” usually means “a little” to most people, but I’m feeling mentally exhausted as well, so I’m extremely grateful for the break. After leaving the living room, I head to my room when… “Rista.” Seiya suddenly calls out to me from behind. Nobody but Seiya and I are here in the hallway, but it isn’t romantic at all. He’s frowning. “Never risk your life for an illusion again.” “So you really aren’t worried about Rosalie, huh?” “I’m glad that she ended up surviving. I can still use her, and if possible, I want her to sacrifice herself during the final battle against Mash.” “Th-that’s not something a Hero says!” “Hmph,” grunts Seiya as he heads to his room. I’m the one who stops him this time, though. “Wait! I saw Elulu standing behind Mash during battle! She was an adult!” “I didn’t see a thing. Are you sure you weren’t imagining things?” “M-Mash was talking to her in the middle of battle. Remember? That must have been her spirit! I was probably able to see her because my Appraise ability was powered up! Anyway, Elulu told him to ‘kill the human, the gods, and the Hero’!” “So Igzasion harbors Elulu’s spirit, which is haunting Mash like a ghost? It’s questionable, but I will keep that in mind as a possibility.” “I wonder what made Elulu like that…” “She was sacrificed for Igzasion. The unimaginable pain she suffered was probably enough to twist even Elulu’s personality. Regardless, it’s nothing to concern yourself over. Everyone in that world is an illusion. That’s all a warped world is.” “Seiya…” “Don’t feel anything for them. Got it?” After parting ways with Seiya, I head to my room alone and lie down on the bed. It’s all…just an illusion, huh? I think back to Mash stomping on Lagos’s corpse while spewing hatred, and Elulu’s lifeless face, sending a chill down my spine. I can’t comment on Rosalie, but…those two are definitely not Mash and Elulu. Seiya’s right. What I need to do is fix this distorted world as quickly as possible for the real Mash and Elulu’s sake as well! Finally understanding that makes me feel a little better, and in the midst of my thoughts, I fall asleep. …I suddenly hear someone calling my name in the darkness. “Ristie.” It’s an extremely familiar voice. “Elulu…?” But it isn’t Elulu, the wraith. It’s the innocent voice of the adorable little girl who I went on an adventure with. “Rista, come on. Save us. Please.” Another familiar voice. It’s Mash’s sobbing voice in need of my help. “It hurts, Rista. Help. Please. I beg of you.” But when I look around, all I can see is darkness. They are nowhere in sight. “…Ha?!” I fling my body up in bed and open my eyes. It’s still dark outside the window. I’m guessing not even an hour has passed. Wh-what the hell? Why did I have a dream like that? Just when I had finally sorted out my feelings and made up my mind… “…Ristie.” I hear a sudden voice, and my heart leaps out of my chest. Elulu, still a child, is crouched over in the corner of my room and crying! “Wh-what?! This is a dream! No, this is an illusion!” “Ristie, listen. Seiya’s right. But…” Elulu looks up at me with tear-stained cheeks and sobs: “The world isn’t going to be saved if you continue down this path.”