Chapter 197

CHAPTER 116 The Ex-Nobody’s Plan to Rescue the Current Nobody “I have to say…it was an expertly executed surprise attack. The best of its kind,” Alvarto muttered irritably. “After Rogue and Ard fused, I meant to bring up the subject of the two conspicuously absent players. You had the same thought, didn’t you, Olivia?” “Indeed. I’ve been wondering how we’d handle Sylphy Marheaven and Lizer Bellphoenix. But I’d assumed…” “I know. Our mistake was thinking that we had some room to relax after making it through one crisis.” The enemy had smashed their confidence in the most spectacular way. No one but Lizer Bellphoenix could have managed it. “Rogue, what’s your read on the situation? Do you really think Lizer’s under Mephisto’s control?” Alvarto asked. “To be honest…I don’t know.” “I guess that means we need to consider the worst-case scenario.” Olivia nodded quietly. “We’ll draw up our strategy assuming Lizer has defected.” Then she looked at Rogue and posed a question. “Was the goal only to abduct Ard Meteor?” “This is only a guess, but…Mephisto wants to make him his toy. He’ll brainwash Ard completely, then send him out to attack us.” Alvarto sighed. “Ah. Yes, that is the sick sort of game he’d play.” Beside him, Olivia put a hand on her chin. “Yes, but I doubt Ard Meteor will be brainwashed so easily. He’ll be able to stall to some extent.” “W-well in that case, we need to rescue him now!” Ginny cried, hurrying to get the words out. Rogue chose that moment to reveal his strategy to the group. “We will infiltrate the enemy base and recapture Ard Meteor. If we don’t make it on time, I can use my supernatural ability to bring him back to normal. But if Mephisto’s brainwashing is irreversible…we’ll change tactics and go for the bangle.” The Bangle of Devouring was their one ace in the hole against Mephisto. It was currently on Ard’s right wrist. If he fell under enemy control, the fight would be impossible. That’s only if he falls under enemy control, though…, Rogue thought. Among the many possibilities, I can’t tell which one will come true. It’s like I’m grasping in the dark. Even so, the goal was clear. “All right, listen well. This is our first step…” After Rogue explained everything, most of his allies voiced their approval. “It’s painfully simplistic…,” Alvarto remarked. “But there’s no guarantee a carefully crafted plan would work, either.” “Indeed,” Olivia replied. “Lizer will catch wise to any overcomplicated strategy.” Elzard and Ginny remained silent, but from their eyes and body language, it was clear they were on board. As for Verda… She stared at the floor, saying not a word. She’s in no state to come along. “Verda, you stay here.” Rogue’s voice was firm but considerate. She wouldn’t be any help in a fight. If anything, she might hold them back. And Verda knew it, too. She didn’t argue, only nodding in acceptance. I’d love to help her…but we don’t have the time for that. Suppressing the sympathy in his heart, Rogue addressed the group. “Let’s go.” The banality of his words gave them a substantial weight. Everyone nodded gravely, and with that, the operation commenced. “You! What did you do to Ard?!” Ireena’s angry cry rang through the school garden. “First pity, now anger. My goodness, Ireena, we’ve certainly been through the emotional wringer today, haven’t we?” Mephisto’s giddy smile had returned. Freed from his moment of sadness earlier, he carried on as though it were any other day. He was a devil divorced from humanity once again. “A link between past and present consolidated here and now. The Demon Lord, a hero, and an Evil God—the three main characters of the tale we call ancient history, although one’s a descendant. All three have gathered in one place. I just thought we might have a conversation together.” Mephisto’s eyes darted from Ard to Lizer and then back. “Lizer, leave. Ard, sit.” And Lizer obediently disappeared while Ard lowered himself into a chair. The trio sat around the table: an Evil God, the Demon Lord, and the hero’s descendant. Ireena had little awe for the gathering. “Ard! Please! What did he do to you?!” His blue eyes gazed vacantly, never once reacting to Ireena. It was clear that Ard wasn’t his normal self. Mephisto, the cause of this nightmare, leaned back in his chair as he confessed, “I put my darling in a temporary brainwashed state.” “You…brainwashed him?!” “Yup. See, I didn’t want him to play any mind games with me,” he explained. “It was necessary to get the pure, unadulterated truth out of him.” Mephisto’s grin held all the beauty of an angel and all the wickedness of a devil. “You should tell the truth, too. Otherwise, I’ll have to tease my darling’s body.” Faced with the threat to end all threats, all Ireena could do was grind her teeth and glare. “So glad you understand, dear. Now that all the prep work is done…let’s have a little tea party!” Mephisto sipped his tea. “Now, first things first. Ireena, how did you feel when you learned my sweetheart’s true identity?” “Well…at first, I was stunned. But very soon, I realized I didn’t care. Ard is Ard. Even if he was the Demon Lord in his former life, that has no bearing on his life now.” “Hmmm… So you never thought you shouldn’t be friends with him anymore?” “Of course not.” “Weren’t you scared somebody like you wouldn’t be a good match for him?” “If you’d asked me that question a while ago… I might have considered that possibility, yes.” Ireena thought back to her early days at the academy, when she’d been the target of a crime group called Lars al Ghoul. “Elzard kidnapped me, then Ard came to my rescue…and when I saw them fight each other, I realized his strength was beyond a normal human’s.” Ard had frightened Ireena. That was an undeniable fact. However, that wasn’t the whole picture. “A part of me feared him, but another part realized he was just like me. Neither of us is normal. It’s why I can understand his pain.” Ireena was scared of Ard, but her pity for him outweighed that feeling. She knew his powers would repel everyone from him. No matter how many people surrounded him, no matter how friendly he was to them… “Without an equal to stand at his side, Ard would be alone forever. That realization lit a fire in me. I didn’t want him to be alone. I wanted to rescue him. Those feelings extinguished my fear…leaving only determined grit.” She would do whatever it took to stand at his side. Ireena held that feeling with her always. It was her greatest reason for living, and it motivated her actions. That was truer in the present than ever. “I can say with absolute conviction that I will stay with Ard. I understand him best… I’m his best friend.” He’d rescued and protected her countless times. Ireena was more to him than a girl who needed to be saved, though. At times, she rescued and protected him. She no longer stood in his shadow. Ireena knew she stood by Ard as his equal. “Hmmmmmm.” Mephisto narrowed his eyes and propped his elbows on the table. “Well…I’ve known him longer than you.” He had the tone of a child competing for something. And that something was Ard. “Isn’t that right, my sweet? You and I really have been playmates for quite a long time, haven’t we?” “Yes.” “We have a very unique bond between us. Isn’t that right?” “Yes.” “Now, knowing that, I’d like to ask you a question… Between me and Ireena, which one do—?” “Ireena.” …… ………… …………………… The abrupt answer turned Mephisto to stone for a moment. Upon regaining his composure, he smiled and asked his question again. “Between me and Ireena, which—?” “Ireena.” He was even faster this time. “…Aww, you’re so cute when you play hard to get.” “No, he’s just being honest. You made it so he can’t lie, remember?” Despite Ireena’s remark, she was just as confused. What was happening here? “Seriously, Mephisto…what are you after?” The Evil God pouted his lips and said, “Not telliiing. I don’t like you anymorrre.” Ireena couldn’t tell whether he meant it or if he was just messing with her. Why would he entertain such a farce? “Okay then, honey, what about me? How do you—?” Ireena watched as Mephisto lobbed Ard a fresh question. A violent explosion ripped through the air before Ard could answer, though. “Huh…they’re a bit ahead of schedule.” Mephisto shrugged, leaving his question unfinished. He rose from his seat and looked at Ireena and Ard. “He’s come to play with us—my other honey.” “Please forgive me, my school friends.” Rogue wore an anguished expression as he beheld the piles of fallen students. It had been necessary, but he still hated himself for attacking them. Still, he’d managed to reach his goal. “You may have come from another world, but you’re still my honey, no mistaking it,” came a sweet voice. Mephisto Yuu Phegor appeared in the center of the courtyard. His lustrous black hair fluttered in the wind. He wore a brilliant smile. “Oh my. I didn’t think you’d just come to me willingly. Storming in from the front, readying a powerful attack, and reclaiming your friend all in one go—I suppose it’s the best option, considering your team’s combat potential. But it takes real courage to pull off. You’ll be fighting me, after all.” Rogue, Elzard, Ginny, Olivia, and Alvarto would engage Mephisto. Once there was a break in his defenses, one of them would burst through and secure Ard or take the bangle and escape. Mephisto had already deduced their plan. “We knew hasty trickery wouldn’t work on you. This was the best option.” “In other words, you decided to attack me like fools.” Mephisto giggled and spread his arms. “All right, then, I’ll play.” And with that, he unleashed a savage attack, creating countless magic circles in the air. One breath later, the brilliantly colored spells hurled giant bursts of energy. Elemental rain pelted Rogue and the others. Fire, water, and lightning poured down on them in a straight line. “Mega Wall!” Rogue shielded everyone from Mephisto’s attacks with a Defensive spell. And as the torrent of destruction rained down, he muttered, “Too bad…guess the same thing won’t work twice.” He was referencing the time when he’d overpowered Mephisto in an attempt to free Olivia from his corruption. Rogue had only defeated a copy of Mephisto, though. This was the real thing. “My spell will only hold a few more seconds. But that should be just enough.” Rogue had a second plan, one aside from the straightforward assault. Namely, he had duplicates of his own. That’s how he’d defeat Mephisto. Unfortunately, there was a slight catch to his plan. Rogue issued a command to his allies on standby behind him to resolve it. “Mephisto’s magic is endless. You can’t wait it out. His attacks will never stop. I’m going to put magic armor on each of you. Once I give the word, attack as you see fit.” It was pointless to hope for any sort of cooperative attack from his team. Their clashing attributes and differences in power made teamwork impossible. All Rogue could hope for was that pairings might emerge in the midst of the onslaught. “On my mark… Go!” Just as he’d outlined, Rogue encased everyone in protection magic. As soon as the thin membranes of light surrounded the others, they dashed forward without hesitation. Alvarto, Elzard, Olivia, and Ginny ran out from Rogue’s barrier, dashing into the barrage of elemental attacks. Their armor neutralized the heat, cold, and electricity. “Tempest!” In the blink of an eye, Oliva closed the gap and slashed with terrible intensity. It was an extraordinary display of swordcraft. Were Olivia up against an average opponent, they would’ve been cut down before ever seeing the flash of her sword. Unfortunately, she was up against an Evil God. “Whoo! So close!” His golden eyes likely saw her attacks in slow motion. Mephisto easily danced around Olivia’s blade. He jumped behind Olivia and distanced himself from her. “Die.” That’s when Alvarto’s black flames shot at Mephisto from the side. Striking from the flank was the perfect surprise attack. However… “Hoo-hooey!” …Mephisto tumbled backward to dodge, giggling and smiling all the while. He didn’t escape entirely unscathed, though. “Oww! Why is my tummy so hot?!” Clutching his stomach where Alvarto’s flames had grazed him, he tumbled around on the ground. He looked like a clown, but there was no telling which of his antics were earnest and which were in jest. That wouldn’t stop Elzard, though. A golden magic circle appeared in the sky above. “Disappear!” she roared. “Sorry, no can dooooooooooo!” Mephisto sang. “Whoo-hoo!” He flipped, raising his legs to the sky. That simple action instantaneously spawned a tornado that swept away Elzard’s attack. It was quite an absurd way to fight, but Ginny remained determined. “Take this!” she cried. She shot red lightning that arced toward Mephisto at the speed of light. Still, the Evil God proved quicker. He was completely and utterly beyond comprehension in body and mind. “Dinnertiiiime!” He opened his mouth wide, swallowing the lightning. “Oomph?! Ohh, it tingles!” After he’d actually swallowed the red lightning, Mephisto’s body twitched. It was a terribly silly and wicked sight. Seizing the opportunity, Rogue snuck up behind Mephisto while he was distracted. “You’re asking for it.” He stabbed at Mephisto with a conjured sword. The devil would surely dodge, but that wasn’t a problem. This wasn’t an offensive tactic. It was merely meant to stall. As long as Mephisto focused on Rogue and the others, the fight was as good as theirs. While thrusting the blade, Rogue thought, If this can just buy us thirty seconds… Perhaps his mistake was allowing his focus to wander in the middle of combat. Or maybe the battle had simply been lost before it ever began. “Hmmm…it pains me to say this after I was the one who asked you to play, but…” As the sword plunged for Mephisto, he whispered, “Yeah. This is just too boring.” The blade stuck into Mephisto’s back. Rogue gasped in shock. He was sure his enemy would evade. This development was beyond his expectations. As he felt Mephisto’s flesh tear and his bones grate against the metal, Rogue stared wide-eyed. Seemingly feeling the man’s gaze on him, Mephisto sighed deeply and said, “These are highly realistic copies…but they’re not good enough to fool me.” He snapped his fingers. Just one little snap. Everyone but Rogue ruptured and scattered into the air. Their bodies landed in jumbled clumps. A moment after, they transformed into sparkling particles, evidence that they were magical duplicates. “It’s just no fun fighting fakes. Well…guess I’m not one to talk, am I?” Mephisto stuck out his tongue and giggled. Wait, did he—? But before Rogue could finish his thought, his suspicion was confirmed. Mephisto’s body turned into particles of light and disappeared. Rogue’s strategy was a simple diversion. He would go in alone and stall Mephisto. Meanwhile, everyone else would try to save Ard, and failing that, they would reclaim the bangle. That was the entirety of the plan. At least, that’s what Rogue told them. And that was precisely why they all thought the plan had failed. At first, Alvarto, Elzard, Ginny, and Olivia reached Ard without any trouble. He was at an outdoor cafeteria in one section of the campus garden. When they spotted him and saw Ireena was there, too, they were overjoyed. This was a double win. They’d rescue Ard and Ireena. Elzard and Alvarto were in exceptionally high spirits. But it all came crashing down. “Do you think I’m stupid?” came a voice from somewhere unseen. The beautiful tones could only belong to Mephisto. “I don’t think you do, but…I don’t get the sense you’ve planned anything besides this. Figuring out my sweetheart’s plans is much more difficult.” He cocked his head. His lips curled in an amused smirk. Lizer stood behind him, quietly sizing up his opponents. “Mephisto! If you hurt them, you’ll be sorry!” Ireena jumped from her seat, growling at the devil. Ard remained quiet, staring into the empty air ceaselessly. “Ireena, dear, if you’ve grown to hate me, my heart will break… But I suppose I’ve got bigger fish to fry right now.” Mephisto’s words made it clear that, at this point, he harbored no intention to restrain himself. Ireena’s eyes shot open. “Everyone, run! I’ll hold him back!” She cried. “Come to me! Vald-Galgulus!” She stretched her hand to the heavens, and a sword appeared with a crash of lightning. Vald-Galgulus was one of the Three Holy Swords. As she held the sparkling silver blade, she screamed. “What are you waiting for?! Run now!” Nobody heeded her order to flee. If anything, it filled their hearts with the courage to remain. “You want me to run away? You’ve got some balls to say that to me,” Elzard replied. “Miss Ireena!” Ginny shouted. “You know I would never leave you behind!” Olivia nodded. “Indeed. A mentor would disgrace herself if she abandoned her student with her tail between her legs.” “Everyone here is willing to give their lives for you. And I’m no exception,” Alvarto said. Everyone answered Ireena’s compassion with their own. She had asked them to run… …and they unanimously refused. “Y-you guys…!” Her passionate feelings for her friends and the worry that came with it ignited something in Ireena. Mephisto applauded the demonstration. “Friendship—what a beautiful thing. Oh, I’m truly moved.” Then he sighed, his breath filled with adoration and envy. Mephisto pointed at the group. “I want to know what my honey is thinking. I want to know what lies ahead. And beating you all is the fastest way to find out.” The devil smiled, making it plain there was no running from him. No one faltered or let cowardice take their soul, though. They were going to get out of this alive. And they would take their beloved friends with them. Mephisto took a step forward, intent on breaking their spirits. However, he never got the chance, for his reason for living appeared. To Mephisto, a being who could manipulate anything at will, it was no exaggeration to say that anyone who defied his expectations brought him true joy. She came down, the perfect picture of the unexpected, to shake the devil’s heart. She descended from the heavens, tracing an arc as she fell and gripping a Holy Sword. “Dwa-shaaaaaaaa!!!” Sylphy Marheaven arrived on the scene with her signature cry. “Agh! For real?!” The exclamation was proof of Mephisto’s shock. Stunned and unable to react to the unexpected development, he had his head split open by the Raging Champion’s attack. “Mrrnng!” Lizer moved not a moment after Sylphy appeared, yet didn’t swing his giant mace for her. Instead, it smashed down upon the devil. “Whoa! Wha?!” The blow sent Mephisto’s lithe form flying… …toward where he was waiting. He finished his quiet Original chant just in time. Ard Meteor stood ready to meet Mephisto in his ultimate form. “Well, what an incredible surprise.” Ard lunged for Mephisto, blue eyes locked on the monster as he glided toward him. Lizer’s attack had left Mephisto vulnerable, and Ard’s supernatural ability trapped him easily. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t take control and manipulate the one who struck him with a mace. Not even the Evil God could free himself from Ard’s powers. However, this was Mephisto… “Ohhhh, that tee-yee-yingles! But it’s not a problem.” Lizer’s supernatural ability only managed to keep Mephisto still for a few seconds. It was an absolute rule that when struck by Lizer, he lost his powers over life and death. Yet Mephisto forced his will to irrational heights and suppressed the effect. But… “That’s all the time I need!” …everything worked exactly as Ard envisioned. He swung his black sword, forcing Mephisto to block. Between the few seconds Lizer won and the few more Ard bought with this maneuver…