CHAPTER 120 Fight with the Evil God ~Pre-Battle~ They’re coming. They’re almost here. Undoubtedly, I wasn’t the only one who sensed as much. “Well…guess our little teatime together is over.” He gulped down the rest of his tea and set down the cup. A moment later… …jet-black flames swallowed him. It was Alvarto’s attack. The jet-black hellfire consumed the body and spirit alike. Anyone who touched it had their very existence extinguished. But that only applied to ordinary people. This was Mephisto Yuu Phegor. Even a critical hit was of no consequence to that devil. “You always were one for intense greetings.” He was alive and well. Mephisto was irritatingly unscathed. That didn’t seem to trouble anyone, though. My friends stared him down. Ireena, speaking as though she were the group’s representative, declared, “We’ve come to rescue you, Ard.” Her voice was bold, her expression valiant. A soft smile formed on my face. What an intense posture. She betrayed no fear or anxiousness. Her heart was host only to unyielding determination and limitless courage. Ireena nearly seemed the spitting image of Lydia. Actually, she surpassed her. Although impressed by Ireena, I was unable to say anything to her. My body was under Mephisto’s control. I couldn’t thank everyone for coming to rescue me or stop them from going through with this reckless assault. I was helpless. “You’ll have your turn in the spotlight a bit later, my dear. Have fun spectating in the meantime.” Mephisto stood from his chair and approached my friends. “If I was your average self-assured meathead, I’d probably be delighted to face such a powerful group. But I’m not. If anything, I detest contests of brute strength. They’re savage, lack all class, and worst of all…I can’t imagine myself losing. Not in this world, at least.” A game with a guaranteed victory was boring. The victory speech was delivered before the fight ever began. Ireena calmly let the taunting declaration wash over her. “Let me say one thing.” She paused to take a breath. “Let’s just stop this. All of it.” She stared at Mephisto with no hatred for the devil. Her eyes held mercy for a fellow human. “Remember what you told me earlier? You said we can’t coexist. At the time, I agreed… To be honest, I still think it’s probably impossible. But…I’m not the type to give up before trying.” Ireena’s compassion was her main charm and virtue. She approached everyone with openness, no matter who they were, and offered a hand. That quality of hers had rescued me, and the same could be said of Alvarto, Elzard, and the others. Ireena had the power to pull people back up from the abyss, even those seemingly beyond salvation. However, her opponent was a devil. He wasn’t the sort to take an angel’s hand. “How moving, sweet Ireena. You really are so, so…stupid beyond belief.” Mephisto cackled at the love Ireena offered, and at the hand she held out. “Either I disappear from this world, or you and your friends do. There are no other outcomes. I won’t accept any others.” No matter what Ireena said or how she felt, Mephisto wouldn’t budge. “Okay! Now that all the players are here, shall we get started?” He reached his right hand to the sky. A dull light shot from his palm, transforming the surroundings. “First, let’s set the perfect stage.” The manifested scenery was flawless, just as he said. A wasteland stretched to the distant horizon in all directions. The sky wasn’t a brilliant blue. The sun lost its shine, forever masked behind thick, black clouds. This was the Ruined Earth. Here, Mephisto and the other Outer Gods waged war against the Old Gods in an ancient era. Rogue and I met in battle here as well. It was the final stage of the war against Mephisto in the old world. And it was also…where I killed Lydia. “Can you think of a place more fitting than this? I sure can’t! After all, this is where the Demon Lord, the Hero, and the Evil God weaved their entwined destiny, thread by thread.” The Ruined Earth. The very name seemed to imply that something would meet its end here. Either the world or the devil. Faced with the setting of this great battle, Ireena said, “Okay…I’ve changed my mind. I won’t try to save you anymore.” She tightly gripped her Holy Sword, a blade that once belonged to Lydia, and thrust it toward Mephisto. “I will end you, Mephisto Yuu Phegor. To protect my friends’ future…I need you to disappear.” Ireena had cast aside her compassion to prepare herself for what needed to be done. Although she had not done so without great pain. Still, Ireena Olhyde’s gaze was clear and true. She would protect everyone. She would save them. Her resolute heart was that of a true hero. Disaster Rogue, the other Demon Lord, stood ready at her side. As both heroes prepared themselves, the devil looked to each and said, “A contest of brute strength really isn’t my thing…but I’ll make an exception this once.” He grinned, baring his fangs. It was the first time the devil had shown such excitement for battle. His immense aura came off him in terrible waves. As he was now, he truly appeared to be an Evil God in every respect. Mephisto Yuu Phegor, the embodiment of his title, gave one final remark before the battle commenced. “All right, everyone—let’s end this with a fatal fistfight.” The curtain rose on the final battle. Mephisto was quick to seize the first move. “Be crushed.” He flicked his index finger, and the ground beneath Ireena, Rogue, and the others folded upward. With a roaring noise, the earth shot up toward the heavens like giant mountains sprouting from the soil. Then it all came crashing down to crush everyone, as Mephisto had ordered. He displayed an absurd level of strength right from the start. Yet none of my friends so much as flinched in the face of this attack. “Sylphy, with me!” “Copy that!” Olivia held the Demon Blade Elminage, and Sylphy gripped Demise-Argis. The two swordmasters filled their cores to capacity with power and leaped. Their air-splitting jumps catapulted them toward the makeshift mountains, and then… “Hahh!” “Drraaah!” …their slashes created a powerful vacuum wave, which became a giant blade that pulverized the mountains. Earth and stone crumbled to dust and rained down onto the ground harmlessly. Upon landing, Olivia and Sylphy immediately sprang forward. “Mephisto Yuu Phegor!!!” “We’re here to claim your life!!!” Olivia vel Vine, master swordmaster. Sylphy Marheaven, the Raging Champion. When these two warriors, whose names were engraved in history, fought side by side, it was enough to make anyone’s blood run cold with fear. Regrettably, they faced an Evil God. With a calm smile and narrowed eyes, Mephisto said, “I surpassed the greatest swordmaster eons ago. Nothing can shake me.” Mephisto was not his usual, jovial self. This was his true nature. He was a master in all disciplines, meaning everything was worthless to him. As expected, the abomination summoned a silver sword in each hand. “Let me teach you kids a lesson—the essence of swordcraft.” Mephisto lunged to meet Olivia and Sylphy’s attack head-on. The two sides closed in on each other in the blink of an eye. “Tempest!” “Urryaaa!” Olivia and Sylphy’s synchronized strike stole the first hits. Both blades slashed into the devil’s flesh. Mephisto sighed lightly. “Arrival—to wit, the battle is mine.” His two swords danced. I only saw them disappear. Whatever movements they took after that were impossible to follow with the naked eye. By the time I realized what had happened, it was too late. Olivia had been cut diagonally from her shoulder to the opposite side. Sylphy was slashed horizontally across the face. However… “Nn—RARRRRRR!” “Shiii-YAAAAAHHH!” …they wouldn’t be brought down by a single attack. Olivia had thousands of years of experience, and Sylphy’s talents were unparalleled. That’s what had spared them from fatal wounds. They moved in for another attack, proud and high-spirited. Their swords, like Mephisto’s, danced too quickly to track. Each of their forms was an art, terrifying in its beauty. However, the devil didn’t flinch. “Olivia vel Vine, Sylphy Marheaven…” As he dodged their flying thrusts and cuts with the littlest effort possible, he used words to cut them down to size. “You are both unripe.” Demon Blade Elminage and Holy Sword Demise-Argis flew out of their hands, spiraling toward the sky with a sharp sound. They’d been disarmed, and that could only mean one thing. “I know I promised to teach you the essence of swordcraft, but I rescind that offer. Instructing infants is worthless. They’ll never understand.” Mephisto stood too far above everyone else. Olivia and Sylphy were legendary swordmasters, yet to that devil, they were no better than children. Surely, they thought he was going to kill them, judging by their pale faces. I saw a different future as a spectator, though. In that version of events, something stopped Mephisto’s two swords. “Cloverfield!” “Black Mirror Bandersnatch!” While Olivia and Sylphy awaited their doom, the two men chanted their Originals just in the nick of time. Lizer Bellphoenix and Alvarto Egzex joined the battle—Lizer with a giant mace as long as he was tall, and Alvarto with his jet-black Hellfire Sword. They sped forth to meet the devil. Their timing was, in a word, perfection. Mephisto was distracted by Olivia and Sylphy. He didn’t notice the incoming attacks. The others undoubtedly believed Lizer’s and Alvarto’s attacks would connect. It’s why they struggled to process the reality that hit them the very next moment. “Master of the empty fists—conqueror of many battles.” Mephisto loosened his grip on his swords and let them fly. Their projected trajectory through Olivia’s and Sylphy’s torsos veered into an elegant rotation, and the weapons changed targets. Lizer’s and Alvarto’s eyes shot wide. Olivia’s and Sylphy’s faces tensed with dread again. An instant later, a powerful chain attack struck all four of them. It was an astoundingly strong flurry of blows, each strike’s force strengthened by the last’s kinetic force. If this were a harmless contest of strength, I might have burst into applause. That’s just how beautiful Mephisto’s attack was. ““““Nghh…!”””” Yelping pitifully, Alvarto, Lizer, Olivia, and Sylphy were scattered in all directions. The impacts rippling through their bodies damaged their organs, ripped their flesh, and broke their bones. All four of them flew through the air and collided with the ground disgracefully. Any ordinary person would’ve died of those wounds. However, such injuries were still only moderate to ancient warriors. They’d need at least two seconds to recover and prepare to continue fighting, though. That was more than enough time for Mephisto to extinguish them for good. “Check.” An icy intent to kill surged in his gaze. He made it clear to all that this was indeed a fatal battle, as he’d said before. Once he made his move, Alvarto, Lizer, Olivia, and Sylphy would be no more. “Over my dead body!” Ginny shrieked, launching lightning from the tip of her crimson spear. It was a direct hit, but that didn’t mean her attack was successful. The blow was completely ignored. It didn’t even register to Mephisto. Ginny was merely an ant crawling on his shoe. “My dear, that didn’t even count as child’s play.” Just as one of his weapons turned on her, there was a howl from the heavens above. “Scatter! Elder Breath!” Elzard’s attack shot from the clouds to the earth in a blue pillar. It drilled into the ground, swallowing Mephisto in the blink of an eye. The tremendous impact from the attack rippled in all directions with an earsplitting roar. “Dragon magic is truly mighty. The crap demons and humans use can’t compare,” Elzard declared. Her triumph was short-lived, though. The devil cut her confidence in two. “You do indeed have a fair amount of power, as you should, to be called a king of the dragons…but challenging me to a contest of magic is foolish. Even if you are the apex dragon, trying to fight me like this is laughable.” The energy of the pillar that swallowed Mephisto grew with each passing moment. Yet not even that was enough. “Let me remind you who is sorcery’s greatest master.” The devil shot out an attack from inside the raging inferno. The thin beam of light stretching from his fingertips released a force of absurd magnitude, erasing Elzard’s grand attack. The Frenzied King of Dragons opened her eyes wide, silently mouthing, “This is insane…” The half-human, half-dragon’s wings were struck, and she fell. Ginny stood below Elzard, and caught her to spare the dragon a direct collision with the ground. “Are you all right?” “Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t need you to help me,” Elzard muttered, looking away. The two had dealt no damage to Mephisto whatsoever…but without their help, Olivia and the others would’ve died. Ireena and Rogue had healed them, and they were ready to continue fighting. “Back to square one, I guess.” His excitement over demolishing his four opponents in one fell swoop quashed, Mephisto’s face twitched with anger and impatience. To him, winning this battle should’ve been easier than ripping petals off a flower. That’s why he never considered trying to prevent this confrontation. He believed it posed no threat to him. He was an Evil God, a perfect picture of calm. Eyeing the devil critically, Lizer asked Rogue, “What did you observe during the clash?” Rogue frowned bitterly. “We’re just one hand short of making my plan work.” Sweat ran down his brow. They were outmatched, even more than it appeared. This is so infuriating… My friends are in danger. What the hell am I doing? I need to break free from this curse and help them. No sooner did I think as much than… “Yes, quite right, my sweet. You can’t be of any help if you’re just standing there.” …his voice throbbed in my brain. “You understand me better than anyone, which is why you surely know what this battle needs to end.” He was demanding I choose between two things—exactly that. “The time will come. You can be sure of it. Unless you make your decision in time…your little friends won’t possibly have a happy ending.” The devil’s words spread anguish through my heart. I know…I already know what I’m supposed to do. It’s painfully obvious. Rogue’s plan confirmed it. “You know, I wasn’t lying when I said this would be a fatal fistfight. I would’ve preferred you were the star fighter. I wonder if that would change anything. Would you use some sort of trick to outwit me? That part’s unclear. Maybe…we’ll even get an ending nobody asked for.” His last line was filled with a sense of urgency, threatening me to make a decision. “Maybe I should go ahead and make at least one of you disappear?” Mephisto acted as he always did, to steal something else from me. When he took his first step toward my friends… …a crack formed in the air beside him. Something emerged from it with a ringing sound like breaking glass. It was a giant rice ball. A giant clump of white rice bigger than a full-grown man ripped through the fissure in space and struck Mephisto. It was unexpected in a number of ways. The devil blinked in shock. He stood frozen. Then came the impact. Mephisto’s delicate body sailed through the air in a perfect arc. Before he could land… “Whee-hee-heeee! I love saltwater clams!” …a giant, shirtless, middle-aged man burst from the earth and delivered an uppercut. He sent Mephisto sailing into the sky. Another strange creature appeared while he arced through the sky. “Monochro-o-o-o-me!” A giant bird with a cat’s face headbutted Mephisto. And as the demon tumbled down… “All ba-a-a-a-alls are friends of me-e-e-e-e-e-e!” …a half-fish, half-human kicked Mephisto in the head, returning him to the air before finally collapsing into a trash can. Then there was a big explosion. “…What the hell is this?” Elzard muttered. “It’s called absurdist humor, Elzy,” someone answered from the original crack in the air. Someone with blond twin-tails, a tiny frame, and a youthful face emerged. Her lips were curled up in a daring smile. There was no mistaking her. “Lady Verda?!” Ginny exclaimed, her eyes wide. Verda Al-Hazard answered by shouting, “The bri-hi-hilliant! Scholar God! Is back, babyyyyyyyyy!” Her scream activated her supernatural ability. The world began to rearrange itself. Previously desolate earth became a flowering garden. Butterflies danced in the air. Little birds tweeted. All signs of chaos vanished, and the scenery turned properly beautiful. I assumed it was Verda’s way of giving her father a parting gift. She wanted his final sight to be beautiful. Mephisto smiled peacefully at her work of compassion. “Looks like you finally broke through, little pet.” He watched as Verda reconnected with her friends. “Good to see you back,” Olivia said. “Sorry I worried you, Olivia! But I’m okay now!” Alvarto sighed. “Personally, I preferred you depressed. You weren’t as annoying.” “Gya-hya-hya-hya-hya! Oh, stop it. You’re happy and you know it. Oh, Al, you really are a softy, aren’t ya!” “Now that you have arrived, it’s safe to say that our prospects have brightened significantly,” Lizer said. “Yeah, I got’chu, Lizie! Gotta make up for all that time I held it in and let it all run wild!” The Four Heavenly Kings were complete again. Ireena looked rather worried, though. She gripped her Holy Sword a little tighter. Rogue put a calming hand on her shoulder. “Patience. Your turn’s still coming. It’s just been moved back one step.” “Yeah…you’re right. I need to preserve my strength until then.” Ireena took a deep breath and stamped out the flames in her heart. Meanwhile, Rogue issued orders to everyone. “Four Heavenly Kings—attack as you please.” “Aye, sir.” “So, business as usual, although not quite.” “Yes, it would be worth demonstrating how we’ve changed.” “Yeah, we’ve all really grown…in more ways than one.” Rogue nodded in agreement. “Elzard, Ginny, Sylphy—you three take up the rear guard. You’re on defense and guerilla attacks.” “Pfff. Who died and made you emperor?” Ginny sighed. “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt you to be a little nicer, Miss Elzard?” “Yes, be polite, my dear, like me.” ““That means nothing coming from you, Sylphy.”” The other two girls shot back. “Dwa-wa-wa?!” Finally, Rogue turned to Ireena. “You stay here on standby… Wait until I reach our little friend.” A power enhancement from fusion was the main pillar supporting his strategy. Mephisto stood between me and my friends to keep that from happening. He spread his arms wide. “Give it your best shot, Four Heavenly Kings.” That’s when all hell broke loose. Rogue ran in an arc around Mephisto to avoid him. Unsurprisingly, the devil wasn’t about to let that happen. He followed Rogue with his eyes, ready to strike at any second— “Keep your eyes on me—locked on me.” Lizer’s voice prompted Mephisto to leap to one side. The devil was wary of something, and had been forced to take action. It was a lone butterfly, although no ordinary one, of course. It had been buffed by Lizer’s supernatural ability. The little thing flew through the combat zone fast as an arrow…but what was even more terrifying was the power it held. Propagation. When the butterfly got close enough to Mephisto, it turned into a bird. The little creature’s eyes gleamed verdant and brightly. “Until a moment ago, there were no beings on this field that could serve as my pawns. But not anymore,” Lizer said. “Yeah, I can just pop out pawns like there’s no tomorro-o-o-o-ow!” Verda sang. Black holes appeared. A seemingly infinite number of the rifts formed, and a swarm of monsters poured out as one body. Lizer struck the closest one to him with his mace, activating his supernatural ability. And when the buffed monster touched another, the effects of the enhancement passed on and on, until the whole swarm of inexhaustible troops had all been empowered. “Wow…you kids really are the perfect match…” A faint glimmer of anxiousness flashed on Mephisto’s face. Next was the charge. The swarm of monsters. The butterflies. The birds. The ambiguous creatures, great and small, all rushed at Mephisto. They were a tremendous defense force with the power to stop an Evil God just by touching him. Mephisto countered them head-on. “Annihilating a powerful opponent with sheer force, what a mundane tactic. I guess it’ll help me blow off some steam.” He swiftly cut into the monsters nearest to him, and those in the distance were annihilated with ranged magic attacks. Half-baked measures weren’t enough to stop this devil, but that’s why Lizer and Verda’s cooperative assault was so impressive. Mephisto wasn’t able to move. “I think we’ve got about fifteen seconds before my two darlings meet. Okay, what should I do about that…?” Mephisto, the all-powerful devil, had found himself unable to prevent something from happening. No matter how many of the monsters he killed, there were always more to replace them. While he tried to work out a way to break through this wall… “Your brain.” “We’ll burn it dead before you can use it.” …Olivia and Alvarto sprang from their hiding spot in the swarm of monsters. They lunged at Mephisto’s back with swords in hand. “Ah. So this is what it means to hardly have any time to breathe.” Swords flashed. Olivia and Alvarto worked as two arms of the same body. During Olivia’s brief moment of vulnerability after her attack, Alvarto would slash. Olivia similarly covered Alvarto. They were truly an image of perfect teamwork, moving one after the other in excellent rhythm. “Well…I didn’t see that coming.” Earlier, Mephisto had overpowered Sylphy and Olivia with his swords, but now he was forced to remain on defense. I understood why he was surprised. The Four Heavenly Kings had never worked in harmony like this before. Honestly, I was just as astonished by the sight as Mephisto was. Even during the final battle in ancient times, Olivia, Alvarto, Lizer, and Verda never worked together. The threat of the bitter end hadn’t been enough for them to cooperate. While they were the most powerful Four Heavenly Kings in history, I’d deemed them fundamentally incompatible. I’d been confident those four would never work together. “Perhaps you find it surprising, but from where I’m standing, it’s not astonishing in the slightest.” Rogue’s thoughts echoed in my mind as he ran to me. “Growth. Transformations. Breakthroughs. Everyone progresses forward with the passage of time. Whether you and I are around or not, everyone will continue onward. “Etch this in your soul, Ard Meteor. They no longer need a guardian.” Rogue was closing in, yet Mephisto was still unable to touch him. “What about us?” “Yeah, don’t forget about us!” Sylphy and Elzard swooped in from the side with impeccable timing. Their arrival kept Mephisto from seizing an opportunity to break free. “Okay. Interesting. Uh-huh. Now I see.” It took everything in him just to keep up. Mephisto was completely and utterly backed into a corner. If things continued like this, Rogue’s plan would be a perfect success. “Thank you for the entertainment. Your powers were quite amusing. You show great potential and growth.” An angelic smile flashed on Mephisto’s beautiful face. “Unless I do something, we’ll be locked in a stalemate forever.” Despite his lighthearted expression, there was melancholy in his voice. “I didn’t realize you kids were so capable. I truly am impressed. You’ve grown far beyond my expectations. Thank you, really. I mean it. And that’s why I’ll give you all a little respect.” Power surged from his body. “I was running at six percent. Now I’ll go to twenty.” It was just too much. The reality was too brutal to express in words. He’d created a nightmare with an increase from six to twenty. As promised, Mephisto’s powers increased roughly threefold. The next thing we knew, it was all over. The battle ended in the blink of an eye. And that’s why I struggled to comprehend how everyone wound up splayed on the ground. There seemed to be moments of time missing, leaving behind only the terrible results. The infinite army that once flooded the area had vanished. Only five people remained standing. Me, Mephisto, Rogue, Ireena… …and Ginny. However, she was spared simply because Mephisto had no interest in her. He didn’t perceive her as a threat. It wouldn’t be surprising to learn he’d forgotten she even existed. As though to prove this, he didn’t even spare her a glance, preferring to focus on Rogue. “Now, what move do you think I should go with next?” He had the eyes of a delighted child. Rogue laughed through his nose and replied, “Try whatever you like. You’ll never stop us, Mephisto Yuu Phegor. You’ve underestimated my friends, and it’s sealed your fate.” Mephisto visibly struggled to understand. He cast Rogue a quizzical look. I, however…knew what Rogue intended to do, but I’d yet to accept it. As though to denounce my lack of faith… “Please don’t underestimate me!” …red lightning shot at Mephisto. The Evil God showed no indication of injury, yet still Ginny poured it on, refusing to give up. “Gee…I just don’t get your way of thinking, sweetie,” Mephisto drawled, refusing to look at Ginny. “Are you trying to annoy me into submission with your incessant buzzing?” With a snap of Mephisto’s fingers, Ginny’s crimson spear crumbled to dust. “There. Now you can’t do anything anymore. You never belonged here in the first place.” As Mephisto spoke, he raised his palm toward Rogue, who was fast approaching… “Why, you!” A magic fireball sped for the devil. However, this attack, like all Ginny’s others, had no effect. That wouldn’t stop her, though. She loosed one spell after another, attempting to stop her enemy cold. Her actions weren’t meant to be a diversion. Ginny was in it for real. She was earnestly trying to defeat Mephisto alone. Puzzled, the devil pondered her determination. He ultimately shrugged and sighed deeply. “Constant dripping wears away the stone, so they say. It’s meant to validate the effect of hard work, and is always taken to be a positive. I have a different interpretation, though. Dripping water’s ability to break a stone illustrates the futility of hard work.” Still refusing to look at Ginny, Mephisto continued languidly, “Sure, given enough time, a trickle of water will split a boulder. But you see, when it comes to things much tougher than stone, it’s hopeless. Steel will take millions—billions of years. Now that’s the epitome of a vain effort.” He snapped his fingers. Beams of white light shot from Ginny’s body. “There. I just severed your magic connection. Now you can’t cast spells anymore.” Mephisto completely depowered Ginny as easily as one would swat a fly. He returned his attention to Rogue. “I’m not finished yet!!!” Ginny kicked off the ground, dashing for Mephisto as though to say, I may not have magic, but I’ve still got two perfectly good fists! Her bold charge betrayed no sign of resignation or defeat. “Y’know…I kinda like stubborn girls, but I’m not in the mood right now.” Mephisto again. A blade of wind cut Ginny at the ankles, and she fell to the ground. “Nng—ah!” Her anguished cry undoubtedly signaled the end of this. Now Mephisto could completely ignore Ginny. “I told you not to underestimate me!!!” This wasn’t the sort of fight that could be won with morale or courage. However, Ginny refused to yield. She pushed herself forward with her hands and then launched herself with her arms. Ginny sailed toward her target. “HRAHHHHHHH!!!” she roared with a burning spirit. Finally, Mephisto looked at her directly. “I’ll take that attack as an apology…” Ginny’s fist sank into the devil’s beautiful face. She’d thrown everything she had into this. All her heart and soul. Mephisto’s delicate body flew through the air, crashing to the ground after a spin. Ginny had also collapsed, dirty and unable to stand. “Grit…huff, huff… Ever heard of it? Girls have it, too…huff…you know.” She wore a mocking smile. The sight of her caused me to narrow my eyes. “You’ve really grown, Ginny…” I remembered the day we first met. That groveling girl—that walking liability—was now a warrior in her own right, holding her own against Mephisto. It was the undeniable truth. “That’s right. You dismissed her, too, Ard Meteor.” Rogue stood over me. While looking at Ginny with pride, he said, “If you failed to find hope in her efforts, failed to see her potential, you’d be a failure as her friend.” “Yeah…you were right all along,” I replied. I’d believed that disappearing with Mephisto, leaving Rogue behind, was the best strategy. Concern born from love had led me to that decision. I had to protect everyone. I had to keep everyone safe. Although born from compassion, it came from a kind of dismissal of my friends as well, as Rogue said. “If only I’d realized my folly sooner, we could have avoided this pesky detour.” “There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Rogue said. “It took me years upon years to realize it.” My gaze went from Ginny to my other self. “I won’t falter anymore.” “To give our friends the push they need to take them to the future…” “I offer everything of myself…” “As fuel, to burn dry.” Then I… Then Rogue… Pressed our fists together. And in doing so, we joined our rings. Two former Demon Lords fused together. We became sparkling particles, melting and mixing together into a singular existence. We were no longer a nobody. Our souls rebuilt their vessel. That’s right…I was Ard Meteor no more. I was the Demon Lord of ancient times—Varvatos. “Ah, so good to have you back, my darling.” Mephisto rose from the ground. “However, I still can’t quite believe it. I’m not sure you’ve actually returned to your true form. But I know the best way to test that.” He hurled a punch at Ginny. “Now, show me your power so I—” The devil never finished his sentence. Just like Ginny, I threw my fist into Mephisto’s face. When I teleported to him, he made no effort to stop me. He simply stood there, smiling. So I whacked his smug expression into the stratosphere, then walked over to Ginny. “It was an honor watching you fight him… You were very brave.” My voice was no longer Ard’s. I was an entirely different person now. Ginny looked at me no differently, though. “Ah… I knew it. Ard…you were always my…” Her body finally gave out. Ginny lost consciousness, entrusting the rest to her dear friend. “So…something’s been bothering me,” Ireena began to say as she approached. “What name should I call you by? Personally, I prefer to keep calling you Ard, but if you want me to use your other name, I will.” She wasn’t surprised or scared to see me in this form. Ireena accepted me as I was, unconditionally, and I was powerfully grateful. “Use whichever you like. I’m not Ard Meteor anymore, but…I’m still your friend. That hasn’t changed.” Ireena smiled at me, and I did the same to her. “Gee, you kids sure are chummy.” Ireena and I stood side by side, watching the devil. “Let’s do this, Ard.” I felt my best friend beside me, and my other one, too. Ireena…and Lydia. The interlacing of past and present uplifted my spirit. “Yeah. Let’s win this, Ireena.” With burning feelings in my heart… …I moved toward the final battle that lay ahead.
Chapter 202
27 min read