Even though I was time elemental, stopping time was no simple task. Usually, since I couldn’t affect anything other than myself with my star sorcery, it was absolutely impossible. Apparently, my father knew how to do it, but since it required so much star power, it prevented him from using any other star sorcery afterwards. It also put an incredible burden on his body, and he could only maintain it for one second.
It made him cough up blood, prevented him from using any other star sorcery, and only lasted for a single second. That was how hard it was to stop time. It made me realize how incredible Yukihime was.
There’s no way I’ll be able to stop time here. It isn’t the sort of spell you can just cast on the spot... But slowing down time... If I could slow down time to an extreme degree, I might be able to emulate the sensation of stopping time. I’ll just have to keep slowing time down, until even he can no longer handle it!
I spun my twinblade to the left. Once, twice, thrice... I just kept on going. Without Towa’s help, I would have already run out of star power.
My star power clashed with Redge’s, and I could feel mine being nullified. Regardless, I continued to send out my slowdown star sorcery towards him – then, I spun my twinblade once to the right and dashed forward.
Stop, stop, stop! I pleaded over and over as I continued to unleash the spell. More! Faster! More, more! Simultaneously, I sped up my own body. I moved in as close as I could, then released a golden slash.
Of course, Redge blocked it. But right after that, just for a moment, he slowed down. I moved right up next to him and slashed my longsword upwards. He blocked it with his blade, so I pulled back and swung down my dagger from above. He blocked that, too, but I wasn’t worried. I used the momentum he gave me when he deflected my twinblade and spun it to the left. At this point, I was forcibly slowing down time, with total disregard for the stress it placed on my body.
Just stop!
In the next moment, I sensed silence. Time hadn’t stopped, but my star sorcery was working, and things had slowed down to an incredible degree. Redge would surely nullify it soon, but as long as I got one little chance to attack, it would be worth it.
“Progress Boost.”
I released the star power I had been storing in my right arm since the beginning of the battle and unleashed a single attack. As long as this hits, it’ll be worth it.
I threw out my fist, and the minute it connected, my star sorcery wore off. Redge’s body was blown violently backwards, and bounced off the ground a few times before it came to a stop.
I panted heavily. I had been using a crazy amount of star sorcery nonstop ever since my battle with Grom. All I could taste in my mouth now was raw, coppery blood.
My all-out attack had struck its target. If Redge stood up now, I’d be done for.
As my vision blurred, I fell to my knees. Despite my fatigue, it still felt like my body was overflowing with star power. The Ruinmaker truly was incredible... But my body couldn’t keep up. No matter how much star power I possessed, it meant nothing if I was too weak.
Suddenly, Redge rose to his feet. Hacking up puddles of blood, he glared at me like a bloodthirsty wraith.
You gotta be kidding me... One more... I just needed to get one more attack in. He was barely standing.
My legs quivered. I need to stand up... I need to stand up and kill him!
I tried to regain my strength, but there was nothing there anymore. My body moaned in response to the strain I’d placed on it, and I hacked up more blood.
As I slipped on the red pools that had come out of my body, Redge swung his blade and shot out another silver slash.
I swung my twinblade and tried to create my own golden slash, but I didn’t make it in time. Instead, I took the brunt of the silver slash with my glowing longsword, which snapped in two.
The top part of my twinblade was now only half as long as it used to be. The sword itself was shaped like clock hands, and if I lost either hand, I became unable to both accelerate and slow down time. There was no longer any way for me to go on fighting.
Meanwhile, Redge swung his greatsword up yet again. I could feel an immense amount of star power gathering around the glowing silver blade.
Guess I was fated to die either way. Even with my twinblade, there’s no way I’d be able to block that.
I’m dead.
It was so clear now. I couldn’t move, and I no longer had any way to escape or block his strike.
I deactivated Towa.
“Why, big brother?!”
“Towa, you need to run away.”
“No! I can’t just leave you here!”
“Sorry... But I can’t move anymore.”
“I’ll just take you with me, then!”
Towa stumbled as she tried to pull me with her. No matter how hard she tried, it was impossible.
“Hurry up and go! You can escape on your own!”
“No! I... I’ll never...” Tears welled up in Towa’s eyes.
There was no point in crying. But what else could we do? If only I could get Towa away from here...
Redge swung his silver blade down, crushing my hopes. His silver slash was right on course to perfectly slice me in two. I’m dea–
“Azure Wall!”
Yukihime jumped in front of me and blocked the strike. But her wall was no match for Redge’s slash, and it cut straight through, shattering the ice and ripping into Yukihime’s slender body.
“Ahh... Ahh...”
As I watched Yukihime bleed, I was speechless. Her body collapsed in front of my eyes, and crimson blood gushed out from a massive wound. I could tell with one glance that she’d never survive.
“You idiot... Why...”
“You’re the idiot. I told you... I have a duty...”
“That doesn’t make any sense... How could you die just for some stupid duty?”
I sounded crazy. Yukihime’s duty was to protect Towa. I could never ask her to sacrifice herself for that. Neither could I choose between Yukihime or Towa. I should have been the one to die.
“Oh, easy,” Yukihime replied. “And I’m not just dying for my duty... You’re here too, remember?”
“Why would you die for someone like me?!”
“Someone like you? You’re my best friend, my partner, my rival, my servant, and...”
Her words trailed off as more blood spilled out from her.
“Hey, stop talking! Your wound will open up...”
“Kokuya...” Yukihime ignored me and continued to speak. “I see this dream sometimes. It’s such a nice dream. My parents and your parents are still alive, and we’re all there with Towa. Everyone’s smiling...”
Yukihime reached her slender hand out toward me. I pulled my body toward her, and her beautiful white hand stroked my cheek.
“My dream will never come true, but there’s still hope for you and Towa... And for all the other people in our world... You need to make sure their dreams come true.”
“I can’t. Are you crazy? Without you, I can’t do anything...”
“Shut up and do as your master says... Get a hold of yourself... I’m entrusting my duty to you now.”
“Why? Why me? Come on, this isn’t what we talked about... We’re supposed to protect the world together!”
“Stop being selfish... You need to keep protecting it even after I’m gone... You promised... Relax, I know you can do it...”
“I can’t! Not without you...”
“Yes you can... Oh, there was still so much more I wanted to say, so many more things I wanted to do... But I guess this is it for me. Can I say one last thing?”
“No! This isn’t the end! Don’t talk like that!”
“...Kokuya, I... I love you.”