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438 p1. Noble Faction and New School Year [11]

 

The National Holy War Arena, where the spectacular event of the Sword King Festival was being held, was now shrouded in an eerie silence.

「Allen…?」

「Tell me it’s a lie……」

Ria and Rose’s pupils quivered.

As the entire venue was in a stir, Leia was at a loss for words.

A warning from Dahlia Rodore crossed her mind.

(The worst case scenario has come to pass. A situation that should absolutely be avoided has happened…)

The seal was loosened due to the 100 Million Year Button created by the hermit of time.

Due to repeated deadly battles with formidable enemies, a ”pipe“ that connected to Zeon was unintentionally created.

(The vessel was destroyed while it was extremely unstable, without undoing the “seal”…)

The worst case scenario… that will be Zeon’s complete resurrection.

Although it has been reduced into a spirit core right now, that monster is an existence that transcends everything.

If it regains its former power and revives into this world, it will bring about a gruesomely horrific and irreversible catastrophe.

(Anyway, what I should do right now is…)

Sorrow towards Allen, wrath towards Shin, fear towards Zeon – suppressing the surge of emotions, she moved on to the best course of action.

「–Everyone, leave this place immediately! I don’t know what’s going to happen!」

The moment when Leia issued a loud warning―.

「What……!?」

A beautiful darkness overflowed with Allen at the center.

As smooth as silk, with no trace of evil, and infinitely clear – the “Sacred Darkness”.

It was exactly the only thing that the Emperor of the Holy Ronelia Empire, Barrel Ronelia, fears – “Darkness of House Rodore” .

■

「…eh… where am I…?」

When I opened my eyes, I saw only “white”.

A white, bright space stretched out endlessly.

「Um… I was fighting Shin, and then–」

While tracing my web of memories,

「Did you finally come?」

A female voice echoed from behind.

When I turned around, I could see a faintly glowing white mass.

It had a white and hazy human form, but the face and expression could not be discerned.

But for some reason, I instinctively felt that I could trust this person.

「Umm, who are you? What is this place…?」

「Oh… right, of course.」

For some reason, her voice sounded very lonely.

「I’m the keeper. And this is another world. A secret base that even that idiot doesn’t know about.」

「Eh, um…」

Keeper, another world, secret base – I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the series of incomprehensible words.

「…Even so, it ended up in a really long detour…」

With a distant look in her eyes, she began to speak bit by bit.

「Just a slight mistake by pressing the button seems to have caused an unbelievably huge distortion… Sorry, Allen.」

As the woman who was wrapped in a faint light smiled apologetically, a repulsive black welled up in the world.

「Bloody hell! You were lurking in a place like this, H”uh…」

Zeon’s ghastly roar erupted from the abyss-like black.

「Oh my, you’re quick. You found us so soon.」

Hmmm, it seems like these two already know each other.

「Doing stupid shit like this… Do you want me to beat you to death, h”A!?」

「Oh, how scary. Don’t glare at me like that.」

Despite Zeon’s full blown murderous intent, there was some composure in her demeanor.

「Zeon, you’re probably the strongest in the world. You are literally the “strongest being”. But now that you’ve been reduced into a spirit core–in this world, in this space, I hold more power.」

As she snapped her fingers, sacred darkness erupted from the white world.

Boasting a terrifying power output, it gently and strongly enveloped Zeon’s darkness.

「Shi”tttt… Don’t think I’ll let you do as you please!!!」

Just before the darkness was completely contained, Zeon let out a terrifying roar.

At the same time as his deafening roar resounded, fissures ran across the white world.

The fissures became rifts, the rifts became large holes, and before long the whole world began to shake violently.

「Haa… Even when reduced into a spirit core and severely sealed, he can still bring this much power in a world under my control… That man seriously makes me dumbfounded.」

Her voice, mixed with a sigh, seemed a little happy for some reason.

「Well then… Allen, I really wanted to talk to you more, but let’s save that for another time. It looks like we won’t have long this time.」

Looking up at the collapsing world, she smiled, seeming somewhat lonely, and stretched out her hand which was wrapped in white light.

「Come, take this. It’s the “Darkness of House Rodore” which that idiot has kept hidden for so long.」

The moment her index finger touched my chest, a faint glow of sacred darkness erupted from my entire body.

「This……!」

It was completely different from the evil darkness that I’ve seen up until now.

A clear and beautiful darkness, as warm and as gentle as the sun.

「With this power, you can compete with Zeon, and you can draw out the true power of〈Zeon〉. Use the『Power of the King』correctly.」

As she said so, the white world collapsed.

The hollowed-out space was torn apart and started dispersing.

The woman waved her hand lightly as she sank to the bottom of the earth, while I, on the other hand, was sucked into the sky.

「H-Hey, wait a minute! I don’t understand if you keep saying things that don’t make sense… Mother!」

For some reason, I called her “Mother”.

「—Allen, you are the center of everything, the “coordinate” that corrects the world. …I’m sure you’ll be fine, you’ll definitely be able to overcome everything. I– We believe so.」

■

「Uh…」

When I opened my eyes, I saw the bright blue sky.

「Oh… I’m back?」

I raised my legs to the sky, and kipped-up, standing back on my feet.

「… What a strange feeling.」

The smell of spring, the taste of the air, and the flow of the wind danced along my skin.

Information that I was not aware of flowed into my body.

And most of all, it felt like the tightness in my chest that has been there for so long has been completely removed. An indescribable sense of exhilaration ran through my body.

I wonder if this is what you call sharpening of your five senses.

「Suu… Haa… Yeah, the air is delicious.」

As I took a deep breath, voices of surprise filled the venue.

「Eh… huh!?」

「No, how…!?」

「That guy… was stabbed in the chest, right?」

Shin was no exception, with his mouth hanging wide open.

「I-Impossible… The effect of〈Emperor Rule〉is definitely still in effect! Your heart should have stopped!」

「……Indeed.」

Come to think of it, my heart was not beating right now.

「In that case… Hmph!」

As I put strength into my chest, a dazzling flash of light overflowed and my heart began to beat again.

「It should be fine now.」

It’s just a temporary measure, but it will last for a while.

「S-Should be fine, you say…」

Shin looked as if he couldn’t believe it and stood there in a daze.

「W-W-Wh…What is going on!! Allen, who should have been pierced through the heart, has made a complete recovery! Is he really humannnnnn?!? No! There’s no way he’s just a normal humaaaan…!!!」

While the commentator was screaming with excitement, I quietly held up my Black Sword.