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Chapter 49 Part 7 – A memory from the previous「108 times」. The conclusion. They are dying, but their feelings transcend time. And the loop begins again.

「…… I’m sorry, even in the end, I made you carry a lot of burden. Scarlet …… how scared you must have been to take on the monstrous woman all by yourself …… you shouldn’t be too responsible. …… I told you to run away …… and then you fought with her …… and even simultaneously striked each other …… you are really smart, but also extremely foolish ……」

Bradd, who knew firsthand how strong Alisa was, understood better than anyone how great a feat it was.

「…… You did your best ….. Even too much …… You did great …… I wish I could hug you and praise you a million times …… but I’m sure that would only make the current you feel sick ……」

Bradd murmured, his voice blurred by tears, and pushed up a smile.

「……I can’t be scared either. It’s okay even if I can’t hug you. You don’t have to remember me. But I can never show you a fight that will make me feel ashamed in front of you ……」

「…… She was an amazing girl. You should be proud that you all loved Scarlet. …… I got a severe wound, Scarlet had broken through my foresight. The Ruby helped Scarlet. But you know, there was such a huge difference in ability between her and me that the Ruby’s help couldn’t fully make up for it. It was a more hopeless fight than you guys are in right now.」

Alisa had a faraway gaze as she was immersed in her memories.
In this way, she looked like a melancholic and fragile maiden.
But Alisa is Alisa. She cannot be anything else.
Once again, madness swirled in Alisa’s eyes.

「…… But that girl never gave up and caused a miracle. I can’t help but shudder. So much so that I fell in love with her. …… Ahaha, I wonder if you can make me fall in love with you like Scarlet did.」

Bradd quietly smiled and shook his head at Alisa, who brushed her hair back over her ears and gave a challenging look at him.

「…… That’s impossible. You and I both only love Scarlet. Yours is absurdly twisted, though. …… Thank you for telling me. Let’s settle this, Alisa ……」

Bradd made a sword finger with his left hand and placed it on his forehead.
The red feathers on his back converged even more sharply as he focused his attention.

Alisa sneered mockingly at the calm and powerful declaration of war.

「…… Hah, do you have a maggot in your head? I truly loathe men’s misunderstandings. Of course I told you that so that you’d take this battle seriously. Knowing Scarlet’s last moments in『True History』, you will put your whole heart and soul into your attacks. I did that to crush your misgivings to its very core, to uproot it from your heart. …… It’s because you are such a softy that you couldn’t embrace Scarlet. If I were a man, I would have impregnated her long ago. …… It’s because I’m a woman that we …… It’s an utterly infuriating fate ……」

Alisa bit her lip in frustration.
She was affected by the ridiculously straightforward Bradd and her tone became mad.
She ended up letting her true feelings slip out.
As if immediately regaining her composure, she giggled and quirked her mouth.

「…… Well, anyway. All of your hesitations are gone. Your mind, body and technique are impeccable. You’re my love rival, you should be able to do this much. You also have the power of the blessing. This is the perfect situation to defeat you. Now you should be able to make it to the fifteenth step without scattering the power of the Heartless Autumn Leaves. …… Fufu, but since it’d be a shame to waste this opportunity. I’d love to receive that power, at its strongest at zero distance. So I’ll head over to your side ……」

The smile faded from Alisa’s mouth and a hint of lightning rose.
The red wings slowly rise and start to flap. A dense demonic atmosphere swirled around and the air became tense as if electrified.

「…… I’m going to go straight and not play any tricks. As a bonus, I will not use the evasion technique 「Subtle Beauty」. Otherwise, you guys won’t even have a chance. Seraphy, Arnold, you guys can come attack me too. I’ll deal with all of you together. You’re going to have to pour your whole heart and soul into this. Don’t expect me to be merciful, I’m not so generous to give you a once in a lifetime opportunity. That’s my way of life. If you guys use a worthless technique, I will kill you all immediately. …… Perform a miracle with your feelings. Don’t disappoint me.」

Alisa’s step was like a flash of thunder.
Instead of the gliding movements she had done so far, the floor shattered and flew backwards with each step along with the sound of an explosion. The red wings on her back become a torrent, trailing like a comet. Her walk itself was not so fast, although the stepping was fast. She advanced with an air of composure, but on the contrary, there was a sense of intimidation that made it seem impossible to stop her.

「…… Isn’t this interesting? You see, with each step I take, the power of the Demon’s Cry that surrounds me grows. This is the technique that strengthens the 「Frenzy」, Demon’s Strength …… and if you don’t do something about it soon, it will get out of hand.」

Alisa’s cruel warning was right, it was indeed a growing hurricane. In a whirling 「Frenzy」, the pieces of wood and stone around Alisa exploded with a strange noise. In the direction the hurricane was heading, Bradd waited while sharpening the red wings on his back to the utmost limit. With a puff of exhalation, he took down the sword finger in his left hand that was put on his forehead and readied his hands in front of him. He gathered what little strength he had left in his entire body and converged it to the limit. He had entered the preparation stage for the invocation of the Heartless Autumn Leaves. Bradd can no longer move from his spot until the technique is ready.

But even if he could unleash the technique at full strength, it would be no different than a small whirlwind facing an oncoming tempest. It seemed unreliable, reckless, and suicidal.

But there was no hesitation in Bradd’s eyes. His resolve is unwavering.
His love for Scarlet and the way she lived that he heard gave him boundless courage.

「The power of the …… Demon’s Strength …… increases with each step. She combined 「Transmission」 with 「Frenzy」 ……!!　A monster of bottomless talent ……!! …… But we can’t afford to lose. I’ll give you my best shot ……!! Sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to hold her back, Seraphy, Arnold ……!!」

Bradd shuddered again at Alisa’s talent as he analyzed the situation.
It was far beyond the strength of the legendary True Emperor.
Frankly speaking, it was like there was no way for them to win.
Even so, Bradd was devoted to sharpening his technique.
He had no time to think about the outcome. He pushed it completely out of his mind.
It was a frightening level of determination and concentration.
If he did not go that far, it would be impossible for him to even aim a shot at Alisa.
He believed that Seraphy and Arnold would definitely hold Alisa off until the time the technique was activated. So he called out their names and asked them for help.

Seraphy and Arnold were taken aback. They could only remember Bradd calling them by name a few times a year. They had no idea why Bradd suddenly trusted them. Although they are all part of the five heroes, Bradd has always been a lone wolf, kept his distance, and loved solitude.

Bradd’s trust in them now is from the memories of the 「True History」. It is only natural that Seraphy and Arnold, who have no memory of the 「True History」, would not understand. And Bradd did not have the time to tell them the details.

But they liked Bradd’s current straightforwardness, even if they didn’t understand it.
Fighting against an overwhelmingly strong enemy for the sake of the woman he loves, there was no more respectable fight than this.
And it was not a bad feeling to be acknowledged by Bradd.

Arnold’s fighting spirit welled up even more inside his heart.

「…… Got it!! Leave it to us!!」

「…… No …… This is impossible ……!!」

Arnold felt encouraged, but was disappointed when Seraphy let out a whiny cry.

「…… Seraphy …… You ……」