A deafening roar resounded due to the bombardment by the golden cats.
The 'serpent's' head was motionless, perhaps because of the shock.
Amidst the chaotic scene,
Ophnir raised his front legs, which resembled those of a mantis, menacingly.
“You dare to call yourself a god? How arrogant, how arrogant...! A lesser being that will only fade away with the movement of the stars dares to speak of gods? Hah...! Those who don't even know who they should serve...!”
Under the cloudy sky,
A shadow was cast by the massive blade.
Like a devotee praying towards the heavens, his two front legs reached upward.
The [Priest of Discord], truly enraged.
The killing intent on his blade was stronger than ever, quite unlike his usual mocking demeanor. Along with his movements, thousands, tens of thousands of weapons decorated the hazy sky. Countless manifestations of the serpent's power, made from black ether, appeared.
Boom!
At that moment,
The ground heaved, quivering with black ether.
An ominous voice and presence stirred, tantalizing all senses.
A situation ready to explode at any moment.
"...!"
"...!"
Hilde and Freya sensed an unusual change.
They quickly adopted battle stances, preparing to charge towards Ophnir's main body, which was exposed and vulnerable.
“Be careful…!”
“Lara, the ground...!”
“Yeah, I know☆ That guy is trying to summon a bunch of clones this time☆ Seems like he's getting desperate after being seen through once─☆ But if we charge in now, we'll definitely be ambushed~ Let's hold back for a bit♪”
“What...?!”
The two who were about to dash forward froze in their tracks.
Ophnir’s displeased breathing could be heard as he watched them. Though it was faint, Hilde and Freya didn’t seem to hear it...
"Tsk."
Yes.
That bastard is always like that.
Even if his actions were different from those in the game, that tendency remained the same. My perceptive abilities were sharp enough to detect such signs one by one.
‘Acting as if he's glitched by moving sluggishly, or using counter patterns that strike when players flinch at the background music and graphics…’
The strategy spoiler of a seasoned player.
I meticulously observed those signals and carefully grasped the golden cat dagger. I felt like I could faintly hear Rota's voice from my palm.
“How... how do you know that...?”
“…”
But Freya seemed puzzled by my confident demeanor. Hilde also appeared to have many questions, but she was holding onto her promise to trust me.
‘Indeed, I was always at the center of that bad blood from fights with those <Ratatoskr> guys… And now it seems we should all come up with a plan against the ‘Prophet’…’
I couldn’t keep living under the misunderstandings about [Faded Spiral] and such. Wasn't Hilde also worried, thinking that the golden petals flowing from my wounds held some grand significance?
“…”
This fight is not the end, but a turning point.
Let's use it as an excuse to truly move forward.
Once this battle is over, it seems I'll have to share many stories.
‘I don't know how much they'll believe, but still.’
My memories.
My thoughts.
My heart... still a heart in turmoil.
‘Even my feelings for you... though still uncertain… it’s all included.’
I looked at Hilde standing next to me.
Her two silver eyes met mine, unwavering as always.
Rumble─!!
A flash of lightning flickered, illuminating the silver-haired girl.
Hilde stood with a massive lance, drawing on her blue and white ether, and quietly looked at me. Though she had many things she wanted to say, she only conveyed a single sentence.
"I'm glad to fight alongside you again, Lara."
“…”
Her pure heart filled my chest with emotion, and to hide my embarrassment, I responded playfully.
“We're fighting the same opponent again, though─☆”
“...That's also... I'm glad.”
“Me too─☆”
“...That's... I'm glad.”
“…”
Really… when will I ever be able to defeat this girl again?
More than the path to transcending to a realm beyond limits,
It seemed like I needed to learn how to win in human relationships.
Thinking such thoughts internally, I spoke.
“…I'm glad to be fighting with you, Hilde.”
“…Yes!”
Finally satisfied with my answer,
Hilde faintly smiled and nodded. The subtle scent of mint wafted from her flowing silver hair.
A smile without a hint of hesitation.
For some reason, I felt embarrassed looking at that smile and turned my head forward again.
"…"
Twitching
Now, the familiar purple cat ears twitched.
Buzzing─!!
Freya slowly activated the [Wheel of Eternity] behind her, speaking in a bemused voice. Her voice no longer held any of the hostility that had once stood like thorns.
"In a situation like this, you two are pretty… unbelievable…”
“I’ll tell you everything, even to the stray cats~♪ Oh, speaking of which, shall we have a girls' talk…!”
“No, no, that’s fine… and how long are you going to keep talking about stray cats... My name is…!”
Boom──!!
“…!”
“…!”
“…It seems it has begun.”
The black ether was slowly boiling over.
The ground we stood on… the serpent's head was brimming with black ether. From the murky surface, as if mixing many different paints, various presences were slowly emerging.
Ophnir's clone creation pattern was completed. However, he did not emanate the aura of one who had succeeded.
"…"
The purple wheel began spinning.
The endlessly flickering blue and white lightning.
And the steadfast cat weapons protecting me from behind.
We had also fully assumed battle positions and completed our preparations.
‘We can just slice through the small fries, but that bastard's counterattacks are deadly. In fact, this gives us an advantage.’
Feigning an opening, Ophnir, who was preparing a counterattack, awkwardly lowered his bladelike front legs.
"..."
Despite the failure of his signature counter-inducing pattern, he seemed utterly unshaken. Instead, a look of understanding passed over his face.
“…A dangerous fellow. Perhaps… even more so than the [Blue and White Thunder Spear] that killed the old man… Traces of the ‘Prophet’ always seem to be like that…”
“…Old man?”
Hilde quietly questioned,
But Ophnir did not answer and glared at me.
“Kuhuh… I see. Now I understand… Among this [Conflict], my true adversary is… you.”
With a voice low, as if realizing something,
[Priest of Discord] Ophnir spoke in an unemotional voice for the first time.
“Yes, I must kill you… here and now. Perhaps even this is part of my [Destiny]... for the things that will remain...”
“Are you saying that to me? You’re truly an incorrigible troublemaker─☆”
“…Indeed, I declare this before the center of the universe.”
Boom──!!
Black ether surged like a sea of mud.
Weapons made of black ether rained down on us like a torrential downpour.
Whoosh──!!
Splat──!!
Hundreds of clones with determined expressions.
Ophnir's clones rushed toward us. The killing intent imbued in the black ether of their outstretched hands exploded like a storm.
“Another ‘Prophet's’ trace is…!”
“Must…!”
“Be killed…!”
“For the coming age of chaos──!!”
“Must be killed…!!”
“For my true god!! For the cycle of [Destiny]!!”
“Must be killed!!”
“Tear everything apart and kill them all!!”
[Perish within the discord──!!!]
Weapons of black rained from the sky.
Dozens of clones rose from the ground.
In the distance, the priest's cries swung his massive blade, creating a black wind. A storm of sticky, overwhelming killing intent.
"..."
Amidst the entire scene,
I moved forward and took a deep breath.
With the help of golden ether, I heightened the perception of the [Spiral].
“Inhale…!”
The world of the moment.
Whirr─
Everything began to flow slowly.
I started seeing the flow of every being.
Everything seemed to move like it was underwater.
I felt the sounds and waves of everything rushing towards me. I sensed the air that composed the world and the presence of being. Everything in this world was designed to flow.
My love, my friendship, my memories…
My anger, my despair, my enemies…
Everything flows.
Everything vibrates while flowing.
Resonating endlessly with the world.
Recognizing all those ‘moments’ as ‘the world.’
A dagger spinning in my hand.
I reversed my grip on the golden dagger.
Buzz─!!
Memories of a girl flowed from the golden dagger. The golden memories carried the warmth of an evening glow, stirring my heart as they seeped in.
Rota’s dream.
Her sister, who passed away early due to illness.
The memory of playing hand in hand in the golden garden.
The golden dream she embraced after hearing the stories left by the [Golden Witch].
“Hey, sis…! I’m going to create the most wonderful magic where everyone can understand each other! I’ll make the most beautiful magic in the world!”
“Yeah, amazing! I’m sure you can do it, Rota!”
“Really? Right? I'll make lots of friends like the [Golden Witch]!”
“Yeah! You’ll have lots of friends who support your dreams…!”
I couldn’t help but smile softly.
‘Indeed, what a wonderful dream.’
A dream that only one person truly believed in.
Because it was buried somewhere in Rota's memories.
But at this moment, the memories became a fairy tale, blending into me.
Dreams become memories.
Memories become fairy tales.
Fairy tales become emotions and flow.
Everything flows like that.
The world existed in such a beautiful flow.
I stretched my arm back to swing the dagger.
Then the dazzling ether from the golden dagger lit up,
Filling me with strength, carrying countless memories.
I swore to Rota's sister visible in the golden fairy tale.
‘I’ll support that dream too. Watch from there. I will surely… make sure everyone has a happy ending!’
She nodded as she looked at me in the memory.
-…Thank you.
"...!"
Was it an illusion?
A delusion?
Even within that unknown miracle… everything was flowing.
Everything flows and [vibrates].
And [vibration] creates ‘change.’
The power to ‘change’ the world through ether.
In this world, it is called [Wave Ether].
I looked at the endlessly surging enemies and swung the dagger. The golden trail that shone brilliantly was imbued with my heart.
More than anyone else in the front.
Swing toward the enemies.
I surpassed nothingness, heading towards martial prowess.
World, transform according to my will.
This is not merely a swing of power, but a strike of martial arts.
[Spiral] surpasses the absolute void, heading towards absolute martial prowess.
With that sentiment, I unleashed my second secret technique.
"[Blue Sweet Macaron]──!!"
Swoosh──!!
The dagger swung.
Golden ether began to shine at the tip of the dagger.
The endlessly compressed ether flashed white.
Then, like a spring uncoiling, a wave of ether advanced.
The [Wave] of destruction deafened the ears.
It flowed toward dozens, hundreds of enemies.
Boom──!!!
"Argh?!"
“Ugh!!”
“Gah?!”
If [Red Flower Dazzling] was a mere flash of destruction,
[Blue Sweet Macaron] was a wave that pursued enemies.
Numerous clones were shattered and disappeared with a single blow I unleashed. However, that alone was not enough to obliterate them all.
But there were attacks launched to support me from behind.
A wave of purple weapons.
The charge of blue and white lightning.
“Lara!!”
“You scoundrel!!”
The cries of [Purple Wheel] and [Blue and White Thunder Spear].
The wave flows.
Advancing within the flow of power.
"Ophnir─!!!"
I approached Ophnir faster than anyone else.
Focused gazes on me.
Ophnir dodged the wave of [Blue Sweet Macaron] I unleashed and retreated. A chilling resonance spread from his widely spread wings. His green body agilely flew into the air.
"Haaah!!"
Tatat!
I leaped to pursue Ophnir.
Ophnir crossed his massive arms, firing a whirlwind of blackness at me as I approached. It roared, carrying sharpness, advancing to sever my neck.
-Aeong──!!
Another golden cat leaped into my arms.
Eventually, it transformed into a radiant golden spear.
I held the spear high and pushed through the swirling vortex.