How did it go?
Ahhhh.
That's right, you couldn't stop anything. Of course, that doesn't mean that you didn't gain anything. You had a family for a while and for a moment, you even harbored hope that you could save the world.
In that moment, didn’t it feel like you were the hero of the story, with your heart racing and adrenaline pumping through your veins?Weren't you thinking that if you just saved the world, you would be able to atone for all the sins you’ve committed?
Even though everything you gained turned into dust because you went in the wrong direction. Since you briefly grasped and enjoyed the feeling even for just a moment, shouldn’t it be fine? After all, everything is bound to disappear someday anyway.
Dreams, hopes, society, and humans—all will one day turn to dust and wither away. This time, it just happened a little sooner. Niolle.
So there's no need to be sad⋯⋯ and honestly, you don't have the right to be sad. Because it's innocent people who died, not you.
I know. Niolle. You worked hard.
You endured the painful and unpleasant feelings in order to study the grimoire, trying your best to be helpful to the party. Though the only thing you've used the magic you've learned was to kill people,that could be different in the future. Who knows, maybe you can even save someone?
You’ve done well. Niolle. You will continue to do well. For sure. I believe in you. By offering a little more of yourself, by sacrificing a little more, by burying your life in the mud and stomping on it. You can save people with the same power derived from their pain. If you can even save them.
It must feel good. As you’re dying, the person you saved would be smiling in front of you, right? Wasn't this⋯⋯ the justice you wished for? I thought it was.
You enjoy tearing yourself to pieces and giving each part away, don’t you?Keep doing so in the future. Well, might end up living a miserable life as a madwoman, but at least Bennett and Tara, who benefit from it, will be happy.
As you know, there is a lovely mood growing between them. When everything is over, they will kiss deeply right over your grave. They’ll get married, and reminisce ‘Right, there was that poor fool named Niolle a long time ago.’
What do you mean,‘Shut up’?
It was you who approached me first, asking to borrow my power. Isn’t that so?
===============================================================
The party hid with the reporter Sally inside the New Life Newspaper building. Bennett peered out at the outside world through a small gap in the blinds.
The world changed for the worse.
From when the sky screamed in agony and all the animals ran away, frightened by the change in the celestial bodies. Time and space fluctuated unstably, deviating from all previously known laws.
For example, someone's severed leg suddenly appeared out of thin air.
The leg of a regular citizen who was walking normally was suddenly teleported away. Somewhere, that citizen would be dying, clutching his severed leg and screaming.
In another case, a 10-year-old girl became an old woman in a blink of an eye.
She was caught in a bubble of accelerated time, decades passed away in an instant, creating an innocent old woman out of a child.
Traps caused by distorted space-time were laid everywhere and monsters brazenly roamed the city. The police, realizing the error in their decisions, responded with gunfire, but the monsters were too strong and too numerous to be countered with mere pistols.
The Evil God continued to get closer as the city’s population dwindled in real-time.
The party wasn’t in good shape either.
Niolle seemed to be suffering from severe auditory hallucinations. She covered her ears and shook her head, occasionally banging her head against the wall. As this continued, darkness grew behind her eyes with each passing day.
Tara had lost all of her power. She was no longer the Saintess of the Church of the Goddess, once again becoming a weak girl who had lost her family.
Bennett made his move. His complexion was also grim, but he wasn’t broken. Because there was still something to be done.
Abraham's legacy was left to them. By deciphering his research, they might have one last chance.
If we could just find the Alpha value and cast Unsummon⋯⋯.
"⋯⋯Niolle, can you still move?”
[Yes, Bennett. There won’t be an issue. I'm fine.]
“Abraham mentioned a math professor⋯⋯ Lot, was it? I plan to visit him and ask him for the calculations before it’s too late.”
Bennett checked his gear and packed some of the remaining food. Niolle also got up groggily, ready to navigate the city.
Tara fidgeted before speaking to Bennett.
"⋯⋯Hey.”
I want to go with you too.
“Tara, you stay here.”
"⋯⋯I should, right?”
“There’s no need to make that kind of face. You’ve done enough. Just rest here for a while⋯⋯ I’ll bring back some good news. Don’t go out and hide in here.”
As Tara's face filled with mixed emotions, Bennett gently stroked her head. Tara quietly leaned into his touch.
The sweet time lasted only for a moment.
“I'll be back soon.”
Bennett left the newspaper building with Niolle. Only Tara and Sally remained.
Tara crouched in the corner of the room, anxiously waiting for the party to return.
===============================================================
The flow of time became impossible to gauge.
Sometimes, day and night would swap within 10 minutes, or the setting sun would go backwards and rise again.The only watch she could rely on was the tattoo on her wrist that indicated her return time.
With the limited amount of light to avoid being discovered by monsters, constantly living in a dark room led to many depressing thoughts. She sometimes wondered what to do next, feeling guilty about not being able to help the party.
Worrying whether the two who left were alright.
Occasionally, Bennett's touch crossed her mind every now and again. Tara placed her hand on her head. Even though she mimicked the gesture, it didn't feel the same.
“When will they come back⋯⋯."
“They’re people with superpowers. They’ll get rid of monsters in no time⋯⋯! Right?”
Tara just nodded to Sally, who clenched her fists and brimmed with hope.The difference in strength between three and two was significant. Would they be fine without me? What if they get hurt?
It felt like a full day had passed as she was worried about those things.
Tara grew anxious. Did something happen to them? Does it really take that long to find a mathematician named Lot? Had they gotten into a fight? What if they encountered the Cult Leader?
Tara, trembling with anxiety, twisted her expression.
She took out her Holy Emblem, hung it on the wall, clasping her hands together and awkwardly began to pray.
Dear Goddess, please watch over them both. Please ensure they return healthy and unharmed. If you hold any pity for me, who was once your Saintess⋯⋯.
How many years had it been? Disappointed by the Goddess who never fulfilled a single wish, Tara had never prayed again. Perhaps the lack of faith was why the goddess took her Divine Power away?
After losing everything, Tara prayed earnestly to the Goddess. Praying for the safe return of the party.
And with that, it felt like about two days had passed.
===============================================================
“Hey, uh, Miss Tara?”
"⋯⋯Eung?”
Tara, who had been bowing her head in prayer, raised her head when she heard Sally calling her. Sally cautiously beckoned her to the window.
As Tara crawled over to the window, Sally gently pulled back the blinds and pointed out the window.
“Someone⋯⋯ from outside is trying to get in here.”
"⋯⋯What?”
Outside, there was a man with a wooden bat slung over his shoulder, snooping around the newspaper building. Compared to the other shattered buildings, this one looked intact, as if checking for any remaining resources.
“It’s okay to feel safe, right⋯⋯? Miss Tara, your fists were glowing and stuff so⋯⋯!”
Sally gave her a look of trust. Tara averted her gaze slightly. Because she didn't know that Tara had lost her Divine Power and was essentially powerless.
Tara hesitated before speaking.
“Ye-yeah⋯⋯ leave it to me.”
Tara took a deep breath.
She had attended classes at the Academy, so she was a bit familiar with hand-to-hand combat. Moreover, this was a peaceful world without monsters until the incident occurred. She heard that only a few people were professionally trained to fight.
So, wouldn’t it be possible to subdue at least one man?
Determined to act rather than hide, Tara decided to try and take down the man.
She opened the door and went down the stairs, climbing over the barricade. She stepped out of the building before the man looked at Tara and whistled.
“Whew, there actually was a person here.”
"⋯⋯Yeah, there’s a lot of other people here. If you don’t want to get hurt, don’t even think about doing anything here and get out!”
“You’re actually right. This place seems to be worth looting.”
Tara's threat had no effect. The man picked his ear with his finger and blew on it. Then, he looked up at the sky as if talking to someone, then said without fear.
“A man would’ve come out if there really were more people here instead of sending out a bitch wearing a rag with holes everywhere.”
The man glanced at Tara with a lustful gaze. Feeling uncomfortable, Tara took a step back, covering her chest.
The man swung his wooden bat menacingly.
“Don’t even think about trying anything and stand still. Then I’ll let you live. I just happened to need a woman right now.”
"⋯⋯Fucking asshole.”
“I’ll need to fix that mouth of yours. Hey, come here.”
A deep breath.
“⋯⋯Heub!”
Tara threw a rock she hid behind her back, aiming for his head.
Thwack-!
It hit.
"⋯⋯Kuek!”
The man's head jerked to the side from the impact as the rock tore through his eyebrow. Blood bursted out, staining one side of his face.
⋯⋯Now!
Taking advantage of the man’s surprise, Tara rushed forward before throwing a punch with all her might, striking the man squarely in the jaw.
Smackk-!
She hit the man in the face with her left hand. Then she used her right hand, aiming for his gut and swinging.
Pow-!
Crunchhh
Along with the sound of the blow, there was also the sound of bones breaking in Tara's hand.
"⋯⋯Eugh?!”
It seemed like the man had hidden a hard object like an iron plate over his abdomen. An unexpected situation. Caught off guard and frowning in pain, the man’s fist flew at Tara.
If I, if I use Mana to evade⋯⋯!
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!"
Smack!
The man's fist lodged deeply in Tara's abdomen. Unable to even scream from the impact, she gasped for air. A body that did not contain magical power was too slow and weak.
I have to move. It's not the time to stop because of the pain, I need to move right now⋯⋯.
Desperately trying to move despite the pain that made it hard to even breathe, it was already too late. The man's thick hand struck Tara's cheek.
Slap
With the sound of a slap, a ringing tinnitus echoed in her opposite ear. When Tara came to, she was lying on the ground. She didn't have enough strength to move her hands or feet.
I need… to move.
"⋯⋯Kek!”
“You bitch⋯⋯."
She was being strangled.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
Tara clawed and struggled against the man's hands, but couldn't shake off the hand pressing down with her weight. Anger and lust swirled in the man's eyes as he looked down.
Am I going to die here in vain⋯⋯?
At that moment, the pressure around her neck lessened enough for her to get in a thin breath. Unfortunately, that wasn't a good sign.
The man grasped Tara's clothes. Only then did Tara know what was going to happen. She felt a sense of disgust as if bugs were crawling all over her body, also feeling the helplessness of someone without power.
No, stop it.
Even though she shouted in her heart tens to hundreds of times, it couldn’t reach anyone. Now, Tara understood the fear of the powerless.
Her consciousness was fading. But she couldn’t do anything about it. Instead of being like this, I’d rather, rather⋯⋯!
Then.
Clank-!
The man's head was knocked downwards as a pile of dirt poured out. Reporter Sally seemed to have hit him from behind with a flowerpot. Kicking the groaning man who was clutching the back of his head off Tara,
"⋯⋯Come up here!”
“Kuheuk, heuk⋯⋯."
She dragged Tara back behind the barricade. The two moved the barricade and blocked the entrance. But it was too early to feel relieved.
Thump thump thump-!
"──Hey, come out right now! I’ll fucking kill you!”
It looked like the man had recovered from the pain and started pounding on the barricade. He kicked, punched, and swung his bat at it. Tara and Sally were pushing against the barricade with all their strength to survive.
"⋯⋯Superpower, what about your superpower⋯⋯?"
“Sorry, I’m sorry Sally⋯⋯Cough, I, I can’t⋯⋯."
“You should’ve told me earlier⋯⋯! Then I wouldn’t have even asked for that!”
A savage violence was right upon them. Tara cried and prayed desperately. She begged the Goddess for the strength to overcome this situation, hoping that the man would get tired and come back later.
Crush!
The barricade screamed as the furniture forming it was destroyed, as the baseball bat protruded through it. She was able to see the man's eyes peering through the gap.
Tara trembled in fear like a rabbit about to be hunted by a wild beast.
In her final moments, Tara thought of Bennett. Tara closed her eyes and cried out.
"⋯⋯Please, please help me. Bennett⋯⋯!"
“Bennett? I don’t know who that is, but I’ll kill that fucker too if he-”
“Then, try it.”
The man’s words were cut off by another voice.
The man turned around to the voice coming from behind him. A guy with half of his face covered with hair was looking at him with a look that felt like it could look.
“When did you get behind me⋯⋯?!”
“I said try it.”
A slim body type. Even though he was holding a blade, he didn't look very strong. The man thought he would win easily if he could get close enough to overpower him.
The man, ignoring the voice in his head advising him to target the woman, charged at Bennett.
“Sure, I’ll kill you as you wi──"
Slash-.
Those were his last words. Before he could take another step, he was sliced into three pieces and tumbled down the stairs.
[I’ll clean this up.]
As Niolle softly chanted a spell, countless mouths sprouted from the floor and swallowed both his blood and flesh. The stairs were cleaned as if nothing had happened.
Grateeee . The barricade was pushed aside, revealing Bennett. Tara relaxed her tensed body and looked up at him.
"⋯⋯Bennett."
“Tara, did you get hurt?”
“⋯⋯I got hit in the stomach. And in the cheek. It hurts.”
“I should’ve beaten him up more. I’m sorry we’re late.”
Regret flashed in Bennett's eyes. Looking closer, you could see deep fatigue on his face. Tara was startled as she threw up her hands, reassuring him that it wasn't his fault.
“No, it’s my fault⋯⋯ I thought I could win.”
“You would have won under normal circumstances. However, some people in the city⋯⋯were empowered by Evil God. The guy who just died also seemed to be one of them. He wasn’t a bastard that some who lost her Mana could deal with. So do not worry too much."
Tara nodded as she held back her tears.
Bennett and Niolle had just returned from a difficult journey. Both of them were wounded here and there, and Niolle had dark circles under her eyes. Her lively expression was nowhere to be found, replaced by a stiff, emotionless mask.
Knowing that she couldn’t burden the others who worked so hard, Tara forced herself to cheer up.
Sniff , she inhaled through her nose. After wiping the moisture around her eyes with her sleeves and putting on her usual confident expression, Tara asked Bennett..
"⋯⋯What happened? How did it go? Are you hurt anywhere, Niolle?”
[It went well. We met Mathematician Lot secretly and we were on our way back after handing over the material.]
“He said he would call us when he finishes doing the calculations. I also received a walkie-talkie from him.”
They seemed to have completed their objectives. Bennett made eye contact with each member of the party and clearly outlined their future goals.
“As soon as we receive the Alpha value from the professor, we’ll use the magic circle installed by the Order of the Silver Twilight to carry out the Outer God Eviction Ritual.”
He was pushing for one last chance.
And I won't be able to stand beside them. Tara looked at Niolle, who stood next to him, and lowered her gaze. She felt a mix of complex emotions that were hard to articulate.
Because it seemed like the distance between her and the rest of the party was widening, she felt a bit cold.
***
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