I need to walk my own path, no longer concerning myself with everyone else’s business, in order to pursue the one dream I love and that belongs only to me.
To achieve true peace.
—But when this fantasy-like beautiful dream cannot come true, how should I answer for myself this old exam paper that has troubled me for so long?
The answer is: create one. If it doesn’t exist, then create it. If you lack the ability to create, then destroy—”create” an extraordinarily peculiar new world. Make everyone living in this world know that I am an existence not to be trifled with.
No, that’s not right. I have to consider my future fate. As I often worry, being noticed by others is a terrible thing. It’s like stepping onto a muddy path—you think you can luckily escape, only to find it’s like a swamp, swallowing you step by step.
I need a direction, an idea worth fighting for… Now, achieving mere “peace” is impossible. This world has proven that to me.
There is no permanent peace—
I sat slumped on the ground, speechless, gazing at the monsters that had almost filled the road, my eyes involuntarily drifting toward the blood-red crescent moon that lingered in the sky, refusing to set…
What a spectacle!
“…”
Staring at the miserable scene before me, I had no thoughts left. Even a freezing cold current couldn’t extinguish the blood burning within me. A searing sword, a frozen heart…
My eyelids were utterly exhausted, fighting with my eye sockets, yet my brain throbbed and swelled—I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t stand either.
My legs trembled violently from the aftermath of battle, and my arms faithfully reflected just how intense the exertion had been—
Some sound reached my ears. I was just about to swing my blade, but the movement was very slow and gentle.
“Who’s there?”
“…No, it’s me. Iris.”
Iris? Iris is here now? Shouldn’t she be with her most beloved little brother, Kalimel?
I feigned exhaustion, my right hand tightly gripping the Flowing Wind Blade, and then—
“Miss Iris, I’m so sorry. It’s all because of me that you’ve all ended up in this state.”
I swept my katana backward, and it clashed with a claw tipped with five sharp fingers.
I silently looked at her crimson eyes filled with remorse, the katana held at the ready beside me.
“Guu—! Miss Shiling, well done. Otherwise, I might not know how to face all of this.”
Her gentle beauty remained unchanged under the glow of the blood-red moon, yet the meaning behind it was entirely different. The succubus who had seemed so gentle just minutes ago had now fallen into an irresistible craving…
Craving blood and slaughter—that has never been a good thing.
If I unleashed my full power now, I could probably clean all of this up neatly and efficiently; flawless technique could help me commit even more sins…
Forgive, then swing the blade again. Can I give myself even a tiny bit of comfort? Probably not, right? I shouldn’t, and I can’t, right? Since I’ve already decided to swing the blade, how could I allow myself even a little more comfort?
“Kalimel, don’t blame me… because your sister is really strong.”
I didn’t dare close my eyelids—those sharp claws might tear me to shreds; I didn’t want to use my ability—those eyes might see through all mysteries—
Heh heh heh, what am I even afraid of?
A bright yellow light dyed my eyes once more, and the magic of [Justice] surged out through my skin in all directions. No unnecessary movements—purely using shockwaves to pressure the opponent—
This shockwave could probably only be withstood by a giant; otherwise, even a heavily armored knight would have to fall back.
“—!” I, who should have seen Iris flying backward or dodging, was instead forced back by a shockwave.
What was this? After barely steadying my footing, I saw Iris protected by a pink magical shield. It felt like a magic reflection shield, but somehow different…
I bent low and dashed forward, and upon closing in on Iris, I swung my gripped blade sharply upward—but she caught it with a single claw. —Startled, I let go of the Flowing Wind Blade and switched to a spinning kick, but she caught that too.
Damn it, so fast!
Panicking inwardly, I hurriedly yanked my leg free and retreated several meters back, once again summoning the [Patience] katana, leaping upward and then slashing downward.
Unfortunately, another claw strike—my attack was instantly neutralized by Iris. But it wasn’t over yet. My ability allowed me to follow any action with a combo; as long as I willed it, no one could recover from my assault.
If my second life hadn’t been born alongside power, how could I have exploded with such force in this world!
I flung countless azure light particles, then launched the [Patience] chain, binding Iris’s iron claws, and gave a powerful yank. Thank goodness it wasn’t a violent pull—otherwise, another arm would have come flying at me.
What I once told Pat Mishur—that “azure blades ignore magic resistance”—was actually a lie… because for me, aside from abstract objects, there is almost nothing that cannot be cut by [Honesty]. So then, what effect could those azure light particles, triggered by contact, unleash?
World, do you understand this kind of power? The power that can reset all things!
“Iris, using magic is pretty unsporting. But in this situation, who cares? You don’t either, right.” Even I don’t care!
In that instant, I floated in the air, Iris floated in the air too, and the light particles froze in a split second.
The game should end now—
*Detection: [Enemy status abnormal]—You reckless fool, seems you’ve gotten quite full of yourself!
*Applied: [OTHK]—Forced grab; can grab the enemy itself through any medium directly related to the enemy.
I clutched at the air, and in an instant Iris’s neck was gripped tight by my hand. We plummeted downward and slammed hard into the ground. Of course, I used Iris as a cushion—not a scratch on me.
That alone certainly wasn’t enough. After all, Iris was a high-level succubus—unlike ordinary players, who might not be able to break free even after hours of back-and-forth…
But I’m different. This is why I sometimes thank myself for having power—otherwise, I could only stand by and silently watch everything happen, then take the moral high ground and criticize with words.
Ah, everything has two sides, I suppose.
I gripped Iris’s neck tightly, a pang of sourness in my chest, forcing myself to endure the unwillingness as I jostled her back and forth. —Who could stand being choked by a monster-like girl while the back of their head keeps slamming into stone?
“I’m sorry, Miss Iris… I’m so sorry… but I have to.” I used a cold tone—anyone who heard it would probably roll their eyes and despise me.
Iris heard it but didn’t do that, because she was resisting the killing intent in her own mind—those trembling claws were proof of that… Iris used her demonic strength to tell me that she was a force not to be underestimated, the last hope for protecting everyone… ha ha ha.
Boring. But also quite novel.
When it was about enough, I let go and looked at my palm, red and swollen from the exertion, then at Iris, long since unconscious. An indescribable feeling welled up in my heart.
On one hand, I had beaten her to a pulp; on the other hand, I had gotten myself into some kind of trouble.
Perhaps because she had already lost consciousness, Iris’s demon form was continuously “shrinking,” returning to her original normal state. I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, recalling how I’d been worried that under the blood moon’s strange enhancement, they might stay in their “demonized” state—that gave me chills…
“If it stays like this, I won’t be able to carry her.”
I wiped my hands, lifted Iris up, and after some fumbling, hoisted her onto my back. But because she was a full head taller than me, I couldn’t get her properly positioned… Though lifting her thighs would work, I wasn’t used to touching other people—if possible, it’d be best not to.
And worried about her legs scraping against the ground, I deliberately walked slowly.
By the way, I seemed to have forgotten something. A few minutes ago, I seemed to be—”Am I thinking about something pointless?” Maybe, probably, most likely, possibly, perhaps—it was just an illusion… Slowly walking through the woods, slowly climbing the steps, I admired the inexplicable, standing on the boundary line between desperation and the everyday.
Wandering, waiting, ultimately “intoxicated” by the “wondrous result” achieved by my own deeds.
If you make a choice, you have to bear it—isn’t that only natural?
