Terror, grief, despair—all emotions surged, overflowing as if erupting. This was the power Shizuku had gathered with her own will. A power that humanity, for a thousand years, had been unable to control. Yet, Shizuku wielded it through extraordinary mental strength and exceptional talent.
Then, it broke. The girl’s shattered heart lost control.
The malevolent magical power, having lost its purpose, took shape from her own fear as its seed. It was the very thing she most feared and abhorred. It became her own despair itself.
“Ah, Hero—”
Countless, colossal black giants emerged. They reached out, clinging and grasping towards the “Silver Sphere,” the prison that confined Shizuku. Their eyesockets were empty voids, from which tears like mud continuously flowed.
“—Save ussssssssssss!?”
A Gashadokuro’s massive fist slammed into the face of one of the black giants. The giant of ill emotions was punched through, its body collapsing and drawing its surroundings in as the space shook. The colossal skeleton, showing no sign of stopping, used its joined hands to strike another and crush it.
“Kaaaaaaakakaaaaaakakka!!!!”
“Hah! Nice! Take ’em down!”
Perched on the Gashadokuro’s shoulder, Ul laughed heartily in response to the ghastly skeleton’s chilling laughter, raising his Wrathful Dragon Fang Spear. He opened his maw. An impossible amount of magical power filled the space, and without any hesitation, he directed that power towards the giants, shouting.
“Rock and roll, you bastards!!!”
[Roar] was unleashed. The inferno of ash and flame swept away the giants. It sliced through their torsos, burned off their arms, shattered their heads, and continued to trample them all. The giants, which had been focused on Shizuku until moments before, finally turned their gaze towards Ul and the others.
“AaaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAAA!!!!!”
They approached, clutching their heads with both arms and screaming. Furthermore, new black magical power surged from the ground, creating new giants. They all directed their malice towards Ul’s group. This was different from the malice directed at Shizuku. It was clearly the blade of rejection, intent on eliminating and erasing them. It was the killing intent towards those who arbitrarily brushed aside the outstretched hands of the Hero who was meant to save them.
“I told you to shut up!”
Ul, undeterred, slammed down another [Roar]. The giants exploded and burned away, followed by the Gashadokuro beating and devouring them.
“OOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAaaaaa!!!!!!”
However, Ul frowned as even more black energy continued to pour out.
“How much did that woman hoard…!”
It wasn’t just the negative faith of entire Israelia. Most likely, or rather, undoubtedly, Shizuku’s own ill emotions were mixed in. The despair emanating from a single girl had swallowed and overwhelmed the despair gathered from all of Israelia, and with it, she was hurting herself, trying to kill herself.
He couldn’t help but frown. It was too tragic.
“I’m not asking you to consult me before you reach your limit! But at least scream your lungs out—Rock!!”
As Ul shouted, the Death Sentinel and its army of death sentinels began to move. They pushed through the mass of black emotions without mercy. The black vortex of ill feelings, as if responding, formed countless monsters. Mud monsters from the Demon Realm writhed and clashed with the death sentinels, killing each other.
“GAAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAaaaaa!!!!!”
As they pressed further, a wall-like black giant appeared, blocking their path. Seeing it grip a colossal hammer and prepare to swing it down, Ul braced himself, but—
“[Magic Sever]”
Faster than Ul could move, a golden girl severed the giant’s neck.
“Y-Ul.”
“Diz, you made it.”
Diz sat on the shoulder of the Gashadokuro Ul rode, smiling. Carried on her back, holding into her, was Akane, who appeared as a toddler.
“The door collapsed, and I was able to get inside… though it doesn’t seem like they accepted me.”
“Nii-tan! Where’s Shizuku!?”
Akane asked urgently, so Ul shrugged and pointed ahead. At the center of the dark vortex and storm. A frozen silver sphere, painful to behold, was there.
“There.”
“…That’s terrible.”
“…Why did Shizuku keep silent until it got like this?”
Diz stated her honest thoughts with pity, and Akane, her face contorted into a bitter expression that perfectly mimicked Ul’s, transformed back into her fairy form of rusted red.
“Help me out, my familiar.”
“Of course.”
Diz replied instantly. She closed her eyes once, and the next moment, she transformed into her usual hero form, clad in golden armor. Akane also changed her form, becoming Diz’s sword.
Diz smiled with her usual dashing smile, undeterred by the situation, and said.
“Actually, I’m better at rescuing girls than playing goddess.”
“We know.”
Ul and Akane said in unison.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
“Kakakakakakakakakakakakakaka!!!!! ”
The army of death sentinels marched. Their bones rattling, they laughed triumphantly, swung their swords, and tore through the ill emotions. No matter how many were shattered and destroyed by the attacking monsters, they rose again and resumed their march, these indomitable soldiers.
“Kaaaaaaaakakaaaaaaakaka!!!!!”
In the center stood the Gashadokuro, its maw wide open, unleashing a roar. A vortex of light incinerated and pierced the giants one after another. The giants that were torn apart, however, changed their dismembered forms further. They transformed into colossal black birds and attacked Ul and the others riding on the Gashadokuro’s shoulder.
“[Magic Sever]”
But Diz severed the monster bird’s neck with her crimson sword. Even in the world of souls, her swordplay remained sharp. Her sword skills were even sharper than when she was a god.
“Go!!!”
Ul also unleashed his Dragon Fang Spear, burning a path. The Gashadokuro charged forward. The further they advanced, the more the malevolent giants increased in number, baring their fangs.
Naturally. Since Shizuku was at the center, the density of this black magical power increased the closer they got to her. The wound overflowing from within her took form. Feeling the presence spread across the entire sky, Ul frowned and looked up.
“GAAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAaaaaa!!!!!”
“Great Sin Dragons…!”
Dragons looked down from the sky and opened their massive mouths. But as long as this was the world of souls and thoughts, they were no different from the real thing, just like Rock. Or was it a fragment of the Moon God’s power leaking out? In any case, a direct hit would not go unpunished. Ul clicked his tongue and raised his spear.
“—!!!”
But before Ul could move, a “white mist” appeared from somewhere, gathered, and stood as a shield to protect Ul and the others from the roaring dragons.
“What is that…?”
“Mami!”
The dragons’ roars struck the white mist directly and bounced off. Amidst the torrent of light that scorched the surroundings, one of the white mist figures seemed to nod at Ul. Ul nodded in response and looked forward again.
“—This is bad.”
Diz raised her sword, protecting Ul from behind. Unbeknownst to them, a “black vortex” was also approaching from behind, like a storm. The ill emotions gathered from all over the Ark, still as the Moon God, were surging from outside.
“There are so many gross things coming!”
“Ul! Go on ahead!”
Nodding at Akane and Diz’s voices, Ul touched the Gashadokuro with his palm.
“Rock!!”
At that moment, a part of the Gashadokuro’s body glowed and took on a new form. It transformed into the motorcycle they rode together in Dragon Swallow Uuga, a familiar sight. Ul straddled it without hesitation.
“Blast off!!!”
Responding to his voice, the wheels spun. They shot straight ahead. The Gashadokuro extended its arms to create a path, pushing forward to reach Shizuku. The skeletal motorcycle sped over it.
“AAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAaaaaa!!!!!”
From directly ahead, blades approached with the sound of a storm and screams. The vehicle bounced and swerved violently, dodging repeatedly, but the storm did not stop.
“What the—!?”
But then something else intervened. It moved to protect Ul and Rock’s bodies, acting like a shield. Its shadow turned into a “black crow,” flying alongside Ul and the others, and he understood what it was.
“No way, Kuu!?”
Ul was surprised by the completely unexpected rescue and laughed. He had heard the story of how Shizuku defeated the cultists in the Black Flame Desert. In retrospect, their collaboration was undeniable, but it seemed they had exchanged hearts, if only for a short time, to move to protect her within the soul.
“You’re quite popular, aren’t you, huh!!!”
Remembering her painful, self-deprecating memories, Ul spoke to Shizuku. Even if it was a lie, or a compulsion driven by a wounded past, reaching out to someone was her own goodness. No one could deny that. Not even herself.
There were so many things he needed to tell her!!! But before that!!!
“First, show me your face!!!”
Ul shouted at the silver prison that had descended below him. At the same time, the vehicle leaped up, soaring through the sky.
Ul stood on one leg on the airborne vehicle and raised his palm.
“[Bone Core Transformation!]”
The two-wheeled vehicle transformed. It changed form further, becoming a blade in Ul’s hand. A grotesque, bizarre greatsword made of human bones, but in this place, it was more powerful than any holy or demonic sword—a sword of destruction, created to rescue a single girl.
“[Death King’s Bone Sword – Final Fang]”
Grasping the sword, he glared at the swirling black vortex and swung it down with all his might.
“Slice throughwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!”
The crystallization of ill emotions was torn apart with a sound like a death rattle, and a massive crack ran through the silver prison. Then, the Gashadokuro that followed behind reached into the crack and pried it open.
From within the opened prison came a tremendous stench of blood and death. Ul grimaced at the presence that repelled even a single step forward, but he leaped inside without hesitation. Pushing through blood and mud that threatened to swallow his feet, he found—
“Yo, shut-in.”
“……!”
—Shizuku, curled up like a small child, in the innermost part.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
Shizuku, her face worn out from countless tears, shook her head at Ul and looked down.
“I hate you…!”
“It’s fine to hate me, but let’s get out first. Even if you’re going to shut yourself away, don’t do it in a hellish space like this.”
It was grim and damp, and the very act of breathing felt like it burned his lungs. Ul got a headache thinking about what kind of place she was hiding in. He knew it wasn’t good to force someone who had closed themselves off to move. But even if he needed to let her rest, keeping her in a place like this was too dangerous. So, Ul extended his hand.
“Huh?”
At that moment, black thorns pierced Ul’s hand. The thorn-like black thorns extended from her body. The thorns that grew from the blood and mud at their feet clung to Shizuku, digging in, and their thorns reached Ul. Grimacing at the intense pain, he heard more voices.
“Hero.” “Save the world.” “Please.” “Help.” “Is it no good? Is it too late…!” “Why do I have to do something like this!!!” “Hero, Hero, Hero—–!!!” “It hurts, it hurts! It hurts!!!” “God…!!!”
These were the screams of those who had treated her cruelly and then, regretting it, sacrificed their lives. They had become remnants of souls, desperately clinging to her, binding and hurting her.
“—Didn’t I tell you? Don’t cling to a crying woman. You’ll just fall apart together.”
Ul said, somewhat exasperated, then touched Shizuku’s body.
“Come here.”
“Ah…”
He pulled out the black thorns and hoisted Shizuku onto his back, thorns and all. Of course, thorns dug into Ul’s body as well. The pain of the black thorns embedded in his back, arms, and legs was not ordinary. A scream escaped his throat involuntarily.
“Aaaagh! It hurts, it hurts. To bear this alone is truly idiotic.”
Blood dripped, but he pushed forward. Even taking one step was a struggle. Everything Shizuku had carried until today felt like hellish weight and pain. Nevertheless, Ul pressed forward.
“I’m going to die.”
Shizuku finally spoke. He thought that might be the case. Unlike her, he wasn’t designed from the start to endure this pain. If he were to be tormented like this continuously, he would break down faster than she would.
“I’m not going to bear it all by myself. I can’t, anyway. I’ll get help from various people.”
Therefore, naturally, Ul had no intention of bearing it all alone. He continued to advance, step by step. Gradually, the light from the crack he had made grew closer.
“I killed everyone.”
“That’s not true. If that counts as your fault, then the end of the world would be here.”
Well, the world was in its final days now, he thought, remembering the situation outside and sighing. This was truly troublesome.
“You guys betrayed me too!”
“So what? No one here cares.”
After all, it’s just a bunch of idiots with baggage, he thought, recalling the faces of his companions who had accompanied him. Truly, including himself, they were all just a bunch of idiots. That’s precisely why they were able to reach this point, and it was an utterly exasperating story.
“I hate you!!”
“Is that so? I like you.”
Including how incredibly troublesome you are. Ul replied, and Shizuku froze, her eyes widening.
“So, please stop hurting yourself. It makes me sad.”
Because it’s truly painful to see someone important get hurt. Shizuku fell silent. She lowered her head. The hand resting on Ul’s shoulder tightened its grip. Of course, the thorns embedded in her body dug deeper into Ul, but he didn’t care.
“—I’m sorry.”
She let out a small, hesitant sound. As if a dam had broken, more tears streamed from her eyes, wetting Ul’s neck.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Responding to her sobs, mixed with blood and tears, Ul continued to advance. When he stumbled in the muddy ground, white bones suddenly supported him. Laughing at their fussiness, he pressed onward.
“Hey.”
“Nii-tan.”
Arriving before the crack, a golden girl and a crimson sister were waiting. Ul reached out, but noticed the black thorns digging into his palm and hesitated for a moment. But—
“You’re going to get help, right?”
“Can’t say that.”
Saying so, Diz and Akane, without hesitation, grabbed Ul’s hand and pulled him up. Ul firmly supported her body with his other hand—
“Thank you.”
“It’s all good.”
“We said it’s fine.”
—and rescued the girl from the prison of resentment that wounded and killed herself.
[Endeavor Disaster / Golden Saint and Endeavor Disaster / Silver Void Rescue Achieved]
[Yang Moon Requiem]
[Impossible Mission – Gray King’s Imperial Command, Battles 3 and 4, Breakthrough]
