Chapter: 79. The Return of the Savior (5k)
“I finally have it in my grasp.” Nanjo’s eyes gleamed with fervor as she looked at the black box lying in her palm.
The professors from Tsukizumi Academy had come to Ark Academy for an academic exchange, all orchestrated by her persuasion of the chairman.
As long as they leveraged the title of “the supreme masterpiece” and “the vessel of the end,” and used the excuse of “cleansing the end pollution,” she could have them willingly take this item out of Tsukizumi Academy.
For the three academies and special zone SEMA that received the “savior’s blessing,” “end pollution” was the greatest obstacle to using this power.
Even if they tried to create suitable “vessels” to “filter” the “blessings” through the technologies of the Celestial Society, or like herself, used as expendables implanted with “fragments of authority” to select natural immunizers, all those plans had been declared failures.
This black box before her was codenamed “Delete.”
It was one of the projects initiated at the same time as Nanjo’s, and it was the most powerful force she knew of.
Originally, she had planned to get close to the professor using the “authority of the stars,” and take the opportunity to kill him and seize the black box.
However, she hadn’t anticipated that there were traitors within Ark Academy’s anti-ability organization, and they reached the professor before she did. Fortunately, the black box did not fall into their hands.
“But unfortunately, it ultimately ended up in my hands, kekeke~ After all, I am the chosen protagonist of the future—” Nanjo Akane’s starry eyes erupted with dazzling white light.
In that moment, it felt as though the whole world spun around her.
“The pain you imposed on me, I will repay you a hundredfold—”
—As long as she killed everyone who knew about the “immunity plan,” she could return to the world as the “surviving element sovereign”~
The black box in Nanjo’s hand emitted a shimmering white light under her gaze.
She did not know exactly what was contained inside, so she couldn’t recognize the box’s existence.
But as long as she used the “authority of the stars,” she could gain the powerful force within—
“Yako—!” Mana’s shout interrupted Nanjo’s thoughts.
In the instant she refocused on reality, a sharp wind blade brushed past her head.
Starry eyes flickered.
Nanjo’s position instantly transformed into Yako’s figure.
The wind blade, capable of cutting through iron like mud, came rushing toward Yako’s vacant eyes.
“!?” Upon seeing this, Mana shifted the trajectory of the wind blade at the last possible moment, and it whistled past Yako’s ear.
“Tsk tsk, is it really okay to do such things to your friend’s corpse?” Nanjo’s mocking voice came from behind Mana, where Yako had once fallen.
“Why are you doing this—” Mana turned her head, her face contorted with rage.
At the moment Yako was attacked, the warm blood splattering onto Mana’s face finally awakened the dissonance in her heart.
But she could not save Yako, who had already been pierced through the heart.
In that brief moment, Yako’s lifeless body fell to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.
Even though she had lost her life, as long as her soul remained, the authority of the stars could still be utilized.
Even death would not bring peace.
Mana bore the compassion for Yako and the fury of the “element sovereign” within her heart, and her crimson eyes exploded with intense red light, fixating on Nanjo.
Meanwhile, Nanjo remained with a relaxed smile, her hand raised to stop at her chest.
An ominous premonition like an electric current surged through Mana’s brain, prompting her to reflexively use her “shadow transformation” ability.
At the same time.
Without hesitation, Nanjo pierced her own heart with a watch—
Starry eyes flickered.
A large hole opened in Mana’s chest.
But the already transformed Mana was immune to this degree of physical attack.
“Truly worthy of the supreme masterpiece, it possesses such troublesome power.” An unharmed Nanjo chuckled.
“You—!” Mana, still unable to process what had just occurred, shouted in rage and attempted to use “virtual authority” against the “element sovereign” before her.
But—
Nothing happened.
Nanjo’s power came from the authority of the stars, and even a fragment carried the same status.
Virtual authority could not fabricate authority.
While normally, it could create a corresponding lower-tier ability, like the lightning ability of the Thunder authority.
However, this time, she felt nothing.
As if the authority of the stars had no lower-tier substitutes at all.
“Even though we are both copies of that guy, I am still of a higher grade than you—” Nanjo realized what had happened from Mana’s astonished expression.
Starry eyes flickered.
The shadows beneath Mana’s feet transformed into writhing tendrils that suddenly reached out toward her.
Just as Mana was about to use the wind blade to cut them off, a pale lightning bolt accompanied by a strong gust of wind struck from Nanjo’s direction, interrupting her movement.
Mana, caught in this moment of vulnerability, was bound in the air by the shadow tendrils.
“I see, this is what it’s like to use multiple abilities at once~ You really have copied quite a few convenient abilities~” “Mana” laughed heartily at the helpless Mana.
As Nanjo spoke.
The tendrils suddenly constricted, the immense force crushing Mana’s bones beneath her skin like branches, sharp fragments digging into her vulnerable organs.
The excruciating pain elicited a tragic scream from Mana.
“What a delightful scream~ I wonder if that kid will emit the same wail before dying~ Unfortunately, I can’t hear it now~” Nanjo glanced at the watch on her wrist and shrugged.
“—!? You, you want to—Nagi—” Nanjo’s words evoked a powerful will from deep within Mana, and she gritted her teeth, using enough force to crush her gums as she spoke.
“Worthless things should be dealt with quickly, right? That’s the academy’s way~”
“You’re daring to—!!” Mana’s eyes exploded with an unprecedented light.
Thump thump.
The heart pierced by the bones beat in synchrony with the resonance of the universe.
“That child must be thinking, why didn’t her most trusted childhood friend come to save her before dying? Even at the end, she can’t see her childhood friend for the last time~”
“You bastard—!!”
Crack.
What was that shattering sound?
A vast hollow appeared deep within her soul—
Mana’s eyes turned a visible crimson, the red gathering at the center of her pupils like blood, while the whites turned to an unsettling pure black—
An overwhelming magical energy erupted from Mana’s body, her platinum hair slowly becoming tinged with red.
But—
“Awakening? Too late, supreme masterpiece, you will become part of my power, forever at my service~”
Seeing this, Nanjo smirked, as if she had discovered a convenient toy.
“Supreme masterpiece, I will gladly accept your power~”
Starry eyes flickered.
—————–
“Tsk, where on earth did that woman run off to—”
In some part of the artificial academy island, Otori, who had been following Nagi, lost sight of their target.
“Damn it! I was so close! Just a bit more, and I could have merged with her!” Otori couldn’t help but curse.
Just then, a wave of magical energy caught his attention.
It was the aura of a certain domain being unleashed.
Accompanying it was also the magical response of the Azure Dragon.
“That’s in the direction of Noah’s Cabin…”
Otori muttered, then his six eyes shifted focus.
“Right, that Tsukimi Kanade seems to have obtained that thing. Maybe I can steal it from him—”
Thinking this, Otori commanded the Chimera beneath him to change direction.
……
……
Meanwhile.
A massive figure landed at the edge of the artificial academy island.
Its smooth and moist body reflected a verdant glow in the moonlight, every scale on its surface radiating with the light of magic.
Eighteen pairs of crimson eyes looked in various directions across the island.
The domain was silently spreading.
“How is it? Have you found the target?”
“I found it, how about you?”
“What if we completely forget? Should we just randomly find a target?”
“At least don’t mix the sexes up?”
“If we do that, Garuda will get mad, so be serious!”
“Then how about we pin it on the end?”
“Good idea. I didn’t expect you to be bright at a time like this!”
“Why hasn’t the signal come yet?”
“Same here.”
The nine heads chattered among themselves, as the verdant domain rapidly expanded, silently engulfing the entire island—
—————–
“Enough! Shinku, how much longer do you intend to cause a fuss?”
Soaring in the sky, Garuda waved her delicate white arms, as countless tornadoes bound the crimson mech like ropes.
“Tell me, Garuda, why! Why must he die!” Maria’s words echoed with a monster’s gravelly tone.
The crimson mech unleashed countless red lasers, piercing through the tornadoes that ensnared her.
The lasers that landed on the ground created massive explosions.
The sounds of the explosions echoed throughout the storm.
Garuda’s domain had long been unleashed.
An endless storm wrapped around both her and Maria.
Countless raindrops fell on the scarlet armor, instantly evaporating into white steam due to the extreme heat.
Bathed in the rain curtain, Maria resembled an overloaded mech.
Just like her current spirit, she was on the brink of collapse.
“You liar! Shiko is a big liar!” Maria spat curses.
“We clearly agreed! He wouldn’t disappear before our eyes!”
“……Shinku.”
“Why, why did you leave us—” The mech burst forth at speeds unimaginable, leaving behind a crimson afterimage, while its massive form flickered to appear behind Garuda.
Before the delicate Garuda, the crimson mech now resembled a mountain, its shadow enveloping her.
With a punch carrying enough heat and energy to melt steel, Maria struck Garuda, sending her flying.
The impact momentarily quelled the torrential rain.
“It’s all my fault, all my fault. I should have stopped him that day…” Maria continued to murmur.
Her eyes glimmered with a purple-black light, her body moving in an almost monstrous manner, launching a raging storm of attacks against Garuda.
But her spirit seemed to be nearing collapse, her mouth uttering weak phrases, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.
“Please, Shiko, I’ll work hard to be smarter, I won’t make you angry anymore… so please come back…”
“You see, I’ve passed the teacher’s certification exam we agreed on, I’m already a teacher now, okay?”
“I’m no longer that idiot who only brings you trouble… so could you come back to me?”
“You said, if I could pass the test, you would take me to celebrate… yet you didn’t even say a word of praise—”
“Liar, you big liar…”
A vast hollow in her soul unleashed a torrent of magic.
Meanwhile, the remaining magic within Garuda’s body was gradually depleting as she battled Maria.
“She used to be such a simpleton, but it’s really annoying how End’s power is so troublesome—” Garuda crossed her arms defensively, pouring her final magic into the barrier before her—
“I will not forgive you, I absolutely will not forgive all of you—!”
“Blood debts must be repaid in blood—!”
Maria, now driven mad, condensed all of her remaining magic.
A radiant red light gathered at her chest, heralding the launch of a pure energy shockwave akin to dragon fire.
“Master….. is it still not enough? I can barely hold on anymore…” Garuda’s lips twitched as she witnessed this scene.
In the next moment.
A massive impact, capable of turning the earth into molten magma, pierced through the rain curtain, aimed at Garuda.
—————–
In the ruins of Noah’s Cabin.
Having finally realized what happened, the Azure Dragon revealed a look of urgency.
“…..Please… save little Nagi and the others…” Kanade, barely able to move, pleaded to the Azure Dragon before her.
“Kanade….. you……”
Due to the emotional exchange from moments ago, the Azure Dragon began to calm down and gradually understood Kanade’s feelings.
“I’m sorry…..” He apologized frankly to the barely conscious Kanade.
He had never intended to harm her this severely.
Blinded by his own anger and jealousy regarding Kanade, the Azure Dragon had pushed her into a dark abyss.
“Have I… once again committed an unforgivable mistake…?”
The memories of his help for Nagi surfaced in the Azure Dragon’s mind.
Just to satisfy his own desires, while claiming to do it for others, he ended up pushing her deeper into despair.
“…..Pull yourself together, you’re not….. the student council president?” Kanade spoke, blood trickling from her lips.
“That’s enough, don’t talk anymore. I’ll call for medical personnel—” The Azure Dragon moved forward to hold Kanade, who was bloodied and bruised.
At that moment, Kanade squeezed out the last of her strength, grabbing the Azure Dragon’s arm with her remaining hand.
Her pale yellow eyes were now filled with a tenacious glint and the warmth of humanity.
“Now….. everyone can only depend on you…… just as you protected little Nagi back then……”
“Kanade……. but I……. ” Even in this critical moment.
The Azure Dragon, having lost Yako by his side, felt like a child from years ago, unable to take that step forward.
“—No, it’s already over~”
Just then, a mocking voice echoed from behind the Azure Dragon.
Before he could react—
A black tail swept across his wobbling form, the tip of the tail opening a gaping maw, akin to a crocodile’s jaw, biting into the Azure Dragon’s body.
“!?”
“Ah, another one of those utterly unproductive encouragement moments. That guy is a spy hiding in Ark Academy, right? Shouldn’t the student council president execute him on the spot?” Otori stepped out from the shadows with a slow strut.
“….Otori….. why……” Kanade, who witnessed this scene, widened her eyes in disbelief.
“You’re—” At that moment, the Azure Dragon raised his fantasy weapon.
But before he could channel the magic inside him.
The tendrils in the jaws of the tail had already taken the “Authority of Thunder” from him.
“Ohh~ I felt it~” A blue electric arc flickered in Otori’s eyes.
“So this is the Authority of Thunder? It’s such a waste to let a worthless person like you use it~”
Lightning bolts rained down from the sky, striking the Chimera’s enormous form.
Its shape shifted under the influence of the authority, releasing tremendous magical energy outward—
“If it’s this power—! Hahaha!” Otori laughed maniacally.
At that moment, the power that symbolized the divine and represented “composite technology” fused with the Chimera—
“Don’t worry, I will soon reunite you and your beloved childhood friend in hell~”
—————–
“It’s over, supreme masterpiece~”
Nanjo’s starry eyes flickered wildly, the silver-white stars hanging high in the night sky.
Even the bright moonlight paled in comparison to it.
She raised a giant sword made of shadows with one hand, aimed at Mana, who was controlled by the authority of the stars.
No matter how Mana tried to draw magic from the hollow within herself, she would be rejected by the world due to her “self,” rendering her unable to gain strength.
—Is this really the end… I couldn’t protect you again…
—Before dying, I just wish to hear your voice once more… ah…
Mana’s eyes gradually lost their light.
Her pupils slowly faded from that enchanting crimson to reveal the black beneath.
Like a mirror, reflecting a dazzling green firework in the night sky.
—Fireworks?
“Huh?” Nanjo seemed to notice something, suddenly turning her gaze toward the night sky.
It was a burst of green fireworks blooming against the backdrop of the night.
Countless beams, like shooting stars, rained down over the entire artificial academy island, illuminating the night and the faces of everyone on the island.
“That magical reaction is—”
One of the green shooting stars fell from the air onto a certain dark silhouette.
“What?!” A wave of ominous premonition surged toward Nanjo, forcing her to widen her eyes towards that position.
But the next moment, a childish yet determined voice filled with obvious anger rang out behind her—
“Who are you?”
Starry eyes flickered.
Silver light blossomed in the night sky, overshadowing that white star.
A massive domain instantly expanded, enveloping the entire island like a kaleidoscope—
In the next moment.
Nanjo’s arm gripping the blade was severed, the cut surface as smooth as a mirror.
A petite figure flashed past her, with hair as dark as the night sky fluttering in the wind.
Nanjo’s large eyes brimmed with confusion and disbelief.
Because she saw.
—Why? Why is he here?
The familiar yet strange figure she had seen countless times—
The true savior—the Element Sovereign.
