"S-Shye, the void portal is ready!" David exclaid, panting in exhaustion after pushing his ntal limits.
"Then go," Shye responded in a monotonous voice.
The remaining conscious cohort mbers weren't stupid and they, too, had already realized that Shye had beco sowhat like the Soulless, though his condition seed to be a little better, considering he could still talk logically.
They just couldn't sense a hint of emotion in him.
They were certain he had sacrificed their soul.
Harry, David, and Siegfried gritted their teeth and clenched their fists in frustration, inwardly lanting how useless they were.
Had they been stronger, their dear friend wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself.
It had always been him.
Even in the past, it was Shye who always retreated last, who always guarded the rear if they encountered sothing they couldn't handle.
It truly pained the three to see him in such a state due to their incompetence.
On the other hand, the two ladies also looked at him—one in slight horror and sadness while the other with utter grief and heartbreak.
Ti waits for no one, however, and before long, the cohort mbers had to go.
They would be wasting their friend's noble sacrifice if they didn't
The next mont, Harry, David, and Siegfried grabbed their unconscious comrades, shooting one last glance at Shye's dependable back.
'So long, brother.'
With a final farewell, the three hopped in—David first, then Harry, then Siegfried after his gaze lingered a few more milliseconds longer than the two.
"Shirley, you go first." Wendy urged, placing her palms on the unsealing ritual magic circle again and swapping places with Shirley.
She knew that if she left first, ideas to "die together" might form in her friend's head.
Shirley was, after all, Shye's lover, and such a thing happening wasn't too unlikely.
She wasn't stupid and was probably the smartest next to Shye.
She knew what was gonna happen—what Shye was going to do.
He was finally going to sacrifice his life this ti.
Wendy had no way of fully grasping the extent of Shye's growth from the soul enhancent.
Even if she tried to overestimate him beyond her wildest imagination, she would most likely still be underestimating him.
But that wouldn't change the reality—he would be channeling mana into the ritual for six to seven seconds, enduring every attack with his body and a handful of defensive skills, which would quickly deplete under the sheer number of enemies assailing him.
Dweezel was still alive and well, likely preparing to strike at any mont.
No matter how Wendy thought about it, her close friend would be perishing today.
mories of her ti with Shye flashed through her mind as she channeled the last remnants of her mana and ntal fortitude into the circle, waiting for Shirley, who stood frozen, casting one final, forlorn gaze at her lover.
Shirley said nothing.
She simply stared at Shye's broad back, tears streaming down her face.
She would never see her beloved again—perhaps for eternity, perhaps for ten.
But she would wait.
With a painful expression, she turned away and stepped into the void portal.
The mont she crossed through, heartbroken cries erupted from her lips—her stoic front crumbling at the very end.
Not that it mattered.
Shye didn't even spare her a single glance, as if everything they'd been through was a lie.
Unbeknownst to her, a single drop of tear stread down from the corners of Shye's hollow eyes, though he himself did not know why and was rely confused.
It was his soul.
What remained of it, at least, was in utter grief and heartbreak, just like his beloved.
They resonated at that mont, though both were unfortunately unaware.
Realizing that the last cohort mber was rely waiting for him to take their place in the magic circle, Shye summoned a tornado of swords with his twin greatswords—perhaps their final battle—before swapping to his twin elental staffs.
With a swift motion, he unleashed a massive [Gravitational Drain], warping the battlefield ahead with one staff while raining fire and ice upon his enemies with the other.
He then switched to a life staff without a single millisecond of pause, conjuring a thick physical and magic barrier around himself before finally placing his hands on the circle—all executed in a single second, faster than any mortal could have imagined.
Done with everything he needed to do, Shye placed his palms on the barrier without a care for the sad gaze his friend was giving him.
He stared right back at Wendy and said only one word: "Go."
With a reluctant gaze and a heavy heart, the priestess stepped through the portal, leaving Shye alone.
She had considered casting a barrier for him, but it would take two seconds—who knew if that would be a foolish mistake?
She decided to simply obey in the end, honoring his sacrifice and final wishes.
The void portal sealed shut the next mont.
Shye was officially alone.
With nothing but his two fragile barriers shielding him, he turned his back to hundreds of attackers.
Soul Warriors, their lesser kin, abominations, Soulless Heroes, Hawklings, the lurking sinister snake, and even a divine white-scaled deity—all sought his life.
Thunder roared, the air trembled, and ice shards and arrows sliced through the sky. Flas raged, winds howled, and a storm of lethal magic and steel hurtled toward Shye.
His physical barrier was ignored entirely and his magical defense shattered on impact.
The remaining spells and arrows ruthlessly struck his back, detonating in a violent eruption.
Thick gray smoke montarily veiled his desolate figure.
'7'...
However, the smoke was quickly swept away by the charging blade-wielders, revealing his battered and bruised body—steadfast and unfazed as he continued channeling mana into the scroll.
Swords slashed toward his back, daggers aid for his skull.
Blades bit into his flesh, but none could pierce too deep.
His 1,800 vitality wasn't just for show.
His body had far surpassed the words "rock-solid", but would it hold?
'6'…
***
anwhile, in a dimly lit tallic room, a quiet sense of loneliness and abandonnt lingered in the air.
Of the two glowing portals, only one remained active. The other—the blue one—had gone dim, seemingly already used.
Sanada Eiichiro had returned to Earth…
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