“Uwaaahhh!!”
Raphael scread as his right arm was severed.
However, he quickly regained his composure as wind gathered around the part where his right arm was lost, forming a semi-transparent arm.
“Haah...hah...haah...The Holy Sword...my Holy Sword...”
While muttering, Raphael picked up the Holy Sword from the ground with his left hand.
It seems that his fighting spirit was far from broken since his obsession with the Holy Sword was imnse as it seems that it is much more important to him than the arm he lost.
The sword was indeed the sword of a hero, but it was rely a tool used by a hero, not sothing that made one a hero.
And Raphael failed to realize this.
“No-Na... will you help ?”
“I suppose I must, given the situation.”
If Raphael fell, No-Na knew that she would be next and without hesitation, the forr No-Na raised her Fla God sword.
I glanced at her and swung my right arm again.
That alone caused the ground at No-Na’s feet to freeze.
“What!?”
No-Na attempted to lt the ice with the power of her Fla God sword, but the flas could not penetrate the ice.
Soon the ice continued to envelop No-Na while emitting a silver light.
“Impossible...”
“Stay there for a while.”
Soon, the ice encapsulated No-Na, forming an ice sculpture. She wasn’t dead, just immobilized because she was a nuisance.
The final showdown with the forr No-Na should be with her successor, so upon seeing No-Na rendered powerless with a single move, Raphael's eyes widened.
He aid the tip of the Holy Sword at as I began to walk toward him again.
“S-Stop!”
“If you think you can, then just try it.”
“Guh!”
Raphael tried to swing the Holy Sword but seed to rember how I had previously stopped it with one hand.
Instead, he directed his right arm at .
The wind-ford arm unleashed a powerful gust.
“Using demonic powers despite being a human... Perhaps you were a victim too… But I don’t feel sympathy right now though.”
The wind couldn’t harm so I didn’t even defend against it; my body’s released magic alone was enough to block all of his wind.
Using his demonic powers was understandable since the Holy Sword’s attack didn’t affect .
However, it wasn’t a matter of compatibility. It was simply that the Holy Sword in its first release state couldn’t hurt .
And naturally, an attack weaker than that wouldn’t be able to hurt either.
“No...”
With a look of despair, Raphael took a step back.
I smiled at him.
I wanted him to feel as much fear as possible.
To suffer as much as possible.
A quick death wouldn’t satisfy .
Yet despite my intentions, a backlash ca.
“What is this!?”
A roar occurred and at the sa ti, cracks appeared in the world to my right.
Not just one or two, but the whole space vibrated, causing fissures to begin forming everywhere.
I understand now. This is what happens when the world can’t bear it. If every use of ancient magic led to this, it’s no wonder that the ancient magical civilization had to abandon magic.
It seems we don’t have much ti and I had no ti for petty revenge since even the reinforced barrier was nearing its limit.
“Raphael... This is your end. Do you have any last words?”
“W-Wait! I just...! I only wanted the Emperor’s love...! Like Elna and you!”
“You were loved. You were recognized, and you just failed to see it. Only envying others, and coveting everything they had, while at the sa ti discarding all that you possessed. People cannot have everything. So... they cherish what they do have.”
Raphael never protected what he had because he never acknowledged it, he only felt unfulfilled and envied others.
Such tendencies exist in humans so it might just be human nature.
But Raphael’s case was extre. My father indeed loved Raphael but despite that, Raphael claid he wanted to be loved, simply because he wasn’t content.
“You should have been content... You should have valued what you had.”
“I...I...I’m not wrong! It’s all because of this hero’s blood! I never wanted this blood!!”
While screaming, Raphael swung the Holy Sword with his left arm.
I easily caught the stream of light it released with my right arm and spoke.
“You just denounced the very blood that enables you to wield the Holy Sword. And that’s your contradiction. You only enjoy the power while denying its source. Power cos with responsibility. You should have already learned that.”
“Aah...”
With a face filled with despair, Raphael saw my right hand approach him.
It carried the power of the Holy Sword’s attack that I had absorbed as I pressed it against Raphael’s face.
“Uwaaahhhhh!!!!”
The overwhelming light began to burn Raphael’s face.
It was fitting for soone who was obsessed with the Holy Sword to be destroyed by its power. Raphael tried to escape while screaming in agony, but I wouldn’t let him.
I used a barrier to immobilize him and declared:
“This is the punishnt for betraying my father. And this is... for hurting Elna. Take it all.”
Grabbing Raphael’s face with my right hand, I activated my magic.
Even though more cracks appeared in the world, I didn’t care.
≪Silvery Ray≫
Seven spheres of light appeared, targeting Raphael.
And I stepped away from him.
“Goodbye, Raphael.”
As I spoke, I released seven beams of silver light from the spheres.
Struck by the beams, Raphael slowly vanished.
Once Raphael was completely erased, I suppressed my magic and the cracks in the world began to heal.
The barrier was barely holding, but it was intact.
If it broke, information would leak so that was avoided. I slowly took a deep breath to calm myself and tried to turn around but couldn’t.
I didn’t know what face to make.
My emotions were in turmoil, and my body wouldn’t move. All this stemd from . My sche had hurt Elna.
Despite that, what face should I show her here?
“Al...?”
The voice was close. Yet hearing it made my body tremble and I was scared to turn around.
But I had to.
It’s always been that way when I was called, and so I slowly managed to turn around.
It’s natural for a childhood friend to be there.
Whenever I turned around, she was always there and it always reassured .
So, I turned around slowly where Elna stood there with a tearful expression.
But she wasn’t crying.
She probably couldn’t.
“Al...?”
Elna called my na again.
Hearing it, tears quietly fell from my eyes.
Seeing this, Elna gently reached out and touched my face.
“Don’t cry, Al...”
“Elna...”
“I’m fine. So don’t bla yourself so much...”
She wiped my tears with one hand and then embraced gently, like a mother would for her child.
“I...”
“It’s okay... No matter what, you’re still Al...”
“Elna... I...”
“It’s okay... As long as you ca back to ... that’s enough. I forgive you.”
I knew it. It would be easier if she hit .
But I knew Elna wouldn’t do that since Elna is always kind to .
No matter how much she’s hurt, if I’m blaming myself, she’ll forgive .
I knew that and had always relied on her kindness.
Knowing no matter what I did, she would forgive .
And knowing that, I devised this plan. It was cowardly and pathetic and I shouldn’t face her. Yet, I slowly buried my face in Elna’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry...”
TL's Notes:
Most satisfying death of the series. Man Raphael can go eat doodoo for all we care...
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