572 – Conclusion

Lilixira falls, disappearing past the edge of the cliff.
For a short while, I simply stare at her falling figure, hovering in place while clutching [Oneiros Raizem] in my hand.
Perhaps it’s the result of taking too many injuries and having my consciousness begin to cloud over.

I discard [Oneiros Raizem].
The greatsword shifts to light and disintegrates as it falls from my hand.
Then, I release [Dragon Mirror], and my arms revert to forelegs.

A loud crash resounds from the bottom of the cliff.
It’s probably the sound of Lilixira hitting the ground.

Hearing it, I finally released the breath I’d been holding.
Even if there’s a tiny chance of it happening, I mustn’t let that woman slip through my fingers after coming this far.
I’ll avenge my partner, and retake the peaceful times.

【Divine skill [Hungry Ghost Realm: Lv-] has been acquired.】
【Divine skill [Animal Realm: Lv-] has been acquired.】

Message notifications resound in my head.
It’s the Saint’s divine skill [Hungry Ghost Realm], and the Magic Beast King’s divine skill [Animal Realm].

I now have all the divine skills.
What significance this actually has is beyond me, though.

The fact that I’ve received this message means… My victory is certain? Back then, going by the words of that God’s Voice, the condition for the succession of a divine skill to occur is to have Laplace judge that the bearer’s death is inevitable.

In fact, the Hero Irushia was killed by Adofu immediately after I got his divine skill.
The slime Demon Lord escaped after being rescued by Thermal, but still died not long after.
After all, the slime used the reduction in level cap to evolve into a [Ruin] with the abnormal status [God of Destruction], which inevitably brought about its eventual death.

However, precisely because of the slime’s example, there’s still a possibility of something unpleasant happening after the divine skills have been transferred.
I mustn’t trust the words of God’s Voice.
In the first place, I don’t understand at all what Laplace is exactly, besides being some form of power that God’s Voice uses.

【Characteristic skill [God’s Voice] has risen from level 7 to 8.】
【Title skill [Laplace Interference Authority] has risen from level 4 to 7.】

More messages resound in my head… Some weird skills have their levels raised all at once.
It’ll be nice if this isn’t an omen of being dragged into something bad, though.

While using the mana recovered from passive regeneration to heal using [High Rest], I soar towards the cliff floor.
I still haven’t gotten the experience acquisition notification.
I’ll settle this fully with Lilixira.

Partner… I’m finally getting vengeance for you.

I land on the cliff floor.
With [Presence Perception], I’m immediately able to find her.

Covered in blood, Lilixira lies sprawled at the cliff floor.
Her eyes gaze upward, clearly lacking any vigour.

The wound I sliced in her abdomen has yet to be healed, and her body is blanketed in cuts.
On top of that, her entire body has darkened.
It’s probably because she lost her divine skills.

Thinking back to my own evolutions and the slime incident, the divine skills probably let living beings develop into a superior existence, and provide the power to maintain that state.
And, once the divine skills are lost, monsters become unable to maintain such a body.
The Hero Irushia had his maximum level drastically lowered.
The slime Demon Lord became degraded and had its stats substantially decreased, before eventually forcing through an evolution and taking on the [God of Destruction] status condition.

『…Surely even you can’t do anything after being reduced to this state.』

I say to Lilixira.
Her eyes regard me for a moment, then turn back to the skies above the valley.

“…Ahh, that’s right.
I’ve lost.”

Lilixira mutters as if it were another person’s matter.
She might not even have the energy left to even muster up emotion.
Her state is that haggard.

“Even though I understood what the shield could do… to think that I’d fall for such an obvious trick.
Since you were the user, I might have been a little careless.”

『…What did you see?』

I had planned on killing her straight away.
And yet, I find myself suspending the foreleg I raised, and spontaneously starting a dialogue with her.

Maybe it’s because I’ve clearly won.
Right before taking the life of Lilixira who I’ve detested this much, strangely enough, I’m perfectly calm.

Because the scale of the battle had gotten so overwhelmingly large, perhaps I’ve been resenting the image of Lilixira that I had built up in my mind, rather than Lilixira herself.
From the start, without knowing anything about her objective, I stood in opposition to her sudden betrayal and attempt to dispose of me.

After quietly hesitating for a moment, Lilixira speaks softly.

“I didn’t think I would have to turn my blades against that child for a second time.”

Hearing her words, I understand.
The [Oneiros Flugel] showed Lilixira an illusion of Alphiss.
At the time, I had no idea what she could have possibly been shown to make her unconsciously lower her swords… But if it was Alphiss, I can begin to understand.

It stood out that Lilixira, who’d fought in the opening phase with reliability foremost on her mind, gradually started taking crude actions towards the end.
I believed that she probably had no choice but to attack due to the time limit from [Chakra Awakening]’s continuous HP and MP consumption, but that alone won’t account for it.
Right at the very end, I was even suspicious that Lilixira had an ulterior motive behind deliberately fighting without bothering to cover up her weaknesses.

In hindsight, once Alphiss arrived, Lilixira clearly broke down.
Her breakdown was even more obvious once she’d killed her with her own hands.
If Alphiss didn’t come, I might never have been able to land so many attacks, with her being so pathologically focused on her risk-averse way of fighting.

『If she was that important to you, it’d be much better if you didn’t bring her along! Of all people, why ask such a…』

“She’s an excellent person, and above all, a holy knight.
She had hoped for such a way of life herself.
She must have been fully resolved, even if things were to end this way.”

『That’s why I said…!』

“I’ve sacrificed thousands of lives up till now, but my friend is special so I don’t want her to die – there’s no way I could say something so selfish.
The weight of one’s life isn’t a matter of their station after all.”

Hearing her speak, I can only stare blankly.
I ponder over her words for a moment, then partially lower the foreleg I had raised.

『…Is that… so.』

I respond, weakly.