༺ Branching Point (2) ༻
“…Teach?”
Iliya’s puzzled voice came from beside me.
That was probably her reaction after seeing me suddenly froze in place when an enemy as formidable as the Spirit Entity appeared before us.
[ The aura of the ‘White Devil’ is detected! ]
[ ‘Fallen’s Seal’ reacts! ]
[ Emergency Event has occurred! ]
[ Target ‘White Devil’ is involved! ]
[ Upon failure, you will lose your ‘soul’! ]
I knew this would happen, I felt it deep in my bones these days.
Of course such dangerous situations would come at the worst possible situation.
That was why…
I managed to instinctively realize that this was the crisis of a fucking lifetime the moment that window popped up, even though I hadn’t fully ‘register’ what exactly had happened yet.’
A chill ran down my spine as my consciousness sank heavily, as if shutting down involuntarily.
“…”
Though the warning windows weren’t filled with exclamation marks that always popped up whenever I got into a real danger, the fact that the White Devil’s Aura was present while I was ‘not wearing a mask’ was a death sentence in itself.
Because the White Devil was different from others.
Normally, if a Vessel were to go berserk, that meant they lost their reason to a Devil’s Malevolence, going batshit insane without a clear goal. In the White Devil’s case, however, she moved with a certain purpose.
I probably have mentioned this a few times already.
Compared to how a normal person felt or acted, Devils’ affections were often twisted in utterly incomprehensible ways. To put it simply, it was fucked up.
So, imagine there were those crazy bitches who’d find happiness from just being together with someone they liked. Even more so if they were to lock that person up and ‘breed’ them.
Yeah, this punk was the prime example of that kind of crazy bitch.
In other words…
If I did not do something right here and now…
I would die.
Well, I wouldn’t actually die, but like, my ‘life’ as I knew it would end.
I might be breathing, but I’d be deprived of most values and rights that I should be able to enjoy as a human.
‘Remaining time, 20 seconds.’
I didn’t know from where, how, or in what form she would approach me.
But judging from my past experiences that were now engraved in my very soul, the grace period given when the White Devil saw one’s ‘face’ in Sera was about that long.
‘…Stay calm.’
Everyone, and I mean everyone, had the ability to learn.
After going through the same exact thing numerous times, anyone could develop an optimized routine of action.
I knew all too well that panicking in such times was utterly useless.
Putting aside the sense of crisis, I started checking the surroundings with an calm mind.
“…Teach?”
Noticing my unusually grave expression, Iliya voiced her concern with a slightly anxious tone.
“…”
Normally, she’d be the only one I could count to get me out of this shitfest.
But, Desperation, and by extension, her stat buff, would only be triggered if I were in danger of ‘dying’.
Against a special case like the White Devil, it was highly unlikely for her to be of much help.
If she had the Holy Sword, she might be able to do something, but she hasn’t had it yet.
“…Teach? What’s wrong…?”
As I had only been standing in a daze, she asked me another question.
Seeing such an appearance of her made me grind my teeth in frustration.
Originally, she would have proceeded with the Main Quest on her own, even if I wasn’t by her side.
But now, the flow of events in this worldview had long been altered to revolve around me.
Also, like the system window previously mentioned, this was a butterfly effect.
And if I disappeared from that flow…
The world would end.
It wouldn’t be strange for some Devil to go berserk somewhere, somehow, and swallow the world in its entirety.
‘…Remaining time, 10 seconds.’
I clenched my teeth and looked around.
If this situation continued, I would be fucked.
There must be a way…!
“I know it’s a bit strange for me to say this!”
As I desperately racked my brain, accelerating it to unseen heights, Lana’s voice pierced my ears as she drew her twin swords.
“But, it isn’t time to be spacing out like that! A Spirit Entity is right in front of you!”
At that moment…
As soon as I heard that shout…
My gaze locked onto the Spirit Entity right before my eyes.
A Thought Form emitting black mana fluttered threateningly around.
Back in the game, it would immediately start a fight and try to consume ‘mental energy’ through the process.
However, it seemed to have noticed that everyone here was far from ordinary, that was why it was so hesitant to make a move first.
Even the weakest among us, me, boasted quite a solid mental defense thanks to the Devil Conquest Stats I ripped off from Yuria. In the perspective of a Thought Form, I was quite the prob—
‘Thought Form.’
That word echoed in my head.
I tried to recall the game’s setting in my mind.
Thought Form was an existence from another world with its own ‘Mental World’.
Right as I was remembering such a setting…
An idea struck me.
“…”
There was a way.
Just one.
It was a complete gamble, but it was still much better than the certain death I was about to face.
“Teach? Why are you acting like—”
“Hey.”
I cut Iliya, who was voicing her unease, off with a sigh.
“Promise me one thing.”
“Huh?”
I let out a bitter smile to her as she responded to me with a trembling voice.
“Promise me that you’ll do well on your own.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
I meant what I said.
The method I was going to use was the only way I could survive against the White Devil.
But, if I did so, she had to carry out a significant portion of this ‘Main Quest’ all by herself.
In other words…
‘Until I returned’, she would have to play the role of the protagonist without me.
“…I’m counting on you, Iliya.”
Under normal circumstances, I would never do this.
But now, I had no choice.
With that, I activated Soul Linker.
However, it wasn’t Caliban I was calling this time.
[…Dowd?]
To the Boy King, who awakened with a puzzled voice, I responded with a bitter smile.
‘Valkasus. I have a favor to ask.’
Just as it always was when I summoned this person, I had to ask him to help me use Forbidden Sorcery.
Forbidden Sorcery: Seal
Grade: 5 Tattoos
Description: Restricts the opponent’s skill usage for a certain period of time.
Duration is 0.3 seconds.
However…
[…Are you serious? You want me to use it like that?]
When the Boy King responded incredulously to my ‘request’, I nodded in affirmation.
‘You must. Otherwise, I’ll die.’
[…I trust you have a good reason to ask me to do this!]
Fortunately, he quickly agreed to my request without any further questions.
I tried to keep track of the time.
To make this plan succeed, I had to time it perfectly; To exactly match the timing when the ‘White Devil’ was about to pounce at me.
I watched the second hand very, very carefully.
Time remaining until she took away my soul… 3, 2, 1.
‘Valkasus, now!’
As I shouted this in my mind, I dashed in front of Iliya and Lana, as they were brandishing their weapons. Along with that, the Arrays of the Forbidden Sorcery inscribed on my body shone.
“M-Mr. Dowd?! What are you doing?!”
“Teach?!”
As their shocked voices simultaneously echoed behind me…
‘All the power’ I could wield disappeared.
After all, I designated myself as the target of the Forbidden Sorcery.
So that the Spirit Entity in front of me would look at me and attack me.
-!
Predictably, it really charged at me with a terrifying momentum.
And in that exact moment…
‘Something’ surged right before my eyes.
It didn’t feel like she had ‘moved’ at all.
As if the process of the action had been skipped, leaving only the start and the end.
“…”
My blood ran cold.
Just looking at her made me feel like I would go blind.
Externally, it was Yuria. The same punk who was always timid and hesitant, yet capable of brutally slicing anything that came near.
However…
She was covered in pure white color.
A chilling and blinding white color that permeated all over her body.
“Ahhh…”
Then, her mouth opened as she let out an excited moan.
As if she was cherishing something, finding something utterly precious, she slowly reached out her hand toward my face.
“…Found you…”
And, at the same time the Spirit Energy charged at me with the same terrifying momentum as before, thus making contact with my body…
Yuria’s slowly extended fingertips also touched my face.
“Together, forever.”
Along with those words…
A rising ‘white haze’ engulfed me.
As soon as Yuria placed her hand over Dowd’s face, both their bodies collapsed.
As if their consciousnesses were severed at the same moment.
And at the same time…
—!!!
Utter chaos erupted in the surroundings.
People who were ‘hiding’ in all directions suddenly emerged at once, creating a rather comical scene.
“…That crazy fucker—!”
The first to react was Talker, who had been quietly observing the situation.
And when he shot up in horror, Seras and Chancellor Sullivan, who were with him, also revealed themselves in a similar manner.
The original plan was for them to somehow ‘thwart’ the White Devil from consuming his ‘soul’ while she was in the middle of doing so.
As Dowd had shown how tenacious he could be time and time again, they were confident that he wouldn’t be immediately devoured by the White Devil. At least not until they managed to use the appropriate ‘measures’.
However, that lunatic willingly erased all his abilities with his own hands!
“…Dowd!”
Following them, Eleanor rushed down from upstairs.
“Damn it, what were you thinking to do such a thing-!”
Not only that, Riru also popped up from the ground, having hidden who knows where.
As Iliya looked around with a dazed expression, unable to grasp what exactly was happening, Lana looked around with an incredulous expression before speaking.
“…Were there this many people hiding in such a cramped space?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
A moment of awkward silence followed as they looked at each other.
Although none of them could fathom why all these people were gathered here at the same time, what was certain was that they had all come with a singular purpose in mind.
For the well-being of Dowd Campbell.
“…We’ll talk about that later! Take care of this man, quick!”
When Eleanor, who was the first to grasp the situation, spoke up, Sullivan quickly regained her composure and urgently added.
“It’s one of the Devil’s Authorities, ‘Kin’s Designation’. If we do not act quickly, he might never regain his consciousness—!”
However, as if to render such an urgent explanation utterly futile…
Dowd opened his eyes immediately after.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Unbecoming of her, Sullivan seemed extremely taken aback as she closed her mouth.
“H-How can this be…?”
“…The renowned name of the Iron-Blooded Chancellor seems to be in utter shambles. What an incredibly foolish appearance.”
“…Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Is there any part that feels strange?”
To that, Dowd blinked blankly.
He looked at Eleanor, who had approached him, and then scanned the people bustling around him. They all waited anxiously for his response.
“I don’t feel anything like that, but… Before anything…”
Dowd spoke in a dazed voice.
“…Where am I?”
A look of relief flashed across Eleanor’s face.
She thought something had gone wrong, but given that he was able to speak properly, it seemed like there was no major issue with him.
“This is the deepest part of the dungeon where the First Ordeal of the Hero Selection Exam is taking place. There was a slight accident—”
“Hero Selection Exam? Dungeon? What’s that?”
“…”
Eleanor closed her mouth.
Now, a creeping sense of uneasiness began to run down her spine.
She wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Everyone around her also began to distort their expression bizarrely.
“…Uh, that, Dowd…”
Eleanor struggled to formulate another question…
But before she could finish, a different response came.
“…Dowd? Is that my name?”
Eleanor’s jaw dropped.
While the others also expressed their shock in various ways…
“No, wait. In the first place…”
Another statement followed.
“Who are you people?”
The look in his eyes…
Was truly as if he had seen them ‘for the first time in his life’.
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