The Great Sword is not the Main Body!
Chapter 178 – The Primordial Demon, Brunhilde Subjugation (6)

Plink. Plink. Patter.

Raindrops fell through the opened sky.
The flames that had consumed everything, growing ever larger, were extinguished as Brunhilde’s manifested world collapsed.

The fire lost its heat.
It forgot its rage.
It lost its hatred.
Regret, frustration, despair, sorrow.
It lost everything.

Yet it did not lose the past.
It did not forget the past.

[Let’s go.]

Feeling the cooling raindrops against my skin, I moved my heavy feet forward.

One step at a time.
With each step through the void, faint embers lit my path. The blood energy with its thirst-inducing properties numbed my pain. Cold energy soothed my overheated body. Feathers supported my staggering form.

“Kartia.”

[Yeah?]

“Why did you make that choice?”

[…Who knows.]

“I know you’ve recovered all your memories… Won’t you tell me?”

After a moment of silence, Kartia exhaled deeply and answered.

[Back then, I only thought about winning, but when I reached the end, everything changed. Maybe it was because I lost something precious. That friend I mentioned before, ‘Frey’—she…]

I walked on, listening to Kartia’s self-deprecating voice.
The ground I had just stepped on crumbled away.
The rain pouring through the torn sky grew heavier.

Yet the flames at the place where Brunhilde’s magic stone hovered remained undiminished, calling out to me.

[Ugh… I hate getting all emotional talking about the past, so I’ll stop there. To answer your question directly.]

Clicking her tongue irritably, Kartia dropped a heavy response:

[Because an empty, twisted victory isn’t happiness. That’s why I gave it up.]

Splash — At the same moment, my footsteps halted.

I expanded my Ki Sense. The landscape around me took shape.
The battlefield that Brunhilde had lived through, had walked through.
I carefully stored the endless hellish landscape in my mind.

So I wouldn’t forget, I etched it clearly in my memory. Then I reached out. I grasped Brunhilde’s magic stone. Though its terrible heat threatened to burn my hand, I didn’t let go.

I erased the pain with blood energy, cooled the heat with frost, and stubbornly received the lingering emotions.

Sensing the now-subdued emotions, I released my [True Energy]. Just as with Valoran, I felt Brunhilde’s magic stone beginning to seep into my body. I raised my head.

“Haah…”

Even in this collapsing world, I swung Frey toward the majestic black sun hanging in the sky.

CRASH—

The sky crumbled along the path carved by my blade.
The black sun split apart, losing its dark light.
The intensified rain lashed against my cheeks.
The scent of war, not hell, filled my nostrils.

In an instant, the landscape changed. My body tilted. A chilling sensation of weightlessness swept over me as the wind and rain rushed past.

Then suddenly—thud—the soft, muddy ground embraced my body.

A fresh breeze blew in.

“Noah!”

Rubia’s voice, carried by the wind, awakened my dazed mind.

I brushed the dirt from my clothes and stood up, expanding my Ki Sense.

The sound of raindrops falling through the silent stillness replaced the noise of battle.

The Liberation Army stood on the ground, looking up at the sky in bewilderment, while the Challengers at their forefront stared around with stunned expressions.

The subjugation was over.

More anticlimactic than expected.

I relaxed my stiffened face, turning to Rubia with my usual gentle smile.

“…Noah.”

“Rubia.”

“Is it… over?”

I extended my hand, showing her Brunhilde’s hollowed magic stone.

“…You did well.”

Swoosh — Rubia’s arms wrapped around my wounded body. I surrendered to her embrace, feeling her warmth.

“Hehe…”

I will save Rubia.
By any means necessary, even if I must burn away my life.
Even if the world abandons me, even if everyone betrays me.

At least you, for certain.

Squeeze — I embraced Rubia’s soft waist more tightly. I breathed in her scent. I memorized her touch and stored the rhythm of her heartbeat in my chest.

Before we part.

I cherished her presence for as long as I could.

After a long moment, a powerful surge of energy abruptly changed the somber atmosphere.

The spirit’s wind brushed past my ear.
It enveloped my body.

‘It’s finished. Save the romance for later and come quickly.’

Rubia must have heard Serr’s voice too, as she gently pushed me away.

“Shall we go?”

Then she stretched out her arms and lifted me up.
Supporting my legs and back.

In what’s commonly known as… a princess carry.

“Ru… Rubia…?!”

“You need to rest since we’re headed straight into battle.”

“Umm… n-no, that’s—”

“Shh—”

“Eek… T-then… please stop fondling me…”

Unable to resist Rubia’s stern expression, I gently pushed away her hands that were caressing me inappropriately.

She nodded as if understanding completely.

“What’s wrong? Are you getting excited again? That would be troublesome before a battle.”

“…Pardon?”

Chuckle — With a playful smile, Rubia leaned in and slipped her tongue into my half-open mouth.

She licked my open wounds, channeling divine power through them.

Slurp, Gulp

“Haah…”

“Ru… Ru-ru-ru… Rubia?!”

“Want me to do it again?”

“N-no… that’s enough… if you do more, I think something really bad will happen…”

“How disappointing…”

After eyeing my trembling legs and twitching body for a moment, Rubia licked her lips and started walking.

When we reached the summit,

Serr greeted us with a light smile.

“That was impressive, Noah.”

After slipping free of Rubia’s arms and landing on the ground, I nodded while hiding my embarrassed face.

“Did you use a technique Lady Kartia taught you?”

“Umm… yes. I tried to save it if possible… but…”

“Either way, you trusted your comrades, didn’t you? Well done. Continue to trust your companions. Whatever you lack, we as your friends will somehow fill in.”

Serr used the spirits’ wind and water to clean the grime from my body, then turned away with a bright smile.

Trusting my comrades, huh…

To be honest, I had taken that action to shatter Brunhilde’s noble flames head-on.
Of course, trust in Serr and Rubia had been part of it… but it wasn’t purely out of faith.

I didn’t want to depend on others.
I didn’t want to rely on anyone.
I didn’t want to receive help.

Completely on my own.
Without anyone’s assistance, I wanted to end everything.

Because I had resolved to save Rubia,
And then disappear from this world.

Leaving no regrets.
Leaving no lingering attachments.

I wanted to depart with nothing.

And yet, I keep developing attachments.
I keep accumulating regrets.

With the people I’ve met,
I’m starting to desire a future.

I broadly expanded my Ki Sense, perceiving the people waving at us from the ground below.

I heard the voices of the Liberation Army, chatting excitedly with bright smiles.

“Unfortunately, there is no time to say farewell to our comrades below.”

“Ah…”

“Even if there were time, I wouldn’t have allowed such sentimentality. Save your goodbyes for after everything is finished, when you can smile as you say them.”

I carefully folded away my confused emotions. I discarded unnecessary thoughts and steeled my resolve.

I followed Serr’s footsteps with renewed determination.

“Is this… the door to the End of the World?”

“Though it looks like something that would kill you upon entering, yes, it is.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Are you doubting my genius?”

“No, that’s not it. It just looks… really ominous.”

As Rubia said, the door to the End of the World was… quite unsettling.

It looked like space itself had been riddled with holes.

Like someone had randomly splattered black paint over a painted background.

“It’s fine. I tested it by throwing in several spirits, and none of them died, so it should be safe.”

“…Wait, you threw in more spirits?”

“Yes. To check if durability might be a factor, I used the weakest, most fragile lesser spirits.”

Serr nodded matter-of-factly.

“Well, then it must be safe.”

Even Rubia, though looking skeptical, nodded in agreement.

“…I see.”

“I’ll lead the way.”

Serr took out a branch of Yggdrasil and stepped forward.

Step, Step — Walking across the rain-soaked muddy ground, he cast light across the devastated ruins.

Following his lead, Rubia scattered divine power in all directions.

Instantly, the Liberation Army’s wounds healed and their strength returned, their cheers echoing to the heavens.

Though their shouts were crude, the delicate emotions contained within resonated with vivid clarity.

[Our Challenger seems to enjoy attention more than they let on, hmm?]

Brunhilde’s elegant voice sounded in my mind.

[Alright, big sister will help you out a bit.]

At the same moment, an immense flame erupted from my body.

Not the pitch-black flames she had wielded, but the pure white flames she had dreamed of.

Not flames that wished to destroy the world.

But her wish to illuminate the world brightly.

It blazed magnificently.

“Noah?!”

“Hmm, we weren’t seeking attention, but Noah, did you want that much admiration?”

“N-no… that’s not it!”

“Your words say one thing, but your body is quite honest. Why are the flames getting stronger?”

The uncontrollable flames grew larger, burning away the raindrops and pushing back the storm clouds.

[Can you hear them? Everyone’s calling your name! Thrilling, isn’t it? Hmm?]

‘S-stop! Stop it!!’

The flames that had surged to the ends of the sky burned away all the dark clouds covering Cartia.

[Ahahahaha!]

They illuminated the clear sky.
The ruins where the battle had ended.
The world she had dreamed of.

With brilliant light.

“Ugh…”

Listening to the thunderous cheers. Feeling Brunhilde’s lingering wistful emotions.

I grasped Rubia’s hand as she waited before me.

And we threw ourselves toward the End of the World.

.

Immediately after,

The sound of a horn trumpet shook the sky.

The howls of countless beasts

Filled Cartia completely.

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