Chapter 178 : Chapter 178
Chapter 178
I stared blankly at Lilac, who was looking at me. The Star Child and Gilbert were the same.
“A-A Prayer of Love? Master, what in the world is…?”
“Martin, what is that….”
Lilac and Gilbert were right. In fact, I was bewildered even though I was the one who said it!
‘Love? A Prayer of Love? At a time like this?’
I had heard from the Star Child what it was. But… what did that mean all of a sudden.
The Platinum Knights were precariously holding out against Kragach. The main character party was also gritting their teeth and holding the front line.
We didn't know when our strength would run out. The moment Kragach completely passed through the gate, something terrible would happen.
“…That’s a good idea.”
But the Star Child's thoughts seemed to be different, as life began to flow back into his dying eyes.
“The Prayer of Love. It’s the best way to overcome this situation.”
As he spoke in agreement, a strange situation unfolded where I, the one who proposed it, was the one questioning it.
“Star Child! Didn't you say there was only one precedent in the long history of humanity?!”
“We still have to do it, Martin! That's the only hope! Isn't that why your intuition shouted it out?!”
“…”
That’s right. My intuition. It was a judgment made by my Wild Instinct. A Wild Instinct that had reached the Master level.
“…Please, Lilac.”
“B-But I don't know how to do it either.”
The Star Child was the first to withdraw his Stellar Force. Blood and fluid dripped from his arms.
He brought his hands to his chest and… took out a rosary. It had become murky after pouring all its Stellar Force into the revival of the World Tree, but now it held a faint light.
“…It has recovered a little power by resonating with the Chalice. The Rosary symbolizes Lord Cosmos' grace. It is also a holy relic that has acknowledged Martin as its master…, so hold it and pray very earnestly.”
“H-How?”
“As you wish.”
Everyone's gaze turned to Lilac. The Star Child with eyes of firm belief, Gilbert with weary eyes. They were different, but they wished for the same result.
“Master….”
The emotion reflected in Lilac's eyes as she looked at me was ‘anxiety’.
“It’s okay.”
“…”
“If you can’t trust yourself.”
“…”
“Trust me. You can do it. You have to do it, even if it’s just by trusting me who believes in you.”
Anxiety still remained in her purple eyes. However.
“…Yes!”
Trusting me who believed in her, Lilac made her decision.
Another stream of Stellar Force that had been maintaining Nerjin's life disappeared.
Lilac knelt reverently and began to pray. With her head bowed and both hands tightly gripping the rosary.
“Kgh!”
“Ugh!”
The burden on Gilbert and me grew even greater. The Star Child had let go, but I couldn't bring myself to ask for help. Both his hands were not just burned, but damaged to the point where bone was exposed.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Except for the sound of battle from afar, there was no noise. How much time had passed like that? Had a minute passed?
‘Damn it, has it not even been 10 seconds.’
And later, when I thought 10 minutes had passed, not even a minute had gone by.
I didn't know what the Prayer of Love was, but I decided to bet on the possibility that Wild Instinct had mentioned. I would do anything if it could reverse this terrible situation.
But. What arrived for us first was not hope, but despair.
[Hahahaha, I was faster, wasn't I?]
It was a very cheerful and terribly laughing despair. We froze as we saw the clown who suddenly poked his head out from beside Nerjin's head. The Star Child's expression, in particular, was harder than ever before.
“Jo-verka…!”
[A Star Child, and three people with Stellar Force…. Wow, this is quite a rarity. Kehehehe!]
Two more arms sprouted from the clown's back, and a total of four arms each held a hammer. That ridiculous sight, as if matching our numbers, was so frightening and trembling.
We can't move. If we let go now, Nerjin dies! But if we don't move! We all die!
[Well then, everyone! Byeeee!]
Just as the hammers were about to be swung, just as I was about to give up Nerjin's life and move, a red arrow flew in and embedded itself in Joverka's head, stopping him.
“Don’t touch my friends!”
Elisha sent Joverka flying with a cool flying kick.
[Guek!]
“Are you okay?!”
My god, was Elisha this strong? As I looked at the sent-flying Joverka, the bastard was sprawled on the floor with his limbs and head separated. Like a wooden puppet.
‘A fake?’
Then the real one is….
[Wow, you blew away Joverka No. 2,462,572,973! That's amazing!]
He was behind Elisha. Like a ghost. Elisha turned around with a pale face.
“Ah!”
Me too. Gilbert too. We could only watch that scene.
[This is in return!]
The four hammers simultaneously striking Elisha's left arm. Crack? Yes. I think that sound came first. And then….
“Aaaaaaaargh—!”
A piercing scream. Elisha retreats, clutching her arm. I, and Gilbert too, blankly watched that scene.
Stupidly. Like trash. Thinking that a dog on the street would be better than us.
The drops of blood that flew from Elisha's arm scattered like broken flower petals. The red bow, the symbol of Harmadun, rolled on the floor.
“Ugh, keuk!”
[Kyahahaha! A wonderful picture! I love it! I love it! I’m getting excited!]
Elisha's face was contorted in pain. Joverka was laughing heartily while clutching his stomach.
Now I knew. That mad clown bastard was toying with us. Just like Kragach was.
He perceived us as playthings lower than insignificant insects!
[Now, now, you can give up! The archer’s left arm is shattered! Joverka’s striking power is so cooool~! Guild Master, nice shot! Hahahaha!]
“Shut up….”
[If you’re going to give up, now’s the only time, you know?]
“I will never give up!”
A spark ignites in Elisha's red eyes.
“I will never! Abandon my friends!”
Elisha persistently rushes towards Joverka. Leaving her tattered left arm, she picks up the red bow with her right hand and swings it.
[Oops! Then where to this time?!]
“Ugh! Hit! Please hit!”
The bow and kicks that Elisha swings weakly cut through only empty air.
Joverka dodges the attacks, sometimes easily, sometimes with flamboyant movements as if teasing her.
‘…Helpless!’
Have I ever been this helpless? Elisha is being toyed with, swinging her tattered left arm.
I want to shout for her to stop right now. But I can't. If Elisha stops, we'll be next.
We could only rely on Elisha's sacrifice while watching with our eyes wide open.
[Right arm? Or legs?]
“Euuugh!”
[Or maybe, one more time!]
Joverka's four arms grab Elisha's left arm. Elisha grits her teeth in pain.
[Now, here comes the electric shock!]
“…!”
Maki. The power of a demon swirls around Elisha's left arm. Bones, muscles, tendons twist, break, and snap…. and through the gaps, the Demon Lord's power invades without leaving any space.
[Yeehaw! Everybody scream!]
Elisha collapses, unable to bear the pain. She writhes in unimaginable, terrible pain, but Joverka just laughs and plays with Elisha's shattered left arm, holding it tightly.
He was enjoying our expressions.
“Elisha!”
“Lady Elisha!”
Lina and Mary, who were holding back the army of hell at the front, shouted, but there was nothing the two of them could do, as it was already a struggle to fill Elisha's empty spot.
Savo and Bianca were panting for breath while dealing with the army of hell, so they couldn't even perform the simple act of looking back.
At that moment, the screaming stopped.
[Now, now, do you surrender?]
Joverka asked, looking at Elisha.
Elisha, who had collapsed powerlessly on the floor with her left arm caught by Joverka, was… a wreck. She was convulsing in pain and was covered in blood.
The precious daughter of the Harmadun family, one of the Four Great Ducal Families.
The princess of the academy.
The flower of high society.
She opens her lips, which are burst and bleeding.
“…Surrender….”
[Hmmmm?! What was that?! Louder! Please speak louder!]
The ugliness of humanity.
The selfishness of wanting to live.
As Joverka laughed and urged her on, savoring the pleasure of witnessing a moment of betrayal.
“…As if.”
Her blonde hair was disheveled, but the red eyes that looked at the target were full of life. The venomous eyes were still glaring at Joverka without wavering.
‘Please!’
I felt a selfish sense of relief that Elisha's continued resistance had bought more time.
We can keep Nerjin alive. We can buy time until Lilac performs the Prayer of Love!
…Without even thinking about what would happen afterwards.
[….]
Joverka’s expression turned serious.
[Ah, yes.]
I got goosebumps. It wasn't Wild Instinct, but an ominousness and fear that flowed from my primal instincts.
[Then, I will give you a greater gift. A Demon Lord’s brand… that will never be erased.]
Joverka's four arms grip Elisha's arm tightly. Elisha's red eyes widen and she grits her teeth, but a beast-like scream echoes at what followed.
The terrible Maki of the Demon Lord, so gruesome that just looking at it felt like my cerebral nerve endings would melt, began to be injected into Elisha's body as if being pumped.
Click, clack, a sound is made. I wondered what it was, and it was the sound of my own teeth chattering against each other.
[Surrender!]
Joverka asks again.
“I won’t—!”
Elisha denies it, as if screaming.
Soon, an unspeakably vile thing began to happen. A brand is being seared. That was the only way I could describe it.
“M-Master.”
Lilac slowly reaches out her hands. Lilac held my hand tightly with both of hers. Along with the hard texture of the rosary, I could feel Lilac's soft and warm touch.
I wondered if it was a comforting touch, but it wasn't. The hand, trembling so much it was burdensome, was proof that she was fighting against fear.
‘I’m scared.’
I'm scared too. This moment is so terrifying.
‘Lilac…!’
I also squeezed Lilac's hand tightly.
It was at that moment.
- Lilac's prayer has reached Cosmos.
“…!”
Finally!
- Lilac's Extra Privilege does not exist.
“…”
- Because your existence is already her salvation.
‘Lilac.’
- Please cherish her. Even if everything else is in place, the happy ending you desire will not exist without her.
“…!”
Just as I was about to ask the system something, a pillar of light fell from the sky. The Star Child shouted in ecstatic joy.
“Ah! Aah! Lilac! Your prayer has reached Lord Cosmos! As expected, you! You were a child who performs miracles!”
The pillar of light was visible from everywhere. The sky? No. Because the pillar of light of Stellar Force that began from beyond it fell.
The World Tree saw it too. The Emperor, the Elf Queen, Anette, Joverka, Kragach, the head of the Humanity Preservation Agency, and the Demon Lords of hell all saw it clearly.
“You! You have the qualifications to become a ‘Star Child’ like me!”
Power explodes from the Star Child's entire body. The shackles of the revelation that had been binding him were broken just for the reason that he was within the range of the Prayer of Love, and he recovered his full strength in an instant.
The wounds and both arms that had been damaged by Joverka regenerated in an instant, and he regained his strong body.
The benefit was the same for Gilbert.
Stellar Force overflows from his entire body. Twice, three times, four times, five times his original Stellar Force. He grows stronger, transcending again and again.
“This power is!”
The Star Child and Gilbert. They became the recipients of an undeserved benefit for the simple reason that they were in the sphere of influence.
Therefore, the ones directly involved, Lilac and Martin.
- The order of the great universe, Cosmos, proposes that Lilac become a Star Child. If she accepts, Lilac will become the second Star Maiden.