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“That can’t be….”

I hobbled toward the dummy. It fell to the ground as I approached. I could see a clean cut as if the space had been separated. I picked up the halves and exhaled with difficulty. Sure, I had reached new heights, but it wasn’t the same cut the Holy Sword had made. My sword was still “human.”

“No.”

My hands trembled. There was no time. Even though I was completely cut off from outside stimuli, my instincts told me it would soon be time to leave this place. I turned my head and stared at the sword embedded in the floor. It was a replica of the Holy Sword, but I couldn’t hear her voice.

“…I have to do it again.”

I picked it up. Like a hound that has smelled blood, time fiercely squeezes my lungs as it draws closer. I needed to clear my head, but it was full of worry. My ears were ringing with tinnitus, and my vision was blurry. The dummy rose again out of nothingness. I pointed my sword at it and spoke.

“What the hell am I supposed to do?”

I had no idea. If I couldn’t complete the sword, humanity would go extinct. I know Arjen would take over with the Giant and Mist if I failed. But the Meteor? There will be no next time.

“Aaah!”

I swung my sword. I slashed the dummy in half again. I knew it wouldn’t be what I wanted. As I shook my head, a new one rose. I attacked again. It was cut in half, again, and again, and again. I swung my sword, knowing that I wasn’t making progress.

The original Arjen had somehow managed to awaken the third stage.

The memory of the ‘original’ was fading with each passing day here. At this point, the details of how he unlocked it were only vague fragments of words that lingered in my mind. Nothing more than a sentence that Arjen was able to achieve the third opening because he had a robust and unbreakable will.

Reluctantly, I swung my sword. Am I not strong enough? Is this how karma comes back to haunt me, to make the world go in a different direction from the original?

“…Don’t fuck with me.”

I gritted my teeth. I don’t question myself. I have no intention of judging the rightness or wrongness of my actions. I don’t try to convince people that my efforts are right. My every thought and action was affirmed by the people’s smiles. That was the only reason I needed to move. Therefore, I had to swing my sword.

Once, twice, thrice.

With each dummy that fell and rose, my despair deepened.

I reach for the stars. I slashed at the moon. I cut the world.

It was a dream. A dream that no one can reach. A target that could not be fulfilled within the limits set for humans. I pointed my sword at the reanimated dummy. It stood before me menacingly. The Giant, the Mist, and the Doomsday Cult were nothing compared to this dummy.

I walked forward, bracing myself. I don’t think what the Holy Sword showed me was a lie. I’m not tired. I have to get through this. If I don’t, everyone will die.

“Iloi.”

The Holy Sword stood where the dummy had been. I gripped my sword and glared at her. She stared back at me with her red eyes. She stepped toward me and wrapped her hand around mine.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t do it.”

I felt tears roll down my eyes.

“I couldn’t cut the stars.”

“Elroy.”

The Holy Sword called to me. She hand grasped my cheek and held it. She was smiling, but her eyes were wet and shaky like mine.

“You can do this.”

“I’m sorry….”

“…I allow you to use the third stage.”

At the Holy Sword’s words, my vision cleared up. I could hear the reluctance in her voice as she said it.

“The strain on your body will be immense.”

“I can bear any burden.”

The Holy Sword shook her head at my desperate reply.

“If it’s simply injuring myself, I have an excellent healer on hand, so there’s no reason for me to worry. A price is to be paid for forcing the unprepared to bloom.”

The Holy Sword then looked at me with concern.

“…Elroy, I don’t want to lose you. I hate myself for having to make this choice.”

It is because I am not strong enough. If only I could be stronger. If only I could have overcome my limitations and perfected the star-cutting blade. The Holy Sword’s hand on my cheek gripped it tighter.

“I’m sorry you have to suffer because of my greed..”

Her voice was tinged with regret.

“So, don’t blame yourself.”

Her hand slid down from my cheek, and took my hand. I lowered my sword to the ground and took the Holy Sword’s hand in mine. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and spoke.

“I will show you the third stage.”

***

On the verge of hell.

Not exactly, but it felt very close to it. The Capital’s walls were the only thing preventing the citizens from seeing the desolate landscape.

“We’re losing ground.”

The commander’s voice was calm. The sun was slowly setting in the distance. It was a miracle they had lasted this long. The battle had been going on for hours without a single lull. Men were dying to defend the walls that were supposed to protect them. And it was the commander who was constantly ordering them to continue.

“…I guess you do have some use.”

Natalie glared bitterly at the commander standing safely on the walls. She had already killed a thousand monsters. With each battle, her appearance became less and less human. Her serpentine scales became armor that covered her entire body, and sharp fangs sprouted from her mouth as she tore at their throats and drank their blood.

Natalie’s mind was at peace. There was no reason for her to fight, not even a reason to live, but she did so because she was designed to. She grabbed two monsters in her vicious grip and ripped their heads off. Flesh and blood spilled out. She opened her mouth, and the disgusting taste rushed across her tongue and down her throat.

Natalie was about to lunge again when someone’s screams assaulted her senses. Her tentacles moved before she turned her head.

“You can’t collapse here! Get up!”

Eugene held onto Cora, who had collapsed, bleeding from a wound in her chest. Her pupils dilated like a snake’s. Eugene called upon his magic and pushed back the monsters crawling up the ramparts. Black blood dripped from Eugene’s nose, but he didn’t care. Where was the commander? There was no sign of the man who should be leading the knights and soldiers.

Another monster was crawling up the ramparts. A crawler. No one was left to cover their backs.

***

The edge of the sunset met the horizon. The sky was covered in tiny, shimmering dots that appeared one by one. The weather was foolishly good, and the ridge of torn, feathery clouds still moved.

“It’s coming.”

Nella’s voice quivered with impatience. She knew it was still far from over. Realizing their time was coming, the wizards gathered beneath the city walls. Nella bit her lip as she watched them.

“Where are you going?”

“We must go. The Meteor is coming.”

Nella began to run down the ramparts, hands flailing in vain to stop her from leaving. Daphne started to do the same. The defense of the walls was now entirely in Laura’s hands.

“I’ll leave you to it, Marianne.”

Daphne said in a heavy voice. Marianne nodded. With her spear ready, she had a section of the wall almost to herself. Monsters lay helpless beneath her spear, and even a named creature would not last long.

“The walls will not fall.”

She had to so Daphne could leave in peace.

“Mana…Barely enough.”

It was a miracle that Nella had made reached the Sixth Circle. It freed up a lot of mana, and she could put more into the battle.

Daphne lifted her head to look at the sky. The sun was gone, only a trace lingering in the west, behind a veil of purple.

“Damn it, Daphne!”

She heard Nella’s scream. It was clear even in the buzz of battle. Before, she would be irritated with her behavior, but now it reassured her. Daphne hastened her steps and came to Nella’s side.

“You crazy bitch! I told you to conserve your magic! Don’t use it to get here!”

At Nella’s horrified reaction, Daphne let out a huff of laughter. It was so like her to be so ungracious.

“Let’s hurry; I’m sure the preparations are complete in the Tower.”

“They’ve been stuck in there since the beginning of the battle. If they haven’t completed it by now, I will personally kick all of them out.

Nella’s hair fluttered in anger.

“Looks like it’s working.”

The steeple of the Tower was visible, immersed in the shadows of dusk. Daphne sighed with relief at the faint hint of mana in the air. Nella, walking beside her, sighed and raised a brow.

“Good, I’ll have more slaves for my next paper.”

An invisible ring of mana spun around the Tower. An artificial heart. The Tower had become a battery for the wizards to complete one great spell. Nella and Daphne reached the Tower and looked up.

“Are you watching?”

“…Yes, we must hurry.”

Then suddenly, a white line shot into the sky.