“And?”

Oz’s question about what he wants to do is not over yet.

Even though his face was clearly tired, Oz looked happy.

Yes, if you think about it, I was Oz and Oz is me.

He knows that there are still things I want to do.

“And… … .”

Oz and I are the same.

But it was different.

The guy and I ultimately headed for the same goal, but there was only one path I wanted to walk.

Then what about the rest?

“I want to prevent the coming crisis.”

Me and Oz’s goal.

Not because I became Oz, but because I felt I wanted to do it.

What’s wrong with shared goals?

we are the same people

“I also wanted to survive.”

Apart from the fate of Oz, I still want to live.

Even in the midst of feeling extreme pain from Gigantes, even though I experienced an obvious failure, even though I wanted to give up everything.

The reason I never thought I wanted to die even in that situation was because I wanted to live.

“And.”

Oz is just listening to me. My reflection in the tired sky blue eyes of that tired person… … .

That figure was also Oz.

“I want to carry on the things you didn’t achieve.”

me and the guy are the same

It’s not about the appearance, but the tendency, humanity, was the same.

That’s why I don’t want to see him fail or give up like this. I’m Oz now His dream soon became my dream.

“… … yes?”

As expected, I am a little embarrassed to say it with my own mouth.

I was so awkward that I averted my gaze, and then he spoke again.

“Then you can do that.”

“What… … ?”

Oz smiled dryly.

The face of a tired man.

In case someone isn’t Salem’s real child, he has the same face as him.

“Do you want to survive?”

“yes.”

“Do you want to prevent a crisis coming to this world?”

“yes.”

“yes. then… … .”

It was a smile of a tired man, different from the soft smiles he had shown until now. The guy can’t.

I’ve already spilled too much.

The boy is tired now. So that’s what I do.

Oz and I, the two people’s goals are now mine. And… … .

“Do you want to challenge the gods and bring Arietta back?”

“Yeah, that’s all I want to do now.”

The purpose that only he had had is now mine.

Now those are all things I want to do.

After that, Oz raised his head again and said with the soft smile he had shown earlier.

“Then stop procrastinating here and go do what you wanted to do now. I will cheer you on.”

At the same time as he said that, the hand that tapped on my shoulder became stronger.

“What is that… … !”

I fell.

No, did I fall down?

The sight he was looking at Oz was too far away to have fallen.

When the guy and the room he was in were so far apart that they became a single point, and the surroundings were filled with darkness.

[Special move – The one who challenges divinity has been unlocked.]

I saw a string like that.

* * *

Sarak.

Left alone in the room, Oz sat back down in his chair and started turning the pages of the book.

That was his job now.

“Um… … .”

After repeating the task of turning pages like that for a while, Oz soon stretched and looked into the air, as if he wanted to take a break.

『Restart?』

A string asking whether to retry in the air. Oz looked at the string and smiled.

“Look, Ain. Didn’t I say no? There will be no starting over.”

『Restart?』

“Yeah, nothing is over yet. It will continue.”

『Continue?』

* * *

mind rises

The first thing I felt was excruciating pain.

It’s painful enough to make me scream, but on the contrary, it tells me that I’m alive.

I want to scream more than that, but all I can hear is the sound of leaking wind.

And just exhaling that wind hurts so much.

And what I found when I opened my eyes.

“The Prince of Oz?”

“Olivia… … blue… … .”

unexpected person.

It’s not Arietta or Eleanor, I don’t know why this guy is here. Judging by my appearance, he was as bad as me, but was he protecting me?

What the hell is this guy for?

do you like me

“I have come to grant the saintess’ wish… … . I regret seeing those eyes.”

I was sick and couldn’t answer anything. I was sick and couldn’t answer.

It’s never because I’m embarrassed.

“Can you move?”

“no… … .”

“You still have to move. I don’t want my death to be a dog’s death. Besides, the thought of dying with you is terrifying.”

Words are harsh. If you don’t like me, just say you don’t like me.

“I hate you.”

Are you really saying that?

I feel intimidated when I actually hear it.

“But the saintess… … Arietta likes you.”

“yes… … .”

“I don’t know what’s good about a person like you who acts self-righteously and half-heartedly… … .”

A word with bones.

That’s a complaint that I’m talking about repeating an action that is neither this nor that.

“I believe in Arrieta. So I guess there must be something in you that you don’t see.”

“… … That’s a lot of trust.”

Yes, if there hadn’t been that level of trust in the first place, there would be no way he would have jumped into this kind of limb for Arrieta.

“So even if you feel like you can’t move, move. Stay alive and seek a second chance.”

Olivia stumbled and said.

She must have already reached her limit. Maybe even just the scars won’t make such a big difference to me.

Even so, it is said that if I have to live, it must be me, not her.

It’s a pretty heavy lean. So, in order to live up to those expectations… … .

“No, not yet.”

I recite what I heard somewhere.

It’s too early to give up. It’s too early to run away. It’s not over yet.

The things that happened earlier are blurry, like a dream I saw overnight.

only one though.

If there’s something you haven’t forgotten

『Without reaching anyone’s eyes.』

That I can clearly remember what my purpose was.

“Because no one pays attention.”

Olivia’s expression is colored with astonishment. That’s natural.

『Prayer does not reach.』

Because she hasn’t seen my holy magic yet.

“Look at the consequences of inaction. The world has crossed the twilight and is locked in the night, and the dawn does not come bright.”

It might come as a surprise to you that the only chanting she knew was hymns for using divine arts.

『If you have chosen seclusion, turning your eyes away from the world.』

Olivia, who had been perplexed for a while, straightened her shield and straightened her posture.

『This little me dares to cross that spot.』

From that dignified back, I could feel the will to buy me time no matter what.

『So, even though I am small, I will be a lamp for them.』

Did he realize that the magic I was preparing was unusual?

“Get out of the way!!!”

Gigantes attacks Olivia, who is standing between me and him.

Olivia in her current state would surely die the moment she was struck by that blow.

Olivia would know that too. Still, she doesn’t back down. Because I decided to risk my life.

But it will be fine.

『This seat now.』

what i want to do now

To be a guide for wandering beings.

to be a lamp.

『I will present you with a challenge.』

Time to get used to the world of hiding, deceiving, and covering up.

A choice to understand the world, identify, kick out, and find.

The spark of struggle entrusted by someone.

with this one more time.

transcendent divine magic

[Those who challenge divinity]

zero sum. No, this time it will be our one-side game.

Pours all the mana that was nestled inside.

no need to save If we don’t use all of these, the light won’t be able to reach everyone who needs it.

“Now, continue.”

A beam of blue light that stretches out dazzlingly. It is as blue and brilliant as the sun and starlight.

Treatment using divine power uses regenerative power centered on purification.

It is said that it will take time for the quality of purification to become the main thing.

Then, what about the power that is focused on treatment?

The nature of mana is change.

This time, instead of simply copying the nature of the divine power, I change it to the nature of the original I created.

What dwells in the blue divinity is healing.

Unlike recovery using divine power, there may be aftereffects, but for those who are on the battlefield now, that shouldn’t be a problem.

The blue white light gradually began to restore all allies who had been wounded and exhausted on this battlefield.

Olivia, who was in a dying state, blocked Gigantes’ attack.

The ＜Shields of Light＞, which were getting tired, regained their vitality, and the waves of the dead, which continued like waves, began to waver before they knew it.

“Olivia Blue. I forgot to tell you earlier.”

He speaks to Olivia, who is perplexed by the state of her body that blocked Gigantes’ attack.

“I hate you too.”

I push Olivia, who was standing firm in front of me, to the side.

She, who was focusing on the front while focusing on the front, could not block my surprise attack.

“The Prince of Oz… … ?”

“Then find your seat and get out. I will do it from now on.”

After confirming that the guy was moving to the side with a puzzled look on his face, he looked straight ahead.

Gigantes Dusk was crawling towards me again.

The guy moved as if he didn’t even think about his back anymore, as if he felt a serious crisis.

Gigantes, who threw himself with all his might using both tattered arms, narrowed the distance as if he would not miss it this time.

“Let’s start the revenge game.”

[Those who challenge divinity] developed by pouring all their mana. There is actually one downside to this divine magic.

This spell is not a recovery base attack. It can make the horde of the dead stagger, but that’s not the kind of monsters you can grasp.

It wasn’t a situation to catch both rabbits in the first place.

It required choice and focus, and the choice I made was to energize everyone on the battlefield. In fact, I don’t know much about other properties than that.

I still haven’t fully figured out the principles of this divine magic.

It’s strange that it’s so easy to understand in the first place.

Isn’t this the crystallization of Oz’s lifelong effort?

The stage of effort and talent contained is far away.

“Gwaaa!!!”

Gigantes roared at me and threw himself.

That voice no longer had the strength it used to, but that will alone is worth acknowledging.

“Grrr… … . I don’t know what kind of plan they’re plotting, but I’ll tear you to pieces right now without a chance!!!”

“Do you have the energy to do that?”

Gigantes threw himself on top of me as if he would not think about the future. At that height, he probably won’t end just like that.

I have turned all my mana into [Those who challenge the divinity].

That’s why, even if the body recovers in an instant, magic cannot be deployed.

but… … .

“It’s a lantern.”

Gigantes, which has risen into the sky, is falling towards me in real time.

However, there was something that hardened me even more than the pressure of that situation.

Engraved on the [Starry Sky Robe] is the hot palm of a person who has endured a life of incomplete youth, unable to give up countless expectations, stained with blood.

The embers that someone had entrusted to me were burning starting from my back.

“It looks warm at first glance, but when you put your hand on it, it’s hot.”

“That’s right?!”

There was a life of struggle lived by someone who was naturally drawn even though he did not draw any special spells.

transcendental magic

[Prometheus]

Light the fire of struggle with oil imitating divinity.

Light the spark of [Prometheus] in the light of [Those who challenge divinity].

“Burn up.”

The bluish-white light that emanated from [Those who challenge divinity] soon contains embers and burns fiercely.

The incarnation of fire that I once saw.

A red calamity that enveloped its entire body in flames and poured out overwhelming heat.

But this time the color is different.

The blazing flame holds the flame of divinity in a blue, elegant, fitting nickname of fire incarnation.

[Holy Fire]

The blue flame soon engulfed the body of the falling Gigantes and burned even more massively.

Bright enough to be seen from anywhere in the Holy See.

A lantern announcing the dawn.

The light ascended through the sky and reached the gate of ＜Underworld＞.