Chapter 190: Pure White That Illuminates the Heavens
"Speaking of this 'resurrection' matter, there's actually a rather interesting issue that has been troubling me for a long time.
Regarding so-called 'returning from death'—is it the original person truly coming back to life, or is it creating another being who possesses the same personality, same memories, and even the same physical body as the original person?
What are your thoughts on this matter, Mr. Olba?"
After Olba was disintegrated, Mahiro used "Regeneration" again to pull him back from the brink of death.
The Book of Life and Death in the Underworld was probably flipping back and forth repeatedly at this point.
Well, that wasn't his concern anyway.
So he refocused his gaze on Olba, only to find the man staring at him with sheer terror.
"You... you devil! How dare you use such miraculous magic for something like this!"
Olba was utterly horrified.
Feeling the fullness returning to his body, he couldn't help but wonder—could this be the power of a Holy Relic?!
"Ah, not the answer I was hoping to hear."
Mahiro shook his head regretfully, and Olba was killed once again.
Then brought back to life again.
Pierced through the heart to death;
Disintegrated internal organs to death;
Beheaded to death;
Frozen solid throughout the body to death;
Burned alive by flames to death;
Eroded by cursed poison to death...
In short, Mahiro tested every lethal method at his disposal on Olba.
When resurrected again, Olba's spirit was already on the verge of collapse.
"So, Mr. Olba, what's your answer now?"
"...17...."
"Good."
Olba died again, but came back to life once more.
"Why... why are you torturing me like this?!"
The revived Olba gritted his teeth until they creaked, but his lips and entire body trembled uncontrollably. His face had lost all color as he collapsed to his knees.
Mahiro looked down at this man from above, yet showed a puzzled expression.
"Why? Didn't we agree that you would die ten thousand times? After tormenting my beloved disciple like that, making you die ten thousand times is already going easy on you. You're getting off cheap, you know?
Other people couldn't even experience ten thousand deaths if they wanted to."
Mahiro spoke the most terrifying words in the gentlest, most innocent tone.
"...I-I'll kill you!!!"
"Mhmm, that's good, keep it up, don't break just yet... Though it doesn't matter if you break—I can still fix you anyway."
Olba seemed unable to endure the torture any longer, drawing the sword at his waist and charging to strike him.
But before the sword tip could even touch his clothes, Olba exploded into dust once more.
Then was resurrected again.
"Oh, right, right—I think I've found the answer to that issue. It's about tracing back to the origin."
Mahiro showed a suddenly enlightened expression, clapping his hands.
"All things in existence are contained within the concept of time and history."
"Just like how the you I killed in the previous second is essentially still the same you when resurrected in the next second."
"All I did was trace back through history, overwriting past physical data, or transferring it along with the soul to overlay onto your present self."
"Does this explanation make sense to you?"
Orba, hovering between life and death, had to listen to this resurrection theory that might as well have been written in celestial script.
For his mind, this was undoubtedly torture comparable to hell.
In the end, Orba simply collapsed on the ground, refusing to get up, his face blank and vacant.
"My, my, have you already broken? And we haven't even reached a hundred times yet."
Mahiro looked surprised as he walked over and bent down.
But the next second, Orba suddenly returned to normal and immediately sprang up, gripping his longsword and thrusting it toward Mahiro's heart.
"Monster, die!!!"
The result—
Crack!
With one hand, Mahiro caught the incoming blade and crushed it directly.
"Such cheap tricks won't work, Mr. Orba."
As he spoke, Mahiro abruptly swung a whip kick, striking Orba squarely in the chest.
Instantly, Orba was sent flying backward like a cannonball, slamming hard against the rocky wall. The entire cell seemed to shake from the impact, scattering a few trails of dust.
"..."
Orba coughed up fragments of internal organs from his mouth.
It was agonizing.
But compared to the pain of facing death earlier, it was much more bearable.
However, he had come to understand one thing—
The gap in strength was too vast. Whether in swordsmanship, physical prowess, magical power, or any other aspect, this youth was a monster among monsters!
Utterly unparalleled!
Was there no choice but to use that?
Trembling, Orba reached into his chest and clutched a small vial.
He could tell that this youth was currently in a playful phase—if he truly wanted to kill Orba, it wouldn't be this troublesome.
So, as long as he took advantage of the youth's mindset and found an opportunity to strike a fatal blow, he could survive!
An overwhelming desire to live compelled him to endure, even in his broken state, and keep fighting.
Because he couldn't die yet—his daughter was still waiting for him!
But unexpectedly, the youth across from him saw right through his ploy!
"Mr. Orba, since you're already holding that vial, why not take it out and swallow its contents? It would be a perfect chance for me to witness the true strength of your Diablos Order."
"You... how do you know... cough... damn it!"
Hearing him mention the Diablos Order, Orba grew so agitated that he coughed up blood again.
The Diablos Order—whether it was the organization's name or the hidden facility stronghold, almost no one knew about it.
In other words, this youth hadn't stumbled upon this place by accident—he had come here with a specific purpose?!
But now, Orba had almost no time left to investigate. Without hesitation, he pulled out the vial from his chest and poured all the crimson pills into his mouth.
"Ahhhhh! Power... power is surging forth!!!"
Orba screamed excitedly. Even the injuries he had just sustained were completely healed. His muscles, his entire body, swelled up, expanding to nearly three meters in height!
It was as if the overwhelming power was about to burst through his flesh!
The astonishing magical power emanating from his body nearly materialized, transforming into a hurricane that swept through the surroundings, forming crimson electric arcs that slashed across the rocky walls and tore them apart!
Dense, heavy cracks spread across the floor tiles beneath his feet!
Yet, Mahiro merely curled his lips disdainfully.
"Sigh, another inferior product... How boring. I've had enough fun. Go die."
With just a few words, he pronounced the death sentence on Orba, who was in the midst of transforming, and pulled the trigger.
Without exception, Orba was once again disintegrated into dust.
But this time, Mahiro did not revive him.
Amid the pale dust, only a pendant remained, displaying an intimate photo of Orba and a young girl inside.
Mahiro bent down and stared at it for a long time before withdrawing his gaze and turning to look at Claire, who was lying on the ground.
"You're already awake, aren't you? How much longer are you planning to pretend to sleep?"
Claire slowly sat up. She first looked down at her hands, which had returned to their pristine white state, then turned a complicated gaze toward Mahiro.
"...Teacher, I never knew you were this strong?"
"Strong? Not really. It's just that the opponent was too weak."
Mahiro casually sat down on a chair outside the prison cell, crossing his legs as he locked eyes with the girl kneeling on the floor.
Weak?
Claire recalled the Orba she had faced after breaking free from her restraints.
Although she had been affected by the magic-sealing chains and could barely muster any magical power, she had to admit that her strength was far inferior to Orba's.
Even at her peak, she estimated she would have a seventy percent chance of losing against him.
Yet, in front of Mahiro, Orba was nothing more than a plaything to be toyed with and slaughtered at will.
Especially that burst of magical power at the final moment—it was the strongest she had ever seen in her life. But before Mahiro, it couldn't even last a second.
Just how strong was he?
At this moment, Claire finally took a proper, serious look at the teacher who had once taught her swordsmanship, how to use magical power, and how to fight.
But it was already too late.
Because their teacher-student relationship had ended yesterday.
Even if he had come to save her today, it was likely out of sentiment for that last bit of affection.
This was probably the first time in her life she had ever felt regret.
However, just then, Mahiro suddenly walked up to her and placed a syringe in her hand.
"...?"
"Didn't we agree? Today, I was going to give you a graduation gift. This is it. If you trust me, Claire, find a time to use it. It will make you stronger and allow you to go further on the path of a magic swordsman."
Claire stared at him, her small mouth slightly agape, blinking repeatedly.
She then looked down at the syringe in her hand.
After a moment, she nodded firmly and said:
"I trust you, Mahiro-sensei. And thank you for coming all this way to save me..."
"What are you saying? This isn't like you, Claire. You're usually the one who curses at me the most."
Mahiro teased her with a laugh, "How about... cursing at me once more as a return gift? I'm worried you'll burst from holding it in."
"...You bastard of a teacher."
As if to fulfill his wish, Claire blushed and softly cursed, causing Mahiro to burst into laughter.
But just then, a familiar voice came from the prison door.
"Mahiro-sama, we've found the Holy Sword. Shall we go now?"
Turning to look, he saw the elf girl Epsilon standing there, her hair and eye color as clear as spring water.
"Ah, I understand."
Mahiro casually responded, then looked at Claire, patting her head as he said: "Well, I'll be going now, Claire. You need to work hard from now on. I hope to see you shine brightly in the Martial God Festival someday."
After speaking, Mahiro stood up and walked toward the prison door.
Claire instinctively reached to grab the hem of his coat, but since his overcoat was currently draped over her shoulders, her hand closed on empty air.
But she couldn't help asking:
"Teacher Mahiro, will we meet again?!"
"I think we probably will."
Mahiro gave an ambiguous answer before his figure completely disappeared.
He didn't tell Claire that he was also going to the royal capital.
After all, without the sadness of parting, how could there be joy in reunion?
Left alone in the prison cell, Claire tightly clutched the potion in her hand and the black overcoat on her shoulders, though no one knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Mahiro-sama, this is where the Holy Sword is located."
Epsilon brought him to a shrine deep within the cave.
But for some reason, Alpha and the others had all stopped at the entrance.
"What are you all standing here for? Why not go in?"
"Sorry, Mahiro-sama, we can't enter..."
The one speaking was Beta.
All seven of them had removed their masks, each possessing devastatingly beautiful faces, yet each wore equally disappointed, bitter expressions.
"Delta can't enter either?"
"Yeah boss, that thing inside is really fierce."
Delta said pitifully, looking completely dispirited.
It wasn't just her—the others felt the same, all thinking they were useless for not even being able to approach a Holy Sword.
They truly felt they had failed Mahiro-sama's training!
"What about you, Alpha?"
"Same here, I'm sorry... I've disappointed you."
Alpha also shook her head, her brilliant golden hair swaying gently with the movement.
"Alright then, let me see what exactly this thing is that can actually block my girls."
Mahiro stepped forward, and under everyone's watchful, surprised gazes, he first cautiously reached his hand out.
The moment he touched the interior of the shrine, he indeed felt a pressure.
A very sharp sensation.
Just what kind of sword is this?
He was growing increasingly interested in this thing.
And so, he forced his way in.
Tearing open a gap in the sharp, murderous aura filling the interior, he directly walked inside.
Seeing this, the others quickly followed him in.
However, once inside, they discovered that the closer they got to the central stone platform, the stronger the surrounding pressure became. Zeta and Delta, the two beast-eared girls, were already completely frightened, their hair standing on end.
This is kind of scary...
But this pressure had no effect on Mahiro.
He led everyone to the stone platform, gazing at the Holy Sword constructed of gold and mithril.
"The text above... I can't read it."
The speaker was Eta, the seventh seat—an elf maiden with voluminous wine-red hair who possessed exceptional talent in technological research and deciphering ancient texts.
For some unknown reason, she always looked like she hadn't fully woken up.
Maybe all genius researchers are like this?
He didn't know, only that Eta was currently squatting before the sword pedestal, gently poking at the Holy Sword's blade with her finger.
"...It seems quite unhappy, throwing a tantrum like when waking up..."
Mahiro: "???"
Wait, how can you tell that?
Don't tell me you, who loves sleeping in, share some spiritual connection with this sword?
Then Beta immediately followed up:
"You know, this scene feels very familiar... A sword stuck in stone, waiting for the chosen one to pull it out... Mahiro-sama, could this be the legendary Sword in the Stone for selecting the king?! Whoever can pull this sword out gains the right to rule the world?!"
Hey hey hey, that was just a bedtime story I told you, don't take it seriously...
Though he said that, someone actually believed it.
For example, Epsilon, who was looking at him with shining eyes, her hands clenched tightly.
"If that's the case, then the only one who can pull this sword out must be Mahiro-sama alone!"
"Is the boss going to rule the world? Yay! Then Delta will help the boss create the strongest clan!"
Delta shouted excitedly, even wagging her tail briskly behind her.
"Mhm mhm, our master is the most qualified."
Not just her, even Zeta nodded in agreement.
Hearing such words from a beast-eared girl with a face resembling Kal'tsit's, even her temperament somewhat similar, felt rather peculiar.
"Enough enough, stop making wild guesses. The Sword in the Stone was just a bedtime story I told you, don't take it seriously."
"But Mahiro-sama... the Three Heroes and Demon Diablos were originally fairy tales too." Beta blinked her sea-blue eyes and asked innocently.
""
You make a good point, I actually can't refute that.
"Mahiro-sama, why don't you give it a try?"
Alpha suggested.
The others also nodded vigorously, looking at him with expectant expressions, as if waiting for him to pull out the Holy Sword and rule the world.
"This was originally my plan anyway..."
Mahiro sighed helplessly, though he had no intention of ruling the world.
Still, he reached out and grasped the sword hilt.
The moment he gripped it, Mahiro felt a stinging pain in his palm.
Rejected.
A very strong sense of resistance.
Just as Eta had said, this sword seemed to have its own emotions and was strongly resisting him pulling it out from the stone pedestal, like a little girl throwing a stubborn tantrum.
How could he let this go when he finally encountered such an interesting weapon!
Thinking this, he gradually increased the strength in his hand, enduring that intense resistance, applying force bit by bit.
The sword blade trembled slightly but remained firmly planted in the stone pedestal without moving.
So Mahiro began channeling magical power.
The Holy Sword finally showed signs of loosening.
"Go for it, Mahiro-sama!"
Several girls watched intently as the part that had lifted a few millimeters from the pedestal.
In the very next instant, a massive magical storm erupted within the shrine.
It was Mahiro's magic.
To draw this sword, he had unleashed his true power.
The sheer volume of magic permeating the storm was enough to obliterate an entire mountain, causing the shrine to tremble violently along with the whole mine.
Boom!
A deafening roar seemed to emerge from the depths of the earth.
And the Holy Sword in his hand was being drawn out, inch by inch.
"Come out, damn it!!!"
At the final moment, Mahiro mustered every ounce of his strength and finally pulled the Holy Sword free, pointing it toward the dome.
As if to celebrate the birth of the new king.
The immense magic erupted completely, shattering the shrine's dome like a torrent and piercing through the mine, reaching straight into the sky!
Instantly, a pure white magical light illuminated the night, covering the heavens and dyeing the entire sky a brilliant white, as bright as day!
"Ooooooh!!!"
Such an overwhelming amount of magic left even Alpha and the others utterly stunned, gazing at Mahiro at the center of the light as if he were a deity.
Far beyond the mine, Cid, clad in black attire, also noticed the towering beam of magic.
And a look of joy spread across his face.
In his past life, he had once sought the answer to a question—
How can one withstand a nuclear bomb?
The answer: become the nuclear bomb yourself!
And the power erupting at this moment was exactly what he had been pursuing!
Although his own magical reserves were nothing to scoff at—enough to turn himself into a nuclear bomb—it still fell far short compared to this power!
"Hmph, as expected of my destined rival. Even our tastes are the same."
Cid stood proudly atop the peaks, arms crossed over his chest, a pleased smile curling his lips as the magical gale whipped his slime coat.
He recalled the girls he had secretly observed in the mine.
Seeing their attire and naming style, Cid felt their aesthetic sensibilities were exactly like his!
He even wondered if he should start an organization like that himself.
But finding a group of people who could match his vibe seemed rather challenging...