Chapter Seven – Lucius
Green energy, the color of dewy grass, surged successively from beneath the earth toward Jo the lumberjack.
It wrapped around him layer after layer, until it swallowed him completely, and my eyes could no longer distinguish his form.
The strange thing was… my heart was calm.
As calm as a spring day without wind.
And why wouldn't it be?
I am one who has witnessed countless character evolutions in the worlds of anime.
Yet…
Seeing Jo's evolution was different.
He is the first follower to evolve with me.
The first to take this step by my side.
And I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that a heavy sense of relief settled in my chest.
This evolution won't make him just a lumberjack anymore…
It might turn him into a warrior I can rely on by my side.
My fear of something bad happening?
It was no longer justified.
The System cannot place obstacles in my path over and over again.
The matter ended well…
In fact, as well as it possibly could.
Well, that's what I thought for a moment...
I had barely begun to envy myself… when the unexpected occurred.
A blazing hell…
Descended upon me.
Above.
The sky became thick with darkness.
It wasn't clouds.
It wasn't night.
It was something else…
A black curtain, like a giant cloak, clamped down on the sky, pulling the sunset away with unnatural speed.
And from the heart of that darkness,
A pillar of light struck the center of the area with violence.
A massive explosion.
It left a crater several meters deep.
The earth shook,
And the dust rushed up to slap my face.
I recoiled involuntarily,
And my eyes immediately turned toward the point of impact.
Then.
Pain.
A sharp pain pierced my eyes,
As if salt soaked in sour lemon had been poured inside them.
I screamed.
I placed my hands over my eyes, hiding them.
A moment.
Then the pain vanished.
I opened my eyes.
And a red light emerged before me.
An X mark, above that person's head.
"Enemy…"
The word escaped from within me without thinking.
But fear…
Flowed immediately after, seizing every feature of my face.
That mark…
Was an omen of doom that accepted no other interpretation.
The power before me.
Unreadable.
"His level… far exceeds mine."
"If he attacks me… I will die."
The screaming was internal,
But its echo nearly tore my chest apart.
He moved toward me.. his steps heavy, carrying a coming death.. without any shield to protect me.. I stood waiting for the inevitable.
The person began to approach,
And my eyes finally caught him clearly.
Black steel armor, covering his entire body.
His height exceeded two meters.
And on his back.
A broad silver sword, almost longer than his own body.
Above his head,
A red mark resembling a finishing blow.
And on the sword…
Another red designation:
{ The Banner Reaper }
A strange name.
But the fear it instilled in my heart… was not strange at all.
My mind alone was working.
My body had frozen from the very first instant.
Every decision was postponed.
And in its place, an absolute silence fell.
And from the moment I stood before that armored man,
I realized only one thing:
My life…
Was no longer in my hands.
"So it is you...…
Obtained...…
The frail one...…
The fool...…
The orders are firm...…
Die."
His lips moved with a deep, echoing resonance that nearly covered the entire space.
But the words.
Distorted. Incomprehensible.
Then.
Suddenly.
He screamed.
He grabbed his head with both hands, staggered back several steps, then
Raised his gaze to the sky.
The sky…
Began to regain its form.
His eyes turned toward me.
And he charged.
In one moment,
My eyes were meeting his from a distance.
And in the next moment.
He was before me.
Very close.
He pressed his fingers together,
And aimed a direct strike toward my heart.
My body did not move.
It would not move.
Even if it did move.
Before this brute force, resistance was meaningless.
"So… this is how it ends."
"The mission to build a new world… has failed."
"The pleasant dream… is over."
Swooooosh.
I didn't die.
What is happening?
I began to open my eyes slowly.
A vivid shadow stood before me.
Her scent…
Just like on the first day.
Beautiful.
Refreshing.
And reassuring.
The owner of the armor stopped suddenly.
His strike.
Was stopped completely.
Before my eyes,
Monali waved her cloak, diverted the attack, and halted it at the last second.
"Have you decided to intervene… Monali?"
This time,
His voice was clear.
Pure as the clarity of mountain springs.
Calm as a morning breeze.
Monali stood before him with her beautiful vigor.
Her eyes gleamed with mystery.
And her hands tightened on the arrow.
Then she said:
"What are you trying to do… Lucius?"