Volume 11 Chapter 8 Hero
Rikka was crucified on a cross.
The moment she touched Stake Loss (Cremation Cross), her hands and feet were bound to the cross.
And then, she realized――this was the tragic state she was in.
How much time had passed since the world started burning?
...It's hot. It hurts. It's painful.
The flames on the ground were slowly closing in on Rikka's feet. The heat was suffocating her, taking away her ability to think. It was as if she was being burned at the stake.
A slow and brutal execution, torturing the criminal to death.
It would be better to just lose consciousness and die quickly.
That thought was swelling up in Rikka's mind.
There was no way to escape this cross. There was no way to escape these flames on the ground.
Death was inevitable.
But Rikka was still holding on to her consciousness because... she had hope.
She believed that help would definitely come.
"...Not yet..."
She gritted her teeth.
She wouldn't give up on living. She didn't want to give up.
There were people who would be troubled if she died. There were people who would be sad.
Every time she thought of their faces, she thought, "I can't die yet."
Rikka clenched her fist, feeling the ring on her finger.
A cheap ring that only glowed when equipped.
She used the feeling of the ring as an anchor to hold on to her consciousness.
However, it seemed like her limit was approaching.
Rikka's consciousness was rapidly fading away.
Her head was spinning, and she couldn't feel any strength in her body.
Was she going to die like this, she thought.
Just then, she felt the wind.
――The flames were blown away.
"Ah..."
Just as expected――they came.
Right before she lost consciousness, Rikka saw their figure.
They weren't wearing a mask, but she knew immediately.
The strongest hero in the world, the coolest person to Rikka....
* * *
In front of me was a bright red cross.
Senior Rikka was crucified on that cross.
She had lost consciousness, but her shoulders were still slightly moving up and down.
She was still alive. She was still alive, thank goodness.
'It's a close call, huh?'
"Un... just in time, it fits."
It was a miracle that I was able to reach Senior Rikka's place this quickly.
A single ray of light appeared in the flames.
The light from the ring I gave to Senior Rikka...
It's just a ring that shines when equipped, but it's as if it's trying to protect its owner, shining brightly without being defeated by the flames.
I was guided by that light and managed to reach this place.
'Then, let's settle this quickly?'
"...Yeah."
Now that I've come this far, there's only one thing to do.
To save the important person, and to stop this empty sky's flames.
I won't let this stake loss take away Senior Rikka from me.
"...Sorry"
In the flames that seemed like the end of the world, I grasped the Bloodsucker Blade.
I closed my eyes, drew the sword, and...
Then, I struck the cross.
In an instant, the air around me stopped.
A brief silence.
I sheathed the Bloodsucker Blade, opened my eyes, and...
Senior Rikka was freed from the cross.
Her small body floated down, and I gently caught her.
The next moment, the flames dispersed like the wind had blown.
The fierce flames that had given me so much trouble vanished in an instant.
The fireball in the sky also disappeared beautifully――.
――The night sky spread out with a "whoosh".
"Ah..."
I didn't think anything, but my voice came out unintentionally.
The sparkling, scattered embers looked like silver sand scattered across the starry sky.
It was a fantastical scenery.
"...It's beautiful."
'Well, it's a small reward, isn't it?'
"Yeah..."
I felt a sense of relief, and my strength left my body all at once.
I might have overdone it, running through the flames.
...I'm exhausted.
When I closed my eyes, I could feel my consciousness slipping away.
'...Good job.'
I think Juju said something.
Her voice was like a lullaby, soothing my eardrums.
I probably responded with something, but...
My memory cut off there.
- Stake Loss
...A fire execution pillar that burns the city. When a sacrifice is offered, a massive fireball falls from the sky.
Rank: SSS
Type: Weapon (Staff)
Effect: Magic +4000
Inferno (Summon a massive fireball from the sky)
Cost: When the effect is activated, all abilities except HP = 0
When the effect ends, HP = 0
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