Volume 9 Chapter 69 I Fell In Love
The battle of Julius, reflected in Shurka's "mirror eyes," was a one-sided affair that didn't even allow for hope.
The first thing Lisha and the others saw was Yuusuke falling, with Julius looking down at him.
It was too unreal.
Yuusuke was strong.
That wasn't just because of his past as a hero, but also because of the truth Lisha had seen over the past 6 months.
The fact that Yuusuke, who had been so strong, couldn't even move a finger in such a short time was unbelievable.
It was like a fictional image had been superimposed over reality, making it hard to grasp.
But even so, they couldn't think about it anymore, because the next battle was about to begin.
Nest, Irial, Eris, Tsukiko, and Kougarou, who had won against the Grimoire, stood before Julius.
They were going to take back Yuusuke and then defeat Julius.
That's when they realized.
What had happened during Yuusuke and Julius's battle?
How cruel and terrible it had been?
"...God...?"
Bertina muttered, looking up at Nest in astonishment.
Maybe it was because they had the qualities of a Saint, but to them, Julius's divinity was all too clear.
Julius Roderest was a god.
What he wielded wasn't human magic, but a divine, absolute magic that had been decreed to be.
The power residing within him was not something humans could defeat.
As if to prove it, everyone except Tsukiko was engulfed by the torrent of magic and fell.
Lisha, sitting at the round table, gazed at the scene from afar.
Tears flowed continuously from her red eyes, but she didn't look away, keeping her gaze fixed.
――What am I doing?
Everyone's fighting with their lives on the line.
Each person was fighting to protect someone, for justice, for their beliefs, and for their lives.
Yuusuke was lying there, motionless.
She couldn't even tell if he was breathing, and the coldness emanating from the image made her feel like she was falling into an abyss.
"――――."
Lisha lifted her hands, which were placed on the round table.
As if she was about to touch someone in front of her.
"Now it's my turn to help."
In the vision, Tsukiko was facing off against Julius. She held Yuusuke in her arms until the very end and unleashed a rejecting thunderbolt at Julius.
Lisha admired that figure.
Since coming to this world, Lisha had been watching Yuusuke's figure. The gaze he unconsciously sent to Isumi Tsukiko was too kind, too fleeting, and seemed to reveal the person's thoughts, which was painful.
Lisha felt envious, jealous, and yet thought it was okay.
"...What are you doing?"
Shurka noticed Lisha's state and asked.
Lisha didn't respond to the question, instead gazing only at her own inner self.
The roots of Lisha, a girl destined to live as a Saint.
Not taught by the church, but advancing her own inner self with sincerity.
Her arm, which had become a part of the 'Bridge to the Universe' and was being devoured by light, made a rattling sound.
They were told they were the key to the 'Bridge to the Universe', the final piece.
Then there was no way they couldn't move.
Yuusuke would have done the same.
Until the very last moment, Lisha had seen him never give up.
"It's pointless. Even if you do that, the magic won't activate."
Shurka's voice was heard.
It didn't matter anymore.
Whatever she heard, what she had to do wouldn't change.
Sparks scattered from Lisha's entire body, and her golden magic power shimmered. Her body, which had been invaded by the magic circle, was trembling as if it would burst from the inside at any moment.
But she wouldn't stop.
She would use all her magic power to defy fate.
"――――‼"
At the moment when the excessive burden would stop her heart, Lisha saw someone standing at the bottom of her heart.
Someone who resembled them, with golden hair shining brightly.
Maybe, this person has been waiting for me here all along. she thought.
She turned around.
Her nostalgic face, which was painful to look at, was smiling.
'You fell in love, didn't you?'
――Yes.
'It must have been tough, with only painful things, right?'
――Yes.
'But you lived honestly with yourself, and lived for love, didn't you?'
――Yes.
That's what she said.
And then, she slowly hugged Lisha and stroked her head. The warm scent was hazy, like a distant memory, and resembled her mother's.
'Good luck.'
Her gentle voice was the last thing she heard before her consciousness returned to reality. Her whole body ached, and she couldn't even breathe properly.
Among the pain, Yuusuke's face, voice, scent, and gestures floated in her mind.
"――YUUSUKE-SAAAAAN‼"
――I hope you can hear me.
――This feeling, this heart of mine.
――I've been thinking of you so much.
――Life isn't precious at all.
――What's scariest is imagining a future without you.
――Even if these hands of mine were to break and disappear, if I could protect you for just a moment, that would be fine.
――Because I am your home.
――You are the place I return to.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH―――――!!!!"
The golden light overwrote the 'Bridge to the Universe' magic circle. The space itself shone golden, and magic was activated.
'Sanctuary.'
It wasn't deployed here.
In the image, the golden domain was spreading, protecting Tsukiko.
"What foolishness――!? You interfered with 'Bridge to the Universe' and activated magic!?."
Shurka's voice echoed.
Lisha and the others had already been incorporated into the 'Bridge to the Universe' magic circle. They used that to their advantage, harnessing the power of Bridge to the Universe to deploy Sanctuary in front of Tsukiko.
It was an absurd, reckless technique.
That kind of thing will break apart immediately.
"Hahahahahahaha――!! You think we can't do it, don't you!!"
Mevia was stunned for a few seconds, then burst out laughing and raised her hand, just like Lisha.
"You think we can die so easily!!"
'Tenken (Heaven's Sword)'.
The light grew heavier, illuminating the round table brightly.
Following that, Bertina and Yunea also raised their hands, imbuing Lisha and the others with magic power.
"Nest!!"
"Big sister!!"
However, 'Bridge to the Universe' also countered the power of the Saints, increasing its strength.
The geometric pattern of light bound the 4 people's heads, faces, and entire bodies.
But no one stopped.
Believing that their voices would reach the people they cared about, they continued to resist until the very end.
In the midst of the intense light that made it impossible to see anyone's face, Lisha clearly heard that voice.
'Thank you'
Hearing that, she felt relieved. It's okay now.
Feeling a sense of comfort, like when she slept in the sun, Lisha closed her eyes.
'I'll always wait for you, Yuusuke-san'
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