Chapter 297 Atonement
A few minutes before Lucia teleports to the battlefield where Aaron and the [Evil Gods] are fighting.
Having defeated Chronosphere and countless fake goddesses, Lucia and the others were escaping from the Space of [World Severance], which had been released due to the destruction of Chronosphere.
In a Space filled with sky, clouds, and a lake surface like a mirror, Chloe, with tear-stained eyes, quietly murmurs, "Huh?"
Ail and the others, who were watching Chloe with concern, noticed the change in her.
"Chloe, your eyes...!!"
"Huh!? Lady Chloe, could it be that Space magic...?"
Chloe's golden eyes began to change color.
From gold to an ordinary black.
With a shocked expression, Chloe whispered.
"I-I can't use it... Space magic..."
"That's true."
Lucia answered Chloe's question.
"Since Chronosphere has been destroyed, the [Small God Realm] must have disappeared too. The Brain Support Device of the 4 families was built using the [Small God Realm]'s functions, so if the [Small God Realm] is lost, the devices will naturally disappear."
This meant that the [Four Great Families of the Seals] had lost the power of Space magic.
"Wait a minute. Then why are Lady Lucia and Sir Noah's eyes still golden?"
Logan asked, checking Lucia and Noah's eyes, which were still golden.
Noah was the one who answered the next question.
"Hmm... that's probably because Lady Lucia has the [Evil God's right arm], and I have the [Evil God Cells] implanted in me. The [Evil God] cells are probably maintaining the nanomachines."
Lucia's current body is a fusion of Ickle's body and the [Evil God's right arm].
And Noah has the cultivated [Evil God Cells] implanted in him.
Even though the [Small God Realm] of Chronosphere has disappeared, the two of them still maintain their golden eyes thanks to those [Evil God Cells].
"I see. So, you two can still use Space magic──!?"
Just as Io was trying to confirm whether Lucia and the others had their powers, another strange event struck them.
It was a shock greater than Chloe losing her Space magic.
"What the──!?"
"Hey... no way!?"
"What's happening!? I feel weak...!!"
"Wait!? Those with the limit mark, check your palms!!"
"No way!? This can't be true!? Jobs disappeared!?"
The clan members, who had just finished fighting and were enjoying a brief rest, panicked.
Even Logan, Io, and Ail, who usually don't lose their cool, looked pale.
"Jobs disappeared...!? We can't use our skills...!?"
"No way... Lady Lucia, what is this...!?"
Jobs had disappeared.
This could only mean one thing.
Lucia nodded, her eyes shaking with unease.
"This is bad...!! Maybe Fiona has been absorbed by the [Evil God]...!!"
The words caused the clan members to panic.
"Lady Lucia, does that mean Aaron lost to the [Evil God]!?"
"Wait, wait, wait!! Are you saying Master lost!?"
"No way!? Master losing...!?"
"I knew it! Trusting that guy with my dear sister was a mistake!!"
"But this isn't the time to be saying that! We need to hurry and save Master!!"
"Even if we say we'll go save them, we're not strong enough right now!? And if Jobs are lost, even Master can't do anything! Even if we go now, it's unlikely they're still alive...!!"
"Then what do we do!? Just wait here!?"
"Everyone, calm down!! We need to think of a plan──!?"
──And then, another problem arose.
Around the clan members.
The lake surface shook unnaturally, even though there was no wind, creating multiple concentric waves.
"No way...?"
The voice carried a heavy sense of despair.
"Are they going to respawn...!? Because we left that Space!?"
"So it's really happening...!!"
Io glared at the ripples with a serious expression.
Chronosphere had activated [World Severance]. The fake goddesses that appeared inside must have been hiding beneath the lake surface. That's why, even if they defeated the fake goddesses inside, they wouldn't respawn. They were isolated from the labyrinth and Space.
However, now that they returned to the original Space, the labyrinth judged Logan and the others as intruders and began to create new fake goddesses.
Slowly, the fake goddesses began to rise from beneath the lake's surface, quietly floating into the air.
"Are you kidding me!? Please, no!?"
"What, what are we supposed to do now!? At this rate, everyone will get killed!?"
"I don't want to die without seeing my big sister!!"
"This might be it for us...!!"
"To think my life would end in a place like this."
"Heh, my princesses... when we die, we die together, okay?"
"Hey, Glen! Don't give up!!"
"N-no!! Leave this to us, everyone else should go ahead!!"
"Ugh...!!"
Like the other clan members who were panicking, Lucia also tensed up and groaned.
Right now, only she and Noah could fight. And to add, Noah was probably greatly weakened. She was fused with [the Evil God's right arm], but Noah had only transplanted a cultivated piece of tissue. It was uncertain if he could even use magic properly.
In other words, to protect her friends, she couldn't leave this place. And even if she stayed, she wasn't sure if she could protect everyone.
On the other hand, she didn't know if Aaron and Fiona were in the worst situation possible, but to fight against the current situation, it was essential for her to go to [the Evil God].
However──Lucia was effectively paralyzed and couldn't move.
Just then, someone gently tapped her shoulder.
When she turned around, she saw Noah looking down at her with a strangely calm smile.
"──Noah?"
"Lady Lucia, leave this to me. You just do what you need to do."
"But what are you planning? Right now, Noah is──."
"It's okay."
Noah interrupted her worried words and took out a syringe from the ring.
Inside it was a bright red liquid.
"Could it be... Concentrated Activator (Nectar)?"
Seeing the liquid, which was even redder than the "Activator" given to the "adepts" of the secret organization Chronosphere, Lucia realized its true identity.
──"Concentrated Activator."
It was a special Activator made for the 4 families' candidates.
Unlike other "adepts," the 4 families' "adepts" do not need to take the "Activator." This is because the transplanted [Evil God] tissue is already in an activated state from the start.
In fact, during the previous stampede, none of the 4 families' "adepts," including Noah, had taken the "Activator."
──After all, the raw material for the "Activator" is the blood of the 4 families' members.
However, the concentrated "Activator" could give even more power to the 4 families' "adepts."
But...
"If you use that, Noah will die."
"I'm aware of that."
Activating the already active [Evil God] tissue further would cause it to go out of control.
A rampaging [Evil God] tissue would replicate and multiply, destroying normal tissue while invading the human body.
In other words, if you take the "Concentrated Activator," death will surely come to you──that's what it means.
Even knowing that, there was not a trace of fear on Noah's face.
"...Even though it was to save Eva, and I tried to choose people who would harm society as little as possible, I've gotten my hands a bit too dirty."
The sisters of Ickle who scattered. Those who became sacrifices until the method of 'adept' transformation was established. Those who were offered to the labyrinth to artificially create a stampede. The citizens of Necronia who lost their lives in the stampede...
"I thought I would need a chance for atonement. Besides, if I let the [Evil God] loose, Eva will die anyway. So, I will use my life here."
"Wait──!!"
Before anyone could stop him, Noah stabbed a syringe into his neck and pushed the plunger to inject the liquid.
...There's no turning back now.
"Lady Lucia, you should do what you need to do too."
"...Understood."
With a sad expression, Lucia nodded.
"And... Ickle, I did something terrible to you. I'm sorry..."
Noah gently stroked Lucia's head──no, Ickle's head.
"It's not my place to say this, but you should live and be happy."
"......Yeah, Noah-sama."
A hesitant voice replied.
Nodding at that, Noah removed his hand from her head.
"Lady Lucia, I will close this barrier. ...Hurry."
"...Okay. Noah... goodbye."
She said softly, and in the next moment, Lucia's figure disappeared.
Right after that, Noah raised his voice.
"Gather everyone in one place if you don't want to die!!"
"──!? Sir Noah!?"
"What do you mean gather? What are you planning to do!?"
"If we just stand here, we'll get killed, right!?"
"Wait!? Where's Lady Lucia!?"
"This is bad!! Let's all run away separately!!"
"Shut up!! I'm saying I'll protect you!! Gather in one place so I can set up a barrier!!"
"""Y-Yeah!!"""
Noah's whole body feels like it's on fire.
From his temple, red and black ominous horns sprouted, releasing heat into the surroundings.
Supernatural Ability──'Devil's Brain'
Seeing this, the experienced clan members stopped complaining and quickly gathered in one place.
Then, nearly a hundred fake goddesses that had just respawned unleashed [Space Rupture Slash] all at once.
In response, Noah created a barrier around Logan and the clan members... everyone except himself.
Space magic──[World-Dimensional Barrier]
He easily blocked the attacks from the fake goddesses coming at him with the [Space Barrier], then turned to face the surrounding fake goddesses.
"Now... please do something before I reach my limit, Lady Lucia. Otherwise, everyone will die."
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