What happened?

 

Ah.

 

Yes, none of you could have stopped it. Of course, it’s not like you gained nothing. For a brief moment, you had a family, and for a moment, you held the hope that you could save the world.

 

In that moment, you felt like a hero in a story, didn’t your heart race, and adrenaline surge? Wasn’t there excitement at the thought that if you could just save the world, you could redeem all the wrongs you had done?

 

Even though everything you gained turned to dust because you went in the wrong direction. Still, isn’t it okay since you briefly held and enjoyed it? After all, everything is bound to disappear someday.

 

Dreams, hopes, societies, humans – they all turn to dust eventually. This time, the interval was just a bit shorter. Neo.

 

So, there’s really no need to be so sad, and… Actually, you don’t have the right to be sad. Those who died were innocent people, not you.

 

I know. Neo. You did your best.

 

Despite enduring the pain and unpleasant feelings, you read the scrolls, trying to help the group. What you did with the magic you learned was only killing people, but who knows if things will be different in the future. Who knows if you can save even one person?

 

Well done. Neo.

 

You’ll do well in the future too. Yes, I believe in you. Sacrifice a bit more, give a bit more, thrust your life into the mud and trample it with wooden clogs. If you rescue people with the power drawn from pain. If you can save them.

 

It must feel great, right? While you’re dying, the people you saved will be smiling ahead. Isn’t that so? This… wasn’t this the justice you wished for? I thought so.

 

You enjoy dismantling yourself and sharing, right? Keep doing that in the future too. Well, you’ll become a lunatic and lead an unfortunate life, but at least Venet and Tara, benefiting from your side, will be happy.

 

As you know, there’s an affectionate atmosphere growing between them. After all the incidents end, the two will passionately kiss on your grave. They’ll get married, and later, they’ll reminisce like this. In the old days, there was a pitiful and foolish person named Neo.

 

Enough, what are you talking about?

 

When you asked for my help, you were the first one to approach me.

 

—–

 

The group hid inside the NewLife News building with the journalist Sally. Venet peeked outside through the blinds.

 

The world had changed for the worse.

 

Since the moment when the sky screamed in agony and all sorts of animals scattered in fear due to changes in celestial bodies. Time and space had departed from long-standing rules, becoming unstable.

 

For example, suddenly, someone’s severed leg appeared in mid-air.

 

One leg of an ordinary citizen, walking as usual, suddenly experienced a spatial displacement. Somewhere, a citizen grasped their severed leg and screamed in agony as they neared death.

 

For instance, a ten-year-old girl instantly became an old woman.

 

Caught in the accelerating bubble of time, decades passed in the blink of an eye. One innocent old man was created in the world.

 

Traps set by twisted spacetime were everywhere, and monsters roamed the city as if they owned it. Police officers, realizing their wrong choice, engaged in gunfire, but the monsters were too powerful and too numerous to confront with pistols alone.

 

The gap with evil continued to narrow, and the city’s population dwindled in real-time.

 

The condition of the group was also dire.

 

Niore seemed to suffer from severe hallucinations. She plugged her ears and shook her head, occasionally banging it against the wall. As the days passed, something dark accumulated behind her pupils.

 

Tara lost all strength. What remained was not the saint of the Goddess Church, but a fragile lady who had lost her family.

 

Bennett moved. Though his complexion was dark, he did not collapse. There was still something he could do.

 

The legacy of Abraham left to them. By interpreting his research, they might get a chance.

 

If they could calculate the alpha value and perform a reverse summoning…

 

“…Niore, can you move?”

 

[Yes, Bennett. No problem. I’m okay.]

 

“Abraham mentioned… a math professor. His name was Lot, right? I plan to find him and ask for calculations. Before it’s too late.”

 

Bennett checked the equipment and gathered the remaining food. Niore, staggering, also got up to prepare to navigate the city.

 

Tara, unable to contain herself, spoke to Bennett.

 

“…There.”

 

I’ll come with you.

 

“Tara, you stay hidden here.”

 

“…Guess that’s for the best.”

 

“You don’t need to make such an expression. You did well enough. Take a moment to rest here… I’ll bring good news. Don’t go outside; hide your presence.”

 

Seeing Tara’s expression, tangled with various emotions, Bennett gently stroked her head. Tara quietly entrusted her head to Bennett.

 

The sweet time was fleeting.

 

“I’ll be back.”

 

Bennett left the newspaper building with Niore. Only Tara and Sally remained inside the building.

 

Tara sat in a corner, waiting for the return of her companions.

 

From Noble mtl dot com

 

—–

 

It was impossible to grasp the flow of time.

 

Sometimes, in just 10 minutes, day and night would interchange, and the setting sun would retrogress to rise again in the mid-heavens. If there was one clock to rely on, it was the pattern on the wrist indicating the return time.

 

Limited brightness to avoid detection by monsters. Living in a dark room brought about various depressing thoughts. From pondering what to do next to the guilt of being unable to help the party.

 

Concerns about the two who went outside, whether they were okay.

 

And occasionally, the memory of Bennett’s touch. Tara placed her own hand on her head. Moving it left and right, the sensation was not quite the same.

 

“When will they come back…”

 

“They have superpowers. Monsters are like nothing to them… Right?”

 

To Sally, clinging to hope with a clenched fist, Tara merely nodded her head. There was a significant difference between three and two. What if something happened; what if they got hurt?

 

While worrying about such things, subjectively, it felt like a day had passed.

 

Tara grew increasingly restless. What could have happened? Was finding the mathematician, Lote, taking longer than expected? Did they get involved in a fight? What if they encountered the cult leader?

 

With a twisted expression of anxiety, Tara took out the holy emblem and hung it on the wall. Joining her hands awkwardly, she began to pray.

 

Goddess, please watch over the two of them. Ensure they return unharmed and healthy. If you have any compassion for your former devotee…

 

How many years had it been? Since the disappointment with the goddess who granted not a single wish, Tara had never dared to pray again. Perhaps it was due to such faithlessness that she lost her divine favor.

 

After losing everything, Tara fervently prayed while thinking of the goddess, wishing for the safe return of her companions.

 

It felt like approximately two days had passed in her perception.

 

—–

 

“Hey, Tara?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Tara, who had been bowing her head in prayer, lifted it at the sound of Sally’s call. Sally cautiously gestured by the window.

 

As Tara crawled towards the window, Sally pulled aside the blinds and pointed outside.

 

“Someone is trying to get in. Right here.”

 

“What?”

 

Outside, a man with a baseball bat slung over his shoulder was eyeing the newspaper building. In comparison to the shattered and ruined buildings nearby, he seemed intact, as if assessing whether there were still supplies inside.

 

“Is it okay to relax a bit…? Tara, you know, with that light bursting from your fist…”

 

Sally sent a trusting gaze, Tara slightly avoided eye contact. She didn’t know that Tara had lost her divine power and was rendered powerless.

 

After a moment of hesitation, Tara spoke.

 

“Well, yeah… you can trust me.”

 

Tara took a deep breath.

 

She had attended classes at the academy, was not unfamiliar with close combat, and moreover, this world was peaceful and monster-free until the incident occurred. There were few trained professionals in combat, she heard.

 

So, she thought, she could probably handle at least one man.

 

Captivated by the idea that she had to do something, Tara, instead of hiding, decided to take matters into her own hands and deal with the man.

 

She opened the door, descended the stairs, crossed the barricade, and stepped outside the building. The man looked at Tara and whistled.

 

“Hwiyu, there’s someone here.”

 

“…Yeah, there are a lot of people here. If you don’t want to get hurt, don’t think about how to escape and just leave!”

 

“You were right for real. There’s something worth investigating here.”

 

Tara’s threat had no effect. The man scratched his ear with his finger, then sighed. After muttering to himself while looking at the sky, he spoke with an expression devoid of fear.

 

“If there were a lot of people, a guy would have come out instead of sending a woman with a torn rag for a mouth.”

 

The man scanned Tara with a lecherous gaze. Uncomfortable, Tara covered her chest and took a step back.

 

The man wielded a wooden bat threateningly.

 

“Don’t think about doing anything and just stay quiet. If you do, I’ll spare your life. I happened to need a woman.”

 

“…You disgusting bastard.”

 

“First, you should fix your foul mouth. Hey, come here.”

 

Deep breath.

 

“Suck!”

 

Tara threw a hidden stone behind her. The aim was the head.

 

Smack!

 

Direct hit.

 

“Cough!”

 

The man’s head turned to the side, and the stone tore through his eyebrow, falling away. Blood spurted, staining one side of his face.

 

Now!

 

Taking advantage of the man’s confusion from the throw, Tara rushed forward and approached. Then, with all her strength, she punched the man’s jaw. Thud!

 

Next, she struck his face with her left hand, and swiftly pulling back, she targeted his spine with her right hand, delivering a body blow. Bam!

 

Thunk.

 

With a sound of impact, the sound of bones breaking echoed from Tara’s hand.

 

“⋯⋯Huh?!”

 

The man seemed to have hidden a solid object, like a steel plate, against his abdomen. An unexpected situation. As Tara stopped her actions, her face wrinkled in pain, the man’s fist flew towards her.

 

If I infuse mana, if I avoid it with mana…!

 

“⋯⋯⋯⋯!”

 

Thud!

 

The man’s fist deeply struck Tara’s abdomen. With a blow that made her body feel weightless for a moment, she couldn’t even scream and sobbed. Her body, without mana, was too slow and weak.

 

I have to move. It’s not the time to stop in pain, I have to move quickly…

 

Even though she tried to move, stepping on the pain that made her breath stop, it was too late. The thick man’s hand struck Tara’s cheek.

 

Crack. Along with that sound, a ringing noise echoed in her ear. When she regained her senses and looked, Tara was lying on the ground. She couldn’t put any strength in her limbs. I have to move, but…

 

“⋯⋯Damn!”

 

“That, damn b*tch…”

 

Her throat was dry.

 

“⋯⋯⋯⋯!!”

 

Tara clawed at the man’s hand with both hands, struggling to tear it off. But she couldn’t remove the hand that pressed her down with his weight. Anger and lust swirled in the man’s eyes as he looked down at her.

 

Like this, so helplessly…?

 

At that moment, about half of the strength that was choking her neck was released. It was enough to take a shallow breath. Unfortunately, that was not a good sign.

 

The man grabbed Tara’s clothes. Finally, Tara knew what would happen to her next. A feeling of disgust, as if bugs were crawling all over her body. And the helplessness of a weak person.

 

I don’t want this, I can’t. Even if I scream dozens or hundreds of times in my heart, it doesn’t reach. Now, Tara finally understood the fear of powerless people.

 

Consciousness fades. But there was nothing I could do. I’d rather, I’d rather it be like this…!

 

Then.

 

Crash-!

 

The man’s head was knocked down. A pile of dirt spilled over. It looked like journalist Sally was swinging a flowerpot from behind. Sally kicked and pushed, dragging the man who was groaning and holding his head from the back of his neck on top of Tara.

 

“Come on up!”

 

“Cough, ugh…”

 

Leading Tara, they entered the barricade. The two of them moved the barricade to block the entrance. But it was difficult to catch their breath.

 

Thud, thud, thud-!

 

“─Hey, come out right now! I’ll kill you!”

 

Whether the man had recovered from his pain or not, he banged on the barricade. There were kicks, punches, and swings of a bat. Tara and Sally pushed the barricade with all their might to hold it.

 

“…Telekinesis, can’t you use telekinesis?”

 

“Sorry, sorry Sally… Cough, I, I can’t use it…”

 

“You should’ve said so earlier…! Then you wouldn’t have asked for help!”

 

Savage violence right in front of them. Tara whimpered and desperately prayed. She prayed for the strength to get through this situation to the goddess, and also hoped that the man would lose his strength and leave.

 

Crack!

 

The barricade screamed. The furniture making up the barricade shattered, and the end of a baseball bat protruded. The eyes of the man peeked through the gap.

 

Tara trembled in fear like a rabbit about to be hunted by a beast.

 

In the final moment, Tara thought of Bennet. She closed her eyes tightly and cried out.

 

“…Please, please help. Bennet…!”

 

“Bennet? I don’t know who you’re looking for, but if that bastard shows up, I’ll kill him-“

 

“Alright, give it a try.”

 

A voice interrupted the man’s words.

 

The man turned around to the voice that came from behind. A man with half his face covered by hair was looking at him with sharp eyes that seemed to be veiled.

 

“When did you get behind me…?!”

 

“Just give it a try.”

 

A slender physique. Although he held a knife, he didn’t seem particularly strong at first glance. It seemed like he would easily win in a fight if he could get close enough.

 

Ignoring the advice in his mind to “target the woman,” the man rushed towards Bennett.

 

“Fine, I’ll kill you just as you wished–“

 

Swoosh-.

 

That was the man’s last words. Before he could even take a step, he split into three pieces and spilled onto the stairs.

 

[I’ll clean this up.]

 

As Niole softly chanted the spell, countless mouths sprouted from the floor and devoured the blood and flesh. The stairs became clean, as if nothing had happened.

 

Drrrk. The barricade shifted aside, revealing Bennett’s figure. Tara, still tense, released the tension from her rigid body and looked up at him.

 

“…Bennett.”

 

“Tara, are you hurt?”

 

“…I got hit in the stomach. And my cheek. It hurts.”

 

“I should have protected you better. I’m sorry for being late.”

 

Regret flickered in Bennett’s eyes. If you looked closely, his face was stained with a deep weariness. Startled, Tara reached out her hand and spoke. It wasn’t his fault.

 

“No, it’s my fault… I thought I could win.”

 

“You would have won normally. But some people in the city… have been enhanced with the power of demons. The guy who just died seemed like one of them. They’re not opponents that someone who has lost their magic can handle. Don’t blame yourself too much.”

 

Tara nodded, suppressing her tears.

 

It was a challenging journey for Bennett and Niore, who returned with visible wounds. Both had scattered injuries, and dark circles hung heavily under Niore’s eyes. The lively expressions were nowhere to be found; they maintained rigid, emotionless faces.

 

Don’t make light of those who have suffered. Don’t burden them with irrelevant topics. Tara forced herself to muster strength.

 

Sniffing, she inhaled sharply. After wiping the dampness around her eyes with her sleeves, Tara, wearing her usual confident expression, asked Bennett,

 

“How did it go? Is Niore unharmed too?”

 

[Everything went well. We met with the mathematician Lot, handed over the data, and are on our way back.]

 

“He said he would contact us by phone after the calculations were done. We also received a radio from him.”

 

It seemed they had accomplished their mission. Bennett, meeting each member’s eyes one by one, decisively laid out the next steps.

 

“As soon as we receive the alpha values from the professor, we will use the magic circle installed by the Twilight Sect of Silver in reverse. We will proceed with the expulsion ritual against the foreign entities.”

 

He was rushing forward for one last opportunity.

 

And by his side, I can’t join him. Tara glanced at Niore standing beside him and bowed her head deeply. She felt a complex emotion that was hard to express in words.

 

The distance between the group and herself seemed to grow, making it a bit chilly.