Tsu-zu-zu──

The heat enveloping Selvier evaporated every raindrop that fell upon her. The ground where she stood erupted in flames, rising and falling in a relentless cycle.

Yet, to me, it was merely warm.

It’s not that I am truly a spirit of flame; rather, it could be seen as an option tied to Selvier’s metamorphosis. Her flames do not harm me.

Kuh Moshigi had ceased his attacks. For now, he seemed to be adopting a defensive stance, trying to gauge Selvier’s metamorphosis. Perhaps he was considering the possibility of a favorable matchup.

“Have you awakened your metamorphosis?”

“As you can see.”

“You’ve found a way out in a crisis. But do you think you can face me with an unrefined metamorphosis just newly manifested? Flames are my sustenance.”

Kuh Moshigi was right.

He was a seasoned user of metamorphosis, having even made a name for himself in the latter part of the Hero Selection Tournament. There would be a significant gap between him and Selvier, who had just taken her first steps.

“Well, I wonder…?”

But it is always extremity that overturns the difference in skill and experience. Selvier smiled confidently and summoned her inner strength in an instant.

Wings of flame unfurled from Selvier’s shoulder blades, and the surrounding temperature rose steeply beyond imagination.

Chijijijik──!!

The sound of water boiling and dispersing echoed through the air.

The ground within a 30-meter radius dried up completely, and the raindrops pouring from the sky dared not cross a certain boundary.

Though it was a limited space, the rain had ceased. All due to the heat alone.

I could see Kuh Moshigi’s expression hardening.

The extreme firepower that could stop the rain with mere foreboding of an attack. With this… that flame serpent of his, which absorbs fire, wouldn’t be able to swallow it whole!

“Burn it all, Selvier!”

“I was thinking just that. So watch closely!”

Flarrrk-!

From the palms of Selvier’s outstretched hands, a small sun blossomed. Rough, straightforward, devoid of deceit… yet purely hot.

It was a flame that could only be created by someone who had persevered steadfastly. The brilliance emanating from the concentrated heat source filled the surroundings.

“Flame Angel, Level 1, ‘Radiance’!”

“‘Desire Flame’, swallow it!”

Wuuung-!

A snake with its mouth wide open crossed paths with a small sun. The flame snake, after swallowing the sun, writhed in pain, and then its head suddenly swelled up.

Suuu-!

Boom-!!

It burst apart headfirst.

It was a heat and power so intense that the snake, which absorbed flames, couldn’t even swallow it and exploded!

——–

Krabellin Render calmly thought as he watched the “Flame of Pursuit” collapse without its head. That woman’s firepower is abnormal.

Having trained in fire magic, he knew how to deal with flames. Nevertheless, just the brief exposure to the heat had scorched his entire skin. Even with the Flame of Pursuit blocking it, if this is the case… a mere brush would be deadly.

Moreover, the brilliance was so bright that he couldn’t look directly at it; even with his sleeve covering his eyes, his cornea felt as if it were stinging.

The world is unfair. Indeed.

There are times when a lifetime of love does not come to fruition, and it is a cruel world where more talented and younger mages surpass you with alarming frequency.

However, even in the vast unfairness of the sky, there exists a small fairness. This is generally an unchanging law.

First, even a genius cannot gain experience.

“How about it? Can you still swallow it… Puh, ugh.”

The woman of the red tower, while speaking, suddenly spewed fire from her mouth, hurriedly closing it and wiping away the flames. Like someone drooling.

This meant she was not fully controlling the flame.

It was like a person suddenly sprouting wings. Without sufficient practice and training, it is only natural to flounder. The gap in experience remains.

And second, there is always something to be lost when something is gained.

If the firepower is this extremely strong—

“Flame Arrow.”

“…Huh?!”

Fwoosh, ssssh-!

The fire arrow that Krabellin Render had thrown in a surprise attack swiftly targeted Selvia’s legs. The fire arrow ‘scattered’ past her ankle.

It looked as if he had shot an arrow at a blazing flame, not at a human body. At first glance, it seemed there was no damage, but Krabellin Render discerned the truth.

“There’s no defensive capability. No, rather it’s become exceedingly vulnerable.”

“……….”

“Getting splashed with a bucket of water would be enough to kill you; it’s as if your physical durability has been absurdly reduced. You’ve turned your body into a bonfire. In that case, this firepower is within the realm of understanding.”

If that’s the case, it made sense why she had performed the act of stopping the rain. If she got drenched, she could die, so she had gone through the effort to dry the surroundings, wasting her energy.

The woman of the red tower swallowed dryly once and stood her ground confidently.

“Hmph, whether you understand or not… the snake has burst and died. I won’t fall for such ambushes anymore!”

“Immature. It’s only natural since you’ve just awakened your fable. A eulogy for the path to the afterlife, and a lesson to be learned… Do not hastily judge the fable abilities of your opponent.”

Srrr. Srrk.

Writhe.

The corpse of a flame serpent, its head blown off, wriggles. And from the severed head’s cross-section—

Puhahk-!!

Two heads shot up.

“…Are you resurrecting too?!”

“Any feeble attack would be fatal to you now. If you can stop it, then try. Desperately.”

“If you blow up again, that’s it, ‘Hwiryeom’…!”

“‘Swallowing Fire,’ ‘Void Explosion.'”

Wuuung-!

A small sun with tremendous explosive power fires off repeatedly. In response, Krabellin Render darted around using the flame serpent as a shield, casting spells from various angles.

At the same time, the flame serpent, now with two heads, opened its mouth and charged forward.

From noble mtl dot come

Kwang-! Kwaaang-!!

The world alternates between brightness and darkness.

The serpent is shot down, and its head regrows. Tenacious and relentless. Especially because it is fueled by Krabellin Render’s passionate flames.

The difference in experience could not be ignored either. Krabellin Render calmly navigated the battle, applying pressure even when sustaining damage.

“If your trajectory had been just a bit more inward, you would have died.”

“……..!”

Constantly reminding. The penalty of your fable is its defensive weakness; if you take even one direct hit, you find yourself in a precarious situation where you could die in an instant.

By psychologically pressuring and making you passive, I thought I could turn the tide of battle in my favor.

But it had the opposite effect.

“I’ve already staked my life! Finally, I can shine beside my brother… There’s no way I would hesitate-!!”

“……..”

The woman of the red tower pushed herself even harder.

The heat intensified, and the radius of the non-raining sphere expanded. At the same time, her body’s outline blurred and began to flicker like flames. Her durability decreased even further.

“Flame Angel, Stage 2— ‘Crimson Star’!”

Tiddidididik-!

With a bizarre sound as if the air were being fried, a small star scattering bright red brilliance orbited around the woman of the red tower.

The ground around the Flame Angel melted and flowed.

Kravellin Render’s intuition quietly warned him. That is truly dangerous. Even if he blocked it with the Love-Devouring Flame, it would be too much to handle.

He must kill first.

As he prepared his last spell, he quietly began to speak.

“Is that man really so precious to you? I saw the author in the Holy City. There was another woman. They seemed so harmonious that even from a distance, it was clear.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

“It’s a love you cannot obtain. To gain it, you must become a being far more ‘necessary’ than those women.”

That’s right.

That’s why he resolved to create the sun.

The red tower’s master did not spare a glance at Kravellin Render. She was consumed by her research and loved it dearly.

Thus, to win her heart, Kravellin Render had to become the most ‘necessary’ being of all. He would stop at nothing.

His heart was that desperate.

In response, the female mage of the red tower, after a moment of turmoil, filled her gaze with determination and replied.

“It doesn’t matter. Even if I can’t have you.”

“⋯⋯What?”

“Of course, it’s frustrating, sad, and I would be jealous to the point of breaking…! But if I can just be by your side. If I can shine on you as much as you have shone on me… I can accept it, even while crying!”

Kravellin gritted his teeth. He could not allow this.

“In the end, that’s a compromise of the defeated. Not yearning for thirst means your love is not that precious…”

“You’re just too insane!”

Time had dragged on enough. The female mage of the red tower had also played along for the casting, but Kravellin Render was one step ahead. He was clearly faster.

As the small sun burst forth with blinding flashes, he sent one of the Love-Devouring Flame’s heads beneath his feet to hide it.

And he moved stealthily underground. He finally arrived. That woman, turned into an extreme glass cannon due to the influence of the fable, would die just from being bitten by a fire snake.

He shouted.

“Swallow it!”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯!!”

Boom boom boom boom, KABOOM-!!

The earth exploded, and the fire snake soared upward. Stone dust was scattered in all directions, and the female mage of the red tower vanished without a trace.

The battle was over.

The result of drastically increasing firepower was extinguished with a single dagger. A blade unprotected by a shield is this vulnerable.

Kravellin Render, attempting to manipulate the fire snake to finish off the remaining men of the red tower, found his body frozen.

He didn’t feel consumed. And the air was still hot.

A chilling voice whispers from somewhere.

“I lost an arm, and my leg’s a mess, so I thought I wouldn’t be a bother. Right, what was it again?”

“What have you done?”

“Distribution of roles is important. If Selbier chose the spear, then I must be the shield, right? We need to maintain the team’s balance.”

“I asked what trickery you were up to!”

Swoosh.

The wizard, who suddenly revealed himself from thin air, held the burning Selbier in a princess carry. He grinned like a crow and said,

“‘Illusory Flame Magic: Mirage’… I used a flame spell to create something akin to illusion magic. It worked somehow. Surprised?”

“Of course I’m surprised. How can you use flame magic to perform magic from another school… Are you really not human?”

“You’re only half human right now, too. You’re like a living flame.”

“…It’s not hot, is it?”

Illusion magic… with flame magic? It’s absurd.

Kravellin Render had exhausted his opportunity to attack. Selbier had safely completed her casting. The red star orbiting around her was now aimed at Kravellin.

If they gathered their strength, the next step would be to unleash it. Presumably, a lethal blow would come. However, it wasn’t impossible to survive.

He could completely give up on ‘Desire Flame’. He could unleash all the power he had gathered at once. Then he could stand against it.

He would have to devour the flames from the very beginning and stack them up, but that was better than losing his life.

“Can you aim and help me… brother?”

“Leave it to me. It’s 0.5 clicks to the left from the origin.”

So, they would start from the beginning. Stack the flames, gather them, create a sun. And then go to the enemy tower lord and offer it…

Offer it. What would change by offering it?

A sense of loss.

Kravellin Render felt a deep sense of loss.

The woman of the enemy tower looked so very happy. This moment with her childhood friend, something she had dreamed of, seemed satisfying every minute, every second.

Even if he couldn’t make the sun his own, he could be content just basking in the sunlight.

A coward’s mindset of a loser. It’s fake!

From the angel’s hand, the red star awakened.

“Flame Angel, Level 3── ‘New Star’!”

Kiiiiiing──!!

Time flows slowly.

Kravellin Render saw a pillar of high-temperature light flying straight toward him. Watching it, he thought.

—

Everyone desires to grasp love. Krabellin Render was no different. He does not think he was wrong.

Yet, in a corner of his heart, doubts kept creeping in. Like the marks left behind. An incessant thought that could not be ignored.

What if…

What if, instead of killing the executioners and the priests and leaving the Red Tower, he had stayed within the Red Tower and diligently built up his magic?

What if, instead of wishing to fully possess love, he had simply wished for his love to be happy?

Even if he could not win the heart of the Lord of the Red Tower.

Perhaps, just being by her side would have brought him happiness?

“……..”

In the very last moment, Krabellin withdrew his strength from the hand that was forming a pact.

And the shadow of the regretful mage was cloaked in a light as intense as the sun.

Kwaaa──!!

……..

Where the light had passed, not even a shadow remained. Yet, in the outline, on the rough, melted stones scattered about, a single word of regret from a man lingered in the ash.

Was my love, mere arrogance?

——–

What happened afterward? It all unraveled quite neatly.

The half-melted “Psychopath Module” was retrieved. Upon searching the vicinity thoroughly, there it was. That little brat had successfully implanted it in his mind.

His computational ability and magical power had increased!

Krabellin Render had melted away cleanly. So, there was not a single piece of evidence left that we had killed him, but that was alright. Selvier had activated the tale.

Though it came with conditions, it was a tale boasting insane performance. There was a demerit that if misused, one could end up in the River Jordan in an instant, but that was fine.

Because when Selvier activated the tale, I would always be by her side.

Then, with splendid illusion magic handling, I could provide cosmic defense. She would be the sword, and I would be the shield. Isn’t that a perfect division of roles?

Also. Because of this incident, I gained a little sister!

“Shall I call you brother?”

“Oh, oh…”

“Hmm? Ugh?”

“You will pay the price for your arrogance!”

“Ugh!”

A punch landed in my side.

The brotherly remark seemed to have slipped out in a moment of emotional turmoil right after the tale had just manifested. She was incredibly embarrassed and hardly wanted to say it again.

—

We returned to the Red Tower after hastily tidying up our work.

Selbia stood tall, as if her nose were poking the sky, like someone who had returned home in glory. It seemed she felt no fear now that she had reached her fable.

And then, the day we faced the Red Tower Master.

“Selbia has reached the fable? It seems your skills are still intact…?”

“Stop with the stories you keep to yourself. We came to report on our mission. Krabellin Render has been completely erased from this world. That’s all.”

“Ah, I had just prepared for this. It’s what our Selbia has long desired.”

“………”

Selbia swallowed hard. She glanced at me as if seeking permission. I gave her a thumbs-up, reassuring her not to worry. Go, Selbia! Make your dream come true with your wish!

And then, Selbia and the Red Tower Master spoke simultaneously.

“I want to know how to reverse amnesia!”

“Your childhood friend, who shares memories with you, is currently in the Blue Tower.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

What?

What do you mean I’m right here?

As Selbia and I stood side by side, stunned, the Red Tower Master waved her hand and brought out a crystal ball for recording. Then she tapped it lightly.

Crackle.

A familiar face was projected onto the nearby wall. It was Yuna, looking quite furious.

– So, you mean my kid went there?! I-I’ll be there right away. If you touch him, I’ll erase you, I’ll erase you! If you touch him… it’s war!

– Violet Iris. Even if you bark so small, it doesn’t scare me at all…? And I respect our darling’s free will. I have no intention of forcing anything, so don’t worry. But, oh my. You are…?

With the Red Tower Master’s surprised voice, another figure appeared in the video. It was a young boy, looking around ten years old. He had jet-black hair and red eyes, but something about him looked incredibly heroic.

“…Ugh?!”

Selbia’s eyes widened in shock as she made a strange sound. I almost did too. Was such an expression possible on my face?

So… Shota Mima spoke softly.

– It’s been a while, Mr. Vermilion.

– You’re two of you?

– It’s complicated. The main body that went over there has no memories of the past. So, please refrain from discussing old stories. I’m asking you. Got it?

– Of course. I thought it was a bit disappointing to hear about amnesia, but now we can finally share laughter over old tales. So, is your name still──

Thud.

“Did you see? Selbia, it seems your childhood friend is… thud separated. I’m glad we found her. Now, why don’t you discard the man beside you and seek true love?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Selvia’s eyes spun around, and she looked at me with a creak in her neck. No, I was just as surprised. I had no such module in my head. I didn’t create it!

“Please, tell me that the two of you are the same person, Professor.”

“⋯⋯Why?”

“Otherwise, I’ll end up being the two-timer who likes both of you⋯⋯?!”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯!!”

I was startled, as if struck by lightning. Could it really be that way⋯⋯? No, I thought I had to keep them separate. Wait a minute. Did I hear that wrong?

Is Selvia really saying that she likes me, apart from the childhood friend in her memories?

Before I could sort out my thoughts, the panic-fueled train of Selvia’s revelations continued unabated.

“⋯⋯Now that I think about it, you already have two, right? So, isn’t it okay for me to be a two-timer with the same person⋯⋯?!”

“Stop, stop, Selvia! If you take this any further, one of us is going to lose our mind⋯⋯!”

Selvia and I were at a complete loss in this confusing situation, while the trickster laughed heartily.

It was only much later that I realized this whole thing was a scheme by the trickster to tease Selvia and me.

——–

The “Promise” answered the trickster beyond the modification district, gently but firmly.

“I am not the person I was in the past. I am merely a module. A personality created from the main body.”

“But⋯⋯ the man you call the ‘main body’ had a very different personality, didn’t he? The man I remember was the very embodiment of a ‘hero.’ Just like you.”

“Actually, the main body has never changed. Even now, with ‘that’ being written, the core of my heart remains unchanged. In other words.”

“In other words?”

—————–

-I’m fine, so you all eat. Yeah, I already ate.

The image of the childhood friend, like the sun, that Selvia remembers.

-I’m really starving to death⋯⋯ Should I have just eaten a chunk? No, how important is nutrition for kids who are still growing⋯⋯.

It was a story that was somewhat boastful.

The village of Sanjevi had no adults to look up to, no wisdom to learn, and no good memories. The children were merely freezing in the shadow of bad customs.

So he decided to light a fire himself to shine a light. For the children who were still growing⋯⋯.

From noble mtl dot come

-Okay, get the concept. Keep your mental state. I am a reliable adult. A mental support. A hero who will turn this damn village upside down!

Because the sun was needed.