548-Always at the end




 The silver water ship Nepheus fills its sails to the brim and flies through the Silver Sea.

 The voyage was smooth and the destination was near.
 The hunting nobles manning the ship were not overawed; everyone was relaxed.

 A hundred battle-hardened hunters know when to relax their strength.
 They are resting their bodies in preparation for the hunt.

 The interior of the ship is brightly lit and occasionally you can hear them chatting.
 In one corner, there was one room that was completely dark.

 The sound of rain could be heard.
 An ominous sound that was not supposed to be heard.

 Luna Arzenon huddled there, covering her ears as if she were frightened.

 She could hear voices.
 Mixed with the sound of the falling rain, like her own inner urges.

 The voice of craving resounded from the womb, no matter how hard she covered her ears.


 --Why? --

 --Hey, why? --

 --Why won't you give birth to me? --

 --Mother...

 --She gave birth to...

 --You know.

 --You're having me, Mom.

 --It's dark--

 --It's dark--

 --I don't like it here. I don't like it here.

 --Mother. I'm...


 --Do you think it's a sin to even be born?


''I'm sorry......... I'm sorry.........

 Tears fluttered down from Luna's eyes.

 Sobbing and sobbing, she continued to apologize to her unborn child, who was still unborn.

''I want to give birth to you but you shouldn't be born...''

 Zu, zu, zu, zu, black particles oozed out of Luna's belly.

 It was as if an unformed baby's hand was crawling out, desperately pleading.

 She squeezes it gently.

'I'm ... sorry. I can't give birth to you I'm sorry........

 Crying, Luna gingerly pushes her hand back into her stomach.

'....a little more...'

 Wiping away the tears, she tells herself.

''........It's okay. The Baron-sama will surely bring the Spirit God Human Sword to me. I'm sure........

 Covering her ears and closing her eyes, Luna barely suppressed the craving that was welling up.

 Today, she's even louder.
 Perhaps she is aware of what she is about to do.

 How many months have passed since one of the five saint barons met Rebrahard.

 She continued to resist the voice in her womb that grew stronger by the day, waiting for the opportunity to break her own fate.

 The symbol of the Sacred Sword World Hyphoria, the Spirit God Human Sword Evans Mana, chooses its wielder.
 And only the one who drew it out would be given the right to inherit the throne of the Holy King, the Head of the Holy Sword World.

 Hence, the Five Holy Barons would be given three times in their lifetimes to be selected by the Spirit God and Mana Sword.

 The order is the one with the highest rank.

 After the Duke, the Marquis, the Earl and the Viscount failed to make the selection the first time, the Baron Lebrahard finally had the opportunity to pull it off.

 He promised me that he would definitely be selected by the Spirit God Man Sword.

''Kyah........!

 The ship steered heavily and the hull tilted.

 The next moment, an explosion rang out and a vibration hit Luna.
 She was thrown to the floor and got her hands on her hands as quickly as possible.

  echoed throughout the ship.

'Enemy attack! All hands, battle stations!

Enemy presence! It's a Zeeva drone!

"There she is, you phantom engine. "'Here they come, you phantom engine! Do not slow down! Head for the rendezvous point! Master Lebrahard will surely come with the Spirit God Man Sword in hand. Let's show them which side is being hunted.''

"'I understand!

 The battle began immediately.

 When a meteorite was released from the plague turtle of Ewezeino, the silver water ships of Hyphoria reciprocated with arrows.

 The hit Nepheus was shaken violently and the hunting nobles were forced to repair it.

 The ship's performance is several levels above the calamity turtle.
 It would have been preferable to retreat quickly, but they trusted Lebrahard and did not want to change course.

 There was nothing Luna could do.
 All she could do was pray.

 Just then, a ray of light shone in her cabin.
 Luna looked up.

 The door was slowly thrown open, revealing the shadow of a man.
 The one who entered was a young man with a familiar pigtailed head.

''Parrington.........''

Sister, I'm so glad you're safe. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

 Parrington ran quietly to Luna.

'We'll talk about the pile later. Let's get out of here first.'

 Parrington withdrew his hand from Luna's, but she wouldn't move.

'....Sister?

"...wait, Parrington....you know...

No problem. The hunters have their hands full dealing with the plague turtle. They wouldn't expect him to have already been infiltrated. Now, it will be easier for them to escape. ''Come on.''

 Parrington pulled his hand back hard and turned to head for the door.
 Luna shakes his hand away.

 He stopped and slowly turned around to look back at Luna.

 She said to her brother, whose eyes widened slightly.

'I'm ... sorry, Parrington. I was not kidnapped by Hyphoria. I asked the Baroness to do a favor for me. So.....

No.

 In an unwavering tone, Parrington denied it.

'Your sister was deceived by Hyphoria. That's fine, isn't it? I will tell your grandfather Dominic as much.

 Luna rolls her eyes in surprise.

'I know...'

Of course, I know my sister well. I am the only one who can understand how my sister feels.

 Parrington closes the distance and says softly in front of her.

''Wherever you go, no matter what you do, you will not escape. Our child will be the lion that destroys the Silver Water Holy Sea. Don't you think your sister really understood that?

 Luna couldn't remove her gaze from Parrington's magical eye.
 Her brother had certainly put her fears to rest.

''Even if it is the Spirit God and Human Sword that can cut off our fate, it is impossible to cut off this fate alone without destroying us. If it was possible, wouldn't the battle between Eavesino and Hyphoria have been decided long before we were born?

 He looked down for a moment, but Luna opened her mouth.

''Well maybe you're right but...''

Don't you remember, sister?

 Grabbing both of Luna's shoulders, Parrington complained.
 Her arms were trembling.

You told me that my sister and brother would always be by my side........'

 Tears were spilling from his eyes.

'There may be no great freedom. I may not even be able to bear children. Still, for me, having my sister in my life is enough.

 Parrington squeezes her sister tightly in her trembling hands.
 As if to hold her back, tighter and tighter --

Please... please don't let us become desperate...! What are you going to do, throw away this little bit of happiness for a miracle that never happened? Look at me! I'm not your grandfather! I will never, ever betray you. My sister's happiness is indeed here. It's right here........!

 With a distressed look on her face, Luna says.

''I understand. And what Parrington says. I feel like I might be doing something stupid. But I can't give up. I want to believe.

 She laid her own hand on Parrington's hand.
 Then, with a dreamy look on her face, she told him clearly.

'Love always wins in the end.'

 A moment - Luna gasps for breath.
 Red blood was splattered across her face.

 Parrington had been shot through from behind by an arrow.

''Ewezeino's phantom race, you! Where did you come from?

Step away! She's a guest of the baron. Don't think I'm going to let you do anything to her!

 One by one, the hunting nobles guard their bows with arrows and release them in unison.

''It's only a matter of time before we leave--''

 Black particles poured out of Parrington's body and swirled around him in a mischievous manner.

It's you people!

 The magic bullets he fired swallowed the arrows and then exploded, blowing away parts of the silver water ship, all the hunting nobles.

 Rattles and pieces of wood fell into the sea of silver.
 Flying furiously through them, Parrington clenched his fists.

''Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 He kicked the holy sword of the hunting nobleman who had responded and punched him in the face with his full strength.
 It was truly a violation.

 He twisted and crushed the hunters who gathered one after another with his five bodies and magical power.

''........Where do you say they are.......?

 While punching, kicking, and releasing magic bullets, Parrington threw words at his sister.

''Who is going to love you, who is going to love you who gives birth to a beast that destroys the Silver Water Holy Sea?

 The sharp words that seemed to summon her from her dream stabbed deep into Luna's chest.

 Even if he was weaker than her, his younger brother, who had the same fate, might be able to see that reality clearly.

''Even if the Spirit God and Human Sword sliced through your womb and, if you wish, your fate, you can really say that this is not how the lion of perdition is born! <How can you be so sure that the connection is really gone now that you don't feel the plague of craving? No one will ever know that!

 Parrington's gigantic magic bullets rained down on the hunting aristocrats one after another, creating a spectacular explosion.

Who is not afraid of the fact that his child may become a mysterious beast? Who is strong enough to love the beast, which is disaster itself? No, sister, I am well aware of people's weaknesses.

I'm a monster.....

 Parrington's fist pierced through the banked belly of the man who brandished his holy sword and rushed into the room.

''No matter how long you search this Silver Sea, there is no way you will find such a foolish man who loves the Abyssal Princess of Disaster!

 Parrington cries out, driven by a rage and driven by his own craving.

 Luna bites her lip, tears filling her eyes.

 But it's only a short time before she realizes something and flies through the air as if driven by a thrust.

 At the moment when Parrington's consciousness was diverted from the battle, the hunting nobles who had been hiding in the rubble of the silver water ship were shooting their best arrows from all sides.

 An arrow wrapped in holy light pierced his extremities.
 Chains were attached to them, binding the limbs they shot through.

''With something like this--''

 He tried to tear off its chains with all his strength.
 As if he had aimed at it, a divine arrow of light flew from behind him.

 It was in a different dimension from the ones released so far.

''Paritong!''

 Desperately flying, Luna landed on her brother's back and held out her hands.

 Red blood spilled out onto the silver watercraft with a plop.
 Luna's belly, which had been blocked to protect Parrington, was pierced by an arrow of light.

''........Sister.......?''

 Gulping, Luna kneels on the deck.

''Hey ... parrington ...''

 An arrow of light is swallowed by Luna's wound.
 <The Disaster Abyss of Craving strengthens her connection to her womb.

"....And yet, I want to believe.

 A deep darkness spread around her belly.
 The chains and arrows that bound Parrington's limbs were swallowed up in it.

'I'm sorry. Goodbye.'

 Luna draws a magic circle on Parrington as she wields the last of her strength.

''Sister. Please wait--

 Faster than a voice, Parrington's body was pushed by the darkness and blown far away.

 With Luna at the center of it, that deep darkness, the , spread out more and more, and began to swallow the silver water ship without making a sound.

 That's not all.

 Eavesino's ship, the Disaster Tortoise Zevadrone, was also attracted to the darkness and headed towards Luna.

 The Phantom Demon Race could be seen abandoning the Disaster Tortoise and leaving these waters.

''........The Disaster Tortoise.......is being consumed......''

'What...? Is this...? This evil force of destruction...

I can't... move...

We can't let this go on...

 The hunting nobles who tried to break away are caught in the darkness on the way out and begin to be consumed, unable to even move.

 Luna couldn't hold back the power that was running amok.
 She just stared at a point and waited incessantly.

 She believed.
 He would come on time.

 That's the kind of person he was.
 That he was a man of his word.

 Luna had believed it.

 And she had seen it for sure.
 A ray of light.

 Coming from beyond was the silver water ship Nepheus.

 Standing at the bow of the ship was one of the Five Holy Barons, Lebrahard.
 In his hand, shining divinely was the Spirit God Human Sword Evans Mana.

''You've come, Baroness........''

 The silver water ship Nepheus headed straight for Luna and entered the ever-expanding darkness.

'With your holy sword, carve out my royal path.

""For the victory of Lord Lebrahard!"

 The hunting nobles on the silver water ship each pulled out their holy swords and raised them above their heads.

 A holy light rose upwards.

''~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!

 On the deck of the ship, the holy sword wielded by dozens of hunting nobles emitted a divine light.
 Their brilliance sliced through the darkness, creating a pure white path.

 That path, which stretches straight toward Luna, however, is consumed by the darkness along the way and is cut off.

 The people aboard the ship are all skilled hunters.
 Their holy swords are all of high rank in Hyphoria.

 However, the Disaster Abyss of Craving was so deep that even that holy light was consumed.

''One hundred and fifty left, no, just fifty. Can't you reach it?

 Lebrahard asks his men.



"....the forces of destruction are far stronger than we expected...

 Instead of extending the path of light, it was barely able to maintain it as it was.
 The longer it took, the shorter the path would be in reverse.

 Breaking through that darkness was not an easy task, even for Lebrahard.
 If he expended his power on it, he would not be able to accomplish his original goal.

 But there was no other way. 

"We have to go,

 Lebrahard grabbed the Spirit Godman Sword.
 And then, something passed by their ship.

''....What...?''

 Moving straight ahead at an unseen speed, it pierced through the Disaster Abyss of Craving without even looking at it and dispelled the darkness in the blink of an eye.

''This is.........?

What the hell is...?

 A path was opened.
 A path led before them to the Abyssal Princess of Disaster.

You're the child. He must have come to rescue the Princess trapped in the Abyssal Cage.

 Lebrahard laughed and dashed out into the open.

'I owe Jayne a debt of gratitude. I am one of the Five Holy Barons of Hyphoria, Lebrahard Frenelos. In accordance with the righteousness my friend has received, I will now free Luna Arzenon, Princess of the Abyss of Disaster, from her fate!

 With a tail of light, Lebrahard flies straight ahead.

 The Spirit God Human Sword Evans Mana, with its golden hilt and pale white sword barrel, sprinkles out a light that resembles the twinkling of a star.

 Lebrahard's magic power fades to nothingness and he turns into a sword-body unity.

''Wait ... wait ... wait ... wait ... wait, Lebrahard ... ...........!

 It was Parrington who shouted.
 He didn't care if his own body was swallowed up, he plunged into the darkness after Lebrahard.

 But he can't reach it.

''The Spirit God and Human Sword, the secret depths are four--''

 Lebrahard, flying with a tail of light like a comet, swung his Evans Mana wide.

''-- ''

 The blue and white flash of a sword slicing through the darkness.

 The blade was slicing through Luna Arzenon's womb per .

 Blood overflowed and black particles raged, preventing that blade from being on the verge.

 Overflowing from the abyss was a water muddled by the craving of craving, the power of its destruction, raging and ravaging, competing with the pallid brilliance of Evanthmana.

 A crack appeared in the Mishimishi and the Spirit Godman Sword.

''...............!

 Lebrahard summoned the last of his strength and swung his sword down.

 With a dull sound, the Spirit Godman Sword broke off from the root, and the darkness that flooded from Luna's body stopped.

''Thank you..........''

 Letting out a faint murmur, she was swallowed by the water current of the Silver Water Holy Sea along with the broken Spirit God Man Sword and fell down.

 The magic power had been cut off and its roots were on the verge of being destroyed at any moment.

''You....................''

 Parrington's voice rang out from the darkness.

'You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, Rebrahard ohhhhh!

 A tremendous rage. An angry voice, simmering with anger, echoes through the silver sea.

 Lebrahard drops his gaze slightly.
 A faint light flickered.

 The direction in which Luna had fallen, the silver bubble that is said to have not yet been born in the Silver Water Holy Sea--

 I could see the bubbling world.