Chapter 124

10 minutes

Nuclear

Dodging the club swung by the orc, Sid mercilessly severed its defenseless right arm. The orc, spurting blood and uttering a voice of agony, could not sustain its cries for long.

This was because Irene stealthily approached it from behind, slashing its throat.

“Irene! The next one is coming from the right!” -Sid

“I know!” -Irene

The two of them continued to defeat the approaching monsters with synchronized movements, never letting their guard down as they prepared for the next enemy.

“Hmph!”

Meanwhile, Keith effortlessly dealt with even the large-scale monsters, effortlessly cutting them down. Of course, this was possible because Sid and the others possessed the necessary skills.

However, the reason why all three of them could handle the situation with such ease was understood without even needing to think about it.

“You’re still as unbelievable as always,” Sid murmured, even amidst the ongoing battle.

His gaze fell upon Harold, who was continuously holding back a horde of monsters with movements that defied description.

If the trio were to take Harold’s place, they would be swallowed up by the horde of monsters in an instant. It was because he knew this that Sid could grasp the extent of Harold’s extraordinary strength.

Sid’s sincere feelings couldn’t help but acknowledge that his present self couldn’t even match the Harold of five years ago. And now, Harold had become significantly stronger compared to his past self.

It couldn’t be solely attributed to talent. Sid believed that Harold must have undergone more effort and combat experience than himself.

And he was now exerting that built-up power with all his might, not for his own sake but to protect the weak.

Looking back, it was the same during the Battle of the Bertis Forest. Sid now understood that Harold had risked danger by donning the uniform of the Sarian Empire army to draw attention from the knights, all to reduce the number of casualties and wounded.

(That’s why I can believe in him… No, this time, I want to believe in him!)

Sid had regretted not wholeheartedly believing in Harold five years ago. He had thought that he would live on carrying that regret.

But by some twist of fate, they had been reunited once again, and Sid found himself in a situation where Harold was about to do something reckless.

“I’ve regretted enough already.” -Sid

Sid didn’t know how Harold truly felt about him. That’s why he didn’t want to leave Harold Stokes, a man he considered a comrade and a friend, alone.

“Well, I feel the same way.” -Irene

Even without having voiced it, Irene seemed to clearly understand what Sid regretted.

“Then first off, we all gotta survive together!” -Sid

“Of course!” -Irene

◇

(I hear unpleasant conversation….)

 Harold continued to slaughter monsters, while carefully disregarding those that Sid’s group could handle. Knowing that he didn’t have to face them all provided him with a certain level of mental ease, allowing him to focus on the ongoing battle while keeping an eye on the situation behind him. It was during this time that he overheard Sid and Irene engaged in conversation.

He couldn’t make out the exact details, but he caught phrases that sounded like a flag being raised, something along the lines of ” We all gotta survive together!” At this point, he wished they wouldn’t add any more flags to the mix.

However, the evacuation of the residents should be nearing completion soon. Once that news reached them, there would be no need to contend with the monsters any longer.

As the hands of the clock approached the late hours of the night, the long-awaited moment finally arrived.

“Boss!” -Keith

A piercing whirr filled the air, accompanied by Keith’s resounding cry that seemed to drown it out.

Looking up, Harold saw three consecutive white signal flares being launched into the sky. That was the signal indicating the completion of the evacuation.

“Prepare to retreat, everyone! Anyone who’s caught dawdling will be left behind!”

At this point, there was no need to hold back. Harold unleashed a barrage of high-level spells, consuming a large amount of magical energy, to slow down the advancing monsters.

Swiftly clearing out the front line of monsters, Irene looked at the scene with an exasperated expression and said, “You know… If you had done that from the beginning, it would have been much easier, wouldn’t it?”

If only he could do that, but even Harold would run out of steam if he continuously unleashed high-level spells against the seemingly endless waves of monsters. It would be foolish to sprint at full speed from the start of a marathon when you didn’t even know how many kilometers you needed to run.

“Hmph, are you an idiot? No, you are an idiot.” -Harold

“…Remember that later.” -Irene

Although it seemed like Irene had something more to say, she understood the situation well enough not to blurt it out right now. She quietly stepped back. Surely, once they safely escaped, she would unleash her complaints and frustrations. But first, they had to escape.

“Let’s go!” -Harold

” —— Where are you headed?”

Just as they were about to rush forward, a voice of a young girl, out of place in this situation, reached their ears A chilling sensation crept over Harold as he heard that voice, causing him to abruptly turn around.

Before him lay a mountain of monster corpses. The remaining monsters, still alive, slowly emerged from the shadows, their demeanor transformed from moments ago. Step by cautious step, they began to approach, gingerly pushing through the pile of lifeless bodies.

Caught in the grip of an eerie spectacle, Harold found himself torn between the choices of fighting or fleeing.

As the monsters drew closer, they came to a halt. Then, with controlled movements, they split apart, revealing a petite girl in the midst of the group.

Her hair, a shade of chestnut, cascaded down to her waist as if it could touch the ground. She wore a simple white dress, devoid of any embellishments, allowing her slender limbs to peek through.

For some reason, Sarah, the daughter of Finnegan had come to this place. With her sky-blue eyes, she stared piercingly at Harold.

(Sky-blue…? I remember Sarah’s eyes being a similar color to her hair… no, that’s not right! What I should be focusing on right now is—)

His thoughts failed to piece together coherently in this absurd situation.

Nevertheless, Harold managed to utter some words.

“…Why are you here? No… Who are you?” -Harold

“You’re surprised, aren’t you? By this girl… no, by me.” -Sarah[1]

Their voice was a perfect match for Sarah’s. Yet, their mannerisms undeniably felt like those of that man.

With conviction, Harold spoke his name with bitterness.

“What is the meaning of this… What are you doing, Justus Freud?” -Harold

“You showed a surprised reaction to this appearance, but you instantly recognized that it was me, Justus. Quite fascinating, Harold.” -Justus

Without any intention to conceal the truth, the girl in the form of Sarah openly admitted to being Justus.

Ignoring the bewildered Harold and his companions, she began to speak casually.

“This is a bigger reaction than I had expected. In other words, the presence of this child appearing in this situation was surprising to you. Yet, despite not knowing my true identity, you instantly realized that it was me… If it were under normal circumstances, was I meant to be here? No, even then, it would be a wild thought… The fact that it’s the first thing that comes to mind… I see.” -Justus

“Hey, what are you muttering about…” -Harold

“Harold, you didn’t anticipate the appearance of me or this child. However, did you ‘know’ that I could exist within someone else?.” -Justus

“Wha-, what are you-?” -Harold

“There seems to be a mixture of known elements and unknown elements within the current state of affairs…… I see, your ‘precognition’ appears to be far more imperfect than what I had envisioned.” -Justus

Precognition. Finally, those words escaped from Justus’ lips.

Harold had prepared himself for the possibility of being exposed one day, but now that it had actually happened, the impact was still profound, freezing his body in place.

Justus, the final boss, had sensed Harold’s greatest advantage, his knowledge of the original work, or rather, his ability to “know the future.” From now on, Justus would act under the assumption that Harold had a certain degree of foresight.

“An intriguing power indeed. I would have liked to explore it further if I had the time.” -Justus

Suddenly, Justus raised his right hand, and Harold’s instincts sensed a danger, unlike anything he had felt before.

“Run!” Harold regained his composure and shouted.

Sid and the others, sensing the urgency in Harold’s desperate cry, rushed toward the main gate. Perhaps they didn’t fully grasp the situation as Harold did, but their swift reaction showed that they were truly well-trained.

However, Harold ran in the opposite direction, straight toward Justus.

This was a scene not present within the original work, clearly unfavorable circumstances. But if he could render the pre-awakened Justus powerless here, it would mean breaking most of the death flags.

That’s what Harold thought, albeit with hindsight he would realize that he wasn’t thinking clearly, that he had been blinded by his ambition.

Yet, in a state of physical fatigue and mental turmoil, when the chance to seize his long-desired future presented itself right before his eyes, it was difficult to hold back.

If Justus’s consciousness could overwrite the personalities of others, as he had done with Ventos, Lilium, and Finnegan, then there must be a possibility of awakening Sarah’s true self with the power of the sword, just like before.

Thus, that sword would not reach Justus.

Right before the hilt of Harold’s sword struck Justus, someone grabbed his right arm. Then, two voices were heard.

“Unfortunately, Harold…”

“That was a bad move.”

One voice belonged to Sarah, while the other was a familiar voice, more familiar than even Sarah’s.

And yet, both sounded like the words of Justus.

“What… What is this!?” -Harold

Harold’s emotions were in a whirlwind, a chaotic blend of anger, astonishment, and perhaps even sorrow.

Without fully comprehending his own state of mind, he blurted out the name of the man who was gripping his arm, as if releasing a torrent of jumbled thoughts and feelings.

“CODY!!” -Harold

There stood Cody Ruggier, with his sky-blue eyes, just like Sarah’s.