"...I only have to survive..."
4 minutes...
I turned to Myria and said decisively...
"Leave this to me..."
Of course, Myria seemed to be against this, but in the end, she made no more fuss as I turned to Scarlet once again...
As I stared deep into Scarlet's lifeless eyes I began analyzing my situation...
'Based on what Scarlet told me... her skill only lasts 5 minutes before collapsing... So the most logical move for me would be to run away... But... if I do that the demon king will just take her away again... Keeping myself near until the last moment is undeniably important to rescue Scarlet...'
According to that, the demon king would have to force Scarlet to turn this fight into a short one...
And of course, Scarlet wouldn't be able to play the waiting game as I was doing right now... So, following expectations...
"[Demonic Summon]"
As Scarlet chanted, strange, ominous, dark clouds began to seep from cracks in the ground...
The ominous clouds then began to clump together like ooze as it began forming physical bodies all around me...
At first, it was just one or two horrible gray demons emerging from the black clouds... yet more and more followed...
And before I knew it, Scarlet had an army of tens if not hundreds of lower-leveled demons behind her...
A quick thought entered my mind as both, Myria and I stared at the growling army of different sized and shaped demons...
'That power... She really is the demon princess huh?'
Without, even having to think twice, I began charging straight towards Scarlet...
But I wasn't getting to her so easily...
One after another... demons began running towards in futile attempts to attack me...
But, as I stopped running towards Scarlet, I suddenly stopped as I gripped Boukyaku tighter... I was allowing the demons to draw closer...
'I won't be able to get anything done if these become a distraction...'
As the demons steadily approached from all angles I could see Myria's distress... She seemed to be quite worried... yet I wasn't in the smallest bit...
All I was doing... I was doing it for Scarlet... All of my effort right now... my pain... my tears... it was all for her... And if I allowed for some simple demons to beat me... I wouldn't be able to call myself her friend anymore...
And as I lowered my head with the demons growing closer...
I finally made my move...
*SWISH*
As blood, entrails, and head splattered across the floor, I was now standing before Scarlet around a blood-tainted floor
In a single swift move, I had swirled around with Boukyaku, killing every single demon in my vicinity...
...
In the end, the entire army was decimated by me in a single spin with my sword...
But as I regained my footing from my spin, I could clearly hear Scarlet beginning to chant once more:
"[Umbra Beam]"
I was taken aback, as Scarlet effortlessly concentrated a huge amount of magic around her hands. And, consequently... she fired it off in an inhuman span of time...
"WHA-?!"
What set of from Scarlet's hands was a far larger beam of demonic magic than what she had ever been able to create... It was at least 30 feet in diameter and like a roaring avalanche... it was heading straight for me...
I, of course, hadn't been ready for this... And, to my surprise combined with the unease I was feeling... I barely managed to dodge the huge blast alive...
*BOOOOM*
As a huge shockwave came from behind, I felt a stinging pain along my arm...
Seeing it... I was scared to see that I had actually been injured quite badly by Scarlet's [Umbra Beam]... My entire arm was now covered in dark and red remarks caused by the scorching of my bare skin...
I could feel it throbbing... yet I needed to endure it...
3 minutes...
Without waiting for a single more moment, Scarlet, herself, began rushing to me...
But, without hesitation, I followed suit...
As we were running towards each other, I became ready to slash... but... the moment I began slicing horizontally with 'Boukyaku'...
Scarlet immediately chanted...
"[Instant Vanishing]"
Once more, she had dissapeared from my sights... yet this time I was no longer confused, as a small grin appeared on my face...
"I GOT YOU!!!"
As I threw a backwards kick with my full-force... I felt quite clearly I had made contact with something...
'Sorry Scarlet... But this is the only thing I can do for now...'
I felt my heart collapsing on itself as I heard a faint feminine gasp being uttered from behind me...
*BOOOOOM*
Scarlet, was sent flying across the ruins as she hit one of the obsidian-black stones protruding from the ground...
But, she had not taken any damage due to her skill...
In fact, she was quickly able to get on her feet and began chanting once more...
"[Aria Shot]"
...
"Oh, S**t..."
As Scarlet's hand became engulfed in a strange dark energy, I became desperate...
I knew the amount of damage [Aria Shot] caused... and with Scarlet not being able to receive any recoil... If I was hit... that would be it...
Without, thinking twice I immediately put Boukyaku in a defensive position as I became ready for Scarlet's move...
As she clenched her hand into a fist, the dark energy spread throughout her entire arm... and without waiting any longer... she thrust both of her arms forwards as a devastating beam of destruction made it's way to me...
If her last [Umbra Beam] had been a bicycle...
This was a truck...
The diameter of the blast was at least 50 feet...
It was as if the sun itself had begun rushing fiercely towards me...
I could feel the scorching heat from the blast heightening as it drew closer...
I could quite literally hear the destruction it was leaving as it traveled towards me...
But I was concentrated on something else...
...
...
...
'Control... Control... Control...'
As I breathed in and out... I felt power spreading through my body slowly but steadily...
'Control... Control... Control...'
I was putting all of my focus into liberating the largest amount of power I could from Boukyaku without it actually consuming me... and to my surprise... it seemed to be working...
'Control... Control... Control...'
I could feel the floor shaking as the huge blast drew nearer...
And just as the heat became unbearable...
I instantly, cut through the huge magic sphere...
2 minutes...
*BOOOOOOOOOM*
As soon, as i managed to slice it.. the huge ominous blast blew up, releasing both, a cloud of ash and a deafening sound that made me flinch in pain...
But as I was stuck in confusion, out of the cloud of ash... echoed a chant:
"[Obscurum Chains]"
As I couldn't locate the source of the chanting, due to the ringing in my ears, I wasn't able to attack or parry anything...
Until out of the thick ash, emerged countless black, ominous chains...
I was taken aback by the sudden attack, yet was still able to dodge the chains... However, what I had not expected was that as I was occupied dodging the chains, Scarlet would come from behind and sent a powerful kick from below...
*BOOOOOOOM*
I was flung into the air by Scarlet's powerful kick. I was hurting all over from the stress I was putting on my body... But I kept myself determined, as I managed to make out Myria gasping in the distance...
'I won't lose...'
As I looked below me while beginning my descent, I pictured Scarlet, crouching strangely... I was confused for a second, but by the next... I was sure...
*Boom*
With her raw strength alone, she had managed to jump with incredible speeds heading straight for me... I was already surprised by her ludicrous attack, but I only became more stupefied as she began to chant in mid-air...
"[Dark Ignition]"
Against all expectations... Out of nowhere several sinister-looking lances shot out of Scarlet's body aimed directly at me...
"WAIH WHAH!?"
That was my single reaction at the absurd extent Scarlet was being forced to go against her will...
This single thought lit my anger for the demon king who had been leisurely spectating our fight with a smug smile for its entire duration...
'I'll make you pay...'
As I turned to face the spears heading to me once more, I gritted my teeth as I prepared myself to do one of the most stupid things I've ever done...
...
As the first spear headed straight for me...
I sheathed Boukyaku and reached out...
And when it finally got within range...
I actually managed to do it...
I had quite literally grabbed ahold of the ominous spear in mid-flight...
'Agh... It hurts...'
I could feel my hand reacting from the exposed skin touching the spear directly...
But this... this was nothing...
'Agh... This might hurt... BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THIS WILL HURT!!!'
As I twisted my body in mid-air I gained crazy amounts of inertia and ended up firing the spear with enough speeds to generate a shockwave as I let go of it...
And just as planned... the spear... headed straight for the demon king...
*BOOOOOOOM*
'It hit...'
A huge grin was featured on my face as without even looking at the damage I had caused, I began repeating the process with the remaining lances...
*BOOOOOOOM*
"AGAIN!!!"
*BOOOOOOOM*
"AGAIN!!!"
*BOOOOOOOM*
"AGAIN!!!"
*BOOOOOOOM*
"AGAIN!!!"
In a span of seconds, I had diverted all of the lances from myself, and sent them as a never-ending stream of damage towards the startled demon king...
My hands were bleeding at this point from
I kept firing the lances non-stop as I descended at terminal velocity...
But of course... I hadn't forgotten about Scarlet...
As she had almost made her way to me...
I once again reached out...
And despite all of her struggles...
I managed to grab ahold of Scarlet's ankle just as I was about to be kicked...
"Sorry about this..."
Without wasting a single more second, I began spinning around as we fell, gaining absurd amounts of inertia...
I could feel the excessive amount of pressure being placed on my body as my view became distorted from the speed we were attaining...
And just as I felt I could no longer hold onto Scarlet...
I finished turning and in a single movement launched Scarlet to the ground...
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
1 minute...
I couldn't believe it but... I had gained so much speed due to my twisting and falling, that the second I threw Scarlet by her ankle, she actually generated a sonic boom...
And to top it all off... as soon as she hit the ground, a massive explosion was generated...
Luckily for me, the shockwave and the throw were just barely enough for me to be able to slow down my descent and live through the fall, but I could just think to myself...
'I swear... I need to be grateful she has that aftermath skill... I doubt even I would've survived that...'
But as I was stuck in thought... I heard something...
'There's no way...'
Believe it or not... What I heard... was sobbing...
And out of all people it was coming from the crater that Scarlet had just made as she fell...
'No... it can't be...'
I was just about to head over to end the demon king once and for all... but...
'Please... Scarlet... Come back...'
I didn't care... I couldn't... Scarlet was the sole reason I had escaped the castle... If there was any chance, I could end all this... and simply save Scarlet... I would take it...
Without wasting another second, I made my way to the crater where Scarlet had fallen... and what I found left me perplexed...
...
There she was... Scarlet with injuries all over... crying... sobbing... hurting...
"Scarlet...?"
I said softly... and contrary to my belief, the second I uttered her name, Scarlet turned to me surprised as snot and tears rolled down her face...
And as she looked at me... my doubts were finally cleared...
"Reika... I'm sorry... *sniff* I'm so... sorry..."
I could hear her voice... her emotions... this was Scarlet...
I honestly didn't know what else to do, other than immediately run up to her and hug her...
"SCAAARLEEEEET!!!"
I yelled euphorically as I threw my arms around her...
I was injured, hurt, and in pain... but that didn't matter... nothing did anymore...
I felt my eyes welling up... I had finally gotten my friend back...
I felt at ease just simply being able to embrace her once again... yet this was not the case for Scarlet...
I could see Scarlet trembling...
She was scared...
She was confused...
But most of all... she felt guilty...
I knew this feeling all too well...
And as I finally noticed what was wrong I finally spoke to her softly...
"Scarlet... You did nothing wrong..."
As Scarlet began talking in between sobs:
"Reika... *Sniff* I hurt you... I hurt everyone... *sniff*... I wasn't even able to protect you fro-"
"That's a lie..."
Scarlet suddenly looked at me confused as tears decorated her eyes beautifully...
"Scarlet... you're wrong... The only reason we are still alive is because... of you... *sniff* Just imagine, if the demon king had taken my life back at the *sniff* Ellian Desert... What would've happened then..."
30 seconds...
"Look I understand... I understand better than anyone else what you're going through... *sniff* after all, I've been in your position..."
As I spoke truthfully, Scarlet's eyes became filled with surprise and sadness as she remembered...
"Yeah... I'm sure you remember that..."
"But that was because of your swo-"
"Yes... and same thing here... I know what you're feeling... and I know how deeply hurt you are... but due to me knowing this... I know I can also tell you..."
...
...
...
"...You did nothing wrong..."
...
...
...
And after I slowly uttered those final words... Scarlet finally broke into tears...
There was no more stopping her...
As she kept crying... I just patted down her hair as we remained in each other's arms crying...
"Reika...?"
"...Yes...?"
"...Thank you..."
"You're wel-"
"For saving me from my destiny... my expectations... and myself... I thank you..."
I was speechless as I heard those words... I had never heard anything so kind... ever being directed so truthfully to me...
This was truly... the climax of my life...
As I began crying as uncontrollably as Scarlet... We remained in each other's arms... it was soothing... calming... useful...
10 seconds...
But as we remained tightly hugging each other... I could feel Scarlet's heartbeat growing unsteady for some reason...
When she finally pulled away from me...
She was staring at me with teary eyes, but with an honest smile...
That image was beautiful to an unbelievable extent already... but... she then spoke softly...
5 seconds left...
"Reika... I could never even imagine someone... as wonderful as you... would ever appear in my life..."
...
...
...
3 seconds left...
"...Reika..."
...
...
...
2 seconds left...
"...I..."
...
...
...
1 second left...
But... as Scarlet kept talking in her sweet voice... the unthinkable... shattered that sweet moment...
Behind Scarlet...
The large wounded figure of the demon king made itself apparent...
He was hurt, panting and clearly at death's door... yet his expression could only show one emotion...
RESENTMENT...
But as I became alarmed by his presence I immediately thrust forward to try and prevent him from attacking us...
But I was far too late...
He was already chanting...
"[Aria Destruct...]"
I don't know if it was the fatigue... the sadness... or even the pain... but neither of us could react...
Just as Scarlet...
Finished a sentence...
I hadn't ever considered...
0 seconds left...
"...love you..."