It was unexpected.
Since that day, the world has been overturned. Orario was the first city to fall. The concentration of adventurers present in Gekai died. It is the greatest calamity that culled more than seventy percent of Gekai's fighting force. The remaining thirty percent are spread in several countries such as Rakia, Alten, and the School District.
If not for those, Gekai would have already fallen.
The School District's Principal, Leon Vardenburg, belongs to the top of their fighting force. Coupled with several level seven and a level eight, they could barely fight. The magic belonging to the Sun Priestess became the crucial turning point for the war. Through her, they could have a level ten adventurer—the second coming of Argonaut, Bell Cranell.
However, nobody expected that light. It came from one of the forbidden areas, the territory of the cursed spirit dubbed "Antares". It took the Arcanum of Artemis, the goddess of stars, and could freely use it in this world. It was an exception to the rule made by the gods.
That light…
It has the same signature as it—as if it came from the same source. The grand magicka on the level of gods' arcanum was unleashed into this dreary world.
"Sirius…"
Asfi was the third one to arrive. She heard everything from [Miku], including Nobu's arrival and the extinction of Antares. The flight magic tool she made, Hades, was improved over and over again until it could rival the combat suits. Since they are strategic resources that could allow a level six to fight level seven and even eight, it is reasonable for them to not be easily taken out.
The remaining three suits are what Nobu left before he returned to his world.
"...I've heard everything. It's that boy, no?"
"Yes, Lord Hermes."
The voice on the other side of the earpiece was grave serious. The death of Sirius, an otherworlder, is a great concern. Ironically, he was already considered a strong fighting force despite not being here.
The boy told him that he would return and the god took his words seriously.
Nobu did come back, but he sacrificed his own to exorcise Antares for good.
"What should we..?"
"Go back. Use the displacement tools. That dragon could be coming into that place.
"Understood."
Swoosh-!
Asfi's green robe fluttered. She wasted no time in pulling the two girls back before retrieving the usable equipment around.
{The satellite would orbit in the district's airspace.}
Miku's robotic voice came from the earpiece.
"Got it."
After settling everything, she took out a black rectangular metal. She activated the magic within it before dropping it to the ground.
Moments later, a magic circle manifested before their figures were sucked in.
They reappeared inside a bright white chamber. A wave of white light went up to the three girls. It is the purification zone used to remove a curse's remnants.
Soon, they were cleared to go.
They are currently in the School District. A bricked hallway could be seen up until the Control Room.
Both Aiz and Lili still haven't completely snapped out of it.
"Asfi! Lili and… Wallenstein."
A short goddess greeted them. Her outfit is, strangely enough, revealing. However, her chest far contrasted her small stature. The goddess, Hestia, is well-known as an oppai loli.
At this moment, she was surprised to see Aiz like this. She always wears a stoic expression. Never had she seen Aiz this… sorrowful.
"Asfi. That was Artemis' Arcanum, wasn't it?! What happened?"
"Lady Artemis… She disappeared after Antares's defeat."
"She did..? She might've returned to Tenkai already…"
Hestia had long been worried for her best friend. Not only was she devoured by a cursed spirit, her Arcanum was also used to cause untold amounts of destruction.
That was not something Artemis would want to see.
"I hope she's fine…" She mumbled. "Did she..?"
"It was not her."
"...Ah?"
Asfi knew Hestia would ask for this.
"That light was caused by Sirius."
The answer caught her off guard.
"Sirius..? He is her… boyfriend, no?"
"...Yes. Sirius is an otherworlder. He returned several hours ago and encountered it. In the end, he successfully exterminated Antares."
Hestia was surprised. That cursed spirit's other ephitet, Godslayer, embodied its terrifying prowess. They didn't actively go to its territory to avoid a conflict. Handling the One-eyed Black Dragon was enough. If Antares didn't sit still in its territory, they would've been more battered.
Nevertheless, hearing someone who could defeat it ALONE is a huge surprise.
"How about him?!"
"That…" Asfi's expression changed. "He couldn't make it."
"..."
Hestia fell silent. All her hopes of meeting that person died.
In the end, it is simply one of the interactions that occurred after Nobu's death.
…
Galahad saw the dreaded outcome. He was unaffected by it. His sharpened mind wouldn't easily feel something like sadness. The further he went, the less he was affected by adverse emotions.
Although, the same couldn't be said to the boy in front of him.
Nobu blankly stared with his eyes wide open. He was still under shock due to the iteration he had experienced. It is extremely bad to the point he didn't notice Galahad in front of him.
He was immersed on the lingering emotions his ninth iteration has. The mix of sorrow, despair, joy, sadness, glory… All of them messed up his mind for a moment.
"Wake up."
"..!"
The familiar-yet-unfamiliar voice took Nobu's attention.
He finally realized the existence of his 'subconscious (?)'. The man wore something akin to a knight's attire. His sharp look is something that'll catch everyone's attention.
"We could finally have a proper talk."
"You…" Nobu realized many implications. "You're different."
"You should have seen it. The futures entailed to you."
"..!"
For the second time, Galahad surprised him.
"It is natural to know this much. I am you… and you are me."
"What…"
Even Nobu couldn't process that revelation easily.
"I… no, we are promised to have a new life. It is a life far from our previous one as Galahad of the Round Table."
"Gala…had? The Knight of the Round Table? Lancelot's son?"
"That is right."
Galahad isn't the type to leave out answers if he could easily answer all of them.
"However, something occurred. I never awakened in that life. As a result, the connection to the Holy Grail couldn't be established."
"The… what? Holy Grail?"
Nobu recollected the things he knew about it.
"...The Holy Grail from Arthurian Legend?"
Much to his surprise, Galahad nodded.
"It is a long story. We don't have the time for it." He spoke. "Tell me. Are you willing to save that world?"
"...Yes."
Despite his confusion, Nobu muttered his honest answer. He could barely get a grasp as to what is happening right now. One moment, Galahad appeared and talked to him right after that dreadful future. The next moment, he is questioned whether that world was worth saving.
Nobu realized something as he pieced everything together.
"There's a way to return..? Does it apply to all those iterations?"
"Yes."
"..!"
He was offered a new path—a new possibility.
If those worlds continued as it was…
If they existed in reality as a form of alternate timelines/parallel worlds…
Nobu has way too many things to correct.
"We don't have time left." Galahad said. "Returning to that world's most significant moment requires your remaining chances. There would still be debt to be paid after that. Even so, you would only have thirty seconds."
"I will take it."
Nobu recalled the events that would happen later. Everything is already set properly. His absence for a certain time wouldn't affect it that easily.
Most importantly, he couldn't leave the problem he left behind. It already claimed Hephaestus and Artemis along with millions of Gekai's populace. If he could help exterminate the One-eyed Black Dragon that turned into a cursed spirit, that would ease his wrongdoings for that iteration of Gekai.
Seeing this, Galahad merely nodded. He understood Nobu's personality which is somehow reminiscent of his. It wasn't as extreme as his mindset, but it was still there.
"Well then. Your physical body wouldn't work." He spoke. "You'll need a substitute."
It was at this time Nobu noticed his peculiar state. He is currently in a dreamscape. His physical body wasn't truly present in it. His physical body in the ninth iteration was destroyed when he fought Antares.
"There's no need to worry. I have a solution to that."
Click.
Vaguely, both of them felt that the opportunity to re-enter that iteration was about to disappear.
"You would understand everything."
"...Alright."
Nobu saw the distortion around him once again. It was only recently did he notice the mystical power he calls his cheat. It isn't as simple as reverting the target's state to normal or experiencing the future through his combat experiences.
It has the potential to do something beyond that.
Both Nobu's and Galahad's wish is the one thing that turned it into something that could manipulate time.
Just as Nobu disappeared, so did Galahad. The dreamscape turned silent all of a sudden.
*****
One-eyed Black Dragon.
It is the final boss—the last of the three Great Quests created by the dungeon for its inhabitants. It was something to be overcome by the mortals' might, but everything went wrong after cursed energy was introduced to Gekai.
The Black Dragon, which is already feared and revered as the greatest calamity, gained even stronger power. It even surpassed the manifestation of the gods' fear.
In a sense, one could reach its level if its vileness was established to the entire world since a thousand years ago—something not even Ryoumen Sukuna achieved.
Vast amounts of evil emotions gathered to it. The One-eyed Black Dragon was supposed to be injured due to Albert Waldstein's attack from one thousand years ago, yet it managed to completely heal it within five years.
Through that, the Black Dragon gained a cursed technique—[Skip]. The said technique brought forward the future to its present. It was through it could the dragon heal itself. Its injuries that should've lasted for several decades were cut short to five years.
The already powerful dragon became even stronger. Now, it could emit poisonous miasma around it, have the strongest physical body and resistance to magic, and the access to vast amounts of cursed energy from the world.
Fortunately, it hasn't developed stronger ways to mobilize cursed energy. It could only mobilize it to use the cursed technique awakened upon its instincts as well as what it had learned since a decade ago. The foreign energy was completely new to Gekai, and as such, it had to start from scratch.
BOOM-!
RUMBLE-!
SHATTER-!
The Black Dragon's [Domain Expansion] was broken for the second time. However, they couldn't come unscathed. Most of the level six are severely injured. The level seven lost their mobility, and the level eights from Loki Familia barely blocked its monstrous attack. If not for the information acquired in their previous battles, they wouldn't even be able to wear it down like this.
"Ottar-san!"
"...Continue what you're doing. We will hold it off."
"..."
Bell Cranell fell silent. He saw his fair share of sacrifices in this battle. The School District was sunk before they could even enact the [Otherworld] plan. Miku's satellite, Jury, barely allowed them to react on time and survive its first strike.
Since then, they engaged in a disastrous battle against the Black Dragon. It possessed the power to [Skip] and immediately gain the intended result.
If it wanted to destroy something, it would be instantly destroyed with [Skip].
If it wanted to go somewhere, it would immediately arrive within a second.
Its cursed technique is simply that powerful. Its only downside is the burden placed onto the Black Dragon, hence it couldn't abuse it.
With the addition of [Mana Furnace] being taught to everyone, it increased the adventurers' survivability. The legacy of Nobu's world contributed a lot to Gekai even after he left.
"Leave this responsibility to us. This is what we've agreed upon, no?"
The blonde-haired principal of the School District, Leon Vardenburg, grinned as he went into his striking position. The power of the sun merged with his entire being. The dream organs continuously supplied him with the necessary mana to use it at the maximum output.
"Bell Cranell. I could hold it off one last time. Suit yourself."
Riviera declared as her Holy Magicka started being mobilized. It is their weapon against the domain's sure-hit effect. It contributed a lot as to why they are still alive right now.
"Everyone..!"
Bell steeled himself. He focused on charging his skill, Argonaut. He hadn't used it fully due to the sheer destructive power it had. A level ten using it could give them the strength needed to defeat the Black Dragon.
Only, they didn't take the gamble until now. It wasn't as if the dragon would simply stand still while he charges it.
CLANG-!
BOOM-!
RUMBLE-!
SHATTER-!
Another round of fighting had begun. The world's strongest gathered their entire power to buy Bell Cranell time. This moment would determine the fate of Gekai… and the responsibility to protect it lies on Bell Cranell's shoulder.
BAM-!
Seeing them slowly lose, Bell nearly unleashed the Argonaut skill. His willpower had been tested over and over again.
'Should I use it?'
'Should I wait until it is completed?'
When only a few remained standing—including Ottar and Leon—he was about to use it.
Until—
Crack-!
Flutter-!
—an archangel descended from heaven.
The blindfolded archangel unfolded her wings. Immediately, the white light devoured all the miasma present in their radius. The [Domain Expansion] that was about to be used broke down completely.
Shockingly, the archangel accompanied a boy—no, a man.
His pure golden pupils stared at the huge Black Dragon in the distance.
Tap.
The knight wore his garb once more. The ends of black clothe fluttered along the wind. His pure soul shone brilliantly.
Golden motes of light converged on his waist and right arm. They took the form of a sheathed longsword and a huge circular shield, respectively.
"...I shall hold it off."
"You..?"
The knight gave a swift glance to the remaining combatants on this battlefield. His sight stopped for two seconds before he faced the terrifying Black Dragon.
"...I remember it."
His mind does not remember it, but his body does.
Galahad.
The Knight of Heaven.
The Chosen One of the Holy Grail.
At this moment, he had returned.