{I wonder how long this human will last.}
Sitting in the air Stefan placed his chin on his palm and watched the speculation happening beneath him.
Rows of black tentacles rose from the ground and struck Yuuto who was in a state of deep focus. His breath was calm and all his actions carried not an ounce of hesitation.
Dodging, redirecting, and slashing. Yuuto was using all means to prevent 'Stefan' from approaching the barrier behind him.
–SWISH
Cyrille who was still under Stefan's control began to move and a golden light spread throughout her whole body.
A clock-like pattern began to form just behind her and various daggers shot outwards to attack Yuuto who was busy fending off the tentacles by him.
Feeling the countless golden daggers pierce through the air, Yuuto leaned back and waved his hand. Ten spears materialized and flew forward to meet the daggers aimed at him.
Despite destroying most of the daggers, a few slipped through as it changed trajectory mid-way and avoided Yuuto's attempt to stop it.
He clicked his tongue seeing this and pulled his sword back. Streams of dense moonlight began to gather and after reaching a certain point, Yuuto swung forward.
A large silver crescent that was double the size of his usual ones ripped through the air. Breaking apart the remaining daggers.
This wasn't the only goal however as a small wave of his wrist, the crescent rose upwards and appeared right in front of Stefan.
{So you can still manage to do something like this?}
Stefan felt amused as a thick black wall materialized in front of him and broke apart Yuuto's attack.
"Sorry, I just thought you were feeling a bit bored just watching so I sent a little present."
Yuuto casually said before numerous golden circles grew behind him. [Barrage] took a bit of time to activate but it was just enough as the results spoke for themselves.
Stefan's expression shifted as the tentacles he created to overwhelm Yuuto were blown to bits and left a majority of the area empty. Short pieces of the tentacles eventually dissolved as they were no longer whole.
Bringing Stefan to clench his fist and gather the black dust that was fading away.
Yuuto took a moment to breathe as his heart began to burn, making his body feel like it was on fire. Maybe due to the adrenaline flowing in him but the injuries he sustained didn't bother him.
But he knew that his condition wasn't looking too good. Tapping more into the Stellaron was something he needed to do as he would have been overwhelmed by the countless monsters back in the space he was in before..
However, this action was like a double-edged sword as his body was not used to this immense energy constantly circulating through his system.
'Especially this fragmentum growing on me…'
Yuuto touched his neck and felt a patch of rough crystals forming and saw that a large part of his hand was already covered in fragmentum corrosion.
He was still unsure of the specific effects this would bring. Whether it would damage his body to a certain extent or just be a slight inconvenience. Yuuto already knew for certain that his body shouldn't stay in this state any longer than necessary.
Unless he wanted the corrosion to consume him.
Strength began to flow through him once more and his body flashed forward as he approached Stefan right above him.
He adjusted his body through the air as he wanted to waste no movements. Just so he could get a solid strike on Stefan.
His sword was swift and accelerated towards Stefan's exposed neck.
The person in question however looked calm and a sly grin began to float on his face. Yuuto felt like something was wrong and his senses were right as the space in front of him began to shake.
'This bastard!?'
Yuuto cursed in his head as Cyrille's body suddenly appeared in front of him and was placed in the path where she would get fatally struck if he continued.
He couldn't stop his sword but he was able to redirect it in time. Striking nothing but air and leaving a small window for Stefan to attack.
{How touching of you.}
Stefan spoke in a delighted tone and countless spikes exploded in Yuuto's right side. It pierced forward trying to leave various holes in his body but stopped just a few centimeters away from meeting its goal.
A blue and gold aura dulled the spikes draining Yuuto of his energy.
Stefan looked surprised that his attack failed to pierce Yuuto and was intrigued further than he already was.
An unknown emotion flashed within his eyes and the corner of his lips began to rise.
Fatal damage was avoided but the force behind the attack didn't disappear. Yuuto flew backward before meeting the ground. He balanced himself and slid before using his sword as support.
{As I thought, you don't wish to harm this little one.}
"....."
Yuuto didn't speak but his cold eyes made Stefan guess his answer already.
{I was planning to humor you for a bit but seeing your reaction was quite entertaining.}
Stefan chuckled and a deep pressure began to explode from him. The space quivered and dark crystals grew on the ground at a rapid pace.
Yuuto frowned as he noticed some movements coming from the space a few meters away from the barrier he placed down.
{I wonder what you'll do now~}
The space ripped apart and a large wave of black dust came crashing out of the hole. Reaching the height of buildings within the Administration District in Belobog, the wave placed a large shadow over both him and the others within the Barrier.
Yuuto immediately sprinted and rushed to the barrier.
The engine within him whirled and [Barrage] began to activate once more. Yuuto clenched his teeth and used [Clarity] to scan the wave of any weak points.
'There's five of them.'
Locking onto these five specific points, Yuuto condensed the energy used in [Barrage] and formed five large circles behind him.
Instead of focusing on quantity, he focused on quality which can be seen as the circle began to heat the area they were placed in and even sucked the surrounding energy around it.
Reaching a certain point, the circles exploded and five bluish beams shot out. Causing the air to tremble and flash the area in its bright color.
{Hah! How about some more?}
Stefan's smile grew even brighter seeing the wave he made gradually break apart and clenched his fist to repair the damage Yuuto made.
The sight of Yuuto struggling made him oddly happy and dangerous thoughts whirled within his mind.
{He is much better than Cocolia…}
Stefan stood up from the area where he was seated and caused the crystals sprouting from the ground to rise and rush Yuuto who was catching his breath.
'This is killing me…'
Yuuto with his head down raised his arm and materialized [Ice Edge] multiple times to form a large circle. The winds that escaped it broke apart the crystals rushing him but he knew it was only a temporary measure.
That wasn't all as the wave he destroyed was eventually fixed and Stefan descended from his spot beside the wave.
Yuuto raised his head and looked at the wave coming down on him. Faint traces of mist began to spread from his body but his body froze when he heard something.
The exhaustion that covered his face was replaced with a bright smile that made Stefan uncomfortable and suddenly wary.
Yuuto's smile didn't fade away even with the wave crashing down on him and Stefan watched as it enveloped him. Leaving the ground covered in corrosion.
{What made him so…}
Stefan was about to land but he suddenly moved backwards as a dangerous feeling exploded from the black corrosion.
Flickers of orange flames began to rise and ignited the space beneath it. The flames grew larger and larger before the image of an orange lance broke apart the corrosion.
"I thought you'd sleep through the whole thing."
"How could I? I just said it was my turn to take my well-deserved beauty sleep."
"You still have strands of hair stuck to your face."
"Lies!?"
Stefan looked appalled as three figures rose from the corrosion unharmed and an orange tint covered their bodies.
But what caught his attention the most was the amber lance in the woman's hand that had flames dancing around its bright edge.
Stelle's worn-down body was now showing hints of orange flames as she looked down at the lance.
She recalled the events she experienced while she was sleeping and turned to the two beside her. She was surprised to see Cyrilla with them but she didn't think too much as something else was on her mind.
'I'm not sure who that lady was referring to when she said, [Help the Fool...]'
{What a turn of events. I didn't know you would bring something like this out.}
Stelle who heard Stefan talk looked slightly confused and ignored him. She turned her head to Yuuto who was carrying Cyrilla in his arms.
"Who's this middle-aged fart?"
"He's a stalker. Remember that I mentioned I felt someone watching me before?"
"Ahh! So he's the one…"
Stelle glanced at him one last time before moving closer to Yuuto.
"Should we report him…?" She looked disgusted which made Stefan's face scrunch up.
"No need, just beat the crap out of him."
"Hmm…" Stelle hummed to herself before placing her lance on her shoulder. "That's my kind of plan!"
Stefan reeled the rising anger threatening to burst out and released the countless tentacles he had towards them.
{How foolish}
Yuuto and Stelle locked onto the objects headed their way and Stelle took the initiative this time.
Her lance began to glow and she struck the ground beneath her. Pillars of fire began to rise from the land and cover the area around them.
Whether it was the tentacles or crystals that formed from the ground, a wave of fire enveloped all that came its way. Incinerating all that was against the will of Preservation.
"AHHHHH!!"
{Don't overreact so much.}
"It hurts…"
An ear-piercing scream came from the boundless fire that Stelle released and made the two frown. Stefan's cold voice broke through the crackles of fire surrounding Yuuto and he used [Clarity] to see what was wrong.
But as he peered through the flames, a burst of anger rose as he looked at the scene.
Cyrille's body was charred as the fire burned through the layer of skin she had and Stefan hid right behind her.
Just by the scene, it was obvious he had used her as a shield to protect himself as the corrosion he used was burnt away by Stelle's flames.
With no way to properly protect himself, Stefan decided that using Cyrille's body was a good way to save himself. She was lucky enough that the fire didn't extinguish her life but the pain of being burnt was still present.
Stelle who was beside him felt confused at his sudden rise of anger but after hearing what he saw, her eyes turned cold.
She was about to run off towards Stefan but Yuuto stopped her.
"You can't attack him recklessly."
"Why?" Stelle glared through the fire and wanted to free herself from Yuuto's grasp.
"He still has Cyrille under his control so he'll just use her as a shield knowing we won't harm her."
"But…"
Knowing that someone was being used as a meat shield brought a nasty taste to her mouth and all she wanted to do right now was bash that man's face in.
She looked at Yuuto and stopped her before finally voicing out a thought she had.
"You can do something right?"
Yuuto didn't immediately speak but he nodded his head. Stelle felt suspicious at this and asked one more question.
"Will this hurt you in any way?"
"....."
"I knew it."
Stelle looked at Yuuto's body and saw that there were countless patches of dark crystals over his skin which even covered the entirety of his hands and upper arms.
She was shocked to see this at first but before she could say anything, Yuuto stopped her.
"Don't worry, it will be like that time with Cocolia."
"But you were coughing up blood that time."
Yuuto laughed slightly as noticed the annoyance in her tone but he slowly shook his head.
At the moment, he was faced with two options. One ended with Cyrille's potential true death. While the other he would get an injury the severity of it was unknown.
Don't get him wrong. He wasn't someone who would recklessly throw his life away and run into harm's way. He valued his life very much.
But one of these choices was one that he knew he would regret if he chose it. As second chances don't usually come twice. Especially in this situation.
So he wanted to choose one that he won't regret.
"When you have a chance to make a choice, make one that you know you won't regret…"
Yuuto whispered to himself the words he had read from a certain woman and formed a calm smile.
He felt Cyrilla in his arms shake as they talked about what happened to her sister and he placed her down on the floor one last time.
Cyrilla didn't dare look up as she knew the reason why they were having a hard time deciding what to do with Stefan.
It was all due to her.
"Cyrilla."
Yuuto's soft voice entered her ears but she still had her face down.
"I made a promise to you, remember?"
"....."
"So don't feel guilty." Yuuto smiled as he remembered his first time meeting Cyrilla. "Just watch as I fulfill that promise, okay?"
His hand gently ruffled through her long hair and he ignored the tiny drops of water falling towards the ground.
"I just need an opportunity where Cyrille and Stefan are separated from each other. Even a single second would do."
Yuuto rose from his position and waved his hand. A barrier covered Cyrilla and Stelle looked reluctant to hear the words he just said.
But knowing that he wouldn't change his mind, Stelle raised her lance and stepped forward.
"Just give me a moment."
Stelle raised her lance and the fire that covered their surroundings, all moved towards her. The sea of flames eventually disappeared and the image of Stefan and hurt Cyrille was exposed.
{I was wondering how long this fire would hold up.}
Stefan stepped away from Cyrille and smiled at the expression Stelle had on her face. Stelle didn't speak but her body bolted towards Stefan which he welcomed.
He was still wary of the amber flames Stelle had but he felt like he could manage if he attacked from a distance.
Black tentacles began to rise once more and all gathered towards Stelle who was waving her lance around.
Stefan felt like she would be occupied so he glanced at Yuuto to see what he was doing and was confused to see him just standing in place.
His eyes were closed but a deep prismatic hue was emanating from his closed palm.
Stefan felt danger from this light and he quickly shot countless black shards at him. Yuuto ignored this and allowed [Mother's Embrace] to protect him while he concentrated.
The shards that were going to hurt him stood in place as they met resistance. As if someone was protecting him from any harm.
{This human is…}
"Should you be concentrating that much on a different person while I'm here?"
Before Stefan could speak he heard a voice appear in front of him and quickly moved his body to avoid the sharp lance thrusted at him.
Stelle turned her body and stabilized her legs so that she could use a steady platform for her attacks.
The tip of the lance missed its target but Stefan began to frown when he saw the explosion that followed the thrust.
{You will…}
"Shut up. You talk way too much. My ears are going to bleed if you speak anymore."
Stefan summoned Cyrille to appear right in front of him after seeing Stelle pull her lance backward to carry out another attack. But the attack he anticipated didn't come.
Stelle dropped the lance and used it as a pole to push herself forward. Her body sprung like a rocket and her feet connected with Stefan's chest.
Avoiding Cyrille's body that he used as a shield and pushing him back a few meters.
"Yuuto!"
She didn't need to speak anymore as a bright silver light exposed behind her and Yuuto blurred from his spot.
A bright light began to transform within his hand and formed a sword made out of light. The edges glowed with a prismatic hue which caused the air to slice apart.
Cyrille who was still locked in place watched as a sword came crashing down on her and closed her eyes. Accepting the fate she brought upon herself.
She wished for the pain to end but after a while, she didn't feel the sensation of a blade cutting her body.
{No—! ARGHHHHHH!!!}
Stefan shouted as he remembered the type of sword that was and an intense feeling of pain wrapped his entire body.
The sword in Yuuto's hand eventually shattered and blood poured from his mouth. The amount was greater than his previous attempt but he didn't mind.
His eyes flashed as he looked into Cyrille's [Nexus] and felt the countless threads capturing her entire being, fade away.
Cyrille froze in place at the sensation of the entity gripping her finally letting go. Causing her body to collapse as if the strings that controlled her finally vanished.
"How are you feeling?" Stelle rushed to his side and helped support him.
"Just a bit tired. I think I need you to finish—"
{So that was your goal this whole time.}
An eerie voice emanated from Stefan's mouth as he gradually stood back up. The pain of something closely tied to him getting abruptly sliced off was a sensation he didn't know he'd feel for a second time.
The Stellaron that emitted a green flare in the center of the room grew brighter as it connected to Stefan to heal all his internal injuries.
His black eyes turned an even darker shade as he looked down on Yuuto who was kneeling on the ground. Alongside Stelle who glared at him from a distance.
He felt the urge to snuff out their lives at this very moment but he remembered all the feats Yuuto had accompanied so far.
Ideas sprouted within his mind and a deep smile gradually grew.
Stelle had a bad feeling seeing the expression he was making and immediately grabbed the lance located on her left side.
{The human named Yuuto right?}
Stefan ignored Stelle's potential assault and only looked at Yuuto from a distance.
{You have done a great deal of damage to me, you know? One was the loss of my Supreme Guardian who wanted to follow the wish I provided her.}
{Additionally, little Cyrille has also left my control due to you…}
Yuuto didn't speak and just looked at Stefan who was giving him a happy stare.
{Major losses that are quite difficult to build up, don't you think?}
"Get to the point."
{How rude.}
The smile on Stefan's face didn't disappear and he sat down on a black chair he skillfully made.
{Why don't I propose something you will have a hard time refusing?}
***
Why is Firefly so goddamn pretty? I'm going to go insane if I wait any longer for 2.3 to come out.