"We will live our lives… and be happy no matter what!"
This was the lesson they had learned after being trapped in the canvas world for what felt like years. It was a truth that had shaped them, and now, they had both decided to hold onto it—no matter what.
The spirit walked toward them as they mirrored her steps. Her expression was murderous, her gaze sharp and unyielding. Then, she let out an inhuman smile and spoke:
"You two… you've really managed to make me angry. Why is it that foolish insects, so easily crushed in an instant, dare to fly around a demon like me?"
She raised her hand into the air, her arm morphing into a gleaming scythe. Her voice, dripping with malice, echoed through the space:
"Do you know what happens when I allow someone to die permanently in the canvas world? Their mind shatters forever. What's left is a body without a mind… a fate worse than death. So, tell me, bugs—do you have the willpower to fight me under those conditions?"
As Viora took a step forward, Cyrus reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.
"Cyrus, what are you…?" she began, her voice tinged with nervousness.
He interrupted her, his expression resolute.
"Let me finish this. You've done enough on your part. I… I'll have an apology to make once all of this is over. So, for now, let me end this. I promised you—I'll break this nightmare in an instant!"
She took a step back with a sigh and said in a teasing tone:
"And there he goes—the usual Cyrus, acting like he can handle it all on his own. But, you know… I've done a lot more than you this time, so…"
She slapped his back playfully, making his eyes widen slightly as he stumbled forward. Then, with a gentle smile, she added:
"You'd better make her pay for everything she's done!"
He lingered for a moment before responding with a confident smile, walking forward without looking back.
"I will."
The spirit's eyes widened in fury before her face twisted into an inhuman expression of rage.
"Break this nightmare in an instant? Such foolishness… such arrogance… You… You… YOU! I'll make you pay for that ignorant and foolish claim!"
With a deafening roar, she charged forward at incredible speed, her form a blur as she hurtled toward Cyrus. Yet, he didn't move—he simply stood there, waiting for her.
She swung her scythe toward his head, but in a blur, he vanished, reappearing behind her. She spun around and swung again, but he ducked, effortlessly dodging the strike. Yet, he didn't counterattack. Instead, he simply watched her miss, his eyes unwavering with determination.
The wicked woman, her voice dripping with malice, hissed in a low tone:
"How dare you!"
She raised a single finger, and suddenly, countless knives and swords erupted from the ground of the canvas world.
Cyrus leapt into the air to avoid the onslaught, but the blades followed him, streaking through the air like vengeful spirits. With a furious scream, she launched herself into the air as well, her scythe gleaming ominously as she bellowed:
"THIS TIME, THIS IS THE END OF YOU, THAT GIRL, AND EVERYONE IN THAT PARK, YOU LOST SHAMAN OF THE SECOND ZONE!"
As the projectiles were moments from hitting him, he spoke in a low voice:
"Is that so…?"
Then, a wooden sword appeared in his hand, its form simple but resolute. His brown hair whipped in the air as he spoke in a cold, unwavering tone:
"You asked me if I have the willpower to fight under these conditions… Now, let me ask you the same question: Do you have the willpower for what's about to happen next?"
A strange shift occurred in his face. The left side turned a faint blue, his eyebrow tinged with red, and his left eye glimmered with a yellow hue.
As he swung the sword downward, an immense wave of energy surged toward the wicked woman. It appeared as a giant golden force, shaped like a half-destroyed wheel, swallowing the surrounding area. One by one, her knives were erased, vanishing into nothingness as they collided with the energy.
Screaming in rage, she cried out:
"NO! NO! THIS CAN'T BE MY MASTERPIECE… MY CANVAS… DAMN YOU, CYRUS MIRAVINE!!!"
With a final, deafening crash, her projectiles and everything in their path were obliterated by the wave of energy. The energy collided with the earth, sending a shockwave through the canvas world. As the force dissipated, she was gone, erased from existence.
The canvas world trembled as the last remnants of her presence vanished.
Cyrus fell to his feet as the canvas world trembled. It was as if the very dimension itself was on the verge of disappearing. He watched the "sky" of the canvas world crack, then looked back to see Viora running toward him. She punched his shoulder playfully, her tone filled with excitement:
"Man, you were so goddamn cool up there! Just like those..."
Before she could finish, the dimension trembled again, causing her to almost lose her balance. Cyrus grabbed her hand, steadying her, and with a sigh, he said:
"Looks like the dimension can't handle its creator being gone."
Viora sighed as well, then murmured,
"Feels like we've been here forever..."
Cyrus placed his wooden sword on his shoulder, his voice thick with resentment:
"Because that fiend made us live years' worth of memories."
They stood there in silence, watching as the dimension faded away. After a moment, Viora broke the stillness in her usual playful tone:
"Still, Umeboshi hasn't had the chance to shine. He didn't do much..."
Cyrus glanced at the fading world one last time before replying:
"He was still great... but I admit, you were the one who helped me the most."
Viora let out a satisfied laugh:
"I told you I'd be of great help, partner!"
She raised a fist into the air, and for a moment, Cyrus didn't replicate the gesture. Then, with a sigh, he blushed and said,
"Yeah... sorry for doubting you."
As the world faded away, only one word echoed from the dimension's dissolution:
"...partner..."
Cyrus opened his eyes. He was still inside the cocoon made of roots, watching as the yellow liquid slowly dripped down from the enclosure. He spotted his wooden sword inside the cocoon, and with a single swing, he shattered the wall. Stepping back, he gazed around. The park was completely destroyed, but it didn't look like even an hour had passed.
He muttered to himself:
"Was the time different in the canvas world?"
Just then, a deafening sound, like an explosion, rang out beside him. A man's voice followed:
"Where is that bastard?!"
It was Umeboshi. He had also freed himself from his cocoon. Right in front of him was the spirit—her face hollow and lifeless as she lay on the ground. Umeboshi walked toward the fiend with a murderous gleam in his eyes, his voice seething with fury as he spoke:
"You… after everything you've done, forcing me to relive those memories..in that goddamn world… don't expect to come out of here alive!"
Cyrus sighed and called out,
"Wait! Umeboshi!"
Umeboshi turned back, his eyes widening as he saw that Cyrus had also escaped his cocoon. Anger flared in his voice as he snapped:
"What?! Wasn't the whole plan to put an end to her? She's out of commission—it's time to finish her off!"
Cyrus sighed again, then said calmly,
"It doesn't matter. I already dealt with her in her canvas world. She will never be a threat to anyone again. You can verify for yourself."
Umeboshi walked toward the fiend, grabbing her by her dress. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what he was seeing—she was drooling from her mouth, her hollow eyes somehow even emptier than before. She looked like a body without a soul... or a mind.
He spoke in disbelief,
"You defeated her when we were trapped in her world?"
Cyrus walked to one of the nearby cocoons and slashed it with one swing of his sword. Viora fell from the cocoon, and Cyrus caught her, supporting her gently. She was unconscious, her body battered with injuries and likely broken bones before she was captured inside the cocoon.
With a smirk, Cyrus looked at Viora and spoke in a low voice:
"I didn't defeat her. The one who truly defeated that spirit was Viora."
As Umeboshi stared at Viora in disbelief, he bit his lip, thinking to himself:
I was the one who told her she wasn't strong enough to come yet. I was the one who was completely useless. How frustrating... After everything she's done to me, I was too weak to do anything about it... like always.
Then they heard the sound of someone clapping their hands. A voice followed, speaking in a nonchalant tone:
"Wow... what a surprise. You guys actually managed to beat her after all."
Both Umeboshi and Cyrus's eyes widened in shock as they thought at the exact same moment:
I didn't even notice him!?
Umeboshi immediately grabbed his staff and rushed forward, instinctively aiming to strike the stranger. Just as he was about to swing, Cyrus, holding Viora, screamed out,
"Wait, Umeboshi!!"
The staff made contact with the stranger's neck, with enough force to easily snap someone's neck. The boy wore a simple white haori, shirtless beneath it, and baggy black pants that hung loosely around his legs, with only sandals on his feet. A simple black ribbon covered his eyes as he touched the staff with a smirk,
"Is that... all you've got?"
Then, with a casual flick of his finger, Umeboshi was sent flying, crashing through the rubble of the park. Cyrus thought to himself,
I saw him in Viora's memory... he... he's one of the ten lower corrupted spirits sent by the wicked... Immemorvis Obscurita!
With a sigh, the stranger spoke again:
"Man, you really are weak... I'm far more interested in the boy and the girl over there. They have immense potential, especially you, Cyrus Miravine."
Cyrus, in a nervous tone, called out to Immemorvis,
"How do you know my name? And more importantly, what are you doing here?"
Immemorvis simply walked toward the lifeless body of the woman lying on the ground, his smirk widening.
"Man, Mnemosyne... of all ten of us, I didn't think you'd be the first to go down... Well, you weren't the strongest nor the fastest, but you had potential. But I suppose that..."
He pierced his arm into her chest, drawing out a dark, rotting mass made of roots.
"...when all you do is look back at your past torment and can't move forward or grow..."
He brought the dark mass closer to his mouth.
"...you are destined to be forever weak!"
With a grotesque mouth, he devoured it. The body of their former foe, whom they had struggled so hard to defeat, turned to dust. Immemorvis, still smiling maliciously, spoke,
"But I will move forward. So at last, let me devour you to reinforce my own soul!"
Then he vanished.
Cyrus's eyes widened as he looked back, only to see Immemorvis standing right behind him. With his hand casually in his pocket, he smirked.
"To answer your question... I've been watching you for a long time, Miravine. You're starting to get more and more known in the spirit world. If you think you're going to confront spirits you can easily beat, you're mistaken. This day is just the beginning... After defeating a low corrupted spirit of the wicked, the entire spirit world will hear your name. If I were you, I'd grow stronger and fast... because you'll meet more of us in the future. And if you're still weak by then... you'll be swallowed whole. Grow strong and survive, or stay weak and be devoured. Oblivion and I are excited to see your decision, Cyrus Miravine..."
And with that, he vanished from existence.
The park, now destroyed, was filled with the sound of multiple cop cars and helicopters finally arriving at the disaster. Cyrus's face was filled with only one emotion: worry.
chapter fifty-seven end
The Hellride Amusement Park arc ends…