Chapter 295 - Chapter 294: Loss
The moment his outstretched hand was grasped, a terrible wave that felt like tearing his whole body apart rushed over Mika.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?"
"Mika-kun!?"
"Mika-sama!"
Kistil and the others rushed toward Mika, who suddenly threw his body backward as if jumping up and let out a scream.
But they immediately ran into a wall.
An invisible wall.
"Because it is a promise with him, I will not lay a hand on you. Just sit there quietly and watch."
Aquu, with his red eyes shining even brighter, sneered.
This wall separating the space was created by Aquu.
A wall that blocks everything that Aquu does not permit.
Moving from one space to another space, cutting out a specific space, and layering them.
Overlapping identical spaces, yet cut-out spaces that never intersect.
Even this Audience Chamber was a space created by Aquu in that manner.
If Aquu were to die, the layers and spaces he created would simply vanish, returning to the original space.
In the actual Audience Chamber, corpses are rolling around; the reason there are no corpses in this space is because this is a space created by Aquu.
In the prehistoric civilization era.
Aquu conducted various research.
Not only "Power" and "Will" and "Word", but what this world actually is.
Why does consciousness such as himself exist?
Why do others exist?
From such philosophical matters to the laws that naturally govern the world.
He investigated anything that caught his interest.
As a result of those studies.
He acquired the concept of "space" and also researched its manipulation.
The ruins of the prehistoric civilization allow movement between ruins, and that is one of the results of Aquu's research.
Space can be interfered with by "Word", and it became possible to travel back and forth between specific targets.
Those who spread the teachings of God, crossing from one end of the continent to the other in an instant.
It was a perfect setup to create the illusion that he existed everywhere.
Aquu's teachings, which could perform various other miracles, were accepted by people in the blink of an eye.
Aquu lifted the corner of his mouth and looked at Mika screaming before his eyes.
"You talk big, but you're sloppy. Do it more seriously."
But Mika just rolled his eyes back, trembling his whole body, and only screamed.
At the sight of such Mika, Aquu shrugged his shoulders.
■■■■■■
"Mika! Mika!"
Cleiria pounded on the invisible wall, calling out desperately.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
Seeing Mika throwing his body backward and screaming, Cleiria felt her chest tighten.
"Yaaah! Ta!"
Rimliche, with a desperate expression, swung a training short sword to try and break the invisible wall.
But due to the invisible wall, the sword was all bounced back.
"Let Mika-kun goooooooo!!!"
Rimliche threw the short sword at the invisible wall and switched to stone pebbles.
Using Rimliche's enormous mana, she relentlessly hammered countless pebbles against the invisible wall.
However, even then, she could not break through the invisible wall.
Cleiria bit her lip and could only watch Mika suffering.
"...Why... only Mika... This is..."
Must we be tossed around by others' selfish convenience and have to suffer!
Everyone, including my father, tries to use Mika's too-great power.
Forced into an unwanted engagement, forced to break an unwanted engagement.
Even though I am still a student, I was already sent to the battlefield, made to bear the kingdom's fate as an Apostle.
Even if Mika did not want it, since we were engaged, I resolved to make Mika my only husband and support him with all my might.
But...
"I'm... sorry... Mika... Mika..."
Tears overflowed from Cleiria, and she could not stop them.
I was too powerless.
Even though Mika is suffering right before my eyes, I cannot do anything for him.
Mika always helped me.
Because of my foolish actions, I was kidnapped by terrifying men.
The Domain Army collapsed, and the Imperial Army swarmed into Leventein territory.
When Cleiria was in pain, in hardship, or despair, it was always Mika who reached out his hand.
And yet, Cleiria could not return anything.
When I heard Mika was captured by the church, I relied on my father and his power as a Marquis.
But that only ended up pushing Mika into a corner.
"...Mika..."
Cleiria muttered as if groaning and squatted down as if crumbling.
■■■■■■
Mika's consciousness was swept away by the terrible wave.
But ironically, what held his consciousness together was the pain received from the curse wave.
Due to the relentless pain, Mika's consciousness was barely kept from being let go.
(......Damn it... so... gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!)
Mika concentrated the gathered mana in his left hand, but even that was not enough.
Even with six "Absorb Wings", it was still not enough to push back the wave.
No, it is not just that the amount of mana is insufficient.
It is a more fundamental problem.
He needed a mana amount far exceeding the amount of mana Mika could handle.
Normally, the maximum mana amount handled by mages is up to their own maximum mana capacity.
That makes sense.
Since [God's Miracle] does not work that way, the very idea of handling more than one's own mana capacity is normally non-existent.
There are mana recovery potions, but those are for recovering reduced mana, not for squeezing out more than one's total capacity.
If one were to handle such an enormous amount of mana, that should be the role of a magic tool.
However, since Mika learned the special magic called "Absorb", he handles large amounts of mana daily.
Even so, handling mana exceeding his total capacity is rare, only when using some magic like generating rare metals.
When fighting magic beasts or fighting on the battlefield, he basically just repeatedly casts magic below his total capacity.
However, there is an exception: the massive "Stone Bullets" when he annihilated the army of seventy thousand.
And, dispelling curses.
Handling an impossible mana amount, several times his own total capacity.
When doing such things, a backlash occurred.
Handling a mana amount that is normally impossible, of course, it cannot be handled.
Therefore, there are magic tools for stabilizing mana.
Because of these magic tools, Mika can easily handle a mana amount that causes a backlash.
He can handle it.
However, of course, there is a limit to that as well.
The curse named Aquu before his eyes surpasses even the mana amount Mika can handle.
It is not simply a matter of gathering more mana.
No matter how much mana one has, if one cannot handle it, it is ultimately useless.
But...
(...Give me more mana!!!)
Mika suppressed the pain, tightened his stiff body, and corrected his posture.
"Gaaaaaaaaah, gi... u, oooooooooo!!!"
He gripped Aquu's hand so tightly it felt like crushing steel.
But Aquu only grimaced slightly and gripped Mika's hand back firmly.
(This isn't enough! If I keep doing this measly stuff, I won't last!)
What would happen if Aquu was left loose without being dispelled?
Would Aquu, disappointed in Mika, honestly release the four of them?
Mika gritted his teeth and thought while enduring the pain.
Can I handle such enormous mana?
Maybe I can, maybe I can't.
There is anxiety.
Even so, Mika twists down the rising anxiety!
"Absorb Wings... Come on, get serious!!!!!!!!!!"
Mika did not increase them one pair at a time, but increased the number of "Absorb Wings" to double at once.
Twelve wings spread out on Mika's back with a fasa sound.
(...Whether I can handle it or not, it's useless if I don't have them!)
However, the amount of mana flowing into him skyrocketed, and his whole body screamed.
He could push back the curse wave, but now the backlash attacked Mika.
"...Buh!?"
Suddenly, something rose in his chest.
He pressed his mouth with his right hand, but blood flowed drop by drop through his fingers.
"It seems you started getting beaten from the weak parts. The amount of "Power" one can handle basically depends on the body. Whether one has much "Power" or little is determined by constitution. You seem to have quite an excellent vessel, but apparently, that amount is too much."
Aquu looked down at Mika with calm eyes.
"Exposed to this much "Power", my body will give out first. ...See."
Saying that, he lightly raised his left hand.
That hand was torn to shreds, and blood was flowing out.
However, that blood, those wounds, turned into sparkling light particles and vanished.
Mika's mana, which pushed back the curse wave, was beginning to decompose Aquu's body.
"Such high-concentration "Power" can sometimes decompose and reduce objects like this. There are various conditions, but this is the first time I've seen this phenomenon outside of experiments..."
Aquu smiled.
"I'm looking forward to it. Please do your best just like that."
Mika ignored Aquu's words and desperately activated "Auto-Dispel".
Due to mana exceeding Mika's limits, he began to dispel Aquu with tremendous momentum.
"The results of such experiments are also recorded in the data. I hope it helps. Ah, I also translated it into modern language and summarized it, so don't worry. I thought it would be a hassle to grasp the content in prehistoric civilization language."
Knowing Mika's dispelling power, Aquu began to investigate Mika.
However, the more he knew, the more he felt Mika was still lacking power.
But there seemed to be hope.
Anticipating that this would happen someday, he had prepared a reward.
Within the two years since learning of the existence of the "Dispeller".
He cut out about a hundred personalities from the main body that was unused and let them possess appropriate people to organize the data.
Aquu looked up at the ceiling.
"...My body is about to give out soon. To make it easier for you to work, I'll make myself visible."
Saying that, Aquu's body was enveloped in a black mist.
At the same time, a huge black mist appeared on the ceiling.
The high ceiling was completely covered.
"The mist around me and the mist on the ceiling are connected by "Invisibiliter". Just continue dispelling. Well, thank you."
Aquu's body turned into light particles with a buwa sound and vanished.
Only the clothes he must have been wearing remained behind.
"...You say all sorts of self-serving things..."
Mika forcibly swallowed the thing rising in his chest and concentrated on dispelling.
Mika had not yet used up the mana that was coming in.
He had to concentrate even more, pour mana into "Auto-Dispel", and advance the dispelling.
(While my body holds out...)
If he lost this body, he did not know what would happen next.
After becoming a "High-Energy Thought Form" like them, could he really retain his self?
Could he continue "Auto-Dispel"?
Hildinlander came out with black threads even in the state of black mist.
Similarly, could something like that be done by Mika after changing?
There are many things he does not know.
(...No matter how optimistic I am, I cannot be that optimistic...)
Then, he has no choice but to do it now.
To save Kistil, Nerisfeene, Cleiria, and Rimliche, he must do it now.
While this life still exists!
Mika forcibly moved his painful body and thrust out both hands.
(The important thing is the image...)
No matter how enormous the mana is, he will control it.
Mika wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and forcibly suppressed the raging mana.
Pishi, Pan!
"Uggh!?"
At that moment, a sharp pain ran through his right ring finger, and he groaned.
At the same time, the mana began to rage.
"Don't... break... loose..."
Ignoring the throbbing hand, he somehow controlled it without causing an accidental explosion.
Something running inside the glove on his right hand.
Even without seeing that, Mika had a good idea of what happened.
(Damn it... the stabilizing magic tool...)
Probably, the amount of mana he was handling far exceeded the limit.
Because of this, the mana-stabilizing magic tool broke and stopped functioning.
Without the aid of the magic tool, he had no choice but to control this enormous mana.
The base of his right ring finger burned with pain.
Probably, the magic tool broke, and it was torn off from the root.
"Ugh... damn it, I'll do it..."
A splitting headache.
His body screamed from the massive mana from the "Absorb Wings".
With tinnitus that was no different from noise, he could not hear anything.
Chit! Pashin!
Mana that could not be controlled repeatedly caused small explosions, cutting and tearing Mika's cheeks, arms, and body as if shooting.
"Don't struggle!"
While cursing, Mika desperately suppressed the mana and ran "Auto-Dispel".
Pii!
Due to an explosion, his forehead split slightly.
Flowing blood caught his eye, and Mika grimaced.
(...[Heal]...)
He hesitated on what to do.
(No, no good...)
The mana-stabilizing magic tool has already stopped.
If he uses [God's Miracle] now, it will be an all-in bet.
He can no longer maintain concentration.
Most importantly...
(Light... particles...)
The light particles that appeared when Aquu vanished began to dance from Mika's arm.
Probably, it is not just the arm he sees; it is likely starting from his whole body.
(If I use [Heal] now, I don't know what will happen.)
He does not know how [God's Miracle] will judge Mika's current body.
If it judges it as an injury, there is a possibility it will repair it.
But if it judges his whole body as an abnormal part, he does not know what will happen.
(...No good! Continue dispelling all the way to the end at once...)
The dispelling advanced at a furious speed that even Mika could not grasp.
Breaking through hundreds of thousands of layers, yet curses still existed.
"Get... dispelled already..."
When Mika groaned, his body suddenly tilted.
With a buwa sound, his left leg from the knee down turned into light particles.
Mika fell down as is.
"Kuu..."
He could not even take a break, but Mika continued "Auto-Dispel".
Now, he could not feel the pain of his whole body, the headache, or the pain of falling.
Only after falling did he realize.
(Already... the senses...)
At that fact, Mika was stunned.
His body cannot hold out.
If this continues, the dispelling will not be in time...!
Mika's expression twisted painfully.
Tears spilled.
"...Yo..."
He let out a voice like a breath.
"...Please."
Mika pleaded desperately.
"These children... please..."
He strained his voice desperately.
"...Please... don't hurt them."
Mika wished.
Mika prayed.
Not the six gods of the Church of Light, damn them.
"...Please... God..."
To the real God—
"...Help..."
Buwa!
At that moment, the black mist scattered.
Both the mist that covered Mika's figure and the mist that covered the ceiling.
Everything scattered.
"......Eh...?"
Mika just stared blankly at that scene.
"Mika!" "Mika-sama!"
"Mika-kun!" "Mika-kun!"
The girls crying clung to the fallen Mika.
Held by Kistil, right hand held by Nerisfeene, left hand held by Cleiria.
But Mika no longer had even that sensation.
He could not even feel their warmth.
Crying, they desperately tried to say something.
But Mika could no longer hear even that.
He vaguely watched the light particles dancing with a sparkle.
He just thought... how beautiful...
"Kistil."
When Mika called out, Kistil, with tears streaming down her face, nodded repeatedly.
She seemed to be saying something desperately, but he could not understand well.
He thought it was very regrettable that he could not hear Kistil's soft voice.
"Thank you always. I'm sorry for always worrying you."
When Mika said that, Kistil shook her head vigorously.
Large tears flew in many places.
Mika hesitated and decided to convey something important.
"You don't have to be afraid of your father anymore. Kistil... you are actually already free. ...Sorry for keeping quiet."
He put into words things he had thought about conveying but could not until now.
Even so, Kistil shook her head vigorously.
Mika looked at Nerisfeene.
"Nerisfeene. Please take care of Kistil."
Nerisfeene widened her eyes.
Then she pressed her lips together and nodded with a koku sound.
"I couldn't act very much like an Apostle... Sorry."
Nerisfeene shook her head and hugged Mika's hand to her chest.
Cleiria shed tears drop by drop and rubbed her cheek against Mika's hand.
"...As expected, I caused trouble again. Always, sorry."
While rubbing her cheek against Mika's hand, Cleiria shook her head.
She seemed to be talking to him with her mouth movements, but he could not hear.
Mika weakly gave a bitter smile.
"Sorry... I can't hear again. ...Like that time."
When Mika said that, Cleiria crinkled her face and hung her head.
Mika stood beside Cleiria and looked at Rimliche, who was biting her lip to hold back tears.
Rimliche was desperately holding back tears, but they spilled anyway.
"You've grown stronger, Rimliche."
When Mika spoke to her, her face immediately crinkled.
Seeing that, he couldn't help but smile.
"Rimliche is okay now. You are strong. You should move forward before me now."
When Mika said that, she shook her head desperately.
At that gesture, he thought, she really is like a puppy.
"I'll give the left armlet to Rimliche. Only Rimliche can master this."
The heavily reinforced armlet has various resistances enhanced, including durability.
But its true merit is [Physical Enhancement].
Only someone with enormous mana like Rimliche can bring out its true value.
Mika's vision, looking up at the ceiling, gradually turned white.
Light particles caused halation.
A pure white world.
No up, no down.
Mika was enveloped in a strange sensation of sinking or floating.
Various memories floated up and disappeared in his mind.
The world he was suddenly thrown into.
He suddenly collapsed and nearly died.
Amalia and Loretta, who poured love as if drowning him.
Many people helped him.
Kifrod, Sister Radi, Horatio, Ninetiana, Diego.
The Village Head he hated at first.
Actually, he was someone who could be called a savior.
I couldn't do as much adventurer activity as I thought, but it was fun.
Chirensta, Yunressa.
Rosalinde, who was actually a member of a mysterious organization.
That idiot is actually some kind of agent, that's definitely a lie...
Friends from the academy.
Everyone from the Leventein Group.
My first friend, Messerite.
Murt, who suddenly started a fight.
Polnard, who was a bit timid.
Cecilia, a fighting friend.
Charl, the biggest mystery in this world.
And Basal, my best friend or rival.
Adventurers I respected.
They came along worried about my curse work.
Trys, who tried to help even when treated rudely.
Kaerya, you should learn to be a bit more considerate.
Mage senior, Salomrassa.
Gaeras, who taught me various things and helped me.
Paraleira, who taught me various things about alchemy.
Please, I hope you look forward now.
The people of the Fifth Knights Order I trained with.
Training was really fun.
Shesbarno, maybe you should become a bit more serious.
Father and Adelriese.
Everyone in the research team who lent a hand with rare metals.
Wagnare, Blahoslav, and Kararebas from the church.
I ended up shouldering the church during difficult times, but I hope you work hard as a support for the people.
Crown Prince Cranzard and Prime Minister Dedoderic.
You really have to shoulder the kingdom during such difficult times.
Without losing to that heavy responsibility, please work hard for everyone living in the kingdom.
Marquis Leventein.
Thinking about it now, the Marquis had his own circumstances.
Why couldn't I forgive the Marquis?
Maybe I was also caught in hatred...
And Yaroibarov.
As an adventurer and a senior in life.
I always relied on him when in trouble and couldn't repay him much.
Ozendorwa.
He was almost like a sword master.
Yaroibarov and Ozendorwa.
I wanted to become like such amazing people someday...
Mika let out a breath.
"......There were various troubles and it was tough. But..."
He gently closed his eyes.
"It wasn't bad."
There were many things he wanted to do.
It's not that he has no regrets...
"...Yeah... It wasn't bad."
Muttering that, Mika smiled.
"Everyone... thank... you..."
Light particles danced all at once with a buwa sound.
Mika's body turned into light particles.
At this moment, the boy named Mika Noisheim was lost from the world...