Chapter 415
The body that seemed to be falling into the empty abyss came back to life.
The senses that had disappeared, suppressed by Seir's icy aura, returned.
I felt a hot flame envelop my entire body.
It wasn't the kind of flame that burns my skin.
It was a healing flame that gave me new strength, and the energy that made my heart beat again, which had grown cold, envelop my entire body.
'...How on earth did it remain? The system must have eroded and disappeared.'
"You're really more foolish than I thought. Did you think I would simply be trapped in such a space?"
'Then?'
The crown prince raised his head and smiled cheerfully.
It was an incredibly strange experience. The conversation between me and the crown prince continued naturally as usual, but everything except us seemed frozen in time.
Seir, who had been swinging that nightmarish long sword at me just a few seconds ago, had stopped.
"I have always lived in your heart. If I had only existed in your 'system', how could I have influenced your emotions? And how could I have appeared before you now?"
'Well, I still don't understand how you appeared before me now. Your body is here now.'
"Well, I don't know the exact reason either."
The crown prince shook his head and shrugged.
The white fur decoration on his black cloak fluttered elegantly.
"That damn god must have had a change of heart."
'You knew everything.'
"I didn't take any direct action, but I watched everything while sleeping in this body. Wouldn't a stranger from another world use my body instead? Wouldn't I enter another space and time out of nowhere? But whatever. It seemed like you were having fun, so that's fine."
I listened to the crown prince's words in silence.
Was it because my head was still dizzy? Or was it simply because I couldn't believe the crown prince's words?
'Why do I feel like this is so out of character? You're always arrogant and haughty towards me!'
"Ahem! That's clearly different from this! Don't think that I can't make rational decisions just because that's my usual personality, you little brat."
The crown prince held my right hand even tighter.
"Don't you still have a lot to do? How long are you going to collapse here?"
'Thanks to you, I'm starting to feel a little stronger, but I have no idea how to defeat that monster.'
"It's easy."
I looked at the crown prince's face, full of confidence and conviction.
The face I've been using for over ten years.
I'm probably more battered than anyone else in the world right now, but the crown prince's face shined as if it contained all the light in the world.
"Take all my strength."
'What.........…?'
"The bond we've built up over the past 10 years of living together. Doesn't something come to mind, young man?"
Bond. Bond......…..
I thought I knew what context the crown prince was trying to bring up, but my exhausted brain didn't work properly as if it was rusted.
"I heard what that demon king said earlier. He clearly said that he sealed all your abilities with a life-threatening spell. But wasn't there something similar to the magic of the demon world in the human world? Did you forget it after spending so long in that world?"
There was something similar to the magic of the demon world.
As soon as I heard that, it felt like a bell rang in my head.
Yes......…. There definitely was something called 'divine magic.'
The crown prince nodded as if he had read my mind.
"Divine magic, like high-level magic of the demon world, also demands a huge price. However, while magic is for destruction, divine magic was often used to protect life."
'I don't think divine magic was ever practiced when I was alive. I've only seen it in ancient literature.'
"Haha, of course. It could easily cost a person their life. Who would be crazy to use it so much?"
Why are you mentioning such a dangerous magic now?
"There is one type of magic that can be performed when a person's bond reaches its extreme. When someone's soul is torn beyond repair, a magic that synchronizes with your own soul and saves them."
'...That to me now?'
"Stranger."
The crown prince looked straight into my wandering eyes.
"I know. I have hidden inside you, and I have come to know your upright heart better than anyone else. When you saved this world, and when you crossed over to your original world and spread your dreams, your heart was never broken even once."
'Wait a minute!'
"And above all, aren't there people waiting for you to come back?"
The mouth that usually spoke arrogantly and confidently smiled gently.
The golden waves rippling around the crown prince's body became even stronger.
"Aren't there people you want to see again and must return to?"
'Isn't that the same for you too! Again, this ruined world—'
"Although the current world is deeply wounded, if we defeat the Demon King here, we can restore it at any time. I simply judged that the best way to save this world was to save you. Don't you know that well? Sometimes, you have to risk your life to achieve victory."
The crown prince held my right hand tightly with both hands.
Golden waves flowed through his fingers and toward me little by little.
"So this is not my defeat. Even if I disappear from this world, you can inherit everyone's will and save the world once again. Do you understand, stranger?"
I felt my breathing stabilize every time the golden particles came over to me.
The blood flowing from my forehead had stopped at some point, so my eyelids were no longer heavy.
"I will definitely revive you, so you must definitely defeat the Demon King. And after saving this world once again, you will return to where you were meant to be. Do you understand?"
'I.....'
"Do you understand? You promise me!"
The Crown Prince's thick, strong voice pierced into my ear.
It wasn't a sound that shook my eardrums like the terrible roar of Seir, but a sound that woke me up from my dazed mind.
"You must live, you must bring the Demon King's damned head down to the ground again. And return to the arms of your loved ones."
'...'
"Can you promise with me?"
The voice, which didn't waver at all, warmly embraced me.
I raised my head and stared into the crown prince's eyes.
Then I nodded while biting my lips tightly.
"I promise."
"Yes."
"I will definitely live, I will definitely bring Seir's head down to the ground, and I will definitely return to the people who are waiting for me!"
"Yes, that's it!"
The crown prince smiled brightly as if he was satisfied.
His two hands became even stronger.
The waves of golden particles flowed into me at an increasingly faster rate.
My whole body felt strong.
My weakened fingers moved.
My arms, which were covered in numerous wounds, began to heal.
The magic that synchronizes the souls of two people,
As the crown prince said, magic was almost taboo in the human world.
Because it took away another life in exchange for saving one life.
'...Karis von Walden.'
I looked at the side of the crown prince.
There was no sign of hesitation on his face.
Even though his life energy was gradually disappearing due to the magic, he held my hand tightly and did not let go.
"Why are you looking at me with such eyes? That doesn't suit you."
"What suits me?"
"Ha! There really is no other stupid question. I am you and you are me, so of course you should hold your head up high as if you were the best."
"I don't like that."
"Stop talking nonsense."
The crown prince knelt down and grabbed the Durandal that had fallen next to me and handed it to me.
"Take it. We don't have much time left."
"You don't have much time left?"
"Yes. The stillness spell I placed in this space will soon disappear. It was made of my mana, so it will naturally disappear when I merge with your soul. So, quickly raise your sword."
I slowly moved my body.
Surprisingly, my crushed bones had all regenerated, so I had no trouble moving.
The hot sensation I had felt inside my stomach since I first held the crown prince's hand reached its limit.
I gripped the Durandal, which I had fought through countless battlefields with, with incredible strength.
"Are you ready, stranger?"
"... Okay."
"Good, now you're finally making an expression that I like."
The crown prince stood up with me, holding Durandal.
His silhouette, which had been shining in gold, had changed significantly from before.
The new form that seemed to be surrounded by twinkling stars had become much more blurred.
"The magic is almost finished. Seir will move soon, so prepare yourself."
I nodded and held Durandal tighter.
The crown prince's new form took a step closer to me and took a breath.
"The moment the souls are completely fused, you will experience momentary pain. You must endure it. You must receive my full power for the magic to succeed."
"I will endure it even if it means spitting up blood."
"... Okay."
At that moment, the crown prince's entire body, which had been fading away, burned with a bright light.
At the same time, a platinum halo danced splendidly as if it were going to swallow up my body.
It felt like a huge amount of hot energy was about to burst out from deep within.
All the blood in my veins boiled like lava.
"Kuaaaa!"
As I gritted my teeth and held on, the crown prince left his last words to me with his eyes burning even brighter.
"It was a pleasure to know you, my dear. You are a good guy. So, you must live long."
"Kuaaaa!"
"I have no doubt that you will continue our proud will."
All sorts of memories surged into my head like waves.
The things I had experienced directly in
It was a pain that felt like my brain was going to burst, but I bit my lip and thought.
I will definitely endure it.
I will definitely win.
Even for the countless people who sacrificed themselves to get here.
Even for the crown prince who willingly gave up his soul for me.
And for those guys who were waiting for me on the other side.
The moment our two bodies burned like the sun, time, which had stopped, began to move again.
***
'Huh?'
Seir took a step forward with a strange feeling.
Why were his steps so heavy?
He was clearly walking towards the other world people who were all dying at a constant speed.
Feeling a strange sense of discomfort, the Demon King swung his longsword once.
There was nothing strange. It was no different from before.
Yes, it must be my mood.
'This insignificant human will die soon anyway—"
Humans are so weak, so next time he should find a stronger body, Seir thought, and with a sip of his mouth, he turned his head again and looked at the place where Karis von Walden had fallen.
Of course, his body should have been lying there, broken.
"Huh, what happened!"
He let out a loud voice without realizing it.
Well, Karis von Walden was already standing on his two feet.
The numerous wounds from Seir's longsword had all healed.
"...You really played me, Seir."
This was ridiculous. This couldn't be happening.
Seir, who had sensed his victory, took a few steps back in confusion.
Then Karis raised his head and stared at him quietly.
Instead of his usual gray eyes, his eyes were as bright as the sun, golden.
-Saaaa.
Karis's appearance began to change.
The golden hair that had been a mess of dirt and blood had turned pure white like an angel's wings.
The torn t-shirt and pants had turned into a white and gold uniform.
Until just now, his body, which had been crushed by the cold air that Seir had been emitting, was now emitting a strong heat that was gentle but filled with anger.
"Ha, hahaha! Hahahaha!"
Seir's mouth suddenly burst into laughter.
Even though he was seeing this sight with his own two eyes that could not be explained in words.
The momentary embarrassment was consumed by the heightened joy and delight.
"Yes, yes! Didn't I say that you are special? You must resist me until the end like this to live up to the reputation of the crown prince!"
The Demon King welcomed Karis with both arms wide open.
"You have finally made up your mind, Crown Prince. This exciting feeling is something only you can give!"
A power that far surpasses the causality of this world.
A being beyond the system walked towards Seir, who was laughing like a madman.
"It was fun until now, Seir."
Karis von Walden aimed Durandal, who was wrapped in golden energy, and said.
His voice shook the ground like a divine mantra.
"I will throw that disgusting face back into the dirt."
—