Kiska's POV
I continued running relentlessly.
I ran and ran until I was out of breath.
The more I ran, the more my body screamed in protest.
Still, I didn't stop running.
I wanted to meet Nyau again.
If I were to die, the world would probably rewind.
The exact point to which time would reset was uncertain, but considering the past patterns, there was a high probability it would go back to the time when Hero Eligion was still alive inside the dungeon.
If that happened, my relationship with Nyau would be reset.
I might have the chance to build a similar relationship with Nyau once again, but I felt it was more likely that it wouldn't happen.
After all, when I had saved the world from its impending doom, I would have to return to the world one hundred years in the future. At that point, I would be separated from her.
I remembered the time with Vampire Judite.
In the end, I couldn't develop a deep relationship with her either.
So, it was only in this particular timeline.
Nyau, who said she loved me, existed only in this timeline.
If that was the case, I wanted to live for Nyau.
I wanted to meet her again and tell her that I loved her.
Even now, Nyau was fighting against the Demon Lord Zoga.
I didn't know how long she could hold out against the Demon Lord Zoga.
Because of my slight delay, there was a very real possibility that she had already been killed.
So, I needed to hurry.
I had to go to her as fast as possible – even one second could make a difference.
"Well, well, I found you, buddy."
"You've been thrown quite far, haven't you?"
In front of me were two individuals.
Warrior Gorgano and Holy Knight Canaria. The two traitors.
"Why…?"
Surprisingly, I muttered in disbelief.
"Why? Well, that's because leaving you unattended is troublesome," Gorgano said.
"It's the lord's will. To capture you," Canaria added. "That's why we've been searching for you, even among the Demon Lord's forces."
Why were these guys standing in my way at a time like this?
"Don't get in my way."
At a time when every moment counted, why were they obstructing me?
"Canaria, don't kill him."
"I understand. We just need to capture him without killing."
Canaria nodded and brandished her parasitic sword puppeteer, then charged towards me.
I intercepted her attack with my own sword and counterattacked.
I had fought against Canaria countless times in various timelines. That experience was ingrained in my flesh and flowed through me.
So, she was not an opponent I couldn't defeat.
With that in mind, I fought her in a sword duel.
In this opening, if I could land an attack, I might be able to defeat her—
"Don't get distracted,"
At the same time as the voice from behind, an impact hit my back.
"Gaah!"
I groaned while coughing up blood.
Damn, he was right behind me.
Yes, there was a good chance I could win against Canaria on my own. But if Gorgano and the two of them came at me together, winning was impossible.
"What… You're still standing?"
Warrior Gorgano's sigh was audible.
"Don't get in my way."
"Huh?"
"I have somewhere I need to go urgently. So please, don't interfere."
I made a desperate plea to them.
"How the hell are we supposed to know your situation? We can't afford to let you go any further," Warrior Gorgano said, with a nasty grin on his face.
Well, that's true.
I knew all too well that you guys weren't the type to listen to reason.
"In that case, I'll just have to kill you here."
I no longer wanted to regret my decisions.
So, what I must do is clear—.
◆
Gorgano's POV
"Hmph, quite the arrogant one, aren't you?"
Holy Knight Canaria snorted irritably in response to Kiska's confidence.
"Don't let your guard down too much," I warned Holy knight Canaria, who seemed complacent.
"Yeah, I got it," Canaria nodded
Kiska was not to be underestimated.
If you underestimated him and engaged in a battle, your life could be on the line at any moment.
Initially, when I first met Kiska in Katarov Village, I thought of him as an ordinary young man who could be found anywhere. I had heard that he was a capable adventurer, but he emitted no aura of strength or power.
So, he was just a young man who didn't require special attention.
That was my initial evaluation of Kiska when I first met him.
However, the Parasitic Scythe Puppeteer, which I favored, had this to say about Kiska: "He has a strange scent."
The Parasitic Scythe Puppeteer was a set of weapons created by the "Chaos Master" to counteract the Hero. It was unbelievable, but the Hero seemed to possess a mysterious ability to change causality in order to secure victory.
What changing causality meant exactly was not clear to me, but I had a vague sense that having such power was tantamount to near-invulnerability.
The Parasitic Scythe Puppeteer, created to counteract the invincible Hero, seemed to be able to perceive the changes in causality. However, this perception was not crystal clear; it was more like a vague sense.
That Parasitic Scythe Puppeteer, evaluated Kiska as "dangerous."
In other words, it implied that he had the power to change causality, just like the Hero.
This made no sense.
There was only one Hero in this world, Eligion.
That was how the "Chaos Master" had arranged it.
I had no clue as to why Kiska possessed the Hero's power. However, the Hero had the power to twist causality just by being alive.
Hence, he must not be killed.
That was the order of the "Chaos Master."
"Such an absurd command,"
I chuckled to myself.
Did the "Chaos Master" know how much of a hassle it was to defeat an opponent without killing them?
"So, just die already!"
As I said this, I swung the Parasitic Scythe Puppeteer.
"Gaah!"
Groaning, Kiska was sent flying backward.
How many times had he been subjected to such torment already?
"Hey, are you still willing to fight? Why don't you give up already?"
"Shut up…"
In front of us stood Kiska, battered and bruised, but still trying to get up.
We had inflicted more than enough pain on him.
In reality, getting back on his feet should have been near impossible, but Kisuka was still trying to fight.
"Gorgano, you said we shouldn't kill him, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"In that case, leave it to me."
Saying this, Holy Kinght Canaria approached Kiska with her parasitic sword puppeteer in hand.
Then, with a sharp sound, she thrust the tip of her sword into Kiska's right arm.
"Ugh, that looks painful,"
I shuddered involuntarily.
Despite that, Holy Knight Canary continued to thrust her sword into Kiska repeatedly.
"Die! Die! Die! Die!"
She shouted while doing so.
Before we knew it, Kiska had collapsed, utterly motionless.
"Hey, Canaria! Stop!"
I strongly restrained the heated-up Canaria.
It would be terrible if he died.
Kiska was bleeding profusely, showed no signs of movement, and it wouldn't be surprising if he was dead.
Therefore, I had to quickly stop Canaria.
Just as I thought this…
Kiska staggered to his feet.
Oh, he's still alive, I thought for a brief moment, feeling a sense of relief.
"Give it back. That's mine,"
In a hushed voice, Kiska muttered these words.
The meaning of his words was completely incomprehensible. What in the world was he asking to be returned?
The next moment, something happened that made absolutely no sense to me.
Kiska leaped forward.
With his mouth open.
And at the other end of that leap was the parasitic sword puppeteer that Canaria had in her hand.
It was as if he was attempting to consume the sword, which was incredibly perplexing.
What was going on? What was he trying to do?
Was he trying to steal the parasitic sword? Was that even possible?
Oh, but I remembered that when handling the parasitic scythe puppeteer, it was necessary to put it in one's mouth and absorb it into the body.
However, I had never heard of anyone being able to steal someone else's parasitic weapon.
Despite that, I had a bad feeling, and I reached out to stop him. But by then, the parasitic sword puppeteer had already been incorporated into Kiska's body.
◆
Kiska's POV
I believe it was a risky gamble.
Unlike a hundred years from now, in this era, I hadn't yet encountered the parasitic sword puppeteer.
Nevertheless, I thought this was the only way to break free from this situation.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a different dimension.
An alternate space with flames scattered in the darkness.
The Deep World.
I remember the puppeteer calling this world by that name.
"Did you awaken me, young one?"
In front of me stood the puppeteer.
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