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“U… Guh!”

Imitia’s neck was completely in the grip of Lichter’s hand. She didn’t know what would happen first. Her fainting, or Lichter snapping her neck in half.

Her life was hanging on by a thin thread.

“Lichter, stop it!”

Seletina screamed, futilely swinging Elyutinias in all directions at the armor of darkness.

“O-Orthus…” Imitia’s voice trembled. She could see Seletina’s figure in her flickering vision. “R-Run…”

The giant sword swung down. The blade cut into the flesh from Imitia’s right shoulder to her left hip, leaving a trail of blood that stained the sky.

Imitia, now a limp puppet, collapsed to the ground.

“Imitia!!!” Seletina’s scream tore through the air.

Lichter simply observed her anguish from the side.

“See.” He muttered in an indifferent manner, or at least that’s how it seemed to Seletina.

Everything in Seletina’s vision began to slow down to a crawl.

The sounds around her became muffled, as if submerged underwater, leaving only the echo of her heartbeat and breathing. Thoughts raced through her mind at lightning speed—memories of Imitia, her smile, her tears.

Each precious moment spent with Imitia flashed through Seletina’s consciousness, stimulating her mind intensely.

Joy, sadness, surprise, confusion… a whirlpool of emotions mixed in Seletina’s gut.

It may have only been a fleeting moment, but in that timeless space, Seletina felt the weight of it all.

But amidst the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, what remained was anger. This was the moment when Seletina ul Gold Aldelight finally snapped.

Seletina’s soul, fueled by a resolute spirit, began to overheat. This intense and uncontrollable rage was the pinnacle of human emotion, yet Seletina remained eerily calm.

She didn’t tremble, nor did she feel the need to let it all out. It was as if she stood at the center of a typhoon, where the chaos raged around her, but she remained unaffected.

“……”

Lichter could sense Seletina’s, or rather Orthus’, resentment toward him. It was a natural reaction, given that her friend had been cut down before her eyes.

But that’s not what Lichter was focused on. This was exactly what he had aimed for. Lichter was interested in how a hero would react in such a dire situation.

After he waited patiently, Seletina finally spoke. Her expression was devoid of any color. Not a single tear could be seen in her eyes.

“You really went this far.” Her voice was firm and resolute.

Lichter couldn’t read what she was thinking. No one could read the intent behind her voice, not even Seletina herself.

Seletina continued without blinking. “I understand. Let’s get serious.” With that, Seletina gripped her sword.

Simultaneously, the space around her distorted—or rather, it seemed to begin to distort.

A powerful aura emanated from her. The temperature dropped abruptly by five degrees, and even the wind ceased to move.

The landscape around Seletina shimmered like a mirage. Everything seemed like an illusion.

Lichter began to lose his footing. The ground beneath his feet felt unstable, as if it were on the verge of giving in and bending.

A human-like turmoil stirred within Lichter’s darkness-clouded mind. Lichter was overcome with fear as the girl in front of him seemed to transform into an unrecognizable monster.

If the girl in front of him had shed her skin to expose a terrifying beast, he would have understood, but she changed while maintaining her elegant beauty.

Then came the guilt of offending someone who should never have been offended. It was akin to the remorse felt after an argument with parents or a partner, where hurtful words were spoken and regret settled in afterward.

The urge to instill in that hero the sorrow and terror of losing something valuable as a result of one’s weaknesses had consumed Lichter.

This need resulted from Lichter’s inexplicable inability to have faith in people.

Lichter felt that his death was near. He felt as if he would be rushing to his death, despite knowing his strength was more than sufficient to prevail.

“Come…” There she stood again, the golden girl, seemingly like an impenetrable fortress.

Her deep blue eyes sparkled with unwavering determination.

“YOU FOOL……”