But actually, each shock wave was actually acting to mitigate the impact. The full force of the spear attacks was absorbed by the smaller spell formations, so only half of the impact’s power was transmitted to the shield. This remaining half was then transferred to the ground by the [Ksitigarbha technique].
All Seiji had to say was: ‘Nice!’
This was a powerful defensive spell that he had learned just recently. Seiji forcefully blocked the headless spearman’s fierce attacks, then grabbed a chance to counterattack when the headless spearman’s attacks slowed down…
Martial technique, [Ice Calamity] blade!
Seiji viciously swung his sword in a blue arc which sliced into the enemy monster! Numerous spiritual blades materialized in midair and all stuck themselves into the monster, making it appear almost like a porcupine.
Being able to cause so much serious damage evidently meant that the headless spearman was reaching the end of the line.
Shika immediately followed up with her chain of combo attacks, [Ice Fall], [Gather Snow], and [Ice Shatter]!
Seiji followed up with his own attacks; she then followed up again. They continuously took turns using powerful abilities so that the enemy monster wouldn’t have a chance to recover.
Finally, the headless spearman completely shattered under countless swords and transformed into dark-green mist.
“Don’t absorb this mist.” Seiji stopped Hisashi who was about to go up to the mist.
He then told Shika and Hisashi about the scenes he saw from another world. He also asked if either of them noticed anything.
Shika and Hisashi both told him that they didn’t know anything about this.
“It’s the same for me… How strange, Harano-kun. You’re able to see such a vision, yet I, the controller of the Domain, didn’t see anything.” Kazuko adjusted her eyeglasses.
“I’d really like to know what’s going on myself as well.”
“Do you think that what you saw happened for real?” Hisashi inquired.
“Although there’s no way to be certain, I think it was all real.” Seiji rubbed his chin in contemplation. “Those scenes looked quite real and not fake at all… if they were hallucinations, then who cast such a spell, and for what purpose? And why was I the only one who was targeted?”
If he assumed that the Spirit Worlds’ creator treated the Spirit Worlds like a game, then those scenes might be the equivalent of the game’s plot. In that case, wouldn’t it be quite strange if only he or very few others could see these scenes?
Besides, apart from helping the “player” to predict the upcoming monsters thanks to the “plot,” what other meaning could there be?
If this was a manmade hallucination, then there would be a purpose behind it. However, there was no need to search for any meaning in it if this was actually a real scene.
“No matter what it is, I’ll tell you all if I see anything at all,” Seiji told them. “And, please pay attention to see if I’m affected by those scenes or act strangely.”
Shika, Hisashi, and Kazuko all agreed.
They continued on to the next area.
The moment they entered the fifth area, Seiji instantly noticed the armored Lloyd sitting in a corner!
“I can see Lloyd,” Seiji told his companions.
Lloyd was currently sitting against a wall. He was gazing upwards at the sunset, with nothing but emptiness in his eyes.
Since he used a lot of energy to perform Skills earlier, the Green Poison was now infecting him at a much faster pace. Dark-green toxic runes had now appeared on his neck and were almost about to spread to his face.
Lloyd felt his entire body aching, as if countless fire ants were crawling all over him.
His body was getting hotter and hotter as his consciousness slowly became hazy… he knew that this was a sign the poison was infecting his mind.
He knew he didn’t have much time left.
He chose to separate from Lana in order not to harm her.
Actually, he knew that the safest method would be to commit suicide. However, Lloyd didn’t have the courage to do such a thing to himself. Nor could he bring himself to request Lana to kill him.
Even though he knew that there was no saving himself anymore, and that nothing was left for him except pain and despair, he still wanted to live just a bit longer.
‘…I don’t want to die.’
This thought appeared in his mind.
‘I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die…’
This thought kept endlessly repeating itself in his mind.
Lloyd still had the instinctive desire to stay alive. Yet, his deep despair kept pushing this instinct down.
He thought back to the past, about his family, dreams, and companions… all his memories flashed by him in black and white, with no color and no sound.
Only when he thought about Lana did his memories retain color.
His efforts would allow her to last for a while longer in here… If she could make it out of here alive, that would give meaning to the last amount of time he spent alive.
This way, he would have carried out the oath he swore to be an adventurer people could be proud of.
He did everything he could already, with no regrets.
…But, he still didn’t want to die!!
Even though he had resolved himself already, tears still flowed out when he was truly faced with death.
‘I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die all alone by myself…’
Lloyd didn’t have anything left except for tears of pain and despair. All he could do was struggle uselessly.
Death was coming for him.
At this time, footsteps approached.
‘Death’s footsteps weren’t an analogy after all? This saying was real?’
“Lloyd!” He heard his name being shouted.
Lloyd reflexively looked in the voice’s direction to see the girl that he had intentionally split up from.
“Lana?”
“Wonderful, I finally found you.” Lana smiled as she swiftly rushed over to him, kneeled, and hugged him.
Lloyd instantly felt as if he had been saved as he felt her warm embrace… but soon, he widened his eyes.
“Why did you come to find me?”
Lana didn’t reply and only hugged him tighter.
“I’m almost about to… no longer be myself. Hurry and get away from me!” Lloyd tried to struggle out of her embrace, but found it impossible to muster up the energy.
“I’m not leaving… I don’t want to be by myself,” Lana told him softly.
“You have to leave! Otherwise…”
“Who cares about death? I want to be together with you.”
Her soft voice contained an unshakeable iron will.
“Lana…”
“Lloyd…” The girl looked directly into his eyes. “After you left me, I discovered that death isn’t the truly frightening thing. What’s truly frightening is dying by yourself. Ever since we fell in here, we were probably destined to die already… If I was by myself, I would have given in to despair long ago. It was only thanks to you being by my side that I could maintain my spirit and hope. No… I should say that I was pretending to believe there was hope.” Lana smiled bitterly.
Lloyd remained silent.
Lana was a student at the Sage Academy. She would know far more than him about this forbidden district, and thus better understand just how terrifying this land of death was.
“Not long after you left me behind, I couldn’t take it anymore. Rather than struggling fruitlessly, I might as well instead greet the end together with you… I realize that my way of thinking is probably wrong. I should be trying my best to survive and escape even if I think it’s hopeless. Otherwise, I’m doing wrong by your sacrifice. But, I really can’t… I’m only a student, not an adventurer. I don’t have so much courage. I’m really afraid, Lloyd. I want you to be by my side… I don’t want to be alone… I don’t want to die by myself…”
Tears started rolling down Lana’s cheeks as she said all this.
Lloyd was moved as he did his best to lift his hands and hugged her back.
“I’m also really afraid… Lana… I was actually so happy to see you again… Even though I know that this isn’t good, I was still happy to the point where I thought I was saved. I thought that I was the one helping you, but actually I was the one relying on you… It was only because of you that I could maintain what little courage I had left. I’m sorry… and thank you…”
“Lloyd…” Even more tears poured down Lana’s face. “I’m the one… who should say sorry…”
The two hugged tightly while crying.
Even if death came the next instant, at least they wouldn’t be alone.