77 – 77. Burden
The current situation is truly desperate.
It’s already too late to avoid Nicholas, but I don’t want to meet death in vain either.
I twisted my body as much as possible within the limits I could withstand.
“But no matter how much I think, I can’t pass through without any damage.”
I tried to focus as much as possible, seeking to avoid being hit in vital spots.
“…Hmm?”
It didn’t take long for me to sense something odd.
With accelerated thinking under extreme tension and heightened senses, it seemed to him that right now, nothing was targeting him.
Yes, for example, the one next to me…
“Whew!”
… Akashic Record, as he dodged it.
“Is he insane?”
It seemed as though Nihil had never intended to target me from the beginning. He reached out for the Akashic Record securely fastened to his waist.
He tried to avoid damage in any way he could, but it was already too late.
In the end, the Akashic Record ended up lifelessly in Nihil’s hand.
“Shieik!”
Dylan, realizing the situation, extended his tentacles toward Nihil to try to stop him.
However, Nihil, who had already observed Dylan’s fighting style on the island, effortlessly shattered the tentacles with bullets.
“Even though there isn’t much time left, are you giving up?”
However, Dylan did not appear impatient or flustered upon seeing this.
Because Nihil’s appearance now was like turning a red paint can inside out, covered in armor.
It was an easily noticeable moment that revealed that the Crown Prince was performing much better in the battle than expected.
‘No matter how you look at it, Nihil is at a disadvantage in this situation.’
Taking the Akashic Record now was just his final act in a desperate situation.
Everyone, including myself and Dylan, felt this to some extent. But, upon closer inspection, one fundamental question remained.
‘If both Nihil and the Saint are here, where in the world did the Empress who coNT*Rolled and managed them all go?’
In fact, the Empress did not need to be here.
Her own power was not weak, but she was not on par with the main characters. So, it wasn’t just an empty story of her hiding somewhere.
‘However, the problem is that the Empress Olivia’s personality is not like this.’
She’s the type to take the initiative rather than order others. She analyzes and understands the results and gains through the process.
In other words, she follows a truly “go-getter” FM style—whether you call it practical or stubborn.
‘If it were her, she would have to take the lead actively, and I should have considered that possibility as well.’
With everyone’s attention shifting to Nihil and the sudden appearance of the Crown Prince, I hadn’t had a proper chance to think.
And before I knew it, he was silently looking at the Akashic Record he had in his hand, then threw it into the wide empty space.
“You threw it well, Nihil.”
Soon, a woman suddenly popped out of the air and grabbed the Arkasik record that was hovering in the sky.
“..Your Highness?”
With the bewildered Prince Huang, she pressed the button on her suit tightly.
Perhaps that combat suit was made after dismantling the Homunculus we saw.
“We have to stop her.”
Just as I said that and was about to take the lead.
“Huff..”
Princess Huang let out a deep sigh and roughly tore open the packaging of the Arkasik record that was neatly wrapped.
“What on earth are you trying to do..!”
Honestly, this was also unexpected.
I thought the princess would take the Arkasik record and use it as a negotiation tool or continue her research, but she’s tearing it up right here?
Taking an item that destroyed a past nation so lightly, without any verification?
“..That’s the decisive move.”
Looking at her like that, Prince Huang muttered as if chewing on his words.
“As I move forward, my sister will do whatever she can to kill me from this position.”
Although Prince Huang has grown a lot recently, did he really do this crazy thing because of that?
In the midst of the panic, Princess Huang suddenly placed the Arkasik record on her hand and made a complicated expression as if absorbing knowledge.
-Swish..
Before long, with a slightly blurry expression, she covered the Arkasik record.
Lightly, but at a speed that I couldn’t follow with my eyes, she swiftly approached Dylan and shot a powerful blow.
“Grrhk..!”
However, the result was not light.
Even though it was a lightly thrown blow, it was a powerful attack that made Dylan’s side sink in.
Stunned by the power of that blow, Princess Huang ran to the place where the saint was.
Suddenly, her eyes, which were once focused, were now in an unfocused state.
“This is a crisis.”
I’m not exactly sure what the situation is, but it seems certain that she is currently without reason.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t attack the saint, who is practically on the same side as herself.
Since the saint has already been weakened due to the tentacles, if I leave her like this, she will surely die, so I tried to move forward but…
-Thud..
There was someone who walked ahead, one step ahead.
“..Grayson?”
“I’m sorry. Heidi and Raoul were injured by Nyhill while trying to escape the island and couldn’t bring them.”
Grayson kept walking forward, slightly tilting his head towards me as if he knew something, without stopping.
“Wait, what are you doing right now..”
I tried to stop him, taken aback by the sudden change in the situation.
The expression on Grayson’s face was not the impassive one I had seen before, but rather a joyful smile.
Caught in his flawless smile, I momentarily stared blankly at Mary.
“Do you remember your name?”
A calm voice, as if Grayson had let something go, sounded in my ears.
“Of course, my name is Jack Orlante..”
“Besides that.”
Saying that, Grayson began to ask my name out of the blue.
As I answered, I stood there dumbly, without realizing the curiosity in his question.
Grayson looked at me as if he knew everything, then added in a voice that only I could hear.
“Your name in the original world, do you remember?”
“…!”
Words that should never have come out of Grayson’s mouth.
It was about the possession that I had tried to find but ended up giving up.
I looked at Grayson, feeling bewildered and confused by this series of events, but trying to regain my composure.
As if his role was over here, Grayson took a few deep breaths and said.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
And then, in a voice that seemed almost audible, he added.
“..I will forget everything.”
“What the heck is going on?”
I asked, trying to grasp my confused feelings, but the answer that came back was not related to it.
“If you’ve seen the original, then you would know, Grayson’s ultimate technique.”
“…”
“From now on, I will forget everything.”
It was about what he was going to do in the future.
The strong desire to question and probe immediately welled up within me, but Grayson’s resolute attitude and his self-assured actions, as if following him would lead me to the truth, made it impossible for me to say anything else to him.
“Grayson’s ultimate technique…”
The exact part where it appeared was unclear, but Grayson had one instance of trading his memories for power, not just simple and fragmented memories, but everything that belonged to him, including his name. A skill he could use only once, never again.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jack Orlande.”
He spoke with a calm smile, even hinting that he might use it now. “If I were to steal the Akashic Records from you, would you help me rejuvenate it a bit?”
Then, he placed his hand on my forehead and smiled with compassion. “I chose you.”
Leaving only those words behind, he closed his eyes and placed his hand on his chest.
As everyone in this space fell into silence, his breathing echoed through the quiet space.
And not long after…
“Jack, stand behind me.”
With a sense of energy different from usual emanating from Grayson, Lucia led her injured body and stood before me.
She had wrapped her arm tightly with bandages and was now laboriously wielding a bat.
Given her condition, I wondered if she could even swing it once, but her determined expression showed no signs of wavering.
“…He probably won’t attack me anyway.”
Although Grayson’s gaze was focused on something far away rather than me, Lucia remained by my side, seemingly anxious.
“Whew…”
After taking a deep breath, Grayson’s new form extended toward the princess like a bullet.
In his hand, the once dull sword was now sharpened to a glinting blade.
-Clang!
Grayson and the princess clashed powerfully, to a degree that was undeniably overwhelming.
“What’s that? Wasn’t he supposed to be bad at fighting?”
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Lucia couldn’t hide her surprised expression as she watched.
Reflecting back, Lucia had once had a scuffle with Grayson.
Of course, it could have been Grayson going easy on her, but from Lucia’s perspective, she had overwhelmingly bested him.
It’s plausible enough to think of Grayson as weak.
‘..Actually, he’s only temporarily strong.’
Grayson’s strength, contingent on time.
Perhaps because of that, Grayson was furiously pursuing the princess.
-Bang!
And, the outcome was decided sooner than expected.
“Ugh..!”
Grayson had beaten the princess, and seemed to steal the Akashic Record that appeared to be providing her with power.
In that state, he glanced at me briefly, then held the Akashic Record close and froze.
“…”
Several gazes came my way, possibly due to Grayson’s remark about needing me to calm him and the Akashic Record down.
..But I also don’t know what I should do.