Black Badger

The transfer array pulled everything in with overwhelming force.

Shu clung tightly to a narrow crack in the wall of the Portal Zone to avoid being swallowed. In the wind that stung even her eyes, she forced her eyelids open.

Cecil stood beside the array.

It looked like the Grand Mage was helping the other mages. She had a tight grip on the blond mage and was pressing her hand against the ground.

Her head was lowered, as if she were focusing on something.

The pull didn’t weaken.

Crash!

Most of the people gathered there no longer jumped in—they were dragged and rolled into the array.

Creatures were no exception. Only a few of the largest managed to hold their ground. The rest were dragged in, clinging desperately until they lost their grip and disappeared.

Hildebert shouldn’t come here.

Shu looked around in panic.

The pixie-cut woman.

Even she seemed powerless this time. Clinging to the opposite wall, the red-eyed woman was crying as she stared at Hildebert.

Neither of them had communication devices anymore. In this situation, neither could contact anyone.

Do the seniors know what’s happening?

The absence of drones in the sky only made her anxiety worse. Before her communicator was blown away by the storm, the last thing she had heard was that Core generation had been completed.

Maybe... she was the only one seeing Hildebert right now.

No matter what she shouted, Hildebert kept crawling steadily toward them.

Shu stared in terror at the white-haired knight—

carrying a black-haired knight on his back.

And approaching with more determination than ever before.

***

The wind brushed against my cheek.

I coughed up blood and kept crawling. Changing the way I moved made it slightly easier.

If I got closer, maybe the transfer array would help me.

“Hilde.”

As I tightened my grip on Kyle’s sword, his voice came from my back.

I didn’t answer.

I needed every bit of strength just to keep crawling.

“I....”

And then he went silent.

I thought he was choosing his words, but when the white Portal Zone tiles came into view and he still hadn’t spoken, a sudden fear gripped me.

I turned my head slightly.

“Kyle.”

Don’t tell me... he’s dead?

“Kyle? Kyle!“

“Stubborn bastard.”

The muttered reply made my veins throb.

But as long as he was alive, that was enough.

I wanted to roll my eyes just to show it, but I didn’t have the strength. I simply turned my head back.

Kyle’s hair slid softly down the back of my neck.

“Not just revenge....”

I thought he was done speaking.

But Kyle continued.

“I....”

Silence again.

I didn’t call his name this time. I needed to conserve every ounce of strength.

I spat out the blood clogging my throat and pushed forward again.

Then his voice came, faint but clear.

“I really....”

Did you hate me?

“...wanted you to live....”

My stomach twisted.

The wind had cleared my vision before, but now it blurred again. I blinked repeatedly until it cleared.

Then I moved on without answering.

After another stretch of silence—

“I trusted my judgment... and came here....”

Blink.

“...separate from revenge for Rei....”

There were almost no people left in the Portal Zone now.

Only Byung Yeong-baek, the mages, and the summoners.

A few Creatures remained. The larger ones seemed to be surrounding the summoners.

They must have made it through safely.

That was the best I could believe.

At last, I reached the edge of the ground.

One more push and I’d touch the smooth tile—cold, lifeless.

My right hand still gripped the sword...

So I reached forward with my left, grabbing a handful of earth that hadn’t completely dried to black.

Now I crawled with both hands clenched.

My knuckles scraped against the tile.

The pull of the transfer array was unmistakable.

“Kyle!”

Someone shouted his name desperately.

I couldn’t tell if it was Byung Yeong-baek or the boy summoner.

“Kyle! Open your eyes!”

The boy, then.

If he jumped in first and waited, I could push Kyle in soon after.

With that thought, I entered the Portal Zone.

Kyle muttered again.

“Either way....”

The roar of the storm swallowed part of his voice.

“With these wounds... even if you throw me in there....”

Then I’ll transfer before that.

I didn’t say it.

Thud!

Byung Yeong-baek, who had turned toward us, lost his balance and fell.

With a small sound, he was swallowed into the array.

And with him gone, only the mages and summoners remained.

Good.

But the storm was draining my body heat rapidly. The little strength I had left was running out.

Don’t fall asleep.

Don’t stop.

The moment I stop, it’ll become hell.

Using momentum, I kept crawling forward.

Someone called my name, urgent—but I couldn’t respond.

All I could see was the blinding light of the array.

Ah.

“Hilde.”

Kyle’s voice came again.

“Think about last time.”

I can let go of the sword now.

Ignoring his unclear words, I opened my right hand.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

His heavy sword was swept away by the storm.

Honestly... I was a little nervous. Would he get angry?

If he had any strength left, would he spend it all now?

But Kyle didn’t struggle.

Maybe he didn’t even realize his sword had fallen into the array.

Maybe... he was that close to death.

Panic rose, and I sped up.

Holding my balance against the storm, I closed the distance.

Just two more steps...

Thud!

Kyle rolled off my back and hit the ground.

I immediately reached out and grabbed him.

Kyle seized my wrist—but I didn’t care.

I was never going to let him go.

“What are you doing?”

I frowned at him lying beside me, unable to tell whether he was trying to push me away or hold on.

“Your sword... it’s gone too!”

“There’s nothing left to transfer... you think this will work?”

Kyle gasped.

“Back then... if Cecil hadn’t been there... we both would’ve died...!”

So that’s what you meant.

The mages ahead will heal you.

Above us, the storm had reached a terrifying intensity.

One wrong move, and we’d be swallowed instantly.

The wind roared like we were standing in the eye of a tornado—yet I could hear him clearly.

I will never give up.

All I have to do now is transfer—and then kick you in.

Then everything ends.

I didn’t know if that thought made me regretful or relieved.

I didn’t have the strength left to understand my own feelings.

So I just—

Started the transfer.

From the handful of dirt I had held onto—

Even that much had energy.

Enough to extend your life.

Kyle’s eyes widened in shock.

Ha.

I must’ve been laughing, lying there.

Kyle stared at me in horror and struggled.

“You’d go this far—!”

What was he going to say?

You want to stop my revenge?

You want to save me?

You hate me?

Any of them would’ve fit.

But I never heard the rest.

BOOOOM!

The transfer array shook violently.

The Portal Zone trembled with it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone fall into the array.

Blond hair vanished.

Meierbold... was dead.

“Hilde.”

Cecil’s voice followed.

“There’s not much time left.”

Still holding Kyle with my right arm, I turned my head.

At the edge of the array—

Cecil stood alone, unmoved by the raging storm.

“There’s nothing more I can do here. So I’ll go ahead. This will only hold for about one more minute.”

Before I could answer, she stepped onto the array.

“I’ll keep this short. Thank you... for not letting me be alone all this time.”

I couldn’t answer.

My eyes widened.

Cecil smiled, her eyes curving.

“I haven’t given up yet.”

The wind whipped her hair wildly.

“Kysis... might be in another world, you know?”

It seemed Nabarate had stayed behind to complete the formula.

The mage stared only at the transfer array, her eyes resolute.

And beside her—another bond of mine, preparing to jump in.

I watched Cecil, standing right next to the array, turn her head.

At the last moment, she seemed to find Shu.

I couldn’t hear her voice over the wind, but I saw Cecil smile and say something to her.

A farewell. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Then, smiling lightly, she leapt into the array.

Wooooong!

Now only two remained to jump.

The boy, effectively left alone in the Portal Zone, shouted—

“Kyle!”

The summoner, who had been holding out among the large Creatures, ran forward.

“Jump!”

Thud!

The boy, who had likely tried to run toward us, was immediately swept away by the storm.

But as he rolled toward the array, he somehow managed to grab onto its edge.

Impressive.

As I watched, I saw the desperate look in his eyes.

“Please come.”

Clinging to the array with everything he had, the child pleaded—

“Please.”

And then he slipped—

and vanished.

He’s been admirable this whole time.

I thought that as I turned my gaze back.

Then I kicked Kyle.

CRACK!

For a split second, Kyle’s focus broke.

He lost his balance.

The wind took him instantly.

His body was swept away.

Kyle understood the situation and spat out a vicious curse in our native tongue. I understood it. That was the worst kind.

He was being dragged into the array.

But transfer wasn’t finished yet.

So I didn’t let go of his hand.

I held on tightly—

and was dragged along with him.

Until his body slipped into the array.

Into that same dark, endless pit we had jumped into long ago.

At the edge of that bottomless drop.

Back then, I had been the one clinging, trying not to fall like him.

But now—

I was the one holding onto the edge.

Looking down.

In the darkness, Kyle hung suspended, pale-faced, held by my grip.

He looked up at me.

His golden eyes—on the verge of overflowing—shone.

And once again, I couldn’t fully understand the emotions in them.

Was it desperation?

Misery?

Or something like sorrow?

The absorption came to a natural stop.

The handful of dirt in my hand lost its vitality, drying out completely.

Now—

all I had to do was let go.

Then it would end.

If I just let go...

“Hilde.”

Kyle called me.

“Kyle.”

I smiled as tears fell onto his face.

“Kyle Zargal.”

His eyes widened.

I smiled at him.

“I wish you wouldn’t go.”

Tears fell.

“I think I’ll miss you.”

A loud noise rang out behind me.

Something like a door being kicked open.

A voice shouted my name.

But I didn’t turn.

I kept looking into Kyle’s golden eyes.

Slowly loosening my grip—

I thought of the days we had.

The first time we met.

The moment I pointed my sword at him.

The missions we carried out under Kysis.

Sleeping back-to-back beneath the broken ceiling of a ruined building.

The day he found out about the side effects of absorption.

The first time I told him about that village.

A burning world.

A collapsing world.

We jumped.

The three of us came here together.

And now—

I was sending even you away.

Rei died by my sword on Earth.

Left without even something to bury—

turned to ash in this place.

But you, Kyle—

“Goodbye.”

I said my final farewell.

“My old friend.”

I let go.

Kyle fell.

The black-haired knight disappeared into the endless darkness.

And the moment I released him—

I heard his whisper clearly.

Remembering his farewell,

I watched as the transfer array closed.

“Hilde!”

A familiar voice called my name.

At the same time, Nabarate completed the formula—

and the light of the array went out.

The storm vanished instantly.

“Hildebert!”

The war was over.

The enemies—those who wore human forms—had been defeated or erased.

But I still had things left to do.

So I fought to keep my eyes open.

Struggling against the crushing drowsiness, I looked at those running toward me.

Through my fading vision, I saw familiar black combat boots.

Seniors rushing in.

I understood immediately what state I was in.

Probably similar to the end of the First War.

The injuries I’d taken were severe enough to kill me at any moment.

I needed treatment on the level of Cecil’s healing magic.

The problem was—

this time, I was the one in Kyle’s position.

I’d probably be asleep for a while.

At least I could see them one last time.

Sorry... for causing so much trouble and then going to sleep like this.

By the time Kyle woke up after receiving Cecil’s treatment—

I’d probably wake up too.

But this time, I wasn’t falling into that gray world.

So it shouldn’t take that long.

I just hoped I wouldn’t take too long to ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) wake up.

So they wouldn’t have to wait.

I didn’t want to leave these people—

the ones who made waking up something I no longer feared—

waiting too long.

“Hilde.”

I wanted to return to the people I had come to love.

“Please—”

There were still things I needed to take care of.

So I smiled.

Gathering what little strength I had left,

I looked up at the desperate eyes staring down at me—

and spoke.

“I’m glad...”

It was sincere.

“...that I came to love you.”

Then—

I fell into a deep, deep sleep.

Into a vast darkness.

Into a peaceful rest—

the first in a very long time.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Voices.

Unfamiliar ones.

As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw blurred figures moving busily.

I blinked.

Shadows fell over me.

Urgent voices.

People rushing somewhere.

My senses hadn’t fully returned.

My head spun.

I closed my heavy eyelids, then opened them again.

The smell of antiseptic tickled my nose.

“Hildebert!”

Hands reached toward me.

Bright white light flooded my vision.

“Hildebert Taleb!”

“Ah.”

I cleared my hoarse voice.

The moment I spoke, the noise died down.

I stared at the pale room.

Then said—

“Just call me Hilde.”

I muttered, looking at the seniors.

“By the way... where am I?”

Voices exploded instantly.

Crying.

Cheering.

The screech of a metal chair being kicked aside.

Harsh scolding that completely ignored the fact I was a patient.

It was just a simple joke.

Maybe it’s still too early for jokes like that.

Thinking that—

I smiled, quietly.

Inside this world.

Brightly.