Chapter 138: Termination (1/2)

”Believe me when I say that nothing good comes out of prying into this matter,” Nikolai tried to warn him sincerely. ”All I know is that this is bigger than both of us, and the consequences could be deadly.”

Master Edward didn't say anything and simply stared at him before turning toward the ritual grounds. The man's intuition was sharper than a knife, and he could deduce that Nikolai was telling the truth about this.

”I refuse to listen,” Master Edward said with a vile grin. ”This is interesting, and I need to know the answer. I need to know what is going to happen and why it is going to be in this place.”

”Then I have no choice but to fight you,” Nikolai assumed position, even though it strained his body just to do so. The young man looked at him with approval before unsheathing his sword and standing by Nikolai's side.

”Then 'we' have no choice but to fight you,” the young man said with a grin, his mana gathering around the sword.

”You brats are getting on my nerves,” Master Edward clenched his fist, but his grin didn't disappear. If so, then be it. Let me teach you how early it is for you two to stand against me.”

Master Edward slashed his hand with his blood spear, allowing blood to poll on the ground. His palm bled more than ten men combined could bleed, but his complexion was still rosy.

”Coagulate, My Armor,” per his command, the blood gathered around his body and began to turn into blood armor. The whole armor covered Master Edward's body, only his red hair flying upward.

”Be careful,” the young man whispered. ”This armor could withstand an attack from the King of Beasts himself,” his voice didn't lack fear, but bravery is born from within that fear.

”You don't need to fight with me,” Nikolai probed, as there is no need for this young man to go this far for him. He wanted to know the reason. ”We don't know each other that well for you to fight this battle.”

”I don't know you, but I know myself. I shan't waver in the face of adversity, not when I am with a friend,” and true to his words, he didn't back down.

Nikolai wanted to dissect his mind to see what was inside. He was sure that he would find ideals rather than logic in his mind, not necessarily good ones.

”Suit yourself,” Nikolai didn't want to give his back to a stranger, but his hands with tied against the monster in front of him.

The pair of blue eyes glowed from within the blood armor as the Blood Knight raised his spear, ready to fight. There was no crushing pressure nor heavenly strings. There was only one thing.

Bloodlust.

An invisible string connected the blood spear to his neck as if the two were destined to meet. Death was staring at him, and it came in the shape of the Blood Knight's blue eyes.

”Prepare yourselves,” Edward's voice rang deeply, although the armor muffled it. The two youngsters tightened their fists around their weapons, ready to fight.

[Divergence: 50%]

”What?” Nikolai was confused before the Blood Knight dissolved into a pool of blood. Master Edward was nowhere to be seen, and it was enough to realize that he had no intention to fight them, only to fool them.

[A character with a high fate meter learned of the vision.]

[Unable to restore the timeline. The system will now terminate the current one.]

[Termination has begun...]

Nikolai watched the world crumble as the youngster beside him was confused by the series of events. However, his companion's mental status was unimportant compared to what would happen from this point on.

As the vision crumbled, Nikolai found himself in the darkness again. Three massive words appeared in front of him before one of them changed.

[Terminations left: ––]

Then, the last word dissolved to be replaced by a different one. Just like the one before, Nikolai couldn't see what the word was. He could guess it was a number, but there was no way for him to read it.

[Terminations left: ­––]

Nikolai felt his consciousness fade as a familiar feeling overtook him as he was trying to understand what was going on. The only other time he felt this was when the Elven Princess killed him for the fate-changing artifact.

It was death.

***

”Welcome, Lyle,” Saint Maria called him by the name he gave her before. Nikolai blinked his eyes, and his eyes adjusted to the light coming through the window.