Chill Lil Bro

--- Chris ---

Hello, once again!

You might not remember who I am, but it's fine.

I'll forgive you.

For the second time, I am Chris, an average noble in both status and power.

The reason I sound happier compared to last time is simple.

I've won the bet!

The legendary Knights of Rounds, Jormungandr-sama and Loki-sama, have returned to our side! With them here, perhaps I can find some refuge and survive this ordeal.

"Tch! Why did she throw us into the other barrier!?" I heard Loki-sama grumble.

"To fight, of course!" Jormungandr-sama exclaimed, his excitement evident.

Honestly, my mind doesn't even want to question what they're saying right now.

Since when were those obscene beings have any logic in them? As long as I'm alive, who cares?

More than once was I on the brink of tears, all because not only the normal Shadows are ridiculously strong, but their Commander even joined in all of a sudden!

Can you imagine how cooked we were? Because I certainly could feel it on my skin!

But just when things were finally start to look good... 

'He' suddenly appeared, as if out of thin air.

A man with dark, messy hair that looked like it hadn't seen a comb in weeks, let alone a bottle of shampoo. His eyes were bloodshot and glazed over, as if he was high on something. Or maybe he just hadn't slept in days.

The clothes he was wearing were tattered and dirty, making him look like a homeless person. Seriously, man, did you roll around in a dumpster before coming here?

I couldn't help but want to utter those words out loud, but after looking at the dark expression coming from Loki-sama and the serious one from Jormungandr-sama, I understood. This man was no ordinary one.

But still, a shower and a change of clothes wouldn't hurt, right? I mean, come on, bro, you're giving off a stench that could knock out a skunk.

I cracked a small smile, despite the nervousness gnawing at my gut.

"...Listen to me," Loki-sama's whisper was barely audible, but it sent a shiver down my spine. He turned his head to look at the few Cultists behind him, his eyes filled with urgency. "If you want to live, get as far as possible from here."

I glanced around, taking in the confused expressions of the people around me. Most of them were standing still, unsure of what to do with such a sudden warning.

But for some reason, I could feel it. My skin was crawling, my body trembling with an ominous sense of danger.

If I don't flee, I'm cooked!

The thought raced through my mind, and without a care for the others, I immediately used all my speed to get as far as possible from the man.

Since everyone was so focused on Loki-sama and the strange man, no one noticed me.

My heart pounded in my chest as I sprinted away, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

Approaching the outer edge of the barrier, I scanned the ground for any sign of soft soil, the urgency of the situation pressing upon me.

Spotting a suitable area, I wasted no time and began to dig, my hands moving swiftly. Dirt flew around me as I worked, my sole focus on survival.

'No matter what, I have to survive this shitty situation somewhat!'

I thought to myself, my body trembling with exertion as I crawled into the hole I had made, pulling the dirt back over me to hide.

--- Alpha ---

What a nuisance.

I continued slashing through the remaining monsters, assessing the situation as I fought. My sword cut through their flesh effortlessly, staining my clothes with their blood.

Although we've managed to significantly reduce their numbers, it will still take some time to eliminate them all completely.

There are a few points that worry me.

I'm certain Fray is engaged in a fierce battle with one of the powerful Knights of Rounds. I can sense it faintly, like a distant hum at the back of my mind.

Meanwhile, the other Knight is leading the army of monsters right here.

That leaves one Knight unaccounted for.

This uncertainty prevents us from going all-out. What if we're caught off guard and someone pays with their life?

For that reason, I'm compelled to be cautious and passive about the situation.

As I mentioned, it's quite bothersome.

A few more minutes pass as I continue to kill monsters left and right.

But then, suddenly, the shimmering barrier containing the battlefield suddenly parted like a dome retracting, opening to the stormy skies above.

In that instant, a vortex of blazing crimson lightning erupted from the rift, twisting tendrils coalescing into a humanoid form that casually strode forth.

As the crackling maelstrom dispersed, it revealed Fray's figure.

I caught glimpses of a faint crown above his head.

"Who the fuck are you?!" The enemy leader's bravado shattered the tense silence, his voice dripping with arrogance and confusion at his sudden arrival.

Fray didn't so much as acknowledge the blustering demand. His reddish gaze methodically swept across the battlefield, soon homing in on who he was looking for.

"Found you," he stated flatly, each word carrying a weight that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

In a movement too fast to track, Fray closed the distance separating him from the bewildered enemy commander. The latter reflexively felt danger and tried to summon his Magical Power and draw his weapon.

His mouth opened to bark some defiant retort...but it was too late.

No sound could escape from his throat anymore.

A hairline rift split the very air itself, expanding into a shimmering plane that bisected the man known as Ragnar.

His body remained frozen in that instant of shocked realization, until the unstoppable slicing force reached its culmination and cleaved him along into two toppling halves.

The sickening crunch of ruined flesh and bone slamming into the ground reverberated through the silence that followed.

After witnessing the death of the person they considered the strongest, the monsters stared in shock, mouths agape. Many of them instinctively attempted to flee, driven by sheer terror.

Even though they were now acting solely on instinct, it didn't mean they had completely lost their intelligence.

I, too, found myself staring— not at the effortlessly dead enemy, but at Fray himself.

He seemed like a different person, for some reason.

While everyone else was too stunned to move or speak, I approached him without hesitation. Despite sensing his strength surpassing mine in his current state, I harbored no fear.

Even though we don't share such a deep bond, I consider us to be something like friends.

If possible, I'd like to help him right now.

"...What happened to you?"

I asked, my voice laced with concern as I took in the state of Fray's bloodied left arm.

Now that we were close enough to talk, I could see the severity of his injury.

Several deep burning marks, blackened and charred, started from his hand and snaked all the way up to his shoulder. The flesh was seared and blistered, the smell of burnt skin assaulting my nostrils.

Blood was still flowing in rivers from the deep gashes, staining his clothes and dripping onto the ground.

To have this kind of wound not healed yet, it means it's a rather serious one, as it's able to ignore his powerful regeneration.

But even so, from his face, there wasn't even one hint of pain. Instead of replying to my question, though, he stared at me for a good second, like he was judging something.

"Please take care of the rest, Alpha. I trust you."

Were you debating whether to trust me?

...This bastard is acting a little too cocky right now.

That's what I wanted to say to him, but seeing him like this, for some reason, I withheld my true thoughts.

"...Sure, I will."

As if a switch had been triggered, his lips slowly arched up into a weak smile, the state he was in just a second ago seeming nothing but my own eyes playing tricks on me.

But then, his body began to sway, and before I could question him further, he suddenly started falling towards the ground.

I swiftly closed the distance between us, catching him before he could fall to the ground. With me supporting his weight like this, we were now practically hugging.

For that reason, I couldn't resist cracking a joke.

"If your wife saw us like this, she would probably be on her way to kill me. Not that she could, though."

Why did I say that? I'm not usually one to make such jokes, but something about the way he smiled made me want to ease the tension.

It feels as if the more time passes, the more he doesn't want to go on, but is forced to do so.

...What a strange feeling.

To my surprise, I could hear faint laughing coming from him, his body shaking slightly as he chuckled weakly. Although I couldn't see his face, I could feel he was smiling ear to ear.

"She...would be able.... to kill you, though," he teased back, his voice barely above a whisper.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his response.

Oh, come on.

Why are you salty over this when you're not even the person in question?

But just as I was about to retort, his laughter stopped, and his smile faded away, replaced by a rictus of pain as his body seemed to spasm involuntarily.

'...Huh?'

From his body, seemingly out of nowhere, cuts and wounds began to materialize. It was as if invisible daggers were carving into his skin, leaving behind deep gashes that oozed a dark, crimson blood.

A normal human being would already be dead from the sheer amount of blood he had lost.

I was beyond shocked.

His once flawless complexion now bore sudden, inexplicable injuries, appearing before I could even comprehend what was happening.

Strangely, I could sense the nature of these wounds.

They weren't inflicted by any external force; rather, they seemed to stem from some internal turmoil. It was as if his body, pushed to its limits, had resorted to such measures to endure the extreme shock it had undergone.

"No...no no no!"

But even if I understand, I don't care about that right now.

Don't you dare die on me, Fray Von Garoff!

I was about to cast Healing Magic, but just as I was about to cast, my hand stopped in mid-air, my hand closing in a fist with so much force I draw blood on my palms.

Right.

It doesn't work on him!

His body won't accept Magic from someone else.

"...Fuck!"

That leaves me no other choice.

If Magic isn't an option, then we can rely on the medical knowledge Shadow-sama has imparted to us.

While I'm not well-versed in it, Eta might find something useful to help heal him.

Believing this to be our best course of action, I carried him back to our base, hoping to avoid having to arrange a funeral instead.

---

Author's Note:

Legends narrate that centuries after, a certain man is still hiding underground, waiting for the perfect moment to re-appear...

The title of this chapter was gently offered by Chris, before he dipped.

Anyway.

Since the situation is more or less the same as Ragnar's, I will likely skip Mara's death.

Just know her death is supposed to be kinda comical, and she will be dead already by next chapter, lmao.

Rather, I think I'll make that one special chapter or something because of the circumstances I had in mind surrounding her.

Just know that this chapter ended almost everything, and with next chapter, we'll really end the Trial, even if the chapter will be on the longer side once again(likely 4000 words again ;)).