Taken To The Edge
Nova stood in the middle of an empty dirt field reminiscent of the training grounds area.
He stood over a part of Zousa's body and as he was ready to thrust into it with his blade, the whispering voice of Asmodasiah began to speak into Nova's ear again.
This time, a dark presence settled its way around Nova.
『...You will not be able to kill this being without my assistance.』[Asmodasiah]
『...I...』[Nova]
He started to lose faith in his ability to carry out the act of finishing off Zousa.
『...Did you not resolve yourself to kill nobody?』[Asmodasiah]
Nova stabbed the piece of flesh, causing it to burn and decay into the wind as black specks of dust and ash.
『...I have to protect my friends.』[Nova]
Nova looked at the reflection of his friends in his blade, but could only concentrate on Kikhia's conflicted expression.
Asmodasiah continued to whisper into his ear.
『...That girl is related to this person. She loves him dearly...』[Asmodasiah]
Nova walked over to another piece of flesh and impaled it with his blade.
『...So you would stain your hands with the blood of your friend's loved ones?』[Asmodasiah]
『...Is this… really what she wants?』[Nova]
Nova ripped the blade cleanly out, letting the ashes fly into the wind, once more.
He looked around for the remaining pieces.
3 left.
『...Your resolve to kill was weak. As expected… And yet, your lack of resolve to kill is also weak...』[Asmodasiah]
Each word she said struck at Nova's heart with pangs of guilt, disappointment, and pain.
『...What else can I do…?』[Nova]
Asmodasiah seemed to take a moment to deliberate for him.
『...Is life equal to you?』[Asmodasiah]
He wandered over to the next chunk of flesh.
『...No.』[Nova]
He stabbed the piece of flesh and watched it decay almost instantly.
『...As expected of such a self-valued race.』[Asmodasiah]
『...I won't deny that.』[Nova]
2 pieces of Zousa left.
Nova walked over to the next piece.
『...But we're also a race that holds...』[Nova]
He stabbed the part of his body, sending the ashes of the corpse into the skies.
Nova thought of all the people that had brought him there, and all the good memories that made him who he was.
He slowly exhaled.
『...The most beautiful things in the world.』[Nova]
The final part of the Zousa was pulsating.
Nova walked over slowly to it before he suddenly heard a cry from across the clearing.
『...NOVA, PLEASE STOP!』
Nova turned around and saw Kikhia with a scythe and a yellow aura around it.
『...Please, let me.』[Kikhia]
Nova suddenly felt a great weight lift off of his shoulders, causing him to let out a sigh.
『...I guess it's only right.』[Nova]
He walked off to the side, keeping an eye on the pulsating piece of flesh.
『...You're gonna allow this girl to take your burden from you?』[Asmodasiah]
『...I'm...』[Nova]
『You're a coward. A pathetic coward.』[Asmodasiah]
He looked up at Kikhia, who still seemed to be struggling with the decision to finish off her brother.
She raised her scythe up when her brother's face suddenly appeared on the piece of flesh, smiling at her.
『Kikhia.』[Zousa]
She suddenly dropped the scythe, tears immediately rushing to her eyes as she stepped back.
『Foam!』[Alex]
A wall of bubbles suddenly formed in front of Kikhia as jet black spikes rushed at her, before bouncing off of the bubbles or shattering forthright.
『NO! We lost the opportunity!』[Mune]
He got closer before raising his hand up and focusing mana to his fingertips.
『Bias Flame!』[Mune]
The black flames sprouted into existence on Zousa, hindering his regeneration, but he still quickly recovered his original body type.
『God damn demons!』[Mune]
In that instant, he recovered his full body and jumped above the wall and smacked Alex, sending him shooting several hundred feet away, bouncing off of the ground repeatedly.
『SIR ALEX!』[Kikhia]
Zousa began to cackle to himself.
『KEHAHAHA! This.... ISN'T ABOUT THE TARGET ANYMORE!』[Zousa]
He lunged at Nova, his fist inches away from his face.
A giant green gust of wind impacted on him, sending him several hundred feet away as well.
『Nova! If there's something you can do, please do it now!』[Freyana]
He nodded to her before whispering under his breath, hurriedly.
『...You said that I would need your help to kill him, right?』[Nova]
『...That's correct. It is impossible to kill a demon without killing the host, after all.』[Asmodasiah]
『...So, you can help me to kill the demon inside of him?』[Nova]
『...And the price is life energy… Which friend will you kill?』[Asmodasiah]
『...Will it save her brother?』[Nova]
『...Ah... Are you going to take the younger sibling's life in exchange for the older brother…? ...I suppose so.』[Asmodasiah]
Nova had a wide smile on his face, now that she said that.
『...I'm a stupid person, you know?』[Nova]
Nova stabbed his blade into the ground, pouring mana into the hilt.
『...Ah. You're going to kill the person that just got attacked. I suppose if you do that, you can save both of those siblings.』[Asmodasiah]
『...Nope!』[Nova]
She was struck speechless.
『...Then…?』[Asmodasiah]
In a blink of an eye, Zousa was back up and already rushing at Nova again.
A giant glowing cage encaged him, preventing him from moving any closer to Nova.
『Holy energy?! Damn you!』[Zousa]
Nova put his finger up in the shape of a finger gun, aiming at the gaps through the cage.
His smile unsettled everyone nearby.
『...Take my life.』[Nova]