’I can still use it!’

My expression turns pleasant as I reach out to my hope of salvation.

Once I hold onto the fattened spear, I hear a loud noise emerging from beyond the barrier.

It screams "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" while growing louder by the second.

It’s a familiar voice.

A smile subconsciously graces my face.

Then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!

The entire ritual collapses, and the feedback causes the dome to erupt with the leftover power that it has stored up.

Everything is covered in a deluge of crimson light.

If not for my current position, and the ability of the spear to absorb all the excess energy, I would likely be flooded with all of that excessive energy.

With my kind of durability, I doubt I would even last a second.

However...

"No one on my team is going to die here!" I remember the Captain’s words and almost laugh at the current dangers that swirl around me.

Why do I feel a sense of reassurance somehow?

I feel no fear at all.

Is it that I have actually grown to trust these people?

Or that I have placed such weight on Alistair Wormwood’s words?

Who knows?

I do know that this experience has been rather pleasant.

Ever since I became a Leviathan, I have had to struggle alone for most of my journey. I eventually met Ciel, but we never fought alongside each other for a common objective.

Not like this.

In a way, this is reminiscent of my old team... The Wandering Nine.

"Not bad..."

My vision instantly blurs and my mind turns blank.

Everything is dark for a few seconds.

Then crimson.

Then... bright white.

By the time my vision returns, the first thing I notice is the spear in my hands shattering.

Its pieces crumble to dust.

Then, I look around—at the charred underground and the devastation that has been wrought for dozens of kilometers.

This is a level of destruction which I have never personally experienced.

Not even against the Cadre 6 Magivore of the past.

Still...

... I manage to survive.

"Hehe!" A small laugh leaves my lips as I sigh in relief and exhaustion.

Then... I hear a voice.

"Why are you laughing...?" The sound comes from the rubble, where a charred and mangled man lays still.

’T-this is—!’

My eyes bulge as I watch his figure appear from within the destruction.

It is Lucien Zevalis!

’H-he managed to survive even that?!’

Unfortunately, I am out of Frontflow, and my Floating Horse Construct could not be saved during the explosion. My body also feels a little numb, and I am trapped hundreds of meters underground.

"You ruined everything..." Lucien mutters, his eyes fixed on me. "My dream... my memories... you trampled on them like they were nothing."

Tears flow from his eyes.

He looks at me with pure rage, and hate, and all manner of other emotions.

But I don’t pity him.

I don’t fear him either... Not anymore.

One of his hands is gone, and the other one is mangled beyond recognition.

Now I understand how he got that mangled arm from before.

That was Richard’s doing.

His shaky breath and barely audible voice shows that he is barely clinging to life. His once handsome face has turned ugly from all the devastation that has been wrought to him.

Hot smoke rises from his body, and barely any hair clings to his wretched head.

Still, in that wretched state, he manages to stand.

He gives me a meaningful stare.

A complex look.

One filled with immense disbelief and all kinds of confusion.

Then... understanding.

"You must resent me for killing your aunt. And for slaughtering so many people. All for the sake of achieving my goals."

"... Yes."

Even though I ought not to respond to this man, I do.

Perhaps out of instinct.

It’s just the two of us here, in the darkness of ruin.

But I don’t feel alone or scared anymore.

Instead, I maintain my gaze on his pathetic figure and remain motionless.

I expect him to make some kind of move.

Even if I am not his match in strength and speed, I still have the advantage since he is currently injured and I am not.

However, much to my surprise, he does not approach me.

Instead, he remains still as well.

Then—

"You will understand soon enough..."

—He suddenly breaks into a smile, his deep purple eyes twinkling with a mysterious and eerie light.

What does he mean by that statement?

"I will never understand why someone would cause so much widespread destruction."

"Is that so...?"

"Even if I understand, I will never accept it!"

"Really?" Lucien smiles bitterly. "Even if it were to save your family...?"

"... What?"

My heart jumps for a moment.

"If I told you to help me, and in exchange... I would save your family by traveling to the past, what would you do?"

"S-stop talking."

"Hehe... I know what you’re thinking." Lucien chuckles a little before coughing. "I’m only a Leaper, and my limit is the Month Layer. However, that won’t remain the same forever, you know? I’m quite experienced in Apotheosis, so I’m pretty confident I’ll pass my next one... and the one after that. "

"...."

"Do you know what that means? I will eventually become a Rank 5 Leviathan... a Master!"

"...."

"With access to the Decade Layer, increased lifespan, and nearly limitless Interference Power... I would be incomparable to how I am now." His charred lips broaden while he maintains a quiet and understanding gaze. "And I could save your family with that kind of power."

I close my eyes and sigh deeply.

My emotions nearly spin out of control, but I regulate my breathing.

I calm myself.

"So, what do you say? Javier Aditi..."

"No." Slowly opening my eyes, I see Lucien’s disappointed frown.

But I don’t care.

His disapproval and current state of mind are none of my concern.

"As a temporary member of the Ouroboros Sect, I will apprehend you at this moment and bring you to justice for the trouble you have caused the Randalorion Kingdom, as well as all your crimes beforehand."

Lucien Zevalis groans at my words, shaking his head.

"No! No! No! No! No !No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!"

He screams like a lunatic.

"You committed all kinds of atrocities. Killed innocents. Betrayed your comrades and your—"

"I betrayed no one!" Lucien screeches in pain and rage. "They betrayed me! The Sect lied to me! It kept all its secrets... my past... my memories... It hid everything from me!"

Even as he screams at me, I continue speaking.

"—And for all of that, you will either be apprehended here or perish."

Lucien stares blankly at me for a moment.

His ravings end.

He looks at me... and then behind me...

Then, he smiles.

"Don’t trust the Ouroboros Sect, Javier."

"I don’t trust the Sect. But I trust its members... at least more than I trust you." After I offer this response, I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder.

It belongs to none other than the Captain himself—Alistair Wormwood.

"Well said, Javier."

A small, warm smile forms on my face.

Then, I feel a slightly stinging sensation as someone slaps me on my back.

It forces me to jerk forward.

"Not bad, rookie!" Rias’ voice echoes out, as she smiles brightly at me.

I twirl and find the rest of the team members standing right behind me all of them having distinct expressions on their faces.

How did they get here so quickly?

’No... when did they even arrive?’ My thoughts swirl for a moment, but it stops just as abruptly.

All their stares begin to overwhelm me for a moment.

"You did well, young man..." Amnesis nods with a brilliant expression, almost like he is pleasantly stunned by my performance.

"Good job, Javier." Richard reveals his usual tired smile.

"Hehe! I knew you had it in you!" Jamie gives me a thumbs up while winking.

"W-well... It wasn’t an awful performance, I guess." Even Elma, despite looking away and appearing uncomfortable with everything, actually complements me.

’Is this bratty teenage girl actually acknowledging me?’ My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets at the miraculous sight.

"D-don’t get any wrong ideas, okay? Anyone could have done that! It just happened to be you! And for a country bumpkin like yourself, ignorant in Leviathan matters, it wasn’t a bad performance... is all I am saying!"

I sigh and nod.

What did I expect from this girl, to begin with?

"Hmph!" She quickly scoffs and flails her wavy white hair. Then, while shutting her blue eyes and folding her arms, she looks away with prideful indignation.

’Well... whatever...’ I take my gaze away from the group and return it to Alistair.

It seems he is having some kind of conversation with Lucien.

’Not surprising...’ My gaze narrows on the two of them. ’They were both mentor and disciple, eventually turning into friends.’ 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

I sigh.

Relationships come and go, with each pursuing divergent paths.

Such is life.

’Also...’

My expression turns distant and I become distracted by a certain reflection of myself. ’... I used to think that I could do anything to achieve my goals. I still think, to a large extent, that the end justifies the means—especially as a Leviathan. So... why did I hesitate at Lucien’s offer?’

The question puzzles me for a moment.

’Back then, the team hadn’t arrived. Even if it had, I wasn’t aware. I didn’t even think about them or what they would think at the time. I simply... did not want to do it.’

Why is that the case?

’Is it because I didn’t believe him? Maybe his offer wasn’t attractive enough and I didn’t trust that he would keep his word. Still, why didn’t I even consider it for a moment?’

Standing before me was a Leaper who is an elite.

He could actually reach Rank 5, which is what I require to save my family and friends from their eventual destruction. So why did I not take his offer seriously?

Did I think I had better options?

No, that’s not it.

Was it because I do not feel any urgency at all when it comes to this goal of mine.

That isn’t it either.

No, I simply... did not want to cause so much suffering.

I didn’t want to justify it somehow.

I still don’t.

Even now... even at my current state... I still believe that there are certain lines that should not be crossed, Leviathan or not.

But why does such a line exist?

Why do I arbitrarily place the line in a certain location at one moment and in other instances, it becomes a blurry haze.

As a member of the Dark Guild, I am in charge of the illegal operations in this Kingdom.

That includes human trafficking, drug trade, and many other things!

These are things I once despised.

Yet I am in charge of the entire operation.

I told myself it was fine, and I chose to walk down this path—fully embracing my selfishness—because I needed the resources to advance my goals.

I plundered resources.

I took over the Royal Family.

I slaughtered Magivores and plundered resources indiscriminately.

I forgave Ciel for her actions against the children and staff of the Royal Academy and even entered a very beneficial alliance with her.

Didn’t people die because of her?

Earl Balric Wolfshade and I didn’t get along, but he was a good man at heart.

He died in the excursion.

Seraphina also suffered serious trauma.

A good number of other people—students and teachers—also perished.

I justified it by saying that no one I truly cared about was hurt, but is that really the right way to think about the matter?

No, that aside.

In this entire Capital, it’s not like I care about anyone in particular.

All my loved ones are in different locations.

I haven’t confirmed that any of them have been harmed, and that wasn’t even part of the consideration I made when I refused Lucien.

So why did I refuse?