CHAPTER 111: I CAN’T AFFORD TO DIE NOW

"Who are you?"

...It was all just a sly joke — a casual tease.

How did it turn out like this?

I was hurt. Bleeding from the mouth and nostrils. My vision—and perception in general—was getting hazy, and it was taking everything I had to remain conscious... from just one blow.

The person impersonating my Master had gotten within a few meters of me.

And their gaze... it was indifference I sensed—utter indifference from those golden irises.

I do not understand what is going on, but... this definitely was not Master Raven anymore.

After all... Master Raven’s Prime Value did not read as "Nil"—the type of error that manifests when you try to measure the likes of Gabi’el and Namadris.

"If that attack was able to immobilize you so," they began, not a single gesture betraying any emotion, "it only means you are ineffective."

They squinted. "Master has no need for ineffective pawns."

And with that, they raised a hand toward me.

Tsk! I’m still under attack?

Some areas in the space around them began to tear in rough circular shapes, from which several blue rays shot at me.

I managed to evade most of them, but a few pierced my limbs. It hurt so much, I wondered what was blended into the attack to cause such discomfort.

For beings like us, pain is normally vague: we can identify something as pain, but not truly feel the discomfort mortals experience when damaged...

But when we do feel the discomfort of pain, it means our existence is screaming at us to escape danger.

"You jest and clown about like a fool," they continued mid-fire, as I scrambled across the field like a cornered mouse. "It is becoming too recurring. And it has started to affect your very reasoning."

All the space-tears suddenly joined together to form one massive hole, and with a light hum and fluctuating light, a single ray zoomed toward me.

I crossed my arms to block it, summoning all the defense I could fathom at that moment.

All the grasses around were scorched, and my body trembled from the intense heat and pressure.

"Such misbehavior deserves punishment—one that I will present to you in Master’s stead."

They moved a little closer, that same expressionless face of my Master meeting mine.

I was already out of breath. That last attack consumed my magic energy and sent it into a berserk state. I had to manually stabilize it just to block the ray and suppress the aftershock effects...

I utterly can’t afford to take another strike.

But my dream had just started...

The one I longed for, for so long, had finally found me, and every hour that passed filled me with joy and happiness I had never known in my chaotic and disastrous life filled with conquest and void...

Perhaps sometime in the past, I would have allowed myself to be destroyed...

But now—I want to live.

I want to experience more of this love.

I want to enjoy being alive with my Master. And Alicia. And Tamayō. And... Jobina... and even all the Mumoko no Kiba, too.

I can’t afford to die now.

"Brace yourself, Queen of the Coast," they warned. "This might destroy you if you don’t pay attention."

As the space began to close, a great pool of magic—

No. Not magic.

I had no idea what abomination they were gathering for me...

But certainly, it was not in my best interest.

Move... Move, body of mine!

Move! Move!

Despite the struggle... despite my attempts to flee, I was weak.

Yes... weak.

I am weak.

I could only watch as the golden streak of light rushed toward me...

I closed my eyes. I couldn’t even stop the tear that rolled out.

"I am weak... So I’m going to die," was my final cry in this life—

Or so I thought—

"GET YOURSELF TOGETHER, YOU DUMB SERPENT!"

Alicia’s voice.

Out of nowhere.

She stepped in front of me, and the blast slammed into her like a flood of divine judgment hitting a lone boulder.

It sounded like the roar of flames blending with the sharp whistling of a fast-moving object.

Alicia had defended me, creating a barrier that barely covered a few feet around us.

Every other part was shaved off—eaten by the unknown.

Behind us, a massive portion of land—as far as the natural eye could see—was gone, forming an endless trench that split deeper from our position.

The grounds that survived the blast melted like magma and poured into the trench, creating a colossal waterfall of lava and dense, unknown energy.

Gasp!

I found a little strength. "Please stop! You’re going to hurt Flora!"

"Fool."

Calmly, they rebuked me. "The one called Flora has little to no pain receptors for damages done to Coastelle."

They glanced at the wide destruction—stretching as far as the eye could see.

"And meager destruction of this level will never cause her pain. That you—one of the only two individuals connected to this realm—do not know this, is why you need discipline."

This damage...

Is meager to this person?

"Who... exactly are you?" I whispered, weak and trembling.

A glint of disappointment showed on their otherwise expressionless face. "You were once a great wisdom who gave that rodent, Satanas, a fighting chance against Heaven..."

Wha—!!

They called THE Satanas... a rodent?

And they speak of the Second Heavenly War like they were there.

They squinted, putting a hand on their chin.

Then, a deep rumble erupted—and mysteriously, an extravagant golden throne rose from the earth.

They sat upon it graciously.

"I spared your life solely because I assumed your impressive wit would serve Master well. But... I am beginning to suspect my calculations were inaccurate."

The impersonator glanced at Alicia.

"Tell me, Son of Chaos," their tone now softer, more feminine, "why do you interfere in her education?"

Alicia was also out of breath. Her arms were tinged and scorched brown, trembling in what I could only describe as visible pain.

"Education, my foot!" Alicia snapped, her face twisted in anger. "If I didn’t step in, she would’ve died!"

"That is not a problem," they responded smoothly, unfazed. "Tools break every now and then. Replacement is not an issue."

Then, glancing at me with complete indifference:

"The individual called Levina cannot perish within the confines of Coastelle."

"So you intend to just do as you please?!" Alicia shouted, still shielding me like I was a helpless little girl being scolded.

"Certainly," they replied. "I am the manager of all Master’s affairs. Everything I do is for his glory and interest."

"And you think Ruby would be happy with Levina dying?! Even if revival were possible?"

They watched Alicia for a moment. "She is being inefficie—"

"And what’s wrong with that?!" Alicia’s voice echoed through all of Coastelle. "She’s Levina—and Ruby likes her just the way she is!!"

Alicia...?

As she spoke, I couldn’t help but feel safe. Guarded.

And with every word she said, the tears just wouldn’t stop.

Like a broken dam, they kept falling.

The impersonator’s brow twitched slightly.

"Master has far more important matters to attend to than play around with mere tools and pawns."

"No..." Alicia said, calmer this time—almost like she understood something deeper. "It is you who do not understand anything... Platform."

At the mention of that name—Platform—the impersonator reacted, just a little. But I noticed it.