C.S.O - Chapter 36 [Believe]

"I surrender..."

"..."

Mea fell silent, with an expression of disbelief. She even considered what was happening in front of her as an unfunny joke.

"Fuhu huuaahahahaaaha... Surrender? Haha... Have you gone mad?"

"No."

Flamia calmly replied.

"I am well aware that my actions may seem like a joke to you, but this is my choice. I don't want to fight you, Mea-san."

"In that case, I'll just kill you!"

Mea lunged towards Flamia, who had no defenses. She struck Flamia directly in the stomach, sending her body flying far away. At the same time, Flamia's HP bar decreased to less than 4 percent.

"If I hit you one more time, you'll die. Is that what you want?"

"..."

Flamia slowly rose, her body covered in wounds. Her equipment was all destroyed, unable to withstand Mea's abnormal strength.

"Come on, take this seriously and fight. I didn't become like this just to see you raise your hands in surrender. This fight is a testament to the choices we consider to be right. I side with Kuro because I accept him for who he is, regardless of whether he will destroy the world or not. And you fight because you want Kuro to return to his former self. I don't really care if my choice is right or wrong, but I'm doing what I believe is right."

"..."

"If you stop, it means your so-called conviction is a falsehood. Is this all the determination a Flamia can muster?"

What Mea said was not a provocation, but a reality that Flamia had to accept. She understood that her actions showed her lack of seriousness in resolving this issue. But...

"You may consider my determination weak, even false. But my determination to save Kuro is not false."

Flamia showed a gaze full of determination, but unfortunately, Mea just smiled.

"Save? Who? Do you think Kuro needs saving? He is stronger than anyone in this world. He doesn't need saving from a weakling who can't even take what he wants. If this were a comedy movie, I'm sure you'd win the award for best work. Of course, from the last position."

"...I know I'm weak. I know Kuro may not need my help. Perhaps what I will do is just bother him, but... Mea-san, if things continue like this, Kuro will become an enemy of the world. He won't find true happiness. All he will have is a day filled with battles and worries. As his wife, I don't want him to be like that."

When in the world created by Kuro, Flamia understood that Kuro wanted to be like any other normal human. To live a normal life, have normal friends, experience normal romance, and just be normal.

But all that never became a reality considering who she really was. Her existence was even abnormal among the abnormal.

However, it didn't mean that normal people didn't deserve happiness. Even gods and goddesses who had the power to destroy the world in seconds chose peaceful lives instead of destroying it.

That's why, instead of seeing Kuro's life filled with battles, she chose for Kuro to be able to smile. And she wanted to be a part of that smile, along with Chiaki and Ruko. Not only that, even with Mea.

"Kuku... I understand your desire. I even have the same thoughts."

"Mea-san..."

"But may I ask one thing, why do you think Kuro will lose? No, rather, is there anyone brave enough to challenge and oppose Kuro?"

True.

If you think about it carefully, Kuro's identity is that of a Demon God who will destroy Yggdrasil in the future. Not only destroying the world but also successfully defeating one of the strongest gods in mythology. Challenging Kuro would mean suicide.

"...I admit that Kuro is indeed strong, but above a high mountain, there is an even higher mountain. Kuro's strength may be able to defeat the strongest god, but will Kuro always be the strongest? As long as he is alone, he will never gain true power."

There is not just one god or goddess, but if they are all added together, they number in the thousands. If one of them can destroy the world, how long will Kuro be able to fight them all?

But that's not the only important thing.

Although they can die, gods and goddesses are eternal existences as long as their source of power, namely belief, exists. In other words, even if Kuro wins, it doesn't mean he has truly defeated his enemies. Undoubtedly, this will be an eternal battle.

Aware of the endless nightmare that awaited them, Flamia chose to live with a smile alongside all of them.

"Kukuku..."

Once again, Mea laughed with a condescending smile.

"You're right. Because he's alone, he will lose in this battle. But... after losing, do you think the world will forgive Kuro?"

"?!"

"Right now, Kuro is showing the world that he is a Demon God. Someone who destroys the world for selfish reasons. Maybe you will stop Kuro, but can you protect him from someone who wants to kill him with your power?"

Once again, Flamia was silenced by Mea. She realized that what Mea said was true.

Although they had managed to stop Kuro for now, it didn't mean that it would end well. In fact, it was just the beginning.

When the worst time came, would she be able to do what Kuro did? She wanted a smile in their family, but did she have enough power to protect that smile from someone who knew Kuro's identity?

Thinking about all of that, she realized that whatever they chose, it would all end in an endless battle. Even though she didn't know what would happen in the future, she understood that if they weren't prepared for the worst, they wouldn't be able to anticipate all possibilities. Avoiding the fight was certainly an option, but could they avoid it forever? Eventually, they would have to fight. If they didn't have enough power, they would lose what was precious to them.

"?!"

A thought appeared in Flamia's mind, but that-

"Now do you understand why Kuro wants to Awaken? It's all for us."

By awakening all of his power as a Demon God, Kuro would be able to fight against the upcoming enemy. Mea had known this from the beginning of the battle. That's why she sided with Kuro.

"Can you still call yourself a wife when you don't know what Kuro wants? He is currently fighting alone without anyone to help, while all of you intend to stop him. Truly... it's not a funny joke."

Mea clenched her fists tightly. Anger and frustration were clearly visible on her face.

"....even so-"

"It won't end well?" Mea interrupted. "I already know that. Everything will have consequences. Whether they are good or bad depends on the seeds we sow, but that's not the issue right now."

"..."

"After realizing this, do you still have the determination to return Kuro to how he was?"

Everything Mea said was true. It was difficult, even though she knew Kuro was doing all of this for their sake.

But at the same time, it was a risky path. Even with Kuro's current power, if the enemy attacked, no one could help him.

(Now?)

For a moment, Flamia felt struck by lightning.

(Right. I should have sensed this oddity. Stupid, why didn't I realize it earlier? It's something simple, but why did I only realize it now?)

She realized she was foolish, but she didn't expect to be this foolish.

"...Mea-san, may I ask one thing before I give you an answer?"

"Go ahead. If my answer satisfies you..."

"If you've realized all of this, why aren't you helping Kuro fight right now?"

"..."

Mea fell silent.

"I knew it. Right now, Kuro may rise as a Demon God, but not today. Kuro will only awaken his true self, in other words, he will only awaken the power of the sealed demon. Although it's a great power, it's still not enough to become a Demon God. Am I wrong?"

"..."

"Gods are beings born from belief, they are powerful, capable of destroying the world, but they don't do it. It's because if they do, they would essentially destroy themselves since their source of existence would cease to exist. And then, they would eventually die."

"..."

"This also applies to Kuro, who will become a Demon God. If no one believes he is a Demon God, then Kuro won't become one. That's why the gods and goddesses only watch from afar without taking action. What I don't understand is, why are you insisting on stopping us?"

All of this was a conclusion she reached after thinking about everything based on her experiences and knowledge. She couldn't say it was perfect, but it was enough.

Of course, she still felt something was off, but for now, she had conveyed what was most important.

Then, after a few moments, she received a response.

"Kuku... Excellent."

A smile accompanied by applause.

"But I don't care about all of that. Oh, by the way, I wanted to let you know that Kuro will rise in about 10 minutes. You surely understand what that means...?"

Mea showed an evil smile.

"Mea-san, after all of this, you..."

Why was Mea still acting the same as before? Was the conclusion she mentioned wrong?

"Relax, I said you're not wrong. But you should realize, if Kuro really won't become a Demon God, why bother collecting the fragments of Longinus Light? If Kuro only becomes an ordinary demon, shouldn't you just stay still?"

"?!"

"Haha... Foolish, you should have realized that all the worst possibilities you imagined will surely happen. I admit you're not bad at drawing conclusions, but my advice is... 'When you draw a conclusion, you must draw another conclusion even if it's the worst conclusion you've ever thought of.' Only naive people would think everything will be fine. Haha... I'm sorry, I can't hold back my laughter. You can think like that if you want, I truly don't hate people like you, but... Ah, forget it... I'm actually only tasked with stopping you, not killing you. Besides, Kuro doesn't want you to get hurt. It's better if you stay quiet, won't you?"

Before her words finished, something pierced her from behind. It was a beautiful and captivating white sword.

Mea slowly looked back, and her eyes widened. But then, she smiled.

"Why didn't I expect this? Ruko-chan, when did you come back?"

The one who stabbed her was Ruko. And for some reason, her sweet figure turned sharp and filled with bloodlust. If it weren't for the ring that marked them as Kuro's wife, everyone would have assumed Ruko was someone else.

"Just now. And don't worry, I only froze your body. Besides, as you said, Onii-chan would be mad if we got hurt."

Ruko's smile appeared so calm amidst her unbelievable actions.

Gradually, Mea's legs froze, and the ice began to spread throughout her body. This was one of Ruko's skills used to immobilize her opponents. Normally, it only lasted for a few seconds, but Ruko used one of her Divine Skills called "Soul Cage" that could stop movements for hours. It could be said that this was one of Ruko's Divine Skills.

"Haha... I don't know whether to be happy or not being stabbed from behind by my own comrade. How about your hunt?"

"After what you did to Flamia-chan, I didn't expect you to still call us your friends."

"I'm only doing what I believe is right. Besides, it's Kuro's direct request. As a good wife, how could I refuse, right?"

Even though her body was partially frozen, Mea didn't show any signs of defeat. She didn't even show any regret, as if she believed what she did was right. In the end, no one knew what Mea was thinking through all of this.

"...I know you must feel like you're the most right and the luckiest to be with Onii-chan, but don't be mistaken. What you're doing is wrong, and I'm sure you'll regret it soon."

"Kuku... I don't know. But right now, I have no regrets."

Only her head remained unfrozen, yet Mea still wore a proud and confident smile.

"My role is finished. Now I pray that you'll be lucky."

Then, Mea's entire body froze.

Ruko quickly withdrew her sword from Mea's body. She let out a heavy sigh.

"...."

After gazing at Mea's frozen body, she finally looked toward Flamia.

She swiftly approached and helped Flamia to stand up. She didn't forget to take out the best recovery potion.

"Drink this..."

"Thank you.."

Flamia's HP bar was quickly replenished. Her body, which was covered in cuts and bruises, healed as if nothing had happened. However, her equipment was in shambles and difficult to explain.

"I can't believe Mea-chan had such power."

"Maybe it's because she's a Succubus, or maybe she gained power from Kuro. ..Is Mea-san okay?"

Ruko sighed.

"Don't worry, there's no way I would kill her. Onii-chan would hate me for the rest of his life if I did that. Anyway, the most important thing is that we now understand why she was always with Onii-chan. So, did you manage to get the Fragment of Longinus Light?"

"..Uum.."

Flamia didn't know how to answer. She knew the fragment they were looking for was in Mea's possession, but during the fight, she didn't even attempt to take it. She had given up entirely. If Mea hadn't been frozen, they might have had a chance to obtain it, but at the same time, it would have allowed Mea to escape.

(Should I be honest?)

It might be the best choice, but was it the right choice in a situation like this?

"?"

While pondering that, she suddenly received a message. She opened the message and had no choice but to be surprised.

The message she received wasn't from a player, but a notification that she had received an item.

"Congratulations! You have obtained the Fragment of Longinus Light."

"Huh?"

How was that possible?

"Flamia-chan, is something wrong? Did you get the Fragment of Longinus Light?"

"Uh... Yeah... I got it.."

Ruko smiled.

"Great, in that case, let's go to Chiaki-chan's location. She's been waiting for us. You know, she also obtained a Fragment of Longinus Light. With this, we can stop Onii-chan."

Not only was she happy, but Ruko also seemed excited.

As for Flamia, she understood why Ruko was happy, but at the same time, there was a nagging feeling in her heart. A feeling that something wasn't right.

"Now let's go.."

"Um... Okay."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The battle between the giant CSO guild and Kuro continued, or rather, it had already ended.

The landscape that was once filled with over a billion Libers now only showed traces of the battle, such as large craters, and fallen or burnt trees.

As for the billions of Libers, only a few scattered ones could be seen in different locations.

"How many of us are left?"

"Probably no more than 5,000. Damn, I didn't expect that only 2,000 Demon Beasts could cause all this."

Tera and Albor kept running from the 5 Demon Beasts chasing them, emitting terrifying laughter. Although they were experienced in fighting scary monsters like the undead and the like, for the first time, they felt what terror and nightmares were like.

After the Demon Beasts appeared, the situation quickly turned against the Libers, who had initially been superior and had victory assured, but in less than five minutes, the situation changed rapidly.

The Demon Beasts were not only high-leveled but also possessed terrifying skills. It took at least 20 Libers attacking with high-level skills simultaneously or at least alternately to inflict any significant damage, and even then, it only reduced a small portion of their HP bar. After painstakingly injuring them, their joy turned into despair as the Demon Beasts' HP bars quickly recovered. Then, the despair continued as the Demon Beasts attacked with their unique skills. With a single slash, the Libers' defenses were shattered, and they died.

Only Liber with a level of 666 or higher managed to survive, but that was only the first wave of attacks. The second and subsequent attacks ended up wiping out the Liber one by one, even though the Demon Beasts were outnumbered. In the end, the guild leader took action to form a large-scale alliance to survive the dangerous situation.

If 50 Liber were not enough, they would simply increase their numbers. It was a common logic that anyone could easily think of, but the situation still didn't show any signs of improvement.

When one of the Demon Beasts was defeated, their attack patterns changed. Initially, the Demon Beasts attacked randomly as long as they could eliminate the Liber, but their attack patterns changed to cooperation among the Demon Beasts.

The large-sized Demon Beasts attacked from a distance, while the small-sized ones used their speed to sneak in and get close. Eventually, the Demon Beasts managed to penetrate the formation and disrupt their attacks.

Realizing that the situation was worse than expected, the guild leader employed a strategy of encircling them one by one, relying on the numerical difference between the two sides.

Unfortunately, this was difficult because the Demon Beasts were aware of the danger of being surrounded. In the end, the Demon Beasts formed a small group consisting of three Demon Beasts.

Everyone was aware that the ability of the Demon Beasts to think and cooperate was beyond what could be expected from mere AI-created monsters. In other words, there was another factor as to why they were able to work together.

That factor was undoubtedly the fact that they were all under the command of the Demon God. In other words, they were ordered by the Demon God itself.

This is what is called war. Everyone knew that. That's why no one attempted to retreat.

With the strategy in place, the Liber eventually managed to push back the Demon Beasts and reduce their numbers to around 1500.

Everyone thought things would be fine as long as this continued. But like in other stories, they didn't know what would happen in the future.

Suddenly, the bodies of the Demon Beasts emitted a threatening crimson aura. At the same time, they all experienced the <Berserk> status.

The defenses that were previously able to withstand their attacks were shattered in a single strike. Even the Liber with a level higher than 666 suffered the same fate. Everyone wondered what was really happening.

What happened next could be guessed—massacre.

While remembering that nightmare, Tera and Albor managed to survive because they realized they couldn't win and chose to escape. The Ouroboros guild was now reduced to just a few scattered members.

Albor suggested regrouping and forming a strategy with other large guilds while gathering the best fighters.

But the Demon Beasts wouldn't let them off so easily. They were being chased by Demon Beasts that looked like monsters from hell.

"Albor, can we win?"

"No. Don't think of crazy ideas. Even escape will be difficult."

One of the Demon Beasts attacked with a black wind sword, and they dodged and took the opportunity to counterattack.

"<Smoke Breath>"

Albor's attack was only meant to obstruct the enemy's vision and detection skills. With this, they were finally able to escape and maintain a distance.

"Good. But we can't let them follow us to the rendezvous point."

"I know that. But I've also reached my limit."

"Roar!!"

"!?"

A loud roar made them realize that they couldn't relax yet.

Then a shadowy figure appeared above them. When they turned around, they found a medium-sized Dragon-form Demon Beast.

"Damn it!?"

Both of them cursed inwardly. They could escape from the Demon Beasts on land, but facing a flying Demon Beast was impossible.

"Tera, get ready! It's going to breathe fire!"

"!?"

Bad. Really bad. How could they avoid an attack like that? Was this as far as they fought? Were they going to die?

Slash!?

Suddenly, the sound of a slash was heard, followed by a roar. They were shocked to see that the Dragon-form Demon Beast had been split in half.

They both thought the same thing. Only someone capable of doing that could have accomplished it.

Finally, the Valkyrie Maiden arrived.

But when they saw the figure that appeared, they could only widen their eyes in disbelief. The one who slashed the Demon Beast was not Valkryie Maiden but someone they were very familiar with.

"I can't believe you run away from that lizard. It seems the guild leader's standards have dropped."

With a smile, Chiaki arrived with the holy sword in her hand.

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