13th of the Initial Fire Month.
We finally exited the subway station and headed straight to the amusement park where Lily was waiting. Without hiding, boldly and directly.
“…Is this really going to be okay?”
“If that cannon fires at us, we’ll be wiped out for sure.”
Falkius and Celis looked quite tense. Given Vivian’s intel on the power of Shangri-La’s secondary cannon, walking like this without concern was probably not easy for them.
The first challenge to reach Lily was this shelling. The terrifying part about it was its power, attack range, and pinpoint accuracy.
“It’ll be fine. Lily definitely won’t shoot at me.”
And this is the countermeasure for that.
We formed a tight cluster around me, much closer together than the usual formation. By taking myself as a hostage, I was able to nullify Lily’s shelling.
With that level of cannon fire, it wouldn’t be able to skillfully eliminate just the other members without hitting me. If she wanted to hit accurately, she would have to use normal attack magic instead. But if it’s just regular attack magic being fired, we can manage that.
“—See, I told you it’d be okay.”
Despite the anxiety, we safely arrived in front of the amusement park’s main gate. Not a single shot of shelling or attack magic came our way. It was as if Lily was completely unaware of our approach.
Or perhaps, Lily wasn’t here anymore… such an eerie stillness was blown away in the next moment.
“—Welcome! To the paradise of dreams and magic, Destiny Land!!”
“Whoa, what the?!”
Suddenly, an overly cheerful loud voice boomed, and colorful lights illuminated the dark amusement park brilliantly.
In this ruined city, only the amusement park, perfectly maintained, seemed to have been revived across time, echoing cheerful BGM and announcements.
“Today’s Destiny Land is reserved for the wedding of Lord Chrono and Lady Lily! Guests are kindly asked to enter through the main gate following the guide!”
The grand gate resembling a white-painted castle gate opened heavily.
I see, they were fully prepared to welcome us.
“Happy wedding! Welcome to Destiny Land!”
From beyond the opened gate, someone dressed in a costume resembling a black mouse character appeared, running over while calling out in an oddly high-pitched voice. Behind the mouse character, there were friends in costumes resembling ducks and dogs as well.
“Hello, I’m the mascot of Destiny Land, Mickey—”
“Magic Grenade Shelling.”
Once the gate opened, there was no time to indulge in this farce.
With the right hand of the “Tyrant’s Armor” gripping the “Dual Eagle,” I unleashed flames towards the suspicious mouse who was shouting a self-introduction in a comical pose.
Continuing to fire after the explosive flames sent that Mickey figure flying, I finished off all the approaching mascot characters with grenades before promptly taking the next action.
“—Black Smoke.”
I unleashed smoke screens to cover the entire spacious courtyard from the main gate. The thick black smoke obscured all vision. It was the same for Lily observing from somewhere.
“Let’s go, everyone, charge in!”
There was no reason to accept Lily’s welcome naively. Now that the gate was open, we just needed to get inside and rescue the hostage.
After piercing through the smoke screen, we split up and headed toward the points with magical power signatures where the hostages were presumably held.
Then, leaving the rescue to my allies, I prepared to confront Lily myself—
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Lily.”
As the black smoke was swept away by the wind, I caught sight of light ahead.
A beautiful yet ominous, red light.
“Yes, I’ve been waiting… for this moment, all along.”
In the center of the courtyard stood a large fountain, and above it floated a fairy girl wrapped in a crimson fairy barrier.
Her long platinum blonde hair waved in the breeze. The dress she wore was made of ancient velvet in jet black, which beautifully contrasted her snow-white skin.
It was surely the most familiar appearance I had seen in this other world… and yet, it was the first time seeing such a completely transformed figure.
The flickering red and black butterfly wings. Her round, jade eyes were only on her right side, while her left eye was black. I see, that is my left eye, the “Black Eye.”
Though it had been a long time since I last met Lily, she had changed in such a way. Still, I felt an overwhelming urge to hug her right now.
However, for now, that wasn’t possible. Neither for me nor for Lily.
“Lily, release Fiona and the others. There’s still time—”
Even knowing it was futile, I couldn’t help but call out. Even though I expected her to refuse without a doubt, I still had to say it.
It was the excuse I needed for myself.
Listen, Lily, I’ve said it. There is still time to return to our original relationship. If you refuse that, then I will be allowed to pursue my ultimate desire.
“Ufufu, Chrono, I’m sorry—”
With a familiar elegant smile, Lily aimed the gun “Meteor Striker” in her right hand at me.
Seeing the bluish-white light ignite at the gun’s muzzle, I thought, oh no, something dangerous is coming!
My sixth sense blared a warning of danger. My spine froze and my body was covered in goosebumps.
So, I also attempted to evade with all my might.
“‘Storm (Over)——”
“Dimensional Magic ‘Cocytus’ Abyss’.”
The instant I heard Lily’s words, my vision was painted entirely white――
Everything became a blank white. Like snow, like ashes, it transformed into a pure, brilliant white.
The garden at the entrance of Destiny Land, where Lily floated, had just beautifully recovered from the fierce battle with Fiona, filled with colorful blooming flowers. Yet in an instant, everything was transformed into a colorless white world.
Both Chrono and Lily knew of the prison known as the “Cocytus’ Abyss.” It utilized the ancient ruins located beneath Spada Royal Castle. Once trapped, escape was absolutely impossible; it was the ultimate prison.
Prisoners cannot move at all, nor even think.
It was said that inside, time comes to a halt.
Only by using the power of the ruins can it be activated and stopped. It is ancient dimensional magic, completely unexplained by modern magic. That is the “Cocytus’ Abyss.”
Lily had never seen it.
However, she was certain that this white world she created herself was a frozen hell that halted time.
“Fufu…”
I couldn’t help but smile.
In the center of the pure white garden stood a demonic suit of armor and helmet, boldly standing there. The cursed pitch-black ancient armor, adorned with twisted two-horned skull masks, was dyed in the same white hue as the surrounding scenery, as if it were a statue that had been displayed there from the beginning.
No vitality or magical power could be felt. Yet within the white-dyed “Tyrant’s Armor,” Chrono was there.
I knew about this cursed armor. Lily had seen it directly when she obtained it. The immense curse sealed within, along with its performance that matched its power. It was likely the finest armor worthy of Chrono to wear.
However, the mobility, defense, and perhaps the cursed power that remains unexplained are rendered meaningless when time halts.
“Finally, I’ve captured you.”
This “Cocytus’ Abyss” was a one-time trap prepared to capture Chrono.
Originally, it was a magical device that existed in a room of the Sky Battleship Shangri-La. What that room was originally used for is now unknown. Yet it is still capable of stopping time within its effective range.
However, activating it would consume almost all of the magical power currently supplied by Shangri-La.
Lily did not fire upon us because she could not; she was unable to demonically engage us as we boldly approached. She had installed the time-freezing magical device, hidden among the fountain and surrounding objects, which had been ripped from Shangri-La, ready to activate with just a trigger.
Lily would not shoot me. It was because Chrono believed that, without hiding, he would boldly enter through the main gate, and thus stepped foot here.
It was not that Chrono was foolish. It was also the result of Lily believing in Chrono.
Chrono would definitely come to meet me straight on. That was what she believed.
So she set her trap.
“I’m sorry, Chrono. The wedding will have to wait… maybe, in a hundred years or so.”
For now, there were simply too many annoying things in the way.
Fiona, Sariel, Nel— not only romantic rivals but everyone surrounding Chrono. Friends and acquaintances, not just them. Even enemies like the Apostles and Crusaders included.
Yes, everything was tying Chrono to this present time.
However, if a hundred years, two hundred years… perhaps even thousand years in the distant future awaken, what then? In that world, in that era, nothing will connect to Chrono anymore.
Except for the one exception named Lily.
“For Chrono’s sake, I’ll wait as many years as it takes.”
For Lily, who had obtained the means to transcend time through time freezing, it was no longer necessary to dirty her own hands to deal with Fiona and the others. Rivals in love, foes, and allies alike, all could be returned to nothing just by crossing one era. Even without Lily herself destroying the world, she could change everything.
“I’m not lonely at all. Because Chrono is here with me.”
By merely continuing to sleep in frozen time, Lily could have a world all to herself with Chrono.
“Now, let’s go together, Chrono… this is our paradise.”
Lily’s battle was over.
Once she confined Chrono within time, nothing else mattered. She would simply wait for the bonds Chrono built in this world to vanish under the flow of time.
“That’s why, I have no intention of fighting you all— ‘Meteor Sword’.”
From the glowing fairy barrier, a crimson blade of light grew.
Four red light swords, converging from all directions, clashed against the incoming blue-glowing great sword.
From directly above, the blade glittered like a precious sword in gold, while the left-hand blade seemed to harbor a raging storm.
And behind it, a pitch-black blade crept in like a shadow, silent and unseen.
All of this was deflected and repulsed by Lily’s “Meteor Sword.”
“—Whoa! You’re tiny, but what power!”
“Plus, it’s not just fast but accurate.”
“Half-hearted magic won’t work.”
“No blind spots, huh.”
Four swordsmen descended before Lily.
“Heh, coming to Avalon was worth it. This here exceeds my expectations!”
With fighting spirit flaring a blue aura, Kai boasted.
“Good grief, I never thought we’d have to go with Plan B… sometimes, my bad premonitions are spot on.”
Exhaling a weary sigh, Falkius armed himself with sword and shield, standing boldly just as in the “Great Arena.”
“Since Chrono has been stopped, it cannot be helped.”
Celis, who enveloped her saber with wind, surrounded by an ominous black and purple aura, calmly readied herself.
“Indeed, we shall steel ourselves and cut down the fairy, Lily.”
Rudra drew his cursed black blade back into its sheath before gripping the hilt once more.
All of them were swordsmen known in the world. Each with their beloved sword ready, without letting their guard down, challenging a single girl with all their might.
“I’m saying I can let you go.”
Lily, floating in the air, looked down upon the four swordsmen with pride.
“I came here for a fight because you’re incredibly strong! No way I’m going home!”
“I’m not so heartless that I’d abandon my dear friend and run away. After all, I’m a star, and I can’t ruin my beautiful image.”
“I’ll be taking Chrono and Princess Nel back!”
“Your lives are cheap. If you say you’ll gamble them for righteousness, that’s fine by me.”
Each took up their sword for their own reasons. Once the swordsmen had them in hand, there would be no retreat by mere words.
It would be a matter of winning or losing. Living or dying.
This was already a place of death.
“Ufufu, fine. Then I’ll entertain you.”
Lily laughed. In a good mood.
Now that she had obtained Chrono, her spirits were at their peak. The height of happiness.
The queen of jealous laughter was in such a good mood that she was willing to indulge in the foolishness of the fools.
“Don’t worry, come at me. I’ll be kind and take you down—”
April 13, 2017
Due to circumstances, the update for the concurrently serialized “The Sorceress Cannot Become a Hero” will be on next Monday, April 17. We apologize for the sudden change and any inconvenience it may cause.