Chapter 98

The inside of Quattuor was all machine. From the cleaved halves of his body, shards of metal spilled out in chaotic heaps.

For a moment, the wreckage twitched.

Then—nothing.

Permanently broken.

But I couldn’t move either.

“...S-shit!”

I dropped the sword and collapsed.

The skin of both palms had been completely stripped away. My arms and legs, ruined by the extreme physical enhancement, trembled with exhaustion and hung limp at my sides.

“...You can’t fix this, right?”

[Told you!! You dumbass!! You pushed your body past its limit with that last augmentation!]

“Try anyway, Kon. Please. This hurts like hell.”

It was the worst pain I’d felt since being reborn into this world.

Cold sweat poured from my brow. My limbs wouldn’t listen to me. Every tendon, every muscle, every bone screamed in revolt. It was unbearable.

[You’re not a hero, Amael. Want me to be real with you? You’re just a normal guy. The only reason you’ve made it this far is because of these freakish skills you’ve lucked into. You’ve never even trained properly. You’ve never conditioned your body. If you keep pushing like this, you’re going to break. You’re going to die!]

Even lying on the ground, wheezing for air—I laughed.

“Would you believe me if I said… that’s what I’m hoping for?”

I’ve crushed cultists. Killed a mechanical knight that couldn’t die. Even stole a demonic sword that burns through space itself.

And still, I’m not dead.

The next step… it had to be them. The three Demon Lords themselves descending in person to rip me apart, just like in the dreams.

That’s what I was counting on.

[But why? What the hell did you do? Did you commit some massive cosmic sin or something?

Or is this all just to protect Kanya? What kind of person sacrifices themselves to this degree for someone they barely know?! I don’t get it—I can’t get it!]

Kon was tweaking my skills again. The pain was dulling. I could feel some strength return to my arms and legs.

I slowly stood, unsteady but upright.

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

If I want to erase Asmodeus from my soul—if I want a future where everyone can finally be happy—then this is the only path forward.

While I was still catching my breath, a deep rumble shook the air.

A distant quake. Like the earth itself was caving in.

I forced myself upright.

“Kon. I think there’s still more fighting ahead.”

[Have you lost your goddamn mind?! I just told you your body is past its breaking point! You try to move any more and you’re going to lose those limbs!]

“But I still have to save Kanya. There’s gotta be something we can do.”

Kon went silent.

Then—suddenly, the pain in my limbs vanished.

[I cut the pain response. Triggered deep hypnosis—messed with your brain a little. You won’t feel anything anymore. But that just means your body’s gonna wear out faster. It’s a terrible trade. You should be resting. Flat on your back. Got it?]

“Don’t worry. I’m not suicidal. I’ll push myself—just until I get her back.”

[That… is the funniest goddamn lie I’ve heard all year, Amael.]

I felt strength rush into my limbs again.

[I forced another full-body augmentation. You’ll be able to fight—for now. But listen: this is literally shaving years off your life. You could do permanent damage that even I can’t undo.]

“Thanks.”

I looked at the burning sword on the ground.

I wanted to take it.

God, I really wanted to take it.

But my hands were still ruined. I couldn’t even grip the hilt.

I had no choice. For now, getting Kanya to the Bouldermount of Talhaim had to come first.

I left the flaming blade behind—and ran toward the source of the quake.

Kanya fired again.

The revolver roared in her hand, cutting down four Cultists of Jealousy before they could even blink. Each shot blew out an eyeball, reducing their brains to pulp.

But that was all she could do.

She was fighting on a jagged mountainside.

With frail limbs.

And her enemies had strength that defied human limits.

“Fan out! Flank her! We’re behind schedule already!”

Their leader snapped orders as the cultists began spreading around her.

Kanya scrambled to reload, firing wildly as she twisted her aim—but they weren’t falling for it anymore.

Some were even covering their eyes with their hands to block her shots.

Eventually, she lost ground.

One cultist’s claws sliced her revolver clean in half—then a massive hand seized her by the head and yanked her up like a doll.

“Let go! Let go of me—!”

“You filthy little wench…”

The words dripped with hatred, but the cultist didn’t strangle her. He simply cast a dark spell.

Thorny black tattoos spread up her limbs like vines—wrapping her tightly, binding her completely.

She tried to struggle, but the more she moved, the tighter the thorns constricted.

She couldn’t help it—she screamed.

“Stay still. It’ll hurt less.”

They stripped off her ammo belts, crushed them underfoot, and began dragging her back toward the portal they’d emerged from.

She tried to scream again, but the thorns wrapped around her mouth.

Even opening her lips sent searing pain through her face.

“Move! Hurry! We need to retreat befo—”

A jagged stone, thrown faster than sound, slammed into the leader’s arm with bone-crunching force.

Kanya’s eyes widened.

Jericho.

“GO! Fall back through the portal—I’ll cover you!”

The cultist leader raised his arms and charged forward.

“O, Jealousy!”

Tattoos on his body began glowing sickly grey.

Jericho’s stone throws tore through heads and cracked skulls—but soon, the air filled with the sound of fists slamming flesh and armor.

He was fighting all-out.

Every punch sent blood flying from his hands—but he didn’t stop.

Kanya felt shame.

This man, this stranger, was willing to go so far for her.

And what was she doing?

Just being dragged away. Useless.

No.

She dug deep.

Deep into herself, and into the divine spark left behind by Belia.

She gathered every last drop of holy power.

Then—at the exact right moment—she exploded with light.

“Agh!”

The cultist holding her shrieked and dropped her.

The thorns didn’t disappear, but the pain was overwhelming.

And she was falling—down a steep slope.

Each bounce, each rock she hit, twisted her body and triggered another wave of excruciating pain from the cursed tattoos.

She hit the bottom.

Hard.

And just before the world went black—

The last thing Kanya saw…

…was Jericho, sprinting toward her with everything he had.

***

Whoever this guy was—he came prepared.

Nothing worked on him.

[Absolute Hypnosis won’t activate!! Neither will Sensory Overclock x3000!! The system says he’s an invalid target!!]

The gray sigils etched across his body were glowing wildly. Figures.

The Three Demon Lords knew exactly what I was capable of. This was already our second fight. Of course, they came equipped with countermeasures.

No hypnosis. No sensory overclock.

And I still couldn’t use Time Stop.

My body, already pushed past its natural limit by physical modification, was starting to come apart. It wouldn’t move the way I wanted it to.

Even with Kon trying to stabilize me, I could feel it—I was getting slower. Weaker.

I’m not a trained warrior.

Just an ordinary guy with an artificially enhanced body.

And that had its limits.

“What are you waiting for?! Get her out of here!!”

One of the cultists standing between me and Kanya barked out a command.

I saw her, crumpled at the base of a rocky slope. Unconscious. Beaten and broken.

Other cultists were already running toward her, ready to drag her back.

If they took her now… it was over.

I clenched my teeth and locked eyes with the cultist in front of me.

He was trained. That much was obvious. He read all my moves, dodged every strike, and hit me over and over again without breaking a sweat.

But while fighting him, I noticed something strange.

He wasn’t trying to kill me.

Despite all my enhanced strength and speed, he was stronger. Faster. Smarter.

If he wanted to, he could have ended me a dozen times already.

But he didn’t.

Same as that damned mechanical knight, Quattuor.

They were holding back.

Why?

I charged forward, recklessly exposing my head.

If he swung his claws now, my skull would split like a melon.

For a split second, he hesitated.

“What the—?!”

And that hesitation was all I needed.

I crashed my forehead into his gut with a solid, brutal headbutt.

He didn’t see it coming.

We both flew backward, tangled together, hitting the ground in a rough tumble.

I was the first to move. I pushed up, turned toward Kanya, and began to run—

“Oh no you don’t!”

A sharp, hot pain shot through my heel.

My leg collapsed out from under me.

He got me. The bastard slashed my Achilles tendon.

I hit the ground hard, skidding against the jagged rocks.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the cultists carrying Kanya vanish into the portal.

[Amael! If you keep this enhancement going, your limbs are going to be permanently damaged! We’re past the point of no return!!]

Kon’s voice rang in my head as he scrambled to reattach my severed tendon.

I knew.

God, I knew.

Even if I stood up again, the guy behind me would stop me.

And trying to use Absolute Hypnosis on the ones carrying Kanya? Probably useless. If they were prepped like this one was, they’d be immune too.

They came ready for everything.

I looked at Kanya one last time.

Her thin limbs were shattered. Dangling, lifeless.

If they took her… the things they’d do to her—

No.

Not again.

For the first time since I reincarnated into this world,

I couldn’t do anything.

And that helplessness—

It ignited something inside me.

Kanya.

A girl who had never known happiness—not once in her life.

I wanted to save her.

I wanted her to be free.

But I’d hit my limit.

“That’s it! Get her through!”

A voice behind me rang with triumph.

Kanya was just steps from the portal now.

Too far. I’d never catch up.

I was furious.

Why?

Why did someone so innocent… have to suffer again?

I wanted to save her.

I didn’t want her taken.

And I knew exactly who could make that wish come true.

A name I’d sworn to destroy.

A name I hated, loathed, and feared more than anything.

But a name I needed right now.

“Asmodeus!!”

I screamed.

“Save Kanya!!”

And with that final cry—

A brutal blow to the back of my head sent me into unconsciousness.

The Chosen of Jealousy delivered a vicious kick to the back of the saint’s skull, knocking him cold.

“Idiot. You think that’ll change anything?”

He chuckled and bolted for the portal.

Success.

He had completed the mission the Lord of Jealousy had so sternly warned him about. All that remained was to step through with Kanya in hand.

The reward from his Master would be immense.

He was smiling, practically shaking with anticipation—

Then suddenly—

Something felt wrong.

His body felt… slow.

Sluggish.

No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn’t move right.

And he wasn’t alone.

“P-Priest… something’s wrong…”

The other cultists carrying Kanya were struggling too. Their movements were unnatural—like their bodies were caught in a time loop while their minds moved normally.

“What… the hell is…?”

The priest, rigid and confused, forced his stiff neck to turn back.

And saw something impossible.

The saint—the one who should’ve been unconscious—was standing up.

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