Hero? I'm just here to borrow power!

Such a description once appeared in the ancient Arabian mythological worldview.

There was a creator god resembling a giant fish, floating on an eternal ocean without bubbles. On its back was a giant bull named "Kujata." On the bull's back sat a majestic mountain made of rubies. Standing on the mountain was an angel. Above the angel were the six layers of hell, above which was the earth inhabited by humankind, and above the earth were the seven layers of heaven.

The name of that giant fish is Bahamut.

This undoubtedly refers to the Black King, but of course, it does not mean that the Black King Nidhogg's true form is a giant fish that holds up the entire world.

The true implication of this ancient myth is that Nidhogg's life form is fundamentally different from any other life form in this world.

All other creatures in this world, whether they are tiny bacteria, dinosaurs that once ruled the earth, or humans who consider themselves the most intelligent of all beings, have evolved step by step over a long period of time and through cruel natural selection.

But he was the only exception.

Using the most basic gene helix as its rule and countless lives as its sacrifice, it is like a cosmic virus, constantly replicating, devouring, and optimizing its own structure, engaging in endless and unlimited growth.

The final result was his enormous divine body, as majestic as mountains, even capable of supporting the world.

All gene sequences and all organic matter are his food.

That is Nidhogg.

That is a planetary life form directly conceived by the will of this planet.

……

"You might think that you're powerful enough to challenge the gods."

Lu Mingze, sitting in a white armchair, shrugged, his tone as if stating a given fact.

"The White King did indeed fall at your hands... However, in the countless cycles I have witnessed, the White King, the greatest traitor among dragons, has been killed countless times in various ways."

Lu Mingze held up one finger and slowly counted.

"For example, she was destroyed by a space-based kinetic weapon before she could fully develop; or the host, who was her vessel, was killed prematurely, preventing her from evolving from Yamata no Orochi into the White King, ultimately leading to her death alongside a group of reckless Japanese hybrids; or perhaps, she was killed by my good-for-nothing brother..."

He recounted the tragic fates of the White King in different timelines as if he knew them by heart.

"However, the Black King is different."

Lu Mingze's expression turned extremely serious in an instant. "In countless cycles of reincarnation, he has never been truly destroyed, whether his opponent is a hybrid with modern technology and alchemy, or another awakened first-generation monarch. Even if all the Dragon Kings were to revive, put aside their deep-seated prejudices, and unite as never before, as long as the Black King awakens, the only outcome they will face is 'annihilation'."

Seeing that Bai Ye remained silent and did not reach for the "fruit of wisdom," Lu Mingze continued to explain to him in detail.

"That day, in Norse mythology, is known as 'Ragnarok.' He is despair, and hell. He will use his wings, covered with the bones of humans and dragons, to completely blot out the sky. He is the scissors in the hands of the Fates, Skadi, that cut all the threads of life. On the day of his judgment of revenge on the world, even Odin, the one-eyed king of the gods, stepping out of his golden palace with his invincible eternal spear, will only embark on a path of no return to death."

After hearing Lu Mingze's detailed explanation, Bai Ye pondered for a moment.

“If I remember correctly,” he said slowly, “Odin has already been destroyed by me.”

"Oh, really?"

Lu Mingze gave a meaningful smile. "You have indeed obtained the power of the King of 'Sky and Wind,' that much is undeniable."

"But you, having completed the so-called 'Path to Godhood,' now possess three Dragon King-level powers. How can you be sure that the half-blooded king who completed the same path before you only had one Dragon King-level power?"

White Night's pupils reflected a thoughtful light.

In fact, when he saw Erii's face with the same one-eyed mask as Odin, he had already vaguely realized something.

Then, recalling the Kassel College board meeting incident where the same mask had appeared before, the assassination attempt, ostensibly aimed at the college's board members, actually targeted him directly with the only truly lethal weapon—a dagger inlaid with the Philosopher's Stone.

Presumably, in that incident, Odin's real target, or rather, the one he wanted to test or eliminate, was himself, the uncontrollable variable.

This intelligence is invaluable.

Normally, Lu Mingze would never tell me this for free.

At this moment, he completely violated the cooperative principle of "equivalent exchange" that he had always adhered to. Not only did he appear directly in front of him, but he also unconditionally told him so much information that was enough to overturn the world order.

Bai Ye's brain was working at lightning speed.

what does this mean?

This means that although Lu Mingze still appears to be in control on the surface, he has begun to lose control of the script in this "cycle" that has become unrecognizable.

Although Bai Ye outwardly appears to be a battle maniac who only knows how to kill, he is actually quite good at thinking.

However, when someone possesses superpowers, when it comes to the part that requires thinking, their super wisdom will only tell them the simplest and most efficient answer—quick, use your superpowers.

As for whether or not to accept Lu Mingze's "gift".

Putting aside whether Lu Mingze was truly so kind as to give away the most crucial "wisdom" of the Black King Nidhogg for no reason.

Bai Ye simply wouldn't accept the fact that the so-called true "path to godhood" requires killing all the other Dragon Kings.

In his mind, he recalled the cold little finger that belonged to the girl, which he had tightly gripped in the ruins after the battle with Yamata no Orochi.

"Until death do us part."

The girl's voice, as faint as a mosquito's buzz, which contained a hint of shyness and longing, still seemed to echo clearly in his ears.

Moreover, this so-called "fruit of wisdom" doesn't seem like a good thing at all.

Lu Mingze, who possessed it, had lost all will to live through countless reincarnations, living like a tormented prisoner. Bai Ye had no intention of following in his footsteps.

"I reject."

Thinking of this, Bai Ye decisively spoke up and rejected Lu Mingze's suggestion.

"Huh? What did you say?"

Lu Mingze raised an eyebrow slightly and held his hand to his ear as if to amplify his voice, seemingly because he hadn't heard Bai Ye's reply clearly.

"I said, I refuse."

Bai Ye repeated the words softly, word by word.

"I will not accept your gift if the so-called 'Ragnarok' truly comes, if I must ultimately face the enemy, Nidhogg the Black King..."

Bai Ye gripped the Balmk tightly in his hand, the twilight light on the sword as unwavering as his resolve at this moment.

"I will defeat him with my own strength."

"It surprised me that."

After hearing Bai Ye's answer, Lu Mingze let out a long sigh. In that sigh, there was disappointment, helplessness, and also a hint of... relief that was barely perceptible.

"This cycle of reincarnation... is this really how it ends?"

He didn't say anything more, but instead shook his head as if he had already seen the last page of the script and the inevitable tragic ending.

"It's just a pity for the girl in front of you. She probably still thinks you're the 'hero' who came to save her until the very last moment."

Lu Mingze shook his head, and his body began to gradually become transparent and fade within this solidified Nibelungen.

"Did you abandon another girl for the sake of another girl?"

"I hope you won't be so stubborn in the next reincarnation."

The negotiations broke down.

Lu Mingze's figure completely disappeared.

With his departure, Nibelungen, a place where time seemed to stand still, began to crumble bit by bit.

The surrounding flames began to flicker again, and the volcanic ash in the air continued to fall slowly.

Time begins to flow again.

Before Bai Ye, as Bai Wang's last remaining consciousness completely dissipated, Erii's already damaged body began to age and wither rapidly, visible to the naked eye.

Her skin lost its luster, becoming wrinkled like withered tree bark; her flesh was rapidly shrinking, and the breath of life was flowing away from her body as quickly as the receding tide.

Just as the White King said, at this moment, she was an empty shell that had been completely absorbed.

“Abandon... I will not abandon her.”

However, Bai Ye reached out and gently placed his palm, which had become burning hot from the battle, on the girl's forehead, which was rapidly losing its temperature.

"Whether it's facing the so-called Ragnarok or the fate of Uesugi Erii."

At this moment, Erii's death is almost irreversible.

"I will change."

Her body was like a broken container already riddled with cracks. Even if Bai Ye used his almost inexhaustible "true ether," he could never reverse her fate. No matter how much life force he injected, it would only dissipate faster than her life force.

As Lu Mingze said, apart from Nidhogg the Black King's supreme power to create life out of thin air, there is no one else in this world who can save this girl's life.

But the White Night...

I never belonged to this world.

"Spiritual Spell Control—The True Man!"

A cold, emotionless electronic voice rang out from the illusory belt around Bai Ye's waist.

Immediately, a face that seemed to be made up of countless patches and stitches, filled with an aura of curse, appeared on Bai Ye's face.

The one-time character card obtained in the previous world, the Special Grade Cursed Spirit - Real Person, is now being controlled by Bai Ye.

The curse, one of the four calamities, originating from humanity's fear of itself, descended upon us.

If Erii's body, whose life force had been exhausted by the White King, was already a vessel damaged beyond repair.

If no amount of magic or life force can repair it...

So……

Then let's just recast her soul.

Then, force her physical body to change according to the form of her soul, restoring it to that perfect state.

“Inaction transforms.”

Thinking this, Bai Ye stretched out his patched hand and activated the Life-Giving Technique belonging to a Special Grade Curse Spirit True Person.

……

Within an endless, pitch-black space.

This is the last place where Erii's soul, which is about to completely dissipate, lingers.

The "Word of Power: World of Samsara" was interrupted as soon as Bai Ye stepped on the space-based kinetic weapon and struck Bai Wang head-on with the first blow.

As for her, her faint consciousness had long been completely overwhelmed and obliterated by the White King's vast spiritual power.

Therefore, although she remained inside the White King's body, she was unaware of the earth-shattering battle that took place between the White King and the White Night afterward.

Her memory only extends to the last time Bai Ye spoke to her in that illusion.

He said he would come to save him.

We made an appointment.

So dark.

So cold.

I'm so scared...

But the White Night will come to save me.

Therefore, I am not afraid.

Even in the final moment before her consciousness was about to completely dissipate, the girl's trust in that person never wavered in the slightest.

Her mind was filled with sorrow for not being able to wait until Bai Ye fulfilled his promise.

Byakuya, who touched Erii's soul using "transformation of non-action," sensed all her emotions, pure as crystal, in that instant.

Only now did Bai Ye begin to understand why, when he first met the Cursed Spirit Master, he said that human life has no inherent value or weight, just like the water between heaven and earth, human life is merely a continuous cycle.

When a person's soul is completely dismantled and laid flat before him, he discovers that Uesugi Erii is just an outrageously ordinary girl.

Once the veil called "heart" is completely lifted, it turns out that so-called liking, longing, and anticipation are all such simple and pure emotions.

What she longed for was neither a hero nor a prince charming.

She was just "Baiye," the one who would earnestly play games with him.

"I played games with Bai Ye today and lost 16 games without winning a single one, but I was still very happy. Because he never intentionally throws a game to lose to me."

“During the meeting, I overheard other family members whispering that Bai Ye was a monster. They hate him. Bai Ye is not a monster; he is my retainer.”

"I want to go out and play with Bai Ye. My brother always says that we can go out and play when I get better. But my brother always lies to me. Bai Ye doesn't lie to me."

"Baiye said that Tokyo isn't really that fun, but he'll go with me if I want to. When my brother isn't home in the future, I want to sneak out and play with Baiye."