Chapter 23 - What Remains [1] - The Cardinal Sky

"Wow… was the sun always this blinding?" I hissed, resembling a shut-in vampire.

After shutting myself underground for like... 27 days? I finally stepped outside after what felt like a training arc or something.

Does it really count as training if all I did was make bullets for hours, mess around with Ichor, and have a breakdown in between? I mean, I guess it does qualify as training, well, mental training.

"Ah, I should get some more therapy- I mean, food."

Carrying my backpack, I noticed how light it was after exhausting almost all my supplies.

I stocked up on a lot of food before isolating myself in case I ended up staying for more than a month. I came very close to running out of food in that cave, but I still have seven cans left in my bag.

Now that I ran out, it's a good time to search for more before I go to Arcadia.

"Hmm... wait, why didn’t I experiment outside?"

Despite my loud activity under the train station, no Eldians noticed my presence, further confirming my suspicion that they start to appear if close to Arcadia's direction.

...Now I feel like an idiot.

"A-Anyways, it's time to get moving. I think I have enough food for, I guess… 3 days?" I thought to myself while walking.

My current destination is Arcadia, the hailed Land of Magic, the prestigious school where people graduate as professional mages.

During the 1st Cardinal Sky, hundreds of gates called Pylons fell from the sky. These Pylons serve as gateways through which Eldias invades the mortal realm.

Towering and pitch-black, each Pylon has a weak point.

Striking this vital point is essential to thwarting the invasion and restoring balance to the world.

Fortunately, all of them were inactive, so they were destroyed relatively easily in the first few days.

That would have been the case if Demiurge had destroyed them without Noah's intervention; however, it still resulted in a tragedy despite Noah's efforts.

If the 1st Cardinal sky was already horrific, the second was exponentially more threatening.

The 2nd Cardinal Sky was reported to have five times the number of Pylons than the first, all of which became active the moment they fell from the shattered sky.

It was easily hailed as the greatest disaster humanity has fought against.

The Second Cardinal Sky lasted for three years—a treacherous period marked by an endless horde of Eldias. It took humanity an entire year to figure out how to destroy a single Pylon.

One of these Pylons was coincidentally located directly above Arcadia, impaling it, and it remained afloat due to an unknown energy emanating from the Pylon.

Now that I can take a closer look at Arcadia's sad state, it’s evident how much time has passed.

"Five years or more have already passed by... damn it all."

The only weakness the Eldians have, aside from their core, was the destruction of a Pylon.

It’s straightforward, really. If I were to destroy a Pylon, every Eldian that was generated by it would perish—much like cutting off a Wi-Fi cable.

However, it doesn’t seem as easy as it sounds when stronger enemies are guarding the Pylon surrounding it.

Destroying a Pylon with warheads also happens to be impossible when an invisible barrier protects it from external forces, nullifying everything that comes into contact with it if it senses danger.

In other words, yes. It already seems impossible to destroy a Pylon, let alone a single one.

Unless I somehow managed to breach the barrier and get inside with a nuclear bomb, I could easily destroy it at the cost of contaminating the surrounding area with radiation.

There are also 500 pylons, so using this method would ultimately harm Mother Earth instead.

Only a few select elites are permitted inside the protective field to destroy the Pylon.

The only person I can think of who can destroy one alone is Gael Historia, along with other world leaders. However, even Gael will have a difficult time taking one down.

"Wait, if five years have passed, does that mean everyone in the Historia family is older than me now?" I stopped walking on the highway and found a store to get more canned goods.

Everything I know and love (or loathe to the extreme) is now five years older than I am, which makes me feel bitter for some reason.

"Eh, I don't really care. At least I hope they'll be more mature than before," I said nonchalantly.

I had no trust that they would become better people.

Some of them originally had a haughty attitude, but that changed later because of Noah. Now that he's gone, I wouldn’t be surprised if they're still terrible.

Besides, if I were ever to meet them, then they won't be able to recognize who I am solely from my appearance.

Having my gender switched, I guess I'm grateful for that.

"Hopefully, these would be enough for a week or two at least." I clasped my hands together and wiped the sweat from my forehead.

"I really should work on my strength," I told myself, taking me quite a while to realize how unathletic I am.

Strengthening Magic exists; it's just challenging to learn because I lack the mana to use it consistently.

Although my mana has increased, it is still below average compared to a typical Arcadia student.

"Sucks to suck~" I whistled, pouting at how much I struggle to reach their level.

In moments like this, I should've explored various fields of magic beyond the four basic elements to find solutions to these kinds of problems.

Back in the cave, or rather, the train station, my phone battery died, which created a significant issue.

I thought to myself, "If only I had bought a watch..." Such a simple tool would be invaluable in situations like these.

Halfway through creating Libera, I found myself reverting to primitive times, drawing lines on the wall each sunrise to judge the time.

I still do this now, and I have a notebook, writing down the number of days that have passed ever since. It’s kind of sad when I put it that way.

“I need to find a watch before going to Arcadia,” I said, mumbling to myself as I spotted a place that might have what I needed.

"Ah... it’s a mall," I realized, blankly staring at the massive structure before me.

I turned my head to the right, recalling that I had visited a few times to buy appliances I needed, including my phone.

There's also something else I need besides a watch.

“…Hmm.” I glanced down and noticed how shabby I looked in my ragged clothes.

I used bandages to conceal my chest, and my clothes obviously didn't fit this tiny body. How long had I been living like this?

As I pondered, an idea struck me: couldn't I use the Ichor to create my own clothes?

…I’ll think about this revolutionary idea when I have the time.

“Fufu… pretty nice.” I looked at myself in the mirror at a clothes shop.

After what felt like an eternity, I carefully selected clothes for myself that were in good condition since this place was closed off.

I wore a crisp white sleeveless shirt that came with a stylish tie, a matching scarf, and a glove to conceal what was on my left arm. To complete the look and ensure comfort, I layered a tailored gray jacket over it.

Because I was a guy, like a month ago, the thought of wearing a skirt made me nearly grimace in despair, so I settled for regular pants that complement my attire.

This combination allowed for freedom of movement while also protecting myself against excessive exposure due to... well, reasons.

In addition, the Ichor still functioned even when covered by a glove.

I considered questioning it, but I realized that logic may not apply to an artifact that originated from a god. If possible, I believe it’s best to keep my wrist hidden in case someone recognizes the sigil on my left arm.

"Hehe..." I posed in front of the mirror, admiring my appearance.

It was a body that bordered on an adult and a teenager, petite yet risqué in some aspects. My chest was modest, and my waist was perfectly proportionate, as if I possessed a model's body.

Because I had to take off my clothes to put on my new ones, I eventually found myself admiring my body.

However, this experience was embarrassing on many levels, as if I had sinned.

It's a consequence of inhabiting three bodies; I can no longer tell if the body I possessed actually had a soul inhabiting it besides mine.

...But setting those ominous thoughts aside, I'm slowly starting to enjoy this new experience.

“A-Aria Cyth, at your service~” I struck a cute pose and made a V-sign in front of the mirror, imitating a magical show’s performance.

Since no one was in the mall, I didn’t feel embarrassed, so it didn’t seem strange at all.

Ah, how I wish that were the case.

…

...

—Rustle...!

“…H-Huh?” Startled, I quickly armed myself and tried to find the source of the sound.

“Who goes there!?” My face turned bright red, distressed that they might have heard me say something ridiculous.

If someone has been hiding and watching me this whole time, I don't care if they are human or not,

I'm going to fucking kill this person.

—Snap!

In response to my aggression, I heard something snap in half behind me. It was dark, but I could make out a silhouette in the distance—something I hadn't seen in months.

Alright, I'm going to kill this person.

"..."

Sensing my malicious intentions, they immediately bolted out of here and ran as fast as they could.

“What the—get back here!!!” I chased the mysterious individual in question.

Based on their reaction, I could accurately deduce what this was: a human.

I could have tried to talk things out with them, but considering how they were peeping like a pervert, I felt something rising in me.

How unfortunate—I have to kill this person.

—Vooom…!

"Whoa!" I stopped on my tracks and stepped back after the pervert did something unexpected.

—Blam!

The objects that obstructed the way began to float and were flung towards me, leaving them to escape.

“You BASTARD!!!" I shrieked in rage, doing whatever it takes to catch them.

“?!?” Although I was unaware, the pervert flinched when I shouted. Leaving me behind, they ran along the walls and avoided every single obstacle by using telekinesis to throw them at me.

“Gah! G-Get off me!!”

All the clothes in the store leaped towards me like a fishnet, giving them time to run away.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who can use magic!” I aimed Libera at the ceiling.

—Kachick!

To get the clothes off me, I compressed an empty bullet shell using wind magic, similar to the strategic escape I executed back in the Middle Alephs.

—WHOOSH!!!

I pulled the trigger, and the clothes that clung to me flew away, giving me the chance to pursue them.

“Wait…! I said wait! I won't hurt you! I promise!”

That was a lie. Although I was physically weaker, my endurance hadn’t deteriorated, and I barely managed to catch up with them, eventually spotting their weird silhouette.

They wore a cloak that hid their appearance, and the only thing I could identify, aside from the cloak, was a plague doctor's mask.

Outside the mall, my gaze slowly shifted to where they were headed. My eyes grew wider as I realized what they were running to.

It's a motorcycle.

—Vroom… Vroom…!

The masked individual hastily revved the motorcycle's engine and sped away.

The motorcycle's loud noise indicates they were here first, watching me from a distance.

Goosebumps prickled my skin at the mere thought of being watched.

“You... I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!” I shouted, forming the Ichor into a rope to secure it to the motorcycle.

It was a risky move, but I managed to create a board beneath me in time to prevent myself from flopping like a fish upon impact.

“Once I catch you, I'm going to gouge your eyes out and feed them to you.” I scowled angrily, not paying attention to my vulgar language.

I have done so many embarrassing things in front of the mirror that if someone had witnessed them, I’d be willing to learn memory-erasure magic.

“!?!” The pervert looked at me and flinched, confused about how I used their motorcycle like a sleigh.

—Vrrr!

The pervert sped up in response and drifted to the right; it almost made me tumble, but I managed to keep my balance.

"I’m going to make sure you tell me everything you know." I was still intact, eager to catch them.

"...!"

As we rode through the city, the streets grew narrower, so I extended the rope further from the bike and returned to the starting point.

My head would be decapitated if I fell at this range; however, what I needed to focus on isn't my balance, but where they were driving.

W-What?!" My face drained of colour in an instant.

From the start, they intended to slam into a narrow gap in the alleyway, a move that would not only kill me but also endanger their own life.

“Stop! Stop right now- Uack!!!” Determined to see it through, the pervert ignored my cries and slipped through the small gap, forcing me to let go and slam my head on the wall.

—Bonk!

"Uwek!" I cried in pain. At the last moment, I created a shield made of Ichor, sacrificing the pursuit in the process.

Not only was I being watched in the mall, but they completely outsmarted me and left without taking a beating.

—It's a one-sided defeat.

“Agh… you'll pay for this!” I sprinted through the gap to see where they were heading.

From this distance, I could no longer see where they went due to the buildings blocking my view.

My only hope of meeting another human being has been shattered. I can either wait for someone to come and find me, or I can embark on a journey to another country that is thousands of miles away.

I’m running out of options, and the only alternative option I have left seems to be heading straight to Arcadia.

How frustrating...

…

...

“Wait, is that...?”

I looked down and noticed something on the ground. It formed a line that pointed in a specific direction.

“This is...” I touched the strange liquid with my finger and smelled it.

—It smells like… gasoline.

“…Ha, hahaha.” I chuckled, unable to hide my expression and started to follow the barely visible oil trail.

When the motorcycle passed through this alleyway, it likely sustained damage and left an oil trail behind.

It's plausible that something blunt struck the motorcycle, and the rider was too distracted to notice it right away.

Either way, it's fine with me.