In Sector 10, after Noah had severely beaten Derek, he was panting from exhaustion. He had never hit anyone like that before—if he had even hit anyone at all. Noah looked at his hands stained with blood and at his torn knuckles. What worried him most was that he did not feel any remorse after this.
"Even if something is wrong with me, I'm glad I don't feel remorse after putting this scum in a near-death state. And I won't feel it when I kill him," Noah thought coldly to himself, then wiped the blood that was smeared across his face.
Noah turned to Enel and hurried toward him to untie the ropes. Enel had been silent all along, so Noah assumed he had fainted from fear. He reached the rope binding Enel and burned it. Then Noah caught Enel as he collapsed and fell.
"You'll be fi—," Noah tried to reassure Enel, but he was really struggling to lift him since he couldn't feel his hands. Suddenly, Noah was interrupted when Enel threw him to the ground.
Noah fell on his back, and an "Oof" slipped from his lips in shock. Enel hugged him tightly and buried his head in Noah's chest.
"Noah... Noah... Noah... Noah..." Enel repeated weak, trembling whispers, as if chanting a mantra.
"E-Enel?" Noah said in confusion and anxiety. He was puzzled, wondering if something had happened to him that he did not know about.
"Thank you... Thank you! You saved me, thank you!…" Enel said, digging his fingers into Noah's clothes and gripping him tightly as if afraid that if he let go, Noah might disappear.
"Don't worry, you're safe now," Noah said, looking toward the rooftop. He hugged Enel lightly and patted his head gently.
Then Enel broke down crying uncontrollably, sobbing from fear and gratitude. Each time he wiped his tears on Noah's shirt, but he couldn't stop crying. Despite this, he felt safe and reassured, as if he were in his mother's arms.
Noah remained silent, and despite the chaos that had occurred, his mind was calm and organized—perhaps from emptiness or loss. But all he could think about was how humans—these greedy creatures considered more dangerous than monsters—could suddenly turn fragile and breakable beings who cry from fear and sadness, as if they were in their mother's embrace.
"He is warm... and fragile... If I hug him tightly, he might break. And if I leave him, he won't be the same as before... He is weak, and scared... But this desire to survive is not a sign of failure; it's a sign of humanity—our humanity as humans. Life is but a branch of a tree we cling to with trembling hands, yet it can be easily cut or taken from someone else. This is the cycle of life, not a sin. We lie, betray, and kill, but we also forgive, love, and sacrifice. No creature on this earth can be as pure and corrupt as humans..." Noah thought quietly to himself while his calm heartbeat shaped a soothing sigh that calmed Enel somewhat. Noah remembered both Selene and Lou Yan.
"No creature but us can hate and love at the same time, feel empathy and disgust simultaneously... These contradictions are not flaws, they are our reality... At this moment, I no longer have the luxury to feel guilt or regret. My feelings are not for him, but for those who deserve life amidst this ruin. And therefore, I will not regret what I did… not because Derek deserved pain, but because Enel deserved life. And I chose to be human... even if that means becoming a monster for the sake of another human," Noah thought to himself, then looked at Enel who had fallen asleep with tears in his eyes. He still had the same innocent face despite all he had been through.
"I think you're wrong, Derek. You, your crooked religion, and your crazy law... We are humans after all," Noah thought to himself and smiled lightly. Then Noah pulled himself up a little, stood, and carried Enel, letting him lean on his back.
Then Noah pulled out his phone and was about to call Sirius and Neriah, when he turned to Derek lying on the ground as if dead.
"If Sirius and Neriah see him, my plan will be ruined... Well, it's fine, he's dead no matter what happens," Noah thought to himself. Then he opened a transparent hidden field that covered the hut and its surroundings. Derek's body disappeared from the room and was replaced by some stones and gravel.
———————
In Sector 11, at the North Train Station, Sirius sat on a waiting bench, biting his nails nervously while his foot kept tapping the ground continuously in confusion.
"Most likely, the original version of Jarod will report my presence as a potential threat to the others who know him... I still can't figure out the last member working with the killer. The only reason I found out Jarod is helping the killer is because I used the open book on him. All I know about the other member is that his name is C. It seems even Jarod himself doesn't know him or the killer's identity... I won't be in danger, I can handle myself better than others, but those around me might be in danger..." Sirius thought anxiously and worried. When he was alone, he had no problem showing his anxiety.
"…No, they will be fine. I swear by my name and the star I was born under that everyone will be fine... Enel will be fine, Neriah will be fine, and Noah will be fine," Sirius thought to himself, calming the tapping of his foot. Then his phone rang, and he immediately picked it up to see it was Noah. He answered the call.
"I found Enel. He's in critical condition, so hurry and come here!" Noah said directly without giving Sirius a chance to reply.
"F-Found Enel?!" Sirius said, standing up in shock.
"Come quickly! I'll send you the location right now!" Noah said, then hung up and sent the location to Sirius.
"When did my prayers start working like this?"
———————
In Sector 1, on the university campus, Neriah was trapped behind the university in a corner surrounded by several guards.
"Boy, surrender without resistance!" one guard shouted in a warning tone.
"We've already seen your face. Even if you run away—which won't happen—we'll report you to the university," another guard added.
"Damn! They're right! Enel might already be dead by now! Or he could be somewhere else entirely!... Damn, what's the point of all this? Why all this resistance and stubbornness when I already know the fate—" Neriah thought as he started losing hope. Then his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He and the guards exchanged astonished looks before Neriah took the phone and saw it was Noah.
"Excuse me for a moment—" Neriah said, then answered Noah's call.
"N-Noah, this isn't a good time to call me, I'm in a bit of a—" Neriah said, looking back and starting to whisper.
"Shut the hell up! I found Enel. I'll send you the location right now! Don't delay, his condition is critical and I can't carry him!" Noah interrupted Neriah shouting. Then hope crept back into Neriah's heart, but Noah immediately hung up and sent the location.
Then Neriah turned to the guards and exchanged ambiguous looks, but this time he smiled. He pulled a coin from his pocket.
"Will you surrender, boy?" one guard said, warning him that if he tried anything, he would face consequences.
"The effect of Loki's dice just ended a little while ago, going back to the usual form of my skill R.P.S. GAMBIT. So fate won't play with me anymore, and the result is not predetermined... But I'm a gambler! I don't play with fate... I oppose it with luck!" Neriah thought to himself, then flipped the coin in the air.
"You better surrender, boy. All your attempts are useless!" one guard said, pointing a taser at Neriah.
"…Nuh, I'll gamble."
———————
In Sector 10, a few minutes after Noah called Sirius and Neriah, he was carrying Enel on his back, crossing Sector 10 toward the North Train Station. Blood was flowing from Enel's ears, mouth, nose, hands, chest, and all over his body, dripping and staining Noah's white shirt into a deep red.
"He seems light! But he's extremely heavy... I can't carry him!" Noah thought, then stumbled and fell forward, with Enel falling off him. Noah clenched his teeth hard and stood up again. His legs were shaking and his hands numb, but he kept walking.
"I can't fall now. I beat a fanatic believer badly and left him alone. If he wakes up, he'll run away... I threatened that I'd kill his god, how can I kill his god when I can't even carry the boy to the tra—" Noah thought, tired and exhausted, before hitting his head on something metallic and hurting his head.
"W-What the hell is this?!" Noah said annoyed, then lifted his head to see he had bumped into a pole standing in front of him. Noah looked around and realized he was indeed at the train station.
An "Oh" slipped from Noah's lips. He then sat on the waiting bench and let Enel lie across his back near him on the seat.
"I think the train might be late... Enel won't hold on like this," Noah thought anxiously. Then he remembered something important that might help.
A window appeared before Noah—it was the store window. Noah searched for potions and saw a healing potion. Without looking at its details or price, Noah bought it. The potion appeared in his hand—a slender bottle sealed with a cork, decorated with fine engravings on the glass, containing a gently swirling glowing red liquid.
[Healing Potion, Rank C: A magical healing potion carefully crafted from medicinal magical herbs, heals minor wounds by 50% and serious wounds by 10%.]
"This will do," Noah thought, then removed the cork and gave Enel to drink it. Some of the potion spilled from Enel's lips, but he drank most of it.
The bottle disappeared from Noah's hand as soon as it emptied. Noah noticed minor wounds on Enel's ears, cheeks, neck, and body beginning to heal while most remained, and some serious wounds were still there though some had improved. Some of his nails had grown back.
"I would say wow if the situation were less critical, but I don't have time to rejoice. Many wounds are still open; he is still bleeding nonstop. His life is still in danger—" Noah thought anxiously just as he heard the train arriving and stopping at the station.
Noah turned to the train, then lifted Enel in his arms and waited until it stopped. Once it stopped, the doors opened. Noah looked forward to find Sirius standing in front of him.
"N-Noah?!" Sirius said, shocked by their condition. Enel's body was shattered and bleeding, Noah was covered in blood and dirt, with blood even splattered on his face. It was the first time Sirius called Noah by his name, as he was deeply shocked.
"Let me help you," Sirius said, extending his hand and taking Enel in his arms.
"I... will stay. I have some work to do," Noah said nervously, looking aside.
"Hm?… Okay... You'll find us at the hospital in Sector 1. The guards there will guide you if you ask," Sirius said, then stepped back and the gate closed between him and Noah. He smiled lightly at Noah before the train sped away.
"I can't believe he understood the situation so quickly... No, no, focus. Derek is still waiting. I have to do something," Noah thought, then turned back and ran toward the hut where he left Derek.
After about 10 minutes of continuous running, Noah arrived at the hut and spread his hidden field, but he did not sense anything.
"Did he escape?" Noah thought anxiously. Then he disappeared and reappeared on the hut's roof where he left Derek, but found no one—only blood stains dripping as he fled.
Noah sighed and began tracking the blood drops, realizing that in Derek's current state, he couldn't have gotten far.
About 50 meters from the hut, Derek was running slowly, staggering and stumbling with his vision blurry and partially blocked by swelling over his eyes. His breathing was difficult due to his broken throat.
"Save me! Someone, save me! Oh Exalted God, I pray you awaken me from the wrath and cruelty of this devil! Please! I beg you! Oh my God..." Derek muttered with a shaky, fearful voice. It wasn't voluntary muttering; fear made him lower his voice unconsciously, afraid Noah might hear him even though the distance was large.
During his pitiful prayer and pleading, Derek stumbled and fell face-first, unable to walk further because of the severe pain in his face.
"You haven't run far after all," a voice said from behind. Derek turned and saw Noah walking toward him with a smile on his face.
"N-No! No!!" Derek screamed, tears filling his eyes. He began retreating backward, crawling on the ground, grabbing soil and throwing it toward Noah though he didn't really reach him.
"Stop it, you're pathetic," Noah said mockingly and scornfully at Derek. The tables had turned on Derek now.
"Stay away! Monster! Demon! Abomination! Madman! You heretic blasphemer!" Derek screamed in terror and tension, stopping his crawl. Noah stood directly in front of him, looking down at him with disdain.
"H-How... How dare you look down on me, you slave?! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll gouge out your eyes, skin you alive, cut your flesh, and feed you to your companions, you slave!" Derek shouted, but all his attempts seemed nothing more than pathetic from Noah's perspective—attempts that would yield only one result: certain death.
"I would have been accepted as a seminarian in the church of "the pulsating red" if it weren't for your interference! I was chosen! I would have been one of His Majesty's incarnations! But because of you... because of you everything was destroyed!.... My family won't let this pass easily! They will send their followers after your family! Heh, your little sister lives alone, right? I'll send followers to rape her and send you the video, you filthy cuck—" Derek went mad. Once Noah heard his sister mentioned by Miller and that filthy talk about her, his body moved involuntarily and he kicked Derek hard in the face, sending teeth flying through the air and causing Derek to fall extended with blood dripping from his mouth.
"Ughhh... Ahhh... Ughhh!" Derek cried in severe pain. He had lost so many teeth that speaking became impossible.
Then Noah sat near Derek, put his hands around his neck and pressed gently, then loosened his grip.
"Who will tell your family that I did all this and now all your teeth are gone? I told you already, you won't live to see the next chapter of this damn story!" Noah said, then choked Derek, restraining him by cutting off his air. Derek began thrashing and trying to free himself from Noah's grip but failed. He started coughing up blood.
"Don't worry, accept your fate. Death is the only certain thing in our lives. There is always the end of the tunnel. But don't worry, your family will slowly follow you one by one—your brother... your sister... your parents... all of them. And after that, I will send your exalted Betelgeuse to rot with you in hell!" Noah said, then increased the pressure on Derek's neck, but it began to loosen.
"…But, this will not happen today. I will not kill you," Noah said, then released Derek, stood up, and dusted off his clothes.
"…Call one of your comrades to take you to the hospital. Tell them you were badly beaten by a third-year student but you don't remember his face or name... If you do that, you will live a few more hours... I know who will kill you for real. And don't worry, you will have the honor of dying by the hand of a star."