Volume 3 Chapter 79: The Kiss of Life

Horrible.

Noil Arlens, lying on the ground, was in an unspeakably brutal state. Blood flowed from numerous parts of his body, which was covered in ghastly bruises.

One arm and one leg bent in unnatural directions, like a discarded doll.

How much torment had he endured? Was he still conscious—or even alive?

Why did he have to suffer like this? It was all her fault.

“It’s because of me… it’s my fault…”

It was because she wished to leave the Floating City Pharmament. That was her mistake. She should have focused on helping him escape alone. She shouldn’t have told him about the Sacred Heavens Lumelherc or her origins. Simply aiding his escape would have sufficed.

If only she had done that, Noil might have made it back safely.

But she had wanted him to listen. She had wanted him to save her. The joy of being with an ordinary person for the first time had been overwhelming.

Even after learning about the Sacred Heavens and the complications surrounding her role as a Divine Child, he extended his warm, gentle hand to her, and she clung to that warmth.

And this was the result.

She wasn’t to blame. Even if Tesea hadn’t wished for freedom from the Floating City or considered escaping alone, it would have been impossible for Noil to leave on his own.

In fact, her decision to act brought them to the verge of escape. No one would blame Tesea. Certainly not Noil himself.

But Tesea was consumed by guilt.

The hand that once gently stroked her head was now twisted and broken. The face that had smiled kindly at her was pressed against the ground.

Noil’s current condition shattered her spirit.

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Tesea hesitantly activated  (Analysis).

“He’s… alive…”

The realization was monumental to her.

Noil was still breathing, albeit faintly.

“Ah…”

Her body moved on its own.

There was still time. She could still save him.

Among the believers, there were those capable of using healing magic. Anyone—anyone at all—could help. She just needed to find someone to treat him.

“But… this… this is…”

She ran to Noil’s side, not caring if her clothes were soiled by his blood. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to touch him.

Her  (Analysis) revealed the extent of his injuries: severe bruising, lacerations, multiple fractures—some bones had even been shattered entirely. His internal organs were heavily damaged. There wasn’t a single uninjured part of his body.

He was barely alive. Moving him carelessly might worsen his condition.

But time was critical, and leaving him like this wasn’t an option either.

“What do I do…? What should I do…? This is terrible… I have to save you… I will save you!”

Tesea panicked, spiraling into hysteria. Half-crazed, she sobbed, crying out like a lost child.

It was no surprise.

The crushing weight of guilt, regret, sorrow, fear, despair, and urgency overwhelmed her.

Despite being placed in an unbearably harsh environment, Tesea had managed to keep her spirit intact. Yet, she was still young and had never experienced the outside world, leaving her emotionally underdeveloped.

Human growth requires human connection.

Although Tesea’s strength had allowed her to resist solitude, suffering, and her cruel circumstances, her heart was fragile and prone to shattering.

If she had shut her heart away and given up entirely, perhaps she wouldn’t have been so devastated.

But even in her twisted environment, Tesea had chosen to remain human. She embraced the message her mother left her, refusing to become a mere tool of the Sacred Heavens Aizon and striving to live strongly.

Her heartbreaking effort to stay alive and human had, ironically, left her incapable of managing the chaos in her heart.

The sight of her first ally, someone she trusted, lying in such a pitiful state robbed her of all composure.

“Ha… ha… ha…”

Her breathing grew shallow, nearing hyperventilation. Tears flowed endlessly from her eyes. She shook her head in denial like a helpless child, unable to do anything.

The world darkened before her eyes. Her consciousness began to fade.

And then—

“…”

“…Huh?”

A faint, almost imperceptible voice reached her ears.

Noil’s unbroken arm lifted slightly, catching her wide-eyed attention.

“Ni…”

His trembling fingers pointed weakly toward a single spot.

“…ge…”

It was the exit—the path to the outside world, where Alice had escaped on the small airship.

Noil’s hand fell limp once more.

Ah… even in this state, he was still trying to tell her to escape.

He didn’t blame her. He wasn’t asking her to save him. He was only telling her to flee.

Even though being left behind like this would surely cost him his life.

It was absurd. It was insane. It was utterly wrong. Noil had done nothing to deserve this. He had been dragged into this mess, robbed of a peaceful life, brutally injured, and left on the verge of death.

And yet, even now—he was still trying to save her.

“Thank you,” he had said.

Despite being caught up in all this, he had thanked her.

Tesea didn’t know what Noil had gained from the 封魂珠 (Soul Sealing Orb) or meeting his sister. Perhaps it had changed him for the better.

But none of that would matter if he died.

And yet—

“I have to pull myself together…”

Tesea slapped her cheeks with both hands.

Her confusion vanished.

What a strange man. Truly strange. Completely irrational.

Most people hated pain, avoided suffering, and feared death. Yet he, despite the circumstances, had hurt himself for the sake of someone he barely knew and still put others before himself.

Someone this kind didn’t deserve to die.

He had to live.

With determination blazing in her heart, Tesea searched for what she could do.

And she found an answer.

She would manifest a new Magis Gear. One that could heal his wounds and sustain his life—right here, right now.

However, creating new abilities for Magis Gear wasn’t something that could be done freely.

So Tesea prayed.

Please, grant me the power to save him.

It was her first sincere prayer—spoken from the depths of her heart.

However, that earnest and sincere prayer was—

“Oh my, it seems you’re awake, Divine Child.”

Interrupted by the voice of a man whose faith was nothing more than egotistical self-righteousness.

A wave of tension ran through Tesea’s body, making her stiffen.

With a shocked expression, she turned to look behind her.

“Aizon… why are you here…?”

The figure entering the room was a single mechanical soldier.

But— (Analysis) revealed something unsettling: Aizon’s soul had inhabited the machine.

Aizon leisurely walked toward Tesea, who had instinctively moved to shield Noil behind her, spreading his arms wide as if to welcome her.

“Ah, I see the Fifth Generation Divine Child wasn’t aware. Long ago, I had the privilege of using a divine artifact known as the Divided Soul Jewel. It allowed me to split my soul into multiple parts.”

“That’s… impossible…”

“Oh, but it’s very possible! Truly, Lord Lumelherc’s supreme divine artifact is unparalleled. Unfortunately, it was destroyed after just one use… but during that process, I transferred part of my soul to this marvelous body while leaving another in my fleshly one!”

Tesea now understood the real reason Aizon’s soul had always seemed unstable.

“Why would you do such a thing…?”

“As insurance, of course. If something were to happen to me, the greatest interpreter of Lord Lumelherc’s divine will, who else could continue to unravel His great mysteries? An indestructible body was essential. At the same time, however, a human form was indispensable for producing offspring with the Divine Child. Thus, I split my soul.”

“And you didn’t tell me any of this because…?”

“Why, it was unnecessary information, wasn’t it? There was no need to inform you.”

Aizon stopped in front of Tesea and stated this as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Tesea had only ever seen a single mechanical soldier before, one devoid of Aizon’s soul.

If she had known, perhaps she could have prepared.

But this man had never told her anything beyond what was strictly required for (Analysis).

To Aizon, everyone but himself was merely a tool. This belief became even clearer to Tesea, igniting a burning hatred in her heart.

“But why, Divine Child, are you by that man’s side? Could it be… you’re still under his brainwashing?”

“…Brainwashing?”

Tesea couldn’t comprehend what Aizon was talking about.

“Ah, yes. That lowly man brainwashed you. You even raised a blade against me and attempted to escape from this sacred domain. Because of him, I lost my fleshly body and soul… but I’m relieved to see you unharmed, Divine Child.”

“…What?”

What nonsense is this man spewing?

He interpreted everything in the way that suited him best.

Tesea felt an unspeakable disgust.

But if that’s what he believed, she could use it to her advantage.

If she played along, Aizon might spare her for now.

Perhaps she could get through this—if it were only her.

“…I’m not brainwashed.”

However, Tesea fixed Aizon with a sharp glare and declared it outright.

Abandoning Noil was not an option.

“Oh, how wonderful!”

Aizon, as always, twisted her words to suit his narrative, failing entirely to grasp her meaning.

“In that case, step away from him. That wretch is an irredeemable sinner, but his body is of fine quality. Even with this glorious body, he put up quite the fight, which was vexing. For some reason, he seems to bear Lord Lumelherc’s divine power within him. He must have used some despicable means to obtain it. By taking that body for myself, I’m sure the gods will be pleased.”

Aizon continued, his mechanical voice droning on.

“A fleshly body is essential, after all. I’ve kept him barely alive for this purpose. If he dies, the body becomes useless. The soul must be transferred while the body is still alive. I intend to bring him to the believers now and have his injuries repaired. Also, Divine Child, the time has come for you to conceive. With a body imbued with Lord Lumelherc’s power, the next Divine Child will surely possess unparalleled abilities. Truly exciting, isn’t it?”

The lifeless face of the mechanical soldier seemed grotesquely twisted in Tesea’s eyes.

Suppressing the nausea rising in her throat, Tesea shook her head and glared fiercely at Aizon once more.

“No. I told you—I was never brainwashed to begin with! It’s of my own will that I’m trying to escape this place! And I’ll never hand over Noil’s body to scum like you!!”

Standing her ground, Tesea spread her arms wide, shielding Noil from Aizon.

She looked up at the lifeless machine’s face and made her resolve clear.

“Divine Child… it seems your brainwashing has yet to be undone. Please don’t make this difficult. I’m rather occupied at the moment. There’s a foolish intruder running about… though I’m sure I’ve already taken care of them.”

The mention of an intruder caught her attention.

But right now, protecting Noil from this man was her top priority.

She would never let Aizon lay a hand on him.

As Tesea shielded Noil, her defiant gaze unwavering, Aizon stared at her in silence for a moment before sighing in feigned exasperation.

“Hmph… granting too much freedom only leads to trouble. I suppose unnecessary parts must be removed after all.”

He addressed her as if scolding a petulant child.

“In that case, Divine Child, I’ll remove your limbs. Don’t worry—you’ll still fulfill your role as a Divine Child without them.”

A cold shiver ran down Tesea’s spine. Her strength faltered, and her body trembled.

Yet, even so, she didn’t flee.

Aizon’s—no, the mechanical soldier’s—arm extended toward her slowly.

“…!”

“…Huh?”

Just as Tesea prepared herself for the worst, her eyes squeezed shut, something small struck the machine’s face.

It was a vial, which exploded on impact.

Of course, the mechanical body felt no pain—but Tesea spun around in surprise.

“…ru…na…”

“Noil…?”

Noil, still collapsed on the ground, glared at Aizon with unfocused eyes.

“…Sierra… don’t… touch… her…”

Tears welled up in Tesea’s eyes.

His mind and consciousness were already slipping.

He couldn’t even fully recognize her.

And yet, despite barely being able to move, he was still trying to fight Aizon.

That’s enough. It’s okay now.

She wanted to tell him that.

But she couldn’t.

As long as he kept fighting, how could she give up?

No matter how reckless, no matter how desperate—she would stake her life to protect Noil.

Tesea fixed her sharp gaze on the mechanical soldier.

And then—

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

A roar like that of a raging beast echoed through the room.

A massive, jet-black suit of armor slammed into Aizon, sending him flying.

The colossal figure was even larger than the mechanical soldier, smashing it through a small spherical airship and into the wall.

Before Tesea could even process what was happening, the black armor launched itself at Aizon again.

“RAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”

A frenzied howl reverberated as if pure, unimaginable fury were being unleashed.

The black armor pinned Aizon against the wall and pummeled him relentlessly.

“You insolent blasphemer!!”

But Aizon retaliated. A sharp beam of light shot from the mechanical soldier’s palm, severing the black armor’s arm.

What was terrifying wasn’t the beam’s power but the armor’s resilience—it had endured Aizon’s earlier attacks with barely a scratch.

“NOOOOOOOO!!!”

The black armor, unfazed by its lost arm, roared again and kicked Aizon’s head into the wall.

It was an unrelenting, feral assault.

“Noil…”

“Huh?”

As Tesea watched the chaotic battle in stunned silence, a voice from nearby startled her.

Turning quickly, she saw a woman with bright chestnut hair.

The woman reached toward Noil, and Tesea panicked.

“Wait! You can’t move him!!”

“…It’s fine.”

The woman gently cradled Noil, laying his head on her lap.

“I know Noil better than anyone.”

“What…?”

“Noil would never leave me behind to die. So, don’t worry. He’ll be okay.”

The woman smiled softly, then retrieved a glowing vial from her belongings and opened it.

The liquid emitted a faint yet brilliant light—a divine artifact.

(Analysis) revealed its identity: Drops of Life, a divine artifact capable of healing the drinker’s injuries.

Hope surged within Tesea.

“Now, wake up. This time, I’ll stay by your side, Noil.”

The woman—Noel Sialsa—said softly as she brought the Drops of Life to her lips and gently kissed Noil.