Volume 3 Chapter 82: My Brother’s Back

Falling, deeper and deeper into the darkness—

A sensation of endless sinking.

Oddly enough, it felt comforting.

“—Noil.”

Huh?

“Noil.”

Someone—someone is calling me.

Why? What do they want?

Sorry, but I can’t respond right now.

I can’t get up anymore.

…?

Why can’t I get up?

What was I…doing? I feel like I was doing something important.

Something I absolutely had to accomplish.

No, it’s fine… I’m just so tired. Maybe I’ll just fall asleep like this.

Wait. Am I even awake right now? Or am I asleep?

…I can’t tell.

I don’t feel my body. My consciousness is fuzzy. I can’t see or hear anything.

But even though I can’t hear—

“If you say it’s impossible, we’ll accept it. We’ll follow you, wherever that may be. No one blames you; you’ve fought so hard.”

That voice, echoing in my mind, resonating in my heart—what is it?

“But…you’re not done yet, are you?”

Be quiet. I want to rest. I can’t sleep with all this noise.

“That’s not true. You never planned to rest from the start.”

…

Why do they know that?

They’re right.

Even though I know it would be easier to just sink into this abyss and sleep—

I can’t.

What am I supposed to do?

“Stand up.”

How?

“I’ll help you.”

My body won’t move.

“It’s alright. She healed you.”

She?

“You’ll understand when you wake up.”

I see… I understand now.

“Yes. So, get up, our king.”

King? Ha, that’s a funny joke.

There’s no way that suits me.

“Haha, Noil, that’s fine. We think so on our own, that you are someone worth dedicating our loyalty to.”

Who are you?

“We are the Sextet. Though right now, you can think of us simply as your friends who love you.”

The Sextet?

“We’re not musicians, but we’ll offer you our power. Everything is already in place.”

My body—my consciousness—

It’s being lifted from this dark, sunken world.

I’m rising toward the faint light breaking through.

“Now, it’s time to awaken.”

That voice rescues me from the murky depths.

“Magis Gear…”

Following the voice, the words flow naturally from my mouth.

“Sextet.”

In an instant, I’m wrapped in a gentle light—

And my consciousness returns.

◇

Sierra’s vision turned red the moment she burst into the room and saw Noil, collapsed in a pool of blood, like a discarded rag.

Tesea, standing nearby, didn’t even register in her eyes.

Her entire focus was on Noil—her beloved onii-chan, battered beyond recognition.

And the machine soldier, who must have been responsible for his condition.

A roar unlike anything she’d ever produced erupted from her throat.

Without a single thought for strategy or odds, she launched a reckless assault, driven purely by emotion, at the machine soldier.

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

I Will Never Forgive You

Sierra, consumed by rage and murderous intent, had completely lost her composure.

She attacked recklessly—punching, kicking, without any semblance of calculation. Even when struck in retaliation, she paid no mind, continuing to throw her fists and feet with sheer force.

Her movements were simple, far too simple. But delivered with the overwhelming strength and brute force of Witch Hunter, whose massive frame and raw power were terrifying, those strikes posed a serious threat.

For most opponents, it would have been impossible to withstand such a relentless onslaught; they would have been swept away and crushed like leaves in a storm.

However, her opponent was a machine soldier, one not inferior to Witch Hunter. This was not someone she could overpower with brute force alone.

On top of that, Aizon’s soul—the most controlled and lucid version of himself—was inside the machine soldier.

Aizon’s combat ability was formidable. He was a man who had lived for a long time, and no matter how much of a prodigy Sierra was, at sixteen, her moves—tainted by rage and lacking any calmness—posed no real threat to him.

Only the first few strikes, which caught him off guard, had any effect.

The outcome of this battle was painfully obvious.

“Hah…hah…kill… I’ll kill you…!”

“My, even a wild beast would seem more intelligent than this, you blasphemous wretch.”

Though she had already lost both arms and her jet-black armor was dented and broken in multiple places, Sierra’s breathing remained ragged, and her killing intent did not waver.

In contrast, Aizon had sustained only superficial damage.

Had Sierra kept her composure, the outcome might have been different.

At the very least, she wouldn’t have suffered such severe injuries so quickly.

The fight lasted only a short time.

Neglecting even to defend or evade, Sierra lost both arms in a matter of moments.

And then—

“Guh, ahh…!”

A beam of light fired from Aizon’s palm struck her, severing one of her legs.

Her leg was blown off at the knee, throwing her off balance and causing her to fall heavily to the ground.

She was completely out of options.

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!”

“What?!”

Just when it seemed like it was over, Sierra screamed, and black chains erupted from her jet-black armor, extending in all directions.

They writhed like serpents through the air, wrapping around and binding the machine soldier’s body.

This was Eternal Bond, Sierra’s other Magis Gear.

Born from her unwavering desire never to let Noil go again, this Magis Gear’s power was to restrain and capture its target.

However—

“With this pathetic trick, you think you can stop Lord Lumelherc’s supreme creation?!”

Eternal Bond’s overwhelming power was only fully effective against Noil.

Its force, created specifically for Noil, could not be wielded against others.

Even so, the Magis Gear itself was powerful, but not strong enough to stop the machine soldier.

This was nothing more than Sierra’s final, desperate struggle.

The chains of Eternal Bond were effortlessly torn apart.

Aizon strode forward with ease toward Sierra, who could barely move, and fired another beam of light at her remaining leg.

“K-kill…killkillkillkillkillkillkill!”

“Disgusting. Truly, the filth of the surface is revolting, no better than garbage.”

With all her limbs now severed, Sierra’s head was grabbed by Aizon, and she was lifted high into the air.

“Your sin of defiling the sacred realm will be atoned for—with your life!”

With terrifying force, Aizon slammed Sierra into the ground.

“Ahh… kuh…!”

The impact left Sierra gasping for air, blood spilling from her mouth inside her armor.

The jet-black armor bounced once from the force of the impact, landing heavily on the floor.

Witch Hunter, having taken too much damage, dissipated, leaving behind only Sierra, sprawled on her back with hollow eyes.

“K-kill…kill… …I’m…sorry…onii-san…”

The murderous muttering faded from Sierra’s lips, replaced by a quiet apology. Tears streamed from her eyes.

It was because she hadn’t been there.

Noil… her onii-san couldn’t do anything without her. He always pushed himself too hard, even though he wasn’t capable.

She was supposed to stay by his side and help him. But she couldn’t.

And because of that, Noil ended up so gravely injured.

On top of that, she’d even lost so miserably to the very one who hurt him.

She hadn’t done anything for him.

How pathetic.

Now, Sierra couldn’t do anything anymore.

She couldn’t save Noil.

She couldn’t kill the enemy she hated so deeply that she lost herself.

“I’m…so sorry…!”

“Hmph. Do you think an apology will change anything? After I finish tearing you apart, I’ll move on to the other one…hm?”

Sierra’s Plea

Aizon stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on Sierra’s tear-streaked, contorted face. Then, as if struck by shock, he took a step back.

“Wh-what… no, it can’t be… no, this is… this can’t be happening…”

And then, his voice shifted into one of unrestrained elation.

“The Child of God… has returned!”

Aizon must have recognized her. He had realized that she was the infant who disappeared sixteen years ago.

“Oh… ohhhh…! Marvelous! Such a miracle! Indeed, Lord Lumelherc must truly love me!”

Dropping to one knee, Aizon clasped his hands together in reverence.

“However… hmm, you have not yet manifested Analyze…”

Aizon’s voice, which had been trembling with joy, grew more pensive. He seemed to recall Sierra’s use of two Magis Gears in their earlier fight.

“My heart aches for you… despite such exceptional talent… it was because I was not by your side. Forgive me.”

Whether he had completely dismissed her earlier attack or chosen to interpret it conveniently, Aizon’s attitude toward Sierra had undergone a complete transformation.

But this was no stroke of luck for her.

“No matter, it can be remedied. We will transfer the soul of the current Child of God into your body. In doing so, you will become complete. Since you are twins, the compatibility should be perfect. After all, you were once one being—it is merely a return to your original state. Now, let us first destroy this obstructive soul of yours.”

Sierra no longer registered Aizon’s words.

She knew Noel lacked the strength to help her. His power as Bloodstained Ballad was spent, leaving him utterly drained. He would be of no use here.

Realizing her end had come, Sierra’s mind drifted to memories of the past.

Her brother, Noil, had always been kind to her until the day they were separated.

Testing how far his care for her extended, she would constantly challenge him in mischievous ways.

Once, she hid deep in the forest on purpose. Noil, battered and bruised, found her and created a healing Magis Gear for her, despite his own injuries far surpassing hers.

Another time, she deliberately provoked a stray dog and pretended to be chased. Noil, trembling, stood between her and the dog. Though his Magis Gear for protection was clumsy and ineffective, he never let the shield stray from her side, even as the dog attacked him.

There were countless other memories of Noil striving for her sake.

For Noil, those were likely bitter memories of failure. But for Sierra, they were treasures that filled her heart.

Whenever she tested him, she would always say the same words:

“Help me, nii-san.”

She had never truly needed his help. But whenever she said those words, Noil would always reply with his own and strive to help her, no matter what.

He was never dependable, and in the end, Sierra always had to clean up her own messes. But those moments filled her with such warmth and joy that she couldn’t help but rely on him time and again.

“Help me…”

The words slipped from her lips like a whisper.

She didn’t expect anything.

Noil was barely alive, his condition uncertain.

Sierra didn’t even know if the Dew of Life would work.

Even if it did, even if he stood once more, what could he possibly do?

The opponent was someone even she couldn’t overcome. What could her unreliable brother achieve, other than suffering even more?

If he could stand, she would rather he flee immediately.

This wasn’t one of the petty incidents she caused. This was real. This was dangerous.

And yet—

She wanted her beloved brother to live.

“Help me…”

She hadn’t meant to call for help.

Not once had she ever truly said those words out of need.

She only wanted to say them one last time.

“Help me…”

It was just that.

She wanted to part with her cherished memories in her heart.

That was all.

“Help me…”

That should have been the end of it.

She knew Noil had no power to save her now.

She didn’t want him to face any more danger.

“Help me…”

And yet, why did her lips continue to utter those words?

The reply she yearned for wouldn’t come.

She didn’t want it to come.

“Help me, nii-san!”

A warm light enveloped her in that moment.

A familiar warmth from the past.

Her broken body began to heal.

Stunned, Sierra opened her eyes.

Before her, she saw a golden, translucent shield glowing brilliantly, halting the machine soldier’s hand.

She recognized it—it was a shield she had seen before, though its color had changed.

The ten shields transformed into a thin barrier, wrapping around Sierra, lifting her gently.

Encased in that radiant shield, her wounds rapidly healed, and it carried her to one spot.

To the center of the wide room—

To the place where Noil had fallen.

And there he stood.

Sierra recognized him immediately.

But his appearance, so different from the helpless figure she remembered—

The power that had saved her—

Made her doubt her eyes.

“Leave it to me… Sierra.”

“Ah…”

His gentle voice, the familiar words—

They brought tears to Sierra’s eyes.

As the golden barrier dissipated, she found herself shielded behind his back.

Clad in a dark cloak with a hood, his figure was unrecognizable.

The frail, unreliable back she had seen so many times before—

It had grown so much in the time they had been apart.

An overwhelming sense of relief washed over her.

“You made my little sister cry, you bastard.”

There stood the back of her grown-up brother—Noil Arlens.