The moment I realized who I had handed Sylvia to, I felt as if I had fallen into an icy abyss.

The one following behind was a substitute disguised as a dancer... Was the one before me actually Necross himself?!

"Tracking from the underworld" was only the first layer of its scheme. It had disguised itself as Mr. Wilson long ago, waiting for me to come to it willingly!

Panic and fear gushed out along with my mana.

My mana was instantly overdrawn, my vision going dark. Sharp pain shot through my senses, followed by warm liquid spurting out, dyeing my vision a murky red.

An intense wave of nausea rose up. The ground beneath my feet became soft and unsteady.

Damn it... I've overused my magic. But quickly, just a little more effort, just a bit more, give me...

"Time, stop!!!"

The invisible wave expanded once again, strangling everything in the world in place.

At the same moment, the accumulated fatigue and pain erupted violently. I could no longer hold on. My body went limp, and I collapsed to the ground. Every limb screamed under the unbearable strain, completely beyond my control.

No! Get up!

I gritted my teeth, fiercely pinched my arm, and tore off a piece of skin, using the searing pain to drag my crumbling consciousness back from the brink.

It's okay, there's still time. I made it. Sylvia, I'll save you now.

Three... three seconds, passed...

I wiped away the blood blurring my vision and stood up shakily. When I looked ahead, my blood ran cold again.

Necross was frozen in place, holding Sylvia in its arms, but from its back, a third and fourth hand had extended!

Before I stopped time, these two extra hands had already hurled several stone spikes directly at me, completely cutting off my escape route.

This bastard! It foresaw that I would stop time and prepared itself just like I had...!

Mana depleted... no time to forge ice blades to deflect the stone spikes. I'll have to force my way through!

Steeling myself, I gently touched one of the stone spikes suspended in mid-air. It trembled slightly, then resumed its motion, tearing through the air with a whistle, slicing a wound deep enough to see bone into my left shoulder.

Five seconds... still five seconds left!

Not daring to delay any longer, I reached out and grabbed all the stone spikes at once. They activated simultaneously, cutting open my cheek, piercing through my calf, shattering my ribs.

...It's alright. I've gotten used to pain.

Breathing heavily and roughly, I finally reached Necross. This beast was supporting Sylvia by the back of her neck, pressing her head against its chest, preventing me from seeing her face.

Seven seconds passed...

Avoiding Necross's skin, I carefully reached my hand under Sylvia.

Good. Just like this, gently lift her up...

Then use the remaining three seconds to dash into that alley and escape.

Riiip.

The sound of flesh tearing. Warm liquid dripped onto my hand.

I looked over in confusion and saw that Necross had grown bone spikes from its hand before the time stop, piercing through the back of Sylvia's throat and out the front.

For every centimeter I lifted Sylvia, the bone spike tore through her throat a little more.

If I forcibly pulled her out, even if she wasn't decapitated, she wouldn't be going anywhere—she'd bleed out and die instantly.

It clearly had time to kill Sylvia outright with death magic, yet it chose this method!

Damn it... you piece of trash, I'll make you regret this! I'll kill you!

Eight seconds passed.

...What do I do. What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do! Think!

Permafrost Binding Rune... If only I had just a little more mana! Potions, are there any left? In the bottles, on the broken glass shards...

Someone! Wilson! Head Mage! Lord! Darian, Emily, Rosemary! Someone help her...

Nine seconds passed.

The blood... won't stop...

That's it. Kill it. Kill Necross. Cut off its head, interrupt the magic.

Using the last of my strength, I slammed my fist into Necross's face. Its face tilted back slightly, and in that instant, the flesh on my fist peeled away, my muscles atrophied, and my arm dropped limply back to my side.

My limbs gave out simultaneously. I collapsed to the ground again, staring at Sylvia, who was right before my eyes.

Ten seconds... passed.

The drifting clouds in the sky resumed their movement. Two celebratory festival ribbons were tied to a distant house, swaying gently in the wind.

Necross's eyes regained their luster.

"Adam Hammer. Time's up. I'll grant you permission to leave one last pretty word."

My mind went blank. I stared at it vacantly, unable to utter a single word.

"So utterly boring until the very end. Now, die—"

Before it could finish, a pillar of flame erupted, engulfing both Necross and Sylvia. Necross let out a miserable shriek and burst out of the flames, its body burning. However, Sylvia was completely unharmed, even the wound on her neck had vanished. Just as she was about to hit the ground, a pair of hands caught her steadily.

It was... the real... Mr. Wilson.

He flashed his usual confident smile, freed one hand, and reached out to me.

"Adam. You look terrible. Let me heal you."

"Grey... Grey Wilson! What are you doing!"

A shriek full of resentment rang out from behind. I shuddered and turned my head. Necross, wreathed in flames, was charging toward us along with the dead mages.

Wilson pulled me to his side and said:

"Don't look. It's fine. Gentlemen, finish it."

"Yes, sir!"

A chorus of acknowledgment was followed by various spells flying over my shoulder, tearing Necross and the dead mages apart completely. Necross, now little more than charcoal, twitched a few times and vanished into the dust.

Just like that?

That's it?

I had struggled so hard and still couldn't escape from it.

Several mages in black robes with badges came to my side.

Not Darian's makeshift team, but official members of the Obsidian Mage Corps First Division.

One mage said:

"Mr. Wilson! It seems to have escaped!"

They couldn't finish it in one go. It got away.

I should have been terrified and panicked by this... but instead, I felt a trace of relief.

Damn it. Don't be like this. This is too ugly, too despicable.

Wilson said:

"It's fine. Just stay alert. I've set up a barrier around the surrounding streets. It won't be able to escape."

"Understood!"

During their conversation, most of my injuries had already healed.

Still not recovered from the massive emotional swings, I looked at Wilson beside me with a complicated expression and said:

"Mr. Wilson... Th-thank you..."

"Hah, keep that respectful attitude. Come with me to the Silverleaf Workshop. Everyone's waiting."

"Everyone...?"

"The guests and staff of the Silverleaf Workshop, the mage corps, Meri, Darian, other survivors who came from the dance floor, etc."

"I called them all here for safety."

"Also, Adam, you can move now, right? Don't just stand there watching. Lend a hand."

With that, Wilson handed Sylvia back to me.

Unlike when she was in my arms, she wasn't frowning or moving restlessly. She was simply breathing steadily with her eyes closed.

Was she asleep? Or still awake?

I hesitated for a moment, then took her.

Without a word, I followed behind Wilson and the mages and arrived at the Silverleaf Workshop without any trouble.

There were many people here, noisy and stuffy.

The sudden concentration of human presence was overwhelming, and I couldn't adapt at first.

I paid no attention to their words, following Wilson up to the second floor until we reached a rest room.

"I'm temporarily using this rest room as an infirmary. Bring your elf girl inside."

"...Okay."

I entered the room and gently laid Sylvia down on the bed. The floor was stained with blood and scattered with many flower petals.

I murmured:

"Mr. Wilson, these flowers are really beautiful."

"Oh? That's my magic, actually."

"Magic?"

"That's right. Some bodies were too badly damaged, so I had no choice but to turn them into flowers. Alright, Adam, I need to treat the elf girl. Give me a hand."

Forget it.

"I don't know healing magic. Aren't there plenty of mages here? It's better if you ask them for help."

Wilson paused for a moment, then suddenly stepped closer and vigorously rubbed my hair with his hand. Caught completely off guard, I hastily pushed his hand away.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

Wilson revealed a slightly mischievous smile and said:

"Don't make such a miserable face. You're most like yourself when you're being rude."

"Cheer up. You saved your beloved's life, you know. At your age, all I ever thought about was making money and drinking. I never once considered others like that."

My emotions, which I had barely managed to calm, were stirred up again.

Suddenly, I felt like crying. My speech became halting:

"No, you saved her. I... I couldn't accomplish anything..."

Wilson smiled helplessly and interrupted me:

"So stubborn. If you have time, could you go call Meri and Emily for me?"

"...Yes."

I walked out of the room. Just as I was about to close the door, I hesitated for a moment, then turned back and gave Mr. Wilson a slight bow.

"Thank you."

"Yeah. Do your best."

I closed the door and headed downstairs.