His body could no longer withstand the backlash of wielding the Cosmic Sign. Every fiber of his being screamed in protest. If he wanted to survive what lay ahead, he had no choice but to ascend and become a Monster Lord, and he had to do it soon.
"Saya… I will take care of you," Souta swore in a low, trembling voice.
At the very least, he had stopped her from vanishing completely.
Souta slowly lifted his head and surveyed his surroundings. The desolation he remembered was gone. Grass swayed gently beneath his feet, flowers bloomed as if untouched by tragedy, and fierce winds rolled across the land. Above him, the sun shone brilliantly, casting a warm, almost cruelly beautiful glow across the sky.
"The calamity…" he muttered.
His gaze returned to the faint ball of light resting in his palm.
