AN: Welcome to the 3rd and last update for this week!
In the last chapter, the final battle opened with a bang from Hayate.
And now, the trio will fight Dormammu together while the rest hold the world together until then.
I hope you will all like the final stage of this arc.
Well then, enjoy reading, and see you next week.
Please leave your comment, rating, and review! I would love to read those.
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Non-Administrated World #97, Star Rail Universe…
The blinding light within the Dimensional Gap slowly faded. In its place, a cloud of dust and smoke covered the spot where Dormammu had been standing.
Noah, Sirin, and Hayate stared at the same cloud, lowering their stances while remaining alert.
"Nice shot, Hachan," Sirin said with a grin. "I felt the Dimensional Gap shake from that attack of yours."
A small smile appeared on Hayate's lips. "That shot only succeeded because of your well-timed binding on Dormammu."
"Then we can say the attack worked because both of you are awesome," Noah added with a smirk. "And of course, Rein is awesome too."
Sirin and Hayate's cheeks lightly flushed from the praise.
"O-of course I am!" Sirin huffed.
"My… T-thank you, Noah-kun."
[Noah-san!!! Hehehehe, thank you!]
Noah glanced at them from the corner of his eyes. His expression relaxed for a brief moment at their reactions.
'VA, did you take pictures?' he called to his partner in his mind.
'Done, Captain,' Void Archives replied. 'I saved them across your data storages.'
'Good job!'
It seemed that even on a tense battlefield, Noah could still be Noah. His priorities still included collecting photos of his wives.
AT YOUR FRONT!
Sadly, the small moment did not last.
The Force screamed a warning in his mind.
Noah's eyes widened, and he immediately jumped forward, raising Shamash in front of him.
From the cloud of dust, Dormammu crossed the distance with horrifying speed, his massive hand sweeping through the void toward them.
The greatsword of Destruction collided with Dormammu's arm.
White-gold flames and black-purple fire exploded between them. Noah gritted his teeth as he held Shamash in place, blocking Dormammu's massive arm with everything he had.
Of course, Dormammu refused to lose to a puny little human in a contest of strength. He poured even more power into his arm, trying to crush Noah beneath his force.
Sirin's eyes widened the moment she processed what had happened.
"Fast!"
"Noah-kun!!!" Hayate shouted as she was pushed back by the force of their clash.
"Do you honestly think I will go down easily?" Dormammu leaned closer to Noah.
Noah's golden eyes stared back at him. "Sadly, against our wishes, you have proven yourself to be a very annoying and formidable enemy."
Sirin blinked above Dormammu's shoulder, her Astral Gear already in hand. "But that doesn't make you unbeatable!"
She swung Embrace the Void.
The scythe slashed through space itself, forcing Dormammu to pull back before it could wound him further. The cut Sirin inflicted left a long purple scar across his side, filled with Quantum energy. It was not deep enough to finish him, but it was enough to break his stance.
"Balmung."
Hayate's spell finally fired.
The white sword-shaped projectiles pierced straight through Dormammu's chest and pushed him backward.
He let out another roar of pain, filled with hatred. He glared at Sirin and Hayate, but then he felt another wave of intense heat in front of him.
When he looked up, he saw Noah change his stance.
He was holding Shamash above his head as golden-white flames pulsed with destructive energy. Noah continued to feed the Divine Key of Destruction with his Imaginary energy, and even his Astral Emblem shone brightly as it transferred an unimaginable amount of energy into the sword until it reached the level of a supernova explosion.
"Shamash…"
Feeling the danger, Dormammu quickly summoned the energy around the Dimensional Gap and the Dark Dimension to protect himself. Layer upon layer of protective barriers covered his body and existence against the incoming attack.
"Unleash."
Noah swung Shamash.
The energy released from the sword was enough to destroy an entire star system, and all of it was directed solely at Dormammu. The entire Dimensional Gap lit up brightly as an explosion, equivalent to the detonation of a star, shook the void.
"Ughh!!!"
"Kuu!!!"
[Please hold on, Hayate-chan, Sirin-san! I'll add a support spell to protect both of you!]
Sirin and Hayate had to work together to create a barrier strong enough to block the force and heat from Noah's attack. Reinforce quickly cast support spells against physical force and extreme heat.
Once the light faded, the heat from Noah's attack could still be felt by Hayate and Sirin. Sweat slid down the two women's temples from the sheer intensity of the blast.
"…How I wish Dormammu had been killed by that attack," Sirin muttered.
"But we both know he would have survived that, right?" Hayate replied. "Dormammu would be injured, yes. But he would definitely survive."
And as if to prove their words, an injured Dormammu was thrown out from the cloud of smoke before crashing into the floating landmasses in the distance.
The golden flames around Noah receded as he stared down at Dormammu, forcing himself to stand upright.
"…You really are an annoying adversary, Trailblazer." Dormammu glared at Noah.
"I could say the same thing to you, Dormammu," Noah answered. "The attack I unleashed at you was on the same level as the one I once used to erase the beast of the End, Trihexa."
He narrowed his eyes. "Yet, aside from burns and some injuries, you can still stand."
As the two continued their stare down, Sirin floated beside Noah, the Key of Void back in her hands. Hayate moved to his other side, Schwertkreuz raised and ready. The three of them stood together, facing Dormammu in the middle of the Dimensional Gap.
Across from them, Dormammu's flames burned higher as he stood, recovering from their combined attacks. His wounds slowly closed as the stolen life force of the planet healed him.
"Then I suppose it is time to invite everyone to this party."
Dormammu raised his hand toward the dimensional wall.
With only the lightest tap, Noah and the girls heard the sound of glass breaking.
Five massive holes opened in the barrier separating the dimensions, inviting anything and anyone inside.
"!!!"
"T-the barrier broke that easily?!"
"H-how is that possible?!"
Noah and the girls gasped in shock at how easily the barrier between dimensions had been torn apart.
"Did you really think I spent those countless hours poking and testing the dimensional wall for nothing?" Dormammu sneered. "The barrier may hold me out, but those other beings are small enough to enter the world beyond freely."
His eyes moved coldly between Noah's group and the world below.
"And when they cause enough instability, this puny wall will slowly weaken. Then I will finally force my way in and devour this world."
Noah's expression hardened. Sirin's fingers tightened around her pistols, and Hayate's eyes widened for only a second before returning to her commander expression.
"We will stop you," Noah said, raising Shamash again. "We will defeat you here and stop you from entering that world."
His eyes burned with resolve. "And our family, friends, and allies will hold the line and protect it until then."
Sirin aimed her pistols toward Dormammu, while another Belkan magic circle appeared around Hayate.
Dormammu smiled in return. "Then let us see how long your world can endure while you fight me."
The battle in the Dimensional Gap had entered its next act, while the world below joined the war by facing the invasion.
—-------
Noah Schweinorg stared at the massive tree in the middle of Mahora Academy. Despite it being a weekday, the academy was empty. Headmaster Konoe had issued a notice to all non-magical staff and students about a school-wide inspection, asking them to leave the academy district for the next few days.
So right now, aside from mages, Church Executors, exorcists, enforcers, and the other defenders gathered for the battle, no one else remained on the academy grounds.
It had been a few hours since his older counterpart and his team had dived into the Imaginary Numbers to deal with the mastermind. Based on the reports Olga received from Chaldea, they had detected massive tremors deep inside the gap. For the last few minutes, even those in the real world could feel small tremors shaking space itself.
Even the Kaleidoscope-powered Mystic Codes, Ruby, Sapphire, and Argent, could not help but tremble. They could feel the powerful energy released from the battle in the Dimensional Gap.
"…The older me truly is on a different level," Noah muttered.
His hands clenched as he felt just how large the difference between them was, despite the other Noah being only five years older than him. For a young boy like him, seeing Noah Alden made him feel both admiration and respect.
He wanted to become like his older counterpart.
Strong.
Confident.
Trusted.
But he could not even imagine himself fighting the dimensional being Dormammu, and yet another version of him was fighting that very monster.
Frustration and impatience started building inside his heart. His older counterpart was out there with Sirin and Hayate, trading blows with the monster trying to devour their world. Meanwhile, he was here, standing under the World Tree, waiting for the breach to open.
He knew this job was important. He knew protecting Mahora was truly important. He knew every person stationed here had a role to play.
But knowing that did not make the feeling disappear.
"Can I really become someone great like him?" Noah tightened his fist.
"…I think Noah-san is also a great person, just like the other you."
Noah lightly flinched at the sudden voice and turned toward the person who had spoken.
"Ah… hello? I hope I didn't disturb you?" Suzuka Tsukimura smiled shyly at him.
"…Little Moon," Noah replied blankly.
Suzuka blushed at the nickname. "Are you really calling me that?"
"…Sorry," Noah said after realizing what he had said. "It just felt fitting."
Suzuka looked down, her cheeks still faintly red. "…It's fine, I guess. I don't really dislike it."
"I-I see." Noah felt his face warm for some reason.
The two teenagers awkwardly looked everywhere except at each other. A soft wind passed between them, gentle enough to make the coming war feel like a distant dream.
After a while, Suzuka gathered her courage and faced Noah.
"Noah-san, this might be a little late, but I want to say sorry for worrying you."
Noah turned to her and blinked. "…"
"You see, among the five of us, I was the shy one. The one who was content to sit at the back," Suzuka said, her hands tightening in front of her skirt. "I'm not like Nanoha-chan and Alisa-chan, who have the courage to do what they want. I'm not like Fate-chan, who notices the small things and takes care of them before anyone else can. And I'm not like the smart Hayate-chan, who can lead others and see the bigger picture."
She gave him a small, fragile smile. "I'm just… me. The shy, gentle girl who watches her friends do something great."
The bushes behind them rustled, but neither Noah nor Suzuka noticed.
"So when Sapphire made a contract with me, and I got hold of this power… I thought I could help. I thought I could fight for everyone without them ever needing to do anything." Her voice softened. "I thought if I could handle the danger alone, then Alisa-chan, Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan, Hayate-chan, and everyone else wouldn't have to get hurt."
Suzuka continued, her voice quiet but honest.
"Thinking back now… I guess that was my greatest mistake."
Her lips trembled as she spoke.
"Even though Sapphire told me about you. Someone I could count on. Someone who would help me. Someone who would share the burden with me." Her cheeks warmed faintly. "Someone who would become my partner for everything."
Noah's eyes widened slightly. Not far away from them, Sapphire, floating nearby, lowered her eyes guiltily.
"I thought I was being brave. But now I know I was just scared." Suzuka looked down. "I was scared that if I relied on someone, then I would drag them into danger. I was scared that if I asked for help, it would prove that I didn't deserve this power. And I was scared that my destined partner would be disappointed because I couldn't handle things on my own."
Suzuka looked toward the empty academy grounds.
"And because I thought that way, I hurt everyone more."
Noah's expression softened. Suzuka's confession was something he understood more than he wanted to admit.
After all, it reflected the same feelings he had earlier when he compared himself to Noah Alden.
He looked up at the World Tree, then back at her.
"Suzuka."
She looked at him.
"I think… I understand." Noah slowly opened his hand and stared at his palm.
"When I saw my older counterpart, I felt like I had to catch up immediately. Like if I couldn't stand where he stood, then maybe I wasn't worthy of being connected to him at all."
His hand tightened. "But that's not right."
Suzuka listened carefully.
"So let's correct our mistakes…" Noah turned to her fully. He opened his mouth hesitantly, cheeks turning faintly red, but he still kept going. "Please rely on me more."
"Ehh?" Suzuka blinked in confusion.
"And in exchange, I'll rely on you as well."
Her lips parted slightly.
"I know I'm not strong, great, or amazing like my older counterpart. I can't carry the whole world like him. Not yet." Noah gave her a small, awkward smile. "But if you really think I'm great like him… then please rely on me."
Suzuka's shoulders shook as she covered her mouth with both hands.
"That way, I can know…" Noah swallowed, then forced himself to finish despite how embarrassed he felt. "Even if I can't carry the world like him, I can at least be your strength."
Suzuka could only stare at him.
She looked at him with soft, warm eyes full of admiration as her cheeks turned bright pink.
Somehow, her reaction made Noah feel as if the temperature under the World Tree had risen by several degrees.
"You really are great, Noah-san," she whispered.
Noah's face turned red. "T-that's…"
Suzuka smiled gently. "Not because you are like your older counterpart."
She took a step closer toward him. "Because you are you."
Noah looked at her with a stunned expression.
Those words of hers struck him harder than he expected.
He had been comparing himself to Noah Alden since the moment he learned about him. The other Noah felt like the sun shining in front of him, bright and impossible to reach.
But Suzuka was not looking at that sun.
She was looking at him. The boy standing beside her under the World Tree. The boy who came when Sapphire called. The boy who still felt small, but still wanted to protect someone.
"T-thank you." Noah looked away, cheeks turning red.
Suzuka's own face flushed, but she smiled. "You're welcome."
The moment between them continued until something rustled behind the bushes, followed by the unmistakable sound of people falling to the ground.
Alisa fell out first. "Ow!"
Olga landed beside her with a yelp. "Kya!"
Nanoha-chan stumbled forward while Fate-chan quickly caught her shoulders.
"W-wait, don't push!" Nanoha-chan cried.
Hayate-chan, who had clearly tried to retreat with dignity, tripped over Ruby, who was vibrating like an unstable magical disaster.
Reines stepped out from behind the bush a second later, perfectly composed. She brushed a leaf from her hat as if she had not been hiding there at all.
"My, what a strange coincidence. I was merely passing by."
Gray slowly emerged beside her, hood pulled low and face bright red.
"I-I'm sorry… Miss Reines said this was an important matter that must be observed…"
Olga snapped her head toward Reines. "You dragged us here for this?!"
Reines looked away, hiding her red cheeks.
"I merely judged that checking Noah's emotional state before the big battle was important."
"Important?! You mean you made us spy on them!"
"Spy is such an inelegant word. I prefer romantic reconnaissance."
"That doesn't make it any less bad!"
"I-I also thought it sounded questionable…" Gray timidly raised her hand.
"Gray, betrayal is unbecoming of an assistant."
"I-I'm sorry… but Miss Marie is right…"
Alisa, still on the ground, pointed at Reines.
"Then why did you push us?!"
"A coincidence… merely a coincidence," Reines answered in a suspicious tone.
"That means you admit it!" Olga shouted.
Reines finally looked at her, her smile returning despite the redness in her cheeks. "My, Marie, you say that as if you did not follow us willingly."
Olga flinched. "T-that was because Noah disappeared right before the battle! I was checking his condition!"
"Of course. Purely out of concern."
"Stop smiling like that!"
Alisa pushed herself up from the ground, dusting off her skirt while glaring at all of them.
"Whatever excuse we use, everyone was hiding behind the same bush and spying on them."
Nanoha-chan's cheeks turned red as she quickly waved both hands. "W-we weren't spying! We were just… standing nearby with very good hearing!"
Fate-chan held her head. "Nanoha… that doesn't help us at all."
Nanoha-chan looked confused. "Fuee?"
Hayate-chan gave a small cough. "For the record, I suggested we give them privacy."
Alisa raised her brow at her, and Hayate-chan looked away.
"Kyaaa~! Young Master's Little Moon route has bloomed under the World Tree! This is fate! This is romance! This is premium magical girl drama!" Ruby floated upward, glowing with unholy excitement.
"Ruby," Alisa said sweetly.
Ruby immediately hid behind Argent. "I am only the messenger of love!"
Argent's screen flashed. "Correction: Sister is a public hazard."
Sapphire floated beside Suzuka and lowered her gaze.
"Sister, please stop embarrassing Young Master Noah and Suzuka-sama."
Suzuka covered her face with both hands. "S-Sapphire…"
Noah and Suzuka finally turned toward their friends, stunned by the sight of everyone gathered there. Both of their faces turned completely red.
"…How long were you there?" Noah asked.
"Long enough to witness a very moving declaration." Reines placed a hand over her cheek.
Olga crossed her arms and looked away, her cheeks pink. "Long enough to confirm that you say embarrassing things even during world-ending emergencies."
Alisa's eyes narrowed at Noah.
"And long enough to hear you thinking about something stupid."
Noah flinched. "Wait, why am I being scolded now?"
"Because you deserve it," Alisa, Olga, and Hayate-chan said at the same time.
Noah's shoulders dropped. "…How unfair."
"Then I suppose, just as you said, Noah-san, we should start relying on each other." Suzuka, who was standing beside him, reached out and took his hand. "If we are together, then we can become something great!"
"Suzuka…" Noah looked at her in surprise.
"Since we are hopeless alone, let's combine our strengths to overcome the challenges we need to face." She gave his hand an assuring squeeze along with a gentle smile. "Together, we will be unstoppable."
"Not just Suzuka. Me as well!" Alisa chimed in. "I'm not letting you or Suzuka out of my sight for the foreseeable future, so make sure to call me whenever you need to do something."
"And don't you dare forget about me either." Olga crossed her arms. "Since we have been stuck together since we were kids, it won't make much difference if we remain together in the future."
"I suppose I can lend my wisdom as well. Of course, I will expect a proper reward." Reines smiled.
Noah looked at her carefully. "A reward?"
Reines tilted her head with a charming smile. "Perhaps a date afterward?"
Noah and the other girls nearly choked.
"Reines!"
"Are you for real?!"
"Did you have to be that direct?!"
"Why must we go in circles when we already know what we desire most?" Reines puffed out her chest. "To me, that would be terribly inefficient."
That silenced the rest of the girls.
Gray timidly raised a hand. "I-I would also like Noah-san to rely on us… and if it is not too much to ask, I would love to have a reward as well…"
"My, you are learning well, Gray." Reines looked proud.
"We'll be there for everyone as well," Nanoha-chan said with a bright smile despite her red cheeks. "After witnessing how the other Hayate-chan and Sirin-san care for Noah-san, we also want to become the strength of our own Noah-san, just like them."
Hayate-chan placed a hand on her chest. "We may be new to your life. We may be less experienced, weaker, and less mature than my older counterpart, but we still want to stand beside our own Noah-kun."
Fate-chan nodded in agreement. "So please give us a chance to be relied on by you. And just like Suzuka-chan said, we will also rely on you… like… like a family."
"F-family…" Noah blushed harder at those words.
He looked at each of them.
Alisa.
Olga.
Suzuka.
Reines.
Gray.
Nanoha.
Fate.
Hayate.
The girls who had somehow gathered around him. Their faces were just as red as his, but none of them denied their desire to become family.
A family that wanted him to rely on them.
"…Okay." Slowly, Noah smiled. "Please take care of me."
"Of course," Suzuka answered first, her fingers gently tightening around his hand. "Please leave it to me, Noah-san."
Alisa crossed her arms, cheeks red but eyes firm. "Obviously. I already said I'm not letting you two out of my sight."
Olga looked away, pretending to check her tablet even though the screen had gone idle. "Hmph. I suppose I can look after you properly. Someone has to."
Reines smiled, still flushed but shameless. "Then I shall graciously accept your request. Remember, rewards are negotiable after victory."
Gray lowered her hood a little, her voice soft. "I-I'll do my best too… so please rely on me."
Nanoha-chan smiled brightly. "Of course! We'll all do our best together!"
Fate-chan nodded, her cheeks faintly pink. "Yes. Please leave your back to us."
Hayate-chan placed a hand over her chest and smiled warmly. "We'll support you, Noah-kun. As allies… and as family."
Ruby began vibrating so much that Argent had to grab her with his belt.
"Kyaaaa~! Family declaration vow! Under the World Tree! Before the final battle! This is too strong! This is unfair! This is illegal sugar density!"
"Get a hold of yourself, Ruby!" Argent said. "You are experiencing sugar overload right before the battle starts!"
"What are you saying, brother?! Love must be documented!"
Sapphire let out a long, tired sigh. "I apologize on my sister's behalf."
[My Master sounds happy,] Raising Heart, floating beside the Mystic Code, chimed gently.
[Agreed. Morale has improved.] Bardiche's gem flashed once beside Raising Heart.
Reinforce Zwei floated beside them, flashing a bright smile. "One big happy family, yay!!"
For a moment, everyone simply looked at one another.
Then, together, they laughed.
It was unfiltered, full of emotions, and completely genuine.
Unfortunately, warm scenes like that could not last.
Their comms suddenly sent out an alert.
[Announcement to all personnel. The dimensional walls have been broken. I repeat, the dimensional walls have been broken,] the voice of a Chaldea staff member announced. [All defense forces are requested to enter combat positions immediately.]
Everyone straightened at once.
[Mahora breach will begin first. Estimated rupture in thirty seconds.]
Olga's expression sharpened as she opened her tablet and read the details.
[Weles gateport site will follow in three minutes. Egypt, North America, and the Mediterranean crossing are expected to breach ten minutes after.]
Then the alarm continued.
[Small-scale breaches are also appearing around the world. Repeat, multiple small-scale breaches confirmed. All local defense teams, prepare for immediate engagement.]
The young family looked up above the World Tree, where space began to twist unnaturally. Cracks spread across the blue sky. Then the sound of glass breaking spread far and wide.
In the next second, thousands of Quantum Shadows poured from the broken sky.
Noah remembered the girls' laughter and drew strength from it. With determination filling him, he took a brave step forward.
"Let's go save our home."
The war had finally entered its second act.
====== Chapter 221 END ======