Chapter 411. Ram's Counterattack
「Jet-black shadows struck like a surging tide. The massive silhouette extended countless arms, seizing, annihilating, and destroying everything in this world.」
「Every place and object touched by the black shadows was devoured and assimilated. Rising from beneath the earth, the shadows reduced the fourth floor to a crumbling ruin within seconds of appearing.」
「Anyone else might have been dazed and confused by this sudden darkness, but Hikigaya Hachiman, having experienced the Sanctuary, knew full well that this shadow was Satella.」
「Satella loved him. That was why, back in the Sanctuary, she had manifested to assimilate him—wanting them to be together forever—simply because Echidna, Roswaal, and the others had discovered and discussed "Return by Death," and because he had died too many times.」
「If he were assimilated into the Witch of Envy's womb, there would be no possibility of Return by Death being noticed by others, nor would he die repeatedly due to danger.」
「...Satella, with her twisted logic. Hachiman could roughly guess the reason for her appearance this time.」
「The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony devouring his existence was undoubtedly the culprit. Whether Satella had completely forgotten him or simply couldn't find him remains unknown, but it must have been one of those two. Once her memory of him restored, she became insecure to the extreme.」
「"If Hachiman is assimilated with me, sleeping in my womb for all eternity, won't that ensure I never lose him again?"」
「Driven by her abnormal logic and desperation, Satella would surely think this way. Her goal in appearing now was beyond doubt.」
「"Rem! Head for the second floor!"」
「Doing this in front of everyone was a bit embarrassing, but Hikigaya Hachiman didn't hesitate to let Rem pick him up in a bridal carry, ordering her to start running immediately.」
「It was embarrassing, yes, but it also brought a long-lost warmth—a strange sense of fate. Just like when they rushed into the forest to drive away the Mabeasts... the same posture, but a different mood.」
「Back then, Hachiman was filled with awkwardness and shame, feeling as if he couldn't show his face to anyone. Now, his eyes held a radiance brighter than the most dazzling stars in the sky. Leaning back in Rem's arms, he felt nothing but an endless sense of security.」
「Rem asked nothing and said nothing; she simply obeyed—holding him in a posture that saved her strength while ensuring the man in her arms was comfortable as she ran.」
「A miraculous revival after a year and a half. Rem was like Tokai Teio—despite having just awakened from a long-term injury and immediately plunging into battle, she remained incomparably reliable and powerful.」
「Receiving the signal, Emilia scooped up Meili with one hand and Beatrice with the other. Ram picked up Anastasia in a bridal carry. They all quickly followed Rem. Julius, Crusch, and Shaula followed without hesitation. Only Priscilla stood her ground and frowned.」
「She looked at Satella with curiosity, thinking this was a trump card left by Gluttony. She drew her Yang Sword and struck once, but seeing that it had little effect, she opted for a strategic retreat.」
「"Hmm? Young ladies? And so many fine women? What's the plan—haha, perfect timing, come play with me!"」
「Reid, on the second floor, was about to indulge in his usual lewd banter when he spotted Satella chasing closely behind the crowd. His bored eyes instantly turned sharp. Using his chopsticks, he unleashed an attack capable of cutting through space, sweeping away a massive area of shadows.」
「Reid was incredibly powerful, but Satella's shadows seemed inexhaustible. Both sides clashed with their full might; both were powerhouses, and neither took significant damage.」
「However, the entire second floor was collapsed into an unrecognizable mess within seconds under the fierce battle between Reid and Satella, leaving no place to stand.」
「The Pleiades Watchtower crashed down, its integrity lost. There were no longer any rules to bind Reid. Reid laughed boisterously, relying on his absurd physical constitution to tread on the air in a form of pseudo-flight, engaging in the battle even more joyfully.」
「Ram, who had completely avoided the battle with the Mabeasts and Gluttony, had her stamina and mana perfectly intact. She used exquisite micro-manipulation to generate wind, allowing her to fly.」
「Rem grabbed Ram's ankle with one hand, Anastasia grabbed Rem, and the rest of the non-fliers formed a long human chain, hanging one after another. At the very bottom was Julius.」
「As a knight, he naturally stood guard at the bottom, ready to draw his sword against the encroaching shadows and be the first to be consumed to buy time for the others.」
「Ram gritted her teeth; the population was too many, and the weight was exceptionally heavy. But she summoned her willpower as an elder sister, barely managed to fly, and delivered everyone to the desert sands not yet covered by shadows.」
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"Am I seeing this right?"
In the Sanctuary, Garfiel rubbed his eyes in surprise.
He wasn't shocked by Satella's arrival—that had happened once before. What truly stunned him was that Ram was actually playing such a major role?
He liked Ram, but Garfiel couldn't deny the fact that until now, Ram hadn't exactly been useful; sometimes, she had even been a hindrance.
"Ohhh, this is truly a rare sight!" In the Hoshin Company, Mimi's exclamation drew agreement from Anastasia and the others.
While it was said that Emilia was a "dead weight" until she underwent the transformation of the three trials, Emilia actually did have her moments.
But Ram?
When the Mabeasts invaded, they relied on Emilia's power. With Ram's meager stamina and mana, her presence made no difference. In the Sanctuary, she burned the book purely for herself; besides, the Gospel only made Roswaal summon snow—it didn't stop him from hindering Hachiman's fight against the Great Rabbit later. Even if Ram hadn't acted, the only difference would have been Hachiman dealing with Roswaal himself after killing the rabbits.
Finding the way into the Pleiades Watchtower region did use her Senrigan, but without her, Hachiman's group could have simply turned back and asked Reinhard to use his own Senrigan, which might have even defeated Reid in one go.
In short, none of Ram's previous contributions were particularly large, and none were unique.
This time was different. She was the only one who could fly. Her "human chain" prevented a tragedy where people would have fallen to their deaths. It fulfilled the "uniqueness" of the moment—this danger had to be overcome by her; it couldn't be done without her.
This moment truly refreshed many people's perception of Ram, earning her a fair bit of praise.
It even dispelled the thoughts of those who had fantasized: "If Ram ever shows up on Earth, I'm hiring a crowd with tranquilizer darts and a burlap sack to give her a piece of my mind."
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