Chapter 149: The Target

The enormous gate opened by an inch.

That was enough.

A wave of pressure swept through Noah’s consciousness.

He staggered backward.

Irus immediately raised her staff.

"Close it."

The Dead Zone looked at her.

For the first time, its smile disappeared.

"You finally understand."

Irus’s golden eyes narrowed.

"I said close it."

"Why?"

"Because you’re not ready to see what lies beyond it."

Noah looked between them.

"You’re both talking like I’m not standing here."

Neither answered.

The gate opened another inch.

A deep crimson glow appeared between its doors.

Noah felt it.

Not as power.

As presence.

Something enormous was sleeping beyond that threshold.

And somehow, impossibly, it felt familiar.

His chest tightened.

"That’s Ragnarok?"

The Dead Zone nodded.

"The part you inherited."

Noah stared at the gate.

"You said Ragnarok was inside me."

"It is."

"Then why is there a gate?"

The Dead Zone looked at him.

"Because having something inside you doesn’t mean you understand it."

Irus suddenly moved.

Golden energy erupted from her staff and struck the gate.

The doors stopped opening.

For a moment.

Irus exhaled.

"Stay behind the boundary."

Noah frowned.

"You’re protecting Ragnarok?"

"I am preventing you from reaching it."

"Why?"

Irus looked directly at him.

"Because if you reach it now, you will not remain the person you are."

The Dead Zone laughed.

"She’s afraid."

Irus’s gaze shifted toward it.

"I am cautious."

"You’re afraid."

The golden aura around Irus intensified.

She attacked.

The Dead Zone met her head-on.

Their collision shattered the darkness around them.

Noah was thrown several meters away.

Outside, Noah’s body slammed against the academy floor.

Laura rushed to him.

"Noah!"

His eyes opened.

For a moment, both were crimson.

Laura froze.

"Noah?"

He blinked.

The crimson faded from one eye.

"I’m here."

Sophia crouched beside him.

"What happened?"

"Ragnarok."

Eric looked confused.

"What about it?"

Noah stared at the golden moon.

"It’s awake."

A violent tremor shook the academy.

BOOM!

The floor cracked.

Damien caught himself against a pillar.

"How long until this city collapses?"

Luna looked outside.

"Hildgard isn’t collapsing."

Everyone stared at her.

"It’s changing."

Golden lines were disappearing from the streets.

In their place, black cracks were spreading beneath the city.

Laura’s face tightened.

"The underground structure..."

Noah slowly stood.

"The ritual is breaking."

Deep below, Daniella watched Alcris struggle to breathe.

His mana was almost completely gone.

"Alcris, stay awake."

He opened his eyes.

"Daniella..."

"What?"

"If I lose consciousness..."

She shook her head.

"You won’t."

"Listen."

His fingers tightened around hers.

"Don’t let her take Noah."

Daniella stared at him.

"You finally understand?"

Alcris gave a weak laugh.

"I’m not stupid."

"You were acting like it."

"I know."

The chamber shook again.

Irus turned toward them.

The golden light around her had become unstable.

She was still connected to Noah.

But the connection was weakening.

Alcris noticed.

"What happened?"

Irus looked toward the ancient heart.

"The boundary is rejecting me."

Daniella frowned.

"Because of the Dead Zone?"

Irus didn’t answer.

Instead, she looked at Alcris.

"You opened the path."

Alcris slowly stood despite his weakened body.

"And?"

Irus’s expression became cold.

"You will help me finish it."

Alcris stared at her.

"And if I refuse?"

Irus raised her staff.

"You won’t."

Daniella stepped between them.

"You’re done using him."

Irus’s golden eyes settled on her.

"Move."

"No."

For a moment, the chamber became silent.

Daniella tightened her grip on her weapon.

Her legs were trembling.

But she didn’t move.

Behind her, Alcris slowly raised his head.

And somewhere far above them, Noah’s crimson aura erupted.

The golden moon cracked.

A black line appeared across its surface.

Irus looked upward.

Her expression changed.

"No..."

The crack spread.

CRACK.

For the first time, the golden moon began to break from the inside.

And from within that golden light came a deeper color.

Crimson.

Black.

The Dead Zone’s voice echoed through Noah’s consciousness.

"She’s running out of time."

Noah looked toward the sky.

"What happens when she does?"

The Dead Zone answered:

"She stops trying to take Ragnarok."

A pause.

"And starts trying to take you."

The golden moon cracked.

A black line spread across its surface, cutting through the golden light like a wound.

Everyone in Hildgard saw it.

Nobody spoke.

For several seconds, the entire city seemed to hold its breath.

Noah stared upward.

Inside his mind, the Dead Zone’s voice remained calm.

"She’s changing targets."

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

Me.

"Yes."

The golden moon suddenly pulsed.

A wave of pressure descended upon the academy.

Laura stepped forward.

"Everyone, get behind me!"

Sophia and Luna immediately raised their barriers.

Eric and Damien moved to either side.

Noah remained in the center.

The golden light reached the academy.

It passed through the walls.

Through the barriers.

Through everyone.

But when it touched Noah, it stopped.

A thin golden circle formed beneath his feet.

[EXTERNAL ENTITY CONNECTION: 31%]

Noah’s breathing became heavier.

Laura looked at him.

"Noah!"

"I can’t move."

The golden light climbed slowly up his body.

His hands.

His arms.

His chest.

His neck.

It wasn’t burning.

It was searching.

As though something was examining him from the inside.

Sophia attacked the light.

"Release him!"

Her spell struck the golden circle.

BOOM!

The spell vanished.

Sophia staggered.

"It absorbed it."

Luna’s expression became serious.

"Don’t attack the connection."

Noah looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because it isn’t outside you anymore."

Noah’s eyes widened.

The Dead Zone laughed softly.

"She’s learning."

Deep beneath Hildgard, Irus lowered her staff.

The golden thread connecting her to Noah had changed.

It was no longer pulling.

It was wrapping.

Alcris stared at it.

"What are you doing?"

Irus didn’t answer.

Daniella stepped closer.

"You said Ragnarok was the target."

"It was."

"Was?"

Irus’s golden eyes remained fixed on the thread.

"He is resisting."

Alcris’s expression hardened.

"So you’re taking him instead."

Irus finally looked at him.

"Ragnarok cannot be separated from its inheritor without consequence."

Daniella stepped forward.

"What consequence?"

Irus’s gaze became unreadable.

"Death."

Silence.

Alcris’s face changed.

"You’ll kill Noah?"

"If necessary."

Daniella immediately raised her weapon.

"No."

Irus looked at her.

"You cannot stop me."

"Maybe not alone."

Daniella glanced at Alcris.

Her brother was already struggling to stand.

His mana was nearly gone.

Still, he slowly reached for his weapon.

Irus watched him.

"You intend to fight me?"

Alcris tightened his grip.

"I’ve made enough mistakes."

He stepped beside Daniella.

"I won’t make another."

Daniella looked at him.

For a moment, neither spoke.

They stood together.

Brother and sister.

Against something neither understood.

Inside Noah’s mind, the golden light reached his chest.

The Dead Zone stepped forward.

Irus appeared across from it.

"This ends now."

The Dead Zone tilted its head.

"You can’t take him."

"I don’t need his permission."

"You do."

Irus raised her staff.

Golden chains appeared around the Dead Zone.

This time, however, they didn’t attack.

They wrapped around Noah instead.

Noah felt his consciousness being pulled.

"Stop!"

Irus looked toward him.

"You cannot understand what you carry."

Noah gritted his teeth.

"Maybe not."

His crimson aura began spreading.

"But it’s mine."

The golden chains tightened.

[EXTERNAL CONNECTION: 47%]

Noah screamed.

The Dead Zone’s expression changed.

Its crimson eyes became completely black.

"Let go."

Irus smiled.

"No."

The Dead Zone took one step forward.

The darkness beneath its feet expanded.

"I warned you."

The entire inner world shook.

The golden chains began cracking.

Irus’s smile disappeared.

Outside, Noah’s aura erupted.

Crimson.

Black.

No pink remained.

Laura shielded her face from the pressure.

"What is happening?"

Eric stared at Noah.

"I don’t think that’s Ragnarok."

Damien tightened his grip.

"Whatever it is..."

He looked at Noah.

"...it’s getting stronger."

[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE RESONANCE: 23.6%]

Noah slowly raised his head.

His eyes were crimson.

A black pattern crawled across his neck.

And somewhere inside his consciousness, the Dead Zone whispered:

"You wanted the inheritor."

Its smile returned.

"Now deal with what lives inside him."