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CHAPTER 6 – STILL A WAYS TO BECOMING THE PROTAGONIST
PART 03
——
The lightning attack scorched everything in sight like an inescapable nightmare. The plains around the cherry blossom tree were burned away, and the air filled with smoke and a burning stench.
I lost all control of my body, and it was hard to tell if I was even still alive or not. My thoughts were thick, clouding up my brain with a strange floating feeling.
Just what had happened to me
 Had I failed?
“There, now nobody in the world can stand in the way of our marriage, so come to me. And hand me the knowledge to unlock the Great Magic of Creation!”
It was Messiah’s voice.
He sounded as pompous as always, like he was an actor in a drama
 The fact that he was still alive shook my mind, and my consciousness wavered.
“

”
Yet no matter how much Messiah called, I didn’t hear any reply from Satsuki.
No, there was no need for her to reply him
 Wait, I’ll be up in just a second
!
Despite my mind’s impatient urging, my body refused to respond. Why? Shit
 Could it be that I’d really died?
The feeling of emptiness within me continued.
“No one will be able to break the Contract now. If you disobey me, your body will be torn apart from the inside. Would you want that to happen?”
The only thing I could do was listen to Messiah’s voice.
“Just give up, daughter of Creation.”
Her name isn’t “daughter of Creation”, it’s Satsuki.
“You have no choice but to become my bride.”
How dare you. Satsuki is my childhood friend.
“If it really hurts that badly to come with me, then shall I use magic to steal your consciousness and make you into a living doll? It doesn’t matter to me, as long as we seal the Contract and I gain access to the Great Magic of Creation.”

I’ll send you flying if you keep talking that way!!
Marriage is about two people bringing happiness to each other. That’s normal. Yet you see Satsuki as nothing more than a tool. As her childhood friend, I’ll never forgive you for doing that!
My boiling rage served to stir my body back into consciousness.
Clenching my fists, I stood up amidst the smoke.
“Was that your marriage proposal? That was totally unromantic.”
“What!?”
As Messiah exclaimed in bewilderment, I patted my clothes free of dust. Aside from being coated in soot, my body was more or less intact. I guess it was only my consciousness which had received a momentary blow.
“B-But how!?”
For the first time today, Messiah’s expression showed a hint of panic.
“That’s the least of your worries now, I think?”
I ignored his question as I pointed up at the sky once again.
Just then, the world, previously bathed in moonlight, was suddenly shrouded in darkness
 Then brightness returned again. Yet it was not the gentle light of the moon and stars. This glow was intense, seemingly burning up the entire sky
 It was the glow of crimson fire, as the meteor sent to destroy Earth fell through the atmosphere.
“This is my greatest magic.”
“——!?”
Alright, the rest is up to you, most powerful wizard.
Live up to your famed namesake and save the Earth for me.
“Shit! What is this magic!?”
Messiah was in a foul mood, which triggered him to act fast. In an instant, he had summoned more than ten lightning cannonballs of “God’s Judgement”.
“Don’t underestimate Messiah Candystraps!”
The scarlet burning meteor collided head-on with the numerous lightning balls.
As the lightning, like destructive torrents, and the scalding meteor crashed into each other, the dark dome of sky above us lit up for a moment. The wizard’s lightning attack had decimated the overwhelming military might the aliens were so proud of.
It was truly an awesome sight, worthy of a manga or light novel climax.
In a few minutes, it was over.
“As if you can ever win against a powerful wizard like me!”
Messiah hollered as he smashed the final piece of the meteor into dust.
*pant, pant, pant
gulp!*
Messiah caught his breath as he drifted back down to the ground. He didn’t fall to his knees, but I could tell that he was a mere shadow of his former self.
The pieces of broken meteor would probably catch fire from friction with the atmosphere and burn away. Any remaining pieces would then be destroyed by the weapons equipped on Iris’ spaceship.
The Meteor Destruction Plan was a success.
Now, I just had to defeat the era’s most powerful wizard.
“WAAAAAARRRHHHH!!”
I bellowed as I dashed out of the smoke.
“What!?”
Messiah turned towards me, a surprised look on his face. I guess he didn’t manage to sense my presence.
This was my only chance to get close to Messiah, as the destruction of the meteor probably sapped most of his magic and focus.
I was close enough that he had no time nor space to fend off my attack.
My attack should hit home.
Normally, the outcome of the battle should have been decided then.
But Messiah just let out a small smirk.
It seemed like the Defense Barrier which surrounded the wizard was still intact.
Satsuki had said that even a hundred wizards wouldn’t be able to break through it.
That was also the reason why Messiah was the most powerful wizard.
And the reason for that composed smile.
But then, I sliced the invisible “Hero’s Sword” horizontally, cutting through Messiah’s Defense Barrier.
“What!?”
“——!!”
Hearing his cry of dismay, I immediately twisted my wrist backwards.
To explain things, I basically had Harissa cast an invisibility spell over the “Hero’s Sword”, then stuck it into the roots at the base of the large cherry blossom tree. It was fitting that this Sword, so famed for being able to slice through magic, was really being utilized in a fight against a wizard. I would have used it right from the start, but if Messiah were to realize its power and modify his defenses accordingly, then it would have all been for naught. Thus, I had been waiting all this while for the perfect life-or-death situation to deal the ultimate blow.
This was the final piece of my plan.
With Messiah’s “God’s Judgement” attack and Defense Barrier gone, the battle was over!
“Let’s end this now!”
Twisting my wrist, I took another swing at Messiah with the “Hero’s Sword”.
“Uwaaaarrgggh!”
Messiah’s scream echoed through the air, and was soon cut off.
The storm, which had been whipping through the plains, died down, and silence returned to the place.
But there was noone around to ring the bell and announce the outcome.
So I remained vigilant in battle-mode, gripping the handle of the sword tight.
“

”
Someone, anyone, hurry and put an end to this situation
!
As if my mind had been read,
“

Why?”
Messiah, with a trickle of blood flowing from where the invisible blade rested against his neck, whispered.
“I don’t know how
but my Defense Barrier has been destroyed, I can feel it. So why haven’t you killed me yet?”
“That’s my style
unless you refuse to admit defeat.”
Wasn’t it normal for people to refrain from murdering someone else?
Keeping up my tough act, I glared down at Messiah.
“
Alright. I admit defeat.”
As decided upon by the Contract before the battle, Messiah would never come to lay a hand on Satsuki ever again. Her parents would be returned safely as well. This calls for a celebration.
Finally, I relaxed my grip on the handle. I wanted to sink to the ground with relief, but I couldn’t do that right now.
There was still one last thing to do.