The World's Weakest Hero, Volume 1, Chapter 12 (Patreon)

Chapter 12

Light returns to me, though there's much less of it than there was before I closed my eyes.

Laid out before me is a pitch-black sky, filled with millions of tiny dots stretching across an infinite cosmos.

The clarity of the stars is incomparable to anything seen on either Earth or my new world. Even on the highest mountain in the darkest of nights, the stars would never feel so close.

Turning my head, my vision is filled with a large object. It's blue and green, with a layer of misty white covering some of its surface.

From this great distance, the planet I now call home looks very much like Earth, though the shape of the continents is quite different.

Turning a little more, an even bigger object appears. In truth, it's smaller than the planet, though its close proximity makes it look larger.

This new object is tinted a pale blue and filled with craters. Unlike the planet, it doesn't have an atmosphere, making it appear lifeless by comparison. It is a moon, after all.

Finally, I look down at my feet. That same lifeless and sandy surface as the blue moon in the sky fills my vision, with the only difference being that the one I'm standing on is white, rather than blue.

“The twin moons,” I say. “They're as beautiful as ever.”

“What did you expect?” a childish voice asks from nearby. “It's only been 15 years since you last came here. Nothing will change in such a short time.”

“That's true. Even if I had been gone 15 million years, I doubt much would have changed.”

“I wouldn't be so sure. Big sis would probably do something drastic if you disappeared for that long.”

“Ah, you're probably right. I'll make sure never to let something like that happen, then.”

Turning, I take in the sight of the girl I've been talking to. And a girl is absolutely what she is. With the appearance of a 9-year-old human, the top of her head barely comes up to my chest, and I'm not a particularly tall person.

“It's good to see you again, Shiro.”

“Hmph!” She turns her puffed up face away. “Who’d be happy to see you?”

“Don't be like that. We had a lot of fun together 15 years ago, didn't we?”

“This and that are different!” She turns back to me, her pouty cheeks on full display. “And you haven’t even talked to me, even after coming back to this world!”

“Cut me some slack, I can't hold a telepathic conversation with you for long with my current strength. If you wanted company so badly, you could have brought me here before today.”

“It's not like I wanted to bring you here to play with me, or anything! I'm perfectly fine by myself, okay!?”

“I understand.” I nod sagely. “But I still like coming here, so I hope you'll invite me from time to time.”

“Ah…” She looks away again. “I suppose I could bring you to my moon again, if you want to see me that badly…”

“Really? That'd be great, Shiro! I'll definitely let you know the next time I'm free to visit!”

“Of course you will! Who wouldn't want to visit one of the twin spirits who rule this world!”

“Speaking of twin spirits…” My eyes fall on the pale blue moon sitting in the sky.

Shiro turns her sad face upwards. “Big sis has been silent since that day 15 years ago. I can feel her, but she's still sleeping.”

I place my hand on my chest. “Like me, most of her power is sealed, but she was the one who used the summoning spell to bring me back to this world, wasn't she?”

“Yes, I felt her awaken just long enough to cast it. But it drained what little energy she had remaining. I don't know how long it'll take before she recovers.”

“Don't worry, Shiro. I'm going to go back to the Well of Power. Not only am I going to get my strength back, but I'm going to free her, as well.”

“You better! It's boring up here without her, you know!”

“It would be tough being alone all these years. You did really well, Shiro.” I pat her head.

“Mrrr. I'm not a child.” She doesn't try to escape, despite her words.

As I rub her head, I look around one last time. It's desolate compared to the planet, but there's a certain beauty in the simplicity here.

I've missed it. Or rather, I've missed the two girls who live on these twin moons.

Unfortunately, I don't have the time to enjoy my visit today. So, I reluctantly remove my hand from Shiro’s head and drop the carefree attitude.

“Shiro, I need your help.”

“I know.”

“Can you do it?”

“Big sis is already inside you. Containing the power of two spirits at once will put tremendous stress on you. At your level, it could even mean the destruction of your body.”

“Yes, but I still want to do it. There are people counting on me to save them. People I care about. And besides…” I show her a smile. “I trust you.”

“How unfair…” She sighs. “Then I guess I don't have a choice.”

I get down on one knee, putting my face level to hers. “I'm ready anytime.”

Shiro places a small hand on my forehead. “I'm certain we will meet again soon, Triton.”

After her words, Shiro's mana begins pouring into my body.

----------

Lyra's chakram carves an unnatural path through the air, slicing one tendril after another as it flies.

Eventually, the weapon sinks into the massive body of the leviathan, but the damage is akin to a human getting a paper cut.

Without the Great Spirit of Water, I don't have enough raw power to take down a mutant this size!

She recalls her chakram, but she doesn't even have time to watch it leave the leviathan's blackened flesh before a swarm of tendrils assault her.

She's in the middle of a street to give her room to fight, but that also means the tendrils can attack her from all sides.

With her second chakram, she deftly cuts them down as they approach. But with each one she slices, she's forced to take another step back to avoid getting flanked.

The attacks continue, and Lyra finds herself pushed back further down the street. If she keeps up her tactics, it would be a simple matter to maintain her distance and avoid getting overwhelmed.

However…

Lezard is behind me. I can't keep retreating!

Lyra holds out her empty hand, and her first chakram returns to her. With both of her weapons, her attack speed has essentially doubled, and she uses that to her advantage, cutting down the tendrils at an incredible rate.

And yet, the inevitable conclusion of her battle hasn't changed. She's only managing to delay her defeat by using every ounce of her strength.

The leviathan doesn't care about me. It wants Lezard.

I'm just a minor nuisance, like a mosquito that refuses to leave.

As if responding to her thoughts, the tendrils come out in full force, trying to swat her away.

At the same time, the leviathan begins to move. Its massive body towers over Lyra, making her feel even more like the mosquito she had imagined herself being.

With each of the leviathan’s long steps, the buildings around her shake, as if they were enduring a small earthquake.

Lyra risks a glance toward Lezard, but the young hero still sits cross-legged on the ground behind her, his eyes closed.

Hurry, Lezard! I can't hold it off much longer!

Another massive step, accompanied by another quake. A crack appears in the street head of her, and the wall of a nearby building begins to crumble.

The leviathan has a distinct head, with pitch black eyes. But although those eyes are looking in her direction, they're not focused on her. It only cares about the hero behind her.

Unable to retreat any further without leaving Lezard vulnerable, Lyra has no choice but to stand her ground against an increasing number of tendrils.

Her chakrams are always slicing the air, cutting them down in droves. And yet, it's not enough.

“Get off…!” A tendril wraps around her arm.

She yanks on it, ripping the rubbery tentacle in two with her enhanced strength. It only takes a second to free herself, but in just that amount of time, the tide of battle has turned.

“Too many…!” Lyra ducks a tendril, only to be hit by another.

Her chakram slices the next one aiming for her, but a third manages to grab her wrist. She pulls on her arm, freeing herself, yet she's wrapped up by another tendril before she can take a single step.

As she struggles against the blackened, vine-like appendages assaulting her, the leviathan continues its march toward them. Step after step, the massive mutant closes in, until Lyra has to crane her neck to look up at its hideous face.

Just a few more steps, and it'll crush us…!

Now wrapped in tendrils, Lyra can barely even move her body. Yet despite that, her chakrams continue to whirl around her, slicing as many of the appendages as she can.

But as she struggles to free herself, a few tendrils pass her by, heading behind her. She watches with gritted teeth as they close in on the person she promised to protect–Lezard.

I can't let them reach him!

But if I send my chakrams to take care of those tendrils, I'll end up completely immobilized!

Lyra has a choice to make. Leave the tendrils heading toward Lezard alone and cut herself free, or seal her own fate by using her chakrams to protect him.

If she frees herself, she can escape the oncoming leviathan. It's not even after her, so in the time it takes for the mutant to crush the unmoving Lezard, she can get far away.

I came here to find a hero! Someone who can end the misery in my land and free this world from the mist!

If I die here, then my family, my friends, and everyone in my homeland will just continue to suffer…!

Even if she gives up her own life, it would only buy Lezard a few seconds. As she is now, that’s all she's capable of against a leviathan.

Lyra understands that the difference a few seconds can make is tiny. If she decides to protect Lezard, chances are she'll just end up throwing away her life without reason.

And yet…

“Lezard!” She sends out both of her chakrams. “You better live up to your promise!”

Her weapons ingore the tendrils wrapped around her body, heading straight toward the ones seeking Lezard.

As wrapped up as she is now, she can't even turn enough to see how well her attack is doing at protecting him. She can only look forward, at the massive mutant that's practically on top on her.

A dark shadow falls over Lyra as the leviathan raises its leg directly above her. She simply watches on as that leg grows larger, preparing to crush her like the mosquito she is.

“Sorry, everyone…” Lyra closes her eyes.

A massive quake seems to shake the entire world as the leviathan's foot crashes down. Since Lyra is right beneath the leg, the only logical outcome would be for her to be crushed.

However…

I'm … alive?

The quake subsides, and the world seems to stabilize.

Confused, Lyra opens her eyes, sure that her doom is still guaranteed.

That's when she saw it. Or rather, saw him.

“I see you've had a bit of trouble while I was away.”

Lyra stares at his back, her mouth open in absolute shock. “How…”

“Hm? How what?”

“How are you holding back the leviathan's leg with just one arm!?”

Lyra looks up, where the leviathan's foot rests atop Lezard’s raised hand. Yet despite being nearly the size of a mouse compared to an elephant, he’s holding back the entire leg with just one arm.

“About that–I got a little help from someone. But this thing is still heavy, so let's skip the discussion for now. First things first, though. [Moonlight Radiance].”

After the spell, light begins leaking from his body. It isn't bright, being akin to the light from the twin moons at midnight. But when it touches the blackened tendrils, they release a hiss and wither away.

In just a few seconds, the mass of tendrils wrapped around Lyra’s body is gone.

“Okay, let's go.” Lezard throws the leg, and the foot crashes onto the ground beside them.

At the same time, he grabs Lyra and leaps away from the impact. Although he’s moving seemingly without effort, he still manages to jump several times the distance that anyone would expect.

When the two land, they're far enough away to safely strategize for their next plan if they hurry. But Lezard isn’t in a rush.

“Lezard, your hair.”

“Oh, yeah. I guess it did change color, huh?”

“Pure white. It's different from the pale blue when you use your spirit powers. Yet, there's a powerful spirit energy radiating from you.”

“Well, it can't be helped since I'm borrowing this power. But, my promises.”

Lyra sighs. “I'm curious beyond measure, but I guess there's no helping it.”

“Haha. That's just how it is.” Lezard holds out his hands, and a scythe appears in them. “But I guess I should take care of this little problem of ours before anything else.”

“I'm ready.”

“No, you've done enough.” He peeks at her from the corner of his eyes. “Thanks for protecting me, Lyra.”

“...!”

“Now, just stand here and enjoy the show. I'll handle the rest.”

With that, Lezard leaps forward, heading straight at the leviathan.