Elf Tensei Kara no Cheat Kenkoku-ki

Vol 05 Chapter 23-2: ??Samsara Recursion

I knew their pasts. I had become emotionally involved with them.

「Moreover, it's not only you who has to decide. By separating the soul, the control of the body will also be handed over to the “Me” who undergoes ??[Samsara Recursion]. The ones who will lend their strength are only those eccentrics who agree and are willing to assist you. There's no need to worry.」

「Is there really a “Me” who wants to sacrifice himself like that?」

「Yes, there are a few. They are saying they're willing to lend you their strength and are fine with ending it all. Now, choose. What's more important to you? The ghosts from your past lives, or those who are supporting you now? For the sake of the future, show that you can discard your past selves!」

I clenched my back teeth and looked forward. I wanted to protect Erucy, Lucy, Kuu, Yukino.

「I ask you, my past selves, please die for my sake.」

I spoke to “Me”. Emotions of a me who wasn't me welled up from within.

「Understood. We will cooperate. There are four “Me” who will assist you.」

「Of all people, these four, huh? That's reassuring.」

I gave a wry smile. They were reliable ones. I already had decided which “Me” to choose as the vanguard.

「Release, my soul. The mirage left behind in the sands of time, manifest here and now.」

I began the incantation, speaking to the depths within myself.

Unlike usual, my chant was overlapped by the voices of the “Me” I was calling upon.

「I desire the greedy king who ruled the world of the dark night, his name is…」

An old name. I recited the nostalgic name loudly.

「Gramdeal! [Samsara Recursion]??!」

My body was enveloped in light. My unique magic, ??[Samsara Recursion], activated. When the light subsided, my body was clad in a pitch-black coat, my hair and eyes dyed black, and long fangs grew in my mouth. My body had transformed into that of Gramdeal. This was a Samsara Recursion using a detached soul. Therefore, I didn't become Gramdeal, but rather, it felt like I was observing from afar a body that had turned into Gramdeal. Gramdeal initiated the magic.

「Crimson Moon.??」

The entire area was enveloped in a dark night, with a blood-red moon floating in the sky. This was Gramdeal's barrier. A barrier of a scale large enough to cover an entire city. As long as any living creature was within the barrier, they would continually have their souls and magical power consumed by Gramdeal.

Consequently, the monsters were devoured one after another, turning into corpses. The still living monsters were steadily weakening. In contrast, Gramdeal was reinforcing his soul and growing exponentially stronger as his magical power filled up.

The magical power that had been nearly entirely spent when I underwent ??[Samsara Recursion] as the Silver Dragon was rapidly recovering.

「This era's us… no, Cyril. I disliked thee.」

Gramdeal, strengthened within the barrier, decapitated the remaining monsters and spoke to me.

「Thou art too soft. Despite having the power to single-handedly subjugate the Empire if thou so desired, Thou soughtst a path of coexistence. Even after thy kin were killed. Thy naivety disgusts us.」

Despite overwhelming the enemies with his formidable power, there was a certain grace in Gramdeal's manner. Perhaps it was because he was a true noble of the night.

「When thou didst call upon us for the first time, we deliberately refrained from advising thee. As a result, thou almost wert devoured by the hero. That was intentional. We wish thee dead, for we find watching thee most distasteful.」

The moon summoned by Gramdeal grew even redder, and his movements became more fierce.

「However, we realisest something. Despite our disdain for thy softness, thy surroundings were always filled with smiles. It was thy kindness that made it so. Watching thee walk the path we had given up on, we started to want to see what lay beyond it.」

Gramdeal's form blurred for a moment. He was reaching his limit. The detached soul carrying Gramdeal's personality was about to meet its end.

「Falter not. Continue thy way with thy kindness intact. We will be the stepping stone for that. Farewell.」

And then, my body transitioned from being Gramdeal back to my own. Not a trace of Gramdeal's soul remained. I shed tears for the vanishing Gramdeal. Ruled by the thirst for vengeance, he dedicated everything to destruction, his life was one I could have easily reproduced if some of my decisions had been different.

「There's no time for sorrow.」

Thanks to Gramdeal, the number of monsters had significantly decreased, but still, over a hundred remained and continued to increase. I understood what I needed to do. I Initiated another [Samsara Recursion]??.

「Release, my soul. The mirage left behind in the sands of time, manifest here and now.」

This was my third Samsara Recursion today. Again, I decided which soul to use as the base for this third time, I separated it, selected it, and imprinted the personality onto it. My voice overlapped with a deep, resonant one.

「I desire the blacksmith who forged steel and, above all, himself in a world of steel and scorching heat, his name is…」

Once, I reincarnated in a world where alchemy was abnormally advanced. It was a world constantly colored with flames, smoke, and iron. In that world, I was born into the race most versed in metal, honing my skills for a lifetime. My name at that time was…

「Kuiro! ??[Samsara Recursion]!」