I'd just knocked him flying in my excitement.
"Guaaah!"
The red-masked man, Biggs, crashed into a pile of treasure.
He groaned and slowly got back to his feet.
He was a black-haired man draped in a black fur robe.
His face was hidden behind the red mask, but his build wasn't all that large. No horns, no pointed ears, no purple pupils, no beast ears — and he wasn't exactly short, either. So just a regular human, then?
"Biggs. First time meeting you face to face, but I've got a bone to pick with you."
"...Ah, I see."
Even though what I said was absurd, he reacted as though he understood.
"You know you've been causing trouble?"
"I do."
"Then why the hell do you keep pulling this kind of stunt?!"
"It might sound like an excuse, but I'm cursed by a Relic."
"A curse..."
"They're Authority Relics called [Kimei Kitetenretsu] and [Maka Fushigi]. They were hidden inside this red mask. And thanks to them, I'm pseudo-immortal."
"...[Kimei Kitetenretsu]... [Maka Fushigi]..."
My past life's memories whispered to me. Fantastically imaginative and rounding off — what was that supposed to mean?
"I don't know what any of that means, but I'm taking you down. Better to take you down."
"What a coincidence. I always think the same about myself. And if you can manage it, by all means — try."
"I'm going all out."
Taking it easy just wasn't in my nature.
Full power, full throttle!
"Come, unknown boy."
"I'm Wof! [Generous]! [Leviform]!"
A dull pain shot across my forehead.
And then, images began streaming through my mind like a flickering lantern.
The battle against Vine, daughter of the Sword Goddess. The fight against Raada. The swarm of spider women.
The giant spider Nekia that had become a dungeon anomaly. The worms. The ants.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
All of that — every last bit — was this guy's doing. The red-masked man standing right in front of me. Biggs.
Every single thing, without exception, had been orchestrated by this bastard Biggs as the mastermind!
And on top of that, he'd let us believe he was dead, then had the audacity to keep on living.
If that were all, I might have settled for half-killing him. No — killing him.
He went and lived, only to cause me a mountain of trouble all over again.
I won't forgive this.
"I won't forgive you."
"What is this rage? I sense a terrifying fury..."
"You — of all people, I will never forgive you!!"
Something — I felt like something inside me just snapped.
And then, my body underwent an instantaneous transformation.
My purple hair grew longer, and its color became the cosmos itself.
Just like the [Universe Arm].
Galaxies and nebulae drifting through purple darkness were reflected in my hair.
My eyes had turned into a deep, radiant purple.
I could feel some great change in my forehead as well, though I couldn't tell what it was.
"True form... No, that's not it. Completely different. Wh-what is that form of yours? Just what are you...?"
"How should I know?"
I immediately tried to dismiss the transformation, but I could tell that doing so here would collapse the treasure hall.
Once I was certain of that, I grabbed Biggs and teleported.
How did I manage to use teleportation, you ask?
I have no idea. I just knew I could do it.
Teleporting to somewhere from my past life's memories — this place should do.
The ground beneath my feet was earth submerged in water that offered no sensation, and the sky was a vortex of white light that seemed to swallow everything.
And snow that wasn't cold fell ceaselessly.
"...!? Th-this place is—?"
Biggs stood there dumbfounded.
"The edge of temporal light."
"What?! What's happening?!"
"I don't know. But there's one thing I do understand."
I slowly and calmly raised my hand.
Biggs braced himself and hurled a red gemstone.
Yellow worms, red ants, white centipedes, and blue spiders poured out of the gemstone.
That's exactly the kind of thing I told you to stop doing.
"[Banish Zone]"
I erased every last one of them — gemstone and all.
"In a single instant?!"
"Even if you're pseudo-immortal, what happens when you're obliterated?"
"What are you— Gah! Nngh. Wh-what is this?!"
Biggs was enveloped in a translucent purple sphere.
"[Dimation Banish]"
The sphere containing Biggs condensed in an instant and vanished.
When it dissipated, only the red mask remained, falling to the ground.
"............What is this?"
The red mask rose into the air, and from within it, a black body began to grow.
"So the true mastermind emerges."
*Jara.*
It made a strange sound.
It vanished with a whoosh, then sprang forward, extending black claws to attack.
"[Banish Roar]"
I smashed it apart and it scattered into pieces, but it immediately began to reassemble.
Annoying.
*Jara. Jara. Jara jara jara jara jara jara.*
It dropped to all fours like a beast.
"[Quake Field]"
I shook the ground violently, and the red mask began to panic.
Time to finish this.
*Jara. Jara. Jara jara. Jara jara. Jara jara jara jara.*
It lunged at me, attacking head-on. Physical attacks only this whole time — how crude.
I drew my knife.
Though calling it a knife was generous — it was a long, thin, rectangular white rod marked with three lines of blue, red, and black.
With it, I swiftly stabbed the red mask's body.
*Jara!?*
The red mask froze in place.
This knife was called the "Time Knife." It froze the time of whatever it cut.
The duration of its effect depended on the target's strength. Once it wore off, I could use it again after a cooldown.
Though how long that cooldown was also depended on the target's strength.
The knife had a small indicator light on it, and whether it was on or off told me if it was ready to use.
I'd received it from the Knife Goddess, but it was difficult to use, so I'd never been able to wield it before.
"I don't know what you are. But I know you're connected to Biggs, and you're definitely my enemy. So this ends now. [Deep Space Arm]"
I housed the deep cosmos in my dominant arm. The universe spilled forth from my arm.
I didn't understand what was happening, not even to myself.
But if I had to describe my current form — it would be...
[Deep Space Generous (Universe Form)].
Come to think of it, the Azure Sacred Gauntlet hadn't changed.
I grabbed hold of the red mask itself.
Forcing it away, sharp, deep cracks raced across its surface.
Pouring all my strength into my grip, I crushed it to powder, and it crumbled away into nothing.
Neither the red mask nor Biggs would ever revive again.
I looked up at the vortex of white light above.
Looking closely, it was a convergence of countless colors of light.
It only appeared white because it was so far away.
"..."
It was quiet.
This place was vaster than my own world. But I was the only one here.
Just me. Heart of Mine.
Time to go home.
I teleported back to the treasure hall.