### Chapter: 187
“…Follow me, huh?”
Mary mulled over Kraush’s words, completely taken aback. Who would have thought someone would tell her to follow them?
She had spent her whole life clashing with enemies on the front lines, smashing them into pieces.
Her innate intelligence wasn’t exactly something to write home about—if anything, she was below average.
Maybe that was why this weakness worked to her advantage when she led the charge.
With a clear mind, Mary could charge forward without holding back.
This was her specialty: advancing boldly while leading others.
But there were times when that skill fell flat against an utterly meaningless opponent.
The true scourge of existence, Ragnarok.
Before that monster capable of devouring the world with a single hand, Mary felt powerless.
The Celestial Generation was utterly destroyed, their nation wiped from existence, and Mary was pushed to the brink of death.
When she awoke, the world was already on the brink of ruin.
Seeing everyone, injured or not, rising to prepare for the final battle, she realized the weight of responsibility and the dire consequences depending on her alone.
In that moment, a vague unease consumed her.
And to alleviate that anxiety, the person she leaned on was none other than Arthur.
The hero who always stood confidently by her side.
That hero told her:
“It’s okay, Mary. Even if you make a mistake, I can turn it back. I have regression, you see. You can go ahead without worries.”
Arthur’s last resort.
That even if this world was erased, they could go back together.
With those words as her anchor, Mary thrust her spear toward Ragnarok.
Yes, that was how it went down.
And the outcome was nothing short of devastating.
The world fell into ruin, leaving only a few, including Kraush and Arthur, from the Celestial Generation.
Everyone else was annihilated.
She gazed up at the world, sighing.
Even after disregarding the oppressive weight, this was the result.
The pressure she had cast aside returned far more magnified than before.
Hence, after regression, Mary clung even tighter to Arthur.
Only he could relieve that burden she felt.
But Arthur didn’t appear before her.
His absence gnawed at Mary, corroding her from the inside.
With successive incidents and an ever-deepening reality, there was finally that contemptuous remark from Sigrid, her last shred of trust.
All of it was enough to shatter Mary entirely.
At that moment, the one who crushed her spirit, Kraush, spoke:
“Just follow me.”
The message that she needed only to follow struck her as something she had never heard before.
She had always lived with reassurance from those cheering her on and trusted in them.
Even Arthur only stood by her side, never intending to lead from the front.
Yet, Kraush was telling her to follow him now.
When Kraush’s words reached deep into her heart, their significance far exceeded her expectations.
Mary stared at Kraush with a dazed expression.
Kraush, without saying a word, looked down at her.
Though he appeared as a woman now, his true self overlapped in her vision.
He was no longer a cursed being.
He was a strong force that could say “follow me” even to someone like her, once stricken with misfortune.
He shone as a dazzling figure to usher in a new era.
Mary swallowed hard.
She was, after all, human.
When the world fell, the anxiety and fear that settled deep within her heart continued to gnaw at her.
Sigrid wasn’t all that different in this regard.
Her personality had never been particularly sunny, but after regression, it grew sharper and more bitter.
Sigrid was also being consumed by the helplessness faced in the wake of ruin.
Having always been the one who could do anything, that reality had a crushing weight on her.
Perhaps that was why Mary suddenly realized she had long stopped leaning on Sigrid much earlier.
Standing next to Sigrid, who was being eroded by despair, she knew she would merely repeat the same mistakes.
Thus, although Arthur was her refuge, even that escape was nowhere to be seen now.
Kraush’s declaration was the most tempting allure she had ever encountered.
“C-Can I really just follow you?”
Kraush had no idea the world was on the brink of destruction.
Mary was certain of that.
But maybe that very ignorance gave rise to other thoughts.
Because he didn’t fear ruin, he might confront what they had all already lost, and she believed that could be the way to battle against despair.
It was a wildly self-serving interpretation, but Mary wanted to believe it.
After all, she had no strength left to walk that path before her.
Kraush fell silent.
In that silence, Mary’s heart churned.
Her gaze was locked solely on Kraush’s lips, waiting eagerly for his response like a bride hanging on a groom’s words.
“Yeah.”
The instant Kraush’s mouth opened,
“You can simply follow me.”
The sweet words carried at the end of her waiting etched themselves clearly in her ears, through her brain, and deep in her heart.
Crack—
A sound echoed overhead as something fell apart above her.
Mary couldn’t hear it, but Kraush did, distinctly.
The Black Hood activated in his grasp.
The remnants of shattered dials scattered like shards of light.
Amidst those drifting beams of light, Mary’s face shone brighter than ever.
She decided to shake off all the pressure and focus solely on following Kraush.
That realization brought about a fleeting joy.
Within the crumbling fragments of light, Kraush’s fist subtly clenched.
The coveted skill, Excel.
That Excel was now in Kraush’s hands.
Soon enough, Mary would realize her skill was gone.
But she wouldn’t dare speak of it.
Mary’s greatest fear was admitting to Kraush that her worth had diminished.
She would spend her life pretending to possess Excel.
Yet, Kraush wasn’t done with Mary just yet.
Her role had one more layer to unfold.
“Before that, Mary, there’s one thing I want to ask.”
“Yes! Anything, anything at all, please ask!”
Mary eagerly nodded, demonstrating her willingness to do anything, desperate not to be cast aside.
Seeing her like that, Kraush offered a sheepish smile.
“I’d like to reach out to Sigrid. Is there a way?”
“Are you speaking of Sizelry Ephania?”
Mary’s eyes widened in shock.
She was well aware that Kraush and Sigrid had no bad blood.
But she didn’t expect him to reach out personally.
“Right, is it possible?”
Kraush asked again, and Mary hurriedly nodded her head.
Sigrid was the one who bore the royal seal imprinted on Mary’s being.
Thus, she knew well that she could contact her through that seal.
“I’ll contact her right away.”
Desperate to prove her worth and not be abandoned, Mary declared.
Kraush smiled at her gratitude, and Mary felt elation just from that.
It meant she had completely trusted him with everything.
‘That wraps things up with Mary.’
While Mary’s talents were highly regarded, that only went as far as she could change herself moving forward.
Kraush could provide a catalyst, but nothing beyond that.
‘Now I’m curious, though.’
What would Mary Diana look like standing atop the void without her skills, just her Divine Body?
Whether that imagined reality came to fruition was now in Mary’s hands.
‘Only two remain.’
Abella and Sigrid Ephania.
They were the only ones left.
Among the three women who had regressed together,
Mary Diana had reached a pivotal moment.
This was the instant when Kraush completely shattered her.
＊ ＊ ＊
After the engagement with Mary, Kraush safely left the female dormitory.
Thanks to resembling his mother, he attracted a lot of attention.
But fortunately, no one dared approach him.
Kraush’s icy demeanor as a woman surely kept them at bay.
Thus, he made his way toward the Special Class Hall without a hitch.
He intended to meet Darling and request the potion to revert back to his original form.
After all, there was no need to maintain this appearance now that Mary was taken care of.
Just then, a voice floated down from above, coming from Crimson Garden, gliding elegantly through the air.
Kraush looked up, puzzled, and suddenly felt an eerie chill run down his back.
Before he hurriedly shifted his gaze forward, he came across someone.
“Huh?”
There stood a woman with long, dark blue hair flowing behind her.
Her emotionless gaze emanated an inexplicable pressure, instilling fear just from meeting her eyes.
Charlotte Balheim.
His elder sister by a year.
As soon as Kraush came face to face with Charlotte, his instincts compelled him to freeze.
Something in him sensed that he should not encounter her in this guise.
It became clear why Crimson Garden had called out to him.
It was deliberately to divert his gaze before he could dart away.
“Haha,”
a cruel laugh echoed in his mind.
But regardless, Kraush was now preoccupied with figuring out how to handle the situation.
Because Charlotte had been fixed on him ever since they crossed paths.
What would be her reaction to seeing her brother dressed as a woman?
Kraush couldn’t estimate how Charlotte might respond.
‘No, she probably hasn’t figured it out yet.’
She’s likely thinking he’s just a woman resembling their mother.
Just as Kraush was about to turn and walk away from Charlotte, she called out without hesitation.
“Kraush.”
At her command, his shoulder involuntarily tensed.
Charlotte tilted her head, her curiosity piqued.
“What happened to you?”
In that moment, Kraush considered using Excel to flee.
But then rejected that notion.
Charlotte might just keep pace with him even then.
Kraush had a bit of understanding about Charlotte.
It’d be far better to confront her head on.
So, he confidently turned back to face Charlotte.
“There was a situation.”
What a ridiculous excuse for dressing up as a woman.
Even Kraush found it absurd to say so, but it was all he could come up with.
Charlotte rubbed her chin, observing Kraush with a critical gaze, looking him up and down.
Feeling an urge to shrink away from that gaze, Kraush unintentionally huddled.
Yet, Charlotte remained unfazed.
Then she broke into that trademark smirk of hers, a sly smile hinting at mischief.
“Well, our little sister doesn’t look too shabby.”
Charlotte stood right in front of Kraush.
“Our little sister has been asking a lot from me lately. How about you repay her?”
“Repay?”
As Kraush swallowed hard, Charlotte flashed a wink.
“Let’s go on a date.”
Out of nowhere, he was being asked to go on a date with Charlotte.
