The head-butt with all his might resounded directly into the skulls of both of them.
　Dark blood flowed down from the torn forehead.
　Since the forehead is still attached, it's impossible to tell which blood is really the one. There was no doubt that Ars, on the side that had been struck, was the one that received the obvious impact.


　His forehead hurts hot and sore from the close contact.
　Loki's hands are gently wrapped around Ars's head between them as he gently wraps his hands around it. Dirty fingertips comb through the black hair and burrow into it.
　Sweat, dirt, and various battle scars made it difficult to run his fingers through it.
　Still, regardless, Loki focuses all of his attention there and drops a patter of words.

　It is never accompanied by a dark tone. There was no tension, and Loki opened his mouth as usual with a rather calm voice.

'Are you awake?'

　Loki uttered this in the same tone as usual, as his blood flowed.
　The surface radiated heat, while the core of his head was cold and comfortable. While being aware of this, Loki felt his mind becoming quiet.

　He didn't even notice the [Gura Eater] flickering at the edge of his vision. To that extent, Loki devoted his vision to Ars alone. Even the predators that crippled her body, Loki would not notice them.
　She didn't care, but Loki was wrapped up in a [Gura Eater] that she couldn't even touch. No, he was covered along with Ars.

　Neither cold nor warm.
　There was nothing to feel.
　So there was nothing to care about.

　Everything was nothing but trivial to Loki now, except Ars personally.

　But even so, that doesn't mean that Loki's consciousness is completely in one direction to Ars.
　Even with his back turned, the activation of that magic could be easily detected.
　Still, in the end, Loki did not take any action. It's not because it makes sense or not, but because the mind understands its own priorities.

　Rather than a blast, the wind was more like a sharp gust of wind that resembled a sickle-weasel. A compulsory flow of wind trying to take me far away.
　A magic that rewrites positional information at ultra-high speed - a compulsory directionality that doesn't allow for alteration - that's the [East's New Generation Harmful Qi [First Material]. However, this is only the theory and theory on the part of the magician. The magic of this dimension should already greatly exceed Loki's predictions.

　That's exactly why we won't be able to even get a clue as to what's going on until we see it in person.

　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm talking about.
　I'm not sure if there is even a hint of resignation in Loki's mind. It may have been there at first, but now even fear has been removed.

　There is no such thing as self-defense in Loki. I have never used the word "self-defense" in my life. There is no way to say a word that doesn't exist.

　By the time the turbulent flow of magical power had ceased completely and turned into a gentle breeze that pushed Loki's back, her mouth had formed a small smile. At the same time, she also strongly felt the presence of the enlarging [Gura Eater] beside her.

　It was a predator. In line with the activation of the [Eastern New Generation Harmful Qi, First Material], right after it was assembled as magic - the [Violent Predator (Grasshopper)] followed her instincts without any hesitation.

　The [New Eastern Harmful Qi, First Material] in the enclosed space expressed incomparable strength with brutality. Once caught in the turbulent flow, a flesh-and-blood body would be smashed against the wall and crushed easier than breaking an egg.
　If this is outside in the open air, you will be forced to surrender to where the wind is going. You will be taken far, far away from anywhere.
　In the classification of magic, the magic that would certainly fall under the [extreme level], [Gura Eater] eats up the magic in an instant.
　It is a greedy behavior that does not shame the name of binge eating.

　However, that action was, if anything, only a result of what Loki thought it would be.
　More than anything else, that was even Ars's reply.
　Immediately afterwards, a light mouth came out from Ars, who had eaten and absorbed a huge amount of magic power.

''My head is about to crack open.''

　I don't remember letting go of my consciousness. But at this moment, Ars certainly felt awakened.
　He thought he was acting of his own volition, but the haze in his brain had been cleared by the new, superficial pain he had received.
　Most importantly, his head felt awfully cold. The air he breathed in seemed to sink into his brain.

　I remember being head-butted by Loki and I certainly remember seeing Felinella.
　But he was dismissed as someone else, as if he was looking through a smoked filter.

　Ars chewed out the words that followed.

'But it felt good.'

　There is no "right" way to understand the situation. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do with it.
　He did not say a word of thanks. Nothing had begun or ended yet.
　Nothing had changed, he hadn't even changed anything.
　No words of shame or self-blame, Ars shoved the emotions that made him retreat from his actions into his chest as if to screw them up.

　One thing I do know is that the throbbing pain in my forehead is the only thing keeping my body functioning properly.

'That's more than I can say for sure...'

　With his forehead on, Loki's face broke out without even trying to hide the overflowing joyful color.
　Although not confirmed, Ars's eyes, which met at close range, were completely divided into light and dark on both sides. The normal clear eyes and the eyes that sank to black as if they were poisoned.
　But the black that was about to swallow both eyes was held back.

　''Are you alright?'' without saying a word of concern, Loki was patting his chest before he knew it. He preyed on the [New Harmful Qi of the East [First Material] The balance of power with the [Gura Eater] should have been disrupted. It wouldn't be strange if he went out of control like before.
　Such worries could be guessed with a word from Ars.

　So instead.

I don't think I can be of much help, but...

　Loki's physical condition has never been good. Even Ars could tell that he didn't have enough left over to be useful.
　Therefore, Ars took over the words that Loki continues to say. He was going to regret his own naivety in letting her say that to any extent.

'Oh, let's begin. Reckless and foolish acts.

　As soon as I saw Felinella, I knew what I had to do. I'm so ashamed of myself for not realizing it until Loki told me.
　The confirmation of life and death can wait, what I should do is to get her body back.
　The self-mockery that was bubbling up inside was because I admitted to myself in the past that I thought this action was foolish. Strictly speaking, this is the "me" that I was before I was head-butted.

　Ars knows what he is going to do from now on. He is the equivalent of a fool who cruelly scattered his life in the outside world. He is emotional, upright and selfish.
　A reckless act of suicide that he thought he would never understand in the future.
　A fool who gave up his own life for the sake of his fellow man, under his breath.

　But they are all the same, and they are all undoubtedly "people".

Reckless ... or maybe I don't even deserve it. I'm a broken man who can't even be desperate. But Loki still wants me to be a person.)

　Even though we are given the strongest title, we have to realize that we are still immature creatures.
　It teaches you that you are still leaving people behind.

　It's a small place beside you, a small place within your reach. I suppose there is not a single thing that can be protected by someone who can't even protect that place.
　Ars put one arm around Loki's back and silently pulled him tight once.

..........
Loki, you'll only have to push yourself once.
Yes, I knew you'd say that.

　You can't be an idiot.
　There is a way to help you. I don't say much, believe in yourself, Ars ordered Loki with a firm intention to say nothing.

　Only she knows how heartening those words were to Loki. She didn't need to know.

　Their arms parted and their foreheads parted. A small distance of space was created between them.
　There is no sense of physical distance between them, their hearts are passing through each other as if they were breathing. The concept of distance may no longer exist between them.

'It's an instant, I'll end it in an instant.'
Yes, sir.