"Edward teaches me Martial Arts, so I''m prettypetent in that respect. My true strength, however, lies in developing Magic Items and strategies."


    Neron told me about how he had learned how to manipte Magic artificially by using what he called ''Mana Mas''. By using them, he made Magic Items as a kid, and he became better and better as time went on.


    He had cultivated this talent himself as well. Although he had also attended Ainrk, so part of his knowledge had been gained from the school. His talent and skill had been the reason that he and Reed became close during his stay at the school, and even after that.


    ''As expected of Neron. Even if he is an Inept, he still ends up being a badass.''


    There was one thing he''d said that stood out about everything he had exined so far, though.


    "Edward? Who exactly are you referring to?"


    Did that mean that my Ainrk friends were here too? No, ording to what Neron said, only Stefan and Reed were from Ainrk. If Edward existed in this world, he would most likely be dead.


    "You met him earlier. That big oaf with the de."


    Hold on… who exactly was he calling Edward? Was it actually…


    "... The Martial de God?!"


    "Martial de God? Edward? Please don''t let him hear you say that." After chuckling for some time, Neron''s face suddenly turned straight and he stared inly at me. "Seriously, don''t."


    What was the problem now? Maybe… oh no… was the Martial de God nerfed in this world too? At this point, I could only assume that to be the current situation.


    "Edward has been walking on the path of immortality for so many centuries that even he has lost count of how long he has lived. Unfortunately, he never had the required talent to back up all his hard work. As a result, despite all his efforts as a Martial Artist, he was never able to break past the fifth star of being a Martial Artist."


    Based on my calctions, that would make him close to the Peak Stage, but not quite there yet. That was a massive downy of what I knew of him in my world!


    "How is he not dead yet?" I asked with a shortugh. "He couldn''t have possibly reached a point where he could conquer death, right?"


    He even looked younger than he did in my world.


    "Apparently, he met an Immortal Shaman by the name of Lilith. She had been the one to grant him a never-ending life since he wished to be able to practice Martial Arts forever."


    My eyes bulged the moment he mentioned that name and beads of sweat dripped down my face.


    "L-Lilith? Did you just say Lilith? She really made Edward immortal?"


    "Yes."


    What in the world was going on? Why would she do something like that? Yes, I knew this world was different, and that this world''s Lilith was different from the one I knew.


    But still…


    ''She would never do that. Not with the consequences that would definitely follow. Unless…''


    "Does the Martial — I mean, does Edward experience any sort of side effects due to his immortality?" I asked Neron while trying to breathe through my sudden state of panic.


    "No… not that I know of. He''s always in healthy shape. Though, if you ask me, he takes things a little too far. Because he knows he can''t die, he''s always putting himself in all sorts of danger."


    ''Ah… it''s no wonder, then.'' I smiled to myself.


    So, in this world, Lilith perfected it. It all made perfect sense now.


    "Why would she make him immortal, though?"


    "Well, he grew up under her tutge. ording to him, he spent the first couple decades of his life learning Martial Arts from her."


    Ah, yes. Lilith was a monster who excelled at both Martial Arts and Magic. I had never seen anyone surpass her in that regard in either of my lives.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "She told him he had no talent for it, but he kept being stubborn and determined. In the end, she allowed him to keep practising so he could achieve his goals. Afterwards, she disappeared, and he hasn''t seen her since."


    ''That''s an interesting story. So, Lilith brought up the Martial de God in this world. She always wanted kids, but…''


    "It''s a shame, though. If only we could find her so she could join our cause. ording to Edward, she''s very powerful."


    Some things just never changed, I guess.


    "So, how did you and Edward meet?" I asked with a lighthearted smile.


    Somehow, it felt good to hear that this world''s Lilith was doing just fine. I knew it didn''t change what happened in my reality, but… it still brought me some level of satisfaction.


    Perhaps I was just being self-patronizing.


    "I stumbled upon a cave where he had been in seclusion. Apparently, he had been in the cave for so long that he didn''t even know about the chaotic state of the world. I had been a teenager back then, so we sort of got along well."


    Edward and Neron hit it off pretty easily and they eventually became the best of friends it seems.


    Neron then went on to tell me about how Ciel appeared in front of them and told them all about herself. After she exined the destructive events of the past and the fate of the world toe, he knew he had to create a group to help everyone.


    Edward had been the first member of the Outgroup, and after some time, they increased in number.


    "A good number of ourrades are dead. Damien Lawcroft had been a good man. He hadn''t been as talented as Reed or Stefan, but I knew him when we had both been at Ainrk. We were good friends in school…"


    Ah, to think even this would happen once again.


    "He sacrificed himself for the cause, as did a couple of others. But, we''ve managed to survive this long. This world needs us and we can''t give up now."


    I honestly felt moved by Neron''s words. It was no surprise that he was the leader. Still, his ideals didn''t mean much if their members were too weak to achieve their desired results.


    Surely, he had to be aware of that.


    "So, tell me… what exactly is your trump card? What makes you so confident that you guys can win this war?" There had to be a driving reason behind his continuous efforts.


    "Well… we aren''t very strong individually, but we work extremely well as a team. Besides…" Neron''s smile widened and he suddenly became even more happy.


    "... You''ve already met our Ace. She''s the very heart of this group—the one who kickstarted this whole movement."


    Ah, yes. How could I forget her? Even in my world, she had been the one who made the Nether Cult emerge victorious in the end.


    "Ciel."


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Just so you know, my Swordcraft: Reincarnation Of A Nameless Nobody is linked to Spellcraft.


    There''s even going to be a crossover.


    If you''d like to read Swordcraft, use the link /book/swordcraft-reincarnation-of-a-nameless-nobody_26041719605806405