Reborn as an Extra Chapter 755: He’s still Alive!?

"What exactly is this place? The spatial distortions are incredibly potent here, and fragmented visions seem to clash and merge all around..."

Positioned on a platform resembling transparent glass, Riya found herself both bewildered and captivated by the spectacle.

"Never mind the scenery, kiddo; these two have actually fainted..."

So engrossed was Riya in the vibrant, ever-shifting panorama that she nearly forgot she had arrived with her companions.

At some juncture, Kai drifted closer, his face etched with worry as he attempted to draw her back from her reverie.

"Uh... Wh-what happened?"

As if emerging from a profound dream, Riya broke free from her daze. Her gaze followed Kai's pointing finger, and she discovered Lia and Link both unconscious on the ground.

"Huh? How could this have happened?"

Witnessing this, Riya was utterly perplexed.

Both of them possessed significantly greater resilience against mental assaults than she did, and their combat prowess far surpassed her own. Yet, the instant their group passed through the portal, both had lost consciousness!

As she moved towards her friends, Riya scanned her surroundings with heightened caution, searching for any factor that might have incapacitated them. To her bewilderment, she found absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

"What is truly transpiring?... And why am I the only one who hasn't fainted?"

Before Riya could voice her complete question, a voice intervened, providing the answer.

"It is because you were never meant to be a part of these timelines. For the majority of the duration these two friends of yours are trapped within, you were destined not to even exist..."

"The same holds true for your feline companion..."

Stunned by the abrupt reply, Riya instinctively adopted a defensive posture similar to Link's, her attention fixed intently on the origin of the voice. Not far away, a young man was seated on a swing.

The swing itself appeared unsupported, suspended in mid-air without any visible tree, base, or anchoring. It swayed gently, unconnected to anything tangible.

The individual occupying the swing possessed hair and irises of a pale green hue. His handsome visage held a mesmerizing quality, and cradled in his arms was an elegant lyre.

Upon observing this figure, Riya's vigilance intensified.

"You are... Raika? The one Rio spoke of."

Raika offered a slight nod in response to Riya's words. He idly strummed his lyre, a captivating smile gracing his features as he replied.

"Indeed, I am Raika, the wielder of the holy lyre, the saint of the Nebo civilization."

Riya's eyes narrowed, her fists clenching tightly, and a deep crease formed on her brow.

[Kai, this individual managed to inflict severe injuries upon Rio himself in the spirit realm. If he attacks us, our group, already in a precarious situation, will be annihilated...]

[I cannot detect any trace of vitality or life force emanating from his being, making it impossible for me to employ my life-force-overload techniques against him...]

Rio was engaged in a battle elsewhere, while Link and Lia had succumbed to unconsciousness. She was the sole individual remaining conscious and capable.

The most critical challenge she faced was the fact that she was not a combatant. Apart from some rudimentary self-defense techniques learned from Link, she possessed no proficiency in close-quarters combat!

"Haha, you need not be so apprehensive; even if I desired to harm you, I could not..."

"Manifesting a version of myself capable of wielding the power of an SS-ranker demands immense energy, and that particular manifestation is currently being held in check by Rio out there..."

"This current iteration of myself is merely a frail, ordinary human, thus incapable of engaging in combat, even if I willed it..."

Despite Raika openly divulging his limitations, Riya maintained her defensive posture, harboring no belief in his words.

Rio had previously recounted his exploits in the spirit realm, including instances where Raika had nearly jeopardized his mission through deception.

'No wonder Rio hasn't returned to us yet; he's been fighting an SS-ranker!'

'But if he's an SS-ranker, how has he not managed to defeat Rio by now?'

In Riya's estimation, and indeed in everyone else's, Rio remained merely an intermediate-level S-ranker.

Only Rio himself was aware that he stood mere steps away from ascending to the realm of demigods – a fact unknown to others.

"So, you are that formidable entity tormenting the unfortunate orcs outside? You are the one systematically harvesting the strings of destiny from this entire planet?"

"What is your objective? Do you intend to emulate Alverto?"

In response to Riya's barrage of inquiries, Raika merely smiled, replying with tranquil composure.

"My intentions are not aligned with what that fool Alverto attempted. He operated with uncertainty regarding his success, whereas I possess absolute certainty that I will prevail, hehe..."

"The strings of destiny I am gathering from this planet are not strictly for my personal benefit, though their ultimate utilization amounts to much the same thing..."

With a sweep of Raika's hand, intense spatial ripples erupted, causing the very fabric of space-time to rend near him, and a colossal altar materialized.

At the center of this grand altar, a young man with disheveled brown hair was suspended in midair.

The sheer intensity of the energy fluctuations emanating from it nearly caused Riya to collapse, overwhelmed by the potency of such concentrated power. An oppressive aura surged forth from the altar, accompanied by golden threads that enmeshed the altar and the young man's form entirely.

A magnificent crown hovered directly above the altar, ensnared by countless golden strands representing fate and destiny.

Upon beholding the young man, Riya's eyes widened in sheer astonishment.

"Fade Crest!? He still draws breath!? I had presumed him lost in that cataclysmic blast!"

Riya's exclamation was met with a faint smile from Raika, who then beckoned with a single finger.

As if by mere whim, a wormhole blinked into existence and vanished in the span of an instant.

"Hehe... To traverse any distance undetected, leaving no trace of my presence or existence, that is my singular forte..."