The Extra is a Genius!?-Chapter 520: Best Friend

The island behind them no longer felt like a battlefield.

Not because it was peaceful—there were still voices moving through ruined streets, still the sound of rigging being adjusted and boats being prepared—but because the worst of it was done. The chains were gone. The Shard was secured. What remained was motion. Controlled, purposeful motion that no longer depended on one man burning himself hollow to keep everything together.

Noel stood near the edge of the clearing, shadows pooling naturally at his feet, breathing steady. He tested it once—just a flicker, a half-step—and felt the familiar pull of Shadow Step answer without resistance. No dizziness. No tearing strain behind his eyes. His mana didn’t recoil from the idea.

"I’m good," he said, calmly, before anyone could question it. "Not invincible. But I can move us. More than once. I won’t collapse like before."

The decision followed quickly after that, almost inevitable once spoken aloud. Everyone would move to the next island—everyone except Clara.

Clara stayed close to the ship, one hand resting unconsciously against her abdomen as the crew worked around her. She didn’t protest, didn’t insist on being useful the way she usually did. Priority had shifted, and she knew it. The baby came first. Her safety came first. Everything else could burn if it had to.

"The crew will stay with you," Elyra said, firm. "You won’t be alone."

"And now that the other ships are free," Laziel added, glancing toward the harbor where newly liberated vessels were being prepared, "the islanders can move on their own. Supplies, people—routes are already forming."

For the first time since this mission had begun, Noel wasn’t the bottleneck.

Theo’s voice crackled faintly through the device at Noel’s side, distorted as ever. "Interference is still there," he reported. "Same as before. I can’t see Marcus’s island. No patterns. No movement. Nothing."

"Any way around it?" Noel asked, even though he already knew the answer.

A pause. Then, "No."

The objective was clear and brutally simple. Reach Marcus and Roberto. Confront the Second Pillar. Finish what they started. The timeline said they were close—close enough that Noel could almost feel the end of it pressing in, like a door about to close.

’Almost done,’ he thought. ’That’s what this feels like.’

Which, he knew, was exactly why it was dangerous.

He turned back to the group, meeting each of their eyes in turn—Noir alert and coiled, Charlotte quiet but resolute, Elena steady, Elyra sharp, Laziel pale but standing, Garron solid as ever.

"We move together," Noel said. "No detours. We find them, deal with the Second Pillar, and we’re done here."

No one said anything at first.

It wasn’t hesitation—just that quiet beat where everyone understood what was about to happen and didn’t feel the need to dress it up with words. Noel stood at the center almost by accident, not because he’d taken position, but because the others naturally drifted closer.

One by one, they reached out.

Noir pressed her hand against his back first, solid and warm, claws barely restrained. Charlotte followed, her touch light but deliberate, fingers resting between his shoulder blades like she was anchoring herself as much as him. Elena’s hand came next, careful, steady. Elyra didn’t hesitate either—hers landed with familiar confidence, a quick squeeze that said more than anything she could’ve joked about. Laziel stepped in last among them, a little pale, jaw tight, but still there. Garron’s hand settled lower, firm, grounding.

The weight of it hit Noel all at once. The support.

Behind them, a few steps back, Clara watched.

She stood close to the ship, wrapped in a thick cloak against the wind, the crew moving quietly around her. She didn’t look afraid. If anything, she looked focused—like she’d already accepted her role in this part of the story. Still, when her eyes met Noel’s, something soft flickered there.

Elena turned slightly, glancing over her shoulder. "Hey," she said gently. "Don’t worry, Clara. We’ll be back." She smiled, small but sincere. "Marcus and Roberto too. We’re not leaving anyone behind."

Clara’s lips curved into a real smile this time. She lifted one hand and waved, slow and careful, like she didn’t want to rush the moment. "I know," she said. "Just... don’t be stupid."

Elyra snorted. "No promises."

That earned a quiet laugh—brief, fragile, but real.

Noel drew a breath, steadying himself. The shadows beneath his feet stirred in response, like they’d been waiting for permission. They stretched outward, long and fluid, brushing against boots and cloaks, climbing up legs and wrapping around bodies without resistance.

Charlotte tensed for half a second, then relaxed when she felt it—familiar, controlled.

The world folded.

Sound dropped out first, then light. The island vanished in a blink, replaced by that strange, weightless pull that came with Shadow Step, like falling sideways through your own silhouette.

And just as quickly as it began, it ended.

The shadows peeled away.

Their feet hit solid ground again—different stone, different air, heavier somehow. The smell was wrong. Old. Stale. Like something that had been left alone for far too long.

Noel straightened slowly.

They’d arrived.

For a moment, nothing happened.

The island didn’t greet them with screams, or collapsing ground, or some immediate sense of doom. No monsters lunged out of the shadows. No oppressive pressure slammed into their chests. Just uneven stone beneath their feet and a sky that felt a shade too dim, even with no clouds directly overhead.

Noel’s eyes moved quickly, scanning out of habit. Everyone was still standing. Charlotte looked steady. Elena was already checking the area with quiet focus. Garron rolled his shoulders once, like he was loosening up after a long ride. Elyra exhaled and glanced around, unimpressed but alert.

Laziel, however, swayed slightly.

Elyra caught it immediately, stepping closer. "Hey. You good?"

"Yeah," Laziel muttered, rubbing his temple. "Just... still dizzy. Shadow stuff messes with me."

"Alright," she replied. "Try not to throw up on anyone."

He gave a weak snort. "No promises."

Noel watched them for another second. No injuries. No blood. No signs of a fight nearby.

’Good,’ he thought.

And then Noir’s voice cut straight through his head.

’Dad.’

No warmth. No teasing. Just urgency—sharp enough to make his breath hitch.

’The Second Pillar is on this island.’

Noel froze.

His fingers twitched at his side, and his stomach dropped so fast it felt like he’d missed a step on a staircase.

Before he could process that—

’And...’ Noir hesitated, something he almost never felt from her. ’The First Pillar too.’

The color drained from Noel’s face.

Elyra saw it instantly. She didn’t need Noir. She didn’t need Theo. She just needed to look at him. "Noel," she said, stepping closer. "What’s wrong?"

He didn’t answer right away. His jaw tightened, eyes unfocused for half a second as everything snapped into place in his head.

"They’re here," he said finally.

Charlotte’s shoulders stiffened. "Who?"

"The Second Pillar," Noel replied. His voice was flat, almost disbelieving. Then he added, quieter but heavier, "And the First."

The silence that followed wasn’t loud.

It was stunned.

Elena’s ears flicked sharply. Garron’s expression hardened. Laziel stopped rubbing his head altogether.

"Both?" Elyra asked. "Here?"

Noel nodded once.

For a split second, confusion flashed across a few faces. Then understanding followed right behind it.

The First Pillar didn’t wait.

He didn’t hide behind layers or rituals. He moved early. Removed threats before they could grow.

Just like he’d tried with Nicolas.

Noel swallowed.

"Fuck," he said quietly.

Noir didn’t wait.

The moment the realization settled, she shot forward, her form breaking apart into shadow mid-stride and slipping between patches of darkness like they were open doors. One second she was beside Noel—then she was gone.

"Noir—!" Noel didn’t finish the word.

He moved with her.

Shadows surged up instinctively, wrapping around his legs as he launched forward, "Shadow Step" chaining into itself in rapid succession. The island blurred, terrain folding and unfolding as he cut distance in violent jumps.

Behind him, he heard Elyra shout his name. Garron cursed. Someone stumbled. They tried to follow—but they couldn’t keep up.

The smell hit first.

Iron. Thick. Fresh.

Blood.

Noel came out of Shadow Step hard, boots skidding against cracked stone as the scene snapped into focus all at once.

Three figures.

The Second Pillar stood ahead, pale skin stark against the muted landscape, chains shifting and rattling softly around her body. She was poised, ready—like a predator that hadn’t finished feeding.

In front of her stood Roberto.

Breathing hard. Shoulders rising and falling. He looked exhausted, like he’d been pushed to his limit.

And beside him—

No.

Marcus was on the ground.

Not kneeling.

Not bracing himself.

Down.

There was too much blood.

It spread beneath him in a dark pool that soaked into the stone, smeared across broken ground like something had been ripped open and left there. His body was twisted at a wrong angle, one arm limp, fingers curled like they’d tried to grab onto something that wasn’t there anymore.

"Marcus!" Noel’s voice tore out of him.

He was already running.

He dropped to his knees beside him, hands shaking as they pressed down, searching—neck, wrist, anywhere.

Nothing.

His chest seized.

Panic surged so fast it stole his breath—

Then.

A pulse.

Weak. Erratic. Barely there, but real.

Noel sucked in a sharp, ragged breath. "—He’s alive."

Barely.

Steel whispered free as Revenant Fang slid into his hand, shadows tightening around the blade like they recognized what was coming. Noel stood and stepped forward without hesitation, placing himself between Marcus and the enemy.

"We deal with her first," he said, voice low, tight. "Right now."

The Second Pillar tilted her head slightly, chains shifting in response.

Roberto laughed.

Quiet. Almost amused.

"You’re late," he said. "Marcus is—"

"Shut up," Noel snapped, not looking at him. "Focus on what’s in front of us."

Something was wrong.

The realization came like a delayed impact—too late, but undeniable. Noel felt it in the pit of his stomach, in the way the air behind him suddenly moved.

Noir’s voice slammed into his head.

’DAD GET AWAY FROM HIM!’

Instinct took over completely.

"Shadow Step!"

The word tore out of him.

The world snapped sideways.

Light detonated where Noel had been standing a heartbeat earlier.

A pillar of blinding brilliance speared down from above, obliterating stone, blasting debris outward in a violent shockwave. The ground screamed as it was carved apart, heat washing through the air in a way that had nothing to do with fire.

Noel reappeared beside Marcus, breath ragged, heart slamming so hard it hurt.

He stared at the smoking crater.

Then he turned.

Roberto was still standing.

Smiling.

Just... smiling.

Why?

And suddenly, every small thing lined up.

Every moment that hadn’t made sense. Every fight he’d walked away from. Every silence that had lasted just a second too long.

After all this time.

After everything.

His best friend.

His ally.

The First Pillar.

Noel felt something inside him crack. A cold, sinking fracture that spread through his chest and settled there.

He stood frozen, Revenant Fang lowered at his side.

Noir was beside him, shadows coiled and snarling.

Marcus was dying at his feet.

And both Pillars stood in front of him.

For the first time since this nightmare began, there was no plan waiting to be executed. No margin left to burn.

Just one clear, brutal truth echoing through his mind:

’If I don’t outthink this... I die.’