Book 10 Chapter 7
Episode 232
Even though my physical abilities were amplified to their limit by the power of the Demon Sword, my whole body creaked.
This was the power of the Supreme Holy Sword, Schurpeng. I immediately understood why the Dragon Orb was necessary to wield this power.
When I try to draw out the power of the Holy Sword, a pain like hundreds of needles piercing my palm arises. It's a repulsive force.
- It's different from Rista. I can't wield this Schurpeng freely.
Originally, if one isn't chosen, it's impossible even to lift a Holy Sword.
The mere fact that Miria can lift Schurpeng like that is already beyond common sense…
Elamas must be thinking the same, so the Spatial Sever should be used by seizing the perfect opportunity.
- So that means it has to be used as a trump card.
Just like now.
I perfectly caught it.
There's no way to escape. The speed of the Spatial Sever is different from ordinary sword energy. The moment the sword cleaves the void, space also cleaves along with it.
“────Spatial Sever (時空殲)!”
I don't even know how to use this swordsmanship myself, but the memories of the soul conveyed by the Holy Sword draw out this absolute power.
Crackle, crackle-crack, craaash!
Like a glass shattering, slender cracks spread along the trajectory of the strike in space, then loudly broke apart.
“What in the…!”
The Spatial Sever is not hindered by obstacles.
It severs anything in its trajectory. Even if it's a True Dragon, it doesn't matter if the Spatial Sever's power is maximized.
Space was severed.
Elamas's body was precisely severed in half from the head down.
Next to him, the left side of the True Dragon protecting Elamas… its wings and legs were also effortlessly cut off as if tearing a sheet of paper.
‘Honestly, I had my doubts.’
The True Dragon, having lost its balance, crashed to the ground, shaking the very earth.
‘She really used it.’
As Elamas's body, split in half by the impact, swayed and fell to either side, the primitives' movements also halted for a moment.
‘Rista's unique swordsmanship, the Spatial Sever.’
Rain doubted his own eyes.
He gazed at the silence that had descended upon the ruined royal palace. Miria wasn't just similar to Rista, but even her memories…
“Ugh…!”
Miria groaned from the recoil running up her arms and dropped Schurpeng, whereupon Aki jumped into her arms.
“Aki believed in you, dat! Damn it, dat!”
“Aki? What, when did you get so big? And who told you to use such bad words?”
A laugh, unfitting for this tragedy, was heard. That's why it was even harder to believe.
Is this how it ends?
It ends like this?
Setsunen was the first to notice the anomaly. The moment a tremor of warning flashed in his hands, a loud laugh burst out.
“Heh, heh, heh, heh heh heh heh heh!”
From Elamas's body, which had been split in half and lay fallen in a pool of his own blood.
“I told you, it's useless.”
It wasn't even a moment.
Before the bewilderment and terror that blanked his mind could even register, his body moved.
He immediately activated and launched the Lightning Sky Shatterer at Elamas… but the severed dragon's wing blocked the lightning strike.
“He's alive…?”
Miria's dazed murmur was heard.
Elamas's body… was merging back into one, connected by purple threads.
It was the same power that had previously divided and reunited the True Dragon's body like a puppet. He could apply that to his own body?
‘Although the Lizard Lord's power is said to annihilate death, is this even possible? Does that mean Elamas is immortal?’
That can't be. Even if a human reaches transcendence, they cannot achieve immortality like the ancient nobles.
Bell Quirius.
As soon as his two eyes opened red, he could speculate on what principle Elamas had revived by.
“Did he weave lives together?”
“Awoo?”
[Aru?]
“What?”
“He's sharing the body and life force of that True Dragon.”
Unlike Shal'kas, he wondered how the True Dragon's movements were so lifelike; was it possible because they shared life?
“Then what are we supposed to do? Does that mean he's invincible?”
“No, it's still a guess, but… we might have to sever that True Dragon and Elamas simultaneously.”
“If that's the case… it might be simpler than I thought? Simpler than I thought.”
At that moment, Elamas, having reassembled his body under the True Dragon's protection, smiled faintly.
“I wonder how it will be? Will you be able to find that answer? Before that, you will all die.”
His words were proven not to be a bluff by the immediate chill that permeated his mind.
What…?
He clearly read it as Bell Quirius.
That action must have been stopped by the Spatial Sever. There had been no threat response until just now.
“Aki───!”
What suddenly began to rampage from the dragon's maw was a Word of Command, letters of death swirling like a storm.
There were no preliminary movements.
Because everything had been accomplished before being struck by the Spatial Sever, this was merely continuing what had been temporarily interrupted.
“───Dodge!”
His vision was dyed completely black.
For a moment, his sense of time vanished, and a powerful wave of force desperately filled his entire vision, annihilating everything… approaching.
* * *
The dimension Valensidis opened led to the top of the spire.
“Arrived, arrived, arrived.”
Pipi, who had arrived at the top first, landed on O'bin's crown.
‘Not good…’
Bart's eyes narrowed.
Does he have to do something at this summit? He must be exposed to enemy attacks from all sides…
I can't block all-around attacks by myself.
‘I can only hope Valensidis held on for a little longer.’
O'bin, who ascended to the top with Bart's help, took out the legacy of the Great Mage Ligwind, which he had carefully kept in his embrace.
The Light-Ruling Stone and the Wave-Breaking Flute.
- Remember, Prince.
Despite being the tallest spire in the castle, the atmosphere of the royal palace was not visible due to the thick layer of malevolent thoughts.
Only sounds were heard.
Only sounds filled with despair and sorrow.
- The King of Solond is also the guardian of the seal. Do not forget your duty.
There were many times I wanted to run away. Many times I wanted to hide in a corner and cry alone.
But precious bonds, irreplaceable with anything, led me forward each time.
I must respond to their hearts. I must complete their hearts.
He inhaled once, then exhaled.
After a short deep breath, the young prince brought the Wave-Breaking Flute to his lips.
* * *
- Whatever you encounter in the future, protect the fire in your heart.
Shalesarum's voice was heard.
During the training of the young dragon, Shalesarum excessively educated it about the dragon's creed.
- Endure any hardship firmly. Do not become like my daughter.
When giving such instructions, Shalesarum always wore a sorrowful smile, and sometimes even seemed to be crying.
- We are the dragon race, tasked by the gods with the mission of protecting humanity. If our spirits break, who will guide humanity on the right path?
The sky, stained dark blue, was visible.
The young dragon, who had been staring blankly at the sky for a moment, suddenly snapped out of it.
The pain running through its entire body was bringing a sense of reality to its hazy consciousness.
“Huh, what? I'm alive.”
The young dragon lifted its head, its eyes half out of focus. Elamas, Elamas was looking down at it as if amused.
“Even if it's a little one, a dragon is still a dragon, is that it? Hehehe, no, these two ended up like that trying to protect you, so of course you have to survive.”
Elamas chuckled, gesturing this way and that with his chin. The young dragon, turning its gaze in that direction, had to gasp.
Miria was lying, impaled in the distant arch gate, and Rain… was buried under a pile of fallen rocks, with only his gauntlet-clad arm visible.
And the army of primitives was rushing towards the two people thus incapacitated.
“How do you feel right now? Do you hate your helpless self? Do you think it's pathetic? Heh, or do you hate me?”
The young dragon crawled towards that direction, then suddenly got up and stumbled, rushing towards Miria first.
“Don't you think it's strange? Why do those who tried to help others, like you, have to feel such despair? While those who receive help have no thoughts at all?”
After defeating the primitive who tried to sink its fangs into her neck, it picked up Miria and leaped into the sky.
“What you should hate isn't me. It's the system that forms the foundation of this world… If you become an adult like this, you'll only experience things like this your entire life, won't you?”
And landed on a pile of rubble.
Ugh, ugh, ugh… It laid Miria down and desperately struggled to remove the rocks to rescue Rain.
Setsunen's gauntlet faintly flickered, suggesting he was still conscious.
“The Dawn Brigade was founded on the belief that humanity has no right to freedom. It's pathetic how weaklings always just demand help from others.”
But there wasn't time to clear all that away.
“Those who only received help their entire lives, once they gain a little power, only try to dominate each other, just like in the old Age of the Abyss.”
Because primitives were swarming from all directions. And because Elamas was leading Shalesarum and walking through their midst.
“That's humans. Disgusting and ugly. They're trash that deserves to be weeded out.”
Though its breathing was uneven, the young dragon took its stance. It had to guard all directions, and protect three bodies.
“Originally, I intended to kill all of you and then receive praise from my sister, heh, but you seem to be useful.”
The movements of the fiercely growling primitives stopped simultaneously the next moment. Elamas wore a sinister smile.
“If a young True Dragon turned its back on the world of its own free will, it would be an absolutely amazing propaganda effect! Hahahaha! Don't you think so too?”
“…?”
“I'll give you a choice. Come with me. Then I'll spare those two. Of course, I'll have to get an oath of loyalty from them too.”
It was an offer that couldn't be refused.
And for Elamas, who had swept away all obstructing enemies, it was a rare display of great magnanimity.
But the dying young dragon shook its head wildly, refusing such an offer.
“Aki fights, dat…”
“Why?”
“Because if I don't fight, Papa will be sad.”
The young dragon, clenching its fist, let out a silly "Heh" smile.
Is it crazy?
Laughing now? Able to smile like that in this situation?
“Uncle was sad because of my sister.”
Was it because of that smile, or because of those words?
A voice.
A voice flowed from the box of memories, confined by the chains of the abyss.
- I now depart; now you must soothe the sorrows of others in this sad world.
Losing control of the necromancy for an instant, coupled with a severe headache, was the cause of the problem. His broken concentration was the cause.
The moment he stumbled and clutched his head, an indescribable heat surged over him.
Dragon's flames burst forth from the young dragon's body as it surged up. The flames blazed to the sky, roaring fiercely.
‘That thing still has such power…!’
Within the dragon's flames that annihilated evil, the primitives silently turned to ash.
‘I should have taught it reality.’
Within that wave of fire, the young dragon charged at Elamas. She desperately crossed her scythes to protect herself, but she had no talent for close-quarters combat.
“Haaaaaaah────!”
A cute yet fierce battle cry.
As the flames wrapped around the fist grew fiercer, cracks spread across the scythe covered in disgusting mucous membrane.
It's breaking?
A holy relic of the abyss is breaking?
And this angle, this power, it's going to pierce my heart and even penetrate the dragon's heart?
‘Aiming for victory in this situation?’
This insolent little one, let alone repaying human goodwill.
No more mercy.
Kill it.
Immediately, the True Dragon lifted its colossal foreleg and crushed the young dragon flat. It should have been pulverized into a bloody mess.
“How dare you lay a hand on someone's child right now…”
If a blazing red blade hadn't blocked that foreleg.
Elamas doubted the sensations reflected in his retina.
Are you kidding me? With human muscular strength, with that battered body, you're enduring the True Dragon's power and weight?
“In front of its mother on paper…!”
There's only now for a chance, Miria instinctively knew.
This is a chance Aki created by not giving up. Perhaps sensing a life-threatening crisis, the necromancy's control isn't reaching the primitives.
There's no finesse in the True Dragon's movements either. The moment Aki's punch pierces Elamas's heart, I must sever the True Dragon's heart too.
“Those who were on the verge of death are now a pair…!”
The moment cracks were about to fully spread across both scythes, the moment he struck away the dragon's arm and thrust the blade's tip into its heart.
The power of resentful spirits violently swirled and erupted from Elamas's hands.
Necromancy control of the Alien World.
As the power that repelled the young dragon spread throughout the entire area, dark blue light simultaneously flashed in the eyes of the primitives.
Like puppets with reconnected strings, they simultaneously lifted their heads and charged at the swordsman and the young dragon.
‘Victory was just within reach.’
Do I have to switch from offense to defense here?
It's clear that the primitives will seize them before their fist and sword can reach the heart.
But even if they switch to defense here, is there a future? Is it all going to end here after all?
Clink.
Like a candle illuminating the darkness alone, that clear sound was heard so distinctly even amidst this pandemonium.
“You've waited a long time, Aki.”
Elamas's eyes were wet with bewilderment.
But he hadn't stopped controlling the necromancy, yet unbelievably, the primitives' movements stiffened and froze.
As if they had been drawn in by an even more overwhelming power.
“I needed some time to collect my thoughts.”
Are you kidding me?
This is impossible.
Even if he harbored a dragon's soul, it's just a human body, yet he's using the True Dragon's absolute authority?
“Here I go.”
Silently gazing at Elamas, the young half-dragon formed a noble seal.
“Vision Alteration, Fire Heaven and Earth Realm (視象改變 : 火天地界).”