Chapter 155
Woooong!
Dragon's Sense automatically activated while he was holding the Holy Grail.
Fragments of the ark's past memories flooded into Zeke's mind like waves.
"Ugh!"
Zeke felt like his head was going to explode as the tremendous memories flashed through his mind.
[Steadfast Mental Defense Activated .]
Thanks to the skill, Zeke was able to gradually regain his senses.
Zeke, regaining consciousness, found himself swimming in a vast sea of memories in his soul state.
'Is this Dragon's Sense in its mastered state?'
He could examine past memories much more freely than before.
Enormous fragments of memories flashed by quickly.
Whoosh!
Then, one of the memory fragments flew towards Zeke.
'What's this?'
In that instant, the sea of memories was filled with light.
***
When Zeke opened his eyes, a completely different scene unfolded before him.
'This is...?'
It was a lush forest, not the ark.
Zeke recalled the time he became Terakan Draker through past memories in the Zoin temple.
'Is this a similar situation?'
Zeke examined his surroundings and his body.
He was running through the forest in mercenary-like attire.
It seemed like he was being chased by someone.
"Huff... huff..."
Then, someone appeared from behind.
"Siegfried! Stop! There's nowhere left to run!"
Knights in armor with splendid patterns engraved on the surface and luxurious cloaks were chasing Siegfried, gliding above the ground as if they were mages.
Siegfried drew the sword on his back, created an aura blade, and swung it at the knights.
Crash!
The sword strike flew towards the knights.
Woooong!
Translucent hemispheres formed around the knights' bodies, blocking all of Siegfried's sword strikes.
They glided freely through the air and soon surrounded Siegfried.
"Do you think you can face us with a moldy skill like aura?"
The knights floating in the air landed on the ground.
As they waved their hands, swords appeared from the empty air.
Swords decorated as splendidly as their armor.
Siegfried knew all too well how many magic spells were cast on those swords.
He chuckled and said,
"Just like Siemens' knights. Covered in money."
The knights' expressions were distorted by Siegfried's words. As if their anger erupted, blue lightning bolts spewed from their swords.
Crackle!
The power of the Lightning Swords, the pride of Siemens' Magic Knights, was beyond imagination.
Siegfried, holding an old arming sword, grinned at the Siemens' knights.
"I see your equipment is good, but do you even know how to use those good swords?"
As if provoked by Siegfried's words, the knights charged with their Lightning Swords.
Crackle!
Powerful lightning bolts poured towards Siegfried.
Suddenly, an aura blade, over 3 meters long, surged from Siegfried's sword.
Woooong!
The aura blade tore through the pouring lightning bolts.
At the same time, Siegfried took a stance.
True Dragon Sword Art
Fourth Stance, Full Moon Slash
'True Dragon Sword Art?'
Zeke, peeking into Siegfried's consciousness, was surprised to see the swordsmanship he was using.
It wasn't the ordinary Dragon Slayer Technique, but the swordsmanship from the original True Dragon Sword Art manual.
Siegfried swung his sword widely, cutting down the knights surrounding him in one go.
Slash!
"Cough!"
Siegfried's aura blade cut through not only the Blue Flame Swords but also the Siemens' knights' magic armor.
One of the knights, barely grazed by his attack, crawled on the ground and fled, muttering,
"N-no way... How can a mere aura have such power..."
Siegfried slowly approached and stabbed the knight in the neck.
"Ugh!"
The Siemens' knight died with a short groan.
Siegfried rummaged through the pockets of the dead knights and collected valuables that could be sold for money.
Just then, someone appeared from the depths of the forest.
"Zeke."
Siegfried looked up at the woman who called him.
Zeke, within his consciousness, was startled.
'Mother?'
A woman who looked very similar to Laura Agamemnon in the picture walked out from the forest.
She also seemed to have been through a fierce battle, with blood on her face and clothes.
Siegfried's mouth opened.
"Claudia."
Zeke realized who the woman was.
Claudia Lubern.
The Mage of Light, the founder of the Lubern dynasty.
Siegfried and Claudia, getting up, went deeper into the forest to avoid other pursuers.
Finding a cave and settling inside, Siegfried dug into the ground and built a fire.
Then, he took out dried jerky from his pocket and chewed on it.
Claudia, watching Siegfried roughly tearing into the jerky, said,
"Zeke, more pursuers are catching up."
Siegfried scoffed and replied,
"I'm not afraid of those bastards."
"Escape alone. There's no need for you to die needlessly as well."
Siegfried shook his head, looked at Claudia, and said,
"You owe me your life. I can't leave until I collect that debt."
"You fool! Are you saying you'll throw away your life to collect a life debt?"
He grinned and continued eating the jerky.
Claudia sighed as she looked at Siegfried and seemed to be contemplating something. And a moment later, she took something out from her pocket.
An unimpressive-looking wooden cup.
It was the Holy Grail.
Siegfried, seeing the Holy Grail, chuckled and said,
"I thought it would be something amazing since it's a relic made by the Elf King. It's really shabby."
Seven kingdoms waged war over this single wooden cup. It was because of the rumor that the Holy Grail granted immortality.
Siegfried asked Claudia,
"But can this crude-looking cup really grant immortality?"
Claudia shook her head at the question.
"The Holy Grail has the ability to draw out a human's potential. It shows completely different effects depending on the potential the person has. The problem is... if you can't properly accept that power, you could die."
Hearing those words, Siegfried shook his head.
"Huh, then why are the kings so desperate to have this? It might even kill them, let alone grant immortality."
Claudia's eyes sharpened at Siegfried's words.
"Humans have always been like that. They always ruin everything because of their damned greed. That's why I'm trying to get rid of this. So that humans can't misuse it. That's the only way to change fate."
Claudia's voice was filled with disillusionment and contempt for humans.
Siegfried didn't mind, as it wasn't the first time he had seen Claudia like that.
It was then.
"Damn it, it's the pursuers."
Siegfried held up his sword, activated his senses with aura, and examined the surroundings.
He could sense the presence of dozens of people around the cave.
Siegfried gritted his teeth.
"It seems like the knights of all seven kingdoms have gathered."
Claudia put the Holy Grail in her pocket and got up.
"We have to escape from here now."
Siegfried nodded.
"Okay, while I hold those guys back, you go quickly. If you can reach the Ice Mountains, they won't be able to chase you anymore."
Claudia was surprised by Siegfried's words.
"What are you talking about! You want me to go alone?"
"Do you want us both to die together?"
Claudia bit her lip as she looked at Siegfried spinning his sword.
She said to Siegfried,
"Why are you doing this? It doesn't make sense to throw away your life to collect a life debt!"
At her shout, Siegfried looked at Claudia and said,
"You said it yourself. Humans ruin everything because of greed."
Siegfried looked at her with serious eyes.
"I'm also an unavoidable human."
"What do you mean?"
Claudia looked at Siegfried as if she couldn't understand.
He grinned at Claudia. Then, he ran out of the cave with his sword.
Woooong!
He generated an aura blade and swung his sword at the presences hiding in front of the cave.
"Cough!"
Siegfried's aura blade cut through even thick armor and magic weapons.
As Siegfried appeared, the knights who had been hiding revealed themselves.
The knight of Thebes, the newest of the seven kingdoms, stepped forward, looked at Siegfried, and shouted,
"Siegfried Draker, the sinner who stole the relic, listen! Immediately hand over the relic and kill yourself honorably! Only then will your clan, Draker, survive!"
Siegfried chuckled at those words.
"It's been a while since I've heard that. Draker. It seems they haven't heard that those bastards beat the crap out of me when I was young and threw me in the corpse incinerator."
The knight who had called for Siegfried's suicide had a bewildered expression at Zeke's harsh words.
Then, Siegfried took off the gloves he was wearing.
Crackle!
As Siegfried took off his gloves, sparks flew from the armor and swords of the knights around him.
"W-what?!"
The knights were flustered as their magically imbued weapons reacted strangely.
Siegfried didn't miss the opportunity.
"Come at me, you bastards!"
***
"Ugh!"
Dozens of dead knights lay around where Siegfried stood.
"Huff!"
But Siegfried wasn't unscathed either, with countless arrows stuck in his back.
He pulled out a spear that was lodged in his side.
Blood gushed out.
Siegfried staggered towards the last knight still standing.
The knight trembled, sensing madness from Siegfried.
"D-don't come! Don't come!"
Siegfried threw himself at the knight.
Their bodies tangled and fell onto the pile of corpses.
Siegfried grabbed a random weapon and stabbed the knight's neck.
"Cough!"
Soon, the knight also breathed his last, just like the others lying around.
"Damn..."
Siegfried lay on the pile of corpses, gasping for breath.
Although he was nicknamed the Immortal, he couldn't help but die after being cut and stabbed this much.
Siegfried, with trembling hands, took out a cigarette from his pocket.
He tried to put the cigarette in his mouth, but his lips were also weak, and he dropped it into the pool of blood.
"Damn... The fortune teller said I would die because of a woman, and it's really happening."
Siegfried recalled the first time he met Claudia Lubern.
Like a noble lady who had just come out into the world, she was clueless yet stubborn and selfish.
At first, he saved her because she was a skilled mage and traveled around the continent with her, but as time passed, he felt his heart changing.
"...I'm crazy. Truly."
Siegfried's eyes slowly began to close.
It was then.
Someone approached him.
"...Was there... still someone alive?"
Siegfried tried to move his body.
He had to kill even one more to keep the pursuers away from her so she could safely reach the Ice Mountains.
But the one who came into Siegfried's sight was none other than Claudia.
"Why... are you here? Go, quickly..."
Claudia looked down at Siegfried with a face that was about to cry.
She knelt and clutched Siegfried's clothes tightly.
Then, she looked at him with resentment in her eyes.
"Humans... are disgusting, frivolous, and selfish creatures. I truly hate them. But Zeke, why you..."
"That's... similar to me. I also don't like humans very much."
Siegfried slowly raised his hand to stroke Claudia's hair.
But his hand, losing strength, fell to the ground.
Claudia hurriedly took out the Holy Grail from her pocket.
She channeled power into the Holy Grail.
Woooong!
The Holy Grail emitted a bright light, and the cup was filled with water.
Claudia hurriedly brought the Holy Grail to Siegfried's mouth.
"Zeke! Quickly, quickly drink this!"
But Zeke couldn't swallow it. He couldn't muster any strength in his body.
Claudia took the water from the Holy Grail into her mouth and fed it to Zeke directly.
Siegfried swallowed all the water in the Holy Grail with Claudia's help. It was then.
"Ugh!"
Siegfried groaned in pain.
Claudia, holding him, shouted,
"Zeke! Don't reject the Holy Grail's power and accept it! Otherwise, that power will kill you!"
He was already bleeding profusely and on the verge of death, so he wasn't in a state to accept the Holy Grail's power.
"Cough!"
Siegfried's blood vessels swelled black, and his eyes became bloodshot.
"N-no! Zeke! You can't die!"
Claudia, restless, tightly gripped the sun emblem hanging around her neck.
The seal that sealed her power.
Claudia decided to break the taboo to save Siegfried. She couldn't let him die like this.
Snap!
She tore off the sun emblem that sealed her.
And she shouted towards Siegfried,
"Siegfried! Look at me! Listen carefully!"
Siegfried seemed to be on the verge of death.
Claudia's eyes suddenly changed.
The eyes of a great being, shining gold, were revealed.
She said to Siegfried,
"My name is the Ruler of Sunset, Bahamut."