Gritting his teeth, Ash set a flame to his crumbling self, his very soul.
Whoosh—
The fragments of his shattered memories ignited with spiritual flames.
The disintegration of his soul accelerated. In exchange, the ritual burning of the spirit granted him the strength to move his body.
"Haah..."
Strength coursed through his body, which had felt like collapsing just moments ago, as if reinvigorated by a miraculous revival.
Unhesitatingly, Ash set fire to the deepest roots of his memories that made up his being.
Countless memories and connections built over innumerable eras and cycles turned to ash and scattered to the wind.
What does it matter?
What value do such memories hold?If all these immeasurable times could burn into heat and gales, converting to a moment's worth of energy, he would be grateful. That’s all.
"Aaaaaaah!"
With a bestial roar, Ash charged once again at the dire dragon.
His mission remained unchanged. Once again, he loaded his venom and thrust it into the beast's vulnerability.
Dodging the Black Dragon's barrage in an unconscious state, Ash burned down his inner roots.
- I'm sorry for leaving you such a heavy burden.
In a distant past.
Faces of his bloodied father and brothers clutching his shoulders flashed through his mind.
- Do not forget that we walked the same path as you.
Burn it down.
The days of the joint front with his father and brothers intertwined in flames and disappeared.
- It was an honor to fight under the commander.
On the frozen ground.
Heroes and soldiers who had fought alongside him in the final battle raised their weapons high, smiling brightly.
- We will pave the way with our lives. Fulfill the great cause...!
Burn it down.
The faces of comrades who had traversed hell together merged into the darkness beneath the flames.
- It’s okay. My dear bone fighter.
His mother’s dry lips softly touched his forehead.
- Mom will always be by your side.
Memories of his mother from his childhood, who had hugged him with a gentle smile...
Burn it down.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Flames streamed down Ash's cheeks like fiery tears.
Burn it down. Burn it down. Burn it down.
Memories like that are unnecessary. After all, he had long since thrown away his entire self.
He is a save slot. The focal point of the century. A dagger and a vial of poison to slay destruction. A silver coin and a rope to be used and discarded in exchange for salvation.
He does not regret it. He is not sad. He is not tormented. Such luxurious emotions have long since died.
Just offer, burn, and then, at the end of it all,
This world...
- Ah...
At that moment, the scene before his eyes changed.
In the midst of a lush summer garden.
Fifteen-year-old Serenade, dressed in a beige dress, caught her breath in the morning sun.
Their eyes met, and Serenade blushed, lowering her gaze.
Large silvery eyes cast a pale blue shadow beneath lengthy eyelashes.
"..."
The flames,
Stopped.
"...Ah."
How could he forget.
The landscape etched into his soul on that day.
The image of the boy and girl sharing a bashful laugh, their cheeks flushed as they touched foreheads, exchanging vows of engagement.
"Ah..."
At that moment, tears welled up in the corners of Ash's eyes, dried out by the heat of the black monster’s breath.
Without realizing it, Ash raised his arm, reaching out towards the memory of that day, now beyond his reach...
Whoosh!
Flames poured down over that memory.
Night Bringer unleashed its breath, ruthlessly engulfing Ash.
Suddenly revived, the other heads of Night Bringer attacked Ash from all sides, and although he dodged all of them, he couldn’t escape the central head’s breath.
Ash was engulfed in flames, and the last of his loaded poison turned cleanly to ash.
As the brief breath ended and Night Bringer drew in its breath, Ash lay in a pitiful heap.
Having stolen the blood of the Black Dragon, he was resistant to the black flame and its breath, but a direct hit was another matter. Ash could no longer fight, nor did it seem he would live much longer.
‘Ah.’
In his melted and disconnected reasoning, Ash thought slowly.
This is the end.
There is no longer a way to continue this battle...
"Is this the end of the entertainment you can provide me?"
Night Bringer whispered softly.
"It was fun, but from the standpoint of ending it, an encore performance is rather boring."
"..."
"Let's end it here. Player. This time for sure—"
Before it could finish, Night Bringer suddenly looked up.
"Hm?"
From beyond the forest's edge, shrouded in darkness, someone was rushing this way.
Tat-!
The sound of bare feet lightly tapping the ground rang out, and then a small girl with a lithe frame leapt into the air.
Her long black hair billowing, she wore chainmail armor over her bandaged body, her eyes the color of amber.
"...Half-dragon?"
It was Dusk Bringar.
Night Bringer was about to mock her, but Dusk Bringar had no time for conversation. She roared mightily in midair.
"Aaaaaaah!"
The Dusk Bringar too set all her blood and soul ablaze.
The sunset-colored magical power she emitted proliferated wildly, eventually merging into a single form.
Horns sprouted and soared upward with a massive head, and endlessly expanding wings stirred up gales as they spread to either side.
A thick tail, towering like a spire, whipped the ground like a lash.
As her limbs, now gigantic, touched the ground, large scales made of magical power finally covered the figure.
Dragon Blood Rampage, the ultimate stage.
Myth Reenactment.
Materializing magic to temporarily transform herself into the form of her dragon ancestors—her most powerful self-destruction technique.
"Aaaaaaah!"
In the form of her great ancestor, whose name she bore.
As the colossal red dragon, Dusk Bringar finished her descent and charged at the Black Dragon, scattering flames from her entire body.
"That power is too much for you to handle, half-dragon!"
Night Bringer, now almost tearing at the seams with a wide grin, took on her attack.
Kooong-!
A sound that could have been mountains colliding echoed across the ground.
The clash of the two gigantic dragons was truly earth-shattering.
The ground cracked, creating a rift down to the valleys, and thousands of trees forming the forest fell in a line.
Hot winds swirled through the atmosphere, and clouds beyond the curtain rippled.
Though Dusk Bringar had grown incredibly in size, Night Bringer, having absorbed the night as it moved northward, was much larger.
Ignoring the size difference, Dusk Bringar desperately lunged at the Black Dragon.
Brilliant flames followed every movement, bursting out in all directions like fireworks.
Bang! Bang! Kaboom...!
For a brief moment, Dusk Bringar dominated Night Bringer. But Night Bringer had long since spotted Dusk Bringar's weakness.
"There's a smell of blood, half-dragon. The scent of the great blood passed down from your ancestor leaking out..."
Suddenly, six of Night Bringer’s auxiliary heads had circled behind Dusk Bringar.
The Dusk Bringar tried to counter with a roar,
"You should have healed your back before charging in."
The wound was too great.
All six heads breathed out in unison, striking down on Dusk Bringar’s back at once.
The scales made of magic power were peeled away layer by layer and soon were penetrated.
From behind the red dragon's back to the front of her belly, the combined breaths of the six heads struck down like a long spear.
"Khaaaak...!"
Barely enduring the pain, Dusk Bringar tried to continue her attack, throwing her fists with all her might.
Thwoong-!
But in the next moment, Night Bringer’s massive front paw intercepted one of the swinging fists and gripped it tightly.
"...!"
Night Bringer sneered into Dusk Bringar's ear, shocked.
"The power is too much for you to wield, half-dragon."
And just like that,
Kwadddddk-!
Night Bringer ripped off one of Dusk Bringar’s arms in the opposite direction.
"...!"
From the torn shoulder, instead of blood, brilliant sunset-colored magical power burst forth, and Dusk Bringar, gritting her teeth, spun in place, attempting to whip her tail like a lash.
Koong-!
However, Night Bringer, having already risen, lightly stomped on the tail to stop it.
"Ugh-?!"
And for a moment, as Dusk Bringar’s movements halted, Night Bringer gazed at her with fourteen pairs of [Eyes of Dark Magic].
Fourteen pupils simultaneously emitted darkness.
Night Bringer's most powerful attack, 'Forged Night'.
Forging the night from ancient accumulated hatred and grudges, Night Bringer butchered the descendant of her old rival.
Kwajik! Kwaduk! Pwoof...!
Intangible darkness, sharp as a blade, flew in and shredded Dusk Bringar’s entire body.
"Aaaaaah! Aaaaaaah!"
Torn and tattered, Dusk Bringar screamed in agony.
From her shattered body, sunset-colored magical power spurted out like blood in all directions.
Night Bringer's seven heads rushed towards the battered Dusk Bringar.
The seven heads of the evil dragon savagely bit and swallowed her body made of magical power.
No longer able to maintain the form of a dragon, Dusk Bringar, now just a skeletal and grotesque figure, staggered and slowly fell toward Night Bringer.
Thud...!
The lifeless body of Dusk Bringar touched Night Bringer. Confident that he had finished her off, Night Bringer leisurely watched her end.
And then,
Flash!
A light returned to the lifeless eyes of Dusk Bringar.
No longer a dragon, but something torn to shreds, Dusk Bringar clung to Night Bringer with all her remaining strength.
"What are you doing?"
Genuinely puzzled, Night Bringer asked,
"...Now."
The Dusk Bringar roared fiercely.
"Sister Nameless-!"
"...?!"
Shocked, Night Bringer looked down.
Just like Dusk Bringar, the dethroned princess of the Lake Kingdom had reached this spot just before the teleport gate malfunctioned, waiting for the moment to intervene—
She had moved Ash, who had been lying fallen, to a safe space behind her.
In the darkness, she firmly gripped her sword.
"...The opportunity you gave me."
Whoosh-!
A terrifying light burst from the worn longsword held in Nameless's hand.
Between the billowing white hair, Nameless's turquoise eyes peered steadfastly from beneath her hood.
"I will not waste it, little Dusk."
A beam of light shot forth.
With her sword behind her and magic propelling her like a missile, Nameless swiftly reached in front of Night Bringer.
Night Bringer tried to strike this Nameless figure, but Dusk Bringar, with all her might, intercepted all the attacks with her body.
The body of Dusk Bringar exploded, scattering like fireworks of sunset light.
Beneath that blaze, Nameless, clutching the steel sword with both hands, gathered all the remaining light in her soul into the blade—
Flash-!
She unleashed the most powerful sword strike of her life, slicing through the evil dragon.
In a world cloaked in darkness, a bright and immense pillar of light burst forth, momentarily blinding all who beheld it.
--TL Notes--
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at /MattReading