Boom!
Night Bringer unleashed a colossal magic bombardment, and Ash countered with a magical barrier.
The clash of the two transcendents sent out a massive shockwave, and a thick cloud of dust rose.
Within the dust cloud, Ash's clones scattered in all directions in a dizzying array.
Normally, the original Night Bringer would have easily identified which were clones and which was the real one...
'Kuh...!'
His mind was in turmoil.
The illusion of the red-haired woman kept blending in with the swirling clones of Ash and the dust cloud.
Night Bringer attempted to blow everything away with a burst breath...
Screeeeeech-A sudden whistle sound intensified the illusion of the red-haired woman, further obstructing Night Bringer's vision.
There was only one person who could cause such a disturbance from the root of a nightmare. Night Bringer roared furiously as he turned to look.
"Crown, you wretch-!"
Through the swirling dust cloud, the figure of Crown appeared, casually playing a flute with his right half torn off.
Crown laughed from behind the blood-soaked white mask.
"If the flute of a lowly jester can shake the heart of a king, then it is indeed an honor."
Night Bringer reached out to tear the remaining half of Crown apart.
"Hoho, you should charge carefully."
But Crown remained relaxed.
"When you hear the sound of the flute... you're not the only one who gets excited, right?"
Within the dust cloud, Jörmungandr's yellow eyes snapped open.
The World Serpent, who had been lying dormant gathering its last strength, sprang up.
The serpent clung to Night Bringer's upper body, biting down with powerful jaws on his arm.
An attack that would have been insignificant to Night Bringer fused with the night, but under the pouring sunlight, he had already shrunk and weakened.
Crunch-!
The scales at the bitten area shattered, spraying blood everywhere.
An enraged Night Bringer opened his mouth wide, preparing his breath attack.
"Jörmungandr-!"
"...I traverse the world."
In Jörmungandr's bright yellow eyes, terrifying magic power swirled like flames.
"I mix the world...!"
As Night Bringer's breath attack struck Jörmungandr directly, a massive earthquake generated by Jörmungandr shook the area.
Boom-!
With a tremendous explosion, the area was engulfed in a thick cloud of dust.
Night Bringer, having torn Jörmungandr from his body, frantically scanned his surroundings. The smoke and dust severely obscured his vision.
And from within the dust cloud... Ash's clones rushed at Night Bringer from all directions.
Kyaaaaaa!
Night Bringer expelled a dragon roar, clearing the smoke while unleashing dark magic and feather bombardments, shredding Ash's clones.
It was then. Among the bursting clones, Ash approached at lightning speed.
Wearing the King of Flies armor and holding White Night's staff, it was unmistakably Ash.
"Player-!"
Night Bringer immediately loaded 'Forged Night.'
With dawn breaking, the usable night was almost gone. Moreover, 'Forged Night' was a technique that consumed immense resources.
But it was fine. Once this place was cleared, he could patch the sky curtain again and recreate a world covered in night...!
'I can completely destroy this world, this stage...!'
To do that, he had to completely eliminate this tenacious adversary first.
He finished aiming and used 'Forged Night.'
Slash-!
The rushing night shredded Ash's entire body. The chain coat Ash was wearing turned to dust, and the staff was broken in two.
...But it was a fake.
The one wearing that equipment was not the real Ash but a clone. Night Bringer was aghast.
'A fake?! Then the real one is-'
Taaa-!
Directly in front.
The real Ash had already reached right in front of Night Bringer. Night Bringer shivered and his golden eyes flashed.
Using the last of all his night-
"I will tear you apart so you can never stand again-!"
He spat out the night forged from hatred.
Slaaaaash-!
Ash couldn't evade. Before the overwhelming darkness and the shredding filled with intense hatred, Ash couldn't withstand and was torn to pieces from head to toe.
Night Bringer confirmed that the opponent had died without leaving a trace.
"..."
Suddenly, a deep silence fell.
Night Bringer slowly looked around the now-quiet battlefield.
After a long silence, the Black Dragon muttered hollowly.
"Is it really over now, Player?"
The answer came from behind.
"How many times do I have to tell you?"
When Night Bringer turned his long neck back, his eyes wide open.
"From the beginning, I..."
On Night Bringer's back.
Ash, wrapped in ancient cursed bandages, having finished his resurrection, was smiling wanly.
"...was already in pieces."
"You...!"
Ash had no equipment left. But he calmly extended his right hand to the side.
At that moment.
The gap in the sky where the curtain of darkness had been lifted revealed the full rising sun from the east,
Flash-!
From the dazzling dawn sun to Ash's hand, a pillar of light descended.
No, it wasn't just a pillar.
It was a staff.
Boom...!
The staff made of light was grasped in Ash's hand. Holding the hot and heavy staff, Ash slowly looked downward.
Only then did Night Bringer realize where Ash was standing.
It was the point where the Black Dragon's back and neck connected.
Due to Night Bringer's fusion with the night and his gigantification, a gap had formed between the protruding vertebrae and the scarred scales...
After 30,000 resolute warriors charged at that gap, all fighting and dying...
- I have no name to give you, you salamander bastard...
It was the place where a nameless human soldier had barely managed to leave a scar.
The determined wound had never healed, remaining as a scar,
And there... Scalian lay dying, absorbed into it.
"Here, Ash."
Covered in blood and dying, Scalian smiled faintly.
"Stab here."
Ash nodded silently and raised the staff high.
Then, he struck down with all his might.
The staff of light pierced through Scalian's heart and touched the Black Dragon's scale that the nameless soldier had shattered.
As his heart was pierced, Scalian smiled.
***
問世間 理爲何物 直敎正逆相許 (TL Note: This was annoying to translate, since it's heavily tied to Chinese, so I did my best.)
To the people of the world, I ask, what is reason (理致) that it allows right and wrong to coexist? (TL Note: Translation of the above.)
***
In a world made of reversed scales (逆鱗), Scalian was cast out for being born with straight scales (順鱗).
Conversely, if he had been born in a world of straight scales, how would he have lived? Would he have watched other reversed scales being rejected and cast out without any thought?
Scalian pondered endlessly. Throughout his long life, he pondered.
What is straight (順) and what is reversed (逆)? Who decided the criteria for this distinction from the moment of birth?
- But... just because I was born this way, doesn't mean I have to live this way.
So, among all the people on this front line, the one least fitting to be a hero. The one born as a petty thief.
If she succumbed to the logic of the world. If she submitted to her predetermined fate.
He too would accept the logic of the world and stop fighting.
- Even if the only thing I can show the world is an illusion, it doesn't mean my entire life is a lie.
She did not give up fighting.
- I... want to become great.
No, it wasn't just her.
- I want to save the world again!
Everyone on this front line was actually an ordinary person, not extraordinary in any way.
Yet what kept them fighting?
What makes a person great?
"Just because you were born this way doesn't mean you have to live this way... Just because you fell once doesn't mean you can't become great again..."
Coughing up blood, Scalian muttered softly.
He realized.
Whether straight or reversed, it was merely someone else's standard.
Neither the logic set by his father nor the logic imposed by the world's eyes needed to be his own standard.
The most important thing was his own heart.
"I will decide my fate..."
He decided not to care about the criteria that divided straight from reversed based on birth direction.
He would simply live purely as he wished, facing the direction he wanted to point.
He resolved to become the true essence of straight scales (純鱗).
"Now, can I say that I've walked a little of the same path as you all...?"
"..."
With the staff plunged into Scalian's heart, Ash smiled bitterly.
"Of course, my friend."
"..."
"Whether you're born with straight scales or reversed scales, whether you're a human or a dragon... the choice is yours. Becoming something is your decision. Living is your decision."
A satisfied smile formed on Scalian's lips.
"We are all masters of our own destinies. We are players, not mere pieces."
"Hehe. I enjoyed joining your adventure, Ash..."
Scalian's body began to glow white.
"I said I liked bad endings back then, but actually... I prefer predictable happy endings much more."
"..."
"So, Ash. Please... show me the most splendid ending of all."
"Of course, Scalian."
Ash nodded with conviction.
"I am a Player. If there is a true ending, I will reach it, for I am the one who conquers this world...!"
With a relieved laugh, Scalian's long body began to shine brilliantly and quickly condensed.
Eventually, it gathered into a small, tiny scale.
The only weakness of a reversed scale dragon.
Scalian resolved to become such a pure scale, and he became a non-existent weak point for Night Bringer.
The pure scale had already merged with Night Bringer's body. The staff of light in Ash's hand accurately pierced through the scale and drove inward.
Flash-!
The staff of light that pierced through the pure scale burned indiscriminately inside the Black Dragon's body.
Night Bringer, being an entity fundamentally derived from the night, could not withstand the sunlight that penetrated his body.
"...!"
Faced with unimaginable, enormous pain, Night Bringer did not scream.
Even as the light flames turned his insides to ash, he clenched his teeth and suppressed his screams.
Even in this moment, he was seeking an opportunity to counterattack. The curtain of darkness covering the sky rippled in response to his will.
But-
- If you destroy everything to the end of the world.
Again.
Her illusion disrupted his sight and mind...
- My descendants and I will... start over again on that ruin.
Night Bringer missed his last chance for a counterattack.
Flash! Flash! Flash-!
The curtain of darkness covering the sky split open one after another, and dozens, hundreds of beams of light poured down through the gaps.
The dawn light descended like a bombardment, using the staff of light planted by Ash as a marker, as if imbued with intention.
The flames of dawn rained down like a storm, striking and burning Night Bringer's entire body as they pierced through him.
"Player-!"
Under the now completely clear sky, the Black Dragon desperately tried to pull out the staff of light while coughing up blood.
But Ash held the hot and heavy staff firmly and endured.
He endured without flinching, despite the burning pain in his hands and the crushing pain in his shoulders.
It was a pain he had endured since the first battle he experienced in this world.
It was a pain he had carried with him ever since that day.
Ash held the pillar of light with his burning hands and focused his consciousness.
Then the light burned more fiercely, scattering dazzling flashes in all directions.
It seemed like a giant flag was fluttering.
Finally, the curtain of darkness covering the sky shattered completely, and in the now brightly lit world...
Pook...!
The tip of the staff, which had been burning and digging into the Black Dragon's body, finally reached his heart.
Night Bringer's dragon heart was protected by the dark blood magic of the Black Dragon legion and primordial darkness.
No matter how much the essence of dawn light was used to pierce it, the darkness was too deep to penetrate.
But it wasn't a problem for Ash.
"This is why I absorbed your blood into my body."
Ash was also a being with Black Dragon blood.
Through the staff, Ash's consciousness intricately and swiftly dismantled all the magic and darkness.
Then, with all his might, Ash thrust the light beam into the wide-open gap in the seal.
Pooook-!
The light beam, like the tip of a spear, pierced through Night Bringer's heart and shot forward.
To the Black Dragon who looked back with eyes filled with disbelief, Ash, with his blood-soaked and haggard face, managed to smile.
"Good morning."
The staff of light that pierced through the Black Dragon's heart touched the chest wound that Nameless had inscribed earlier.
Immediately, an enormous pillar of light exploded outward, engulfing everything on the southern plains.
--TL Notes--
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at /MattReading