〈 Episode 305 〉 How to face death (4)
* * *
The dragon howls in the sky.
The shadowed dragon’s skeleton resembles that of a black dragon that reigned as a disaster for hundreds of years. There are several knights here who know what that dragon looks like.
Black Storm, Black Dragon Belial.
The dragon that has now appeared in front of the refugees is the hatchling of the dreaded Black Dragon of Disaster. However, the knights do not feel the same nobility from that dragon as the black dragon.
It is several times larger than the average dragon, but compared to the huge black dragon, it is insignificant. Slime that drips down every time you flap your wings. The outer layer is torn and regenerated repeatedly, as if shedding the skin.
Everything about it is different from the Black Dragon.
Humanity felt mythical fear from the black dragon, Belial. A disaster that cannot be fought against. The fear is so huge that you don’t know how to deal with it. However, the knights do not feel the same fear from the dragon flying in front of them.
What I feel is disgust.
Instinctive disgust takes precedence over fear.
It is a creature that is far from perfect. What makes up that body is a human corpse. It is the corpse of a demonic beast. The appearance of a dragon created by mixing together so many things is absolutely terrifying.
【■■, ■■■■■■.】
The curse dragon opens his mouth.
What is formed in that mouth is a circuit.
A circuit I have never seen before.
“What is that…?”
The engineers don’t know the circuit.
However, they instinctively feel threatened. The knights hastily raise their shields, feeling a shiver run down their spines. I don’t know what’s coming, but I’ll try to stop it anyway.
This is the best judgment for the knights.
However, in the opinion of Belnoa, who recognized the circuit, it was the worst decision. Belnoa moved hurriedly. Belnoa, who spent his childhood in the slums, has a specialty that he can show off: his ability to judge situations quickly.
“Offering.”
Belnoa’s fingers twisted, making a sound.
I don’t do anything to save my strength. In an instant, all ten fingers were broken, and a shadow enveloped Belnoa’s body. The finished product is Shadow Armor.
widely.
Belnoa leaps after stepping on the shield raised by the knights and swings his arm. As soon as the curse dragon’s mouth closed, Belnoa’s shadow reached its circuit.
Squeak, squeak■■■■ squeak!
You can’t get rid of it completely.
Belnoa gritted his teeth and turned the direction. His spell, which had been pointing downward, turned upward.
Kiiiiing!
Rays of light erupt from the black dragon’s maw.
The beam of light that was pointing downwards is distorted by Belnoa and shoots diagonally into the sky. The sky turns red from the fired heat rays. The clouds disperse.
The pupils of the knights watching this shake.
If Belnoa hadn’t changed its trajectory, if it had hit the shield they had put up… it would have disappeared without leaving a trace.
What about the boy who turned off the heat ray?
It is difficult to find hope by looking at the boy.
The boy who fell from the sky lost most of the shadows that surrounded his body. It never looks like it’s in good condition.
“Tsk….”
Belnoa, who fell to the ground, looks up at the sky while gathering himself. Its gaze is fixed on the wings of the curse dragon.
‘incantation···.’
A little while ago, the moment the curse dragon opened its mouth, Belnoa saw something being ‘offered’. At the time, I didn’t know what was being offered, but now I know.
There is a hole in the curse dragon’s wing.
It was quickly filled again, but what occupied the hole was a human corpse turned into slime. By sacrificing dozens of humans, the black dragon manifested magic.
It’s creepy.
I had to use all ten fingers just to start the orbit. However, the curse dragon does not stop. It opens its mouth once again and begins to flap its wings. There are countless human corpses that formed those wings.
“Block, block!”
“Refugees are the top priority…!”
The knights are busy trying to stop the flock of ghouls. Behind them, there are refugees who need to be protected.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”
A ghoul manages to escape and bites a refugee. The ghoul responded immediately to the knight’s sword, but the woman bitten by the ghoul was already dead.
Fear is contagious.
Screams pour out from everywhere.
In a landscape that has suddenly become hell, someone takes a step forward. Stand next to Belnoa. Belle Noah turned her head and looked next to her.
“···Chloe?”
A hero clad in platinum-colored light.
The warrior of the castle, Chloe.
She was glaring at the sky.
2.
Death swings his sword.
The tip of the sword did not touch the sky, but the sky split with a crackling sound. The sky is torn apart. The strange sound the sky makes as it tears apart is like a scream.
Wow!
The stars shining in the sky split apart.
It was only a small flaw, but it temporarily cut something connected to the star.
One sword strike.
Then a rushing wind sweeps the area.
“Ugh…!”
Raniel endures the rushing wind while keeping his posture low. After the storm struck, Raniel could barely raise his head. She turns her head and looks to her side.
“Hey, Kyle! Fine···?”
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Those words don’t last until the end.
There’s something strange about Kyle’s expression as he sticks the knife in the floor and holds on. Kyle’s gaze was wavering.
“Kyle?”
“······.”
Kyle looks at Raniel.
The shaking gaze slowly calms down. Thus, the focused eyes are different from Kyle’s just a moment ago. But Raniel is not unfamiliar with that.
“···you?”
Kyle a few years ago, before he met the Demon King.
It was the same look in Kyle’s eyes before he was broken.
* * *
The contract was broken.
The contract is temporarily broken, and what was paid in return returns to its original place, even if only for a moment.
Thus, the star apostle becomes human.
“Wow, big.”
Kyle lifted his head, taking a deep breath.
What you can see is Raniel.
The moment Kyle met those blue eyes, he remembered what he had to do. Even amidst the chaos, Kyle does not lose his purpose.
“Cluck, clack.”
Kyle pulled himself together, spitting out the blood in his mouth. My body is heavy. It’s heavy… but I’m not dizzy like usual.
My mind is clearer than ever.
Kyle knows this won’t last long.
The rupture of the contract is temporary, and is still being restored moment by moment. Feeling it, Kyle raised his head and looked in front of him.
“······.”
There is death watching him silently.
There are trials you must overcome.
The conditions for fulfilling the contract are right in front of you.
“You can use whatever you can.”
The sword of death, Ganicalt said.
“You can use starlight. Whether you use magic or get help from colleagues, whatever you do is fine. Don’t block it. Do that. “A disaster is something that must be prevented at all costs.”
He lifts a human arm.
“step.”
He extends his finger and points at Kyle.
“It must be your will alone. I have no intention of falling to a puppet of the stars. “Anything that stops me has to be human.”
A human being who stands upright by his own will.
“Move with your own will.”
Death takes a step forward.
“Raise the sword with your own will.”
Boom, boom.
Every time death takes a step, the ground splits. Cracks spread in the canyon. Kyle feels fear in the face of approaching death.
“With your own will, swing the sword.”
There is no point in not doing so.
“That is the inspection. “That is truly human.”
human.
a proud man
“Are you a human being or a slave?”
Death asks.
In the face of approaching death, Kyle thinks with his own will. What you feel is fear. Now that her connection to the star is blurred, Kyle feels afraid.
A human being who is incompetent, helpless, and unable to do anything.
Now that the stars have left, mere humans feel fear.
Holding onto Kyle’s spirit in the midst of fear was ultimately a contract I made with my own will. At this moment, the contract has become blurred… but Kyle has not forgotten the contract.
“······.”
Kyle looked behind me.
There is a girl there, looking at herself with her mouth slightly open. There is Raniel. Kyle, who was looking at her, finally smiled bitterly at her.
In the end, the job was done.
Even though he feels afraid, Kyle pulls himself up. She does not answer the questions asked by death. Because it is something that must be proven through actions, not words.
Before I knew it, I stretched out my hand toward the holy sword that I had let go of.
Kyle’s fingers become entangled in the hilt of the holy sword. Kyle used his strength to pull out the holy sword. Kyle lightly swung the holy sword that was drawn out smoothly.
Huh.
The holy sword does not shine as brightly as before.
Kyle takes a stance, holding a sword from which soft light flows. Exhaling her breath, she captures her breath.
“I am.”
Kyle opened his mouth.
Kyle says while looking at death.
“I am Kyle Torben.”
It is an extension of a conversation we had once.
“A proud swordsman, Kuntel’s disciple.”
Kyle raises the holy sword.
The tip of the sword is aimed at the death before our eyes.
“Raise your sword, Ganicalt.”
Humans show their will.
Even though he is trembling with fear, he does not let go of his sword.
Even death shows pride in that will.
Huh.
Swing the sword lightly to shake off the dirt stuck to the sword. Ganicalt ignores the voice in the shadows telling him to immediately sweep away the things in front of him and bring the sword.
Ganikalt takes a stance, holding a sword with his left hand.
This is the same posture that Kyle took.
It is a sword technique practiced in the Valley of Swords, and a sword technique created by Ganicalt Van Galatric.
Same posture, same breathing, same stride.
The two moved towards each other at the same time.
3.
“Remia, dagger.”
Looking at Kyle rushing towards death, Sara held out her hand to Remia.
“Why the dagger?”
“Because blood has to be shed.”
Although puzzled, Remia holds out her dagger.
Sarah grabbed it and cut her forearm long with the dagger. Her beloved clothes are torn on her and the blood that runs down her arms forms on her fingertips.
Thump, thud.
Red blood falls on the snow field.
Sarah continues to cut herself with a dagger and recite a prayer. Sacred art is carved into the snowfield soaked with holy blood.
“please.”
Sarah prays.
“please···.”
Sarah prays only for one person.
“Please, I hope you survive.”
* * *
In a snowy canyon where the snow has evaporated, Kyle swings his sword. Kyle’s sword draws a silver-white trail in the center of the canyon, where even the driving snowstorm escapes.
The trajectory drawn by the tip of the sword is slightly different from before.
Now that the starlight has dimmed, Kyle’s body cannot move as quickly as it always did. Despite her physical abilities, she cannot even imitate the swordsmanship of superhumans. However, Kyle now feels clearer than ever.
There is no regret, no obsession, no hesitation.
Kyle focuses solely on swinging the sword.
What makes up for lack of physical ability is skill.
Kyle moves, remembering the tricks of the sword rather than speed and strength. Thus, she imitates the swords of many superhumans she has seen.
Kaang!
The blade wielded by Kyle intertwined with Ganicalt’s great sword. Kyle inserted his sword into the hole in the great sword and twisted his body. She sheds the sword’s orbit.
Huh!
A sword strike passed overhead.
The sound of the canyon collapsing echoes behind me.
One blow directly leads to death. However, Kyle swung her sword without hesitation. Because I know that hesitation means death.
Kang, kaang!
Sword and sword clash.
What Kyle uses with a single sword is the sword technique of the Valley of the Sword that he learned from Kuntel. Kyle skillfully displays his sword skills.
Chogyeonsal, false sword, absolute sword…
As the techniques are performed one after another, the opponent also responds with the same techniques. Ganicalt, who holds the sword with a human arm that is thinner than the great sword, deals with Kyle with more sophisticated techniques. Naturally, Kyle is pushed aside.
What sustains Kyle when he is pushed are other skills he has learned through watching and experiencing.
“I may be a superhuman, but I’m still human.”
“Right now, Kyle, I’m weaker than you and I’m not as fast, so do you think I’ll win every time in a sparring match?”
Kuntel, the sword superman.
“I must show the Sword of Death the pride of Sword Canyon. “We have to soothe the souls of our dead teachers.”
“However, the techniques of the canyon are not enough. “This is not a swordsmanship for the weak to use against the strong.”
A human being who prevented death with an aging body.
“A sword for humans to deal with disaster.”
“A sword for the weak to pierce the strong.”
“Watch and learn. “I will use it someday.”
A sword he designed to deal with death(?).
Swordsmanship that sheds, deflects, and penetrates.
Kyle remembers that and swings his sword.
“Big!”
It’s not perfect.
Kyle vomits blood, rolls around on the floor, then stands up and rushes towards death again. Hold his death in place. There are people who help Kyle.
Moonlight arrows continue to be fired.
The blessings that continue to flow through my body replace the blurred starlight. The chains and spells that come in every time it’s close, make up for Kyle’s shortcomings.
So, Kyle continues second and second.
With each passing second, Kyle grows.
Kyle sees the perfect swordsmanship displayed by the swordsman in front of him. An infinitely perfect sword(？）. The limit that a swordsman should pursue. Kyle gains enlightenment from it.
Discard the wrong parts.
Correct my movements.
Remove unnecessary force.
Reduces the shaking of the tip of the knife.
Kyle’s sword accelerates a little more. It’s still pushed, but not at all like before.
* * *
Raniel looked blankly in front of him.
There is Kyle, crossing swords with death.
‘It was already over 1 minute.’
One minute had already passed.
But Kyle is still swinging his sword. Even though he is bleeding and lying on the floor, he does not let go of his sword. He jumps up and runs towards death again.
Just like the old days.
From behind, Raniel saw Kyle from the past.
‘···but.’
That one won’t last long either.
Kyle’s body is reaching its limits. Soon after, Kyle breaks down. Before that, we need to find a way. Raniel examines the remaining circuits.
There are still many orders left.
However, it is not a spell that can reach death.
The spells you have are worthless in the face of death, which can cut down anything. Raniel grits his teeth and seeks an answer.
‘The method, the method…’
It is impossible to bury it.
The purpose was not to escape, but to repel them. So what should we do? Damage must be done. Significant damage to death.
A feat that no one has been able to accomplish for hundreds of years must be accomplished here.
‘But how?’
Even the curse’s mana didn’t work.
All the numbers they had were denied.
Releasing his head, Raniel tries to find an answer. Then, suddenly, Raniel’s vision comes across a circuit engraved on the ground.
It is a circuit to prepare for variables.
Additionally, it is exactly the same circuit used when the feat of cutting off the head of the black dragon was achieved.
‘variable.’
This is the moment when Raniel looked at the circuit.
Flashing.
Light exploded from behind.
Raniel’s head turned back. That is not the light that Kyle gave off. It was a light that erupted from farther away, in the direction where the shrine was located.
* * *
“Lark Van Grace.”
“yes.”
“Are you trying to go?”
“I think I should go now.”
“okay. Good work.”
The ghost threw his sword.
Lark caught the thrown sword.
“Are you ready?”
“A warrior must always be prepared to face death. Isn’t this the will left by the founder? “I am ready.”
“Yeah, it looks like it.”
The ghost smiled in satisfaction.
“Go see.”
He stretched out his hand and pointed the way.
“The way out is over there.”
* * *
fantasy,
