Chapter 172: The End Battle (3)

But before I could do anything rash, Sir Geraint lifted his sword. He planned on attacking Merleen with a swift strike. If that assault would land against Merleen, she would die instantly from that damage. 

I was around a few feet away from Merleen. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't shield her on time. And besides worrying about Merleen, I had to deal with King Arthur. He wouldn't let me look in the opposite direction, claiming I should worry about myself.

I gritted my teeth and continued thinking of a way to leave my position. However, King Arthur didn't give me any breathing room. 

But before that blade could injure Merleen, Fenrir's scream alerted our ears. She zoomed straight at Sir Geraint and took the blow. That wolf girl also countered the knight's attack and slashed his face, eventually killing the man.

However, the enemy's death also had a cost. The knight's blade pierced through Fenrir's chest, leaving a mark through both sides of her body. That sword remained stuck between her organs and clogged the wounds. 

Fortunately, Fenrir didn't pull out the sword. She left it inside her body as he fell flat on the ground. 

The blade impaled through Fenrir, which injured her lungs. I could only guess that her lung got cut by the sword. And that wound could be a fatal problem I needed to resolve.

"FENRIR!" I shouted, hoping she could still live through the pain….

It didn't matter to me if King Arthur would follow me around. I didn't know what to do if Fenrir would leave me from this world. That wolf girl had been with me for a few months already-even a year. But everything could end soon in a blink of an eye, especially after this battle.

Merleen fell on the ground moments earlier before Fenrir received the attack. Since Merleen used all of her mana before protecting Fenrir, her body gave up. I would check her later and inspect if she had any obvious wounds. But my priority remained on Fenrir's condition, hoping nothing terrible had happeend to her.

Thankfully, when I approached Fenrir, King Arthur didn't go for me. He leapt towards Sir Geraint and carried him in his hands. But I paid little attention to him, as I reverted my focus to Fenrir's injured body.

"Hey, hey, hey…Stay with me, stay with, stay with me, okay? Come on, Fenrir. You could do it," I repeated, while I checked her pulse and breathing.

Woefully, Fenrir's breathing was akin to a comatose person. She was barely breathing through her nose, as Fenrir desperately gasped for air. That girl also hopelessly pressed her chest, hoping she could ease the pain. However, that sword might have already damaged his arteries, which led to her situation.

While that happened, Merleen forced herself to open her eyes. She crawled her way in our direction, wishing she could see Fenrir's face for the last time. 

"Arthur....I'm sorry...I'm sorry that I…..can't go on….for any longer," Fenrir croaked, while coughing out smears of blood. "T-Thank….you…..for being a good friend...Thank you….that you….never changed your words."

"Of course, I won't back down on my word, Fenrir! You know that! I will always help every person that deserves my help….Especially my team….especially you."

I couldn't contain my tears while saying those words to Fenrir. That girl also shed a tear while weakly grasping my hand. 

Fenrir nodded her head and continued, "Thank you….for saving me….from hatred...End this….War….Arthur…"

The painful scene had finally ended, which ultimately shattered my heart. Fenrir closed her lifeless eyes and went to the side, avoiding my gaze. I refused what Fenrir did and tried pulling her back at my sight. However, when Fenrir greeted me, she had already….left the world.

"No...Fenrir, come back….I need you more than ever…." I cried, and let the dam flow through my cheeks.

A pool of salty water drenched my feet. But I didn't care about anything in the world except Fenrir, my team's safety, and our goal. 

It was the last thing Fenrir had wished before dying in my hands. She wanted to stop this war from happening and change the world. Fenrir wanted nothing more but that peace which our team sought for months.

However, how could I do that after witnessing such a grim event? I always had an optimistic goal that wished to help everyone surrounding me. I was always there when people needed me the most. I saved a kingdom, for god's sake. But what did I receive? My friend dying in front of me….In front of my powerless character inside this stupid game!

"If I help everyone, who would help me?" I asked myself, as I halted my tears flowing on the ground.

Merleen also grieved the loss of our friend beside me. She hugged my back, and I returned her embrace. The two of us only had each other now against our enemies before us. After losing one member of our team, Merleen and I had mixed emotions buried inside our hearts.

It was nearly impossible for us to win this battle now….Without Fenrir by our side, we would lose this fight.

King Arthur had already dug up Sir Geraint's grave on the nearby soil. He didn't care where he would put the grave, considering it was already his knight's dead body. Even in the game, NPCs would do the same shit on the place and nobody would bat an eye. 

But King Arthur's actions only placed oil inside my raging hatred for him. His actions only meant that King Arthur didn't care about his knights' deaths, especially in battle. I, who was still mourning for my loss, couldn't take his side.

"It is unfortunate that we lost two valuable warriors for today. However, the battle shall resume. We still have a score to settle in, Arthur. I plan on cleaning any obstructions in my way. And you are the best candidate for that notion," King Arthur mumbled to himself, as he clenched his fists. "And besides, that wolf girl is also bathed with monstrosity. It's a good thing she died, so she could save the plague from spreading.

I retorted, "She is a friend, not a monster! We lost a friend, while you lost a pawn! We are different!" 

"A pawn?" King Arthur retorted. "I have lost a warrior. Experiencing a war only meant chaos, and losing someone's life. The knight you fight is a loyal friend of mine. But it's too late to mourn for the dead right now. I won't let Sir Geraint's sacrifice be in vain and accomplish my goal! That's my answer…."

"Arthur….We are truly different," King Arthur continued, and readied his Excalibur in his hand. "And I respect you for that….Too bad our ideals do not match. We would have worked together and purged the world from darkness."

After saying his words, King Arthur swung his blade. He aimed directly at my head without holding back. King Arthur didn't need any tricks besides his raw strength alone.

However, a violent surge of mana twirled inside of me as the events occurred. 

Within a second, I blocked the sword using my bare hands. A regular person should not have done that, especially against an Excalibur. But I went against all odds and defied every game element inside Magique.

"What is the meaning of this? Impossible…." King Arthur mumbled to himself as he witnessed the scene first hand.

He continued pressing the weapon against me, but failed to do so. Despite King Arthur's strength, I still blocked his attack. I didn't even have to use my Clarent for this, despite having my sword with me. And that blade remained resting on my other hand, waiting for an attack.

I used my blade and striked back against King Arthur. My blade definitely hit the knight, but the damage was not enough to kill him. The attack I let out made King Arthur tumbling in the distance. King Arthur even crashed against his barrier, which came from his own mana. 

But the best part didn't end there. Thanks to my blast, I destroyed King Arthur's shield. I didn't even have to use my sword to destroy it…..Using my bare hands, I could create shockwaves that could leave a crate on the world.

Luckily, my overwhelming power did not destroy most of the town. However, I cared little about it as I glared in King Arthur's direction.

My senses also enhanced after receiving this ability. I didn't activate anything, but something had strengthened my body. The mana inside of me continued growing like a parasite living in my veins. But instead of devouring my arcane, it spread like wildfire, causing my nearby surroundings to radiate.

After waiting for a few seconds, my screen finally showed up. It notified me about the source of this overpowered arcane flowing inside my body…..

Little did I know it came from my sword and a contract…..A contract that I regrettably wrote.