Chapter 122: Fate’s End

Chapter 122: Fate’s End

The beginning was the happiest of times.

Learning about the beauty of the world under the care of a loved one, believing that all of it would love them in return.

However, such innocent sentiments were permitted only under the shadow of their mother.

The moment that shadow disappeared, they had no choice but to realize.

The world was cruel, and to resist such a cruel world, they had to choose to dirty their hands.

To survive in such a world, they fought countless battles, gradually becoming adults and realizing.

If what they had seen so far was the basis of the world, how should they, suddenly thrown into this world, decide to live?

KWANG!

Rooted in such a background, the two were rushing at each other at this moment, aiming for each other’s throats.

That, too, was the ultimate destination of the original sin humanity harbored.

An extension of the war that unfolded under mutually incompatible purposes.

KWARRUNG!

Despite sharing the same memories, each aimed to defeat the other for their ideals.

If this was the reality that must be accepted, then they would rather destroy the world that caused them pain and conform to that reality.

If this was the reality that must be accepted, then they would grow stronger and resist to escape from it.

No matter how harsh, no matter what frightening future awaited.

KWAGGEUNG!

The two, repelled by each other’s attacks filled with determination, clashed in a series of hits.

Meanwhile, the unconscious dragon, reacting to the power within its body, advanced between the mountain ranges.

Struggling to support its weight on legs made of ash, the dragon moved as if crawling, albeit in a collapsed form.

Its aimless movement showed no regard for those above, so the footing made of bone and scales repeatedly shifted in real-time.

CHYARUREUK!

Yet, even amidst such chaotic terrain, the target remained clear.

Various cold weapons began to form one by one in the places they passed.

Among them, the two, grasping what came to hand, leaped towards each other again and again, colliding their magic.

Initially, swords.

Then, axes and hammers with mass.

Blocking the enemy’s attack with shields, aiming at the enemy’s blind spots with flails on chains, and then burrowing into their embrace to target vitals with daggers and concealed weapons.

KWANG!!

In the melee created by the entanglement of numerous weapons, what ended up in their hands were the swords and spears most familiar to each.

KWAGAGANG!!

The storm of magic unleashed with all their might assaulted them countless times, but even that was endured, as they devoted themselves to whittling down each other’s flesh.

The storm arising from their clashing wills was not light.

But they must cut through it first to move ahead of the opponent and exploit any openings.

JJEOK!

That was the nature of the war they knew.

In a battle where life and death were decided in seconds, leisure was nothing but a luxury.

They fixed their gaze solely on those aiming for their throats, blocking the enemy’s attacks and striking back.

KWAGAGANG!

The bones of the spine crumbled, unable to withstand such collisions.

Eventually, the two who fell below began to see shadows wandering inside the clumsily constructed dragon.

These were monstrosities formed from the twisted memories of their past.

The appearance of reptilian bones and clay figures in the shape of humans stirred their emotions just by facing them.

On one side, there was a sense of victory, and on the other, fear.

KIYAAAAAAAK!!

Yes, this was right in the middle of enemy territory.

It was clear whose orders they were following.

JJEOK!

So, without letting their guard down, they created weapons to thrust into their bodies.

Weapons made of pure magic were like a solid aura in themselves.

The monsters created by breaking the dragon’s bones were easily cut out, and the weapons stuck in their bodies exploded, which could destroy the enemy’s power.

PERPUNG, PEREUNG!

The result of these repeated efforts was a blade that, sharpened viciously with a red current, returned through the opened path.

As the blade split even the bodies of allies and the dragon’s interior, a flock of crows began to swoop in through the gusts rushing in from outside.

Even at this moment, the crows keenly awaited their prey.

Though they were not difficult to handle, if their numbers accumulated, their strength would wane, and their accumulated minor injuries would eventually give the enemy an opportunity to strike unexpectedly.

KWARRUNG!

Even prepared to struggle to the end, a chunk of rock was thrown in front of him, and a shadow began to emerge, watching this place and taking the place of the swept-away flock of crows.

A young hero was riding a shard, lifting several rocks with it. And another hero below was haphazardly lifting shards from the place swept by the dragon.

There were only the two of them, but even such cover was helping to secure space to move forward to the enemy.

KWAAAAA!

Through such an opportunity, he navigated the twisted interior of the dragon.

Due to the impact at the endpoint he reached, the body of the enemy knight was greatly pushed back from her position.

Ash and fragments were spreading in all directions. And in that floundering moment, the tip of a spear had closed the distance unnoticed.

KWAAANG!!

The body pushed away by the upward strike from the blind spot was flung outside again, and the opponent followed suit, gathering mana in his legs to continue the pursuit.

Not missing this moment’s opportunity, he stabbed the enemy’s body on the shaking ground, and repeatedly followed the flying body to stab again.

JJEOK!

But even that didn’t last long, and he soon felt his actions hindered as he stopped midway.

Despite becoming tattered from the unilateral attacks.

By the actions of the enemy knight, who was clutching the spear lodged in her shoulder and glaring at him.

KWAANG!!

As the counterattack, sparing no regard for her own body, collided with the armor, the enemy knight, who had gained the upper hand, smiled upon realizing one fact.

Yes, this was the difference between the living and the dead.

If there was enough magic, wounds could somewhat regenerate, and lacking physical pain, they had no fear of death, allowing them to rise again and again without sparing their bodies.

In contrast, the opponent was a human with a beating heart and breathing lungs. Overexertion required heavy breathing, and strain led to physical pain.

A body that must be prepared for substantial mental energy to be worn away just by enduring and bearing it.

There wasn’t much he could do.

The dragon, precariously constructed, lacked even a consciousness, and pouring power into the empty, cracked vessel would mostly result in the energy leaking out.

The only thing that could spill from such a body was the ash that would flow out as it disintegrated.

KWAAAAAA!

Yet, even such debris could be fatal to humans.

After it poured from its mouth, he felt his breath being choked by the smoke that quickly surrounded him, making his movements increasingly sluggish.

Unlike the undead, who no longer breathed, he could not remain unaffected.

“Ugh, haa...!”

Yet, he clenched his teeth and exerted strength because he was resolved to seize this opportunity, even if it meant his breath might stop.

“AAAAAAAAH!!”

He threw the spear, breathing with his gradually hardening lungs.

The enemy knight, hit by the attack, was pushed back, and the arm fixed to the sword thrust into the ground snapped off.

Yes, the enemy knight now had both arms rendered useless by the intense battle.

Though it seemed his unbalanced body would fall out of the dragon, he managed to endure with a single step, preventing his fall with one backward stagger.

“Puhahaha!! Now, it’s over, truly over...!”

Meanwhile, his opponent’s lungs were half-solidified by the debris.

Without recovery, he would gradually die from oxygen deprivation, but the undead was slowly regenerating even now.

The tendons of her torn arm rapidly regrew, and soon bones and muscles would sprout in a matter of moments.

Ziiiiing!

As if she couldn’t even wait for that, the enemy knight drew in a spirit, creating a hand shape with magic, and the aura of a bloodstorm began to rise from her grasp.

“If you shared my memories.... you’d probably think like this. Yes, all of this is exactly the same as back then.”

The imperfectly manifested dragon and the spirit of the hero who came to replace the keel on the dragon.

The cruel smile drawn on her lips at the end originated from sympathy for the poignant end of the one before her.

“And the end of that story was humans losing to the dragon. From the beginning, the outcome of this fight was predetermined...!”

In the end, history would only repeat itself.

Ultimately, humans would end in defeat against the disaster.

“This is the end of a meaningless fight. Stop hindering me... and disappear forever!!”

Believing that history was repeating itself even now, the enemy knight gathered her strength, confident in her victory at that moment, to obliterate him.

In that moment, she did not realize something was flying towards her from the sky, splitting the dark clouds.

PERUNG!!!

Yes, what suddenly intervened was the unexpected involvement of a third party.

An attack falling from the sky like a meteor struck the hand holding the sword, and the blade, charged with magic, shattered as it fell below the dragon.

“Wh-what...?”

Just when she thought it was over, what was happening now?

Why had a sudden mass of magic fallen from the sky to thwart her impending victory?

PERUNG, PERUNG!

No, it wasn’t just one.

At that moment, flashes falling from the sky hit various parts of the dragon rampaging in the mountain range, causing confusion.

A technique mimicking a meteor shower.

Seeing it arrive on the scene, a face emerged in his mind, struggling to hold onto his fading consciousness.

Airi Haven.

A fortune teller who had vaguely foreseen a future like the present even before this fight began.

The star magic she wielded presupposed a time lag to achieve the intended effect when used with a foresight of the future, but it was impossible to perfectly predict and assist the actions of a transcendent.

But in terms of possibility.

Although she couldn’t precisely foresee how the fight would proceed after her companion intervened, she could faintly see numerous possibilities.

‘So, she decided to drop meteors on all points corresponding to those possibilities in an attempt to overturn fate.’

Of course, hastily devised the moment the future changed, this strategy, even with all her power poured into it, couldn’t aim for lethality due to the dispersion of force.

But even then, if those crude attacks could hinder the opponent’s actions and create even the slightest gap...

‘Go, Hyo-sung.’

...she believed he would surely not miss that opportunity.

CRACK!!

Instinctively understanding her intention, his body, which he thought wouldn’t move, began to move gradually.

Without breathing, his body endured even greater strain.

Yet, he exerted his will to push forward.

The living feared not pain, but a hopeless situation where no amount of desperate struggle would help

CRACK, CRUNCH!!!!

If even the faintest glimmer of hope existed, he had to move forward.

As he grasped the spear forged from his resolve, terror began to surface on the enemy knight’s face, who had both hands destroyed.

“No, this can’t be...”

BANG!!!

The reverse scale of the dragon was pushed away with the impact, moving away from the dragon.

Just being separated caused the overflowing power to diminish gradually.

As her regenerative power depleted, her body crumbled into dust, and without hands to grasp a weapon, her mana dispersed repeatedly.

In front of the knight, who was desperately trying to regain her composure, awaited someone who would not grant such leisure, leaping down to follow her.

“No, I can’t... I’m not yet...”

In the very last moment.

As she concentrated her remaining strength into a single spear aimed precisely at her body, bitterness began to spill from her lips.

Unable to accept that the love and hatred for her mother and the revenge against humanity that had separated her would end so futilely.

SHRIEK!!!

But the cruelty of the world applied even to the apostle of the apocalypse without exception.

KWAAANG!!!!!

Eventually, the reverse scale, pierced by the final attack, crashed mercilessly below the mountain.

From that point on, the decayed body of the dragon also began to collapse.

And then...