Chapter 325:

Chapter 325:

Chapter 325

‘Is this the end?’

Pain coursed through his whole body.

He had fallen on the snow, but nothing was broken.

He had instinctively raised his sword before Georen’s attack, and managed to deflect some of the force.

But the pain that tormented his flesh was nothing compared to the despair and helplessness that ate away at his soul.

His strongest strike had not even scratched Georen’s neck.

He had hoped that he would have a chance if he got close enough, but maybe that was too much to ask for.

Lean saw the frost giants approaching him in his blurry vision.

He had to get up.

He had to fight back with his sword.

But he had no strength left.

‘Maybe it would be better to die here.’

Maybe he could escape from this agony.

Maybe he could join her, who was already dead.

“Lean!”

In the sinking world, he heard a familiar voice.

“Kira...?”

Where is she? Where is she?

He could only see the frost giants blocking his sight. He could hear her voice, but he could not see her anywhere.

Maybe he was hallucinating before he died.

Before he could finish that thought,

The frost giants that surrounded him fell one by one.

“Lean! Are you okay?!”

With her long black hair fluttering, she appeared, slashing the frost giant’s neck.

She looked like the one he had once admired and loved.

“Kira.”

He uttered her name, but Lean could not muster the same passion as before.

After all, she was not the Kira he knew. She was just a copy of her appearance, a being that had nothing to do with him.

“Lean! Get up!”

Yu-hyun grabbed Lean’s arm and forced him to stand up.

‘His condition...!’

Lean’s eyes were unfocused. He was not hurt physically, but mentally shattered.

Yu-hyun bit her lip and tried to shout something at Lean, but the frost giants around them were more pressing.

Uwooo!

They surrounded Yu-hyun and Lean and slowly closed in.

From afar, the scouts and Gondulbor shouted their names desperately, but they were also trapped by the frost giants and could not help them.

‘We can’t break through the frost giants in this state.’

What made the situation even more hopeless was Georen’s presence.

Georen had not moved much since he attacked Lean, but his red eyes were still watching them.

There was no guarantee that he would not charge at them as soon as they made any movement.

Kugugung.

As expected,

Georen, who had been standing still until now, started to lift his foot.

“Ge-Georen is moving!”

“What about Lean?! What happened to Lean?!”

The sight of the giant with a height of 200m moving was easily visible from anywhere on the battlefield.

And the shock that came from his step could be felt even from far away.

As soon as Georen moved, the people who had been filled with hope fell into despair.

‘No.’

Yu-hyun clenched her teeth. The frost giants alone were overwhelming, but how could they stop Georen as well?

She had to find a way. A way to get out of this hellish situation somehow.

‘No. Is there a way?’

Get out of this hellish situation. She laughed at herself for thinking such a thing.

Wherever they went, there was only frozen land and dark clouds filling the sky. This place was hell itself.

They had been living in hell all along.

‘I have to protect Lean at least...’

As Yu-hyun tried to think that way, a gray aura cut through the frost giants in front of them.

She recognized that peculiar aura.

“Frechen?! Why are you here...?”

“What do you mean why?! Of course I came to save you!”

Frechen led his personal guards and plunged into the enemy lines.

To save Lean and Yu-hyun.

“Haha! Lean! You look terrible! You’re like a dog that’s been beaten to death!”

“Fre...chen?”

Lean was also surprised by Frechen’s appearance. He did not expect him to come here to save him.

“Why did you...”

Risk your life to save me?

Lean swallowed his words.

Frechen laughed loudly at Lean’s expression.

Even in this situation where they were surrounded by frost giants, he did not lose his usual arrogance and confidence.

He knew what Lean wanted to say.

“Did you forget, Lean? You said it yourself. Let’s have a drink together when this fight is over.”

“A drink...? Frechen. Don’t tell me...”

Just for that?

Just for that one sentence, you brought your personal guards here?

In this situation where you might die?

“Lean. Honestly, I was happy.”

Frechen split the head of the approaching frost giant with his axe.

“Even though you said everyone hates me, you still told me to drink with you after we survive.”

“You...”

“I was really happy about that.”

It was not a lie or an exaggeration.

Frechen was happy that Lean had said those words to him.

The man he had vaguely acknowledged, who had also acknowledged him when no one else did.

He couldn’t help but smile.

“Lean. You have to live. You, of all people, have to survive.”

That’s why he couldn’t leave this man to die here.

Even if it was only a slight delay. Even if his actions could only prolong this man’s life a little bit.

He was willing to do it anyway.

“Grey Wolf Knights!”

Frechen raised his axe.

In response, his guards formed a line on both sides of him.

From where his shoulder had disappeared, blood flowed profusely, and even in the pain of coldness invading his wound, Frechen did not close his eyes and glared at Georen.

His lips were bitten by the shock wave that followed and blood flowed out, and the axe he held in his right hand floated in the air.

But he did not die.

He could still fight.

‘Grab the axe.’

In the slowly flowing time, Frechen reached out his right hand toward the axe.

At that moment he saw it.

The pendant necklace that had broken off due to the impact of the previous blow bounced off his neck and flew away.

The necklace was about to fall into the abyss below the cracked ice.

‘Ah.’

In that momentary moment, Frechen saw it.

Above him, Georen raised his left arm. From Georen’s open palm, ice blades sprang out and shot at him.

He could not avoid it. He had to block it. To do that, he had to grab the axe and swing it.

The sensation he felt before. The intense will that made his aura react and drew out a higher power. The sensation of that time.

If he could awaken it again, he could block that attack.

And, he could counterattack too.

Yes.

He did not die yet. He still had his right arm left. Even if both arms were cut off, he could bite the axe with his mouth and fight.

It did not matter if the pendant fell into the cliff below.

She was dead anyway. He could no longer see Rebecca, whom he loved. Trying to find this pendant was just a self-satisfaction trapped in the past.

So he had to fight with his weapon.

He had to fight...

“Ah. Really.”

Gulp.

Blood gushed from his throat.

“I’m such a fool. Even until the end.”

His eyes lost focus. But he felt the touch in his hand clearly.

What Frechen held in his remaining right hand was not the bounced weapon.

He felt the thin metal that was cold but warm in his palm.

In the end, at the very last moment, what Frechen held in his hand was Rebecca’s necklace.

He looked down and saw countless ice spears piercing through his abdomen. It was fatal. He could not recover from this.

Foolishly enough, he thought he had forgotten it by now.

What is this thing anyway?

She was already dead.

The trace of her was just an illusion that he desperately clung to.

He was so foolishly obsessed with this thing until now.

But still,

He did not cry. Rather, what appeared on his lips was a smile filled with relief.

“I didn’t... let go this time.”

His legs gave way and he knelt. Blood flowed endlessly from the pierced wound.

The white land of ice was dyed red.

“Lord Frechen!”

“Save Lord Frechen!”

The remaining royal guards who were still alive supported Frechen and carried him to the back. As Georn tried to attack again, a large fireball flew from afar and hit his face.

It was a support attack from Gondulbor. The flame did not go out easily, and Georn’s movement stopped for a moment.

“Your Majesty!”

“Lord Frechen! Please wake up!”

His subordinates called his name desperately, but their voices sounded faint as if they were submerged in water.

Frechen was not looking at them.

In the world where everything was fading away, what Frechen thought of was Rebecca’s face.

Her smile that shed tears for sad things and rejoiced for happy things without hiding.

Her firm eyes that scolded him without hesitation when he tried to go astray.

Her face that blushed and smiled shyly at his sincere confession.

Because I.

From then on.

Even when the empire collapsed and everyone faced death while prolonging their lives.

And even at this moment when everything is buried under the glacier.

Only her.

“I love you.”

In the past

In the present

And in the future forever.

I love you.

Time, fate, and even faith cannot tear it apart.

Splash!

A light burst in front of his eyes and a scene he had never seen before unfolded.

A wilderness full of blue fields.

A woman waving her hand at him, facing this way, with a red sunset burning hot behind the clouds in the western sky.

Frechen’s face brightened when he confirmed her face.

Yes.

‘You too, have been waiting.’

She had been waiting for him all along.

Here, for the man she loved to come find her.

For the past 32 years.

‘Rebecca.’

Finally, we can meet.

Frechen held Rebecca’s hand. He felt warmth along with the soft touch he had dreamed of.

They hugged each other tightly, touched their foreheads and smiled at each other.

They walked hand in hand toward the sunset of the wilderness.

Let’s go. Rebecca. To the land of glory. To where we belong.

Let’s sing. Praise love.

And tell each other what we couldn’t say until now.

I’m not worried anymore.

There are many things I want to say.

But we will be together forever from now on.

***

“Frechen.”

Lean called Frechen’s name with trembling lips.

Frechen closed his eyes with a satisfied smile on his face.

What did he see that made him smile in this pain and wound?

Lean put his hand on Frechen’s chest and prayed for him.

“Rest in peace. Great Emperor.”