Chapter 300
Chapter 300
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 300
Chapter Title: Final Battle (8)
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"It's the king of the giants. Sorry for leaving you trapped in the castle. I just didn't have any chance to come rescue you."
The people froze at the Savior's words. Irregular flashes of light and thunderous booms were shaking the battlefield. Marya, who had been breathing heavily, finally spoke up.
"I understand completely... But what did you just say?"
"I said the king of the giants. He's probably the one they refer to as 'That One.'"
"No way..."
She stiffened again. She thought she'd misheard, but apparently not. A king? Who would've thought the giants even had such a thing. The Savior, looking up at the sky, clicked his tongue.
"It's regrettable that we let Abel slip away. I never imagined he'd come at us with such a bold strategy."
"Ah, Abel... You don't mean the one who fought the Nebula Klazje's leader, do you?"
"We didn't just fight—he was right on the verge of having his head chopped off. My son, freed from his shackles, put on quite the show."
"Shackles? Um... What exactly happened while we were gone?"
Marya asked with wide eyes. The changes were far too drastic compared to the time they'd been absent. She and the other special forces members had been locked in the castle, completely oblivious to everything that had transpired.
"Of course you wouldn't know. So, to cut to the chase..."
The Savior nodded and began to speak. It was a bit of a hassle, but he needed to brief these key players clearly.
He gave a concise rundown of events during the special forces' absence: Ronan's sea crossing and the battleship Dainhar's intrusion, the sudden descent of the giant king, and Abel's escape. Marya gaped in shock, unable to close her mouth.
"My god, Ronan's gotten that strong?"
"Indeed. From your expression, it seems you knew about my son's condition. I can assure you, Ronan is now the strongest being born on this star. Assuming all his curses are completely gone, that is."
"Amazing... So the curses were the real issue after all. No wonder he clung to them so desperately."
Marya muttered to herself. It was an awe-inspiring situation, but it also felt somewhat hollow. I might not have mattered, but he really gave it his all.
The thought that all their past trials and efforts might have been in vain brought a bitter smile to her face. The Savior, who had been staring at her intently, shook his head.
"Not necessarily. Without his own efforts backing it up, my son could never have grown this strong."
"Huh? H-How did you know what I was thinking...?"
"One of the few talents this old man has left. You can tell just by looking at me and Abel. We've lived countless ages, yet we can't match my son, who's barely an adult. Your days stained with sweat and blood were never in vain."
The Savior's expression was utterly serious. He truly believed that Ronan growing into someone who knew the value of effort was the real miracle.
'Honestly, I expected him to turn into a total slob.'
No matter how much the curse suppressed his power in infancy, a lion is still a lion. Kasha had been a clever woman, so Ronan must have realized early on that everyone except himself was just sheep or deer.
The odds of him living a life steeped in sloth and arrogance were overwhelmingly high. Not knowing Ronan was living a second life, the Savior could only feel grateful. He smiled faintly and concluded.
"I merely provided the catalyst from the Golden Pagoda. So don't think so pessimistically."
"Y-Yes... Thank you."
Marya bowed her head. It wasn't much, but it lifted her spirits somehow. Yeah, it couldn't have been for nothing.
"...That said, even I can't guarantee victory against that thing. It's strong—too strong."
At that moment, the Savior turned his gaze back to the sky and let out a groan. Just watching was putting a strain on his body. The sight of the giant king tearing through the magic circle had left an indelible shock in everyone's minds.
Abel had fled in that split-second chaos. He wanted to pursue, but the giant king's assault came immediately after, leaving no option.
If he'd chosen to chase Abel instead of defending at that moment, half the alliance army would have been wiped out. Marya asked,
"Is there... nothing we can do?"
"There is. But you've all just been through hell, haven't you? Rest a bit, and later... Kugh!"
Suddenly, the Savior coughed violently. Thud! A dark red clot of blood splattered the ground. Asel rushed over in a panic.
"A-Are you okay?!"
"Yes... Hoo, for now."
The Savior nodded. Blood was streaming from his palm, clamped over his mouth. Asel floundered as mana flickered up over his shoulders.
"S-See? You're running low on power. Let me give you more...!"
"No. You're all doing more than enough, so it's fine. We don't know when this will end, so just keep doing what you're doing without pushing too hard..."
The Savior raised a hand to stop Asel from squeezing out more mana. It suddenly dawned on Marya why he'd told her and the others to rest.
He was sustaining the Star's Blessing by drawing mana from everyone on the battlefield—not just Asel. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, the Savior turned to Adeshan.
"...Especially you two—I'm in your debt more than anyone. Adeshan, was it? Without you and that child, I would've collapsed long ago."
Adeshan sat cross-legged atop a tall pile of rubble. Every time the clash between Ronan and the giant king echoed, her long black hair fluttered.
Shadow mana, which dominated the psyche of living beings, spread from her like wildfire. Marya, unable to see shadow mana, tilted her head.
"Come to think of it, what is Adeshan doing?"
"H-Helping people draw out their mana. I knew she was amazing, but I never thought she'd pull off something like this for the entire alliance army..."
Asel stammered his reply. As he said, Adeshan was calming the terrified people and guiding them into a mental state conducive to channeling mana to the Savior.
Even inside the Star's Blessing, the outside was still pandemonium. Giants flew about chaotically, hurling spears at the barrier, and Schlieffen's storm was growing ever larger.
In this chaos, the smooth flow of mana was largely thanks to her. Marya looked around and spoke with a resolute expression.
"Instead of this, let me move Iril to a safe spot first. Use my mana too."
"I'm grateful you say that. Then, my daughter..."
The Savior was about to say something when—Kwaaaang! Something from the sky suddenly slammed into the barrier.
"Keurgh!"
"R-Ronan’s father!"
Blood burst from the Savior's mouth again. The impact was so tremendous it shook the entire curtain. The startled crowd began to murmur.
"W-What was that?!"
"Did a meteor hit or something...?!"
It didn't seem like the giant king's attack, so what on earth had struck them? Suddenly, a voice boomed over the alliance army's heads.
"Graaaah! Damn it, that really freaking hurts...!"
"That voice?"
The group looked up in haste. A very familiar young man lay sprawled spread-eagled atop the barrier. Even from the back, they knew for sure. Asel shouted.
"Ro-Ronan!"
"Huh?"
Ronan's eyes widened. He turned only his head while lying down. His friends, jumping up and down with arms raised to the sky, came into view.
"What, you guys are all alive."
"You okay? Y-You're not hurt, are you?!"
"It hurts, but I'm still good. Nice to see everyone."
Ptoo—he spat out a broken tooth and grinned. He'd figured the tough bunch wouldn't die easily, but seeing them so hale and hearty put his mind at ease.
Judging by the storm, Schlieffen was still kicking too. Ronan glanced at Marya and gasped. Iril was sleeping soundly in her arms—the first time he'd seen her since Abel kidnapped her.
"Sis is... really sleeping, right?"
"Y-Yeah. We'll treat her right away, so don't worry. If there's anything we can do to help...!"
"I'm fine, so look after yourselves. And my sister."
Ronan gripped his sword hilt. He wanted nothing more than to rush over and check on his sister and friends, but he had no time for that. As he lay recovering his strength, the center of the thunderclouds suddenly turned white.
"Damn it!"
It was like the sky right before a lightning strike. The meaning was obvious, and Ronan cursed. As he rose and swung Ramancha—Kwaaaaa! The clouds parted, unleashing a beam of light dozens of meters wide.
"My god...!"
"Ro-Ronan!"
The beam plummeted straight for Ronan. His shadow stretched long in the backlight. His friends' faces went pale. They instinctively knew it was the same trajectory as the giants' light spears.
"He's dead...!"
Marya murmured. There was no dodging or blocking it. But Ronan didn't retreat—he swung his sword. Shaaaak! Hundreds of strikes wove a dense net, shredding the flash to pieces.
"Nngh... Cut it out already...!"
Heat like having the sun in front of him crushed the battlefield. Cracks like a spiderweb spread where his feet dug in. The onlookers gasped in admiration.
"H-He's blocking it."
"Impossible."
They could hardly believe their eyes. Thanks to Ronan's counter, not a shred of damage reached below. His precise, razor-sharp strikes severed every last thread of light.
Soon, the final fragments scattered into the air. The world, dyed pure white, began regaining its colors. As Ronan caught his breath, chin-deep in exhaustion—Kurrrung...! The giant king's upper body poked out from under the thickening clouds.
"I-It appeared!"
"My god, t-that thing...!"
Gasps erupted everywhere. The giant king's first strike had plunged inside the magic circle, and by the time the Savior defended and Ronan intercepted, no one had gotten a proper look until now.
Its pale skin and bald head resembled other giants, but its size was indescribably immense. It could swallow Ronan—not to mention regular giants—in one bite. Eight wings hid in the clouds.
"That thing..."
The Savior's eyes widened. He'd seen something similar before. The meteor that upended his life—an imprisoned giant in the abyss, strikingly alike.
"You bald-headed son of a bitch!"
Ronan, fully recovered, bellowed in rage. Thick veins bulged on his forehead, slick with plastered hair. Ramancha in his hand glowed sunset-orange. His aura, which pulled foes within light's reach, enveloped the battlefield.
"Ro-Ronan?! It's too dangerous here!"
Braum panicked at the sight. Downing a giant was great, but something that massive crashing down was beyond handling. As he shouted—Paaah! Sunset radiance dyed the sky, and Ronan's body rocketed upward.
"I'll kill you!"
It was like a massive firework. As the giant king vanished behind the clouds, Ronan shot up the same path and disappeared into them. Kwaaang! Another collision roared.
"Huh?"
Braum was baffled by the unexpected turn. He wasn't alone in his surprise. Zaifa, who had been silently observing, finally spoke.
"Why's that kid moving? Shouldn't the enemy come down?"
"My son's aura seems to pull enemies within light's range. But this time, the foe's too strong. The pull reversed, so he's the one getting dragged."
"Ah, that explains it. So that's how he's been fighting in the air."
Zaifa let out a hollow chuckle at the Savior's answer. Ronan had been repeatedly using his aura to clash with the giant king.
Soon, they snapped out of it and prepared to assist the Savior in earnest. Then, from afar, a chillingly familiar, raspy voice echoed.
"...So you were here. I've been looking everywhere."