Chapter 404
Chapter 404
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 404
Chapter Title: 2-27. Death Throes
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#27
The king's head flew toward the sky.
Time's flow returned to normal.
The eight wings stopped moving and began to stiffen rigidly.
The headless giant plummeted below the clouds.
『No...!』
『My king!』
The giants cried out in shock.
The once orderly group's movements turned chaotic.
They crashed into each other, and quite a few suddenly fell alone.
It was a scene reminiscent of bees swarming after being raided by a bear.
"Pathetic."
They must have instinctively sensed their impending extinction.
I felt the weight of death once more.
The terror of life's end was something no noble race could overcome.
Now, the only goal left was to destroy the Origin.
The aggregate of power and souls shimmered in the half of the temple the king had been guarding.
'Talk about house raiding while the owners are away.'
I whistled leisurely as I headed toward the Origin.
The panicked baldies served as stepping stones.
After stepping on those slick scalps about twenty times,
I arrived before the pulsing Origin atop the ruins.
"...It's over."
Abel had opposed destroying the Origin to the very end.
He'd tried to convince me it would surely help restore the world.
He wasn't entirely wrong, in fact.
Once secured, the power containing the bald race's essence would find some use.
Depending on how it was utilized, we might even evolve into cosmic predators like them.
But I didn't want that.
'What you stole, you return.'
In the end, the Origin's power was life stolen from another star.
Even thieves stealing for survival feel pangs of conscience, but using others' souls as fuel? That's not human.
No need to agonize over it.
The moment I raised my sword for judgment,
Kwaaaang!
A massive hand suddenly burst from below the temple and seized the Origin.
"Fuck, what the hell?!"
『Gr... ugh... kaaaa...!』
It happened in an instant.
The headless body suddenly appeared.
It was unmistakably the giant king I'd killed.
The realization hit me, and curses flew out.
"Tenacious bastard!"
It was different from our clash in the original world.
Even after decapitation, the king was still alive.
Its severed head was clutched in its left hand.
It wouldn't last long anyway, but damn, what a persistent fucker.
"Unbelievable."
Still, no problem.
I'd just slice it again.
I was about to unleash a sword strike
when
Paaaaaaa!
a blinding flash leaked from between the fingers gripping the Origin.
"Ugh."
The sky turned white.
My body instinctively shrank back.
When I opened my eyes again, light was climbing along the tree-root-like veins of the king's forearm.
The head in its left hand was now placed atop its neck, emitting pained groans.
『Gr... kugaaaak...!』
"What the fuck is this...?"
This didn't feel good.
The wounds etched into the king's body were healing at a rapid pace.
Slashed and stabbed areas mended, blood from its eyes stopped flowing.
Even the neck stump bubbled like foam, showing signs of regeneration.
『Kraaak!』
The king suddenly roared and thrust its fist.
Much faster than before.
I barely dodged with lettuce-leaf-thin margin.
Everything along the path of the swung fist vanished.
The temple's outer wall, pale clouds, hundreds of baldies swarming everywhere.
Puuuung!
The delayed sonic boom echoed.
"Hah."
I let out a disbelieving chuckle.
I twisted my body immediately to evade the follow-up attack.
Another fist thrust carved a transparent tunnel across the sky.
Indeed, far stronger than before decapitation.
『Kraaaak! Grulk, kaak!』
"...Disgusting to the end."
But this recovery wasn't free.
Each time the king let out agonized screams, the sky shook.
Blue smoke rose from its thick skin.
Veins across its body swelled to bursting, blinking with the same white light as the Origin.
The paralyzed eight wings moved unnaturally, like a marionette puppet.
The moment I saw it, I knew.
This wasn't a serious resurrection attempt—just a final death throe using the Origin.
I gripped my sword hilt tighter.
"Fine, I'll kill you as many times as it takes."
No footholds left, but I didn't care.
I kicked off the surface and leaped.
The king's fist shattered the temple.
It tried to grab me somehow, but missed.
Slash!
The sword drawn from its sheath traced a wide crescent.
Four right wings severed in one stroke.
I exploded sword ki at my feet for acceleration and plunged my blade into its chest.
『Grhaaaak!』
"Let's see you die."
The fall began.
Beyond the roaring wind, the giants' screams reached me.
We tore through the clouds in an instant.
Bursting through the thick cloud layer revealed an open space.
A gap in the cloud sea where the giants' city existed.
"Die, you fucker!"
『Gruk! Gruuuk!』
The king thrashed wildly but couldn't shake me off.
To leave no loose ends, I had to dismantle it completely.
Each thrust and swing sprayed glowing blood into the air.
More like mercury than blood, it evaporated and decomposed, ultimately scattering as white gas.
In other words, souls.
'Gotta leave this alone, it'll be a real problem.'
Proof the king's body was fusing with the Origin.
A single drop of its blood contained souls of at least tens of thousands.
I diligently swung my sword to drain as much blood as possible.
Blood flowed freely, but wounds healed instantly, slowing progress.
"Damn it, just stay cut."
If I couldn't sever clean in one go, it was pointless.
Thus falling, we finally pierced the lower cloud sea.
Hwaaaaak!
The all-white ground appeared.
In the distant horizon, jagged mountains rose like spines.
The star was huge; the mountains were insanely tall.
Each one over ten thousand meters, at least.
Midst the frenzy of slashes and tangles,
suddenly, light returned to the king's eyes.
『Grulk... you dare!』
"What?"
I couldn't react in time.
By the time I looked up, its fist was already at my nose.
Too close to dodge.
I laid my sword flat to block.
Kwajik!!
White-hot shock blinded me as my body flew back.
"Kuhk!"
『To lay hands on the sacred Origin...! Gruk, by the honor of the previous kings and clan, I will erase you from existence!』
A majestic voice boomed.
My tumbled senses righted.
Barely opening my eyes, I saw the giant king in a vertical dive, wings fully folded.
Insane speed—it'd reach me soon.
"Tch, damn it."
Blood filled my mouth.
A tooth or two broken, probably.
Didn't expect it to regain sanity after absorbing that.
As expected of a king—survival instincts on another level.
Its clenched fist gleamed like a blizzard.
"...Gonna show me your power, huh?"
One hit from that, and I'd disintegrate without a trace.
To make matters worse, the Origin-empowered king's strength grew terrifyingly with each passing second.
Its crumbling body stabilized; leaking souls visibly dwindled.
I remember.
Something similar in the original world.
Abel, absorbing the Origin's power.
My acknowledged worst enemy.
"Kuk... nothing comes easy."
Absolute crisis, yet I smirked for some reason.
A nostalgic sensation, if anything.
How long since I was this cornered?
"Alright. Let's end this."
I gripped the hilt with both hands.
Aimed at it from my falling supine position.
Only one counter came to mind.
Probably wouldn't change after long thought.
Paaaa...
Sunset glow rose along the blade.
My Aura, drawing the foe in.
My coat flapped at vision's edges like black flames.
High above the baldies' homeworld.
The moment the approaching mountains sharpened in view,
"Hup."
I gripped the hilt with all my strength.
Aura dwelling inside the blade erupted forward.
The giant king was engulfed in sunset.
Size difference so vast, Aura affected us both.
The king pulled toward me.
Simultaneously, my falling body surged toward it.
"Kuk...!"
I gritted my teeth.
Acceleration beyond sword ki explosion.
For a moment, we became faster than light, charging each other.
It didn't notice me, but I saw it thrusting its rage-filled fist.
Very close.
Swing range away.
Only then did the king's eyes bulge, registering me.
『What...!』
Here, chills again.
Senses incomparably sharper post-Origin absorption.
Impressive—wanted to give its scalp a massage, but no reply.
No reason, no leeway.
"......"
I slash vertically downward.
Crimson-glowing blade digs into its face.
Moving toward each other—no need to add force.
Severing neck, then ribcage, spine, finally pelvis as we cross.
Sunset fades as we pass.
The king's vertically bisected body plummets past me.
『......!』
No splatter.
No last words.
Glowing liquid bursts from twin clean cuts.
Kwaaaaa!!
Countless light streams shot skyward.
Each a shackled soul freed.
Seems the heart split, destroying the Origin too.
『Kraaaak!』
『W-We... are perishing...!』
Then, desperate wails from above.
Looking up, millions of giants descending from clouds entered view.
Reinforcements for the king—their bodies dissolved into white particles.
Quite satisfying.
I cackled, thumbs-up.
"Bye, losers."
Then flipped it down.
Some hurled light spears, but they scattered mid-flight.
Closed and opened eyes—sky empty.
The giant race's defeat.
Total mission success.
One issue: my body now falling.
"Fucked."
No thoughts.
Glanced below.
Closer, but thousands of meters left.
Gruesome future flashed.
My shredded chunks staining mountains red.
Even now, ground neared.
As Rin vibrated wildly in warning,
Paak!
Invisible something snatched me.
"I-I got you! Lord Orse, I caught him!"
【Shut up, I saw it too!】
Loud voices boomed simultaneously.
Very familiar.
Lying skyward, I looked up.
A black dragon carried familiar faces, flying in.
Tension melted.
One corner of my stiff mouth curled.
"Quick arrival."