Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: The Flame Hero's Last Stand
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――Kraaaaaaa!!!
――Kaiiaaaaa!!!
Ferocious magic beasts that looked like they could easily crush and trample mere humans scaled the walls.
The heroes shouted to block the ones climbing up one by one.
"Hold the line!!"
"Don't lose your nerve!!"
"If we fall back, it's over!!"
"Uwaaaaaah!!!"
The front lines had long since collapsed, and the heroes tangled with the magic beasts in a chaotic brawl.
Whoosh! Yoon Kang-woo ignited several magic beasts in an instant, his face twisting in fury.
No matter how many he felled, more kept climbing up to fill their places. They were being pushed back bit by bit.
And behind them stood the long-haired man known as the Thousand-Slaying Demon.
The magic-type heroes who had retreated after exhausting their mana had all been slain by his hand. Even the healing mages who had been treating the melee fighters.
...This isn't good.
The Thousand-Slaying Demon didn't engage deeply in the battle. He hung back, watching the fight, and struck slyly at any hero who showed an opening.
"Gaaahhh!!"
Another one fell. Too focused on the guy behind, he got done in by the magic beast in front. Yoon Kang-woo clicked his tongue.
Magic beasts ahead, Thousand-Slaying Demon behind. At this rate, they'd be whittled down and finished off. He needed to make a call.
"Hold them off somehow! I'll deal with the bastard in the back and come back!"
Yoon Kang-woo bellowed that and spun around, charging straight at Han. Han's eyes, watching the battle from afar, turned toward him.
"Wha... why are you coming here? Get lost."
Han backed away, drawing his sword. A sharp sword aura flew toward Yoon Kang-woo.
"...Kuh!"
Dodging the sword aura by a hair's breadth, he summoned flames at the same time. Vast mana condensed, shrinking in volume before taking shape—a crimson spear of flame hurtled toward Han.
"......!"
Han eyed the spear flying at blinding speed, debating whether to deflect it or dodge.
...He dodged my sword aura and launched an attack, so his stance is off-balance. Giving him time to recover by forcing a block would be bad. Better to take the risk, dodge with minimal movement, and counter immediately.
Decision made, Han stepped sideways to evade the spear.
And that judgment was a fatal mistake for him.
Booom――!!
"......Ugh?!"
The flame spear that grazed past Han's side swelled up and exploded. He instinctively wrapped himself in mana to protect his body, but it couldn't block all the searing heat. Rolling on the ground, Han suffered severe burns across his entire body.
"Got youuuu!!!"
Aselrika appeared before Han, who was sprawled on the ground with his arm propped up, and swung her sword down. She had made the same call as Yoon Kang-woo and broken off from the fight.
"......!!"
Slash――!!
Blood spurted, and a severed arm flew through the air. Han barely rolled away, luckily paying only his left arm instead of his head for his lapse in vigilance.
It's the price of carelessness, sure, but... the left arm stings a bit.
Before Han could even dwell on the absurd thought, Aselrika charged again, swinging her sword.
Fast. The blood gushing from the stump of his severed left arm hadn't even hit the ground yet, and she was already right in his face, raising her blade.
Han's pupils dilated, time slowing to a crawl.
What he saw: his own left arm still spinning in the air, falling slowly. Red blood droplets sparkled around it like cruel ornaments.
The other heroes rapidly losing ground now that two powerhouses were gone. The growing number of magic beasts.
Yoon Kang-woo, desperately catching his breath with a grim face. And Aselrika right before him, sword raised high.
He had to block it. He had to block.
No sword in his hand. Where was his sword?
Ah, there on the ground. Must've dropped it in the explosion.
Couldn't block. Had to dodge.
But his body, hastily rolling up from the ground, had its center of gravity shifted back in an unstable stance. Losing his left arm had wrecked his balance too. Not enough to evade her swiftly descending blade.
This was dangerous.
A perfect crisis he couldn't survive.
The sword came down. No dodging it.
Time, already crawling, ground to a complete halt.
His worthless life flashed before him like a montage. The panorama of a petty traitor who betrayed humanity out of fear of death.
..........
He swatted away the flipping pages impatiently, muttering inwardly.
Didn't really wanna see this. Get lost.
No clear goals.
No achievements from any effort.
All the precious things were already shattered, buried in fragments.
A pathetic life with nothing to boast about. Didn't want to chew it over even at the moment of death.
Finally, the endless screen ended, and time ticked forward again.
The sword descended.
And he thought:
So this is death. The end.
He closed his eyes.
Then thought again:
.........Ah.
Still, dying scared him.
Didn't want to die.
Shing! The sword slashed vertically,
Clang――!
The swung blade cleaved empty air and struck the hard stone floor.
"Oof. Look at this guy. It's all your fault for leaving him alone and not bringing him! You killed him! You killed him, Betty!!"
"Ah, he's not dead yet! I got him just before the sword hit! See? He's still breathing! Open your eyes, Han!! I was wrongggg!!"
Slap! Smack! The sound of palms striking cheeks echoed. The impact on his burned skin drew blood.
"You crazy bitch! Stop hitting! The skin's peeling off!"
"Gasp! Nooo!!"
"...Enough fooling around. Camilla, heal Han. Use healing magic on the burns, and the arm... couldn't recover it?"
"Uh... yeah."
"No choice. Just heal the arm too."
"Then he'll have to live without his left arm forever."
"He's in critical condition already. If we don't heal him now, he'll die. Do it."
"Okay."
A warm energy enveloped his body for a while, and soon Han opened his eyes.
"...Awake? You okay?"
Betty wriggled closer, speaking up. From the looks of things, she'd saved him from that desperate spot.
...What a tenacious life.
A clear death trap, yet he clung on like a leech. Impressively so. Felt like he was the protagonist or something.
"Han!! I'm sorryyy!! It's because I ditched you!!"
Betty said, eyes welling up.
Through his hazy mind, Han smirked. It wasn't a smile for Betty.
Regret at missing a chance to die and be free, mixed with relief at surviving. The contradiction amused him into a sneer.
"......I'm fine. You still saved me from certain death. Don't worry about it."
"But...! Sniff...! Your arm!!!"
Hiccup...
Betty burst into tears.
Yoon Kang-woo stared blankly at the spot where Han had vanished.
The moment Aselrika's sword came down, a white-haired girl appeared out of nowhere, snatched him, and disappeared.
...He escaped.
Should've finished him off, but failed. A deep wound, sure, but healing magic could fix it quick, and he'd be back.
While Yoon Kang-woo and Aselrika were away, the magic beasts now outnumbered the heroes atop the fortress.
They'd held with their bodies before, but now even that was impossible. Magic beasts slipped past the fortress toward the barrier.
――Kraaaaaaa!!!
――Kaiiaaaaa!!!
The magic beasts ignored the heroes now. Those breaking through ran straight for the barrier, unheeding attacks.
"Block them!!"
"Don't let them reach the barrier!!"
The heroes chased the ignoring magic beasts. Chopping and stabbing as they pursued, only to be shoved and trampled by others from behind.
Crunch. Crunch. Crushed by the unstoppable tidal wave of numbers, bones snapped, skulls burst. Even those sounds drowned in the beasts' footfalls.
Yoon Kang-woo, Aselrika, and a few heroes fought desperately to halt the advance, but the tidal wave surged past to the barrier.
"Ah......!!"
"Noooo!!! "
"Stop them!!!"
Boom!Bang!
Magic beasts pounded the barrier. Ramming heads and bodies wildly.
Crackle!
Holy power flowing over the barrier's surface scorched and annihilated the colliding beasts. But they kept pounding relentlessly.
Surviving heroes who evaded trampling attacked to stop them. The beasts ignored dying allies and heroes alike, fixated on the barrier.
――Kraaaaaaa!!!
――Kaiiaaaaa!!!
Bang!Boom!Crackle! The pounding continued.
Crack―――.
Cracks began spiderwebbing across the barrier.
"Block it...! Please...!"
"Hey, James! What are you doing? Fire off that spell now!"
"James is dead."
"...I'm hungry."
The heroes' faces paled, despair settling in.
"...Aselrika."
"What!"
Staring at the small fissures, Yoon Kang-woo called to her beside him.
"...Retreat."
"......What!?"
She snapped irritably without halting her sword swings at the beasts.
"At this rate, the barrier falls soon anyway. But even if the fortress is breached and the barrier shatters, we still have one shot left."
"...What?"
"There's a barricade at the X-zone entrance. Not as tough as the fortress, but enough to stall their charge a bit. Pick some veteran heroes with stamina left, retreat to X-zone. Gather the heroes there and hold the line."
"...And you?"
"Someone's gotta buy time till then. I'm staying."
"......Ha."
Aselrika let out a hollow laugh.
"You said it wouldn't come to this."
"......It won't. I'll buy time and get back safe."
"......Yeah, right."
Crack―――.
The ominous sound repeated, cracks widening.
"No time. Pick who you need and go."
".........."
Aselrika looked like she had plenty to say, but she knew arguing would just drag things out pointlessly.
So she swallowed her words and turned.
"...I'm going."
"...Yeah."
Taking only veterans with stamina left, Aselrika plunged through the beast wave into the barrier. Confirming it, Yoon Kang-woo turned to the remaining heroes.
"......With Julian the commander fallen, I'll take command."
His voice trembled as he spoke.
"This is my first and last order. Everyone, die here."
Cruel, terrifying words.
"If death scares you, think of the families and loved ones waiting in the city and push through."
Yoon Na-rin's face flashed in Yoon Kang-woo's mind.
"I'll try to do the same."
Attacking magic beasts slamming the barrier.
"――――――!!!!!"
Shrieks rang out. Impossible to tell if from beasts or heroes.
One thing clear: cries closer to death than life.
Crack―――.
Cracks sharpened, fissures spreading.
"――――――!!!!!"
"――――――!!!!!"
Louder screams. One step closer to death.
Crack, craaack―――.
The death-knell cracks grew louder, more frequent over time.
Finally reaching the limit, it shattered.
Riiiing―――!!!
The barrier broke. The blue mana veil fragmented and crumbled like glass.
Heroes with bloodshot eyes attacking beasts froze, staring at the shattering barrier. As if by agreement, screams ceased, air freezing.
Magic beasts took in the sight too. Remnants of the madly pounded barrier etched in their retinas.
Fragments scattering from the sky faded away, and heroes locked eyes with beasts.
"――――――!!!!!"
"――――――!!!!!"
"――――――!!!!!"
Then they clashed. With cries near death.
Clinging regrets to life.
Affection for the precious.
Fear of death.
Vented, spread, diluted in the air. Death no longer terrified.
"――――――!!!!!"
"――――――!!!!!"
One by one, eyes met, one fell. The living dwindled.
"――――――!!!!!"
How much time passed? An eternity like eons gone, a brief respite to catch breath granted.
Yoon Kang-woo, soaked in fatigue and death, panted heavily, scanning around through sunken dark circles.
Plenty still alive.
But excluding himself, all were magic beasts.
"......... "
Forcing up depleted mana. Thin threads scattered, circulating to burn his body.
Brain-searing heat, burning pain rising between throat and chest. Blood vessels burst in eyes, blood flowed from nose and mouth too.
Roarrrrr!Boom――!!
Flames erupted. Crimson curtain swept the area, beasts' agonized screams melting into his eardrums.
Fire ignited. On beasts, on Yoon Kang-woo himself.
Burning. Whole body aflame.
Flame curtain surrounding him. Beyond it, life's montage flashed.
Had clear goals, made efforts.
But no accomplishments—a pathetic hero's panorama unfolded.
Shrrk― Red curtains flipped busily. Yoon Kang-woo watched silently.
Family faces flashed. Yoon Na-rin smiled.
Comrades too. Aselrika raged.
Nothing to boast. But in this final moment of death,
he wanted to see once more the precious things he'd fought to protect.
Finally, the flame curtain settled, time ticking onward.
Flames blazed.
The final blaze.
Yoon Kang-woo thought:
So many regrets. Didn't want to die.
But he accepted death.
Wishing happiness for those precious ones left behind.
Thus, Yoon Kang-woo closed his eyes.
"Whoa, check it out. He burned everything."
Betty marveled at the ash-covered wasteland. Yoon Kang-woo's spectacular self-immolation had slashed the magic beast numbers absurdly.
"Pretty, huh~?"
Under the drifting flame remnants from the sky, Camilla spun with arms wide, commemorating the beautiful fiery pillar that had soared.
".........Yeah."
Han stared at Yoon Kang-woo's ash-turned corpse, then turned away.