Ending Maker Chapter 121
Ending Maker Chapter 121
Chapter 46 - Traffic Control
Haragen, a high-ranking Demonic Human of the Devil's Eye.
He was a meticulous and cunning individual.
After infiltrating the Wild Lands under the orders of his leader, the very first thing he did was corrupt the Angry Rhino, the guardian deity of the Angry Rhino Tribe, which prided itself on being the strongest in the west.
'First, seize control of the Angry Rhino Tribe.'
Using a powerful artifact given to him by his leader, Haragen corrupted the Angry Rhino, then placed a curse upon Seven Horns, the chieftain of the Angry Rhino Tribe.
Tormented by the curse, Seven Horns naturally sought out the Angry Rhino to pour out his woes, and the Angry Rhino, already reduced to Haragen's puppet, introduced Haragen to Seven Horns.
'After that, everything went smoothly.'
Having become a great shaman, Haragen did not lift Seven Horns's curse—instead, he placed several more curses upon him and corrupted him, and at last seized complete control of the Angry Rhino Tribe.
'And then to the west.'
He conquered the west with the power of the Angry Rhino Tribe.
He corrupted the Dragon Vein Stream and increased the number of corrupted Wild Gods, and spread curses at the gathering of chieftains.
'Red Gale will die.'
The Great Storm Tribe, which would be the greatest obstacle to unifying the Wild Lands, and the chieftain who led them.
Even while seizing control of the west, he dispatched Demonic Humans to the east to corrupt the Wild Gods.
It was to rot the ground beneath their feet before he began his full-scale conquest of the east.
Haragen had not made a mistake.
For in the original story, he had seized the Wild Lands without a single error.
'The corrupted Rough Avalanche and Gentle Snow Breeze assassinate Great Storm, Red Gale dies under a curse, and Red Wind lives as a slave in the north. The Great Storm Tribe, having lost its center, scatters into chaos, and the Wild Gods of the east are corrupted one by one.'
And at last, when even Blade Song was corrupted.
Haragen led the Wild Gods who had fallen into hellish monsters and the warriors reborn as Demonic Humans at the vanguard, and invaded the northern part of the Saelun Kingdom.
In this war as well, Haragen was victorious, and achieved the Wild Lands' long-cherished wish of seizing control of the northern Saelun Kingdom.
But all of that was the story of the original work.
'Why! Why! Why!'
Haragen screamed at the reality before his eyes.
Everything was a mess. Matters that had been proceeding smoothly one by one had begun to go awry at some point, and now had been utterly shattered.
The starting point.
The first domino.
Red Gale's survival.
Rough Avalanche's safety.
Red Wind's return to the north.
"Grrk...... Graaah!"
His head felt like it would burst.
Haragen knew.
That no future existed for him now.
His leader would never forgive him.
No—the Demon Prince, who had been on the verge of descending upon the mortal world, would trample him.
A future of nothing but despair.
"Ha! Hahaha!"
Just because he was a demon worshipper did not mean he craved people in despair.
Living crushed beneath fear and terror was also out of the question.
Haragen let out a laugh.
It was all over anyway.
This was the end.
All that remained was stubborn spite.
So at the very least, those bastards.
At the very least, those bastards!
"Graaah!"
Haragen unleashed a terrifying power.
He had not taken part in battle until now, but he was a high-ranking Demonic Human.
Moreover, through the energy flowing from the Hell Gate, he had grown closer to demonhood.
Haragen's body swelled.
It could no longer be called a human form.
Now resembling a grotesque fusion of a giant mantis and a beetle, he let out a monstrous roar and surveyed the battlefield with his compound eyes.
The place where the Hell Gate had been.
A small area protected by stone golems and shield magic.
Haragen saw.
The red-haired girl sitting within the translucent shield.
The boy lying cradled in the arms of the girl, beautiful as an angel.
There was also an angel standing beside them, but she did not enter his sight.
Haragen saw only the boy and the girl, and did not hide his fury. He emitted a killing intent sufficient to tear his opponents apart with a mere gaze.
And the girl who faced that killing intent did not tremble in fear—instead, she glared right back at him.
She raised her middle finger and spat something out, and it was unmistakably a curse.
"Crazy bastards."
How arrogant.
They think they've already won.
Then I will crush that thought.
I will make a wreck of that angelic face!
Boom!
Haragen charged straight at the shield.
At that terrifying momentum, Cordelia flinched for an instant, but she did not lower her finger.
Because she had seen.
Behind Haragen, who was blinded by rage and could not survey his surroundings.
A knight cutting through monsters and demons as if reaping sheaves of grain.
Mounted upon a pitch-black warhorse, he saw Haragen charging toward Yuder and Cordelia.
Without a moment's hesitation, he charged at Haragen, and added light to the sword in his hand.
The Holy King Cross Sword.
Unlike Lucas's still-immature version, this was the demon-slaying sword that had reached the realm of mastery!
"Oooh."
As Cordelia marveled, Yuder narrowed his brow slightly and said.
"What a waste."
"What is? The Holy King Cross Sword? If you ask Lucas, wouldn't he teach it to you?"
"No, not that."
"Then what?"
"The experience points."
"Ah, right. True."
Haragen was a high-ranking Demonic Human, and if things had gone according to the original story, he was someone who could be called the final boss of the current Wild Lands.
Yuder and Cordelia spoke in turn, and Haragen's body was bisected.
The fallen creature looked at Yuder and Cordelia and reached out a hand. With a resentful cry, he put a curse into words.
And then Cordelia touched Yuder's hair and said.
"Ugh, damn. Why'd you have to talk? It really is a waste."
"I feel good."
"What does?"
"No, just this moment right now."
"What are you on about?"
Cordelia snorted and stroked Yuder's forehead, and Yuder closed his eyes in contentment.
And then Haragen spat out his final words.
"I...... cursed you......."
So please listen.
Look over here a little too...... and stop being all lovey-dovey.......
That was as far as he got.
Count Hraesvelgr's Holy King Cross Sword flashed once more, and Haragen scattered as black ash.
And at that moment, a clear voice rang in Yuder and Cordelia's minds.
[You have acquired the title 'Guardian of the Wild'.]
[You have acquired the title 'Destroyer of the Wild'.]
Guardian and Destroyer.
Titles that were opposites of each other.
And the reason they had obtained both at the same time.
Cordelia's face flushed red.
Because she suddenly remembered what they had done.
'I-it's a total jackpot, but.......'
They had acquired titles that would normally be impossible to obtain simultaneously.
How am I supposed to face the Wild Gods later?
'It's fine, it was to save the Wild Lands. Everyone will understand.'
'You think so?'
'They will.'
Yuder, who had spoken without thinking, closed his eyes again to enjoy Cordelia's hesitant touch, but soon had no choice but to open them again.
"Yuder! Cordelia!"
"Lucas!"
Cordelia responded cheerfully to the familiar voice.
Lucas, who had already reached the front of the shield, stood there with a gallant expression.
And it was right at that moment.
"Cordeliaaa! Yuderrrr!"
Along with a high-pitched voice, Red Wind revealed herself on the opposite side of Lucas.
The girl, brimming with spirit, smiled brightly with a flushed face, and Cordelia responded cheerfully once more.
"Red Wind!"
And immediately after.
Lucas and Red Wind looked at each other.
They both scowled at the same time.
Because the moment they faced each other, they had felt a spark.
Archrival, rival, sworn enemy, and so on.
'What's with this barbarian woman?'
'What's with this lanky northern swordsman?'
Why is she acting so close to Lord Yuder and Lady Cordelia—why is he acting so close to Yuder and Cordelia—
'Acting friendly?'
The two, who had the same thought at the same time, sensed it once more.
What the other was thinking.
"Lord Yuder, Lady Cordelia. I have arrived. I, your dearest friend, that is!"
Lucas spoke first, as if appealing, and before Cordelia could respond, Red Wind reacted. She flinched for a moment, then lit up with fighting spirit and said.
"Cordelia! Yuder! I'm here! Your pretty and lovable Red Wind!"
Family outranks friendship, you know?
Red Wind sent Lucas a look, and Lucas understood perfectly.
He answered with a look of his own.
'We don't even share blood, so what little sister! And what's this? Lovable?'
'I treat them like family, don't I? So that makes me the little sister!'
'If you think about it, I'm a little brother too!'
They even spoke different languages as foreigners, yet how could they communicate so well?
Lucas, who had grown up as a knight of the north, had hostility toward the barbarian tribes deeply rooted in his mind, so even though he had already heard various explanations from Gale and Adelia, he felt antipathy the moment he faced Red Wind.
Red Wind, too, had her prejudice toward northerners reduced thanks to Yuder and Cordelia, but conversely, because she had not lived as a slave, her wild and reckless side remained intact, and her affection for Yuder—and especially Cordelia—was extraordinary.
With these two facing each other, it was only natural that both reacted with more excitement than usual.
"Uh...... you two?"
Why are you suddenly acting like this?
What's with this atmosphere between you two?
Cordelia quickly looked back at Yuder, and Yuder suppressed his laughter with all his might.
'What, what. Why are you laughing?'
'No, it's just funny.'
A situation unimaginable in the original story.
Instead of crossing swords with each other, Lucas and Red Wind were arguing over who was closer to Cordelia, with Cordelia between them.
'Cordelia's ambition seems impossible.'
She had talked about pairing Lucas and Red Wind together or something.
'No, actually, maybe there's a chance......?'
Just because they were sworn enemies and rivals didn't mean they had to growl at each other forever.
'What, what is it. Why do you keep grinning to yourself?'
Cordelia tugged at Yuder's hair, and Yuder enjoyed even that touch.
Just as Yuder was about to discover a new world, another couple joined them.
"Yuder."
"Cordelia!"
It was Gale and Adelia.
The two, who had performed terrifying feats among the ravens, had broken away from the front lines to protect Yuder and Cordelia, and had come to this spot.
"Lord Gale."
"Adel!"
Lucas and Red Wind each spoke, then flinched and glared at each other again.
'Why are you acting close?'
'And what about you?!'
Another fierce exchange of glares took place, and Gale and Adelia left the two of them alone and approached Yuder and Cordelia.
Since the surrounding enemies had already been swept away, Cordelia released the shield, and Lena likewise withdrew the golems.
"Sister, let me introduce you. This is Lady Lena. Lady Lena, this is my sister and my brother-in-law."
At Cordelia's introduction, Adelia's eyes went wide.
"Gasp! You're Lady Lena?!"
"I am Lena Einsberg."
When Lena answered gracefully despite her exhausted state, Adelia's face flushed red.
"Ah, I am Adelia Chase. Commander of the 7th Division of the Royal Guard Magic Corps."
The extremely tense Adelia introduced herself stiffly.
Because Lena was Adelia's idol.
Her pounding heart made Adelia feel dizzy, and Gale quickly wrapped an arm around her waist to support her as he introduced himself.
"I am Gale Bayel. It is an honor to meet the Holy Angel."
Lucas, who had snapped back to his senses at Gale's greeting, also offered his respects, and Red Wind sent another look.
'I already greeted her a long time ago, you know?'
So what.
Lucas remained silent instead of retorting, and Lena smiled again at the inexplicable commotion.
'Ha...... it was nice while it lasted.'
And a man lamenting alone.
He had been enjoying the luxury of lying in Cordelia's arms with his eyes closed, feeling her touch.
'Still, I should at least keep lying down for now.'
Since he was tired, too.
But Yuder's dark desire did not last long.
It was not because Cordelia had noticed Yuder's pitch-black inner thoughts.
"You're being held in her arms again today, I see."
A voice came from the sky.
Yuder's eyes flew open, and he hurriedly raised his body, and he could see.
A majestic man descending through the air, stepping on empty space with his hands full of bags.
"Father."
Yuder and Gale spoke at the same time, and for just an instant, a pleased smile flickered across Count Chase's solemn face.
"Dad."
And then another duet from the daughters.
Pleasingly, each was properly attached to her respective future son-in-law's side.
But Count Chase maintained a stern expression.
The situation had changed a great deal, but Count Chase had not forgotten the reason he had first set out on this journey.
"It has been a while, Yuder. And Cordelia."
He had come to this land to catch his runaway children.
Count Chase landed on the ground. He walked toward the two of them.