Chapter 52
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Dawn
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The barrier crumbled, unleashing the aura of death. Because of that, the already dark night sky grew even blacker.
A pitch-black world where neither the moon nor a single star was visible.
In that deep night, only the blue ghost lights of the undead who could not die and the precariously shaking chains emitted light.
It was the moment when everyone predicted what was to come, draped in a silence woven of fear and resignation.
Thump.
The low heartbeat echoed through.
Normally, no matter how quiet the place, one could hardly hear their own heartbeat. But everyone present heard it clearly.
The hottest proof of life, bursting forth from a lifeless realm.
And.
Kwaaaaaa!
A massive blaze erupted like an explosion, illuminating the dark night.
"Th-this is!"
An elder mage who had pinned Morteus down but reached resignation as the barrier fell widened his eyes.
Pure fire-attribute mana, seemingly impossible to manifest with any spell.
Refined aura and raw mana collided and repelled each other, fiercely swelling his frame.
Flames that devoured the surroundings, blooming even brighter and more splendidly.
The mage, versed in every high-level spell yet never having imagined such a sight, muttered blankly.
"Mana rampage...?"
A phenomenon immature novice mages occasionally suffered. Losing control of their own mana, firing spells indiscriminately until even the minimal mana for sustaining life was depleted—a dangerous mishap.
But a superior mage, like a master, could knock them out first and treat them swiftly to save their life.
Though they would never wield magic again.
A knight's aura was ultimately refined mana, so it wasn't impossible for Enoch to trigger a mana rampage.
In truth, rarer than mages but knights experienced it too.
Thus, Enoch inducing a mana rampage was feasible, and given his feats so far, this explosion was wondrous yet believable.
Even if Ignatus had deemed his aura quantity insufficient...
That was solely in comparison to Ignatus the dragon herself or Ra-in, the era's strongest nearing the first Zahav.
What confounded the old mage, then, wasn't how it was possible.
It was why he chose this.
Circumstances suggested the young Duke Zahav had deliberately rampaged his mana.
"Why in the world..."
If he could willfully rampage his mana, he surely knew the outcome.
And no one here could rein in the berserk Enoch. If anyone, Morteus... but the mad Death Dragon had no reason to spare him.
In short, Enoch was resolved.
To a body unable to wield aura ever again—or worst case, death.
Yet to protect those at his back.
...For the West's people, not even his own domain.
He could have fled with ease; his ability overflowed for it.
Ignatus slept by his proposal, but no one forced the choice.
Strictly, Ignatus bore responsibility for this crisis.
Then what bound Enoch to this land, staking his life?
"Ah."
The answer was simple. Hadn't he declared it himself?
'If the sun does not rise, I shall burn this body and become dawn myself.'
The proclamation hurled at Morteus, who mocked that morning would never come.
The sole reason Enoch rampaged his mana, forsaking his future to battle Morteus.
Because Enoch Zahav was a man who would become the sun.
The sun, by nature, blazed equally over the world, scorning not South nor West.
All grand dukes were once a nation's sovereigns, or so they said.
Ignatus was a great master, grateful for her devotion to empire and magic.
But next Dragon Lord, not a ruler of men.
House Zahav differed. Born amid people, crowned by their awe, inaugurated by loyalty.
Enoch Zahav held the power to draw hearts.
The old mage swallowed despair rising to his throat and widened his eyes.
Even if all this ended in eternal night denying even death.
Now, he must behold the sun risen on earth to the last.
The utmost praise a lifelong Magic Tower mage could offer the warrior who made himself kindling for the West.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The brightest blaze in the darkest night.
Where those splendid petals fell remained a man with golden hair and copper skin.
His sturdy flesh treading scorched earth brimmed with robust muscle; embedded weapons melted to molten drips upon the ground.
Not mere arm or leg, but geometric patterns etched across his entire body, flames rippling atop, evoked less modern knight than ancient barbarian warrior.
Enoch.
Endlessly clashing overflowing mana and aura, he who shone by his own light parted wide his mouth, roaring as if proving his existence.
"Aaaaaaaaah————!"
A roar nearer beast than man. Yet the presence packed within defied comparison to beasts.
Morteus, shackled, flinched at the voice bearing Dragon Fear-like might.
-...So that's it. To claim an excellent warrior, first earn recognition.
With his usual skewed reply, unbound undead stirred over restrained flesh.
To command all his legions as one.
-Proud heroes! Test this new warrior's might!
Skeletons encircling Enoch silently charged en masse, ghost lights flashing.
No longer one-on-one as before. Barrier fallen, aiding mages long exhausted.
Alone against thousands of undead legions he must stand.
But Enoch, half-unmoored by mana rampage, charged the nearest undead indifferent to numbers.
Kwaang!
Merely kicking ground birthed fire pillars; the earth shattered, scattering wide.
Less like running and more so like being launched.
Thus appearing before the foe in an instant, Enoch swung his flame-wreathed fist.
Even past heroes who out skilled him struggled to track the speed and power.
Enoch's fist predictably pulverized the skeleton's skull.
Nay, surplus force erupted as a flame storm, utterly smashing and melting any remnant bones.
Hwaruruk!
One punch laid surrounding wastes to ash.
Dozens more undead are ensnared in its wake and they crumbled, some even liquefied.
Direct hits left not even ash, they were fully erased.
Yes, erased.
Being shattered anywhere—even their skull smashed—they would revive on death. That's the Wild Hunt.
But without debris to reform, there is naught for revival.
These heroes who wandered millennia uncountable. Finally their souls now knew rest.
-...Remarkable.
Morteus sounded genuinely awed.
Mad or not, he grasped fully liberating his undead's meaning.
Melting the bone-deep deathly chill, incinerating the dark, engulfing the false glows.
Perfectly negating death.
The sole path to true rest for the Wild Hunt.
Enoch's blaze merely bright and hot? Nay.
Within burned life's obsession, the keenest of all.
-Nay, too radiant for obsession alone. A paean to life befits it.
Gazing life, lauding life. Thus strides death's brink.
A warriors' prime virtue since antiquity.
Bound in flesh or soul, neither Morteus nor bygone heroes halted Enoch's total inferno.
Kwaang!
A punch soared flames; a kick burst the earth.
One could slightly frame, the presence of a burning titan.
Each rampage visibly thinned the undead.
Not a mere legion shrink, they were unrevivable?
As Enoch spewed a blaze, the sky-blanketing cold darkness paled.
Morteus's Dragon Heart mana was being devoured by Enoch's.
A human-bodied sun-bearer, the hottest rest to the dead, burning death itself.
Dawn-bringer.
Such descriptor fit Enoch now.
-Ah... blinding.
The legions swiftly waned, their death aura faded.
Morteus trembled, beholding Enoch's power overpowering even his Dragon Heart's emanations.
-Thus, it is profoundly tragic.
Rampaged to the utmost, Enoch shone his might. No death pierced his sturdy flesh; the past elites were effortlessly crushed.
Yet power gratis? Nay.
As Enoch's blaze scorched the black heavens, unveiling death's shroud.
His own flames waned too.
The world brightened; yet Enoch dimmed.
Life's fire guttered.
-Body whole, I'd gladly grant a merciful end.
His tone grieved sincere. Surely Enoch writhed his self-immolating agony even now.
The indiscriminate sky no more. Distant, Enoch's longed sun half-rose.
The Wild Hunt gone.
Morteus firm-shackled.
...Enoch amid embers alone stood.
Staggering molten wastes, Enoch neared. His sanity stirring? Eyes refocused, before Morteus halted.
Slowly, unerringly swung fist at his foreleg.
Tuk.
Powerless thud.
No more earth-shattering, world-burning power.
An utterly mundane punch.
Yet pain-twisted lips curled ecstatic.
"I... won."
-Indeed. Your victory I acknowledge.
"Don't wanna die? Eyes down."
-Little sun. Reborn, homage I gladly paid.
A quiet Q&A. Perhaps the final.
Mind willed, Morteus could wring his heart, undead-swarm the vulnerable Enoch.
Yet refrained. Insane yet honoring a deed.
Soon the fist slipped past the foreleg.
As death-near slumber claimed.
The sun half-risen backlit, a colossal form swooped.
Emaciated frame, crimson scales. Crown-like horns protruded long; slit pupils glowed vivid red.
Ignatus.
Awoke from a tardy slumber, grasped the plight, and flew posthaste.
-You Dare...! You Dare...!
Rage-charged Ignatus instinctively mouthed a fire breath.
No mere blaze now—it is authority incarnate.
So fierce, crimson plasma spat through the environs... yet it swiftly ebbed.
The breath now would torch Enoch too.
Yet Enoch wrung his remnants, and bellowed.
"Ignatus! Ignore me—fire now!"
-B-but...
As Enoch urged, the chance was prime.
The legions vanished; the Dragon Heart's death aura lulled.
Now surely wound Morteus fatal. Perhaps even total erasure.
...Enoch forfeit even his own corpse.
Sensing Ignatus' waver, Enoch spat blood, and yelled anew.
"Hurry!!"
-...
Enoch's alone spurred; Ignatus nodded though labored.
-Enoch. Era's Zahav. My first comrade.
Flagging breath mouth reignited.
-Till dragons void this land, your name endures.
Breath lanced.
Less like flame, a ray-like incinerating heat towards Morteus, Enoch threw himself straight at it.
Udduk.
-...Hm?
Ignatus's blaze toward Morteus was unmet.
Eudeuduk.
Enoch interposed has absorbed it all.
Kwaduk. Adeuduk.
-Uuung?
Nay—Enoch chewed, devoured it all.
"Ah, now I feel alive."
With an expression of satiation, as if a tasty morsel was munched on.