The Echo of Hubris
It was nothing more than a stroke of luck. If that rift in the alternate space hadn't opened at that exact moment, or if it had been even slightly delayed, or if Rowell and the others hadn't finished their battle, I would have become Urshus's vessel.
I wouldn't have lost my will or consciousness in an instant, but things would never have been the same again—and they never could have been.
Rowell and the others were relieved to see me return without a single wound, yet they couldn't help wondering what had happened. All I could offer was that I had been lucky. My own carelessness, and the shameful emotions and thoughts that had flooded me in that moment, made any fuller answer impossible.
After that, I swore I would never recite that incantation again. Though crises like the one at El Bol Gat arose several times, I kept my resolve until the great war finally ended. The secret remained buried forever, known only to Rowell, Medrup, and no one else.
Yes. That was how it was supposed to stay. No—that was how it had to stay.
“…And yet you think I will break now?”
In the fading edges of my consciousness, as that pure and immortal presence once again tried to claim me, I gathered every last shred of will to steady myself. No. I would not fall here. The world had been saved, the battles won, and the peace Rowell had forged—I would not be the one to shatter it with my own hands.
Urshus's power surged once more against my mind and soul, but the final tremor was enough. I could not drive it out or sever it completely, yet that was sufficient. Time was on my side.
The black flames that had blocked Granbipra finally scattered. The fire of Urshus burning at the center of the chamber died out. As the vessel shattered, the presence of Urshus flowing through the summoned beasts weakened as well.
My own resistance remained as fragile as a candle in the wind, but only for a moment.
Granbipra's power erupted outward, engulfing the surroundings. The plants embedded in the summoned beasts withered and died. His body blazed with light, and countless serpentine rays of brilliance crashed into Alsh Unak's form.
The dark-red flames cloaking Alsh Unak were torn apart by the serpents' fangs. As the fierce assault made Alsh Unak stagger, Granbipra was suddenly upon him.
Alsh Unak unleashed his mana at once, but it scattered harmlessly against Granbipra's aura. Several summoning circles flared around him, yet before even a single vine or petal could emerge, Granbipra's hand closed around his throat.
Still maintaining the connection, I see. Your greed knows no bounds.
Granbipra's power seeped through the lingering link and forcibly severed the final thread tying Alsh Unak to Urshus. With the connection through the summoned beasts already broken and the direct link at the center unstable, even Urshus could no longer sustain the bond by force.
“Th-thank you, Lord Granbipra. Though it would have been better had you arrived a little sooner.”
My apologies. Their resistance was stronger than expected.
Granbipra spoke while still holding Alsh Unak by the throat. Yet there was no reason to blame him. If I had remained calm, the crisis would never have occurred. Had I assessed the situation properly, the forced connection would not have formed, and I could have bought time with ease.
Besides, it had been my own decision to send Granbipra after the central flame. The danger had been born of my own complacency and impatience.
“……”
I bit my lower lip. Mistakes on the battlefield always led to death—or worse. I had believed I would never forget that lesson, yet here I was, undone by the same foolish errors. And the cause was not some external force, but my own arrogance—my complacency, to be precise.
I had not grown braver. I had not grown numb. Nothing new had appeared within me. This arrogance had always been there, hidden deep beneath the brilliant light. Now that the light had receded, it had seized its chance to raise its head once more.
Do you believe it to be a flaw?
Though Alsh Unak remained pinned by Granbipra, Urshus's voice still reached me through him.
It is no flaw. It is no weakness. On the contrary, it is a quality essential to a king. Even if it is now veiled by false light, it is precisely the qualification you must possess.
“…Still unwilling to give up? It is over.”
I looked around. The central flame had been extinguished. Alsh Unak's body was completely subdued by Granbipra. Even if the other Dark Priests rushed in together, none could defeat him.
It was finished.
“El Nergavil has fallen, and I have not become your vessel. Your plans have all failed!”
I spoke while staring at Alsh Unak. My voice had risen higher than intended, sounding like a child trying to shake off fear, but that no longer mattered. A crisis had come and gone, yet the situation was resolved. We had won.
Failed?
That single word, carried through Alsh Unak, sent a violent tremor through my heart. He was laughing. Not with anger or regret, not with bluster or pride, but with the quiet certainty of one who had known this would happen all along.
What do you mean? The destruction of that crude vessel? Or the defeat of this body?
Granbipra's eyes turned to me, silently offering to silence the voice at once, but I shook my head. I needed to hear it.
If such things concerned me, I would never have brought you here in the first place.
“Then why did you bring me? Even if your goal was to connect with me, you have already failed. You have lost only your worshippers and your temple.”
Urshus's laughter rang out in response.
This decrepit temple means nothing to me. From the beginning, it was never meant to be destroyed by your hands.
“What…?”
And at that moment, a distant explosion echoed from afar. The sound of collapsing walls followed, accompanied by faint screams and the groans of monstrous beasts.
Ryban's clones. They must have realized their plans were being interfered with.
“Ryban's clones? Interfered with?”
I could not understand. Were they not supposed to be allies?
What they wanted was simply a decisive battle with the Hero. That is why they sought to fight him as quickly as possible. But that would not do. What I needed was not their power—only their existence.
The voice carried such absolute confidence that unease clawed its way into my mind. Though the link to Urshus—Alsh Unak—remained firmly in Granbipra's grasp, the initiative had already shifted to Urshus. We had no choice but to keep listening.
All I required was that. To announce the existence of the clones—to you, the Hero, and the world.
A satisfied laugh. That laughter, declaring everything had gone according to plan, left me no room to focus on the approaching sounds from outside.
The Hero's feet were bound by their existence. Every attack on the regions was attributed to the demonic beast army. And you came here. You saw my worshippers. You witnessed their foolishness, their pitiable state, and their loyalty.
“…So what? What does any of that mean?”
In the end, I had not been consumed by Urshus. If that had been his goal, then he had failed. Yet where did this composure come from?
But he offered no further answer. He merely looked at me and smiled with that deeply unsettling satisfaction.
With this, all preparations are complete. You will call my name again. And that time, you will accept your own fate.
That was the end. With those words, Urshus's consciousness withdrew from Alsh Unak. Yet Alsh Unak's own mind remained. Still pinned by Granbipra, he looked at me.
“…Where is Lord Kainaknus?”
I wanted to ask what Urshus's words truly meant, but it was doubtful whether this mere puppet knew anything—and even if he did, he would not speak of it honestly.
What mattered now was finding Kainaknus and escaping safely. If Ryban's clones were attacking this place, remaining here any longer was dangerous.
No matter how powerful Granbipra was, I had no desire to continue unnecessary battles. If the Dark Temple and Ryban's clones were enemies, there was no need to interfere. We could simply let them do as they pleased.
Descend the stairs below and find the room sealed by the red iron door.
He answered readily enough. Of course, there was no guarantee it was not a trap.
What shall we do with this one?
Granbipra asked. From what I had learned while connected to Urshus, Alsh Unak's body had already reached its limit. Even if left alone, he would perish on his own—most likely at the hands of Ryban's clones before that.
“We should take him for now. Can you render him unconscious?”
At my words, a red serpent slithered up Granbipra's arm and sank its fangs into Alsh Unak's neck. As Alsh Unak's eyes lost their light, Granbipra released him and let the body float in the air.
We had to bring him along. If what Urshus said was true, Alsh Unak had been forcibly connected and controlled. Perhaps he could still be saved.
At least one person…
Ryban's clones were attacking, and the Dark Priests I had seen earlier were defending. They would all die. Even knowing this would happen, I could not understand why Urshus had led his own worshippers into such danger. Still, we had neither the time nor the reason to save them all.
“……”
Their faces flashed through my mind unbidden. Especially the young summoner who had been so fervent about my name, and the one who had spun exaggerated tales of my exploits—both stood out with painful clarity.
Is something the matter?
“No. Nothing. Let us go.”