Chapter 337
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: True Ending
I am the prankster of the sand dunes, Ber! I'm going back to where I belong!!!
It unfolded in a similar pattern as before.
Srrrrrr-
The sand composing the girl was leaking out.
However, the difference this time was-
It no longer altered the girl's form.
The difference between collapse and shedding.
The essence forming the girl's core was no longer that sand.
The girl's body, gradually shedding the sand, looked like something purifying impurities.
Like a transparent bottle.
That emptiness seemed so pure it could reflect anything perfectly.
And hold anything within.
It stood in stark contrast to the void filling the space.
Oh dear.
Dangaleon was helplessly drawn in by that small, sturdy hand.
The girl glared fiercely at the fireball in her hand.
Her eyebrows, now fully regaining their spirited vigor, seemed to pierce the fireball like needles.
The grayish-white fireball, engulfed in black flames, was slowly being cleansed.
Dangaleon's body gradually regained its original color.
Nod!
Nod!
The transparent girl nodded vigorously.
She rubbed against the pure white beam shining down from above.
As if agreeing with Dangaleon's words.
At that moment.
Dangaleon realized.
That pure white beam wasn't descending from above.
It hadn't pierced the void from the outside to reach them.
It was blooming from the spirit girl's inner self.
The girl spirit hadn't fled from the void; she had confronted it.
By doing so, she completely shook off the void that had bound her and fully accepted her new fate.
The one that had already taken root within her.
The grayish-white fireball began to burn even more fiercely.
Tatadak-
Tadak-
The black flames clinging to Dangaleon's body-
And even the gray hues that formed its body.
All of it began to burn away in the ferocious flames, as if it were mere stains.
The spirit girl added more strength to her touch with an even more spirited expression.
Dangaleon followed that touch.
He surrendered his body to all the sensations guiding him.
Then he could clearly feel it.
The sensation pulling him away from the origin of his existence.
The void's grasp binding him weakening bit by bit.
-Dangaleon! There you are!
Now even Dangaleon could hear it.
His voice.
His characteristic mischievous laughter tickled the fireball.
And then-
With the following words, the flames surged with greater force.
The spirit girl raised her small hands high.
The baby snake contained within the flames there-
Its scales turning black with stains- stretched its body with all its might.
Then, the stained scales peeled away, revealing a new transparent body.
-...
Likewise, the facial sphere contained with the flames.
The one twisted in pain closed its eyes calmly.
Then, from the vertically splitting sphere, a transparently sleeping bird emerged.
The flames cradling them in the girl's hand burst into laughter.
The surging flames boldly invaded the void's domain without hesitation.
It was provocative, like taunting a beast.
Thud!
At that instant.
A massive wave emanated from beyond the void's abyss.
Shaaaaaaa-
It spread throughout the entire space, surging toward them.
Crack-
The void split open.
Splitting and splitting again, creating countless fissures.
They were eyes.
Innumerable eyes.
Some among them were beings who once stood shoulder to shoulder with Ber's group.
No, beings who lorded over them.
Zzzt-
Crackle-
Splatter!
The void touching the flames tore open greedily, like the maw of a starving beast.
Beyond the thread-like gaps in the void, a burning world unfolded.
That too was an eye.
The Immortal Overlord.
The being standing above all demons.
The first creation of the void.
The great demon "Terror" gazed upon them.
Wooooong-
Darkness within the void took form and roared.
The flames illuminated its shape-
The tip of a colossal hand- a mere fraction of it- revealed itself.
Terror's words rang true.
Before that gigantic form, Dangaleon's flames seemed like a paltry spark fallen from a fingertip.
The tearing voice seemed to shred the flames to pieces.
Terror uttered that insignificant name.
The burning black flame Dangaleon-
Like crushing a worm, the colossal hand advancing toward the fingertip recoiled.
The flames leaped onto the darkness escaping the void's embrace.
Transparent pure white flames.
Roarrrrr!!!
The flames soared high.
A gigantic pillar of pure white flame manifested within the void.
Terror tried to shake off the flames clinging to its fingertip.
But the darkness was merely kindling for it.
The pure white flames spread instantaneously along the darkness.
The dark giant that revealed itself let out a tearing scream.
Roarrrrr!
Even that hideous sound was engulfed by the white flames climbing upward.
The pure white flames rising above the spirit girl's hands vaguely resembled a single sword.
The pure white bird flew up, honing the blade.
The pure white snake coiled around, forming the hilt.
The pure white sword thus formed-
The pure white girl gripped firmly.
The form of the sword.
The stance holding the sword.
The girl was imitating someone.
And it was exceedingly effective.
Wooooooong-
A resonance began to spread even in the void space devoid of air to carry sound.
Along with the light blooming from the sword in the girl's grasp.
A wave of pure white surged through the void.
The darkness hidden within was swept away without even a scream.
Thud!
At that moment.
Another wave rose from beyond the void's abyss.
The pure white advance was halted.
Before long.
Ber's group was once again isolated within the void.
Only a single beam of pure white was their permitted space.
Though they had purified countless darknesses, no joy came.
The spirits groaned in pain under the onslaught of the colossal will.
The spirits, who had freely extended their energy, were repelled by the void's will and gathered back to the girl.
For a moment.
The light dimmed.
The void's will.
The fear and pain it evoked sought to pull their origins back once more.
The girl struggled like the other spirits, but her spirited momentum remained unbroken.
She furrowed her brows even sharper.
She puffed up her small body greatly and advanced forward.
She confronted the overwhelming void's will.
Thus drawing even closer to the guiding touch.
It was the moment the void's will sought to mercilessly crush the defenseless girl's body.
The girl's sharp brows softened gently.
She hurriedly moved her fully puffed-up small body.
Circling around the beam of light-
She hid behind the man who had now appeared.
Rishir.
His blue eyes wandered through the endless void before fixing on a single point.
As if he had turned that place upside down and found something.
Rishir's mouth opened slightly, then closed again.
He pondered his words for a while.
And finally.
Rishir spoke.
"So. What happens now?"
Gazing clearly at that point in the void.
Rumble rumble rumble-
The steadfast world of the void shook violently.
Saaaaaa-
It was a sound coming from somewhere.
To the ear, it sounded like an ominous whisper.
Or like a strand of darkness rustling through bushes approaching.
With that sound-
Councilor proxy Fienne's mind flickered.
She desperately grasped her melting mind, like loose oil paint, trying to assess the situation.
'I definitely-'
An inexplicable ominous energy was gathering in Bondales.
As councilor proxy and Rishir's proxy, she had rallied people to cope with the crisis.
And now-
"...!"
She stood in a dark, foul-smelling back alley.
The confusion didn't last long.
"Ah-"
Fienne's mind quickly accepted the situation.
Of course.
It was all too familiar to her.
Before Fienne became a True Ancestor.
When she was nothing but an orphan.
Her haunt was such back alleys.
Her daily life was a continuous struggle to survive in dark, stinking back alleys.
Slap!
A rough sound rang out as she was lost in thought.
Her cheek burned.
Orphan Fienne's small body tumbled across the ground.
Her only ragged clothes became covered in filth.
'If I don't find a warm place tonight, I might get fever again...'
The sudden thought overlaid her ongoing reverie.
Thus-
Orphan Fienne faced the 'reality' before her eyes.
"You beggar bitch, how dare you touch our shop's goods!!!"
The girl followed the man's gaze to her side.
A bread lay there.
Originally hard and crude, now rolling on the ground, it was covered in filth.
"...Gulp."
The girl unwittingly swallowed at the sight of that bread.
"You've been stealing our display breads the past few days too, you damn thief bitch! That's over now!"
"Eek!"
The man's brutish hand seized the girl's arm.
Her small body lost balance and tumbled again.
Regardless, the man dragged her across the ground and advanced without hesitation.
"N-No! If the guards catch me once more, they said they'll really lock me up...!!!"
The girl cried out, alternating glances between the receding bread and the man.
"..."
At that sight.
The man's eyes wavered.
That was when it happened.
Shaaaaaa-
They didn't notice.
Like a beast parting bushes-
A strand of darkness brushing past the man's eyes.
The man's faintly wavering eyes took on a vile gleam.
"Jail? You think you'll really go to jail?"
"Yes!? You won't send me to jail!?"
"I know folks who'll take trash like you if they pay the price. You thief bitch. You gotta pay properly for the bread you stole!"
The young girl couldn't understand the man's words.
But one thing.
She knew something very bad was about to happen to her.
"Ah...! Sorry!!! Forgive me!!! Please, spare me! If I beg for a few days, I can pay for the bread!!! Th-the adults who came recently took my spot- please forgive me...!!!"
The girl didn't know the exact price she had to pay.
Of course not, since this was her first time stealing bread.
The area she usually begged in had been taken by some adults.
For a few days, extreme hunger had driven her to this.
"Too late. Too late. You thief bitch. You'll pay the price."
The man muttered without even looking at the girl.
As if justifying his actions.
"N-Nooo!!!"
Sensing something off, the girl began to struggle.
"You bitch-"
The man raised his hand to slap her cheek, then shifted to kick her stomach.
"Urk!"
Geeek-
Her empty stomach churned.
A disgusting bitterness filled her mouth.
Mingled with the foul taste of blood.
At that moment.
Saaaaaa-
A strand of darkness brushed past the girl's eyes.
The path the darkness passed gradually turned red.
Thump!
The girl felt an inexplicable desire.
The bread she had so desperately wanted no longer came to mind.
Blood.
She wanted to tear the man's body apart and smear his blood all over herself.
"..."
Just as the girl reached out toward the man.
"Want that to eat?"
"...Huh?"
The girl startled and looked around.
Before she knew it, she had left the dark alley and stood in a bustling market street full of life.
"Over here?"
"Yes? Ah! Yes, sir! What can I help you with!?"
"Looking to buy some bread-"
The girl turned to look up at the man standing beside her.
"..."
He had a noble appearance mismatched with his modest demeanor.
He lowered his stance to meet the girl's eyes.
"What do you want to eat?"
He asked with a gentle smile.
"..."
Wooooong-
A ray of light descended into the girl's eyes.
Saaaaaa-
It was a sound coming from somewhere.
To the ear, it sounded like an ominous whisper.
Or like a strand of darkness rustling through bushes approaching.
With that sound-
Forest mage Pamon's mind flickered.
She desperately grasped her tangling mind, like vines, trying to assess the situation.
'I definitely-'
Then.
A ragged breath rose from deep in her chest.
"Sniff...!"
Her nose and eyes stung.
She was a young dark elf girl, still in the midst of puberty.
She sat slumped against a tree, swallowing sobs.
"Ah-"
Pamon's mind quickly accepted the situation.
Of course.
It was a terribly familiar situation to her.
Pamon unconsciously looked down beside her.
There, a cat was suffering, shedding bloody tears from wounded eyes.
"Sorry, sorry... because of me-"
The muttered soliloquy overlaid her ongoing reverie.
Thus-
The cursed dark elf Pamon confronted the 'reality' before her eyes.
At that moment.
The cat began gasping, on the verge of death.
"No-...!"
It was the moment the dark elf desperately tried to hold the small animal.
"Eh...?"
Her gaze slowly rose upward.
"Human..."
The dark elf's voice trembled.
With fear.
And resentment.
Shaaa-
Just as a strand of darkness was about to settle in the dark elf's eyes.
The human's gaze turned toward the dark elf.
"You, can you see me?"
He had a noble appearance mismatched with his modest demeanor.
He looked at the dark elf girl with a startled expression.
That shocked face somehow felt playful.