Chapter 222: The End – Avatar Dam (3)
Chapter 222: The End – Avatar Dam (3)
I opened my eyes to a cacophony of noise.
My last memory was of everything failing and me collapsing.
Judging by how faintly my mana had returned, not much time seemed to have passed, but that final memory was so horrific it felt like an eternity.
In just a few minutes, Dam had slaughtered the strongest warriors of the Demon Train.
With everyone fallen, all that remained was for that being to reach The Core.
Praying that I wasn't waking up to the worst-case scenario, I forced myself up and opened my eyes.
And then, an unbelievable sight met my gaze.
…Why is that thing here?
Countless Mosaic Beasts filled my vision.
And there stood the Shadow Keeper, wielding a spear far larger than the one I had seen before.
What on earth was happening?
Was I dreaming?
Despite the urgent situation where Dam was still alive and moving, the scene was so bizarre that I felt like I was losing my mind.
I spent about ten seconds in denial.
Soon, I snapped out of it and quickly scanned my surroundings to assess the situation.
The Core.
It was obscured by the swarm of Mosaic Creatures, but seeing how they were stacked like a wall to block the way, I assumed The Core was safe for now.
Then, what about my allies, like Al’shel and Grix?
My last memory was of them rupturing and burning from the inside. I had braced myself for the possibility that not even their remains would be left, and I turned my head with a heavy heart.
Once again, I found myself thinking, Is this a dream?
They were indeed burning. However, they weren't being consumed.
Mosaic Beasts surrounded the three figures burning with golden light. Just as they did when devouring a halo, the beasts distorted their bodies, opened their maws, and swallowed… something.
At first, I thought they were tearing at the corpses, and I tried to move to drive them away.
But as I crawled closer, I realized that what they were swallowing was only the golden flames.
Even though they took the entire body into their mouths, the physical form would simply tumble back out of the mosaic.
Of course, the Mosaic Beasts that ate the golden flames didn't fare well either.
Golden light would burst through the cracks in their bodies, and they would explode and vanish. This cycle repeated, but they disappeared without leaving a single spark of golden fire behind.
Sacrificing an entire entity to extinguish a single spark the size of an eyeball was clearly a losing trade, but for them, it didn't seem to matter.
Their numbers were simply overwhelming.
No matter where I looked, there were beasts clinging to the walls of the Demon Train, swallowing the golden fire.
Even looking toward The Hole I had made in the distance, I could see something black wriggling.
And I only just noticed—the floor I was stepping on was also a collective of them.
Those forming the floor or acting as a wall to protect The Core seemed uninterested in the golden flames; they just rolled their eyes around without moving, making them hard to spot.
Was this proof they were being controlled?
Even the beasts tearing at the golden flames didn't fall into the catastrophe of cannibalism as they had when devouring the halo.
They took turns swallowing, one by one.
Orderly, even if it meant their own destruction.
Relieved about my allies and The Core, I turned my attention to the battle.
The two combatants facing off presented a study in total opposites.
Dam hardly moved, occasionally just swinging an arm.
In contrast, the Shadow Keeper was a blur of motion, leaping in all directions while wielding a spear and scythe.
The weapon became a spear when thrusting and a scythe when slashing. Swinging it, the Shadow Keeper carved into Dam at a speed my eyes could barely track.
Golden flames splattered everywhere, but any sparks scattered into the air were swallowed by Mosaic Beasts emerging from the void.
Whenever flames caught on the Shadow Keeper’s body, a Mosaic Beast would devour them, or the Shadow Keeper would simply tear off the affected part of their own form to deal with it.
It was a one-sided barrage.
Based on movement alone, the Shadow Keeper seemed to have the upper hand, but looking closer, I noticed something strange.
The Hole in Dam’s chest was closing.
That was definitely The Hole I had punched through him.
Compared to how the parts the Shadow Keeper cut away were instantly restored, it was odd that The Hole remained at all, but it was slowly filling in.
What would happen if that hole was fully repaired?
Would he return to that state where he couldn't be interfered with?
Could the Shadow Keeper even fight him then?
Right now, the Shadow Keeper was using sheer numbers to press The Enemy in a war of attrition.
Since the number of Mosaic Beasts seemed virtually infinite, the battle could theoretically go on forever.
But if something happened once that hole was mended…
Wouldn't The Scales of the battle tip?
Even so, I couldn't rashly step in to help the Shadow Keeper.
Hadn't Al’shel said it? That thing is a predator that can't even be reasoned with.
Wouldn't that creature try to devour The Core just like Dam?
So, what was my choice?
Was there a way to crush them both?
As I agonized over this, I reached for my hammer and tried to lift my arm.
“Hey. Instead of worrying about stabbing someone else in the back, why don't you worry about yourself?”
A voice like cracking glass reached my ears.
It sounded as if countless shards of glass were shattering simultaneously to mimic a human voice.
I turned to my right. A bizarre creature was sitting there.
From the neck down, it looked exactly like a Mosaic Beast.
However, from deep inside the wide-open throat of the beast, the Shadow Keeper’s face poked out and spoke to me.
“Right. You can hear me fine. It’s been a while since I descended into the material world, so forgive me if my voice sounds a bit weird.”
…The method of appearance and the form are grotesque, and it’s a telepath too.
I could have communicated through thought alone, but that wasn't my style.
“What do you want?”
My voice crawled out of my throat, sounding like parched, cracked earth.
It was distorted to the point where it didn't even sound like my own.
“Hmm. Personally, I don't want anything specific. I’ve already taken what I needed to take.”
“What does that mean?”
Then why are you still here?
“I came to nibble on that being from The End, and I’ve had a sufficient meal. I’m only staying here out of friendship.”
Friendship, my foot. Weren't you two just trying to eat each other?
“Did you and I have a relationship that could be called friendship?”
“Not you. The Green Sun.”
“…Who?”
“I don't know the name; it changes every time. But haven't you seen a glowing green psycho? They should be on the Demon Train.”
No, I know who you mean, but…
I’m saying this because the current situation is so out of the blue.
The Shadow Keeper I met by chance and Zess know each other?
These two, who have absolutely no connection?
“Ah, so they’re called Zess now. Guess they still haven't dropped that 'Z' aesthetic. And as for having no connection—the Sun and the Shadow. Aren't they two sides of the same coin?”
If the Shadow and the Sun know each other, then my Former Subordinate idling away in the Soviet Union probably knows Zess too. That would be more convincing than two beings who met by chance in the Otherworld knowing each other.
“Haha, do you really think it was a coincidence? Someone probably wrote the script in advance. Starting from when you fell into my trap. Honestly, you should have been suspicious back then. Though it doesn't seem like a perfect script. I actually thought Zess would have gone berserk and blown everything away by now.”
“…What are you talking about?”
A script?
Even Al’shel hadn't anticipated encountering the Demon Train. Who could have?
“Who knows? This is all I can tell you. Find out the rest for yourself. It’s starting to get dangerous for me too.”
At those words, I looked back at the battle between the Shadow Keeper and Dam.
While we were talking, The Hole in Dam’s chest had narrowed even further.
Accordingly, Dam’s movements were getting faster, and the golden flames began to bloom even more widely across the area.
The rate at which the Mosaic Beasts were being sacrificed accelerated.
Even the body of the Shadow Keeper, swinging the spear and scythe, began to slowly char.
“Tch, the compatibility is bad after all. If this weren't the material world, I could just bestow mortality directly. Ha, to think I’m struggling like this against an Avatar, not even the Main Body.”
…What is 'mortality' now?
“Why are you talking like it’s someone else’s problem? Go and call Zess already. I can just run away if it gets dangerous, but you guys can't, right?”
“I called her long before the fight started. She’ll probably be here soon. So, spill some info about mortality.”
This might be a chance to extract information about The End.
Since the Shadow Keeper was a being capable of opposing The End, they seemed to have no hesitation in speaking of it.
“It’s not that complicated. It literally means the absence of erasure, death, or loss. In other words, there is no 'end' for a being of The End. The same goes for an Avatar that descended normally through a Pillar.”
Well, I already don't understand.
Still, if I tucked it away in a corner of my memory, someone would eventually interpret it for me.
“Then what does it mean to bestow mortality?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like: giving an 'end' to a being of The End. You either have to be overwhelmingly stronger than the target, or use the world’s… hmm. I shouldn't tell you this. Someone even worse than that guy might come down. I’ll tell you just one thing. Zess can bestow mortality on that thing within the world of the Demon Train. Ah, but that’s for the Main Body. For an Avatar, it depends on the total energy provided by the Pillar or the terms of the contract… but that one happens to be Dam, who ignores contracts and burns everything to fill its energy.”
I see.
It was surprisingly easy to understand, so I steadied my heart and asked one last question.
“Then how did my attack work? According to you, it should have been nearly impossible to even inflict damage.”
My full-power attack had definitely landed.
It had punched a hole in Dam’s body, and even now, he was so distracted by it that he couldn't focus entirely on the battle.
“It’s about the presence of 'qualification.' Well, even with qualification, it would be difficult without power and will.”
“What is this qualification?”
“Hey, do I look like Zess to you? You think I’ll answer everything just because you ask? I don't mind leaving right now, you know?”
Tch.
I thought I could draw out more.
Is this the limit?
I had no choice but to give up and spoke the words I had been holding in my mouth.
“Zess. You’re watching, right? Come out.”
“Huh? Wait. What?”
Along with the Shadow Keeper’s bewildered voice…
“How did you know?”
Zess’s relaxed voice came from my left.
Accompanied by a warm heat.
“There’s no way you’d miss out on watching a fight. You must have been spectating from some point.”
Yes.
I didn't know exactly when, but Zess had definitely been there.
She was that kind of person.
“You heard the conversation?”
“Mm. Yeah, I just need to bestow an 'end' on that Avatar, right?”
“Yeah, you green lunatic. And while you’re at it, take care of it for me. I’m going home.”
The Shadow Keeper let out a sigh of relief at Zess’s appearance, but…
“I don't want to.”
Zess replied to the Shadow Keeper in a sly voice.
“Hey. What are you talking about all of a sudden? Are you going to side with them again?”
“As if. I just don't want to draw their attention. I’m going to live in peace.”
“Oh, please. You think you’ll sleep well after sacrificing all these kids to live in peace?”
The two of them spoke in a way I couldn't understand at all, as if they really were old friends.
I thought things had improved since entering the Demon Train, but the Otherworld was still the Otherworld.
Things I couldn't comprehend just kept piling up.
“Ah, who said I wouldn't bring about The End? The bestowal was finished long ago.”
“What?”
At those words, both the Shadow Keeper and I looked at Dam, but nothing had significantly changed.
The moment we turned our heads and our gaze fell away from Zess, her voice continued.
“What I meant by 'I won't do it' is that I won't be the one to personally end Dam. After all, isn't there someone more suited to see this story to its end?”
That voice came from right behind my back.
Zess, who had been on my left, had moved behind me in an instant.
And then, I felt a warm heat.
“Pour in all your strength. Lee Ha-ram.”
She placed her hands on both of my shoulders.
Boom.
Mana exploded.
My insides began to boil with heat.
More mana than I had ever possessed, even at my peak.
Through Zess’s fire, it was burning within me.
My reason began to numb from the overflowing mana and heat.
In my right hand, which was now made of fire, I gripped The Hammer.
Gr-gr-gr-gr-gr-grind.
An engine sound, unlike any I had ever heard, roared.
It spun so violently that the axle seemed broken, grinding away at the nearby metal.
Mana became power, and that power became pure force.
Psssssssh.
In the midst of it, steam scalding from The Hammer sprayed over my body.
Normally, I would have found it painfully hot, but now it felt almost cool.
It must have been because my body temperature was even higher.
“As expected, the compatibility is great.”
I heard Zess’s voice, but I didn't have enough sanity left to think deeply about it.
There was only one thing I could think of.
Defeating that golden flame before my eyes.
“That’s right, erase that yellow guy. How dare fire fall in a place where the Sun resides? I haven't liked them for a long time, and they got summoned at just the right moment.”
With those words as a trigger, The Hammer began to transform.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Just like its lance form, metal extended to wrap around my right arm.
The Hammer itself actually shrank in size.
With gold trim and a silver glow.
It took the form of a most basic hammer.
However, there was a difference.
The color of the metal was faded, and the outer casing had fallen away to reveal the machinery inside.
The counterweight or the symmetrical head on the opposite side was half-sheared off, crackling and spitting sparks.
Despite that, The Hammer’s engine roar grew even louder.
The heat circulating through my body rose to my head, and everything else vanished.
In a world where only I, The Hammer, and the golden fire remained…
Boom.
I kicked off the ground.
I didn't care about the collateral damage.
I couldn't see it. I couldn't feel it.
I simply surrendered to instinct and charged forward.
It wasn't a long distance, but it felt like I had been charging for an eternity.
In the process, my legs gave way.
Fire and light surged to fill the void.
The same happened to my left arm, which wasn't even involved in the attack.
Then, the world lost its light.
Because of that, the golden flame, the only thing with color, stood out even more clearly.
All my senses were paralyzed, leaving only the sensation of my right arm connected to The Hammer. The moment I reached him…
【…Interesting.】
Dam looked at me clearly for the first time and spoke with a voice that carried intelligence.
【My hunger has subsided. Come.】
He reached out his hand.
I thrust my right hand forward, which seemed to lag behind my body.
Stopping my charge, I funneled all my remaining strength into The Hammer and swung.
The simplest attack: a downward strike from above.
Perhaps because of the height difference.
Even though Dam reached out and I struck from above.
The two collided.
Thump.
A massive recoil shook my body.
Simultaneously with a reaction that made it impossible to believe I had struck a formless flame.
And then, our attacks stopped.
As if our forces had canceled each other out, locked in a stalemate.
Grin.
The flame—no, I smiled.
As if we both thought we had won.
A symmetrical situation where both attacks had halted.
If so, wouldn't my specialty shine through?
【Ignition】
At the same time as the voice echoed from deep within me, a distorted booster manifested at the sheared-off back of The Hammer.
It spewed green fire.
Boom.
With an explosion that couldn't be heard.
The golden light before my eyes shattered into pieces.
Watching the scattering sparks, I quietly closed my eyes.