Chapter 442
Chapter 442
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 442
Chapter Title: The Star of the Hero
The ground shook from the colossal god's stomping foot.
Destel barely managed to dodge that strike—it was little short of a miracle. He scrambled up from the ground in a pathetic roll, hacking out the breath that had surged up to his throat.
"Hah, hah...!"
A massive crater in the earth. An enormous foot.
Lifting his gaze, there stood a giant god that seemed to scrape the heavens themselves. The colossal god looked down at Destel, but its gaze held no warmth whatsoever.
A gaze utterly devoid of mercy.
The eyes of something beholding an existence less than a bug.
But the moment that gaze shifted to Chloe standing behind Destel, a fierce blaze ignited in the colossal god's eyes. Letting out a guttural roar, it raised its foot once more. This time, not aiming for Destel, but for Chloe—it stomped down.
Kuooooong!
The earth trembled again.
Unlike Destel, who lost his balance and tumbled from the violent shockwave, Belnoa spat blood yet leaped away with Chloe on her back, evading the colossal god's stomp.
"......"
Destel watched the scene from where he had collapsed to the ground.
With bloodshot eyes, he tracked Belnoa leaping again and again, Chloe clutched in her arms chanting spells. And... the countless gods and giant trees targeting only them.
The gods' kicks, fists, and maces.
Roots bursting from the earth, whipping branches.
They assailed the two women without respite. Only the two of them. As if Destel didn't even exist there.
...Ah.
For a single moment.
Just a single moment, but Destel felt relief at that fact. Relief that he wasn't being targeted, that they had no interest in him. The instant he realized it, Destel bit his lip hard.
A wave of disgust crashed over him.
Amid that horrific self-loathing, Destel ground his teeth.
He pushed himself up with his hands and clutched his holy robe tightly. Praying desperately for it to lend him some kind of power, no matter what. But the robe still refused to respond to the coward Destel, who was no hero.
"Why, why, why...!"
A coward who could do nothing without borrowing others' strength, others' glory. Destel's face twisted. Still unable to stand, he lifted his head.
"......"
There, Belnoa leaped repeatedly, racing up the colossal god's arm. Belnoa barely evading attacks, Chloe clinging to her back. For a fleeting instant, Chloe and Destel's eyes met.
A moment that lasted one second, two seconds by the clock.
Destel wasted those two seconds in terror.
Chloe used those two seconds to judge.
To a coward, two seconds was but a blink. But to a hero, two seconds was enough time to decide—as proven when Chloe's lips parted.
We'll buy time.
Destel, please call for reinforcements.
The telepathic message echoed in Destel's ears.
Soon, Belnoa and Chloe vanished from Destel's sight. Only the thunderous booms of thud, kuung rang out in succession. Amid the deafening noise, Destel mulled over the telepathy that had rung in his ears.
...Call for reinforcements?
Destel's gaze slowly turned backward.
There was nothing behind him, and the colossal gods and giant trees still ignored him.
...If I circle around that way.
Could he call for reinforcements?
Loop around the great cavern, reach Raniel beyond or the superhumans entering from another direction, request aid—couldn't he escape this situation that way?
...Anything would be better than trembling like this.
Unable to make a proper judgment, without even convincing himself, Destel slowly rose. His body, rigid and unyielding when facing forward, moved all too smoothly when stepping back.
Step.
On the battlefield, Destel turned his back and took a step. Glancing over his shoulder, he began withdrawing from the field to call for support. Step for the second, step for the third.
"......"
Destel halted.
Stopping, he turned to look behind. There, Belnoa was precariously dodging the colossal gods and giant trees' attacks. He could see Chloe's spells weaving through the air.
...They'll buy time.
...Belnoa's dodges were clumsy.
Without giving her time to recover wounds or catch her breath, the enemies pressed her relentlessly. Scratches multiplied on Belnoa's body; sometimes she spat blood.
Buy... time...
Chloe's attacks were the same.
Spells fired without proper preparation could only inflict minor scratches on the gods. Deviate the trajectory of incoming roots by a little—that was all.
We'll buy time, so please call reinforcements.
Destel understood the true meaning of Chloe's words from moments ago. He'd heard them countless times on battlefields. Innumerable voices echoed in his ears.
"We'll hold here."
"Fall back and prepare for the next..."
"Go, Lord Destel. We believe you'll return with reinforcements. We are honored..."
"Retreat..."
"We'll buy time, so..."
All who said such things had died.
Those who left such words must have resolved themselves to death when they spoke them. Eyes resigned, or steeled with determination.
...He had always turned away.
...Fled while ignoring it.
Destel knew exactly what it meant when they said they'd buy time. He wasn't a fool, just a coward.
We'll sacrifice here, so you live. Live on our blood and advance.
Countless people had said as much to Destel.
Shedding blood, dying as they spoke.
And now, these juniors before his eyes said the same. Destel's final bastion crumbled. The vow, the conviction never to drink his juniors' blood, shattered.
What remained in the ruins was a pathetic human.
A single coward who had fled time and again.
A sneer curled on the coward's lips. He mocked himself. A coward who survived by drinking the radiant blood of others, hating himself for it. He loathed this self utterly.
It had been the same that day.
The day he became servile.
When he couldn't choose, agonizing over the given seconds, hesitating—she had chosen. Spoken to him thus.
"Flee, Lord Destel."
"We'll hold here."
1st Knight Commander Yorne.
That shining human had smiled as she said it. Even resolved to death, she smiled as if to reassure him.
"We'll buy time."
"Lord Destel, bring reinforcements."
It was the same now.
His junior, a mere child younger than him, told him to flee. With a bitter smile, as if it were truly okay.
They always chose.
He always fled without choosing.
This time too, must I flee?
The coward questioned himself.
Would he do it again?
Shove the choice onto others and survive? Live on servilely again, pointed at and mocked? Did he truly want to live that way?
"...Ha."
Destel let out a hollow laugh.
Twirl.
Yeah, you shitty bastards. That's exactly what I want.
I want to live that way. I want to live. Even mocked, even finger-pointed. Because I'm terrified of dying, because death is the end. I, I, from the start I...
Step.
I never wanted to be a hero.
Step.
My dream was to be an actor. Standing on stage, performing before crowds. Sometimes a clown, sometimes a prince, sometimes a merchant, sometimes, sometimes, sometimes...
"Fuck, damn it. Ah... really. Really...!"
I just wanted to live acting like that.
What the hell is a hero? Is staking your life that easy? Why, why do they die for me? Why shed blood to save me? Why leave me this heavy burden?
Step, step, step, step, step.
I don't know. I don't know a thing.
I don't know, but somehow survive, just survive, and one day achieve my dream...
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"
Why am I running?
"Uhaha, uhahahaha!"
Destel laughed. Laughed like a madman. Laughing, he ran not back, but forward. He looked half-insane with fear. Charging the colossal gods, Destel clutched the holy robe on his shoulder tightly.
"Imitate: Severing Berzerger."
A holy sword materialized in his hand.
The coward charged the gods sword in hand. Swung at colossal gods that ignored him. The moment long arcs of blood sprayed, the gods looked at Destel.
Look at me. Yeah, look at me.
Destel laughed. Laughing, he released the holy sword.
No fervor in the gods' eyes. Just brushing off an annoying bug, they swung their hands lightly.
"Imitate: Immortal Tritan."
Destel slammed down a great shield.
But the instant it met the god's fist, Destel's body flew into the air. He vomited a mouthful of blood. Rolling on the ground, he became filthy with dirt.
"Ha, haa, haha..."
Laughing, drooling blood-mixed spit.
Destel slowly rose. Clutching his trembling knee with one hand, the coward monologued.
Drinking his junior's blood.
Becoming servile again, fleeing and fleeing.
Surviving yet again that way.
Wouldn't that be too ugly, excessively so?
Every time he recalled those who bled for him, wouldn't he want to die? Just how far did he plan to fall?
"Haa..."
Destel exhaled deeply.
In an awkward half-standing, half-crouched pose. From there, he raised his hand. Lowered his head, lifted his hand before his eyes.
He clenched his raised fist tight.
Destel was still a coward. But terrified as he was, he chose to advance. Stepped forward. What he needed wasn't courage, pride, or resolve.
Those can't be borrowed.
What he could borrow now was the power to work miracles.
"Imitate... no, please."
This moment, Destel wasn't acting.
"Lend it once."
Because he acted nothing.
Choosing to advance as a coward, without borrowing anyone's power. Wishing to become a hero himself. Not turning from the coward self that had walked this path until now...
Thus, at last.
"Gallahal."
A constellation engraved on his holy robe—one that had never responded before—sparkled. A constellation that had once set. But shone more brilliantly than any other. That constellation answered Destel's call.
"The most heroic of heroes, Gallahal."
Destel's holy robe fluttered.
Light leaked from his clenched fist. With the torrent of leaking light, Destel opened eyes he had squeezed shut sometime before.
In his hand was the weapon that one had wielded.
The symbol he never let go until the end.
Clutching the star spear, Destel stood. By his own will. Bearing fear, Destel rose.
Stellar light overflowed.
2.
Stellar light overflowed.
The forgotten gods' heads turned at the fierce torrent of starlight. They beheld the glowing human. Even now, they could not ignore this human.
The gods' instincts rang alarms.
Eyes flashing, a forgotten god thrust its fist toward the shining human. Stomped its foot. Threw its body to crush him. To block that light.
But such things could not obscure it.
Shrieeeeeek!
A single beam of light pierced the gods' arms, torsos, feet, embedding somewhere. Where the light struck was beside the cornered Belnoa. Before Chloe's eyes.
"...Ah?"
Chloe's eyes widened.
Embedded before her was a brilliantly shining spear. A star spear glowing with starlight.
Flash.
With a blaze of light, someone appeared right beside the star spear.
Swirling dust. As it cleared, a single hero emerged. He turned back.
"Reinforcements."
Destel flashed an awkward smile.
"I brought them. Somehow."
Gripping the star spear, he surveyed his surroundings.
Encircled by countless gods. Ahead, blocking the path, writhed an ancient calamity. Still terrified, but Destel drew the star spear.
"An ignoble, frail human who trembles in fear yet fulfills his duty. Isn't that a fine tale? At least, that's what I think."
Recalling words from one who once gave their life for him. Her blood shed for him. The choice she made in his stead.
Destel opened his mouth.
This time, by his own will.
"Let's go."
Destel pointed ahead with the star spear.
"Beyond there."
This time, he wouldn't retreat.
This time, he'd become the hero they desired.
At least once.
Be a hero, not a servile coward.
Achieve a feat to see this power given him as blessing, not curse. Monologuing thus, Destel gazed beyond what blocked his path.
There stood the apostate.