Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Sadarkelia, The End of Dragons (1)
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Sadarkelia was feeling threatened by this inexplicable situation.
All great demons, just like the heavenly deities, possess domains of their own. Mummto’s “Death,” Tyban’s “Destruction,” Urkasia’s “Plague”—in the same way, Sadarkelia governs “Madness.”
Thus, her presence carries the curse of madness. From the synergy of her petrifying evil eye and mad aura to the overwhelming mana that could freeze even time itself once she regained all her power.
Therefore, mere mortals—even quasi-gods who bloom with divinity—cannot resist her madness. However.
[Why?]
Fernandez continued glaring at Sadarkelia with cold eyes. Not a shred of confusion or madness could be felt—a gaze honed sharp and cool, invading Sadarkelia’s mind. And moreover.
-Ting.
That sound. Every time she tried to assert her presence, that clear koto note rang out, dismantling her madness. It erased her presence, trampling her domain underfoot.
Impossible. Even with divinity, the stature was lacking. Stature is the sediment that accumulates in the soul in proportion to experience and time. No mere mortal in his early twenties—even accounting for his previous life, not even a century—could surpass her own stature, forged over two thousand years blooming amid hell’s mana! Her madness!
[Your domain... I see. So that’s it! You sacrificed all your other possibilities just to stand against Sadarkelia!]
A sudden realization flashed through her mind. Just as heavenly deities do, just as hell’s great demons do—once one begins accumulating divinity, they inevitably develop their own unique domain.
The unique divinity this mortal had chosen solely to resist Sadarkelia’s madness...
[Reason!]
Sadarkelia hissed and shrieked.
* * *
While Sadarkelia thrashed about in impotent rage on her own, Fernandez watched her and swiftly reviewed his strategy.
‘Crank the output higher.’
-Consider the overload. This is the best we can do.
‘The best isn’t good enough. Overload? Has there ever been anything more excessive in the burdens of our life?’
-You’re really ready to abandon being human entirely. I don’t like it.
Feizashi grumbled as he flicked his hand. Soon, one of the runeglyphs etched across Fernandez’s back burned away. Agonizing pain shook his skull. Yet his coldly tempered reason remained focused solely—and wholly—on the goal.
-Zzzzt!
The runeglyph tattoos twisted like interlocking gears. And at the same moment, blue lightning crackled from both legs.
-Sleipnir, ready.
‘Think of it as the adaptation phase. Let’s go.’
-Tch.
The flesh of a Religiosa Demonica guarantees peak performance from a human body. Yet limits exist—innate limits. A body flowing with divinity cannot harbor mana.
A growth ceiling that plagues all mortals. A priest cannot move like a swordsman at their peak. A priest cannot become a great mage. It was a penalty Fernandez had accepted upon choosing to become Demonica.
However, those limits stem from the innate constraints of “human flesh.” And mages are a breed that always knows how to toy with the world’s restrictions. Fernandez stomped the ground lightly with a thud.
Sleipnir. Odin’s war steed. The eight-legged horse that treads the winds. The runeglyph embodying it blazed—
-Krrrrsh!
Electricity surged from both legs, and Fernandez’s body—stepping in place for a split second—shot forward like a bullet from a Thunderthrower. A speed even Kirhas couldn’t track, leaving only afterimages!
-Thud thud thud thud!
The sound of hooves pounding the earth raced up Sadarkelia’s torso. Amid speed transcending perception, Fernandez instinctively took the next step, then the next.
-Shing.
The greatsword gripped in his hand let out a chill ring. The clashing wind resistance felt like being pummeled by a troll. No more acceleration—it was too risky. Fernandez twisted his body midair, rebounding himself to evade Sadarkelia’s strike.
[You’ve gained divinity, and even... donned the flesh of the Aesir!]
“Your guess is late.”
Fernandez smirked and twisted his waist in midair. A single blow carrying his full momentum slashed deep into Sadarkelia’s forearm.
-CRACK!
Blood sprayed, and steel-like scales shattered and scattered. Sadarkelia screamed and yanked her arm back. As she turned to launch the next attack, Fernandez was already gone.
[You filthy fly!]
Sadarkelia craned her neck high, swiftly scanning Yggdrasil’s crown. Amid the burning branches, Fernandez stood tall, glaring down at her.
[Freeze! Crumble!]
If she unleashed her full power, she could petrify even time itself—but her spell now focused on one target alone. Her massive red eyes locked onto Fernandez, and soon, the incantation knotted in her gaze.
‘Release Sleipnir. Assist with calculations!’
-Turn the spell to Gleipnir—ready. You assist me.
-Zzzzt!
Another runeglyph twisted on Fernandez’s back, and the electricity lingering in his legs dispersed. His hands clenched the air like grasping claws, and soon six arms extended from his back in all directions, each forming different mudras.
Gleipnir. The unbreakable chain. Chains fundamentally bind object to object—and in modern magecraft, chains signify linkages between spells.
One mudra, then another, then yet another. The gestures stabbed the air like crashing waves, stabbing again, until they tore it asunder!
-Krrrrunch!
Mana-woven chains latched onto Sadarkelia’s spell. If named, it would be the Ritual of Domination! Even a spell cast by a great demon must adhere to the conditions of magecraft if it takes magical form.
Magecraft’s structure is the law of the entire world, descending from the First Realm. Even Sadarkelia’s unique spells cannot escape it. And magic with a specific rhythm can always be countered.
Anything beyond falls into the realm of difficulty! Amid the boiling in his skull, Fernandez maintained reason as cool as chiseling ice, forming mudras.
A counterspell of difficulty he could never achieve under normal circumstances. Countering a great demon’s signature spell was a feat near impossible for a human brain.
But now, it was possible. With the flesh of the Aesir, under Odin’s blessing!
-Krrrrunch!
The spell twisted, tore apart, and the petrification curse scattered in all directions. Frozen fire, ashes that wouldn’t fall, embalmed winds enveloped Yggdrasil—and in this moment, the only living beings were Sadarkelia and Fernandez. Just the two of them.
[You, mortal! You’ve inherited the one-eyed god’s power!]
“Is that all?”
The electricity sparking from Fernandez’s hands faded away. As the ritual shattered, another chunk of the densely packed runeglyphs on his back crumbled to nothing.
‘Remaining capacity?’
-The Aesir avatar form should hold for about five more minutes.
‘Enough. Switch to Gungnir for the spell.’
-I’ve already prepped it. Grab it.
-Krrrrsh!
With his left hand—the one not gripping the greatsword—he seized the air. Electricity flowed up his arm. A runeglyph twisted on his back—
-CRUNCH, CRUNCH, GRRRRIND!
The current coiling around his fist burned ever more fiercely, spinning wildly.
Gungnir, Odin’s spear. The god’s lightning that strikes true without fail blazed to life in his grasp.
[Enough of your tricks!]
-KABOOM!
Sadarkelia’s massive claws raked roughly over the spot where he stood. But nearly simultaneously, Fernandez leaped up, landing lightly on her forearm.
“Thanks for the footing!”
Then he charged. Up her arm, beyond Yggdrasil’s massive branches. Straight for Sadarkelia’s head!
Her petrifying evil eye needed time to cast again. Sadarkelia shook her arm violently to dislodge him. A height where a fall meant certain death—even for an Aesir.
-WHOOOOSH!
Fierce winds battered at Fernandez as if to hurl him away instantly. Running along a round, scale-covered forearm demanded superhuman balance. But Demonica were superhuman by default.
The flesh symbolizing the totality of human potential. And atop that, the senses of an Aesir surpassing human limits!
-Step!
He gripped the scales, steadied his balance, leaped into the air—
[Die! Die! Didn’t I tell you to die!!]
With the crimson sunset beyond the clouds as his backdrop, twilight rippling across the smoke-shrouded skies like a field.
-Aesir avatar at output limit now.
‘Enough!’
The god’s lightning plunged toward Sadarkelia’s head.
[-----!!!]
-KABOOOOOM!!
In that instant, Sadarkelia’s pupils dilated powerlessly. Gungnir at maximum output—runeglyphs shattered on Fernandez’s back, trailing afterimages along his plummeting path.
It wasn’t over yet. Power began returning to the great demon’s eyes. Gungnir’s strike was enough to wound even a great demon, but not to kill her.
A blow to quell her madness. For that final puzzle piece, a different approach was needed. Fernandez laid his limp left arm over the greatsword’s hilt. Gripping it with both hands, he plummeted toward her brow—
Turning his entire body into a projectile. Channeling speed and impact fully into the blade’s tip, he plunged down!
‘Ritual of Domination!’
-Ready! Brace yourself!
‘My resolve ended in my previous life!’
-KABOOOOOM!
The greatsword of King Dain. The indestructible dark steel that grinds through space carved a black arc into the serpent’s brow. The sword embodying mercy—humanity itself—tore through the great demon’s scales.
The ferocious impact shook Fernandez’s body as if to fling it away, but one more. There was still power to draw out.
Just over a year ago. In the Infermer crypts, as he had done to Abelsas’s skull!
-Shrrrrk!
Black chains slithered down his body, using the greatsword’s blade as a lightning rod to pierce the dragon’s scales, delving beneath. To the base of the skull, the brainstem. Straight to her soul—the honbaek forming the foundation of her spirit.
-Zzzzzt!
[------!!!]
Sadarkelia’s colossal body twitched, a silent scream echoing out. The ritual completed. From modern magecraft’s view, chains signify linkage.
Transcending flesh itself, soul to soul touched. Heartscapes mingling toward each other. Into that.
It drew Fernandez into Sadarkelia’s heartscape world.
-From here, you’re on your own.
‘What’re you talking about, Feizashi?’
Amid his blurring vision, Fernandez smiled.
‘We’re the god of reason right now. No irrational talk like that.’
-Hah.
With Feizashi’s chuckle as backdrop, Fernandez’s mind was sucked into Sadarkelia’s soul.