Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Sadarkelia, The End of Dragons (2)
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-Shhhrrk.
What was that sound? Fernandez frowned in the pitch darkness. Shhk, shhhk. A sound like chains dragging across the ground, or metal clashing, echoed from all directions.
-Fwoosh.
Then, a torch flared to life in the distance. Only then did the surroundings dimly light up. Gold. Gold filled every direction.
Coins from some era, relics from another, jewels and treasures from yet more eras and worlds... An assortment of mismatched treasures stretched out everywhere.
-Clink.
From the hill-like piles of treasure centered around him, a single helmet rolled down with a clear ring. Beautifully engraved with gold, silver, and jewels, it seemed more for display than battle.
Fernandez bent down and picked up the helmet. It was an artwork depicting dragons and demons in intricate detail.
-Drip.
From the empty visor of the helmet, a trickle of blood flowed out, staining his hand. The same happened when he tossed it aside and picked up another treasure, then another relic.
Every artwork in this place was bleeding on its own. This massive hill of treasure, illuminated by torchlight, was oozing blood in proportion to its grandeur. Blood and gold flowed from everywhere.
"Beautiful, isn't it? That is your sin."
And up high, at the pinnacle of the treasure hill. A voice came from the enormous throne woven of gold and pure silver. Fernandez clenched his blood-soaked hand and looked up at her.
"Not confused, are you? This isn't your first time in a dragon's mental world. Who was it? Avelesas. That foolish wench's world?"
-Crash.
Sadarkelia, the woman resembling a serpent, swept her hand over the relics at her feet with a sinister smile. Blood smeared across her pale hand, staining it red.
"What was that wench's world like? Were there rows of preserved human souls? Tell me what was in that idiot's head."
"There were graves."
"Ha. Graves. Just like Avelesas. Did she dress them in burial shrouds and mourn? Sitting by the graves of those vermin she called her 'children,' cradling them forever? What an idiot."
-Boom!
As the serpent stomped her foot, some of the piled relics exploded with a thunderous roar. Amid the debris, a massive eye gleamed.
A huge, blazing red eye glared straight at Fernandez, hissing. From between the glowing pupils poured forth horrific madness, sticky and lethal madness.
[We are dragons! Atailatl, Lindwurm, Dragon—whatever you call us! We are the ruling race, and rulers only reign—they never become slaves to the lowly! That idiot Avelesas chose to become the basest serf herself! Swayed by humans like treasure? Sure, that can happen! But a dragon is never enslaved by treasure!]
-Boom! Kwang!
It was nothing short of a rampage. As the dragon thrashed about, the treasures piled everywhere crumbled and scattered. The dragon's massive body, slumbering beneath the jewels, fully revealed itself, and blood and gold cascaded down like a waterfall.
Fernandez stood silently in place, not even thinking to block, just watching her go mad. After a long while of panting and stomping, Sadarkelia paused and looked down at him.
[Have you come to kill Sadarkelia? To claim your petty glory by overcoming her? Look! Look at your hands!]
At her words, Fernandez glanced at his hands. Rough hands covered in smeared blood came into view.
[Behold your sins. Face your madness! See the slaughter you've piled up to survive! Judgment? Repentance? Did you do that? By what right does anyone judge anyone else! Those heavens? Even the gods of that pantheon—are they free of sin? Who, by what authority! Dares!]
-Kwaaaang!
Sadarkelia's frenzy grew ever larger. In the form of materialized rage, she bellowed with red eyes blazing and crimson flames dripping from her maw.
[Life inevitably consumes the death of others! Beings who have lived, killing as long as they've breathed. Before judging Sadarkelia's sins, face your own hypocrisy!]
-Kwaaaang!
Sadarkelia spewed flames toward the ceiling. The massive pillar of fire from her maw shattered the ceiling and scattered beyond the starry night sky far above.
A vast cavern, with a patch of night sky overhead. Sadarkelia screamed toward the night sky.
[I will destroy this world and all thousands of worlds' hypocrites, and erase every trace of them! Sadarkelia is the ultimate end of all things!]
-Thud!
Sadarkelia's forefoot slammed down before Fernandez's eyes. Beneath that foot, gold and jewels crumbled to powder under her talons.
[I will kill you and escape this place! Your efforts are meaningless, your will futile! Feizashi! Nightmare of the age! Filthy blood sorcerer! Chancellor of Kalmburg Magic Academy, envoy of the five kings... Leave your last words here!]
-Rumble!
Each time the dragon screamed, roared, and twisted her body, everything surrounding him shattered, warped, and bled. Enveloped in madness, the dragon lashed out with her tail, legs, and wings.
The world was collapsing. Fierce vibrations, pressure, and soul-scorching madness and rage squeezed Fernandez tight.
[I will savor your final traces! Crush you, trample you, devour you! After this, you will cease to exist, and everything you cherish will follow your path to oblivion!]
"You're afraid."
At Fernandez's cold words, Sadarkelia's body twitched and stiffened. Fernandez took one more step forward and spoke.
"What frightens you, dragon? Coercion failed, so persuasion, and now threats. Kill me and escape this place... It sounds like if you can't kill me, you'll live imprisoned here."
[...How dare you!!]
-Thud!
Beside Fernandez, a tail as thick as a Yggdrasil branch slammed the ground.
"Why act like you're sealed in your own mental realm? Ah... Haha. I see."
Mid-sentence, Fernandez let out a sudden chuckle. Even as Sadarkelia glared down with blazing eyes, his laughter didn't stop.
"Madness incarnate. You're sane, aren't you?"
[What nonsense!]
"The spirit realm... divinity's domain. To claim the domain of 'madness,' you sealed your own reason within your soul. You split your soul in two. Yes, the 'dream'... Magic. You conjured this entire mental world with magic."
Fernandez wiped the blood from his hand on his pants. The blood smeared realistically at length, but when he snapped his fingers, it burned black to ash and scattered.
"An illusion. So elaborate it fools even yourself. You sealed your reason and wrapped it in magic. To gain power... while avoiding the corruption of hellish mana stealing your soul. Very cunning. Extremely cunning..."
[Shut up!]
-Kwaaaang!
The dragon's thick forearm swung down as if to crush Fernandez instantly. But it merely raked the air before him and recoiled. Fierce momentum, yet the dragon couldn't actually touch him.
"You knew Loft and Bofin were using you. But to gain power, you willingly climbed onto Loft's operating table. Fed hellish mana via Bifrost, sealing your reason in the process... But you're clumsy."
[What do you mean!!]
"The spellwork is crude. You've neglected magical studies."
-Twang.
As a lyre string plucked, the gold enveloping Sadarkelia's body turned to ash and fluttered away. Even the black scales, mighty muscles, and bones forming her body disintegrated into ash one by one.
[You... you...]
"Just a hallucinatory barrier brute-forced with immense mana. The mana flow, auxiliary spells, and the caster's proficiency are all too low."
-Twang.
The gold melted, the cavern shook, and the domain expanded. The world trembled, the celestial sphere of the night sky began to rotate. Stars streaked like meteors, the moon slid, the sun rose, and light shone.
[Stop it!!]
"Your madness can't corrupt me, your mana can't hold me. Here, in this mental world, you can't physically harm me. So, what do you have left?"
[Eternity!!]
Sadarkelia staggered amid the spinning world and cried out. Even as her scales crumbled and muscles contracted, shrinking her body, her eyes still blazed with rage.
[Eternity remains! Even if I can't defeat you, it's more than enough to seal you here with me!! How long do you think your soul can maintain form here? Sadarkelia has guarded this place alone for thousands of years! You, mortal. Can you do that? Can you endure eons while keeping that vaunted reason of yours!]
"Let's see."
Fernandez drew his sword and thrust it into the ground. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he stood firm and closed his eyes.
Time here flows in a completely different sensation from the material world. Thousands of years here might be a mere instant there. Meaning, no matter how long he endured, how much he crumbled, what ages he weathered, or what state he ended in, his material body would bear no burden.
In contrast, mana and magic were free here. Sadarkelia held dominion over this entire mental world, but being able to use magic—and her proficiency being lower than expected—was to his advantage.
Thus, a battle of endurance. A protracted, endless magical war over control of this world. The great demon's will and mana versus his own. Whether he could wedge his mana spike into a gap, or if his will crumbled first.
[I will watch how long you last!]
"You as well. Let's see how long you endure."
Great demon's mana against human will. A gamble on which depletes first. Over vast ages, with lives as the stakes.
The kind where what he stood to gain outweighed what he risked. Fernandez didn't hate that sort of gamble.
* * *
[How much longer do we wait?]
"Oh, friend. Have patience!"
-Screee!
The hawk let out a long cry as if rebuking Thor. Thor grumbled from beneath the hawk's talons, peering down at the ground. Below, the Jotun and Helheim legions were locked in fierce combat with the demons.
Meanwhile, the man who had driven his sword into Jormungandr's head knelt on one knee, utterly still. Against the backdrop of burning Yggdrasil, the man and Jormungandr were frozen like stone.
[At this rate, those guys down there will all die before Jormungandr even wakes.]
The Jotun and Helheim forces advancing on Yggdrasil were gradually being pushed back in the battle against the demons. The demons poured out endlessly, and though the giant alliance had superior quality, they were outnumbered.
The moment Jormungandr opened its eyes, they'd be swept away for sure. Thor loosened his body as if ready to jump down at any moment, only to grumble at the hawk raising its talons each time.
"Calm yourself, friend. The climax is still far off."
[How much longer?]
"Until Fenrir tears out Jormungandr's throat."
[Why not us? Jormungandr isn't moving a muscle right now. We could just charge in.]
"That would only ruin everything we've set up. Jormungandr has prepared for a long time in many ways. Even ripping the head off that body now wouldn't deliver true death. Fenrir has to do it."
Loft slowly stroked the hawk's head as he spoke. Thor, lost in thought for a moment, soon nodded.
[What does a few more hours matter now? Just hope it's not too late. But... can that mortal pull it off?]
"Of course. With Bofin and me, plus the Holy Pantheon of Good Gods. Add the prowess he's built himself. Fenrir is stronger right now than any of us here. If he fails... the end coming for us is unavoidable."
[What a dependent stance.]
"Isn't death inherently dependent by nature? The living exist, so death does too. Haha."
Loft chuckled heartily.