Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: The Starting Point of the Waves
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As soon as I heard Hagen's request, I woke from the dream and returned to reality.
Just by blinking once, a massive chain forged from mana was hurtling toward me.
Charrurruk—.
"...What a hassle you're making me go through."
In truth, once this affair was over, I had planned to sever ties with both Kanggradra and Kanggret.
That was why I had accompanied them on this campaign, yet now he was suddenly asking me to take them somewhere safe?
Kaang!
I blocked Hagen's chain with my sword.
The force pressing down on me was so immense it rivaled the monsters from the upper floors of the tower in my previous life.
This put him on par with the Apostles—or perhaps even stronger than the ones I had faced.
It was proof of just how formidable the power of forbidden 10th-circle magic truly was.
'Damn bastard.'
One moment he's telling me to flee with Kanggret, and now this.
Now he was trying to kill me?
'Should've kept your damn request to yourself.'
Moreover, his attacks weren't just powerful—they were devastatingly wide-ranging. If I failed to block one properly, the Strange Family knights inside the castle with me could take the brunt of it.
'Can't let that happen.'
If things went that way, our losses would be catastrophic.
We hadn't even finished off the Glazer Family's main forces yet. If they crumbled because of Hagen alone, this operation would be as good as a failure.
'No.'
It wouldn't just be the operation—this war itself could swing in their favor.
"Hoo—"
And while I had been unconscious, who knew what had transpired? Kanggret and Kanggradra were up there on the ramparts with Hagen.
They looked like caterpillars preparing to pupate, their entire bodies encased in mana threads like cocoons.
I suspected Hagen had captured them and forced them into that state.
Kwaang!
Eight spider-like legs came flying at me in sequence.
I dodged his attacks as best I could, watching for openings, and blocked the unavoidable ones to gauge his reactions.
'I see.'
The chains from the left were lighter than those from the right.
That meant the mana core was biased toward one side.
Charrurruk!
Another mana chain whipped toward me.
Compared to the heavy ones from the right, the left-side chain was light enough to deflect with aura alone, without even drawing my sword.
Kwang!
"...As I thought."
I caught Hagen's mana chain in my palm, then swung a mana-infused sword at its midpoint to try severing it.
Kaang!
But the result defied my expectations.
Mana clashing against mana should have come down to raw durability with no special reactions—yet the chain didn't snap. Not even a scratch.
Charrurruk!
I still hadn't unraveled the mystery when the next chain came hurtling at terrifying speed.
Kwaang!
It hit with the force of a boulder tumbling off a cliff.
A mere swing gouged deep into the ground, leaving chain marks behind.
'Damn it.'
I wanted to close in on Hagen, but there were too many chains to fend off. They came from unpredictable angles at varying speeds, making it impossible to charge recklessly.
'What to do...'
I pondered the puzzle for a while.
Then the answer came easily from right nearby.
"Kirururuk!"
Gridor, who had been waiting in the skies, let out a mighty cry.
As if he had been biding his time for this exact moment, he dove straight at Hagen.
Kurrung!
Folding his wings and slicing through the air, his descent roared like thunder.
Hagen noticed and sent four of his eight chains to intercept.
Kagang!
But Gridor seized them with his razor-sharp talons and tore at them with his beak.
Kang!
"You're as magnificent as ever."
A griffon—one of the few creatures in this world said to rival even gods.
"Kiruk!"
Like a raptor devouring a serpent, he began dominating the mana chains.
Thanks to him, a path to Hagen opened up for me.
Only four legs remained to oppose me now.
That meant I could ignore them and fight freely.
I turned my gaze to Kaifa and the knight order under his command.
They were frozen in terror, but when I raised my hand in the retreat signal, Kaifa finally snapped out of it.
He cautiously hoisted the Strange Family banner overhead and began quietly withdrawing from the castle grounds.
'Good.'
Once they were all clear, I could go all-out against him.
With Siegfried's power boiling inside me and the new realm I'd reached in this life—Lightning—I was certain I could take Hagen down.
'No, I will win definitively.'
With that conviction, I bought time until the knights escaped.
All to finish off Hagen—the continent's sole 10th-circle mage and head of the Glazer Family.
Deep within the towering waves lies a calm undercurrent.
This isn't mere talk of the sea—it's a metaphor pieced from human words to fathom my mind.
"Guardian God of the East, I have crossed into the mortal realm to honor our pact with you."
Hagen bowed respectfully toward the darkness.
No sooner had he finished than space tore open, revealing the face of a green dragon.
Sssuk—.
"I shall obey your will."
"I too believe that to glimpse the end of knowledge, one must return to the beginning. I pray you fulfill your desire as you wish."
"Yes, Lord of Night."
Lord of Night.
The entity that has ruled the night since the world's dawn.
In ages past, some called it 'good,' others 'evil.' Those who disagreed with both simply termed it 'god' in broad strokes, avoiding definition.
'However.'
All they knew of the Lord of Night was falsehood.
It was a being beyond good, evil, or god.
The scholars of this era, unable to grasp it with human might, coined the word 'dragon' to describe it.
Booong—Kaang!
A piercing metallic clang rang in Hagen's ears.
Turning his head skyward, he saw himself battling Berddin from another dimension.
"Why spare that one?"
"Not your choice?"
"...Who?"
The green dragon gave no reply.
It merely watched Berddin clashing with Hagen.
Hagen nodded faintly and whispered.
"As it must be, as we agreed. But Lord of Night, if I may be so bold as to ask one question?"
"Yes, but there's something I must know."
Hagen swept a hand over his face. His middle-aged features reverted to his youthful prime, blooming into a smile.
"Understood. It's a simple question, so even you, Lord of Night, should answer with ease."
The Lord of Night thrust its black eyes right up to Hagen's and spoke.
"...If, by some chance, the me in that world loses to this knight called Berddin, what happens then?"
"That's why I'm asking what happens if it does. The causality of that world is governed by the tower, not you, isn't it? Which means even this could go awry—"
Hagen extended his hand, cutting off the Lord of Night.
"Ah, is that so? Then if I deliberately lose this fight, the world won't perish. Hoo—What a relief! To find even this way to stop it."
The Lord of Night blinked, and thunder cracked through the darkness.
Kurrrung!
"Forgive me, but I've had a sudden change of heart."
"...Don't people say mages are fickle? Seems I'm the poster child."
Smiling, Hagen glanced at Kanggret beside him in the warped space, then extended both hands toward the Lord of Night's face, gathering intense mana and unleashing it.
"Take care of Kanggret, Berddin."
Kwaang!
[Take care of Kanggret, Berddin.]
Hagen's voice suddenly echoed in my ear.
He was clearly atop the castle, thrashing about to kill me.
Why was I hearing this voice again?
As doubt filled me, Siegfried within my body spoke up.
"Berddin, that guy's no human."
"No human?"
"Yeah, he reeks of the outer realm—like me."
"The outer realm?"
Wait a minute.
The outer realm is where souls wander.
Did that mean Hagen was already dead?
I channeled aura into my eyes and looked at him.
Only then did I grasp what my master meant by the outer realm's scent.
His body was either being puppeted by someone, or his soul had fled in a mental rampage.
'Or.'
If not, it was likely the work of those closest to gods in my knowledge—the Apostles.
"Doesn't matter."
Whatever he was, I just needed to kill Hagen.
Confirming the knights had fully evacuated the castle grounds, I infused Lightning into both hands.
Sssususu.
Then I activated the artifact gleaming at my throat—Talisman Darkstar—releasing all my power in one go.
'I'll get Kanggret to safety, Hagen.'
So you keep your word to me too.
This wasn't just a pact between us—it was the future of Glazer and Strange.
The dawn of a new history for this continent.
"...Let's go, Master."
Pat!