Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Calamity
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「Me'od Atik
Extremely ancient
Atik Eved
An archaic kin
Kutz
Awakens
Hu Ai Gaon
Its boundless arrogance
Mahpekah Shavah
Shavah the calamity
Cheret El Lahav Mekhir
The price of Lahav within Cheret
Melekh Lahav ve-Nefesh
Sword Emperor and beastkin
Ve-Khamah Rekev
And the wrathful knight
Shavah Nefesh Makar Godel
O Godel who sold his soul to the devil
Tuv Cohen
O virtuous king
Elyon Khet Davar
The reason for sin
Khamah Lahat
Will explode in rage
Agagthur Pe Ehad Tus
Agagthur's maw will devour
Lakham
Fight
Harag
Kill
Ode Omek Or Naga Efes Lavah El
Down to the lava where light cannot reach
Ala Regel Pa'am
Enemy of the pilgrims
Elyon Khet Sharai
The seed of sin
Ode Zarah Lifnei
Before it spreads further」
Like a song passed down through generations from the bards of Godel, the name of the calamity-Belli, symbol of sin's kin and arrogance-slowly revealed its true form from within the lava.
It was a grotesqueness utterly unlike the beastly shape it had worn before. A calamity, by nature, was an existence that endlessly destroyed with its brutish maw, never withering away.
"That form..."
Bison couldn't help but lose his will to fight upon seeing the black entity slowly rising from the lava. And how could he not? The calamity was a blazing giant large enough to crush him like an insect with a single finger.
Resembling a human, yet its body seemed to be melting, with branch-like protrusions entirely burned away, exposing brutish muscles torn here and there, dripping lava.
That wasn't all. Aside from the Lord of Sin embedded where its left eyeball should be, cooled lava clung like golden mud, flowing down like long strands of hair.
The most bizarre and horrific change as the calamity revealed its true form was its shift from a beastkin-like monster to a perfectly human silhouette.
As if the calamities of this world were human in essence, it let out a dreadful roar and surged upward once more.
Kuoooooo.
A giant cloaked in light rivaling that of Orr or Cheret in the past. The overwhelming presence of this god-like calamity sent shivers through Gil and the other two.
The Lord of Sin in its left eye was already melted beyond recognition as a corpse, scattering like seed dust-almost like the giant's long eyebrow or drifting tears.
"Forget winning... we can't even get close."
Watching the lava drip down, Gil murmured softly. No method to kneel this calamity came to mind. And rightly so, for the calamity Belli embodied arrogance-an existence no one could fell.
But Gaon hadn't given up yet.
"There's only one way. I'll hold it off. You break Agagthur's seal."
His words birthed a simple plan.
While Gaon faced the calamity, Bison would guard, and Gil would break the seal. It wasn't as if they could swap roles with the Sword Emperor breaking the seal while Gil fought the calamity. Even the strengthened Gil couldn't protect everyone while handling it.
Gaon pointed to the center, where something protruded amid the lava. There lay Agagthur's seal. Gil turned his head.
He'd heard in myths that Mir created the great sin, and Agagthur, overcome by wrath, sealed itself away. Yet the scene before him was unmistakably artificial.
Amid five small altars that appeared imperial, lay scales like those used by Godel's Hero for Agagthur.
"I just need to destroy that?!"
"Brace yourself. It's Agagthur's seal-lava surging upon release wouldn't be surprising. And whatever spell or curse looms above it won't break easily."
"But we have no choice! Bison! Follow me!"
At Gil's shout, Bison followed without a word. Breaking the seal would let Agagthur repel the calamity. No other path. Focusing solely on that, the two knights charged.
"Tch. First worry if I can even hold it off?"
Though he grumbled-his condition far from peak after the prior battle-Gaon knew there were no alternatives.
From his research into the bards' songs, Godel's sin kin merely scattered seeds by existing, never awakening like this.
"Whatever happened... time to draw my sword."
Left ring finger just used... at this rate, he'd need to prepare to lose his left arm.
"Come on then-lightly at first, you god-like sin kin."
'Left middle toe.'
Ssssh.
The Sword Emperor drew his blood-red sword once more and stood before the calamity.
"Bison! Guard my side!"
"Yes! I'll smash those altars first!"
'Justice Without Patience.'
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bison's sword arced back like a boomerang, shattering the altars. A ritual ring overlaying the seal became visible, rippling cold red light, heavily pressing down on Agagthur's scales. Rather than clearing it first, Gil decided to thrust his sword through wholesale.
"Here goes!"
Igniting flames, Gil rolled forward, leaping into the air and gripping his sword with both hands to strike down.
'Wrath.'
Boom!
"Ngh!"
A massive explosion erupted with fierce red light. But that was it. Gil's flames clashed and repelled the red glow; enveloped by the two vicious auras, his blade couldn't touch the ritual ring.
But he couldn't stop here. Though the sword nearly bounced from the searing heat like the lava, he needed more force-pierce through. Thrusting the downward-struck sword upward, he regripped it.
Like wrapping both hands around an enemy's shoulder in bare-handed combat to yank it down, he pressed the hilt and blade together with all his might. He felt the blade slowly piercing the aura.
"Haaa!"
Fragments spraying as the ritual ring's aura snapped threatened to pierce Gil's armored tunic. But he pushed on-pierce the aura, stab the ring, regrip, strike down.
"Time..."
Watching, Bison realized Gil wouldn't fail, but it would take longer. Until then, the calamity and Sword Emperor would clash, and he'd shield from the shockwaves.
"But can he really hold that thing?"
Lava sprayed with every movement of the giant's body. Invisible curse-laden trajectories flew with each Sword Emperor swing. A graze from either meant death.
But no other way.
"Uwaaa!"
Bison raised his sword again, darting between the sword and calamity's onslaught. Circling to block any splatter toward Gil, he hurled and caught his blade repeatedly.
"Guess it's time to go harder, eh, calamity?!"
Gaon couldn't precisely grasp what he fought. He only instinctively felt that with each raised arm, an immense unseen force-like an earthquake, tsunami, or lightning-swallowing tempest-crashed down with its brutish hand.
No-perhaps something ineffable that summoned all those now assailed the mere sword-wielder. Gaon realized he needed to draw a stronger sword.
"How's this?!"
'Left eye.'
Splurt!
In an instant, Gaon's left eye vanished, blood spraying into the air. And he swung. A sword that could cleave the calamity-one that resembled it all the more.
His eye.
The sin.
Boom!
A crimson sword like a mountain, a whale, a veiled sun slashed the calamity. Yet it didn't die. Calamities don't die from mere cuts; severed fragments rained down like massive meteors toward Gil.
Bison hurled his sword at the debris. But it wasn't enough.
Definitely not.
This way meant failure.
Bison leaped as if flying, slamming his body into his sword.
'Enduring Justice.'
Boom!
The shield-edge spun fiercely, forming a massive barrier. Bison, airborne from the force, blocked the calamity's fragments from reaching Gil below.
Boom!
And Gil finally repelled the aura, severing the ritual.
Boom!
Next, he pierced Agagthur's power.
"Haaa!"
Thus, Agagthur's seal was exposed.
"Urk."
But the erupting lava began melting Gil's legs as the seal revealed itself.
"Gaaaaah!"
No matter. No other way-he just pressed the sword.
Legs melting? Use knees. Before knees melt, shoulders won't-he clung and pressed harder. But as the blade touched the seal, the sword began melting.
"Iaaaaah!"
Still no matter. No other way-he just pressed the sword.
Before the blade fully melts, his wrath won't-he clung and bore down harder. The crunch of breaking teeth drowned in the seal's melting sounds.
Sensation fading. This way, death. But even that didn't matter.
"I am Gil!"
With hands reduced to bone, Gil finally pierced the seal.
And.
Kraaaaa.
A lizard body vast as a city, with arms and legs, bat wings, a crocodile- or serpent-like head crowned with bull horns-a colossal aggregate of scales, standing on savage claws amid the lava.
It was living conflagration.
Agagthur rose from the lava and immediately tore into the calamity's throat.