99
Chapter 99
The first memory Dragon King Endros held was from the moment he was born into the world.
A magnificent and chaotic battle, so fierce it shook the heavens and earth and distorted the laws of nature. That place was Endros's home.
One of the right arms of two beings engaged in intense combat was severed. The arm split into five fingers and fell to the ground. Soon, the moment those five fingers touched the earth, they took on their own forms.
Those were the Five Kings.
The Dragon King, Lion King, Lord King, Eagle King, and Fish King.
Beings of dominion, derived from a single entity.
*****
Originally, I am not Chaos.
Why not? Because I'm Oscar. Oscar and Chaos are strictly different individuals.
However, right now, I am Chaos. Why? Because I've returned to the past. To a past so distant it's countless.
Then why am I Oscar and not Chaos now? I don't particularly want to reveal that part. It's not a very pleasant memory.
Using overflowing power, I struck the Dragon King's abdomen. My fist plunged deep, piercing through his flesh. The Dragon King spat out blood and recoiled.
Obviously, I have no intention of letting him go easily. I used a Joker Card, which can only be used five times, so I have to maximize the efficiency. I'm going to devour the Dragon King's soul anyway.
Snap-!
[Keugh!]
"You look like you're hurting! Your legs are burst, your tail is cut, and your stomach is pierced, and now you're even getting whipped! If I were you, I'd have committed suicide from the pain!"
Ah, this is the feeling. This thrilling sensation at my fingertips when I hit something with the Magic Wand.
A hundred years ago, I suppressed Aru's rebellion with guilt, but it was still sad that the Magic Wand didn't work well. To train someone, you need both a carrot and a whip, but I could only give the carrot.
Originally, the Magic Wand was meant for this purpose.
Whoosh-!
Fierce flames flare up inside the Dragon King's mouth. Seeing that, I gracefully waved the Magic Wand.
Sizzle-!
"...!"
"Do you know the biggest difference between magic and Magic? Magic is the power of 'causality' using mana, formulas and circuits, but Magic is a form without roots. There is no principle. That's why it's so charming."
A waterfall flowed from his mouth, extinguishing the fire. The Dragon King could not hide his astonishment. Naturally, there is no magic that creates a spray of water inside an opponent's mouth.
Now that it's come to this, should I put on a show? No, I don't know when Merlin will wake up. There's no need to overdo it.
I have to kill the Dragon King before Merlin regains consciousness, so I can claim he died ridiculously by being crushed by his own Meteor.
I also need time to devour the Dragon King's soul.
Bam-!
I struck the side of the Dragon King's maw. His head snapped back, and his jaw was crushed. Dozens of the Dragon King's teeth, said to be the hardest in the world, fell to the ground.
Bam-! Bam bam bam-!
I grabbed the Dragon King by the collar with my left hand and relentlessly pounded his jaw with my right. The Dragon King's limbs trembled, but he no longer had many means to resist.
[Cough!]
This is because I damaged the Dragon Heart when I dealt an irreversible wound to his abdomen earlier. His body had already been ruined.
Bam bam bam bam-! Crunch-!
Thud-.
The Dragon King's face finally collapsed. As soon as I let go of his collar, he lost his balance and fell to the ground. He looked as if he didn't even have the strength to stand up again.
I climbed on top of the fallen Dragon King's head. Then, I poured deep Demonic Energy into his body.
"Do you feel it's unfair?"
"Kgh...."
"It can't be helped. It's the law of nature. Just as the countless lives you've killed, Dragon King, vanished meaninglessly simply because they were 'weak,' it's now your turn to vanish."
"A... ah...."
"You've held onto the throne for a very long time. How many years? You've existed since the Continent was first formed, haven't you? Then it's time for you to step down from the throne. Good work."
"A... aa...."
Demonic Energy scrapes away the spiritual energy from every corner of the Dragon King's body. Feeling pleased, I move toward the Dragon King's heart and place my hand upon it.
"I'm curious about one thing. What on earth did a being of your caliber die to in your previous life... There weren't any rivals the Hero Party could have fought to grow strong enough. Could there be a monster living somewhere in this forest?"
"Ah, ah... ba...."
"The probability is low, right? I've lived in this Demon Beast Forest for 400 years, and it would be hard not to know such a monstrous creature. Maybe... 5 percent? That's the probability."
A dark red sphere seeps out, treating his skin as if it weren't there. All the Dragon King's energy, accumulated over millions of years, is contained within that sphere.
The Dragon King's soul. I guarantee it's one of the most appetizing souls in this world.
"Wow, what a delicious soul. I've spent enough time training my body in the Demon Beast Forest, and if I devour this, I could reach the level of 'Absolute' once again. I'm truly looking forward to this moment."
Beaming. A smile does not leave my lips. I carefully support the sphere with both hands and open my mouth wide.
"Ah, aba...."
"What have you been trying to say for a while now? Aba? Pain? Is it hurting? Don't worry. Just close your eyes for a moment, and you'll bid a lasting farewell to this boiling pain. A farewell to this world is just a bonus."
"Ahhh... ."
Looking down at me with an elderly gaze, the Dragon King desperately babbled his intent. It seemed he had something he wanted to tell me.
"Abai... ."
"...."
Geez, it's been ages since I quit being a father figure. Did memories of the Genesis era suddenly come back to him?
"I guess you're seeing your life flash before your eyes. That's a good posture. A dead life isn't beautiful at all, but a life just before death is more brilliant than anything in the world."
"Ah, abai... ."
"...Stop bringing up the old man who was buried miserably. You're just a loser from a past era. Anyway, bon appétit!"
Crunch-.
I took a huge bite of the soul. The spark of life remaining in the Dragon King's eyes flickered out. Regardless, I devoured the rest of the soul before it could vanish.
I don't feel any immediate change. My power in the Chaos state is so great that swallowing the Dragon King's power wouldn't show an obvious difference.
But once the duration of the Joker Card ends, I'll feel it immediately. My power, which has become several, or even dozens of times stronger than before.
Gulp-.
The effect of the Joker Card still remains. It means Demonic Energy is overflowing throughout my body. The sky is still submerged in darkness.
I lifted the Magic Wand. To pull off a scam, I need to prepare the stage. Especially since my assistant isn't here right now.
Whir-.
Using telekinesis, I moved the Dragon King's corpse. To the exact spot where the Meteor first fell. Then, I lifted the meteorite embedded in the center of the giant basin.
Creeeeak-.
After placing the Dragon King's body in the center of the basin, I set the meteorite on top. It looked as if the Dragon King had been crushed by the meteorite.
I'm very satisfied, but this alone doesn't explain everything.
I gathered the Dragon King's burst or severed tail and limbs, minced them finely, and scattered them around the meteorite.
The surroundings were a mess from the battle between the Dragon King and me. Evidence that anyone could see a fierce fight had taken place. I brought my hand to the Magic Wand.
"Transform!"
As I shouted in a cheerful voice, the terrain began to writhe and change. Empty spaces were filled with soil and rocks, and blood-stained dirt flew around the Dragon King as decoration.
From now on, this is the place where the Dragon King 'was crushed to death by the meteorite he summoned.' I made it so.
A circular blue Magic Circle was engraved around where Merlin lay. As if the magic Merlin cast had functioned normally.
Hmm, perfect. I have a little transformation time left, so I should search for the others. To make Merlin realize the entire Hero Party is dead, showing her the corpses is most effective.
I spun the Magic Wand once and shouted.
"Come forth!"
Whoooosh-.
Four corpses and one living being buried underground floated into the air. It was the King of Humans, barely clinging to life, and the four members of the Hero Party. Their names were Seriel, Katarina, Igor, and Victor, right?
Good job, everyone. If you hadn't been killed by the Dragon King, you would've been killed by me, but anyway, you worked hard.
After gathering the bodies neatly, I retracted the Joker Card, even though some time remained. The 49th card was added to the deck. My eye level dropped back to its original height as I returned to being Oscar.
I can clearly feel the effect of absorbing the Dragon King's power. For the first time in a long while, I feel my whole body becoming full. At this level, it's comparable to my previous life.
The black sky clears, and the blue sky returns. I grabbed the shoulder of the unconscious Merlin and shook her back and forth. Merlin did not wake up easily.
"Ugh...."
"Merlin! Are you awake? Wake up, quickly!"
"Ugh, ugh...."
Seriously, this is why mages are such a pain. They rely so much on magic and neglect physical training that a little shock puts them in critical condition.
Indeed, magicians are the best. Magicians over mages any day.
Of course, right now, I'm nothing more than a mere fraud.
Slap-! Slap-!
"Kyaaa!"
"Oh! Merlin, you're finally awake!"
The moment I smack his backside, Merlin's eyes snap open. I guess the training worked; hitting his rear is the most effective way.
Merlin's glasses were completely shattered by the shockwave of the Meteor. Meaning, for the first time, I can see Merlin's bare eyes.
"S-Suoka? What happened? Why am I in your arms... ugh!"
"Does your head hurt? Just try blinking slowly for now."
At my words, Merlin closes and opens his eyes several times. His eyes are quite delicate and his eyelashes are long. Man, why was he hiding such pretty eyes? With a dress, he'd look like a real girl.
Even in his previous life, Merlin had some issues regarding his appearance. People said they'd never seen him go to a public bath, or that his face never aged. To the point where female students at Eden Academy would line up to confess their love to him, even though he was decades older.
"The Dragon King died, crushed by a meteorite. No matter how strong he was, it seems he couldn't withstand a direct hit from Meteor-level magic."
"Wh-what...? The Dragon King... is dead...?"
"It's all thanks to you. Your Meteor Magic turned the whole situation around."
As I spoke, I pointed toward the meteorite and the Dragon King. Seeing the scene, Merlin couldn't hide his bewilderment.
"N-no! I didn't cast that Meteor Magic! I thought I did, but it was actually the Dragon King's..."
"Is that so? Then what is this Magic Circle? How could a circle remain when your magic wasn't even complete?"
"What? A Magic Circle... where is... uh...?"
As I pointed at his feet, Merlin hurriedly looked down, and his eyes widened. A vibrant Magic Circle was reflected in his emerald green eyes.
Hehe, this is a delicious situation.
"I actually succeeded in summoning a meteorite...! I-I'm sure I heard the Dragon King mutter something about a Meteor..."
"Oh dear, you must have heard things due to the Dragon King's pressure and the heat of the meteorite. The Dragon King only used Ignis Versus. You know that one, right? The magic that binds with flames."
"Ignis Versus...? Now that you mention it, I think he did... but why did the Dragon King use Ignis Versus...?"
"Hmm, don't you remember that part? To bind your party members..."
"...!!"
Merlin's pupils shook as if struck by lightning. He screamed in shock.
"Wh-what about my comrades! What happened to my party members!"
"...Merlin, look behind you."
"...! Why... why behind me...?"
Why? Because I've carefully laid out the corpses behind you.
Merlin turns his head. His breath quickens, and his heart beats irregularly. I gently stepped up behind him and wrapped my arm around his shoulder.
"Aaaaaaah!!"
A piercing scream. A scream filled with raw emotion. As if the strength had left his legs, he collapsed and crawled toward the corpses of his comrades.
"S-Seriel! Katarina! Igor! Victor...!!"
Hot tears streamed down Merlin's face. I didn't bother disturbing him while he wailed. When emotions explode, they should explode fully, as it makes it easier to patch things up later.
"C-could it be that they died because of me...? Because of the meteorite I summoned... everyone...??"
"Merlin, didn't I say the Dragon King used Ignis Versus at the last moment? The Dragon King killed them. Not you."
"B-but...! In the end, my magic killed them... ugh! hic!"
"Don't feel too much guilt. Wasn't it your comrades' will to summon the Meteor? There's no such thing as a guaranteed win. Giving flesh to take bone, losing an arm to seize a heart—that's the nature of battle."
"Huu...! Sob... because of me... the Hero..."
Of course, that process won't be simple.
"Aaaaaah! Why, why!! Why did you all...!!"
Well, what can be done. He has to overcome it himself.
Since Merlin didn't actually kill the Hero Party, he's just feeling meaningless guilt right now.
Lies that never surface become truth and eventually history. This is proven by the countless heroic tales in the Continent's history books, which are half-filled with the fabrications of victors.
"Aaaaaaaaah!!"
A wail that sounded like a roar echoed for a long time.
*****
"Merlin, have you calmed down a bit?"
"...."
"Merlin?"
"...Yes."
Merlin, with deep dark circles under his eyes and a hollow gaze, answers me. His atmosphere has changed significantly in a short time.
"I once lost comrades, just like you."
"...."
"It would be a lie to say it wasn't hard. Every day I wanted to die, and every moment I heard hallucinations of my dead comrades. Life was no different from Hell."
"Suoka... ."
"But, think carefully about what your comrades wanted before they died. Did Hero Seriel, Assassin Katarina, Igor the beastman, and Victor the spearman resent you when they were bound by the Dragon King's magic and hit by the meteorite?"
"...That is."
"No, if I were them, I would have been happy instead. The Dragon King was crushed by the meteorite, and you survived. As much as you feel sorrow now, they would have felt joy and relief that their comrade lived."
"...."
"Stand up. And walk forward. You still have two legs—flimsy, but functional. If you are truly sorry to the comrades who died swept away by your magic, fulfill what they hoped and dreamed of."
"...!"
Transparent teardrops gather in his green eyes. Geez, you've cried so much and you still want more?
Softly-.
Merlin buried his face in my chest as if collapsing. I wondered whether to pull him up, but eventually, I just placed my hand on his head and gently stroked it.
It's good to stand up on one's own during hard times, but leaning on someone isn't a bad thing. Merlin, who now has no comrades, needs a place to lean.
"Seriel...!"
Merlin spoke in a sobbing tone.
"She always wanted to teach children...!"
"...Is that so?"
"Regardless of status, nationality, race, gender, or age... unlike the current Imperial Royal Academy, the Holy Nation's Sacred Academy, or the Tower of Magic's Mage Academy...! Every time she looked at the night sky, she would whisper about an academy that was like an ideal paradise...!"
"I see... so that's why... ."
Merlin's voice was tangled like a ball of yarn and trembling like a rubber band.
Opposite to that tone, however, his words were spat out clearly, containing firm resolve and a new determination.
"A Hero Party whose Hero has died... is no longer a Hero Party. Therefore, the Empire's orders are void, and I have the right to return to the Continent."
"That's good. You've been through a lot, so go and get some rest."
"...I will establish an academy on the Continent."
My chest becomes damp from the tears he pours out. I can't tell if it's a drizzle or a storm.
"An academy open to all, equal for everyone, like the gardens of Heaven or a paradise."
Determined tears cry sorrowfully.
"...Since you are the one who saved me, Suoka, I would like you to name that academy."
My answer is already decided.
"How about Eden Academy?"