EP.46 13-2. Drunken Life, Dreamlike Love
***
Dragon Slayer. That name was, in truth, incorrect.
Its essence lay closer to a technique designed to definitively kill a designated target, rather than something exclusively for slaying dragons.
Focusing every nerve in my body, I recalled a memory from my past.
“Actually, this ultimate technique of mine, Dragon Slayer, isn’t really about slaying dragons! My dear apprentice!”
“What do you mean, Master Drake?”
“To be precise! It’s a technique that literally kills the ‘concept’ of the opponent, much like twisting a magic circuit!”
It was something my master once explained to me, during a moment when I had almost tuned him out while cleaving through a massive, mountain-like boulder.
“For me, it’s called Dragon Slayer because the concept I destroy is ‘slaying dragons’!”
“Then… does that mean it can be applied to other targets as well?”
“Exactly! As expected of my only apprentice! You catch on quickly!”
It was fascinating. In the game, I had thought it was just a good ultimate skill limited to enemies classified as dragons or dragonkin. But after hearing him, I stopped swinging my sword and listened more intently.
“Specifically, it involves pouring all stances of the Drake-style swordsmanship into overlaying the concept of ‘slaughter’—just like with Demon Lords! My guess is, it’ll work on them too!”
“So, as long as I don’t rely on the Holy Sword… Ah, I see, an ultimate move. It might just be possible. So, how do I learn it?”
“It’s simple!”
At that, a sly grin emerged on his scar-covered face. The Grand Sword Master, with his short blond hair, made an absurd proposition.
“Fast for 66 days, go sleepless for 66 nights, and drink not a single drop of water for another 66 days while swinging your sword with the sole intent of killing your target! Then you’ll master it!”
“…Are you insane?”
“Ahahaha! Normally, you’d rely on magic, spirits, or divine power to endure, but for you, Licht, you’ll have to do it with your bare body!”
Then how did he do it? Did he just train while downing potions? A wave of dizziness overtook me, and I wondered if it was a requirement to abandon humanity altogether.
“…Someday, Licht, you’ll understand.”
At that moment, his hand rested on my shoulder as if to encourage me. His tone turned serious, and the weight of his words seared into my memory.
“There will come a time when you must use all the stances of the Drake-style swordsmanship. To fulfill the intent to ensure your opponent’s death, no matter what.”
Seeing the transformation in his demeanor—the air of a true member of the Ten Greats—I thought to myself: he must have survived countless hellish battles using this very method.
“…In the end, it’s just a technique to kill them before they kill me, isn’t it, Master?”
“Exactly, my dear apprentice.”
That was how I understood it. In the game, when this skill was used, a kind of timer would appear for the character.
“When the moment comes when you can—or must—do it, it’ll be inevitable. It’s a swordsman’s destiny. I faced it too.”
If the opponent wasn’t defeated within the time limit, it was game over. A move akin to a self-destruct mechanism.
“…”
Perhaps in reality, it required crossing the line of life and death and surpassing physical limits. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such insane conditions attached to it.
“When the time comes when you must risk even your life in battle, pour everything you have into your swordsmanship, so you won’t regret a single moment! My apprentice.”
At the time, his words gave me confidence.
“Yes, Master Drake. I understand.”
Now, as the weaker version of myself in the present, I knew this was the only way I could take down the Demon Lord.
The brief recollection passed as quickly as it came. Could I truly do this?
“I must carry my dear lord on my back quickly! With those burning eyes, I just can’t resist anymore…!”
Magic Hat shuddered as she hugged her shoulders. What a bizarre Demon Lord. Why was she acting like that?
“…Disgusting.”
“Oh, come on… You love it!”
She dramatically removed her black hat, her movements grand and deliberate. It was a gesture signaling the use of a powerful skill. In the game, this pattern had both long start-up and cooldown animations.
“Ta-da~ What will appear from this empty magician’s hat?”
It was a move players had dubbed “Rabbit Punch.”
“Let me guess. A white rabbit?”
“Correct, my lord! You really do know me!”
From the magician’s hat emerged a gigantic, snow-white rabbit, moving with the mass of a towering mountain. It lunged a massive fist toward me.
Whoosh!!
The sound of air being torn filled my ears as my vision turned entirely white. Its size was truly enormous.
But…
“…Thanks for the attack.”
This was actually my chance. Ultimate moves required mixing three stances, and they always began with a counterattack.
「Demon Lord Slayer .」
I initiated the first stance.
Three Stances: Feather Glide.
The air exploded with the force of its punch. Using the speed and power of the incoming blow, I deflected it to the side. My entire body focused solely on absorbing the impact.
Thud!
Even though I merely deflected it, the ground where I stood caved in. The massive rabbit, halfway out of the hat, reeled backward.
‘The rabbit makes close combat difficult. I need to find a way to get closer.’
I moved into the next stance. With the enemy’s force carried into its movements, I couldn’t afford to miss the slightest gap. Pain wracked my chest as a rib threatened to pierce my lungs, making it hard to breathe.
Even so…
Second Stance: Reverse Scale Thrust.
The motion flowed like water. I located the weak point of my opponent and exploited the opening. With the motion, I incorporated Wolf Fang, transitioning to a chained strike. Using the rebound, I raised my sword high and charged.
The wounds on my body tore further, spilling crimson blood across the ground.
“Oh, oh? My lord? Where did you—”
I’m right in front of you, idiot. At a speed faster than Shine Advance, I closed the distance to Magic Hat. Now, all that was left was to bring my sword down and finish her. She couldn’t react.
“Ugh… Urk…”
But then, my body betrayed me. All my muscles screamed in agony, and the strength in the hand holding my sword began to waver.
The hilt of the Holy Sword of Light started to slip from my grip. Slowly, almost mockingly, it slid free.
Just a little farther.
I needed to kill her. For the Saintess. For Asha Aureus.
For Lee Soo-hyun.
I couldn’t let it end like this. Move. Move, dammit.
“Aaaaah—!!”