Chapter 627
Find Me. (2)
“This, what is this…?”
Arterion was utterly dazed, a stark contrast to the madness-driven assault he had launched moments ago.
The figure Ghislain had just revealed was identical to the Adversary he knew.
There could not be two Adversaries. And yet, how could the visage of the Adversary appear in two different people at the same time?
“You bastard! What kind of sorcery is this?!”
Arterion roared. But he was so overwhelmed that he failed to properly register his opponent closing in on him.
Ghislain closed the distance in an instant and slashed Arterion’s body.
Slash!
“Guaaagh!”
Arterion’s chest was cut deeper than ever before. The moment his attack landed, Ghislain halted his amplification and swiftly retreated.
He had grown accustomed to the power of the Fifth Stage Core. As his regenerative ability improved, he could now maintain the fifth stage for a considerable duration.
However, amplifying his strength using Dark was still too much for him. That overwhelming power could not be sustained indefinitely. If he pushed himself too far, he would collapse.
Crack.
Even though he had used it only once, his legs had already begun to tremble. Fortunately, since he had already expended a significant amount of mana, he could endure the amplification for now.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ghislain’s attack signaled the start of a renewed assault by all the Transcendents.
Arterion was relentlessly wounded and forced back. He struggled to counterattack by twisting his body, but his once-precise movements had long since lost their sharpness.
His exhaustion played a role, but more than that, his mind was clouded with confusion.
‘Why? Why are there two Adversaries?’
The power Ghislain had momentarily unleashed was undoubtedly that of the Adversary - and his appearance, he looked far too much like him.
Only the Salvation Church used such ominous energy in the first place.
‘Was I deceived?’
Ereneth had certainly met this man. If that were the case, she would have noticed that energy. There was no way she wouldn’t have sensed it while fighting alongside him.
And yet, she had simply overlooked it? That didn’t make any sense.
‘No, that can’t be. There must be a reason why Ereneth let it pass.’
For a brief moment, Arterion doubted whether Ereneth had betrayed him. But he quickly dismissed the thought.
No one despised the Salvation Church more than her. She was the last person who would ever side with them.
Even as he continued to be pushed back, Arterion fixated on Ghislain’s aura when he activated his amplification again.
‘It’s different.’
The appearance was eerily identical, but the aura was slightly off. Like Ereneth, Arterion could not sense any malice from it.
All he could feel was an ominous unease.
But he still could not understand.
Such energy was not something one could simply acquire. It was different from the Adversary’s, yet it was unmistakably an aura of darkness.
‘That thing’s essence… is the same as the Salvation Church. It carries the aura of the Demon God.’
Ereneth must have realized it too. If she had sided with it, there must have been a reason but for Arterion, it was difficult to grasp.
In truth, the reason for Arterion’s confusion was that, unlike Ereneth, he was unaware of Dark’s existence.
She had her suspicions, but she dismissed Dark as merely a different kind of spirit. As an elf, she was highly sensitive to a spirit’s energy, which ironically made it harder for her to be certain.
No matter how strong Ereneth was, her ability to sense the aura of the Demon God was inevitably weaker than that of a dragon.
As a dragon, Arterion recalled the hypothesis Ereneth had once considered.
‘Could it be… that it has been obtained?’
That being had been sealed away along with the Adversary. If the Adversary had reappeared, then so could that being.
And right now, the Adversary was here.
Since Ghislain only used amplification for a very brief moment, even Arterion found it difficult to discern the exact details. However, the aura he had sensed in that fleeting instant refused to leave his mind.
‘Just what…’
It was as if the Adversary had been split into two.
Then who was the real Adversary?
Even if an ordinary human had obtained that being, they wouldn’t be able to wield the power of darkness so effortlessly. Only the Adversary could properly draw out that being’s power.
Arterion found himself unable to determine who the Adversary truly was.
Until now, he had focused all his attacks on Julien. But…
‘What if that Ghislain is the Adversary?’
It was an implausible thought based on what he knew. And yet, he couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility.
The problem was that he was utterly exhausted.
The humans had prepared thoroughly to fight him. If he had at least been able to use magic freely, he wouldn’t have suffered this much.
‘If I can’t be certain, then I must kill them both. But… that’s impossible right now.’
KRAAAAAAAH!
Arterion simply couldn’t accept it. He, a dragon stronger than any other, was being overwhelmed like this!
But he wasn’t so foolish as to be blind to reality. If this continued, he would truly lose his life.
‘I must escape.’
He couldn’t die here. He had to kill the Adversary no, both of them.
Right now, he had the chance to flee. Though his strength was nearly depleted, if he poured all that remained into retreating, he could escape.
He now knew who the Adversary was. Or rather, he wasn’t sure which of the two it was, but it didn’t matter he would just kill them both.
Although his pride had suffered a severe blow… there were more important things at stake. For now, he had to retreat.
‘You will never get another chance like this again!’
He would ignore his pride and fight cunningly. He would strike down the humans’ forces one by one, launching surprise attacks to annihilate them.
From now on, humans would have to live in fear, never knowing when he would strike.
“Khrrrk… Just you wait.”
Flap!
Arterion spread his wings wide. He was preparing to flee.
If he flew far enough, they would never be able to catch him.
But at that moment, his mind was once again shrouded in black mist.
And then, a voice resonated within him.
— …Come find me.
Thud!
A shock, stronger than anything before, struck his very consciousness.
“Grrrgh…!”
Something something was invading his mind. Arterion realized that something was going terribly wrong.
But it was already too late. His consciousness was swallowed whole by the black mist in an instant.
KRAAAAAAH!
Arterion threw his head back toward the sky and roared. His eyes once again burned with battle fervor and murderous intent.
How could he, the mightiest of all beings, flee from these insect-like humans?
“Khrrr… I will kill them all…”
Such humiliation was unacceptable. He had to kill the Adversary and every last human here.
With a fierce, frenzied gaze, Arterion lunged forward once more.
‘Kill the Adversary!’
His mind was consumed by a singular, murderous obsession. He had to kill the Adversary, no matter what.
The humans had caught him off guard with their thorough preparations. His life would end here.
If that was the case, then he had to at least take one of them down with him before he died. He would leave the rest to Ereneth.
She was an exceptionally cautious and cunning elf, the most elf-like, yet at the same time, the least elf-like of her kind.
She would take care of the remaining Adversary.
KRAAAAAH!
Abandoning all concern for his own survival, Arterion launched a reckless, all-out assault.
But the more he attacked, the more openings he exposed. His body was now drenched in blood.
The mighty mind and body of a dragon were beginning to collapse.
The Transcendents swarmed him, relentlessly striking his body. They, too, instinctively understood that this was their only chance to end it.
‘There won’t be a second chance.’
‘He was about to flee.’
‘If we let him escape, we’re all dead.’
If Arterion managed to flee, the continent would be doomed. The next time they faced him, even the tactics they used today wouldn’t work. There would be no victory then.
It seemed that his dragon’s arrogance and pride had made him change his mind.
That was why, no matter the cost, they had to kill him now.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM!
Everyone fought with every ounce of strength they had. Even as bones shattered and flesh was torn apart, they placed their faith in divine power and kept pressing forward.
Even when their mana was completely depleted, they swung their weapons with sheer willpower.
Arterion’s body was now in tatters, so much so that he could no longer even spread his wings properly.
KRAAAAAH!
Arterion poured out every last bit of his strength. He attempted low-circle magic over and over again, despite his depleted mana.
The remaining mages within the fortress coughed up blood as they desperately dispelled his spells.
Now, both sides understood.
The end of this battle was near.
Thud!
Arterion’s massive body staggered before collapsing to one side. Yet even then, he thrashed his tail and claws through the air.
The Transcendents who had been attacking him were in no better condition. Their arms and legs trembled, barely responding to their will.
Kaor had already collapsed, gasping for breath.
Even divine power had its limits. The priests’ divine power was nearly depleted, and those receiving it had also exhausted their mana, causing their bodies to deteriorate from the strain.
Even Parniel, who prided herself on her immense endurance, momentarily lost her grip on her mace.
“Phew…!”
The only ones still barely standing, albeit unsteadily, were Ghislain and Julien.
It wasn’t because they had greater stamina than Parniel. She had charged in recklessly, taking the brunt of the attacks. Naturally, her stamina had been drained the most.
But thanks to her shielding them, they had been able to pressure Arterion more effectively.
Ghislain knew this had to end now. He had to make his final move.
KRAAAAAH!
THUD!
Arterion slammed his tail down once more. But he could no longer continue his assault, leaving an opening.
Ghislain tightened his grip on his sword and spoke.
“Julien.”
“…Yeah.”
BOOOOM!
The two of them pushed their remaining strength to the limit and charged at Arterion.
WHOOOSH!
Ghislain’s body was once again shrouded in black mist. He had been using it sparingly, only at the moment of attack, to conserve his energy but this would be the last time. He had nothing left to spare.
So, he used the Power of Will once more. He pulled the flow of the world toward him to ensure the attack would succeed.
WOOOOOM!
Time slowed. The space itself fell under Ghislain’s will.
Arterion struggled to raise his claws. He sensed Ghislain’s domain, but unlike before, he couldn’t move properly.
As Ghislain poured every ounce of his strength into driving his sword toward Arterion’s Dragon Heart—
‘Huh?’
A faint ripple brushed against his senses.
Within the slowed flow of the world, something unidentifiable slithered, creeping forward.
‘What is that?’
It was an unfamiliar presence. He couldn’t see it, yet he could feel its existence.
This space was where Ghislain and the world intertwined. If something moved against that flow, there was no way he would miss it.
And that presence was seeping continuously from Arterion’s wounds.
BOOOOM!
Ghislain’s sword finally pierced Arterion’s Dragon Heart, shattering it.
But his mind was elsewhere.
‘It’s moving.’
It writhed like a snake. It was an unnatural force. If it were ordinary energy, there was no way he wouldn’t be able to perceive it clearly.
Ghislain slowly turned his head in the direction it was heading.
‘…Julien?’
It was heading toward Julien.
Ghislain tried to call out to him, to warn him that something was approaching.
But the moment he saw Julien’s face, he hesitated.
Julien’s gaze was already following the presence. He simply watched as it burrowed into his body.
‘Julien, you…’
Julien slowly turned his head.
His eyes were not on the dying Arterion.
They were looking somewhere else.
And in that fractured moment in time—
The two locked eyes in the empty void.