Chapter 38

Episode 38. Last Words (7)

Whoosh!

Flames erupt.

The fierce flames, as if they could swallow the world, rage violently.

Gray ashes swirl around the intensely burning flames.

“What the hell is this…!”

Ashtaroth, watching the greedily surging flames, hastily used Distortion’s Blessing.

Purple demonic energy spread like spiderwebs, corroding the space.

The distorted space became a massive shield, enveloping Ashtaroth.

And then.

Crack! Crash! Smash!

The collision of distorted space and the sword.

The sword, which had just been repelled helplessly by the distorted space, began to push the space itself aside with an absurdly massive amount of magical power.

The more magical power surged, the more fiercely the flames burned.

The sword, engulfed in flames, split the distorted space in half.

“This is insane…!”

Without even the time to scream in shock, Dale’s sword pierced through the split space like a beam of light.

Swoosh!

“Ahhhhh!”

A terrible pain spread through the severed left arm.

Ashtaroth, clutching the bleeding stump of his left arm, hastily retreated.

“Damn it!”

His once composed demeanor was gone, replaced by rough curses.

He exploded the demonic energy throughout his body, glaring fiercely at Dale, who was engulfed in flames.

“This is really getting on my nerves!”

He had expected some variables.

After all, plans never go exactly as intended.

‘But this is too much!’

Not only did he break through the Dreaming Veil, which was cast using the lives of 200 subordinates, in an instant.

But as a mere candidate, he possesses skills that even most professors can’t compare to.

And just when I thought I had killed him, he resurrected in an instant.

‘I thought he couldn’t interfere this time since all his magical power was depleted.’

But now, flames suddenly erupt from his body, and the supposedly depleted magical power is surging out in all directions?

‘What kind of monster is this?’

Ashtaroth looked at Dale with a dumbfounded expression.

At this point, it felt like the world itself was conspiring against him.

“Damn it…”

As Ashtaroth, clutching his severed left arm, was bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

“Hah.”

Dale, too, looked down at his own body, engulfed in flames, with a similarly incomprehensible expression.

‘What is this now?’

Even though he was engulfed in flames, he didn’t feel any pain.

His clothes didn’t turn to ashes, nor did his skin burn or distort.

‘The Primordial Flame…?’

If the flames enveloping his body were the Primordial Flame.

Why was the Primordial Flame, which had never moved no matter how much he tried, now burning fiercely all over his body?

‘That’s not important right now.’

Pushing aside the questions rising in his mind, he turned his head towards Iris.

“Da, Dale!”

Iris, her eyes wide open, stared at him, engulfed in flames.

I took a few steps towards Iris.

“What the hell is going on… Ahhh!”

I lightly punched Iris on the head.

She covered the spot with both hands, her eyes tearing up.

“W, what was that for?!”

“I told you to stay put earlier, didn’t I?”

“B, but!”

“No buts.”

I sighed deeply and stood in front of Iris, shielding her.

“Don’t step forward this time, just stay here.”

“…Okay.”

Iris nodded with a sullen expression.

I turned my body towards Ashtaroth, leaving Iris behind.

Thud.

At that moment, Ashtaroth’s severed left arm, lying on the ground, touched my foot.

In Ashtaroth’s left hand was a tool bent like a spoon.

‘He said it was a tool to gouge out Iris’s eyes.’

My heated head cooled down.

‘If it weren’t for the Primordial Flame, Iris’s eyes would have been gouged out by now.’

The flames enveloping my body spread to my heart.

Whoosh, whoosh.

The flames in my heart became a massive fire demon, swallowing the world.

“Ashtaroth.”

I spoke to Ashtaroth, who was watching me with wary eyes.

“Earlier, you said we should see who is more loved by the gods, right?”

According to records, the Primordial Flame was a power created by the Devil God.

But, strictly speaking, isn’t the Devil God also a god, just like the Seven Gods?

“Come on, don’t just stand there dumbfounded, let’s finish this.”

Boom!

I stomped my foot roughly, spreading the magical power that filled the Holy Mark throughout my body.

The magical power surged out with such force that it felt like my blood vessels would burst.

It was a sensation I had never felt before, having suffered from chronic magical power deficiency since my past life.

‘I don’t know why the Primordial Flame started moving all of a sudden.’

But I could roughly guess why the magical power filling the Holy Mark was created.

‘They said the Primordial Flame began to create magical power by burning the Tree of Creation.’

In other words.

The Primordial Flame has the ability to create magical power by burning something.

‘Then, what is the Primordial Flame burning now…?’

Isn’t it obvious?

I looked down at the flames enveloping my body and let out a hollow laugh.

“I never thought I’d become firewood in my lifetime.”

The Primordial Flame is burning my body to create magical power.

As evidence, the gray ashes created when the Blessing of Resurrection is activated are swirling around the fiercely burning flames.

‘If the Primordial Flame is using my life force as firewood to create magical power…’

In theory.

Doesn’t that mean I can create an almost infinite amount of magical power as long as the Primordial Flame is burning?

“Ha.”

A thrilling sense of omnipotence ran down my spine.

It felt like I had thrown off the heavy shackles that had been binding my body.

I instinctively knew.

All the techniques I had only superficially imitated until now.

Everything I had trained endlessly in the snowy fields.

‘Now.’

I can use them fully.

“Here I go.”

Rumble!

The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck with my light step.

The distance closed in an instant.

I swung my clenched fist towards Ashtaroth, who was stepping back with wide eyes.

Berald Martial Arts.

Mountain Splitting Fist.

Boom!

A terrifying fist wind swept through the surroundings with a deafening roar.

“This is insane…!”

Ashtaroth screamed in shock and used Distortion’s Blessing.

The distorted space blocked the fist wind, but only for a moment.

In an instant, the Distortion’s Blessing was pierced, and Ashtaroth’s body was swept away by the fist wind, flung backwards.

“Cough!”

Ashtaroth spat out blood and collapsed.

“Ha, ha!”

Ashtaroth, gasping for breath, struggled to get up.

He looked at Iris in the distance and gritted his teeth.

“…Damn it.”

Since neither illusions nor Distortion’s Blessing worked.

There was no way to deal with this immortal monster anymore.

‘I’ll give up on the Seven Eyes.’

If I retreat now, I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to obtain the Seven Eyes, but if I stay, I’ll be killed here without even getting close to the power of the Seven Eyes.

“Dale Han.”

Ashtaroth glared at Dale, his face twisted in fury.

“I’ll remember your name. Definitely.”

Snap.

As Ashtaroth flicked his remaining arm, the purple veil covering the surroundings disappeared.

The cool night air blew in, and the dark night sky spread out.

As Ashtaroth turned to leave the school.

“Where do you think you’re running to?”

Dale lightly stomped his foot, and the flames enveloping his body spread out like a curtain, covering the surroundings.

“Is this… a barrier?”

Ashtaroth stared at the curtain of flames covering the surroundings, his mouth agape.

No.

Now he’s even using barrier magic?

“Aren’t you a Warrior Department candidate?”

“Why? There’s no rule that says Warrior Department students can’t use magic, is there?”

“……”

Ashtaroth clenched his teeth, unable to think of a retort.

“Not only do you have the Blessing of Immortality, but you also know swordsmanship, martial arts, and magic…?”

Crunch.

The sound of grinding teeth echoed.

“No, ha. Damn it. I can’t believe this.”

Ashtaroth muttered rough curses, clutching his head.

“Do you not know what moderation is?! Huh? Does this even make sense?!!”

Ashtaroth’s shout was almost a scream.

Well.

I can understand his feelings.

The ‘Archbishop,’ who reigns over thousands, tens of thousands of demons, probably never imagined he would be cornered like this by a mere candidate, not even a professor.

No.

Considering the absurd power the Archbishop possesses, even if he fought all the professors in the school, he wouldn’t be in a position to run away.

‘But.’

So what?

“Earlier, you said that the orphanage kids, who aren’t even heroes, deserved to die just because they were unlucky enough to be here today, right?”

When I arrived at the Dreaming Veil to find Ashtaroth.

I remembered hearing those words from beyond the veil.

“It’s the same.”

I fiercely raised the corner of my mouth and pointed my sword at Ashtaroth.

“You were just unlucky enough to meet me today.”

Isn’t that reason enough?

“W, wait! If you kill me…!”

Before Ashtaroth could hurriedly say anything.

I poured the magical power flowing through my body into the sword.

Whoosh!

The flames enveloping my body surged, and flames erupted from the sword.

Even though I’ve held a sword for an unimaginably long time.

This unfamiliar sensation sent shivers through my body.

“Ha.”

A dry laugh escaped my lips.

Suddenly, a brief conversation I had with a friend in my past life came to mind.

-You know what, Dale? They say that when you reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, you can split the sky with just a sword, without using any magical power.

“You were wrong, Yuren.”

I tightened my grip on the sword.

A sensation I never felt when I was struggling with insufficient magical power.

It felt like wings had sprouted on my back.

Things I could never do before began to vividly appear in my mind.

Sun Sword.

Ninth Form, Twilight.

The fiercely burning sword of flames split the sky.