Chapter 133
Mwin the Thunderstorm had been intercepted in an instant and was now plummeting toward the ground.
Could he ever have imagined being so easily brought low by mere humans' attacks?
Above all, with both wings torn, he could no longer even attempt to fly.
"Krrgh, Tiksa! To harm your own kin... Have you forgotten the order?!"
Mwin the Thunderstorm cried out the name of his kin, unable to accept the outcome.
Not only had a human embraced a dragon's power, he had even unleashed breath.
Just what was going through Tiksa the Frostbane's mind, for her to commit such an atrocity?
"Ru! Where is Ru! There has been a violation of order, are you just going to leave it like this?!"
Of course, dragons quarreling amongst themselves could not be restrained by order alone.
Rather, what mattered was whether the integrity of their existence as dragons had been damaged in some way.
Therefore, Ru the Luminescent, the overseer of order, did not intervene even in the midst of this battle.
"Useless creatures! To think such things are my kin... Guhugh!"
Mwin the Thunderstorm was engulfed by searing pain as he collided with the ground.
It was clear his left leg's bone had shattered, and there seemed to be a faint crack in his spine as well.
If given enough time, he might somehow regenerate, but right now he was in an exceedingly precarious situation.
'The humans will come after me.'
Mwin the Thunderstorm became unconsciously aware of a fear of demise.
That human had been granted power by Tiksa the Frostbane, and another had struck him with a blow imbued with Radiance.
If he ran into even one of them, they would surely try to end his life.
'I'm at a disadvantage like this. If I don't escape soon...'
Mwin the Thunderstorm began to crawl desperately, dragging his body across the ground.
He could leave the origin of the world for another time, but once his life was lost, he could never recover it.
No matter how humiliating, he had to think only of surviving.
'I cannot die here. I must return to Hazlodein's world...'
Mwin the Thunderstorm instinctively turned his head, sensing a distinct presence.
The Knight of True Flame was walking toward him, wreathed in fire.
Should he try to accept even that one's help, just to escape from this crisis?
"Guh... You've come at just the right time. Is there no place to hide?"
"After rampaging as much as you wanted, now you intend to run?"
"I have not been defeated yet! It is only a temporary retreat."
"Is that so? It looks to me like you've already lost."
"You think you can disdain me—urk!"
The Knight of True Flame charged in an instant and slashed Mwin the Thunderstorm.
His side was ripped open, and he recoiled on the spot.
The Knight of True Flame, seized by craving, began to attack repeatedly.
"Give me your power."
"Graahh! How dare a wretch like you!"
Mwin the Thunderstorm roared, unleashing a torrent of yellow light.
The Knight of True Flame was instantly buried in lightning, but did not retreat in the slightest.
If only he could become stronger, he would gladly endure this level of pain.
"You talk of wretches after your defeat to humans? When you don't even know why you lost!"
The Knight of True Flame scattered even harsher flames, peeling away scales.
All dragons had despised humans, viewing them as worthless existences.
Each time, they'd acted with arrogance and malice, yet in the end, they would be counterattacked and destroyed.
"Do you think I'll die like this?! I am a dragon, I tell you!"
"You say that like it's so great. What's so special about being a dragon anyway?!"
The Knight of True Flame, in greater fury, hacked off a chunk of flesh.
Blood spurted, but the flames did not die down.
They simply continued to blaze, ever seeking to expose their target.
"Kyaaaah!"
"You are nothing. Just a beast. A beast should not dare to crawl above humans!"
"Uh... kyaaaagh!"
Even as he screamed, Mwin the Thunderstorm kept discharging electric currents.
The Knight of True Flame doggedly withstood the onslaught of lightning, smashing even the bones.
The beating of the heart sounded ever closer.
"Offer that heart to me. That is your fate!"
* * *
After transferring to the designated coordinates, Alter quickly headed for the crash site.
He could not rest easy until Mwin the Thunderstorm was completely killed.
Above all, he had to make sure the Knight of True Flame could not get to him.
"Alter!"
Brillie ran straight to him as soon as she saw him.
Alter looked her over carefully, then soon erased any faint worry he'd had.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No. The enemy fled first."
"Did you cut the dragon's wings yourself?"
"I thought it was my chance, so I sent out a sword aura first."
"......"
Alter started to question her about it, but then swallowed his words.
She probably hadn't manifested that mana intentionally.
He'd have to confirm this slowly once they returned to the capital.
"For now, we should exterminate the dragon first."
"Yes. I was searching as well."
"It should be somewhere around here..."
"Guuh! Huagh...!"
Alter strode quickly toward the direction of the monstrous cries.
Brillie stayed by his side, with Alraune and Megarexor hurriedly following behind.
"This feeling... The Knight of True Flame must be here."
"I knew it. Nothing ever goes smoothly."
"Was he hiding, waiting for this very moment?"
"......"
Brillie immediately placed her hand on her sword hilt.
They had to kill the Knight of True Flame before he could absorb the dragon's mana.
If he became stronger than now, he would threaten her and her fiancé's lives once again.
"Good grief..."
"It's already too late."
Megarexor and Alraune witnessed the scene and muttered unconsciously.
Mwin the Thunderstorm was hanging limp, not even twitching.
The area was drenched in blood, with scattered chunks of flesh and bone fragments.
"Huff... huagh..."
The Knight of True Flame pulled his sword from the heart and slowly looked at them.
Though his body and armor had been exposed to lightning, it had merely resulted in them burning.
Still, he had obtained what he wanted, so he could even accept that pain joyfully.
"Brillie."
"Yes?"
"Don't approach."
"But..."
"It's different from before. He's already obtained the dragon's mana."
Alter seized Brillie, pulling her back.
She reluctantly stopped, setting down her sword.
That alone showed the need for caution; she couldn't help but obey.
"Aren't you coming? If you strike now, you might be able to kill me."
"And then you'll just run away again. Is that the life you want?"
"......"
The Knight of True Flame flinched and glared at Alter.
It wasn't just a taunt.
Perhaps the question was making the Knight doubt his own choices.
"What are you hoping to gain by growing this strong? Is it worth casting aside everything you had?"
"Meaning... It's meaningless. I simply had to do it."
"You killed people for no reason? Even crushed your own bonds? What meaning is there in that!"
Alter raised his voice, considerably agitated.
If there had been an understandable reason, maybe he would have hesitated.
But Lang Couster—the Knight of True Flame—had merely committed wickedness, intoxicated by overwhelming power.
Therefore, he had to be dealt with, without a single ounce of sympathy.
"See for yourself, then. What meaning there is."
The Knight of True Flame replied calmly and conjured fierce flames.
Brillie immediately stood in front of Alter, and Megarexor prepared to raise an earthen wall.
But the flames merely swirled on the spot, no longer raging.
"Watch closely. This is my power."
The Knight of True Flame subtly altered his mana, then drew forth a bright yellow hue.
He then fiercely discharged the thunder element, gathering it in his left hand.
Alter, watching, was caught momentarily by a sense of dissonance.
"Huhu... huhuhaha! I wield two powers at once. No one else could ever do it!"
Bathed in both flame and current, the Knight of True Flame swept his gaze across them.
He might have seemed like a monster, but no mere human could withstand this mana.
Only he—the Knight of True Flame—could reach such a realm.
"This is bad. He's gotten even stronger."
"Hmm... What an awkward situation. It looks like it'll be a hard fight."
With a frown, Alraune concurred with Megarexor.
He had already been a difficult opponent, and now he had absorbed Mwin the Thunderstorm's power as well.
Swallowing two dragon manas, he would doubtless unleash overwhelming force.
"... Isn't it futile? What can you do with all that power for yourself?"
"What do you mean—what can I do! With this power I'll kill you all!"
"And after that?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"After you kill everyone here and destroy the empire—what will you do then?"
"......"
The Knight of True Flame could not answer.
The next great mage's question was fundamental and profound.
Purpose lost, unchecked emotion would bring only loneliness and emptiness.
"I fight because I have a goal. But what about you? What purpose do you have for this?"
"... Naive. Only someone who hides in a corner would talk like that."
The Knight of True Flame sneered, deliberately hiding his own heart.
If he admitted being wrong, then only his past actions would remain.
He would rather prove his own superiority instead.
"Do you think you can kill me?"
The Knight of True Flame grasped his left shoulder with his right hand, then twisted it.
He tore off his own left arm and threw it to the ground.
Brillie could only watch, frozen in tension.
"Wow... This is insane."
"That level of regeneration..."
Both Megarexor and Alraune let out lamenting sighs, unintentionally growing wary.
The severed left arm soon regrew, returning to its original form.
He must have adapted to dragon power, enhancing his body's regenerative ability.
"Even after this, you want to keep asking about meaning?"
"My mind's made up. You still haven't proven anything."
"I didn't gain this power for your recognition. Whatever you say, it's just nonsense."
The Knight of True Flame stared at Alter, then turned away.
He only wanted to surpass Alter Radiant's existence, not necessarily to kill him.
On the contrary, knowing why Alter sought to slay him, he felt not even a trace of vengeance.
"Don't get in my way. I won't destroy either humans or the empire. Power alone... is enough."
The Knight of True Flame blocked their sight with tendrils of electricity, then swiftly vanished.
Just as before, excruciating pain pressed upon his whole body.
To grow accustomed to this new power, he would have to push and endure himself yet again.
'I will prove it. That I was right...'