Chapter 298 : Finale (1)
Chapter 298: Finale (1)
From ancient times to the modern age, in magic, ritual sorcery, and sacred rites, a human sacrifice had been regarded as the most certain and powerful catalyst.
Especially within the rituals of the Holy Sun Church, willingly offering oneself as a human sacrifice—so-called self-sacrifice—held power and significance beyond imagination.
That was why the Saintess Anastasia Mayblin had been able to cast off the Curse of the Evil Dragon by offering her own lifespan as a sacrifice, and why she had been able to seal the Evil Dragon and several of the Eight Demon Lords.
Even though what awaited her at the end had been endless hardship and a death that was utterly miserable, she had willingly endured and accepted it.
“…Hah.”
Without realizing it, Lian let out a small laugh.
He had never thought that he could meet a death as noble and sacred as hers—as the Saintess had.
It was simply… simply that he believed there was no other method now.
If you hesitate, then do not do it.
And you will stand before a crossroads of choice.
…Had all of those words been pointing to this very moment?
“…….”
Lian did not know.
He only hoped that the moment indicated by the prophecies was this very moment, and that he had made the correct choice.
“Ugh….”
Feeling every kind of sensation—cold, hot, sharp, and heavy—Lian tightened his grip.
The blade of the dagger easily cut through his chest and soon reached his heart.
“Ghk!”
…How had the Saintess done something like this again and again while remaining sane?
With trembling hands, Lian released the dagger’s hilt.
No, it would be more accurate to say that he dropped it.
What is this…?
For some reason, everything about what he had to do—how to perform the Self-Sacrifice Ritual the Saintess had once carried out—was appearing vividly in his mind.
He had never once learned or encountered anything like this.
Then how did he know it?
…Mother?
Had his mother left it within his mind?
Had she already known that I would make this choice… and known everything?
…Talia.
Or perhaps Talia Poas.
Was it her?
…Or perhaps….
…No, I do not know.
And now, at this point, it was not something that mattered very much.
“…….”
Lian lightly shook his head.
Unable to control his trembling body, he collapsed to the ground.
“What kind of nonsense is this…!”
Meanwhile, Jadaka glared with wide eyes, spitting out words of disbelief.
“Do not make me laugh! A mere human—just one human life…! You expect the centuries I have built to collapse because of the sacrifice of some brat like that?!”
Jadaka shouted again.
“Does that make any sense at all?!”
“…What exactly is the problem? What exactly is it that you claim makes no sense?”
Berenistella, who had been restraining him so that he could not approach Lian, spoke quietly.
“Was it not also a mere human who defeated and destroyed you before, Jadaka?”
Another of the Eight Demon Lords spoke—the only one who had survived into this era.
“It is merely happening one more time.”
“Shut your nonsense, Berenistella!”
Jadaka roared as though vomiting blood.
His eyes burned with hatred and rage.
“The Saintess… that detestable woman…! That woman I would tear apart—are you saying that wretched brat is her equal?! She was never alone to begin with! The knights…! Because of that woman who consorted with those disgusting creatures, this—!”
If he could, Jadaka wanted to leap forward and tear Lian’s throat out with his teeth right now.
But Berenistella was there.
She restrained him completely with all her strength, and because his severed body could not move as he wished, all he could do was spit out furious words.
“Do not make me laugh…! Do you have any idea how many centuries…! How much I built to come this far?!”
His body began to tremble.
As if unable to contain his emotions, bloody tears burst from the eyes of his severed head.
“Three hundred years…! Even after I fell into a state worse than vermin, I endured and waited! I scattered the Iron Needles forged from my own body across the entire continent and had my followers drive them into the land! Through that, my blood would soak this continent, and I would break my scales and shed my skin to finally become a god! I only needed to wait a little longer—just until the full moon rose…!”
“…….”
“And now you say it collapses? Because of a single human?! Not even you, Berenistella—another of the Eight Demon Lords—but just a mere human child?!”
“…There is something I once told my disciple.”
Looking at him with quiet sorrow, Berenistella spoke.
“In this world, countless lives are born, and just as many die. That was true yesterday, it is true today, and tomorrow will be the same.”
“What….”
“Jadaka, you were merely one among those countless lives.”
She let out a small sigh.
“Accept it and give up. …In the future, I shall build a grave for you.”
“Then what about that brat?! Your one and only disciple?!”
Jadaka shouted.
Berenistella flinched at his words, and seeing that, Jadaka forced a smile and spoke in a soothing voice.
“Berenistella, were we not comrades under the same roof as the Eight Demon Lords? Stop your disciple. Save that child. Is not a life precious?”
“…You, of all beings, speak of the preciousness of life?”
“Even I do not treat death lightly, Berenistella. …Yes! I swear it. I, Jadaka, always keep a promise once it is made. My soul, my name, my life…! Even if I become a god, this oath will bind me forever!”
“…….”
“I will not harm you or your disciple. You will live out your natural lifespan and die peacefully. I merely wish to be reborn as a god! I swear it!”
“You tried to devour that child.”
Berenistella asked quietly.
“To shed your skin and ascend as a god, you needed a Brand. That is why you tried to devour that child of that lineage… the child bearing countless Brands.”
Jadaka hurriedly nodded.
“You are right! I do not deny it! But listen to what I am saying now! I swear I will play no tricks and never harm either of you!”
He spoke urgently.
“If that child is spared, my plan will be delayed. I will have to wait longer—but I can endure it. I was foolish, Berenistella. Had I known he was your disciple, I would never have touched him. Even in life I respected your domain, did I not? So… so hurry and heal that brat’s wounds. Stop the ritual! You can do it!”
“…….”
“What are you hesitating for?! Did you not abandon everything to save him? How are you and I any different? I cast everything away to become a god, and you cast everything away for that brat—no, your disciple! And now you will let him die like this? So meaninglessly?!”
“…….”
“Do you think you can turn back time again? Arrogant, Berenistella!”
Yes.
There was no guarantee she could reverse time again.
…No, she knew very well that the chance existed only once.
Unlike before, even if she sacrificed everything now, she would not be able to reverse time.
“I….”
Lian would die.
He would stab his own heart and die before her eyes.
That child.
My disciple.
Once again.
Before my eyes.
“I….”
She quietly closed her eyes.
Even with them closed, one of the prophecies she had seen long ago flashed through her vision.
“…….”
The sight of Lian plunging a blade into his own heart.
Yes.
Back then, she had seen this very scene.
…She had already made all her choices.
And Lian had chosen without hesitation at the crossroads before him.
“Then that child as well….”
…If that was the case, respecting that choice—
Protecting the disciple’s choice and conviction—was the final duty of a mentor.
“…is merely one among countless lives, just like you.”
“What…?”
“That child chose to kill himself to save others.”
A tear ran down Berenistella’s cheek.
“…Then I shall respect that choice.”
“You insane woman…!”
Jadaka shouted desperately while looking at Lian.
His face had already turned pale, the unmistakable look of someone on the brink of death.
“No… no…! No!!!”
Jadaka felt his soul being bound.
The exact opposite of what the original owner of this body had intended was unfolding.
Blood was strongly connected to blood.
If Lian completed his death—his self-sacrifice—his own soul would be dragged along.
And that would mean death.
The annihilation of a perfect being.
“Who gave you the right to die and become a sacrifice…!”
Spit!
Jadaka spat blood as he shouted.
Astonishingly, it pierced Berenistella’s barrier and struck Lian’s body.
Seeing it, Berenistella shouted urgently.
“What—?! Jadaka, you—!”
“You will not die, brat!”
Amazingly, color slowly began returning to Lian’s pale face.
Jadaka had torn away a portion of his own life and forcibly injected it into Lian, extending his life by force.
“You will never die. I, Jadaka, will never allow it—”
Suddenly something caught his eye.
“What…?”
Smoke.
No… was it smoke?
Something shaped like a human was wrapping around the collapsed Lian.
…When had that thing appeared?
“…Those eyes.”
Their eyes met.
Jadaka recognized them.
Far-Seeing Eyes.
Eyes that saw the future.
…The eyes the Saintess had possessed.
“…Impossible.”
The form gradually became that of a woman.
And it was someone Jadaka knew very well—someone he could never forget.
“…Anastasia.”
A grinding sound came from his teeth.
“Anastasia Mayblin…!!!”
— …….
Ignoring his desperate cry, the smoke shaped like the Saintess gently stroked Lian’s head.
Then with a firm hand, she wiped away Jadaka’s blood from him.
“Ah.”
At last, Jadaka understood.
“Ah, AAAAAA!!!”
The future the Saintess had seen.
And that at its end, his death awaited.
…And so one life came to an end.
“…The vow has been fulfilled.”
After presiding over the ritual for a long time, the Dragon Ninarouelka finally spoke quietly.
In accordance with the vow made long ago with the Saintess, the sealing ritual centered on the Dragon’s Heart—the heart of the one who betrayed his lineage—had just been completed.
“We return.”
With those words, the Dragons led by Ninarouelka beat their wings and took to the sky.
“Dragons.”
Someone among a group that had arrived slightly later murmured while looking at them.
Windy May and Yeriel, who had repeatedly used Spatial Movement to arrive after hearing the news from Princess Velita.
Cecilia Everglenn and Yuran.
Allen Amiel.
…and even Lancia and Princess Velita themselves, though even they did not know why they had come together.
“…We are too late.”
Windy May murmured quietly.
Even so, they tried to hurry toward the center of the ritual—toward where Lian was.
They tried to.
“Ah.”
Suddenly Cecilia whispered.
“…That is.”
“…Where is this?”
When I came to my senses, I was standing in a place where nothing existed.
No… that was not quite right.
“…….”
I had been here before.
Standing in the middle of a vast field, I vaguely recalled it.
Yes, clearly…
“I died.”
I murmured quietly.
Because I remembered coming here the first time I died—when my head had been severed.
“…….”
It was not as frightening as I had expected.
Perhaps because I had come here once before.
Or perhaps because I knew that if I had reached this place, it was already the end.
I began walking in a familiar direction.
Toward the wide river that stretched beyond the horizon.
“…….”
Last time, something had suddenly pulled me away before I reached it.
And when I regained consciousness, I woke up in my familiar yet unfamiliar room.
Grab.
Someone grabbed my shoulder.
Unlike before, it was not a sudden force but a gentle hand.
“…Who?”
It was a woman I had never seen before.
“Oh dear, I almost missed you. Do you really have to hurry so much?”
I answered her question.
“There is no reason to linger.”
“Hm… that is true.”
She released my shoulder.
A woman I had never seen before.
“If you do not mind, shall we walk together for a bit? We might as well keep each other company.”
“…Did you die too?”
“Hmm, yes, I suppose.”
She smiled sheepishly.
“I have been lingering here for a long time. I did not go right away like you.”
“How long?”
“About three hundred years.”
I nodded.
“That is a long time.”
“Right?”
And so we began walking toward the river while talking.
Though we had only just met, I felt no wariness toward her, and she spoke as if she had known me for a long time.
“Do you regret it?”
She suddenly asked.
“Do you regret your choice?”
“Regret?”
“Yes. After all… in a way, you ended things exactly the way you hated the most. Acting according to a path others had already decided for you.”
“…….”
I did not answer.
She was right.
That was the thing I hated most.
Because once, my entire life had been overturned by someone whose name I could not even remember.
“…I do not know.”
“Then what about lingering attachments? Even if you have no regrets, do you not have any lingering feelings?”
“Lingering feelings….”
I murmured quietly.
And countless faces appeared in my mind.
“…….”
Cecilia Everglenn.
Come to think of it, we had promised to train together.
Even though I knew she had feelings for me, I had awkwardly kept avoiding it.
It was truly unfair to her.
If I had the chance, I wanted to face her directly and apologize.
Yuran.
I still had not written the reply to the letter she sent while teaching each other our languages.
Actually, after graduating from the Academy, I had wanted to travel the entire continent.
I even wanted to visit the land of Garusol with her help.
When I mentioned it once, she had been incredibly happy.
Even now, I still did not understand what she meant when she asked whether I preferred the Imperial style or the Garusol style.
Lancia.
For some reason, after speaking with her, I felt I had to apologize.
In a way, I had directly denied her beliefs and her life.
But she would probably apologize to me instead and say she would atone.
Because she was strong.
I only hoped she would walk forward firmly and strongly as she had in my previous life.
Allen Amiel.
In truth, he might have been the closest friend I had across both lives.
The time we spent together had been short, but the depth of a bond was not determined by time alone.
I had promised to visit his family estate once.
But I would not be able to keep that promise.
“…And.”
Windy May Maddown.
I had approached her with calculation at first, and she surely knew it.
Yet she cherished me as her disciple.
I should have repaid that kindness.
Even if it was my second time calling someone master, she was still my mentor.
But I had never once called her master with sincerity.
I wanted to apologize.
Berenistella.
In my previous life I thought she was a terrible encounter, but now…
Perhaps she was the best encounter I had ever had.
Even though she forcibly took me as her disciple, she had saved me from death countless times.
And yet I had sulked like a child toward her.
Toward the person who threw away everything to save me.
…I wanted to apologize.
Sincerely.
“…….”
My family came to mind.
My mother.
…and the Countess, my other mother.
My second brother who cared for me—Artiac.
After recalling each face, I finally murmured.
“I do have lingering feelings.”
“I see.”
“But it is already too late.”
“Yes, it is.”
Before I realized it, we had arrived right at the river.
“Hmm. It is cold.”
The woman stepped into the water first.
She shivered.
Now there was no going back.
Just as I was about to step forward—
“Thank you.”
Suddenly she thanked me.
“Did I do something that deserves your thanks?”
“Of course. I could thank you for an entire lifetime and it still would not be enough.”
She nodded.
As I stared blankly at the river, I tilted my head.
No matter how I thought about it, I had not done anything worthy of gratitude.
“…I am glad I can give you one final gift.”
She murmured quietly.
Then she pointed to the place we had walked from.
“Will you look back for a moment?”
I turned around.
There was nothing special.
“Nothing is—”
Before I could finish speaking—
She suddenly pushed me with great force, sending me flying away from the river.
“What are you—!”
I was about to shout when I realized something.
I was alone.
The woman had already vanished.
No…
Not entirely.
“…This.”
At my feet lay a small, old statue.
It was a Saintess Figurine.
“…….”
I lifted my head.
The field was gone.
The river was gone.
I was alone.
No.
I was not alone.
…Light.
There was light.
Light wrapped around my body.
It was so intense I could barely open my eyes.
“Ah.”
I closed my eyes.
And—
* * *
I opened them again.