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Episode 834: It’s Not About Saving the World (3)
“Astion!”
Deneve’s eyes trembled.
Even when she first saw the wizard Jerome, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he resembled Astion so much.
The magic he used was all Astion’s favorite, and the way he manipulated and manifested his magical power was also very similar to Astion’s.
The fact that most of the magical energy he manifested was golden was also a characteristic of Astion.
In particular, Jerome’s Mana Blade was a unique magic he had personally created to complement his martial arts.
No other magic tower created such magic for close combat.
That was why she was certain.
Jerome was the successor to the magic tower Astion had created.
And that magic must have been created by Astion. No one else would have created such magic for Yulien.
Deneve felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
“…It’s not your fault.”
Astion must have felt this was his fault. Even though it wasn’t his fault, he must have spent his entire life blaming himself and tormenting himself.
Knowing Astion’s nature, Deneb’s heart ached.
“You wanted to be in love so badly.”
He must have dedicated his life to creating that magic. So how could he not be sad?
Kwaaaaaaaah!
The light meteor began to burn away all darkness.
Even Gatros, transformed into a gigantic demon, was trapped in the barrier of light, unable to move.
Gatros was undoubtedly dangerous. Deneb knew how exceptional a priest he was.
Therefore, he should be destroyed here. If he survived, the Church of Salvation would stubbornly grow its power again.
But the magic was unstable. It was so powerful that Jerome couldn’t hold out.
If he maintained the magic until the very end, Jerome would surely die. Even those who had reached the 9th Circle couldn’t guarantee success with that magic.
Gatros deserved to die, but Jerome shouldn’t sacrifice himself because of someone like him.
“No. You can’t die here.”
Jerome had the power to save more people.
And Gatros… It was still necessary for Yulienne’s awakening.
So, Deneb intervened again.
Paaaaah!
Divine power emanated from the Saint’s Bracelet that Gatros held.
Deneb didn’t know why Gatros had her bracelet. But after so many years, it wasn’t unusual for her belongings to be scattered here and there.
It was fortunate that she could now use the remaining divine power in the bracelet.
“Stop this magic. Just wait a little longer and Giselle will come.”
Deneb poured her will into the divine power as best she could. Although she
couldn’t fully convey her intentions, she hoped it would be conveyed, even through the resonance of her soul.
Did her wish work? Jerome couldn’t bear it any longer and dispelled the magic.
Soon after, Giselle appeared.
He attempted to kill Gatros in one fell swoop. But Deneb blocked Giselle’s attack again.
“I’m sorry, Giselle. He can’t die yet.”
She looked at Ernhard’s face as she accompanied Giselle. And then she realized.
Along with Julian, the previous enemy had also been reincarnated into this era.
It was a deeply ominous sign. It was clear that the previous enemy had a sinister motive.
But only she knew this truth.
If she killed Gattros here, Giselle would face an even more difficult fight.
Julian’s sudden awakening was dangerous, but the loss of any clues to pursue Ernhard was also a serious problem.
‘Ernhard is more dangerous than Gattros.’
Ernhard was with Gattros. Therefore, if Giselle pursued Gattros, she would naturally face the truth. She
might even learn Julian’s true identity.
Deneb, who had experienced the Great War alongside Giselle and learned his gameplanning methods, carefully orchestrated the situation.
That’s why Gattros was able to overcome crises twice with her help.
Since then, Deneb has continued to intervene in Giselle’s dreams, little by little.
When he showed her the fight between Yulien and his adversary, Giselle was more focused
than ever. He felt the battle rather than watched it. It was as if he was absorbing its flow and pulse.
He wanted to freeze time and continue to show her this. In this place, where time and space were disconnected, Giselle could train for years.
But that wasn’t possible. The more immersed he became, the more the boundaries of his consciousness would crumble.
One day, when Giselle was so absorbed, Deneb stopped dreaming and smiled at him.
“Did you see that?”
Giselle was unable to answer. Knowing this, Deneb continued softly.
“I hope I can be of help to you.”
“…”
“Don’t be strange. I am your friend from the distant past.”
The dreamscape was calm. But within that silence, Giselle’s soul was shaking violently.
Deneb felt the trembling and whispered slowly,
“It may be confusing, but don’t doubt me. You must trust me. It won’t be long.” Because
the day they would meet again would come soon.
Slowly, Deneb approached Giselle,
making her presence known and trying to make Giselle trust her.
One day, as she drew closer,
Paaaaaaaah!
The necklace’s divine power emitted a radiant light.
The light enveloped Giselle like a wave, permeating his body.
It wasn’t Deneb’s doing. She was momentarily surprised, but she knew there must be a reason.
Afterwards, she showed him her friends’ fights.
“It will definitely be of help to you.”
Indeed, Giselle began to master the techniques of her old friends with her innate intuition.
She honed the techniques she’d seen in her dreams on her own, and with time, she became more proficient at them.
As she did, Giselle’s power grew beyond comparison.
Eventually, Giselle and Yulien defeated the reawakened Arterion.
During their fight, Deneb witnessed the dark power within Yulien grow stronger.
“That’s…”
A dark aura lurked within Arterion. As they fought, it gradually seeped into Yulien.
Only then did Deneb truly understand the choices they had made in the past.
“I see…”
The moment she realized the truth, Deneb’s body began to tremble like a scattering of light.
She wanted to interfere with Giselle’s dream a little longer, but she couldn’t. This divine power was hers, but it wasn’t solely hers to wield.
Another self already existed here.
Giselle’s absorption of the divine power must have been the work of another self.
Deneb smiled, watching her own body fade away.
“Yes, that was my choice.”
Now Deneb knew.
What she had to do, and where the path would lead.
For Yulien, for everyone, and to bring about a future filled with a single hope… … .
Soon, Deneb’s eyes were bathed in a brilliant light.
For a fleeting moment, she saw.
“Giselle…”
The back of Giselle, facing the true source of darkness.
Deneb muttered softly and closed her eyes.
“Only you…”
And when she opened her eyes,
she was back in reality.
* * *
KWAAAAH!
The battle between Yulien and the dragons grew more and more intense.
Darkness spread in all directions, piercing the dragons’ scales and exploding.
The black trajectories split into dozens, hundreds, as if tearing the world apart.
KWAAAAH! KWAAAAH!
The dragons opposing Yulien were also formidable. They staked their race’s pride, burning their very life force and unleashing all their magical power.
The magic of the 9th Circle fell upon Yulien one after another. The storm of magical power seemed to engulf the heavens and earth, destroying the world.
Even so, the explosion did not spread far. The shock still fell only on the fighters.
“Opponent!”
Arterion’s body was already torn, cut, and covered in wounds. Yet, he did not retreat even an inch.
The heart of creation pulsed within him, sucking in the energy of the world.
KWAAAAH!
Every time his heart beat, an immense magical power was released like a storm.
The other dragons were now fighting, having given up on survival. Uncharacteristically for dragons, they threw away their dignity and charged furiously.
They had no choice. Two dragons had already died, consumed by darkness.
If things continued this way, the dragons might be defeated, so they would resort to any means necessary.
Even Yulien’s darkness began to waver under the dragons’ fierce attack.
“…”
No matter how formidable he was, facing seven dragons alone was no easy feat.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Both sides fought with life in their hands. This fight was beyond anyone’s control.
It would continue until either they were completely defeated or the world was destroyed.
Lionel, who had rushed to Yulien’s aid, was stunned by the sight before him.
“Yulien…”
His voice cracked with despair.
Yulien had become the Demon King.
He was emitting a darkness that weighed down the entire world, overwhelming the dragons.
“Is it too late…”
Tears flowed from Lionel’s eyes.
It was easy to guess why Yulien had changed so much.
He had likely accepted the demon’s thoughts to save Deneb. While he understood her desperate resolve, he felt sorry for his friend who had given up his own soul.
“Deneb…”
Deneb would probably be the one who would be most heartbroken.
They were always willing to sacrifice for each other. She knew Yulien’s heart better than anyone else.
He had believed they could finally let go of all their burdens and live happily ever after.
But a cruel consequence awaited them, far too cruel to be the price of saving the world.
“This world… I should have just left it alone…”
Lionel felt helpless for a moment. Even the faith he had maintained even after turning his back on the empire was wavering.
Despite Yulien’s transformation, he had no intention of pointing his sword at him. No, he couldn’t even get involved in that immense battle.
Lionel watched the battle from afar, a blank expression on his face. He
wanted to go rescue Deneb, but he couldn’t dare approach. If Yulien and the dragons hadn’t managed to control the explosion’s range, they wouldn’t have gotten this close.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Another massive explosion occurred.
This time, too, the blast didn’t spread far, sending a powerful shockwave through everyone in the fight.
Finally
, one dragon, unable to withstand the force, stumbled.
Yulien, seizing the moment, swiftly approached and plunged his sword into the dragon’s heart.
Boom!
A
sound like the world was shattering rang out.
Light exploded from the dragon’s chest, and darkness engulfed its heart. Soon, the light vanished, and the crystal
of life shattered. At the same time, the
remaining
dragons’ magic struck Yulien’s
body. Kwaa …
His cold voice echoed throughout the battlefield.
“…Now only four remain.”
At those words, an eerie fear crept into the dragons.
The dragons were dying one by one. If this were to continue, they would truly all die here.
The warrior cloaked in darkness was far stronger than they had imagined. He possessed skills honed through long wars.
Arterion growled, his eyes emitting a sharp blue light.
“He is tired, too. We must never allow him to leave this place. If he does…”
His voice trembled subtly.
“The world will end.”
At those words, the dragons regained their composure.
They felt fear, yet never lost their fighting spirit. They displayed a strong will to eliminate their adversary here, no matter what.
That was the very reason dragons existed.
Gooooooooo… … .
Yulien spread his wings and raised his sword. The dragons’ magic in response filled the battlefield.
The mere energy they drew was enough to shake the world.
Just as they were about to move, each threatening their own life…
Paaaaat!
Suddenly, a faint divine power began to spread in all directions.
Yulien instinctively flinched and stepped back. The light that had always surrounded him now became pain.
In contrast, the dragons looked back with a smile, their wounds slowly healing.
They could see
Deneb at the center of the altar, enveloped in a soft light.
Her low voice echoed throughout the battlefield.
“Arterion, I accept your offer.”
For this world on the brink of destruction.
For the future to come.
And… …
to save Yulien, who had been immersed in darkness,
Deneb realized she had to make a sacrifice.