The True Immortal

Because the Immortal was emitting chaos around him, spatial coordinates were collapsing, making spatial magic unusable. But now, spatial magic was just one tool for me; it wasn’t a necessary condition for combat.

With my spatial magic sealed, I chose to imitate Cormo’s fighting style. Having experienced his combat style twice, it wasn’t difficult to roughly follow along.

Using the characteristics of the [Battlefield] to swing the Spear of Resolution mightily, driving the opponent to the edge of the boundary. In boxing terms, it’s like using combinations, feints, and footwork to slowly corner the opponent.

It was my first time using a spear with a moon blade, but the spear techniques I gained from Quantum Jump allowed me to wield the Spear of Resolution as if it were my main weapon.

Swinging the spear grandly with both hands, twisting my entire body as if wielding a greatsword, even the Immortal, whose speed and power were enhanced by the power of chaos, was inevitably pushed into a corner.

“You little bastard…!”

Kang-!

Taking his signature low stance, the Immortal twisted his body greatly to the right, then momentarily hesitated. He realized that he could no longer retreat due to the boundary of the [Battlefield].

I didn’t miss that moment and immediately swung the spear mightily. The Immortal, sacrificing the arm holding his sword to evade the attack, extended his empty hand forward.

“Die!”

It was just an empty palm, but my past experiences instinctively sensed danger. He had kindly warned me of the danger, too.

Kwaang-!

Dodging the condensed black beam from the Immortal’s palm with a tilt of my head, I switched the spear shaft from two hands to one, and with the other hand, I materialized a Shadow Spear and threw it.

The black mana flowing from around the Immortal once again blocked the Shadow Spear. Expecting this, I quickly twisted my body, grabbed the spear shaft with both hands again, and swung it forcefully, putting my weight and strength into it.

Kwaaaang-!

The floor of the study surged upward, blocking the spear blade. The Immortal, having already regenerated his severed arm, held both his sword and staff in his hands. Seemingly enraged, the Immortal furrowed his brow and said.

“Even if I lose this fight, you can never truly defeat me.”

The black mana that had been rising from the Immortal’s body like heat haze flickered like flames, reacting to his emotions.

“This is our last fight. There won’t be a next time.”

To my retort, the Immortal quietly stared at me, then gave a nasty smile. In that instant, the anger that had filled the Immortal’s face vanished. And what filled its place was a smile full of pure malice.

I understood the meaning of that smile. The Immortal thought I had no idea that he could be resurrected in another person’s body.

The Immortal had lived as Roman for over 40 years. It was enough time for his suspicion that someone might have noticed his true abilities to turn into complacency.

Perhaps it was a natural thought. The suspicious Immortal hadn’t even shown all of his abilities to the Emperor. Moreover, to avoid any possible suspicion, the Immortal had resurrected into the body of Roman, his young grandson, through natural causes.

For someone to know about abilities he hadn’t used in over 40 years was an impossible feat unless he had let the secret slip from his own lips.

Except for the author who created the character of the Immortal.

The Immortal’s attempt to commit suicide upon seeing Ellie’s barrier was also a natural action considering his personality.

Ellie’s barrier, which enveloped the entire castle, and the family safely evacuated to the basement. The suspicious Immortal must have felt a sense of unease. It was natural to assume that his family had betrayed him and sided with the Crown Princess.

In a situation where his family had secretly sided with the Crown Princess without his knowledge, and two skilled assassins had infiltrated the study. From the Immortal’s perspective, it would have seemed like a meticulously planned event.

That’s why he would have tried to resurrect into the body of a family member who had evacuated to the basement to watch how the situation unfolded. For the Immortal, it was just one death.

By using the spare lives gathered in the basement of the castle, the Immortal could resurrect hundreds of times. So, he could choose suicide without hesitation.

“You have no idea what it means to turn me into an enemy. You stupid dog of the Crown Princess. Keuheuheu.”

The Immortal is a monster obsessed with life. He doesn’t value love or family. For the Immortal, only an endlessly continuing life is the most important thing. So, he never forgives anyone who interferes with his obsession.

“After today, you will never be able to trust anyone again. Someone will stab you in the back as you walk down the street, and there will be poison in the food at the restaurant. Countless versions of me will appear from completely unexpected places and attack you, and we will burn our bodies together. A storm will rage in your peaceful daily life every day.”

The Immortal laughed with eyes that seemed to be looking into the distance, as if he was enjoying the thought.

“The Crown Princess will go crazy and commit suicide. She won’t be able to trust anyone around her and will fall into the abyss on her own. I won’t lift a finger directly. Very slowly, just like her father did… I will slowly wither her to death within the huge cage that is the Imperial Family. Keuheuheuheu.”

“Sorry, but Bella doesn’t trust anyone anymore. She knows that she only needs to trust one person in this world.”

Of course, that person isn’t me. The only person Bella will never lose faith in is Roel.

The Immortal’s grayish-white pupils flickered. He didn’t seem to like having his pleasant fantasy interrupted by a blunt rebuttal, as a deep frown formed on his brow.

“…I will kill you in the most painful way possible. I will make you repeat the pain of killing the people you love with your own hands.”

Just as the Immortal was gathering mana and preparing to fight, the signal I had been waiting for finally appeared outside the window.

Paaang―!

A bright red firework exploded, illuminating the dark dawn. The shape of the firework, which bathed the study in red light, was a very familiar strawberry shape to me.

“What is this….”

Watching the Immortal look out the window with a puzzled expression, I took out a mask from my spatial storage with a faint smile.

“It means it’s okay to kill you without holding back.”

I materialized my soul and put on the mask. In that instant, the view through the eyeholes of the mask darkened and then brightened.

The world is eerily silent. Even emotions seem to have disappeared far away. The sensations of the body, the resonance of the heart, become one with the mind.

Kill the Immortal.

That goal alone is the clearest of all my senses.

I drew up the mana in my entire body and breathed.

It is a contradictory moment where I, having materialized my soul, am about to use formless breathing.

The Immortal, who had been looking out the window, felt my change and turned his head. The Immortal’s eyes widened as if in surprise when he saw me wearing the mask.

“You… that mask…?”

The world slows down. In a moment of breath, my body shot forward like a flash, and I swung the Spear of Resolution at the Immortal.

The Immortal, who had been looking at me, reacted immediately. He used magic to defend against the attack and finished preparing to counterattack by wrapping the power of chaos around his sword.

However, the Immortal couldn’t swing his sword. He had used magic to block the Spear of Resolution, but that was just my ploy. Using the boundary of the [Battlefield] as a wall to bounce off, I stabbed the Immortal in the chest with a Shadow Spear materialized as a short spear from an angle he hadn’t anticipated.

A beast-like breath escaped from my mouth, and the time that had been stretched out endlessly returned to normal. The Immortal slowly knelt to the floor.

“You… mask… why….”

A weak murmur came from behind me. Turning around, I saw the Immortal trembling and shuddering.

The boundary of the [Battlefield] had not yet disappeared. I approached the Immortal to finish him off. Since I hadn’t stabbed his heart, the Immortal was still alive.

Kneeling in front of the Immortal, who was kneeling and bowing his head, I met his gaze.

“…So you tricked me, you impudent….”

Muttering incomprehensible words, the Immortal was wearing a faint smile. As if this wasn’t the end.

Even in this dying moment, the Immortal believes that he will be resurrected. For some reason, I felt pity, compassion, and even joy at the sight of the Immortal.

So, I looked straight at him and said this. A thrilling shiver runs down my spine. It’s enjoyable. It feels similar to the satisfaction of discovering something I didn’t know and experiencing a different interpretation.

“Immortal. Shall I tell you what will happen to you from now on?”

At the word “Immortal,” the Immortal’s pupils dilated, and his rough breathing became even more rapid.

“H-how do you know that name…? So you’re….”

“Today, you will die forever. But you will remain in everyone’s memory as the Immortal forever. Because you are a character filled with affection that I created.”

“…Heueok.”

The corners of my mouth rise without me realizing it. I feel a sense of pride, as if I am revealing all the good deeds I have been hiding all along.

“As a foolish and wicked ruler of the city who was not satisfied with the many things he possessed and almost endangered everyone on the continent with his endless greed. You will be passed down like a legend from mouth to mouth forever.”

I pulled out the Shadow Spear that was embedded in the Immortal’s chest, infused it with mana, and threw it towards the wall with the window. The impact shattered the wall of the study, revealing the outside of the castle.

Outside the city of pleasure, a giant tree that reached the sky was growing.

It is called the World Tree.

I grabbed the Immortal’s blood-stained chin and forcibly turned his gaze so that he could see it clearly. The Immortal trembled as he looked at the growing World Tree. He had finally realized that all the hosts he had been parasitizing had disappeared.

Endless fear filled his glassy eyes. Having realized true death, the Immortal trembled with fear like an ordinary person.

“As long as the World Tree doesn’t disappear, your name will be forever attached to it.”

I brought my face close to the Immortal’s ear and whispered.

“Congratulations. On becoming the true Immortal.”

I was happy. That I could at least finish the Immortal’s ending as originally planned. It is my own joy that I cannot share with anyone.

As I gently stroked his head, the Immortal’s grayish-white eyes captured me for the last time. They were eyes filled with emptiness.

“From the beginning… from the moment we first met… I was in your plan….”

The boundary of the [Battlefield] disappeared. It was completely over now.

The Emperor’s crazy plan, the Saintess’s sacrifice, and Roel’s salvation plan, all of it.

The Immortal, gathering his last breath, lowered his head and muttered quietly.

“…Cult Leader-yeo.”

“….”

The winter wind enters the study. The dead Immortal no longer opened his mouth. To his murmur, the meaning of which I could not understand, I took off the mask and looked at the World Tree, speaking to myself.

“Spring will come soon.”