Ch.1174I Didn’t Expect That

【 Evil…krrrgh…what an evil curse you bear…! 】

The moment he was struck directly by the Twilight Blade, Leviathan instinctively understood the true nature and essence of the power imbued in those flames.

It was bottomless hatred and a swirling curse.

The hatred toward gods spewed by millions of souls who became sacrifices for runes, swimming through eternal agony while sealed within the stigmata.

That echo of hatred and resentment piled up, mixed together, and finally became one—a curse like the abyss itself.

『 To the gods, twilight. 』

Ragna røkkr

That was the essence of Leviathan—a product of madness created from the hatred and grudges of the ancient humans facing extinction.

…And for that very reason, Leviathan was barely able to survive despite taking a direct hit.

【 But that curse…Krrrgh…is a power of divinity, meant to destroy gods. Did you think such a thing could destroy me, Leviathan…? 】

The crimson flames of twilight were a curse to destroy gods, not dragons. The curse’s effectiveness had been greatly weakened for this reason.

“Haa, haa…. This is ridiculous. You’re nearly dead and still running your mouth.”

Of course, even that weakened power was strong enough to easily melt a dragon’s flesh, so despite defending with a mana barrier, he couldn’t avoid severe injuries with half his body blown away….

【 Nearly dead? Krrrrgh…that’s just the standard of inferior species like you…. 】

At least he was still alive.

For Leviathan, that fact alone was enough. As long as he had breath, there were countless ways to survive.

“Your bluffing is becoming pathological at this point.”

【 If that’s what you think, then watch carefully. And perish along with your delusions…! 】

In the next moment, a deep green light burst from Leviathan’s wounds and instantly enveloped his entire body.

It was a power fundamentally different from the dragon’s mana he had been using until now—in some ways, it was the complete opposite.

– Whaaaaaaash!

A fourth power that was neither mana, dark mana, nor even divine power. Yet it was a light all too familiar to Haschal—no, to humans.

“…A miracle of healing?”

The holy light of Vimos descended upon the dragon’s body.

======[ Haschal ]======

As Leviathan regenerated, covered in deep green holy light, I stared blankly at the scene, forgetting even to catch my breath from exhaustion.

Wait, a dragon paladin? Is this reality?

A dragon serving gods and using miracles like humans? There should be limits to absurdity.

Honestly, if Orhan had appeared before me in a ballet outfit dancing and singing a serenade, it probably wouldn’t have been as shocking.

“A miracle of Vimos, how on earth…?”

I was so surprised that I muttered to myself involuntarily.

Vimos was certainly a deity with too many questionable aspects to be simply grouped with other human gods….

But still. To think he would grant miracles to a dragon who clearly despises and antagonizes humans.

Was he, like Volberg and Grimnir, merely pretending to be a human god while actually being an enemy of humanity?

【 KRRRRRRRR…! 】

…No, that’s not what’s important right now. That bastard is recovering.

Pondering what’s already happened can wait. Right now, I needed to stop him.

His recovery speed was so slow that it might take two weeks to fully heal, but nevertheless, he was beginning to stand up again.

If he could stand, it meant he could fight again.

“Haah…well, alright. Let’s do this.”

Like me, who rose again to end his life despite being too exhausted to maintain divine manifestation, he kicked off toward the ceiling.

– Kwaaang!

A lightning-fast charge. I increased my speed by adding karma flames beneath my feet.

With my remaining strength, I could probably last about three or four minutes. Well, it should end within that time. Probably.

—-

【 KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!! 】

A thunderous roar that swept through the surroundings as a physical shockwave.

Noticing my approach, Leviathan spread his two remaining wings wide, dispersing the whirlwind of flames and smoke as he let out a ferocious roar.

“Nice vocal cords. Seems you’ve got plenty of strength left.”

With all seawater and lake water having evaporated long ago, his entire body was now clearly visible.

A massive streamlined body reminiscent of a blue whale.

His front legs, which were more like arms than legs, had one side melted away leaving only the right arm, and his chest was grotesque with scales and muscles completely melted away.

Thanks to the healing miracle, he was barely maintaining his form, but without it, any vigorous movement would have spilled all his internal organs.

…Well, come to think of it, there wasn’t much left to spill.

That water snake barely protected his heart while the rest of his organs had mostly burned and evaporated.

The structure of his organs was completely different from humans—even from dragonborn dragons—so I couldn’t tell what functions they served.

– Chwrrrrrrk!

While his front legs resembled dragonborn arms—a somewhat familiar form—his hind legs extending below his waist were the epitome of grotesqueness.

“It’s like an octopus. No, with ten legs, would that be a squid?”

First of all, there were eight of them. Including the front legs, that meant ten legs in total.

And it wasn’t just the number—their shape resembled cephalopods.

Each one was several times longer than his front legs and writhed flexibly like tentacles, covered densely with flat scales like suction cups, unlike other parts of his body.

At their tips were not hands or feet, but just single hook-like claws.

Overall, he looked like a crocodile, lizard, whale, and octopus combined into one with wings attached.

The parts weren’t grotesquely mixed like some hybrid monster but rather blended together somewhat naturally…though it was still quite bizarre.

Anyway, I didn’t have the luxury to observe further. My sword was about to reach striking distance.

“I’ll kill you before you regenerate, you squid bastard!”

【 Do you think that’s possible? With that body that doesn’t even have the energy to manifest divinity! 】

“That’s rich coming from someone who just got beaten!”

A body returned to human form as my strength ran out. Durandal with its radiance gradually fading. Armor reduced to tattered scales after burning and melting.

Indeed, I was significantly—no, incomparably—slower and weaker than before.

But the same goes for you, doesn’t it?

The mana you poured into the pseudo-abyss would have evaporated without being recovered, and since miracles and mana are incompatible, you can’t handle mana while healing your body.

Judging by the mediocre recovery speed, you’re probably a second-rate cleric at best.

Your only remaining options are mediocre divine miracles and physical combat… but physical combat with a severely injured body? You can’t possibly fight at full capacity.

And if you cancel the healing miracle to focus on mana, the wounds that have just started to regenerate will burst open again.

In other words, you’re just as weakened as I am.

Unlike me who’s simply low on energy, you’re handicapped by injuries, so you’ll gradually regain your strength as time passes….

But at least for now, I can still take you on even in this state.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Believing this, I charged toward him.

And in the next moment, Leviathan swung his right arm at me while shouting something incomprehensible.

【 B’moth mare altum vocat! 】

Not magic. This was a prayer recited in ancient language.

Because it was in the ancient tongue, the only word I could understand was “Vimos,” but that was enough for now.

‘A miracle of Vimos? Trying to buy time…!’

Just that word was enough for me to immediately understand what strategy he had chosen.

– Guuuuung…!

Deep green circular formations appeared in the air between me and Leviathan.

Five—no, six circular formations surrounded me, all trembling and rippling as they released something.

– Chwararararak!

Thick as pillars, flexible as whips, and glistening as if wet—masses of deep green tentacles. A divine miracle I knew of but had never seen directly.

The Call of the Deep—an offensive miracle of the Church of Vimos that releases poisonous tentacles to sweep away everything in its path.

Dozens of massive tentacles filled the surroundings, extending toward me.

“Something like this…!”

I expelled karma flames behind me to complicate my flight trajectory.

The consumption of murder karma doubled, but this was the best option. If I tried to cut through each one instead of dodging, the severing power would reach its limit first.

– Kwaooooo!

Forward, up, left, half rotation to lower right, momentary stop, then kicking off into the air to ascend again.

About half the tentacles just slashed at empty air, unable to track my unpredictable evasive maneuvers.

Only a few tentacles that came close enough left dark purple marks on my skin as they tore through my tattered armor.

“Kuk…!”

Poison indeed. The moment I was wounded, my head started spinning—quite a potent venom.

Still, it’s manageable. Not unbearable yet.

I can still move. The wolf’s blood flowing through my body was resisting and gradually neutralizing the poison.

So I can still fight.

“Kyahaaaaaah!”

With a roar, I swung my sword downward to cut through three persistent tentacles, then grabbed another tentacle on my left with Frosting, using it as a pivot to change direction.

– Hwuuuuung!

Rotating in a large arc to narrowly avoid Leviathan’s right arm, I landed on that arm while spraying blood from wounds torn by air pressure.

“Too slow!”

As expected, he couldn’t be in good condition after such severe injuries. His movements were slower and duller than I thought. At least they seemed that way to me.

【 Get off! 】

Leviathan violently swung his arm trying to shake me off. I drove Durandal into his forearm to hold on.

“Try to remove me!”

The karma flames scattered like heat haze. My remaining murder karma was completely depleted, making it impossible to fly using its recoil anymore.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

If I couldn’t fly, I’d have to run.

Instead of taking off again, I drove Durandal into his arm and ran along it, slashing as I went, then kicked off just before I lost my grip.

His head was now within reach.

I twisted my waist, squeezing every ounce of strength from my entire body, and swung Durandal downward at an angle with all that power behind it.

The fading golden afterglow carved a clear semicircle in the air.