Ch.322Chapter 322: The Final Confrontation, and the Curtain Call (2)

# With Respect…

【Hah….】

As Desire approached the fallen Kal, silently repeating the words she had just spoken, a faint, hollow laugh escaped her lips.

With extremely rare exceptions, it had been Desire’s habit since her birth as a dragon to never genuinely express respect to opponents who had faced her at the boundary between life and death, even as empty words.

Let alone an opponent who had left a permanent wound on her body—not through some artificial means, but one that would remain forever—such a foe would normally inspire nothing but murderous intent and hatred, not respect.

The fact that she had uttered words of respect toward the unconscious Kal after their battle seemed absurd even to herself, which was why the hollow laugh had escaped.

Well, regardless of how absurd it felt, despite achieving what could only be described as a victory covered in wounds…

Desire wasn’t feeling particularly bad.

After all, the fruits of her victory would provide compensation that would more than make up for all the injuries she had sustained during the battle.

Thud-!! Thud-!!

With each slow step she took, Desire’s physical presence became more pronounced—or more precisely, the droplets of blood flowing from where her eye had once been.

Drip-!! Drip-!!

They fell onto the obsidian floor, casting a powerful presence.

The sight of bright red blood forming on the pitch-black obsidian floor created a strange harmony that should have evoked horror.

Yet there was something about it that reminded her of the dark crimson color that Desire had loved most during her time possessing a divine body, making it somehow fitting for this place.

Though the bloodiness was overwhelming in its gruesomeness, the strange beauty evoked by this harmony of colors would captivate any unsuspecting onlooker with its magical allure.

However, the mind of the one who had created this color harmony wasn’t lost in the beauty of her creation.

【…It feels empty. To think that losing just one eye would narrow my vision this much.】

Only a sense of emptiness remained at the loss of a precious part of her body.

Although the pain she had felt when it was destroyed had been washed away thanks to the aid of an old friend.

But even if the pain had disappeared, the emptiness from losing an eye remained.

Desire felt hollow.

Because one of the two eyes that had always functioned to look down upon the world with arrogance was now gone.

How could she not? With one eye gone, the world she perceived felt like half of what she should be seeing had vanished, leaving only emptiness.

Even though the pain from losing her eye had disappeared, the situation was more than enough to fuel rage born from emptiness, yet she didn’t express that anger.

Because now, she had “that.”

【Well, this empty part too…】

Enough to transform her words from anger to rather refreshing self-talk.

【I can heal it by taking everything from you, so it’s not so bad.】

Because the prey that would provide the opportunity to immediately fill this emptiness was lying not far from her.

If she took the divinity dwelling in Kal’s body, even if it was weak, she could return to her original form.

And based on that, she could turn back time again, increase her power, and improve the completeness of her vessel—that would solve everything.

Though she desperately wanted to devour the unconscious figure alive and immerse herself in the profound sensation of divinity that would seep into her.

【Huuuh….】

For now, she needed to catch her breath briefly before her prey and organize her thoughts related to the decisive battle they had just fought.

To step beyond mortality into transcendence, she knew from long experience that while her body could be covered in wounds…

Her mind needed to be in a state of emptiness, without even a speck of distracting thoughts, to fully accept it.

She had already calmly sorted through all the emotions she had felt during the decisive battle while steadily walking.

The pain when she lost her eye and the anger she felt because she had never experienced such a loss before.

And the emptiness from the illusion that half the world she could perceive had disappeared when she lost her eye.

Even the unconscious respect she had felt toward an opponent who had wounded her enough to make her harbor such anger.

Desire, taking a light breath, could quickly let these emotions flow through her.

Of course, even though complex emotions like pain, anger, emptiness, and respect had been dispelled, there was one emotion that hadn’t disappeared from her mind.

【No matter what, I never expected to struggle this much…】

It was bewilderment.

Even though she had returned to a body that couldn’t properly exert the miraculous power she had when she was reborn as a great being wrapped in divinity.

She had never suffered this much even when she had this uncomfortable physical form before.

This bewilderment wouldn’t easily fade despite her efforts.

As Desire continued her efforts, an old memory surfaced in her mind.

It was a reflection on her life, recalling who else had left such wounds on her.

In her time as a dragon, and throughout the countless repetitions of time with intent.

Those who had inflicted this type of wound on her could be counted on one hand… no, excluding Kal who was now collapsed on the floor, there was only one.

And that was…

【Besides being bitten on the nape a few times when I contended with you for the throne, there was nothing else.】

In response to her soliloquy directed at the invisible air.

[I only regret not biting harder to end your miserable life.]

It was Fafnir, the owner of a fierce yet tired-sounding voice expressing brief agreement.

【Hmph, but I was still the victor.】

She was a being who had always considered winning without pain as the norm.

【Just like now.】

Desire’s voice, which had revealed bewilderment, was now filled with the confidence of a victor.

Though she was aware that this right of the victor was something she could enjoy only because of her old friend’s assistance, making it not entirely her own confidence, she wasn’t foolish enough to show that awareness outwardly.

【Listening to your lamentations, when all you can do is cling to the sword of this vessel and helplessly watch without having any influence on the material world, doesn’t move me at all.】

Because it was better to display false confidence than to show weakness to an old nemesis by acknowledging embarrassment.

[It’s good that you speak with confidence, but your eye movement is clumsy.]

【Shut up.】

Thus, Desire dismissed Fafnir’s comment about her clumsy eye movement and remained dignified.

【Out of our old friendship, I won’t take your soul, so you should be grateful.】

[If you truly valued that old friendship, you wouldn’t have reduced me to this state in the first place.]

【I couldn’t help it. If I hadn’t, I might have ended up in this state instead.】

[…I won’t deny that.]

【Hehehe. I still like your honesty.】

She maintained the demeanor of a victor showing magnanimity and leisure before consuming her prey, continuing meaningless chatter with Fafnir.

Considering the challengers coming from afar to take her life.

Although it was an urgent situation where she should immediately consume her prey.

Since she was still in a state of accelerated consciousness creating a slow flow of time.

Even if an opponent came here in one breath, in this state it was questionable whether they would arrive even after what felt like an eternity of waiting, so there was no reason for Desire to lose her composure.

Well, what would it matter if they arrived? Whether it was one or many.

No matter how quickly they arrived, she would be faster in devouring the divinity dwelling in Kal’s body and returning to her original form.

That’s why Desire was relaxed.

【You know it’s pointless to try to stall for time by chatting with me like this, don’t you?】

She casually teased Fafnir, who was obviously trying to buy time by engaging her in conversation.

With her usual personality, it wouldn’t have been strange for her to respond with cold sarcasm to such an opponent.

【I’m only entertaining this conversation because it’s you, Fafnir. If anyone else tried such delaying tactics, I would have devoured them on the spot. Kukuku…】

Because of who she was speaking to, Desire showed the minimum courtesy she could offer and continued the conversation with Fafnir.

Though it always ended in defeat.

If it was Fafnir, who had left wounds that would never be erased from her memory even if no physical traces remained, she could certainly share this level of casual conversation.

[….]

Unfortunately, her counterpart seemed to have run out of things to say, maintaining silence in response to Desire’s amused remark.

【Well, since your goal is to stall for time, your words lack coherence and organization, making it difficult to continue this conversation.】

With everything ending in her victory.

Desire’s mouth kept moving, enjoying this slow flow of time, considering it a virtue of the superior to be mindful of her old nemesis’s feelings despite their silence.

[You’re misunderstanding something.]

Fafnir’s voice resonated softly in her mind, attempting to correct her thinking.

【What do you mean?】

[They’re already here.]

Just as she was informed that something she hadn’t perceived had approached.

Screech-!!

Had it not been for the chillingly sharp cutting sound that struck her ears.

Desire’s composure would have continued endlessly, matching this eternal flow of time.