Ch.324Chapter 324: The Final Showdown, and the Curtain Call (4)

As the golden aura that had illuminated the place moments ago receded, what appeared was a kind of sentence.

The primordial body and power gained from discarding divinity—a choice made out of the instinct to survive.

It was incomparably strong, even enough to instill pride that none on this earth would dare to match it.

But she instinctively knew that against the opponent who revealed their presence from behind that golden curtain, even such power would be useless.

Well, it’s not quite right to call it instinct.

Though she might deny it now, it was more like immediate recognition, having once been reborn as a being wrapped in divinity who manipulated the world.

Golden hair that brightened this area filled with darkness despite the collapsed ceiling revealing the sky.

And unlike that hair, cold blue eyes gazing at Desire herself, who was suffering from an unexpected strike.

And then…

“The evil deeds of repeatedly hindering this world’s development over countless iterations of time. I’ll put an end to it here.”

A voice containing both a chilling coldness that somehow felt refreshing and a solemn gravity.

【Lillian Seas…】

The owner of that voice was uttered by Desire with none of the red dragon’s characteristic arrogance, only fear and bewilderment.

Why? How on earth? How?

A figure who absolutely should not be here.

Shaaaa-!!

The cognitive dissonance came from the fact that this person was glaring at her while holding a holy sword that she should never have possessed.

In a situation where her life hung in the balance, Desire’s inability to counterattack and instead freezing in confusion might seem almost comical.

“Any last words?”

But the aura emanating from Lillian Seas’ body as she asked Desire for final words was powerful enough to make even this dragon’s floundering appearance understandable.

Moreover…

What amplified Desire’s bewilderment was the fact that this was the Lillian Seas of the current timeline, not the one from the most developed timeline that she had intentionally brought here to devour her divinity.

Though she possessed the same features and beauty as the Lillian Seas she had brought here.

Unlike that timeline’s Lillian Seas, who was so weathered by the world’s hardships that there was no room for light in her expression.

This one could be distinguished by the youthfulness and warmth that shone through despite her stern countenance.

That’s why Desire’s confusion doubled.

How had this timeline’s Lillian Seas obtained such powerful strength?

And in such a short time, no less.

Just yesterday, she had observed from afar how easily the other timeline’s Lillian Seas, whom she had carefully nurtured, had subdued and neutralized the Lillian Seas now standing before her with the holy sword.

Now she stood with countless wounds on her body, as if she had left yesterday’s inexperience far behind.

It made no sense.

This timeline’s Lillian Seas was strong, but that strength was merely within human parameters.

Of course, it was her predetermined fate that with the passage of time and accumulation of bitter experiences, she would naturally acquire divinity and become like the Lillian Seas she had lured from another timeline.

But even considering that, the strength this current Lillian Seas displayed was far beyond what should be possible for this timeline—it was extraordinary.

Not only had she penetrated the flow of time split into infinite fragments to share the same moment as herself.

But she had also inflicted permanent wounds on a body that, though it had lost an eye, had otherwise remained unscathed—such was her tremendous power.

Amidst this succession of unbelievable sights, one thing particularly defied Desire’s understanding.

The holy sword that had disappeared along with the Lillian Seas she had summoned was now in this Lillian Seas’ hand.

Desire had clearly perceived it.

Although the best outcome—where that Lillian Seas would disappear and become nourishment for her rebirth—hadn’t been achieved.

She had felt the aura of the holy sword, which would have been one of her greatest obstacles, vanish along with that Lillian Seas.

One could imagine how great a shock this would be to Desire, who had so readily chosen the dangerous gamble of abandoning her divinity and returning to dragon form.

However, no matter how unexpected the turn of events that had disrupted her plans.

This was a situation where even multiple lives wouldn’t be enough if she just remained stunned without showing any will to resolve the situation.

She needed to either retreat with her injured body to fight another day.

Or deal with the Lillian Seas before her before she grew stronger—whichever decision she made, she needed to make it quickly to escape the impending doom approaching through this momentary instant.

【…This, this can’t be.】

But Desire chose neither option, instead muttering words filled with bewilderment.

All she did was frantically lower her gaze from top to bottom using her one remaining eye.

No matter how much she thought about it, a being that shouldn’t be visible had appeared before her eyes.

There was a thread of hope in that hurried downward glance that she might have seen wrong.

“Is that all you have to say?”

But the aura and power rising from Lillian Seas’ entire body in response to the muttered words regrettably informed Desire, even with her one remaining eye, that the Lillian Seas before her was in a state where she could kill her in an instant.

Wooong-!!

Desire knew all too well the identity of that overwhelming aura, which had a similar golden color to battle qi but differed in its overwhelming density.

It was divinity.

When a being born with a mortal body.

Becomes stronger through countless experiences and realizations.

And then naturally acquires the essence of transcendence through further experiences and pain to become a being with divine status—that was the divinity that the current Lillian Seas was emanating.

It was utterly absurd.

She herself had only acquired divinity after repeatedly making the extreme choice to ruthlessly take the essence and souls of similar-powered kin because she couldn’t step into transcendence on her own.

How could this woman, who must have lived a life incomparably more comfortable than her own blood-soaked path, possess such divinity at such an early stage?

Had Desire’s body been intact, she would have let out a roar filled with envy and rage to threaten her.

But now she was so battered that even continuing to speak was miraculous, let alone roaring.

【…How did you come to possess divinity?】

She could only glare at the Lillian Seas standing before her while asking this question mixed with faint groans.

The intimidation one would expect from such a massive body was completely gone, and her asking how the other had acquired such divinity appeared almost pitiful.

Bwoong-!!

As if deeming Desire’s question unworthy of an answer, the holy sword in Lillian Seas’ hand rippled with golden battle qi, drawing an elegant trajectory.

Chwak-!!

Then the sound of a sharp blade cutting through something made of flesh and bone echoed.

From the momentum, it seemed like it might have severed Desire’s neck.

【…Keuht!!】

But Desire’s neck was still intact as she staggered with a faint groan.

Of course, she hadn’t completely avoided the attack, and a faint scar remained on part of her face.

Unlike the wound to her eye or the severe injuries where parts of her body had been severed.

A red dragon of Desire’s caliber should have had regenerative abilities to instantly heal such physical wounds.

Yet the scar carved into Desire’s face where the golden trajectory had passed remained, along with blood marking its place.

Desire’s mind, which had been desperately denying reality, was finally awakened.

【Krwaaaaaaa-!!】

The most intense roar since she had taken this form erupted from her mouth, and pure killing intent toward Lillian Seas poured out.

One eye had been cut away.

One wing, tail, and other parts of her body that should have displayed the majesty of a red dragon had already been severed far from her body by Lillian Seas’ sword strikes.

Her current power was like dust compared to when she had first taken this body after discarding her divinity.

“…If you had stayed still, you could have met a peaceful death.”

The remark that escaped Lillian Seas’ lips as she watched Desire charging toward her contained an appropriate tension, indicating that there was still some force behind the attack.

Kung-!! Kung-!!

Desire’s gait, unable to fly and with even the tip of her tail that would have helped balance her body cut off, was fast but comically matched the noisy footsteps.

“…”

Lillian Seas, who had infused all the battle qi dwelling in her body into the holy sword, faced this with a determination that matched Desire’s momentum.

Impossible.

Desire, taking steps toward Lillian Seas, repeated these words inwardly.

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t believe that she would meet such an end.

After eliminating the guardians of order who regulated the world’s principles from that high place.

With the sole determination to be reborn as a great being who would rule this world and countless others scattered like shards of broken glass.

Despite tasting numerous defeats and bitter failures, she had repeatedly rewound time with the help of an old friend to reach an ideal conclusion.

And finally, when she had reached the best opportunity to achieve what she wanted.

Now, having chosen to discard her divinity as a lesser evil to avoid the worst situation.

All of it was not only turning to foam but she was facing a crisis where her very existence might disappear.

【This is impossible!!】

She couldn’t help but pour out her intensified emotions in a roar while continuing her noisy footsteps.

She had to survive. To become a great being who would decide everything herself.

To establish new principles and reign as an absolute being based on the order she established.

No matter how difficult and arduous, she had to overcome this moment somehow.

The pure desire that dominated Desire’s mind as she extended her front paw to crush Lillian Seas’ body at the end of her tumultuous movement was very pure.

Her one remaining eye emitted a red glow, reflecting her desire.

And the one person watching this series of scenes with raised eyes.

Lillian Seas Proxian, while slowly, very slowly descending, did not show any sign of panic at the sight of Desire’s front paw, which transmitted pressure like a massive mountain range coming down.

Wooong-!!

She further intensified the battle qi in the holy sword held in her right hand.

The golden light melted into the sword.

To oppose the absolute beings who arrogantly valued only themselves and disturbed the underworld.

The legendary sword, made by processing special metal in which the great beings watching all this from on high had melted part of their power, looked too small and insignificant compared to Desire’s extended front paw.

Seugek-!!

But the way it so easily cut through Desire’s front paw, which was coming down with the momentum of a great mountain, carried an overwhelming majesty that couldn’t easily be associated with its small size.

【Kwaaaaa-!!】

Despairingly screaming at the result of not only failing her attack again but also losing another part of her body.

The blue eyes of Lillian Seas looking up at Desire emitted a light so beautiful it was chilling.

Unlike Desire’s red eyes, which were filled only with attachment to life and determination to reach higher places.

[…Let’s end all of this.]

Nodding slightly in response to the clear voice coming from somewhere, those blue eyes, which grew brighter, contained sublimity.

It was connected to a sense of duty—a commitment to fulfill her responsibility as the wielder of the holy sword, regardless of what conclusion she might face in this final battle.

The eternal time that splits into countless fragments.

As the light in Lillian Seas’ blue eyes grew stronger, it flowed even more slowly.