Ch.346346. Destiny (12)

Sssssss-

“Kruk?”

Ashpern, who had been certain that everything would be reduced to ashes, withdrew his sneer with a puzzled look.

Within the wide-ranging breath, the humans were trapped. Even if they tried to escape the path, it was obvious they would be helplessly incinerated by the breath’s overwhelming range.

Of course, human resilience is not something to be dismissed.

The stronger they become when united, the more powerful they grow when putting their heads together—they might have come up with some kind of solution.

However, the only means of survival would be the power they’ve always relied on: magical energy. If they wanted to present one answer to survive the breath, it would be to directly confront and neutralize that power.

So if he swept away even their magic with greater magical power, rendering all their formulas and various tools useless, he expected to see them thoroughly scorched.

The combination of Dragon Roar and Breath would create a hopeless situation. Even if some survived, those who witnessed the mass death of their comrades would collapse, unable to resist such extraordinary power.

And yet, they were alive.

Not a single person was scorched—they were completely unharmed.

And… at the very front of the perfectly intact Imperial Army, a man emerged through the thick smoke.

“How are they still alive?”

Even though he had faced him directly in dragon-human form, that man with black hair fluttering as he stared in this direction was the most troublesome human he had encountered so far.

When confronted with magic, he would mysteriously seize control of the formula, or when attacked with speed and quantity rather than power, he would even break the magic circle itself.

Because of this, he had suffered a humiliating defeat before. Though outwardly unremarkable, this human had mastered magical techniques to their extreme, making him certainly someone to be wary of.

But could he really break even a dragon’s breath, let alone a roar that overwhelms with stronger magical power?

That’s impossible.

How could a mere human destroy the breath of Father Herkas, which causes natural disasters with a single exhalation? Perhaps a magic circle could, but this was the power of a dragon, not a dragon-human. It was a power fundamentally different from a simple magic circle.

Perhaps they were lucky enough to block it by squeezing out all their power. If so, firing another breath would surely bring them to their demise this time.

Fortunately, the magical circuit in his wings, which had been stopped by the anti-cast, had returned to normal.

“Will you be able to withstand this one as well?”

This time, he could fire with even greater power by mixing in magic, so Ashpern prepared another breath.

Kuooooo-

Once again, a massive storm of magical energy arose from the dragon preparing its breath.

The magical energy began to swirl into the widely opened jaw, and a mass of formulas amplifying the power of flames were created, accelerating the completion of the breath.

Not just flames, but a storm of magical energy mixed in. All kinds of magic were loaded into it, ensuring that the frail bodies of humans would crumble in an instant upon contact.

The crackling, undulating breath was finally completed and fired.

────────.

At that moment.

A divine radiance, bright enough to be dazzling, dispelled even the darkness trapped in the dark clouds.

Something brilliant unfurled with a flutter.

***

Looking back on the path of my life… I’ve occasionally had thoughts like this.

Why am I alive? What dreams do I continue living for? Others might find it strange, but for me, these questions raise many thoughts.

Some might talk about their profession, things they want to possess, or trying to realize scenes from movies they’ve only watched. Others might recite their bucket lists.

Yes. Goals.

I’ve never had goals in my life.

When I finally got into a wheelchair after staring at the hospital ceiling with restrained limbs, I felt nothing but overwhelming uncertainty.

Perhaps my only wish was to dream, fall asleep again and again, and walk around with a healed body.

…But people don’t call that a goal.

If asked whether I had goals when I fell into the Kempriton continent and was summoned as Kalix, not knowing what had happened, but with a perfectly functioning body… I’m not sure.

I remember being overjoyed that I could do anything I wanted with this healthy body instead of my restrained one. But I can’t specifically say what I wanted to do most.

If I had to pick something, maybe it would be hoping that misunderstandings with my companions would be resolved and all issues settled.

Similarly, this wasn’t something worthy of being called a goal either. Perhaps I didn’t have the luxury to develop one, facing all sorts of incidents starting with position troubles.

After the regression, I finally had something that could be called a goal.

Survival.

I became alone to avoid the misery of dying at the hands of my companions.

I had to naturally distance myself from my former companions, and there were only necessary actions, not goals, to resolve upcoming events and secure the future.

I spent each day with complicated feelings… but could this really be called a goal?

No.

I only set survival as a temporary goal, but I never determined an ultimate life goal. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say I couldn’t determine one.

And so. Most of my life was spent without any goals.

A person living a contradictory life with specific plans but no clear goals. That was the life of the person named Junon.

But.

Now I have a clear goal.

The beautiful silver-haired girl who makes me smile just by looking at her smiles at me.

Even when I try to push her away with harsh words, she quickly notices and sticks close, acting mischievously with impulsive actions.

It was very bewildering and quite troublesome. And yet… those memories remain so vivid in my mind.

Enough to erase all the complicated feelings of specific plans and vague goals.

So I reached out my hand. I patted her head, offered my back for her to climb on. I responded to her playfulness with playfulness and held her tight as she slept to reduce her difficult times.

That time was so happy.

It was like the golden age of my life that I’ll never forget.

So…

If the future is already determined. If using Alkaid’s power is ultimately my future. If that is my destiny.

I want to protect just one person. I want to divert her death with my own hands—that became my desperate goal.

“…”

The breath, mixing all kinds of magic with the blazing flames, undulates.

Even raindrops evaporate before they can touch it. The heat is so intense that steam is visible despite the rain.

It’s probably incomparable to what was just fired. Even the flame-only breath made people hesitate from feeling its heat from afar, so this one is the same regardless of whether you’re directly in front of it.

It far exceeds non-human standards. The moment you enter its range, even if just grazed, the human body would vanish before you could even realize it.

The breath is fired and moves along the same direction, the same path.

-Kwagagagagagak!!

The ground, unable to withstand the power, split open, leaving scars of varying sizes.

With the momentum to devour everything.

But.

Strangely, I wasn’t afraid.

Is it because I’ve made some kind of resolution?

…I don’t think so.

Rather… isn’t it because I now have one clear goal? I silently ponder this.

-Saaah.

My lightened body moved naturally, emitting all available magical energy to block the dragon’s breath once more.

Even I found it absurd, but unknowingly, I was advancing toward that breath.

“────, ──!!”

Though the back of my head stings, my steps don’t stop. I stretch my hand toward the approaching breath, creating a veil as before.

Familiarly. As I’ve always done. I summoned the magic shield that I considered my unique magic.

But… somehow it seems a bit insufficient like this.

-Pukwaaak!

Actually colliding with it, it’s definitely not enough. If I try to block it inadequately, something might leak through to the back.

So what should I do?

To prevent anything from escaping. To leave not even the smallest gap. To swallow the entire breath that was fired. What should I do?

For that… a shield alone is not enough.

A little more.

Wider. Without gaps, meticulously.

So that not even a speck can reach her.

-If I am a mountain, you are a wall, Junon.

A wall.

Yes. Let’s create a huge wall, a wall that can’t be crossed.

Flutter-

In the area where the breath disappeared, feathers were now fluttering instead of heavy rain.

I was certain. Though I didn’t look back, she would be safe. But… I don’t want to look back now.

Because the moment I turn around, this resolution might waver and regret might arise.

“You…!”

Ashpern, positioned in a straight line, seemed to sense danger and retreated a step, quickly preparing his next attack.

Through fully recovered magical circuits, he activated formulas engraved throughout his skin and sent them this way.

“I won’t miss a single one.”

Pat!

“…!!”

────!!

As soon as I swirled my hand filled with magical energy, the fragments of dragon skin engraved with formulas all burst out.

“…I will not give two defeats, nor a shred of hope to humans.”

The dragon began to gather all his power. For the final strike.

***

A transparent veil rose before them. The power enveloping this veil, which felt not just refreshing but even sublime, was not mere mana.

Nothing could pass through this veil. As if no being could approach, this veil did not open the path to Peltibourgos.

Except for one person.

The boy who directly spread the veil that blocked even the dragon’s breath.

Paat-!

A sublime divine presence protects their front. An invisible, transparent barrier was enveloping the Imperial Army and all of Lakan, annihilating the breath.

The breath disappeared, and the fragments all vanished.

Though magic was poured out continuously, not a single spell reached this place.

Of course, the same was true in the opposite direction.

“Senior, Senior!!!”

Even striking with a giant crystal created by extremely heightened density.

“Just once, even if just once, even if it’s just an imitation…!”

Even trying to copy and use power equal to his.

“Huh, huk…!”

Even with a single-point explosion magic pulled to its limit.

“Open, open I say…! Please, I’m begging you, split even a little!!”

Even striking with magical armor created by almost perfectly matching mana and equipment compatibility.

“If that power is magical energy, I should be able to burn it. Why, why doesn’t it work!!”

Even shooting blue flames that burn not only mana but also the target’s magical circuit.

“Brother… don’t do this, don’t do this I say!!!”

Even as a girl desperately pounds on the veil, screaming to stop her lover from sacrificing his life to become a divine apostle.

The veil does not open due to the unapproachable power.

-Crack!

Finally, something appears in his right hand.

A white magic spear that everyone had seen once before—familiar, but something they never wanted to see again.

He seemed to consider turning his head to look back, but tightly closed his eyes and faced forward again.

From what could be glimpsed, a tear was streaming down Junon’s cheek.

“Brother!!”

“Senior!!”

“Junon!!”

“Brother!!!”

The pure white magic spear leaves Junon’s hand.

The spear flying through the air is as dazzling as the sun. Like a shooting star falling from the night sky, the spear advances while holding a bright light.

The dragon’s power is torn away where the spear tip touches, and in its place, white star fragments fly about as if purifying all that is corrupt and unclean.

The sacred divine presence advances and advances, thus crushing even the dragon’s body.

And…

-Thud.

The divine apostle, having exhausted all power, collapsed powerlessly.