Ch.898Need Some Help?

A spectacle of escape beyond words.

Blinding flashes burst continuously as if standing before countless cameras, while shockwaves and explosions swept through and shook everything around.

【 Not yet. Run more desperately, more frantically, scream as if coughing blood! Your desperate struggle will entertain me even more! 】

Amitamir, who had been chasing me, must have found simple pursuit lacking in fun and excitement, as he had begun firing all sorts of magic at me.

-Crackle!

As I suddenly changed direction mid-sprint, thick lightning poured down like rain on the spot I had been heading toward just moments before. Broken soil erupted like a fountain, spraying a grayish-brown mist.

And lightning was just the beginning.

No sooner had I changed direction again than a meteor shower of fireballs, massive explosions, and localized blizzards crashed down magnificently.

It was like watching a formation of bombers simultaneously dropping carpet bombs.

For me, underneath it all, it was literally a hellish experience just trying to avoid everything.

【 What’s wrong? Your speed has slowed! Are you tired? Have you given up? Don’t disappoint me. Show me the spirit worthy of prey! 】

He’s really enjoying himself. This ground lizard who used to hide like a worm without making a peep when Heaven’s Wall was intact.

I turned my head to glare at him while continuing my desperate sprint.

Crossing plains, breaking through forests, leaping over hills, and traversing ravines. For eight hours straight.

Amitamir, true to his word, must have wanted to enjoy the hunt longer, as even while bombarding me with magic, he never unleashed attacks so widespread that I couldn’t possibly avoid them.

That’s why I was somehow able to flee for a full eight hours.

…In other words, my escape had reached its limit after just eight hours.

It wasn’t that Cascador had lost his mind.

Being somewhat of a spiritual beast, he was a steed that could run for two days and nights straight without showing any signs of fatigue.

【 I’m getting bored now. 】

The escape reached its limit simply because Amitamir had grown tired of the chase.

【 I’ve waited this long, thinking you might reveal at least one hidden trick… but are you just going to keep running without any plan? Perhaps I expected too much from a worm that crawls on the ground. 】

Mockery filled with the arrogance unique to lizards. With that taunt, Amitamir greatly increased his flying speed, approached, and opened his massive jaws wide.

【 This generation’s Heavenly Slayer is utterly disappointing. You foolish, worthless creature who couldn’t become a wolf. 】

The meaning behind that action was all too clear.

“…You did well, Cascador.”

This was as far as I could go riding the unicorn.

I bit the Ring of Returning Seal with my lips, then put it in my mouth, preparing myself for the massive destruction that would follow.

And then.

【 Turn to ash on lava and vanish beyond the darkness of the netherworld! 】

The next moment,

a river of flames overflowed.

—-

Dragon’s breath.

Heat on a completely different dimension from that of a Charging Dragon who merely gathered and spewed dark mana. The breath of a true dragon turned into pure white flames that engulfed everything.

– Kwaooooo!

Everything in creation turned to ash and vanished.

The unicorn that had never stopped galloping until the end. The rags and black cloak I had been wearing. Grass and trees, streams, and the earth itself.

Ashes swept up in the heat storm flew like swarms of insects within the blinding white radiance.

A scene reminiscent of the epicenter of a nuclear weapon. The power was terrifyingly overwhelming enough to inspire awe. Enough to kill even a hero’s grandfather without any chance of resistance, let alone a hero.

…Good thing I came alone.

It was fortunate I didn’t bring my companions, because if I had brought them here, this single strike would have annihilated almost all of them, leaving only one or two survivors.

My comrades and subordinates weren’t ready to face a dragon yet.

However—

‘…This…is…bearable…!’

Not me.

What the dragon’s breath bestowed upon me was merely an excruciating burning sensation as if my entire body was on fire.

– Kiiiiing!

The flame rune engraved on my right wrist let out a screeching sound as it greedily absorbed the surrounding flames.

Only my clothing had turned to ash. My flesh hadn’t melted, nor had my bones evaporated. The flames couldn’t harm my body.

Then there was no problem.

This burning pain was a sensation I had experienced to the point of nausea in the illusions created by Isabella when I faced her.

I could endure this level of pain as much as needed.

Therefore—

【 Krrrrrrrr. Not even entertaining. I thought you would have more spirit… but in the end, a bug is just a bug. To think you couldn’t even touch me. 】

“…You’re talking shit.”

I swung my sword.

Like a carp climbing up a waterfall, I flew upward while concealing myself in the dragon’s breath, finally reaching for his nape.

– Kiiiiiiing!

The golden Jin sword roared as it tore through the air, wrapped in brilliant golden light.

The power of severance that cut through space. The karma power I had desperately recovered during the past eight hours of flight was fiercely poured into the blade.

【 Krhaak?! 】

Startled by the enormous energy that erupted right beside him, Amitamir tried to turn his head.

“Too late!”

The blade imbued with the power of severance cut through his scales like tofu and dug deep into his flesh.

– Kwaddddk!

【 Kahaaaaaaaak! 】

Blood as hot as lava erupted like a wave.

—-

The dragon’s blood thoroughly drenched my entire body, evaporating and raising red steam.

With the Ring of Returning Seal between my teeth, I gulped down the dragon’s blood and gave him a smile full of killing intent.

My thirst was rapidly disappearing.

Though the blood was fishy, hot, and utterly disgusting, to me who hadn’t had a drop of water for hours, it was like sweet nectar.

【 You cut through my scales? You survived my breath? A mere bug?! 】

Shocked by my surprise attack, Amitamir swung his front leg while spewing blood.

A light movement like brushing off a bug clinging to his body.

However, his massive form transformed that simple movement into an attack surpassing Orhan’s single punch.

…It would be difficult to land another cut.

I didn’t think Bulyin’s protection could withstand such an attack.

“Did you think I couldn’t cut you?”

I leaped off his nape, avoiding the dragon’s front leg while sneering.

I chose to flee because I had consumed too much power fighting Persiella, but at full strength, cutting through dragon scales wasn’t particularly difficult.

The power of severance wasn’t something that could be physically blocked.

“I’ve broken countless dragon-scale swords, so breaking mere scales is nothing.”

From the beginning, I could have easily shattered a scale or two even without using the power of severance. Though landing a proper sword wound like now would be tricky.

“You were softer than I expected… I can guess what you’ve been doing alone for eight hundred years. Even your scales have rotted away, not just your bones?”

【 You fled like a dog with its tail on fire, and now you dare to be impudent! 】

Honestly, I didn’t think he would understand what I was saying, but he seemed to grasp my meaning immediately, roaring and lunging at me.

What’s this, did he really spend eight hundred years comforting himself?

…No, surely not. That would be too pathetic. The mere thought fills me with both pity and contempt.

【 Do you think anything will change because you inflicted one small wound?! 】

Amitamir roared, making the sky tremble.

Indeed, he wasn’t wrong.

It was good that I had manifested the power of spatial severance and cut his nape, but given his enormous size, it wasn’t a serious injury.

For a human, it would be like getting cut a bit deeply with a utility knife.

Even the fountain of blood that completely covered my body was merely minor bleeding for him.

I wish I had the Giant Slayer’s Sword.

If Joshua’s heroic tale had been combined with the power of severance, I might have been able to sever his neck with a single strike.

Of course, this was just an impossible fantasy. Joshua couldn’t use spatial severance, and I couldn’t use the Giant Slayer’s Sword.

With Sky Slash, I could have cut him in two if I could just land it… but I hadn’t recovered enough power to use it.

Meanwhile, he could easily shatter my bones just by swinging that enormous body.

In short, I was like a five-year-old child wielding a utility knife against an adult male armed with a mace.

…I’m not sure if I can win.

If I had held out for about six more hours, I could have used Sky Slash at least once.

Who would have thought that his patience, supposedly from his background as a practitioner, wouldn’t even last half a day?

“You were mocking me saying I couldn’t even touch you, but now you’re changing your tune after taking one hit. Is it because you’re a lizard that your words change as quickly as your body temperature?”

I was taunting him out of habit, but honestly, this was quite a predicament.

Judging by my remaining power, I could use the Sword of Severance at most five times.

So my only way to defeat him was to land five consecutive strikes on one of his vital points.

Easier said than done—was that even remotely possible?

Unless his head was completely empty, if I targeted the same spot two or three times, he would naturally focus on defending that area.

I was truly cornered.

There was no escape route, my chances of winning were close to zero, and there weren’t even any external variables I could count on.

…No, there might be one.

– Whoosh!

A tail like a pillar whipped toward me.

I spewed karma flames vertically to avoid his tail, then looked down to check the status of the variable I had just thought of.

The only certain means that might improve this extremely unfavorable situation.

The goddess’s stigmata glowing golden.

【 Sh̷a̸l̶l̴ ̵I̸ ̵h̸e̵l̸p̷?̵ 】

A woman’s voice tinged with amusement seeped into my mind.