Chapter 42: The Antagonist’s Exit: A Final Confrontation

What?

I really didn’t expect this to happen.

I miss Ileia terribly.

I want to lie down in her warm, gentle embrace.

I want to hear her stories of dreamers again.

I want to receive the unconditional love and sympathy, the agapeic affection, that I never received from my mother.

Damn it.

Fighting Arrogance is exhausting.

My mind and body rapidly deteriorate as the battle drags on.

“Break time? I don’t think so.”

Arrogance, wiping the blood from his dagger, looms large.

Before, he tried to end it quickly to minimize damage,

but now he’s slowly, surely, trying to kill me.

No matter how many spells I cast, it’s impossible to defeat me in my dragon form, empowered by Theogenes.

Like a baby, no matter how many potions it drinks, can’t defeat a sword master.

There’s a fundamental difference in our races.

But what about the current state of the battle?

I don’t have to say it, but Theogenes amplifies physical strength.

Unmatched power and speed, but that doesn’t mean his technique is lacking.

Pankration, an ancient martial art combining strikes and grappling.

An ancient ritual of death.

A true bare-handed battle that continues until one is dead or crippled.

Theogenes, the undefeated, eternal victor of that ritual, with 1425 wins.

That’s his power. He was unbelievably strong, but also possessed elegant and refined techniques.

And he’s absorbed countless martial artists throughout his life.

No matter how objectively I assess the situation, these are the best combat conditions in this world.

Whether bare-handed or wielding a sword, I can’t imagine losing.

This is a body that has never known defeat.

A perfect physical form that has never faltered, not even for a moment.

Then why am I being pushed back by Arrogance?

Unable to even land a proper counterattack.

Torn to shreds by his dagger.

Completely and utterly

dominated?

“Focus.”

Swish.

The dagger flashes before my eyes.

Fast and precise. If I were human, I would have been killed dozens of times over, struck in vital points.

Why can’t I overpower him? Why haven’t I landed more blows?

“Ugh…!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I wildly throw punches.

Not long, winding blows like before, but short, sharp strikes focused on speed.

Left, right, sides, head.

Countless blows aimed at Arrogance,

Thud. Thwack. Thud.

He deflects them or grabs my joints, pulling me down.

He twists my left arm and kicks at the joint.

Crack…!

“Gah!”

It feels like my arm is breaking.

But it doesn’t.

He releases his grip and stabs me in the chest with his dagger.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Drip…drip…

Crimson blood flows.

Instantly turning black.

The price of becoming not a pure dragon, but a demonic dragon.

“Focus.”

Whack!

“Gah…!”

Damn it. I didn’t even have time to regret.

Blood sprays from my nose.

His knee… my consciousness fades from the impact of Arrogance’s knee, his full weight behind it.

Yes, this technique.

This deadly blow, purely intended to kill.

And the perfect combination of magic and intelligent design.

Those eyes, as if seeing eight moves ahead.

That’s what’s creating this gap between us.

“…Arrogance.”

“Yes, speak.”

Arrogance sharpens his dagger again.

Sharper than before, he holds it in a reverse grip.

Maximizing its piercing power. Its slashing power will be similar.

Switching between the two will be a bit difficult.

I take out the Wrath magic stone. Slowly, I clench it in my hand.

Thump… thump…

The magic stone rapidly circulates all the blood in my body.

A red aura envelops my already monstrous physique.

Wrath discards all sense of direction.

Wrath paralyzes all reason.

Wrath leaves nothing behind.

But that is the purpose of those who desire wrath.

I pray that nothing remains before me.

“Now, I’m serious. Keep up.”

Or you’ll die.

Crack…

Gargantua concentrates in my fists and legs.

The black aura, previously spread throughout my body for defense, now gathers for attack.

“…I don’t remember your name.”

Tap… tap…

I lightly bounce in the air.

My center of gravity shifts up, down, up, down…

Now.

Whoosh.

I extend my back leg, twisting my hips and shoulders.

My weight shifts to my right hand, my left protecting my chin.

A momentary flicker.

“Ephros.”

And, impact.

Bam!!!

Crackling black aura explodes, striking Arrogance’s jaw.

Before he can react,

my left hand takes flight.

“Stomach.”

Bang!!!

My left hand strikes his reeling jaw.

A blow to the jaw sends shockwaves through the skull, jarring the brain.

“Ugh…”

Unless he’s an underground fighter who’s been punched in the jaw for years,

very few can withstand their first jaw strike.

“Bataria.”

Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

Then, overwhelming violence.

When he raises his arms to guard, I strike them down.

My fists relentlessly pummel his unguarded head.

When the beak of his crow mask shattered, revealing the pale skin beneath that I’d never seen before,

I decided it was time to end this.

I don’t want to brutalize him any further.

To let him die peacefully, I’ll use my strongest technique in this state.

Thud.

I lightly push Arrogance away with my left foot and step back.

While he’s coughing up blood, I kick off the air.

“…!”

Whoosh…

I spin my heel in mid-air.

Spinning my right foot, imbued with all of Gargantua’s power, several times.

Combining the momentum from the jump with all my strength.

Theogenes’s ultimate technique.

My heel slams into his solar plexus.

A push, then a kick.

“Gastrizein (Gut Strike).”

Bang!!!!

A delayed, explosive sound.

It’s amazing he’s still in one piece.

The nation of Wanbeol was annihilated by this technique.

With all my power concentrated in this single blow, he should be dead.

But.

“Hmm, too bad, Valentina.”

How is he still standing?

How is he still talking?

He should be dead!

“Your legs disappeared first, so it’s a natural result.”

I look down at my legs.

I’m painstakingly regenerating my legs, which had turned to ash.

“…What is that?”

“My right hand’s ability. Paradise Lost. I couldn’t use it when there were people around, but now there’s no one to infect. This is my first time using it properly.”

“Its effect?”

“Complete annihilation of anything I touch. I can kill anyone with regenerative abilities similar to yours, but unfortunately, I can’t keep up with your regeneration speed. I need more practice.”

Arrogance said so and threw off the glove that covered his right hand.

Pale and slender, it’s hard to believe such power resides within.

My anger dissipated, replaced by disbelief.

A cheat ability on par with mine.

Arrogance opened and closed his right hand, unleashing a colorless, overwhelming power.

A colorless…

no, it’s not colorless.

It holds the vibrant blue of summer, the deep blue of the ocean. Like a piece of the night sky, or moonlight scattered across a lake.

Beautiful.

That impossibly beautiful thing…is death.

The utopia I’ve longed for lies within.

Like the first time I saw the Milky Way stretching across the night sky,

my heart pounded, threatening to burst.

A reaffirmation of my dream.

“Watch carefully. I was saving this, but now I’ll use it freely.”

“Haha, you have quite the talent yourself.”

I laugh.

The day that power is perfected, I will die.

I focused all of Gargantua into my fist.

It feels like I’m wearing gauntlets.

Arrogance created a greatsword with his immense power.

An impossibly large sword. Our eyes met, his holding the greatsword in one hand, mine preparing for magic and combat.

“…..Ha”

“Ha”

We chuckled, seeing the slight resemblance in our stances.

“It’s like the reverse of our last fight, isn’t it?”

“It would seem so.”

“Come, terrifying crow.”

“I’m coming, pitiful lizard.”

Once again, the two Transcendents clash.

One of us will experience defeat for the first time in our lives today.

Last time was a draw. I had a feeling this time would end with someone’s defeat.

It wouldn’t be strange for either of us to win or lose.

But…

I want a draw.

I want to keep fighting you.

My greatest desire is still death.

I still know I’m meant to die.

But I want to fight like this with you.

Push each other to the brink of death, laughing.

At night, I want to visit Ileia, listen to her stories, and fall asleep.

And the next morning, I want to visit you again and share drinks.

Fighting and talking until we die of old age.

That simple dream,

the desire for an ordinary death,

has blossomed within me.

“…Ileia.”

You said you would come and cry for me when I die.

Since I can’t see you now, does that mean I’m winning?

“I miss you.”

No, come here.

Tell me I’m losing.

Remind me that I’m going to die soon.

When I die fighting this absurd monster,

I want my last memory to be of you.

*‘Ileia won’t be coming, Valentina.’*

Screech…

Arrogance said, looking at me holding the greatsword in both hands.

His other hand held the dagger.

“Be quiet. Like a villain. Like the antagonist you are, exit the stage.”

For some reason, that emotionless man is even getting angry.

“…Life is a stage. My favorite saying.”

How do you know that?