◈ 687. [STAGE 40] Either
Lucas could not move.
In fact, he came here not hoping for victory from the beginning.
I did not expect to be able to win against this powerful enemy.
He just wanted to stab this monster’s heart with his sword and inflict as much pain as possible.
Just as his master spilled his blood, he just wanted to make this monster suffer the same pain.
But I finally found out.
Your sword refined with darkness cannot hurt this evil dragon, which is darkness itself.
‘Let alone win… I can’t even struggle.’
Lucas, who realized the hopeless gap, was frozen like a statue.
And as if losing interest in Lucas, the Night Bringer slowly turned his head and looked toward the Crossroads again.
《Keep pouring out attacks that will never reach you, you vain avengers.》
Still, the remaining special heroes did not give up and continued to attack the Night Bringer’s body, but the Night Bringer did not pay any attention.
“In the meantime, I will destroy your world.”
Night Bringer sneered softly and prepared for the next attack.
The evil dragon’s eyes glowed, the surrounding air shook ominously, and darkness, magic bombardments, and roars were loaded one after another.
“…no.”
Lucas belatedly extended his hand towards the black dragon.
“stop-!”
But the Night Bringer doesn’t care how desperately Lucas screams and swings his sword.
They began pouring all their attack methods at Crossroads.
***
Kugwagwagwagwang-!
All the bombardments poured out by the Night Bringer directly hit the walls of the Crossroads.
The barrier was turned off and all the artifacts went down with electric currents.
The wizards’ magic barrier melted, the priests’ divine power protection was broken, and the spirits summoned by the spiritists disappeared.
The reinforced walls were broken, collapsed, and poured down. On top of it, knights and soldiers holding shields fell one after another.
The fall of Crossroads was already a matter of time.
The destruction of royalties was already a matter of time.
《Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…!》
The central part of the southern castle wall.
Here, Skarian was desperately receiving the ‘forged chestnuts’ poured out by his father.
The surrounding castle walls had already been swept away by the swirling night, leaving no traces behind, and only the area where the Skylians were able to take the attack with their bodies was barely able to maintain its shape.
Kwasik! Quack! Kugwagwagwang-!
Even that was a limitation.
They were blocking the ‘forged night’ with the Skyrian’s own defensive abilities and the artifact [Shining Dark] made from Aipian’s spirit core, but they were noticeably pushed back compared to before.
The Night Bringer has already finished all the nights and fairy tales in the world, and its output is at a level that is difficult to even estimate. It’s amazing that I’ve survived this long.
《My father… he must be really angry to the core…!》
Skyrian muttered with difficulty as he repeatedly parried attacks on his scales and regenerated them again.
Under the body of the oriental dragon, peeled and broken scales were piled up in a hill.
“Aaaah! Yongniim!”
Violet screamed from not far away.
Violet was hiding behind Parekhian, and even though Parekhian also had considerable defense power, parts of his body were damaged and turned red in the face of the Night Bringer’s subsequent bombardment.
However, he did not back down even an inch and firmly protected Violet. Of course, whether that was the case or not, Violet was already ready to die.
“As expected, why don’t we use the ‘method’ we prepared now…!”
“No!”
Skarian sharply refused.
《That method is not for escaping a crisis, it is a means for victory… It is meaningless unless it is used at the final, decisive moment!》
“But!”
When one side of the castle wall was reduced to ashes by the black magic that passed right next to it, Violet cried and muttered.
“If things continue like this, I’m going to die anyway…!”
《…Tsk!》
Blah blah!
The ‘Forged Night’ struck one after another like waves and blew away all of the scales on the top of the Skyrian’s body as if they were being scraped off with a knife.
Even in the face of terrible pain, Skarian endured. But unfortunately, the artifact next to it did not.
Pachik Pachichik….
Pubububung!
The Night Bringer was unable to withstand the darkness that struck like a whip, and the artifact [Shining Dark] shattered.
And the moment [Shining Dark]’s assistance disappeared, Skarian could no longer hold on.
《Khaaaaa…!》
The Skalian, who had been cut to pieces by the sharp night, fell down with blood gushing out from all over his body.
After defeating the guardian who had been protecting the castle wall so far, ‘Forged Night’ attacked to lay waste to the entire southern wall.
At this moment, Skarian sensed that the Crossroads was doomed.
The entire fortress will collapse, and the lives of all those who remained on the walls will evaporate. Now the world is covered in complete darkness…
Taaa!
But no.
“Uriyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!
A shield knight representing Crossroads.
This was why Evangeline Cross jumped in front of the pouring ‘Forged Night’ with her shield in front.
Oh my gosh!
Blade-like night rained down on Evangeline’s shield.
All of the ice that had formed on the Cross family’s shield was destroyed, and Evangeline’s pure white armor [Snow White] could not withstand it and was torn apart from the outside.
“Keuuuuuuu!”
But Evangeline screamed and endured.
Evangeline knew better.
The moment this attack is allowed, the southern wall, the Crossroads, and the human world… will all come to an end.
So,
“I… will protect…!”
Even while coughing up blood, Evangeline deployed her shield and cavalry forward.
Absorb the darkness with the [Damage Save] of the raised shield, and emit darkness again with the [Damage Payback] of the cavalry held in the other hand to offset the oncoming darkness.
‘Forged Night’ was a decisive battle for the Black Dragon that could never be stopped without the assistance of special protection or devices.
Evangeline used her special magical power management mechanism to block it, even though it was only for a short period of time.
Blah blah blah!
But the miracle was short-lived.
When the momentary ‘Night of Forging’ ended, Evangeline collapsed in place, blood pouring out from all over her body.
“Ah…”
The split shield fell into pieces and fell to the floor, and cracks widened on the beautiful armor.
The chestnuts that could not be completely blocked spread out around and cut the castle wall like tofu.
Coo goo coo goo goong…!
The cleanly cut walls collapsed, raising a cloud of dust.
“….”
Evangeline barely turned her shaking, bloody face back and looked around.
The central part of the southern wall, which took a direct hit from the ‘forged chestnut’, was devastated and its original form was no longer visible.
Waving…
only one flag.
Right behind Evangeline, the black flag without any emblem symbolizing the World Defense Front was badly torn and fluttering miserably in the winter wind.
Evangeline’s green eyes filled with tears as she looked up at the black flag waving behind her.
‘All those days….’
Gooooooo…!
At the far end of the southern plains, the Night Bringer opened its large mouth. Afterwards, the air stirred and breaths gathered together.
It seemed like the intention was to finish off this fortress city with that terrible breath.
‘All our fights…’
Evangeline turned her head again and stared blankly at the black dragon, but her eyes slowly fell.
‘It ends in vain like this.’
Evangeline quietly closed her eyes.
There was no anger. There was no sadness.
After fighting for a long time, I was just tired, tired, and in pain.
So now… even
if you just put everything aside and relax for the last time…
– Life is short. Don’t regret it and just waste your time, right?
at that time.
Something someone said resonated in my head.
“….”
Evangeline slowly opened her eyes again.
And he tightly grasped his shield, the entire outer shell of which had been blown away, leaving only the iron armor on the handle.
He gritted his teeth and lowered them, his emerald eyes shining, and he gave strength to his kneeling knees.
Not yet.
This life isn’t over yet to let go, saying you’ve done everything you can.
‘In order not to regret…!’
Even if you only have a few seconds left to live.
‘I’m willing to waste money in order to live the way I want to live…!’
When Evangeline raised her head, determined to fight until the last moment.
Suddenly a voice was heard from the sky.
“I say so.”
Tired and haggard. And a lot of hoarseness.
“This is the place.”
It was the voice of a man whom everyone on the front lines had missed.
“…It is the forefront of the world.”
Flash!
Following the man’s magic starter words, a wall of magic bloomed in the air like a flower bud.
The gray magic wall with a geometric shape was built layer by layer, filling the empty space in front of the Crossroads in an instant.
Right up there.
Kwaaaaaa-!
The Night Bringer’s breath poured out.
A breath of black flame flickered and shot out with the power to set the entire world on fire.
However, even as the expanded wall of magic melted, they continued to endure by joining together again.
When the breath emission, which felt like an eon, ended, the magic wall still stood intact in front of the Crossroads and did not let the breath pass through.
Tak…
Then, a man came down from the sky in a smooth motion and stepped on the castle wall.
“….”
Evangeline blinked blankly, not understanding the situation.
This man standing straight in front of him with his back turned… a long time ago. It was because the back of the man looked exactly like the man who had come to his father’s villa alone to save him.
“Seniors?”
Evangeline muttered without realizing it.
Then,
“…I’m sorry.”
The man looked back.
“It’s very late.”
“…!”
Evangeline shook her shoulders in shock.
It was definitely the man he knew.
This was the man who had made everyone in this castle sob with grief over the past few days and had been unable to sleep with hatred and resentment toward the monsters who had lost him.
But this man in front of me was no longer the man he used to be. Evangeline knew intuitively.
He wears a black chain coat, and his entire body underneath is covered in old, ancient bandages. Eerily clear golden eyes flash between disheveled black hair… He
is no longer a human, but radiates a divine glow.
This man, with a pale face and a sad smile, somehow looks a little older or younger…
Evangeline asked cautiously.
“Are you… senior?”
“….”
The man did not answer.
I just look at everyone on the castle walls, including Evangeline, with a sad gaze.
“…haha.”
Evangeline laughed helplessly.
Actually, it didn’t matter. Is this person in front of my eyes a real senior or an illusion reflected in my headlight? Either way.
“Seniors. “Do you remember?”
I’m just being honest.
What I’ve wanted to say ever since this man disappeared. Even if it’s random and random.
Because I felt like if I didn’t say it now, I would never be able to say it again.
“You always praised me as the best shield knight in the world. But now I know. Actually, my shield… is too small.”
“….”
“In front of that huge monster, in front of this big world, there is only so much that this small shield can protect. “What I can do is really so insignificant.”
Colleagues too.
Castle walls too.
Cities too.
The world too.
Nothing could be properly protected with this small shield. After losing this man she wanted to protect, Evangeline felt it painfully.
How small and shabby you are.
“look.”
Evangeline looked back. All she could protect from the tragically collapsed castle wall was a torn and fluttering black flag.
“In the end, all I was able to protect… was this torn flag…” “
… That’s enough.”
The man bent down in front of Evangeline, made eye contact, and smiled faintly.
“thank you. “You protected me wonderfully.”
“….”
Evangeline blinked blankly.
what?
What on earth did he protect?
Without further elaboration, the man walked forward and stood in front of the torn black flag that was shaking pitifully.
He then took the black flag and carefully tied it to the empty flagpole he was holding.
The man, now the flag bearer and waving the black flag, stood at the edge of the wall and looked back again.
“….”
Above the castle wall, below the castle wall.
Everyone who was still alive was looking at him with disbelief.
“Thank you for watching over me for such a long time. everyone.”
The man grinned.
“Now is the time to fight back.”
***
South of Crossroads. The end of the field.
At the feet of the Night Bringer.
“Ugh… Ugh…”
Lucas, who fell from the same eye level as the Night Bringer to the floor, was covered in blood.
I tried my best to somehow stop the Night Bringer, but it was no use.
It steadily poured out the night toward the Crossroads, finally preparing its hateful breath once again.
Lucas threw his whole body out to block the breath, but his entire body was torn apart by the swirling blade-like night and he fell down onto the black dragon’s body.
In the end, the sound of the breath being fired was heard in the ears of Lucas, who fell to the ground at the creature’s feet and trembled in pain.
Quaaaaa…!
“….”
Lucas, who was looking at the dirt floor, closed his eyes tightly.
Crossroads would have been destroyed.
In the end, nothing was achieved.
Protecting the world and avenging your master. Everything failed.
‘iced coffee.’
It was all over…
That was when Lucas shivered slightly, his forehead resting on the dirt floor.
“They said I would become the greatest knight in the world….”
Suddenly.
A voice was heard from ahead.
“Why are you staggering around here looking like a mad dog, Howie?”
“…?”
Lucas slowly raised his head.
Through his hair covered in blood and dirt, he first saw the unharmed Crossroads…
A man flew towards the Crossroads with a light movement and landed in front of him.
“ah…?”
A foolish voice flowed from Lucas’ open mouth.
Forget about it in your dreams.
The image of the owner who has served his entire life.
“Ah uh… ah….”
But but- wasn’t this man dead?
Are you perhaps seeing something in vain right now?
To come to his senses, Lucas slapped himself and shook his head roughly.
And after I became convinced that the man in front of me was real.
Blue flames flowed down Lucas’s cheeks, under his bright blue eyes, which gave off a beast-like light.
“Ahhhh…!”
Lucas swallowed his tears and desperately tried to piece together human language.
Due to the excessive use of beast shoes and the mental contamination of the magic sword, Lucas’s mind was tangled like a twisted skein.
However, I did my best to weave each and every word together and managed to make a sentence.
And asked.
“who are you?”
“….”
“Are you Your Highness? Or… are you my lord?”
The dots that remembered childhood promises and those strangely sharp words belonged to the past master… ‘Your Majesty’.
However, that gentle expression, kind eyes, and soft voice were definitely those of ‘Master’.
So Lucas wasn’t sure.
Is this man in front of me ‘Your Highness’? Or is it ‘lord’?
“Well…”
Then the man smiled faintly, tilted his head to the side, and…whispered mischievously.
“Which do you think it is?”
