Chapter 212
"Ugh..."
"Asteon! Are you okay?"
"As you can see, I'm practically at death's door."
"You look perfectly fine to me. Stop pretending to be hurt. It's annoying."
"Ugh... Kiel! Do you not have any blood or tears? I'm telling you I'm in pain here!"
But Kiel knew.
He knew that Asteon was stealing glances at Sylvia.
'He's using his pain as an excuse to get Sylvia's attention and care.'
There was only one thing Kiel had to say to Asteon.
"Just die. It seems like that would boost your stats."
"Are you saying you'd kill a comrade for a victory! How utterly villainous!"
"I never considered someone like you a comrade. I'll protect Sylvia myself, so just close your eyes and rest."
"That, that's terrible! Kiel, you'll receive divine punishment!"
"It's you who has abandoned humanity who will be punished!"
They continued to bicker even as they were smashing the skulls of skeletons.
Then it happened.
Boom!
A massive explosion that seemed to tear the ears apart.
Simultaneously, the skeletons in front of them disappeared, crushed by something.
"Uh, uh?"
Dust obscured the view.
But even the dust could not completely hide the fiery purple glow.
A burning purple aura. Through the dust, a massive figure was visible.
Soon, they realized what they were seeing.
'A Bone Dragon,' they realized.
"Divine punishment! The heavens have unleashed divine punishment on Kiel!"
"You fool! That's not divine punishment, it's a dragon!"
"Isn't that scarier than divine punishment?"
Kiel couldn't argue with that.
Sure, divine punishment might be scarier, but that was just a metaphor.
An unseen, yet-to-descend divine punishment was far less frightening than the Bone Dragon right before their eyes.
'Why has the Bone Dragon come here? Could it be that Lucia's group is incapacitated?'
If that was the case, they needed to send reinforcements.
After all, the presence of one person there was more valuable than an entire squad.
As soon as the Bone Dragon appeared, the front lines had effectively collapsed.
No one could stand against this monster.
'People to distract the Bone Dragon, reinforcements, and people to retreat with the injured.'
Naturally, those who would distract the Bone Dragon were facing certain death.
'Considering the number of injured... we have eight people available.'
Kiel's mind was racing.
The eight quickest, excluding himself, made seven.
Just as Kiel was about to issue orders.
Crack! Boom!
Lightning struck right above the Bone Dragon's head.
Where the lightning struck, incredibly, stood a person.
"Ah, Adonis...?"
"Stand back."
It was Adonis, but something was different.
The aura, the momentum, and the mysterious halo floating above his head.
He was almost unrecognizable.
'What's that sword?'
In Adonis's hand was a glowing sword.
Just looking at it was strangely comforting.
It wasn't mana. The alien energy was...
'Divine power?'
There were indeed artifacts containing divine power.
However, compared to divine power potions, their effects were minimal, they were expensive, and they didn't mix well with mana, making them rarely used.
Above all.
'I've never seen or heard of an artifact emitting such intense divine power.'
Well, there was one.
A sword created by the Holy Kingdom to combat demons.
Its name was as holy as it was: the Sacred Sword.
'But the current Sacred Sword is held by the Holy Kingdom. So, this must be a previous Sacred Sword...'
The fact that Adonis had the previous Sacred Sword was surprising enough, but that he could wield it was even more shocking.
The Sacred Sword was not something just anyone could handle.
'It's said that anyone unworthy who tries to wield it will be burned alive.'
There had been countless crimes committed by those desiring the Sacred Sword over the centuries, and most ended in flames.
Anyone with impure intentions could not even touch it.
That was the nature of the Sacred Sword.
"Kiel, what should we do?"
It was Otone.
Mixed among the skeleton soldiers, the extermination squad had been fighting.
The Bone Dragon had flattened the skeleton soldiers, allowing Otone to reach Kiel.
"We should pull back, as Adonis said."
"Ah, but shouldn't we handle these minions? It's going to be tough enough fighting the dragon..."
Crash!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Bone Dragon fell once more.
Nearby skeleton soldiers shattered into piles of bones.
They looked so pitiful it was almost sad.
"Should we go fight over there?"
"Hmm... did I say that? I guess I'm getting old. You know, like a young person's dementia."
Kiel gathered his thoughts.
What we need to do now is...
"Take care of the injured and retreat. It seems our role here is over."
The extermination squad withdrew.
They realized that their presence was only hindering things.
Soon, they positioned themselves on a building with a clear view of the battlefield.
A safe place, free of skeleton soldiers and dark wizards.
But no one was happy. Instead, they clenched their fists.
They were frustrated.
'To think there's such a gap in levels...'
Reaching the sixth-star means you're welcomed anywhere as a strong being.
But that wasn't the case. They were not strong.
Elester, Lucia, Caron, and Adonis.
Those were the truly 'strong' people.
Thud! Crash!
Aaaaaah!!
And among them, one overwhelmingly dominant figure.
Watching Adonis push the Bone Dragon around, it almost seemed like they were dreaming.
'Is that monster really one of us...?'
'A human beating a dragon to a pulp...?'
'He's turning the dragon into a pancake.'
A question arose in everyone's mind.
'Adonis. What exactly is he?'
It was amazing enough that he had reached the ninth-star, but to wield a Sacred Sword as well.
They were dying to know his identity, but they soon shook off that thought.
The identity of Adonis wasn't what mattered right now. What was important was.
'Learning anything more that we can.'
The extermination squad watched the battlefield with bated breath.
All they could see was the flashing light and the writhing Bone Dragon, but they stared as hard as they could.
Hoping for even a speck of insight, to become even slightly stronger.
Flash-!!
Golden lightning struck the battlefield countless times.
It wasn't just the squad that was surprised. Lucia and Caron were equally shocked.
'Using the Bone Dragon to wipe out the skeleton soldiers...'
It wasn't a coincidence. Those who belonged to the ranks of the strong could see.
The masterful strategy in Adonis's movements.
'That's the pinnacle of the ninth-star...'
'The ultimate height...!'
They couldn't even imagine joining the fight.
Even Caron, who was at his peak, wondered.
'Could I have handled a battle like this in my prime?'
Adonis's combat was nothing short of divine.
While everyone was in awe, the object of their admiration, Adonis, was lamenting.
'Damn it! If only the Sacred Sword was in the form of a spear...!'
Adonis's main weapon wasn't a sword, but a spear. That's why he wasn't able to perform at full strength.
Of course, Adonis had long surpassed being 'familiar' with using other weapons.
But no weapon could compare to a spear.
Right now, Adonis was operating at maybe 50% of his prime.
'Soon the blessing of the Sacred Sword will end. I need to finish this before then!'
Durandal, the second Sacred Sword.
Though Adonis was recognized by Durandal, the sword had lost most of its power in a fight with a legion commander.
And being centuries old, the power of the Sacred Sword wasn't fully reliable.
'Time to gamble...!'
The skeleton soldiers couldn't rise again.
There was no need to conserve energy.
Crash!
With every swing of his sword, Adonis shattered the Bone Dragon's bones.
Though the undead typically regenerate, Adonis was breaking them faster than they could recover.
"Grrrr!"
Elester was also there to help.
He bound the Bone Dragon with magic, allowing Adonis to move more freely.
Rumble-!!
Adonis, having stripped as much as possible from the Bone Dragon's skull, soared high into the sky. Simultaneously, he raised the sword held in reverse above his head.
It was his most powerful secret technique, and usable even with a sword instead of a spear.
Adonis's third original technique.
Gae Bolg.
Adonis hurled the Sacred Sword, as if throwing a spear.
Flash!
With the flash of golden lightning.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderous noise filled the entire battlefield.
It was a strike that could be seen as divine judgment.
Proving the point, the Bone Dragon's neck bones gradually crumbled.
Click- Crackle-.
At that moment, the Bone Dragon's skull finally detached.
Boom!
The ground shook intensely.
The tremor was so strong that people's feet lifted slightly off the ground.
"Did we... did we take it down?"
"Ha ha! We won! Our kid did it!"
"Amazing..."
The extermination squad erupted in cheers of victory.
"Ha... ha..."
Adonis gasped for breath.
The aftereffects of using the power of his prime with a battered body.
Even with a body honed to the extreme, he could not escape the natural decline of aging.
"...!?"
While catching his breath and adjusting his mana, something else mingled in.
It was dark magic. The dark magic exuded by the Bone Dragon.
It was still lingering.
'Could it be...?'
Rattle-.
Small pieces of bone hit the ground, creating a soft noise.
Rattle- Rattle- Rattle!
The sound spread, like a plague spreading.
Click- Clackety-clack-!
The neck bones shattered by the Sacred Sword quickly found their way back to their original place.
At the same time, a purple glow burst from the eyes of the Bone Dragon.
Roar-!!
'Perhaps... I shouldn't have aimed for the head!'
Typically, the general weak points of a living being are the head, neck, and heart.
But the Bone Dragon had no heart.
Judging that the only weak points were the neck and head, he had aimed for the most likely—the head. But just then, Elester's binding magic had unraveled.
'To dodge by twisting its neck at that moment...'
Adonis looked at his trembling hands.
It was partly due to the recoil from using the Sacred Sword.
'I started the battle too soon. If I had fought even an hour or two later... I would have had the stamina to finish it off.'
Was abandoning the future heroes the right decision? Boom!
The Bone Dragon swung its massive hand.
Adonis swiftly dodged, and Lucia followed up.
"Grandpa, are you okay?"
"Not good. How's Elester?"
"He's vomiting. He's got a rebound. I left him with Uncle Caron for now."
"That means Caron is also at his limit. The situation isn’t good."
But Adonis was equally drained of energy.
How many more proper attacks could he carry out?
Three? Four? Would that be enough to kill this thing?
"Grandpa, leave the attacking to me. Just draw its attention. If you focus on dodging, you can last a few more minutes, right?"
"...Are you sure? The magic has diminished, but it's still a dragon."
"What choice do we have? I'm the only one who can really fight right now."
And originally.
"It was my idea to fight, wasn't it? I have to take responsibility."
"Lucia... you don’t mean..."
"Don’t worry, I have no plans of dying. Don’t you know? I'm Hero Lucia."
Hero.
Yes, Lucia was also officially recognized as a hero by the empire.
But, unlike him, she was a 'manufactured hero.'
'I worried after hearing rumors... but it was needless.'
Adonis hadn’t been able to pay much attention to Lucia during his ten years in the Holy Kingdom.
The dishonor of being a made hero.
'I thought she wouldn’t be able to bear the burden... but she overcame it. Impressive.'
Adonis finished his thoughts. Compliments could wait until later.
"Aim for the head."
"Don’t worry. I’ll split it nicely in two."
Crackle-!
Adonis soared up, and Lucia moved to the opposite side.
'For a lizard, it's quite big.'
Fortunately, the Bone Dragon’s wing bones were completely shattered.
Whether it was due to focused attacks from the Sacred Sword or because it had given up on regenerating due to a lack of magic.
'I don't know, but... it's fortunate. I can't fly around like grandpa.'
Thump!
Adonis dodged the Bone Dragon's punch.
Lucia, who had climbed onto its tailbone, swung her sword.
The first secret technique of the Lucid family.
Earth Flip.
Crack-crack-crack! Sizzle!
The fracture that started from the tailbone spread to the spine.
Roar-!!
The Bone Dragon flailed its arms wildly.
"Yikes! What a brute!"
Lucia had no choice but to jump off the Bone Dragon’s body.
Indeed, it was difficult for Adonis alone to find the right timing to attack.
At least one more person was needed...
"Lucia!"
"Sylvia? What are you doing here?"
"Keke, I've come too."
"Nanny too?"
"We thought we might be of some help."
Sylvia and Nanny. Both were strong, in the late seventh-star.
In the current situation, they were definitely a solid force.
"But..."
"Is this the time to be choosy? We need to stop it somehow. If my daughter saw that monster, she’d faint right away."
"...Is fainting really the problem?"
"Kid! You realize how serious that is! This is why you can't have a proper conversation with someone who's never raised a child. Sigh, you really should get married and have kids yourself soon..."
Why does every conversation always end with marriage?
Lucia couldn't understand it.
"Let's go. It's been a while since we've teamed up."
"...Just don't fall behind."
"Keke, don't forget I'm here too."
The three started running.
Adonis and Nanny drew the Bone Dragon's attention, while Lucia and Sylvia exploited any openings to attack.
Crack! Smash!
Roar-!!
"Lucia!"
"I know!"
In an opening created by Sylvia's sword swing, Lucia poured her attacks.
Crack!
Though it had been a while since they had coordinated, their actions were precise, like they were measured with a ruler.
Lucia had encountered many comrades over the years, but none matched as well with her as Sylvia.
"The magic has weakened a lot. It's also casting fewer spells."
"It seems focused on regenerating its hands, legs, and tail."
"If we target its head bones while it's preoccupied regenerating elsewhere... we might win."
Their thoughts were remarkably aligned.
They immediately turned thought into action.
The defender and the aggressor exchanged blows dozens of times.
It was when Sylvia created an opening and Lucia succeeded in smashing one of the Bone Dragon's hands.
"Miss! Get out of the way!"
Following the other hand's attack, the tailbone swung around.
'I can't dodge this!'
At that moment, Lucia was gathering mana.
Thud!
Sylvia pushed her out of the way. And then.
Crack!
"Cough!"
Sylvia was flung away after being struck by the tailbone.
The problem was that the Bone Dragon caught Sylvia in mid-air.
Grind-!
"Cough!"
Sylvia coughed up blood, crushed by the force.
"Sylvia! I'll save you soon!"
But the Bone Dragon didn't stop there.
Roar-!!
It inhaled deeply. Everyone knew what that meant.
'Breath...!'
Crackle!
Thud-thud-thud-thud-!
Adonis and Nanny frantically pounded on the Bone Dragon's body.
But it didn't flinch.
Instead, it filled the hand clutching Sylvia with magic, fortifying its grip.
Even lifting its head, Lucia couldn't attack it.
"Lucia... run... away."
"No! Sylvia, no!"
Memories of the battlefield ensnared Lucia.
Friends, comrades she met on the battlefield. Memories of them dying day after day.
Then and now, nothing had changed.
The world was cruel.
Comrades died.
And she had no power to protect them.
"I tried so hard! Why can't I save even one friend...!"
Amidst her frantic screams, something caught Lucia's eye.
A sword, buried upside down in the ground.
She knew instantly what it was.
The Sacred Sword. The one Adonis had thrown.
Was it coincidence, or fate?
'Who cares!'
Lucia reached for it.
"You can't! If someone unworthy grabs it..."
Adonis's warning.
But Lucia grabbed the Sacred Sword anyway.
Crackle-!
"Argh!"
Whoever was recognized by the Sacred Sword became a hero.
But the sword was now telling her.
You are unworthy.
You do not deserve to be called a hero.
"...I know that already."
Ever since she realized she was a 'manufactured hero,' Lucia had never thought of herself as a true hero.
She had complied with the fate of wearing the mantle of a hero, performing as they expected.
But not now.
'Not this time.'
She needed to be worthy of being a hero. She had to become someone who could wield the Sacred Sword.
Even if just for this moment!
Lucia lifted the Sacred Sword.
Crackle-!
Fire blazed up. Lucia's hand was burning.
The Sacred Sword was resisting.
"You hate my impure motives? So what!"
Lucia intended to swing the Sacred Sword, even if her body burned.
But then she realized.
This was just swinging a sword.
Without the Sacred Sword's power, without divine force.
'I can't save Sylvia...!'
"What do you want? What do you need from me!"
Honor? Recognition? Love? Life?
She was willing to give up anything now.
Crackle-!!
The Sacred Sword blazed once more.
Perhaps due to the shock, a memory surfaced.
A conversation she had at the academy with Caron.
-You don't need to forgive me.
-That's not what you're supposed to do.
At that moment, Lucia's body began to slowly tilt.
- I'll take care of this. Please just let me do this.
She remembered a friend from the battlefield who had taken the most dangerous position.
- You don't need to be a hero. That's not what's important.
The words her father shared the day she learned she was a manufactured hero.
- It's okay to give up. I'm always on your side. Of course, you can't give up on getting married.
A memory with the marriage devil.
- I'm really proud of you, big sis.
The loving image of her youngest sister.
Thump!
Lucia steadied herself. She couldn't fall. Not here.
Falling here would be too great a burden on those who believed in her despite her being a hero in name only, those who had given her the strength to keep moving forward.
Prove it.
Prove that you deserve to be called a hero.
That you're ready to protect.
Not just those you can reach, but also those you can't, and even those you couldn't save before.
Crackle-!!
'Even if it's just this one time.'
To me, who lacks the qualifications of a hero.
Lend me strength just this once.
I don't need the grand title of a hero.
I just want to save someone.
I don't want others to suffer as I have.
Yes, right now, I just want...
"To save a friend!"
Crack!
Lucia's body blazed.
"Huh?"
But it didn't hurt at all. It was a strange sensation.
Sizzle-!
Simultaneously, her wounds healed. The burns caused by the Sacred Sword vanished in an instant.
And then.
Whoosh-!
The Sacred Sword emitted flames.
"Lucia!"
Lucia was lifted into the air.
Elester had exerted mana to cast a levitation spell.
In front of the gaping maw of the Bone Dragon, Lucia swung the Sacred Sword.
The fourth secret technique of the Lucid family.
Sky Splitter.
No sound of birds, no sound of insects, not even the sound of the sword could be heard.
It was as if Lucia's sword had swallowed all the sounds of the world.
The first sound that followed her swing was.
Crack!
The sound of the Bone Dragon's skull splitting in two.
Thud!
The Bone Dragon collapsed. Nanny rushed to check on Sylvia and gave a thumbs up.
"Yaaaah!!"
As Lucia fell, she released a cry of victory.
The sunset burning like fire.
The Sacred Sword emitting light from her hand.
The cheers of the people.
It was the moment Lucia truly became a hero.
The moment a new hero was born on the continent.
--TL Notes--
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