Chapter 251: Children’s Song (1)
3le4bP0Doo-duh-duh—oyAs
ysGDEmRamashthu’s world was rising with a dizzying sensation of floating.axj
ETtKtLLike a bubble trying to break the surface of the water.1pDSP
hPqEach time the bubble rose, deep cracks were carved into Ramashthu’s purple sky, and the false concentric circles beneath it collapsed helplessly from the outside.ca7rX2U
PWy5ZhK“…It’s rising into reality! Soon this world will completely fall apart!”BlaX0C6
qgbaXuIn the collapsing world of Ramashthu, only this island, where the trees were rooted, stood firmly.iTVEzp
Bn0B1Watching the concentric circles outside collapsing as if they had been waiting, Vlad could tell that this entire scene had been planned from the start.vjo
rxFR“She planned to throw it all away from the beginning.”stsJPy
kBZ64oIt seemed that Ramashthu only cared about the safety of the children.yugPg
bIOwMmThe warlocks who followed her were also being cast aside with dark screams, as if they were nothing more than tools for her to achieve her goal.baERu
USaSGXThud!yh6
ZcOtf5“Watch out! Reality is approaching!”HG0NJ4P
BL58cVlad looked up in response to Nibelun’s loud warning, and his eyes widened as he saw the scene above him.ck9aMDg
1ho“…What is that?”HzcmK
9BxsThe strange sight of the sky crumbling above me.Cz4Cu
QFsNYHowever, Vlad was even more startled by the enormous shadow coming closer and closer from beyond the shattered sky.cEh
BAM“A bell tower?”S9sUi
WtKArqA completely dark church in Achiuk he had seen before coming here.usGd
91uThe bell tower of the church that hung at the highest point was approaching from beyond the purple sky.4N6NT
sFHx0coLike a landscape beyond a window, toward this world that was collapsing.vMTar8p
ZxB9xph“This is madness!”W693
9ejCmu8Ding! Daaang—Jwt0T
iOrtCAmidst the borders of colliding worlds, the sky crumbles, and the bell tower falls.BVIJ
9pNqIn this surreal situation, the only thing that made sense was the loud ringing of the bell echoing in his ears.LEz
ZYL7EAIn the middle of the clash between the two worlds, something over which Vlad had no control, the only thing he could do was bow his head.F6GWIur
JApKwakwakwakang!D4cd
4pDJ7CW“Ahhhh!”cL8
rq1FDe“Damn it! Why the hell did I come all this way?”3Un1ei
Xo4A heavy sound emerged from the gap between reality and the world that had crashed together so violently.lZ8f4O
7MYmqPJIt was like a hard acknowledgment of worlds that had no choice but to move apart because they couldn’t exist together.NTv3v
xgeNlBut this time, what was rejected wasn’t the black tears that Ramashthu had shed but the real world.N4T
O1Dsze2“…Ugh! Cough, cough!”vJR1qD
LnNqmIlVlad lowered his head as debris from the church rained down on him.lBWiK
m2JThe only things visible amidst the thick, suffocating dust were the church bells ringing here and there.ePloY
Vrql4mSeeing the bell from Achiuk lying helplessly, having fulfilled its duty, Vlad finally realized that he had escaped into the real world.ml9SpW
krQGg[Vlad, snap out of it!]tv6AWn
CXo“Wake up, bastard!”9GC4K
Z6TPm1jIn the thick dust that hung in the air, voices were calling out to Vlad.FmxUaqX
IxVidfyVlad regained his senses when he heard a voice inside him. Turning his head toward a voice behind him, he could see the old priest calling out to him.Dkyl
csSv“Look over there! We don’t have time!”q3V
kpNzO“…!”sKmE4Z
YVul1In front of the group, who had risen in the midst of the battlefield, stood an army of dark-toned undead, who had been battling the Northern Allied Forces just moments ago.6Ii
bzdHowever, Pedro wasn’t pointing at an immediate threat but at something writhing above.WeeqkhY
p1y“…What is that?”XW1DHqf
vEePCcgThe tree branches were rising, and the roots were floating.CmW
YEDawA woman, standing high above, raised both hands, reciting something aloud.ODgyLB
msiYdyIt was her last attempt to reject this world, her great rebellion against God.gW3WWQS
RIeK“It’s the world-creation spell. The worst kind of magic, where she wants to become a god.”ILOzEEp
PFjBeAn apostate trying to create her own world, not the one created by God. Ramashthu.6avXmtu
0pMx9There were black drops of water rising from the spell she was chanting.RjJi
mDx87YThe wolf-black colored drop of water, starting from a small point, gradually grew as it consumed the black tears gathered by Ramashthu.SXUW
nCS“…I never imagined I’d witness something like this in my life.”WG9tzF
BrTolThe sight of the black water drops made both the living and the dead look up in silence.V5xzoIU
AinYzHowever, even with this distant scene in front of him, for some reason, only a strange smile appeared on the face of Bishop Pierre.5nKTN
sL3Qc“Pedro?”sy6i
kMZ6hiEven in moments of despair, his smiling face was like that of a fanatic.Wm2h
pAArxacAn exorcist priest and heretic inquisitor who had wandered through the darkness all his life. Bishop Pedro.zny
wS8orHe smiled as if he had finally found the reason for his birth amid a crisis that felt like a revelation.3oY1sS
uSo“…Standing here, under the darkest sky. Isn’t this God’s true desire, the torch that lights up in moments like this?”eyq79v
8hdDPedro’s face was twisted in an indescribable way, as if he were both laughing and crying.MEzTIQ5
zQbWhy does the blind joy on his face overlap with the smile of Ramashthu that I just saw?f09wd
lyiVuuL“Perhaps God prepared me as a person for this moment? Don’t you think, Vlad?”CXmJNy6
zeDDDwFWith those words, a white light began to emit from Pedro’s staff.0iIsLcs
YpxaGThat was the faith and will Pedro had carried throughout his life.YkaQanP
M44v2ocThough it was bright and mixed with madness, the light now visible was also the will of God reaching the darkest places.NMcT
AOoG“This must be my destiny, given by God. Let it burn with the greatest intensity!”4PY
hCWXTaaang!nbdRt
HBBPedro’s divinity remained unshaken, even when he had burned countless unbelievers.660jer
c2JHThat divinity was now spreading through the sword the dragon currently held.EKY
knwW“So go and cut those damned things down. Vlad Aureo!”HwhnnN9
EvunR0The mystery and divinity were alive and breathing between the swords that embraced my world.LkcZT
sBsDHowever, despite the brilliant sword he held, Vlad’s face showed only deep annoyance.Buix
xd70Rp“…You’re obsessed with God until the end.”xBnS0
9Lo“What?”htIoW0D
TvvOb3A blond knight who somehow seemed unholy despite carrying the will of God.F5g
oQm1a2Vlad, with his left eye closed, slowly stood up and began to point in the direction of the tree in the sky.FRp4N
OjLvDZo“Can you only see God above and not the people dying around you?”BBeo
X90G53The places Vlad pointed to were filled with black death.Thni
5404Soldiers dying from the undead army, and ugly roots.NhZ
y6zAnd from the lake where the trees were rooted, to the fragments of white bones from the women emerging.jVXfZ
hNUiifAll of these were dull worlds that died in places where no one cared.2OMD
vGm8xnQ“…If this is truly God’s will, then both are the same.”ZDr8150
8CU7VHAll causes are justifiable.DbC
7H2gxBut in the end, extreme ends did not discriminate between means, and to Vlad, both Ramashthu, who killed women for her children, and Pedro, who said Ramashthu was an opportunity to prove God’s will, seemed the same.FKiEbd
yhKxJ5“Nibelun, I think I have to go up there.”Q1Dc
4ciXb3So, if no one else will, I will.EfhRT1
PvF62LVThe black tears shed by the women, the images of the children playing by the bonfire.MqrseD
A4mtcKb“If God wills it, then I’ll do it.”L2Tp
1woK6mEven now, Ramashthu’s black water drops continued to grow, blocking out the sun.Lr0M
u2zVlad, who knew very well the kind of sadness from which the drops came, silently raised his head and gazed at the writhing evil roots coming toward him.D4GUT4W
bjm※※※※0mo
id2kyNBoom! Boom! Boom!RgNkbi
ij9ujY“Duke! The roots are rising from beneath the ground!”MChf
G8gWdxp“…”nOJx9
0h6qxd0The allied soldiers shouted as suddenly wolf-black roots pierced through the ground.NuNTrc0
cLwvBut instead of the pain the soldiers emitted, Timur the Iron Duke merely looked up at the Dragulia banner above.S1Vh5e
o3gELSx“Hold the formation.”kfJZ
dNK“But Duke!”v3EG
k4JtoHL“I said don’t break the formation!”xP3j9U
qYQIn front of them was the undead army, and behind them were the forces of the central army.FmOARxP
94QThe Iron Duke Timur, trapped in the middle, knew very well that the current formation must not collapse under any circumstances.rbZ5BZ0
FUm“Don’t leave any gaps. Fall back slowly, very slowly.”XHw0Y
cc2sEven now, soldiers were dying from the rising roots, but Timur did not waver at all.u45Rtf
uKFkBecause the Iron Duke, who represented the North, had a great duty to fulfill.ECA
mon“…A small loss is inevitable. If the army breaks here, the North is finished.”arn
J8lqFor my cause and not for the screams of another.F8DVb
TuPwIt was a very reasonable decision, but the price of that decision had to be paid by the soldiers still crying out.24hdFLL
YOazBoom! Boom! Boom-boom!PL5TZ
wg4Y-Ahhhhh!m3oSoI3
O0M-Roots! Roots!sWJ
gX9-Save me!zha1C
zGa“…Frausen.”UNi2i
3KAgThe tree roots swayed over the Dragullia banner.BJJhw
0csQVThe emperor and the oldest dragon, who had come back to life after leaving behind the deaths of soldiers devoured by the roots, were now staring at each other.1kuK
iOC9gN“You’ve lost your strength since last time. Where is the glory you displayed when you split the most perfect dragon?”Xsvp
h1vBluFrausen and Sarnus finally locked eyes, with countless roots still writhing behind their backs.04i
qTFThese were the roots of Ramashthu, hungry for fragments to create a new world.Ya20
5eP4JM5“…You’ve finally consumed the fragments of the imperial family, Sarnus.”AGA
BDdqDg7“The fragment of the most perfect dragon also belongs to me, rightfully.”4Xw61K
whnOJWith their swords crossed, Sarnus smiled while Frausen stood firm.m5T3Y
L2GHowever, it seemed that the resurrected emperor, despite having returned to life, was struggling to face the oldest dragon, who only grew stronger.JHjz
P58PLittle by little, his sword began to be pushed back, driven by Sarnus’s strength.iKMHRjs
CkQ“I knew you would do this.”Kr4VH
O50V4ABut Frausen remained calm, even as the balance increasingly shifted against him.5xHIDdD
GSVXWEzIt was because he knew he still had one chance left.zDm3y
DVjgGC“That’s why I left that fragment with the imperial family. So you’d consume it.”GJait0
0Y0“What?”SPYD
nFt9PgThe mastery of a killing strike lies in surprise.Q2nD
fyMHowever, the unexpected did not necessarily start with the sword he held.nET
65neFD“You must remember how I killed the most perfect dragon, Sarnus.”2hwI
uI36PA drop of dark red blood began to flow down the swords they had clashed.grQb
YLApIt was the emperor’s blood, one of the proofs of the alliance.LXwt
85KSarnus’s eyes widened as he saw Frausen’s blood gradually dripping toward him.OXZTnRn
rCrNLh“…Among the many memories I lost, I still cling to that one.”y58
GNofmpAlready shattered, but the emperor’s pieces that had shattered once more flowed along with the drops of blood.fe4
w3FAs if he couldn’t hear the countless screams behind him, Frausen merely smiled as he watched the drops of his own blood seep into the dragon.Db3A9
8kkIWatching as his world spread over the dragon who dreamed of perfection.qR9
QIojWGL“Frausen—!”OPVccb
Y7gJa***lIB1Uc
qUwVA woman trying to create a new world for her children.VNZ1
AefFA priest who only sees the wicked beings for the love of God.Oyrf8bS
d7e3A monarch willing to make sacrifices for his land.alxtT
G34j39A dragon striving to become the most perfect being, and even an emperor revived to stop the dragon.Yl5T
XaZLO“Run, Nibelun! Run now!”6mUUgP
piO7isThey all had just and noble causes, but to achieve them, they had to accept inevitable sacrifices.APk
zyCt5hjLike the soldiers who were dying at that very moment, or the already dead women—beings so unseen, shining so dimly that everyone ignored them.pbV
Tr5iFbP“Run faster!”dG7
7UW“I can’t! This is my limit!”oI1VJ
f38But Vlad, as he climbed the tree riding the magic carpet, was the only one who saw their pain.TwT
hIw2JThe boy from the alleyways, who had once fallen into the mud, understood the suffering of those trapped in misery better than anyone.lwld2
JREdcJj“Everyone’s going to die! At this speed!”72RH
RMOzNeither a dragon, nor a servant of God, nor a noble, nor a successor to the emperor—just a boy from the alley.LaVA
FiSYet, at that moment, it was the insignificant boy who rushed toward the sky to stop the pain that everyone else felt.6eXEJ
laO401“This carpet was one of my grandmother’s most precious things!”lJuN
jnKDodging the roots that surged at him, he climbed the enormous, terrifying tree, so high that it was difficult even to look up at it.KNR
LlMyukTThus, riding his tattered carpet, a star ascended toward the sky.tLtAi5
tsGHdWhile continuing to slash through the horrible roots attacking him, that star pressed on toward the dark night sky before him.o2M
JGxVkg“…The moon.”ohV
IRMjw“…”xTbjUpz
o1meVyThere, waiting for him in the sky, was a black moon, covering Vlad like an ominous eclipse that blocked out the sun.U51CnTt
wwNnWThat moon, arrogant, cast its shadow over the entire battlefield.9M5V
TwV“I don’t like the moon.”vZjWKp
X9pYf“What?”g95i
AfyCpuLike the blue moon that once destroyed my home.5AZsu72
GMaJrWThough the color was different, Vlad recalled that old scene as he looked at the moon still floating above him.m6K
Cg97OThat place was the smile of a rose.mD0e
HZyKeThe guts were completely filled with blood.Ju0RYo0
vIzdr4KAnd it was where the boy’s world had shattered.5bADH
DXYjYyC“I hate the moon.”EjBiR
4bXAnd even now, as he watched Ramashthu’s world devour someone else’s world, the blue moon from back then surfaced in Vlad’s closed eyes.adN4
c0fp4uThe blue moon he had promised to destroy but could never reach.9QWvWZ
zTSfHBut this time, sensing that he might finally reach it, Vlad raised his sword—imbued with his own world—toward that moon.TJ6XQ
oY7L“So this time, I’ll destroy it.”xBlSq
uqtFor all the stars the heroes here had ignored.YdlI
YL61vaTThe name of the star rising in their place was Vlad of Soara.iCy59pH
efg2gVlad’s world, shining alone in the dark night sky, suddenly merged with the blue light of the moon he had been staring at.f2tm
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