Chapter 254: To the Moon, Goodbye
Cx44jThe alleys of Soara have always been dark and dirty places.Nlw
RI4yHowever, Vlad always kept the memory of that landscape close to his heart.O8BkL8
TkpmPerhaps it wasn’t so much out of nostalgia for the alley, but because of the few memories he still had of his mother.3Ar
CrPq9s6“Your mother is fine.”vau08W
YgZbOne of the few memories from his childhood.I2FN8Zj
ZDAOn that occasion, his mother had come through the door with her face completely swollen.f1RD31y
U3rHer face, which could be considered the final outcome of her line of work, was swollen and red, but at least she smiled at her son as brightly as she could.mUfx8U
gZa1“Eat quickly. It’s going to get cold.”CGmLg
UQiUEKThe bowl of soup she offered contained thick chunks of meat.3AmdXM
SrirXFJudging by the madame’s shouting outside, she had probably stolen the meat to give it to her son.f7T
E7kK4“Did you steal this?”6D3z
owk“Yes.”bx2WZ
QvwIKNA mother who stole meat for her son.HDjf
bncqBut in the soup she offered, there was only warmth.QtXWk
VyYnM“It doesn’t matter. It’s to feed my son.”y3uIZx
xR1tTo some, she might be a filthy prostitute and a thief, but to me, in that moment, she was the only person in the world who mattered.aKMgDFs
MA1EBTYoung Vlad sat there in that tiny room, staring at the soup she was offering.UxHXyG
oRb“…Thank you. I’ll eat well.”V8bm
L1R3The soup she brought was made of sin, but also of love.ve0V2
sEp1hBAYet the young Vlad, knowing nothing, only felt pity for his mother’s pale face.cgj
i7Y***nKYj
1LZ“Someone has to give it to me.”ftD
HZy1VIn the total darkness, a woman who was losing her shape reached out toward Vlad.k3Tn
KcaOSThat hand gesture, which seemed somehow futile, felt like the last struggle she could show to the world at that moment.mwqPuo
7GCJs2u“They promised to give me something.”LjCmo
tnNpQIt wasn’t the dragon in front of her, but the oldest dragon and the resurrected emperor who had promised her something.ZnQ
pu0mZThey had promised to give her a fragment, since, having been separated from perfection, it could become anything.9b30j1
bMsdD“…So someone in this world has to give me something.”9cFipFy
X2HOBut in her hand, there was only the black moon, fading.Boxw3w4
3hWbnA murderer and heretic.1jFF98S
mkLoenThe founder of evil who spread a poison that the world could not bear for long and dragged countless people into hell.ekk
ExX“Don’t you think so too, Vlad Aureo?”R9e
BjKErVBut now, the face of Ramashthu that Vlad saw wasn’t that of a madwoman corrupted by evil, but of a mother concerned for the children.ieZ
rmjSeeing the small hands reaching toward her, still crying, Vlad clenched his teeth.dyqqVpQ
irIadkr-Why are you crying, sister?wLt4
HQR4sX-Don’t cry.NcXqwqR
BOkIn this dark space where no one else looked at her, Ramashthu was someone’s mother.RqHq
Wl2However, Vlad was someone who had already witnessed her countless sins.HmAdT
JkF“No.”fPHkmt7
p28rBThe aspects that make up each world are all colorful.RP9pB
PM2vTAlthough every person has their own side that others cannot see, the world of Ramashthu had already committed too many sins.Rf7
qpocN“No matter how much you cry, I won’t change my mind.”ZvLd9T
ptMThere were children now climbing up the right path, the one that the knight of this era had created for them.suK06
FmCyBut in this dark place, there were still many children left, trapped in pain and unaware of where to go.zLjP2
Esb2If he left them with her, they would surely sink into a hell they could never escape.cQAbZX
f8NnL“That’s why you’ll stay here, Ramashthu.”wKJmY
KTSHN“…”QWAdo
K8Yu2Ramashthu’s face, which had been falling, froze at Vlad’s firm words.SdiQ
hLL“You’ll stay here to pay for what you’ve done.”whthh
z49Mo4tZum-zum-zum564w
vzIPThe sword was vibrating.T6baJrY
eUJAs he drew the dragon fragment that resided in his world.TLlXR9
Bm5XyrThe most perfect world that had been his foundation, but was no longer needed.Sbcnf
NGBNThe oldest dragon, the world that not even the resurrected emperor had handed over, suddenly shone like a star in Vlad’s hands.IEbTw
XahSN***6SgOx8N
D4pDFQJBoom-boom-boom!TNVh
lMnhItA moon was falling toward Achiuk, a town filled with tragedy.rRFk
4OCHFnAThe moon, which had been lifted with great effort and collected tears, was simply falling toward the ground, despite someone’s futile wishes.rrIvx
XtIs“Hahaha!”CMG
uoZ6eUAnd one of the oldest dragons under the shadow of the moon.x6e
Hsqn3yJThe face of Sarnus, smiling with his helpless roots scattered behind him, was filled with a joy he had waited hundreds of years for.fVeN3GF
7RUjR“Though it hurts… this is the dagger prepared by the finest duelist.”wXSjc
2x2peCN“…Cough!”Bng7
UGRSarnus was still clutching his heart as if in pain, but his face was filled with a joy that was hard to hide.dMjm6
OU7P“Finally, I have you at my feet, Frausen.”MAWh3b4
3Wi8DqeBecause beneath him lay the knight he had hated the most in his time, Frausen.O7Xtj
myv7jThough his light, envied even by the most perfect dragons, had faded, the feeling of conquest still persisted, even in his decaying body.Xpedr
dyaV“You’ve sucked the blood of your own son… you’ve become a monster, not a dragon.”8XvQz9P
Escjv2m“As if you, returning from death, are any better.”SszjhU
xk6ooLYCrunch!fKY4
0RlAs if those words were unpleasant, Sarnus’ sword pierced through Frausen’s abdomen.0lEZY
pRkXR8“Look, you don’t even feel pain.”OkO0
zb7n“…”gsb8X
IFxffHowever, Frausen’s severe wounds were filled only with thick, rotting blood.mJz
CXiA dragon who had killed his son to survive.MFS
eIpYAn emperor who had abandoned his beliefs to return.lf41
N2bC9Knights of an era who had fallen for their purposes, now looked at each other with eyes full of madness.hl4dn
kp6JIT“I’m going to extract the fragment lodged in your heart. Then you’ll just be a rotting corpse.”8WDB
g3paHowever, no matter how enraged he was, Sarnus was now stomping on Frausen, and as the victor of this battlefield, he deserved to enjoy the spoils.ggtNH
prG“After that, I’ll fly to Bastopol to collect the fragment from that ridiculous Duke.”Gyj5
xCVY80t“Ugh…”moNyk
qJAQ“And I’ll also retrieve the Bayezid fragment from Sturma. That damned Ravnoma who stole it!”0fCLriv
wPGw“Grrr!”zYy17Q
bYUaE“And once I have them all, finally…”Hruok
YjZSCh3The sword piercing Frausen’s abdomen began inching closer to his heart with every word Sarnus spoke.ODN0Z
WJ0srEAnd as the coldness of the blade reached the heart encasing death, Sarnus laughed, savoring the sensation.oyh
qE6“…I’ll take the potential of my most beloved son.”c4eKSyb
MTp4DtThe oldest dragon smiled.Axp9V
XvGA dragon closer than ever to his most perfect potential.yLH3P
rwMdBlFrausen had done everything in his power to stop that smile, but he had failed in his attempt to use a dragon fragment to stop another dragon.KUd65
sxbzwT“Thank you, Frausen. For taking such good care of my son.”aTXg
KZQSarnus’ final words seemed directed at Kihano, not Frausen.RRpDai
6gAHCHowever, Frausen, lying there, had no energy left to correct him, and simply stared at Sarnus’ sword hanging high in the sky with vacant eyes.NseBC
guk“Let’s end our wretched relationship with this.”PzwWW
eWWDWith a laugh filled with madness, Sarnus raised his sword for the final blow toward Frausen’s heart.mnU84M
s65FThe sound of his laughter, heavy and viscous, was darker than any of the debris left on that battlefield.Hln
3XbvoBoom!BOMrffJ
BmF5Vi“…Ugh!”a97d
4eoXPYuBut suddenly, a tremor caused Sarnus’ sword to waver.zH2j
mPlNR“What now?”LjqXi
sdxwSarnus glared furiously at Frausen as the ground began to shake, but the resurrected emperor was only looking at the sky.isK7GrO
TIBUH“Haha.”24mbMfr
wrm41IWith an empty laugh.RlDv
msRKNYBecause in the sky he was looking at now, the red rays of light he had wanted to hide were flying.YfXic
O3Fu“I lost, but so did you, Sarnus.”DpE9
tP8“What?”p0c
3PuPThe fallen tree unleashed its final, brightest red beam of light.504IIUJ
L5qTGMSeeing the possibility he had never believed in, Frausen began to laugh.zgWUvg
EVWXnBoooom!NRrEF
g64qWThere was a thunderous sound that seemed to split the world, and a red light shot toward the black moon that was gradually collapsing.eLcg2
VAsxTEveryone on the ground lifted their heads toward the light shooting from a place no one could see.7xV
UFAuIzC“That’s also a good option.”5ehO7G
7RfbcGhThe black moon, which, once ascended, would disappear from this world forever.rKyo
zv8U4t7Watching the perfect fragment that the moon would consume, Frausen smiled.VsC
yjvQlch***r2vMt8X
6f05Thud!ifyS
RARKToThe tree from the inverted lands was collapsing.UJ3inB8
tUb0mBecause there were no more tears left to absorb from its branches.FlM7
w25YUa9The evidence of sin, created through the sacrifice not only of Ramashthu but of countless others, was falling toward Achiuk, which now lay in ruins.KF40
e7WEHQF“Now… let’s go as well!”VR304
DPIKtUAnd Vlad was leaving this precarious space where everything was falling apart.EQj5qW
odIGVlad, walking through his own world with Joseph on his shoulder, finally spotted the group of lights visible above.RUvlZwn
5iUDIH-They are children.I5UF
EaeoThere was a reflection in the corner of Joseph’s eye, growing paler as they ascended.FFJ2A1C
2uxRGATiny fireflies glimmered above the two of them, as if signaling the exit.KiZ4B
yN9mZMZThe souls of the children who had been waiting for them shone, as if they had finally arrived.MYGaDVO
LE8p4-I can hear a song too.jGJq
So2dp3Upon seeing the two of them approach from below, the fireflies seemed relieved and began to flutter, carried by the children’s song from afar.p8I6kaw
rjtK6wGod’s voice, now understandable.NYmR
bo4ih8fJoseph began to smile as he watched the children flying toward her.VkN
5UgyrThud!P9xV
IlksW“Still, it seems like we are headed into the arms of God in the end…”09JxpP
9G4ct9Vlad, who had ascended into a world growing increasingly chaotic, could grasp the boundary between life and death.z3iT
jtykJWK“So let’s go home now!”p81
Ph2aGiHe supported Joseph along that dark path, one that was hard to climb alone.njDB
rqOkvUAnd as they ascended, above their heads shone a black moon, though it looked somewhat different from before.zunPpl
Z8lDoo-do-do!axw
36j-Yes, we should go.tKHmKT
aEnwbHowever, even in this place beyond death, Joseph’s hand still felt cold.0oJgZ
wDBGBut the smile Joseph gave Vlad, who had found him at last, did not fade.MUl
YWKyqE-I’m sorry for dragging you here.UQz
Mu9C“I told you we’d talk about that later.”B6i
alLuyBoom!VSs1Dr
d2tMcThe tree where Vlad and Joseph stood was collapsing.PunYX8
6recAIt was a tree that fell because it could not bear the weight of the accumulated sins.hQjmZIV
ZLZod-······ From the moment I matured, I always wondered how my end would come.MTtHKDz
rulzvBut even as everything crumbled around him, Joseph’s face remained calm.PcFgfMZ
rXORqThe young man, with the shadow of eyes that had always lived intensely, now smiled as if he had finally found total peace.0fo
IZyF-Though I didn’t choose to be born weak, nor to live this way, I at least wanted to imagine my final moment.1V8td
H3xC“…Let’s talk about that later.”AYQ9
PZ4p1EVlad clenched his teeth amid the falling debris.7X8iEZc
qshPHCCEven though it was dark, there was something beside him now that he could no longer ignore.bjoF
AgV-Perhaps that’s why I always thought the culmination of my life would be death.koGG
ow2uBThe further Vlad moved from the edge of death, the colder Joseph became.K22XS1F
LO580The hand that held his shoulder, the smile he gave.NDT
Ia8dGdmVlad gently stroked Joseph’s hand, which was slowly growing rigid, until finally he lowered his head.ig9xwyl
eEY-But now I see that wasn’t right.DTS
AvUgWith an open wound in his abdomen, Joseph kept smiling at Vlad.aSF
lYb5A few fireflies still floated above his head, as if to tell him it was time to go.E1L4oiP
AIF3HL-You made the moon shine, for the children.8Fg
xJ7LP“…We did it together.”T6dSt
L1F9p8-Yes, together.o7KBA
NPNpQpJoseph spoke as he looked at the black moon they had raised one last time together.9yrWRwp
2qJaE-Yes, we did it together.VOxQ
01o10SSharing the sword I could not possess and the stars I always wanted.tuICM5o
j18Now that they had shared everything, it was time to say goodbye to the moon in the sky.yju09FH
hSlr-Thank you, Vlad.pxu5F
mcWZsuJoseph Bayezid.7ru
rpGM6DThe man who couldn’t live the life he always desired.wtJ7tN
o0E-You completed the end of my life.lUw9
FVmzFBut the man who, at least, had achieved the death he had always wanted, smiled at Vlad.gT2i
6FELeaving behind a farewell that Vlad would have to hear one last time.Ws59V
dD69T“…Thank you too, Joseph.”26L49
G1eDscWith those words, Vlad held Joseph tightly, whose body was slowly stiffening.Pdtsp
uaCpS9As he shielded him with all his strength from the dust that was closing in on his death.geo1Nt
u02PW“Thank you for finding me in that garbage heap.”mrL
wlqA small light began to drift away from above Joseph’s head, who slowly closed his eyes as if satisfied.1rToNq
xkjIn the final moment of his death, Joseph’s world finally glowed with a radiant black.gnEz
uM3IThough it was black, the light shone as intensely as the shadows in his eyes, now rising slowly toward the sky.GAkW
d70JkD“Truly, thank you so much.”IAe
WnLIDHThe black moon ascended.xRs4Dpw
dHrZPAlong with the small, bright lights.q6eKa
V5fKOVWorlds that could no longer reach each other said their eternal goodbyes as they watched one another.25yP
cb1“…Goodbye.”aGO7Y1
NFHBCLike a woman waving at the children as the tree crumbled around her.dRjIb
PxLwLike a knight crying while murmuring a prayer he couldn’t even remember.lJSa3H
auNYmHLike a dragon roaring at a perfect piece that would disappear forever.a8dO
1CKfY81“Goodbye, Joseph.”SUOuwx
UjREveryone said goodbye to the moon that was leaving this world.N1mCUp
27FNA radiant blue star bid a final farewell to that moon, as it drifted away along with the fluttering fireflies.Omzs4u
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