40 – Turning Point
Everything happened in a blink of an eye.
I blinked. The machine gun spewed fire. The saw-toothed sword moved within the flames as if pushing away the darkness.
Muzzles being severed. Avakusa’s skin being split.
Tetis Libra shouted. In the slow passage of time, her grenade launcher unleashed fire.
But it was blocked.
The saw-toothed sword cut the projectile in half. A delayed blast followed. Amidst the sound of the split bomb, the armor user’s body gleamed eerily.
Tetis Libra’s body was kicked away, floating in mid-air.
Blanca trembled as she lifted her gun. I immediately pushed her body aside.
The saw-toothed sword brushed past. A low humming vibration reached my ears.
It’s fast.
Faster than I expected.
Reinforced body and senses. The opponent wearing the armor was surpassing the physical abilities of the draconic race.
Elliot Moot’s armor didn’t come close to this level.
Perhaps this is a custom-made item.
An expensive item crafted specifically for one person.
The saw-toothed sword let out a roar.
The distance ahead suddenly widened.
Blood surged. Excruciating pain. In the midst of my charging agony, I swung my fist.
Thud!
The tingling sensation running through my fingertips was blocked by the defense system. The body of the armored user twitched for a moment.
The accelerated world regained its pace.
The sound reached my ears belatedly.
“Kuh?!”
“Crazy!”
“W- What just happened…?”
The three individuals writhed almost simultaneously on the floor. I forced myself to stand, clasping my wounds.
Only a few seconds.
In a motion that only I could perceive, the armored user raised his saw-toothed sword.
He ran his hand over his own face. His expression contorted upon seeing some broken shields.
“…You caught up to my speed with your bare hands? You must be out of your mind. Are you a monster? Who are you?”
“Something… similar, I suppose…”
I stood up. My legs had gone weak, but somehow, I managed to rise.
Fast and sharp. This is beyond what the armor can achieve.
Indeed…
A properly equipped armor truly deserves to be called the pinnacle of personal weaponry…. Only then…
Elliot Moot wasn’t joking for no reason…!
“…Well, it doesn’t matter.”
The armored user took a step forward.
“Entertain me.”
The blade of the saw-toothed sword spun ominously.
To the left.
I immediately twisted my body. The narrowly avoided strike left a deep mark in the sewer.
“You filthy bastard.”
I flipped my body. Rolling on the ground, barely dodging the saw-toothed sword.
The onslaught continued endlessly.
My clothes tore apart, and my grazed arm became ragged.
I tried to seize a brief opening, but even that was blocked.
“There will be no more miracles.”
Clang!
There was a strange sound on the ship. It was definitely kicked…
A shock as if a bomb had exploded swept through the body.
“Ugh?!”
The pushed body rolled on the floor. I couldn’t tell how far I had fallen. All I knew was that I had rolled for a while.
The man licked his tongue. He slowly walked from a distance.
“I had a feeling… How sturdy are you? Usually, your organs would have burst and scattered all over if you were ordinary… You. You’re really a monster. No wonder you’re not just any dragon.”
The serrated sword made a rough noise.
At least if that thing wasn’t there… I would somehow figure it out…!
“…I definitely have to kill you.”
The man raised his foot.
The approaching distance. I tried to stand up, but my body wouldn’t move properly.
My abdomen felt hot, as if it was burning. I stood up once, but fell again.
Recovery was needed. Someone to stop the man’s movements.
But… Who…?
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“This son of a b***h!”
Someone yelled. I turned my head. In my shaking sight, someone was rushing towards the man.
The man turned his head grumpily. He reached out his fist as if he didn’t need to use the serrated sword.
Bang!
The charging Avakusa’s face twisted. But then someone else jumped out.
Tetis Libra.
Her outstretched hand coiled around his body like a snake. A method of suppression he had often been subjected to by Tetis Libra.
His arm trembled as if it were about to be broken. But ultimately, it didn’t break.
The rising defense system and reinforced strength.
The man’s anger only seemed to grow.
“…These trash b*****s.”
The serrated sword rang harshly. The color drained from the faces of Avakusa and Tetis Libra.
He swung his right arm. But there was someone who acted one step ahead of that.
“Si… iv… al.”
Blanca.
She jumped out from under Tetis Libra’s shadow.
“I have a personality that I can’t afford to owe…!”
The color of Blanca’s white pupils and irises flipped for a moment.
Reverse Eye (易眼).
As if drawing out an unusual power, her slender arm flicked and momentarily restrained the arm of the chainsaw by the teeth.
The man’s eyes widened. The movement of the chainsaw, which was going up, stopped.
“…What kind of power…?”
Blood dripped from Blanca’s mouth. It seemed like there were side effects.
Abacusasa, who had fallen, growled and lunged again. He clung to the man’s body, wrapping around it.
“…?! I definitely hit him hard enough to blow his head off…!”
“hahahaha! Too bad! You bastard! I am pretty tough, you know!”
The man’s left arm suddenly jutted up. However, someone acted faster than that.
A speed reading before it extends. The arm that was about to attack Blanca was deflected by Tetis Libra’s hand.
Overwhelming skill. Smooth movements.
“Don’t mess with the boss’s underling!”
As three people charged, their movements abruptly ceased.
A miracle achieved when one is not enough but three gather.
I took a deep breath. My abdomen felt burning hot, but I stood up. Once I found my center, I could look straight ahead.
The man gritted his teeth.
“It’s annoying… to submit…!”
Thud, thud, thud.
Abacusasa’s two arms gradually pushed forward. While struggling as if he would break them, Blanca’s left arm began to bend instead.
Tetis Libra ultimately received a blow to the face. Immediately after, she turned her head to lessen the impact but backed away.
The chainsaw began to move.
There is no more time to wait for recovery.
“……”
He lifted his foot.
He moved towards the front amidst the strange pulsation of his heart. The target was the chainsaw.
If he can just let go of the weapon, there is still a chance of victory. Though he falls far behind in physical specs…
I have supporters who will assist me.
“Abacusasa! Blanca! Hold them baaack!!!”
“I cannot afford to be indebted like this…!”
The color of Blanca’s white pupils and irises flipped for a moment.
Yi Eye (易眼).
As if drawing out an unusual power, her slender arm flicked and momentarily restrained the chainsaw’s arm with its teeth.
The man’s eyes widened. The movement of the chainsaw, which was going up, stopped.
“…What kind of power…?”
Blood dripped from Blanca’s mouth. It seemed like there were side effects.
Abacusasa, who had fallen, growled and lunged again. He clung to the man’s body, wrapping around it.
“…?! I definitely hit him hard enough to blow his head off…!”
“hahahaha! Too bad! You bastard! I am pretty tough, you know!”
The man’s left arm suddenly jutted up. However, someone acted faster than that.
Reading speed before it extends. The arm that was about to attack Blanca was deflected by Tetis Libra’s hand.
Overwhelming skill. Smooth movements.
“Don’t mess with the boss’s underling!”
As three people charged, their movements abruptly ceased.
A miracle achieved when one is not enough but three gather.
I took a deep breath. My abdomen felt burning hot, but I stood up. Once I found my center, I could look straight ahead.
The man gritted his teeth.
“It’s annoying… to submit…!”
Thud, thud, thud.
Abacusasa’s two arms gradually pushed forward. While struggling as if he would break them, Blanca’s left arm began to bend instead.
Tetis Libra ultimately received a blow to the face. Immediately after, she turned her head to lessen the impact but backed away.
The chainsaw began to move.
There is no more time to wait for recovery.
“……”
He lifted his foot.
He moved towards the front amidst the strange pulsation of his heart. The target was the chainsaw.
If he can just let go of the weapon, there is still a chance of victory. Though he falls far behind in physical specs…
I have supporters who will assist me.
“Abacusasa! Blanca! Hold them back!!!”
He rushes forward. Abakusa is taken aback and tightly grips his arm. Blanca, gritting her teeth, withstands it and with all her strength breaks his arm.
In an instant, the man’s body gets drenched. His eyes widen as if about to burst through his forcibly opened face.
“These damn bastards…!”
This time on his face…
A proper blow lands.
Quaaang!!!!
A strike delivered with all his might. The defense system crumbles in an instant. Through the shattered cracks, the man’s whole body bounces off the ground.
“Ugh?!”
The serrated sword he missed falls to the ground. Blanca and Abakusa are both sent flying to the side.
An excruciating pain shoots up his wrist. But he endured it. One down for now.
He throws the saw-toothed sword far away. The man, stumbling, rises by the distant blade.
“Just because I lack one weapon… do you think I can’t defeat you?”
“You’ll find out if you try…”
He adjusts his stance.
But in the next moment, his head turns with a snap.
“Kuk?!”
A bitter liquid rises in his abdomen. Looking down, there were fresh bruises besides the ones carved just moments ago.
Did he take another hit in that brief intersection?
This monstrous bastard?!
Reality mixed between breaths. Blood shed. Gazes rolling on the floor.
There was a sound of water. Did he collapse? He tried to get up, but his body wouldn’t move.
His vision blurred. Chills attacked his body. Trembling.
It feels like his internal organs are damaged.
Irreversible damage.
“These damn bugs…!”
He raised his head. Amidst the shaking view, Abakusa rushed forward with a cry similar to rage.
The man moved. His fist struck Abakusa’s entire body.
A collapsing body. Following behind, Blanca advanced while shedding tears.
Tetis Libra clashed against it. An intricately entangled attack. But even that was shattered in an instant.
The striking fist. The plunging foot.
Despite dropping his weapon, he advances fearlessly as if his entire body is a weapon. He overcomes all attempts by the armor users to bar his way and slams them into the wall.
The only one who stands up again is Avakusa.
“Damn bastard… acting so arrogant…!”
They clash.
He is overcome.
They clash again.
He shatters.
They clash.
He is destroyed.
Even the bones in his fist that used to split flesh are beginning to break. Avakusa’s body, which cannot be matched by sheer strength alone, starts to contort sharply.
“Kill him!”
Avakusa’s arm is broken. Yet he continues to charge, screaming.
His leg is broken. His resolve remains unyielding. Though blocked, he bites into the armor with his teeth.
“Dracaaan!!!!!”
Avakusa shouts, coughing up blood, trembling.
The calf, who always said his own survival comes first, points to the ladder.
“Run-a-a-a-a-way!!!”
“That damn bastard!!!”
Avakusa, beaten all over his body, vomits blood. Nevertheless, he still stands.
“Move-e-e-e-e!!!”
As if to grab onto even the slightest chance.
As if to create an opening.
I exerted strength in my legs. I fell once again, but my body wouldn’t rise.
My head was spinning. My whole body trembled with cold.
The wounds were deep. This was the second time I received such blows. Already in pain, it felt like several bones were broken.
I knew that if I didn’t get up, I would die.
But I just couldn’t.
My body felt like it was going into reverse. The sound of my racing heart gave the illusion that it was beating twice.
Escape.
If I were to escape, as he said, maybe I could
If I succeed, maybe I can survive. If I abandon Avakusa, maybe I can rise.
I can avoid the immediate danger. I can live a little longer.
But…
Is that what I want? Me.
“……”
I gathered strength in my body. Pushed myself up from the ground.
Stood up straight. Somehow.
I walked. I moved forward. I knew better than anyone that the further I stepped away from survival, the harder it would become.
I could run away. Maybe then I could survive.
…But.
What meaning does it have there?
What meaning does it have in living like that?
My head is spinning. It doesn’t function properly.
“Merely surviving is not a dream.”
Memories blend together, and the words I heard in the dizzying haze emerge.
“Just live. Drakan.”
Agony rushes in. Feeling like I can no longer go forward, I leaned against the wall.
Why is everything in this world so confusing? Why won’t it just leave me alone?
Laughter escaped. Was it because of giving up? No. It didn’t seem like that kind.
Instinctive.
It felt instinctual. What I am trying to achieve now is a choice of giving up something and gaining something else.
As I roll on the battleground, I felt the peculiar power that I always sensed during training wriggling beneath me.
It whispers.
Just one step forward.
That I can never go back again.
“…hahahaha.”
…Indeed, as expected.
Merely surviving alone isn’t enough to satisfy.
“I will become a legend. You bastard. The legend of the mercenary industry!”
Everyone has dreams.
I forgot how to dream because I wandered for too long.
I don’t know what I want to do. Even if I survive, I’ve never thought beyond just surviving.
…But.
Even if it’s not a dream, there is something I want to do right in front of me.
I detached myself from the wall. I stood up straight.
I walked forward again.
Annoying and irritating emotions. Emotions that cannot be overcome without a smile.
Look at Abakusa who is taking the beating instead of me. Look at his broken and defeated bones and flesh.
Didn’t we make a promise?
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That I won’t be swayed by others. That I won’t run away.
For that, it is necessary. Means and goals. The power that encompasses everything.
Beyond the frontlines…
The strength that must be clenched.
The man turns back. Facing me while leaving Abakusa on the ground, he reveals his anger.
“Why can’t you crawl like this properly?! You annoying maggot…!”
Kwaaah!!!!
Our hands clash.
A sense of pressure engulfs my entire body. My trembling body feels like it will collapse any moment now.
My two hands are held tightly. Slipping through them in an instant.
Pushed back. With my hands still held, I keep stepping backward. Even if I put in effort, it’s the same. No matter how much I resist, I cannot possibly win.
“Act like a maggot if you’re a maggot!”
There is a man in front of me. Eyes full of burning hostility. Eyes sincerely trying to kill me.
Survive.
I will survive.
But…
I don’t want to survive alone. I don’t want to settle for just surviving.
Any dream will do. Any form will be fine.
Clearly visualize what you want to do right now. Turn it into an image. Stand up straight no matter what.
Not alone, but together.
What we lose…
It’s enough in one go.
“You can do it…ah…”
Everything.
Everything is shown. Drakan.
Even if there’s one speck of dust hidden…
“I can do it…ah…Drakaaan…”
Even if I have to tear out my bones.
Even if I have to tear and shred my flesh.
Even if I have to replace my soul.
Everything.
Everything.
Everything.
“Prove it. Right now.”
The stomach that seems to reflux.
Strength that has nowhere else to go and springs out.
A shaky view. Oppressive headache.
The body screams. It trembles as if it’s about to collapse.
—But it stops.
The body, which was swaying, straightens up and puts strength into the arms.
“What…?!”
The arm that seemed to be easily broken raises slowly.
I feel it.
Beyond the limits of limits.
The feeling of surpassing the capacity of a dragon’s vessel.
Something I absorbed in the last mine…
I feel the blood boiling and refluxing.
“What is this…?!”
I whisper.
Beyond Deckerd Vein, to Abakusa who is staring at me.
He is already drenched in blood. He’s just standing there rolling his eyes. A broken body. Twisted limbs.
But he is watching me. I still feel that he is alive.
So, let’s show him.
Who the person was, who risked their life.
What kind of repayment I can give him.
“Avakusa. Are you alive?”
The trembling ceases. Even the pain disappears for a moment.
A burning heat. Breath escapes from my mouth. At the end, a lightning bolt strikes.
Like a dragon.
Vitality flows abundantly through my whole body.
Ah.
I realized it. Eventually, I surpassed it.
I crossed the line that should not be crossed as a living being.
“Drakan…?”
“Don’t die.”
Isn’t life funny?
The more I spend with this body and time…
It feels like I’m getting further from being human.
But it’s okay. That’s why I became even closer.
The power to fight against irrationality. The power to protect my loved ones.
No one.
No one can take away what belongs to me. Never again.
“I want to become a legend.”
I exerted strength in my arm.
His shield started to shatter.
Dilating pupils. Desperate breaths.
Yes. This should be enough…
“I will accompany you, so don’t die. Absolutely.”
“W-What power…?!!!!”
As a price for forsaking humanity, it is quite satisfying.
Crackle!
Giving strength to the hand. Assumes the most familiar posture in the heat.
Strength in the lower body. Balance in the waist.
Putting all the weight of the body…
“Huh!”
Throws it.
**Kwaahhh!!!**
The wall crumples for a moment. Fragments pour down onto the man’s body.
The embedded man coughs and groans.
“What… what is this… enduring my output with bare hands…?”
“Come at me.”
Assumes a posture.
Naga Kurta.
Dragon Clan martial arts dwell within the fists.
Opens the mouth. Spits out as if chewing.
Move forward. Drakan.
Don’t just stop at thinking. Eliminate any semblance of a home.
Move.
Keep moving…
Prove it.
“You little vermin.”