15. Dragon of the End – 04
“… Was there a place like this below Nineveh?”
– It’s a fact I didn’t know at all. Interesting indeed.
Following the information Celica gave me, I headed underground, and in front of me was a large hollow.
Its width was wider than that of an ordinary field, and its height was as high as that of a school building.
Even if you put your magic into your toes and jump as hard as you can, it must be quite a long way from reaching the ceiling.
And about 100 meters away from where I was standing, there was a huge door that could be seen with the naked eye.
I didn’t know what material it was made of, but around the door, which quietly cast a black ink light that seemed out of this world, all sorts of monsters and people were carved into ugly figures that looked like they were in agony.
The door, which hinted at its ominous presence just by its existence, was currently chained as if someone had tried to seal it sternly, but that did not make it safe.
Because the chains sealing that door had already lost the meaning of their existence and had flowed and melted in half, and an ominous energy that couldn’t be described in words was leaking through the gap in the door that was slightly open.
And that ominous energy must have been the energy of some existence that I had already experienced to the point of disgust through nine recurrences.
“… Bad taste anyway. I never thought they would bring such shit to the bottom of the school where students come and go.”
– Rather than that, I think we should be more surprised by the fact that the passage leading to this place actually existed right under the student council room.
When Erekaya said that in a calm tone, a sigh leaked out of my mouth.
Certainly, it was as she said. Until now, I had gone back and forth to the main student building, where the student council room is located, but I really couldn’t have imagined that something like this was hidden in the basement.
“Then, the keyword the message was trying to say was student council.”
– Probably. If that wasn’t the case, we couldn’t rule out the possibility that it was referring to someone.
However, now was not the time to be idle at the graveyard. Although they are quiet now, the existence behind that door was one of the elements of the end that could destroy the world itself at any moment.
“… Jin, can we really solve this situation by ourselves? It’s not too late now, so I think it’s better to call the others.”
“Who else?”
“Father, or the chairman, if that’s not the case… Like Kaya.”
At Altina’s words, I turned my head and looked at Altina’s face.
It was unexpected. It’s not as good as Kaya, but Altina, who is an absolute master who reached the level of a master at the age of a teenager and at the same time has lofty pride as the heir to Count Serias, is she asking someone else for help?
Bondi Masters are very proud of their skills, so they are reluctant to open their hands to others, even if it means dying.
But I never really imagined that such words would come out of her mouth.
“… No matter how you think about it, this is suicide. It’s too dangerous over there. No, it’s too dangerous to be there. to die I hate the fact that you might die.”
Burr.
As she said that, Altina’s shoulders trembled.
Is that so, she wasn’t worried about her own safety right now, but was she telling me to ask someone else for help, even breaking her pride at the thought that I might die?
To be honest, I’m happy. Because I was a word that was no different than a proof that a person had become more valuable and valuable to someone else than his or her ego.
But apart from that, her offer was unacceptable.
“Thanks for the offer, but it’s already too late to call someone else. It’s ready to jump out the door at any moment, but if you hold back any longer, something really irreversible might happen.”
The ‘Dragon of the End’ is infinitely supplied with strength through human negative emotions, that is, fear and awe toward oneself, as well as hatred and malice.
If the ‘Dragon of the End’ leaves this place and begins its activities in a place where other people can see it, the difficulty of killing it will rise to a level that cannot be compared to now.
So right now is your chance. At this moment, he doesn’t receive any faith from humans, and he lacks strength just after being released from the seal.
“I will explain everything later. So, please follow the instructions I gave you earlier.”
When I said that in a sharp tone, Altina seemed to hesitate for a moment, then nodded as if she couldn’t help it.
“… okay. Instead, never do anything reckless. got it?”
“yes.”
“Then I’ll leave my life here to you. Please, no luck.”
Having made a commitment to each other once again, Altina and I stepped forward without hesitation to a place that would surely be our place of death.
****
‘It’s worth doing.’
Its gigantic size resembles a mountain range, and even if the length of its body is measured, it can easily exceed 100 meters, and even if it is not enough to cause a localized earthquake in the surroundings by simply stepping forward, it arranges magic as if breathing. A mythical being with the power to combine.
But ironically, the first thing he thought of when he looked at the dragon was that it was surprisingly worthwhile.
‘Compared to when he was in his prime, his body is not even one-fifth. In addition, both the amount of magical energy stored in the body and the amount of output are insignificant compared to what I was familiar with.’
The ‘dragon’ Jin knew was capable of destroying everything in the world with only a weak wave of magical energy leaking out of the body, and possessed the majesty of an absolute being who could not breathe properly by weighing down the atmosphere itself.
Compared to that time, the dragon in front of him now was in such a miserable state that it would not be an exaggeration to say that only a shell remained.
Of course, that’s a story when compared to the ‘Dragon of the End’, who came to the ground and used human emotions as food and burned half of the world.
It was because the magic wave emitted by the current dragon was condensed enough to shatter at least Nineveh lightly.
– … Truly a monster. Are you really going to stand against it alone?
When Erekaya said that in a tired voice, as if something had broken her heart when she was facing the end of her normally courageous subject, Jin shook her head softly.
‘Don’t be scared before you even fight. I wouldn’t know if the fight hadn’t started at all, but imagining one’s own defeat now that it has started is the most foolish thing to do. Also, the outcome of a battle is not determined by the output or amount of magical power.’
The way to win against an opponent stronger than himself has been inscribed into his body to the point of disgust. And now, it was the turn to check and show the results.
‘Dragon of the End’ is no longer a symbol of despair to him.
At the point where it had already been killed by him six times, it had just degenerated into a mere prey.
Where in the world is there a hunter who is frightened and afraid of the game he will hunt in the future?
I have a plan. In preparation for this situation, I have also done countless training. However, it’s just that we can’t be sure how much the efforts so far will be used in practice.
‘I’ll leave the assistance to you. Goes.’
Jin ran across the surface at high speed, flying dizzy towards the body of the dragon without covering walls and ceilings.
As the body is so gigantic, the number of corners to attack is practically innumerable.
Even if the opponent is a dragon, it is still a living creature, and if it is allowed to attack continuously, it will eventually die.
However, there was one fatal problem in his plan.
[It’s funny.]
Kwak Kwa Kwa Kwam!
The dragon pours out magic without a break toward Jin, who is running around in all directions.
Huge lightning strikes from the air, dozens of streams of water rush to tear him apart, fierce flames roar, and sharp winds blow from all directions like sharp blades.
There was not even the slightest delay in the magic that the dragon poured out. Because to dragons, magic was nothing more than commanding, not using.
To use an analogy, it is the same as ordering something to your slave.
For a dragon that uses magic as its own tool, there is no way that the act of “compete” with someone else can be established.
The reason the dragon dared to accept the form of a ‘duel’ was only out of respect for its nemesis.
The transcendental sense of a dragon captures everything in this space, and there is no way that a dragon capable of absurd acts of constantly using all the magic in the world at the right time cannot defeat even one human!
“Kuk!”
It reads the omens to shed lightning strikes, kicks water streams, and attacks the flames to protect the whole body with magical power, and reads the trajectories to dodge the blades of the wind.
However, three minutes after that, as attacks flew in from all directions without rest, Jin’s hands and feet slowly started to get dizzy.
Even if he tries to counterattack the dragon, a huge attack flies every time and blocks his attempt in advance.
[That’s stupid. How dare you try to surprise me. Do you mean that you have not learned what kind of existence I am from the past?]
Kwurrring!
“Cuck!”
Dozens of thunderbolts electrocut Jin’s body without missing the gap where the ground shakes momentarily and he loses his balance.
Somehow, the attack was relieved, but in the end, a gap was opened and the jin bounced back, and as if it had been waiting for it from the beginning, a ray of light struck the spot-
[Judgment of Light.]
aaa!
In an instant, my vision went white. The superheated column of light, reminiscent of the sun, literally shattered the spot he had bounced off.
Looking at the place where the judgment of the sky, which does not allow the survival of living things, was pierced, the dragon quietly opened its mouth.
It was as calculated. 3 minutes and 43 seconds after the duel started.
Although it took 30 seconds longer than he had calculated, in the end, the two’s trivial duel ended in the dragon’s victory.
[You should have known that too. The fact that you can never surpass me]
“…..”
[I am stronger than you, and I can play a lot more cards than you. Besides, I have the senses to accurately calculate your movements, mannerisms, and even your heartbeat. What can you, now, do against me?]
A voice resounded everywhere, as if it contained ridicule somewhere, and at the same time lamentation.
[It really couldn’t have been a tasteless ending. It would have been better if I had abandoned the system here and found another stage where I could compete for supremacy, as I suggested… ]
But suddenly, the dragon felt something strange.
Everything went as he had calculated and predicted earlier. And as a result, he won and Jin lost.
But why the hell was the duel delayed by 30 seconds? If everything went according to calculation, there would be no reason for the 30-second delay.
“… Well. I think it’s a little too early to declare victory.”
And that was when Just now, under the ground completely destroyed by the pillar of light, Jin revealed himself.
[…] Why? How can you be so fine?]
I assumed an unexpected situation and adjusted the power, so he probably wouldn’t have died, but even so, it would be normal if he couldn’t stand upright on his two legs?
“Why why? It’s because it took a while to get used to. That’s why practice and actual combat are so different.”
[…] practice? Practice?]
In front of Jin, who speaks completely incomprehensible words, Yong frowns without realizing it.
“You just said it with your snout. The dragon’s senses observe everything about me. That is why I have no choice but to defeat you.”
“But, conversely, if I had dragon sense, wouldn’t I be able to fight on an equal footing with you? Well, I almost died because I didn’t use it in real combat.”
In an instant, the dragon could sense a familiar energy leaking from Jin’s body.
One of the seven people who humiliated him who was destined to rule the world 200 years ago.
And among them, a human who committed the blasphemy of daring to imitate his power and use it to seal him.
Even after 200 years have passed, the human who carved a presence that will never be forgotten in the dragon’s memory is no different-
[Pendragon… ! How the hell did you get that energy from Pendragon… !]
Faced with the ferociously roaring dragon, Jin sighs and smiles.
“Then it’s round two. I’m telling you in advance, but this time it won’t be as easy as before?”