Chapter 293: The End of the Journey
A battle between the purple and the white lights. It was just for the moment. It was a moment that felt like an eternity, an eternity that was forever condensed.
My throat was burning, and every muscle in my body was full of tension. Still, my eyes continued to see the hero in front of me.
Helot Stanley. The rising sun itself. The hero who I longed to be. I always followed that majestic figure, and now he had taken a sword as my enemy. Neither of us even tried to hide our ferocious wills.
It was fine. There was nothing more relevant than this. For me, this place was supreme, and this place was the end.
A sigh slowly spilled from my lips as if to relieve this tension, and then I held the treasure sword above my right shoulder. No wonder I hesitated. The treasure sword said that it would be good to deliver a full blow with the whole body, an action that should’ve been done by now.
There was no longer falsehood in the depths of my heart. I understood well that the hero I admired was not someone who could be killed with some trap. I didn’t want to reach that low to grab victory.
Therefore, my whole body had to reach out. That was all I needed now. I didn’t mind if that meant putting my life on the line.
On the other hand, Helot prepared the white sword at his waist. It was the same stance as that night. His swing was once unreachable and unsurpassable.
The golden one eye harbored a blazing violence. There was nothing mixed in there like tricks or confusion, yes, like a confusion that once existed. There was only pure will.
I grabbed the handle of my sword with my numb fingers and narrowed my eyes. I held in my breath and clenched my teeth lightly. Both Helot and I were both in an offensive stance, but we didn’t move yet. It was as if we both regretted this moment.
At some point, both sound and time disappeared from the surroundings. No breathing, no swallowing. Only our eyes caught the enemy in front of us.
We no longer spoke to each other. Only one thing mattered. We were just waiting impatiently for the moment to come.
Oh, I had traveled a long way just to get this moment. Those days were so long that I almost fell on my knees, again and again. Even though I was humiliated and almost lost myself, I continued to advance on this road.
Like a string that stretched the body, it was now full of tension. The tip of the treasure sword shook as if shaking the sky. Yes, the long journey made me hesitate to even talk about it.
…The end was here now.
A muffled sound rang. Me and Helot, something that was in each other’s chests meshed, and both of our legs moved at the same time. The time that had stopped for some time had finally started to move.
The two swings were carried at the same time, as if they were synchronizing. Neither one was ahead of the other.
The tip of the treasure sword resounded, and the white sword ran through the sky. In the dim darkness, only two lines of light stood out brilliantly.
It was undeniably supreme for me. I was convinced that it was a swing that was carried by my whole body. It was the one that piled up everything that I had stepped over so far.
Even so, it was the ferocious white blade that unleashed violence to devour the enemy’s heart first. The bottomless talent made that one eye burn as if groaning.
The swing was just like a hurricane. From my left armpit to my heart, a flash that could cut off my neck was approaching. The surrounding sky was easily cut in half, opening the way to the blade. It was raw everywhere, just for the sake of crushing the enemy’s life.
Inescapable death was approaching. A definite death that could not be prevented or avoided.
Oh, I knew that fact, of course. Was Helot Stanley’s swing going to beat me so easily? There was no reason to make such a strange assumption. I gritted with enough force to crush my back teeth.
I swung down the treasure sword without changing its trajectory. While twisting my shoulders and forcibly treating my arms as if they were objects, I was able to reach the hero’s blade a second faster. Faster, faster.
Helot’s blade would gouge out my insides and eat through my heart. It was almost unpreventable. If I wanted to reach the hero with my blade, it was a price I had to take. If that’s the case, then I should go pick him up from here. So what, I had already done it once.
I forcibly extended the leg that was stepping in and drove it. The space between us narrowed to the extent that it seemed cramped. The one I showed him earlier. But this time it was not for self-defense, it was a step to slaughter the enemy.
It was exactly like stepping into the hands of the god of death. Helot’s white blade had already bitten into my flesh once, and my whole body got bathed in blood.
However, even so, the trajectory did deviate slightly from Helot’s expectations. His blade was stuck on his shoulder instead of his armpit. Even though it was in the blink of an eye, I could see a gap where my life wouldn’t be taken from me before I stroked.
That was enough for me.
I assumed everything in the back of my eyes, ascertained it, and drew a line. Then, just like that, I waved my arms. The treasure sword traced its trajectory naturally without the slightest deviation. In a space that seemed cramped, I drove my hips around and put all the momentum on the treasure sword.
A flash of light ran through.
A flash to kill the person named Helot Stanley, the person whom I long admired, a hero like the sun. The purple electricity surged in the dim darkness. The hero-killer inscription carved into the blade of the treasure sword shone brightly.
Helot and I roared, and the treasure sword and white blade spoke their masters’ wills while bathing in each other’s blood. They were accompanied by a slight tremor, as if they were breathing.
Then, the ecstatic moment ended.
I could feel the ripping of flesh in my hands. The smell of blood hit my nostrils and the breaking of bones attacked my whole body. We were there, both of us spilling blood, holding blades as if they were overlapping each other.
Neither of us had power anymore. We could not move or twist.
The two blades pierced through each other’s bodies, thus completely cutting off the root of life. My vision was hazy, and I didn’t really know if I was alive or dead. However, the blood flow that ran through my body emitted an abnormality.
Only the feeble breathing could be heard. Apparently, he was still alive as well. It must be something close to a miracle. That miracle would come to an end within a few moments.
I could feel something like heat covering my spine. Even tears were about to fall from my eyes.
…Ah, I’d kill the hero with my own hands, and then, I’d be killed by the hero’s hands.
I could feel my own heart clearly weakening its sound. With my last strength, I opened my lips.
「…I’ll say farewell for now, Helot Stanley. My enemy. 」
Helot’s one eye opened wide. Then, as if it were normal, he spoke.
「…Yes. If possible, let’s be friends next time. 」
That was all we said to each other. After that, nothing. There was just a strange silence, and I could feel the heat being taken away from my body.
There was nothing more to do. When I tried to let go of my consciousness…
A sounds that was like a dissonance hit my earlobes immediately.
…Oh my, have you finally accepted your fate?
I heard my lifeless heart thump loudly. What I heard was a sound I had heard before. Somewhere, it was a very unpleasant, unpleasant sound.
Even though it sounded like a voice itself, it didn’t have the weight of a voice. I knew it was approaching me.
…Well then, let’s receive that soul. For all salvation and all happiness in this world.
My eyes twitched even though the blood that kept overflowing from my body was surprisingly cold. I couldn’t move a single finger, but my body told me that someone approaching me was a clear threat.
A golden hair came into view. She was a figure whom I was once familiar with and even harbored feelings for. Now, she was here with a completely different expression than she used to have.
My body didn’t listen to me. Besides, the white blade was still stuck in my flesh, and even if I tried to do something, I wouldn’t be able to move easily.
Therefore, only my eyes were wide open in front of that clear threat.
「I don’t know what happened to you, but you have such scary eyes. I would be happy if you could be a little more friendly to me.」
Something in the form of my childhood friend, Ariene, stood in front of me.
Chapter 293: The End of the Journey
A battle between the purple and the white lights. It was just for the moment. It was a moment that felt like an eternity, an eternity that was forever condensed.
My throat was burning, and every muscle in my body was full of tension. Still, my eyes continued to see the hero in front of me.
Helot Stanley. The rising sun itself. The hero who I longed to be. I always followed that majestic figure, and now he had taken a sword as my enemy. Neither of us even tried to hide our ferocious wills.
It was fine. There was nothing more relevant than this. For me, this place was supreme, and this place was the end.
A sigh slowly spilled from my lips as if to relieve this tension, and then I held the treasure sword above my right shoulder. No wonder I hesitated. The treasure sword said that it would be good to deliver a full blow with the whole body, an action that should’ve been done by now.
There was no longer falsehood in the depths of my heart. I understood well that the hero I admired was not someone who could be killed with some trap. I didn’t want to reach that low to grab victory.
Therefore, my whole body had to reach out. That was all I needed now. I didn’t mind if that meant putting my life on the line.
On the other hand, Helot prepared the white sword at his waist. It was the same stance as that night. His swing was once unreachable and unsurpassable.
The golden one eye harbored a blazing violence. There was nothing mixed in there like tricks or confusion, yes, like a confusion that once existed. There was only pure will.
I grabbed the handle of my sword with my numb fingers and narrowed my eyes. I held in my breath and clenched my teeth lightly. Both Helot and I were both in an offensive stance, but we didn’t move yet. It was as if we both regretted this moment.
At some point, both sound and time disappeared from the surroundings. No breathing, no swallowing. Only our eyes caught the enemy in front of us.
We no longer spoke to each other. Only one thing mattered. We were just waiting impatiently for the moment to come.
Oh, I had traveled a long way just to get this moment. Those days were so long that I almost fell on my knees, again and again. Even though I was humiliated and almost lost myself, I continued to advance on this road.
Like a string that stretched the body, it was now full of tension. The tip of the treasure sword shook as if shaking the sky. Yes, the long journey made me hesitate to even talk about it.
…The end was here now.
A muffled sound rang. Me and Helot, something that was in each other’s chests meshed, and both of our legs moved at the same time. The time that had stopped for some time had finally started to move.
The two swings were carried at the same time, as if they were synchronizing. Neither one was ahead of the other.
The tip of the treasure sword resounded, and the white sword ran through the sky. In the dim darkness, only two lines of light stood out brilliantly.
It was undeniably supreme for me. I was convinced that it was a swing that was carried by my whole body. It was the one that piled up everything that I had stepped over so far.
Even so, it was the ferocious white blade that unleashed violence to devour the enemy’s heart first. The bottomless talent made that one eye burn as if groaning.
The swing was just like a hurricane. From my left armpit to my heart, a flash that could cut off my neck was approaching. The surrounding sky was easily cut in half, opening the way to the blade. It was raw everywhere, just for the sake of crushing the enemy’s life.
Inescapable death was approaching. A definite death that could not be prevented or avoided.
Oh, I knew that fact, of course. Was Helot Stanley’s swing going to beat me so easily? There was no reason to make such a strange assumption. I gritted with enough force to crush my back teeth.
I swung down the treasure sword without changing its trajectory. While twisting my shoulders and forcibly treating my arms as if they were objects, I was able to reach the hero’s blade a second faster. Faster, faster.
Helot’s blade would gouge out my insides and eat through my heart. It was almost unpreventable. If I wanted to reach the hero with my blade, it was a price I had to take. If that’s the case, then I should go pick him up from here. So what, I had already done it once.
I forcibly extended the leg that was stepping in and drove it. The space between us narrowed to the extent that it seemed cramped. The one I showed him earlier. But this time it was not for self-defense, it was a step to slaughter the enemy.
It was exactly like stepping into the hands of the god of death. Helot’s white blade had already bitten into my flesh once, and my whole body got bathed in blood.
However, even so, the trajectory did deviate slightly from Helot’s expectations. His blade was stuck on his shoulder instead of his armpit. Even though it was in the blink of an eye, I could see a gap where my life wouldn’t be taken from me before I stroked.
That was enough for me.
I assumed everything in the back of my eyes, ascertained it, and drew a line. Then, just like that, I waved my arms. The treasure sword traced its trajectory naturally without the slightest deviation. In a space that seemed cramped, I drove my hips around and put all the momentum on the treasure sword.
A flash of light ran through.
A flash to kill the person named Helot Stanley, the person whom I long admired, a hero like the sun. The purple electricity surged in the dim darkness. The hero-killer inscription carved into the blade of the treasure sword shone brightly.
Helot and I roared, and the treasure sword and white blade spoke their masters’ wills while bathing in each other’s blood. They were accompanied by a slight tremor, as if they were breathing.
Then, the ecstatic moment ended.
I could feel the ripping of flesh in my hands. The smell of blood hit my nostrils and the breaking of bones attacked my whole body. We were there, both of us spilling blood, holding blades as if they were overlapping each other.
Neither of us had power anymore. We could not move or twist.
The two blades pierced through each other’s bodies, thus completely cutting off the root of life. My vision was hazy, and I didn’t really know if I was alive or dead. However, the blood flow that ran through my body emitted an abnormality.
Only the feeble breathing could be heard. Apparently, he was still alive as well. It must be something close to a miracle. That miracle would come to an end within a few moments.
I could feel something like heat covering my spine. Even tears were about to fall from my eyes.
…Ah, I’d kill the hero with my own hands, and then, I’d be killed by the hero’s hands.
I could feel my own heart clearly weakening its sound. With my last strength, I opened my lips.
「…I’ll say farewell for now, Helot Stanley. My enemy. 」
Helot’s one eye opened wide. Then, as if it were normal, he spoke.
「…Yes. If possible, let’s be friends next time. 」
That was all we said to each other. After that, nothing. There was just a strange silence, and I could feel the heat being taken away from my body.
There was nothing more to do. When I tried to let go of my consciousness…
A sounds that was like a dissonance hit my earlobes immediately.
…Oh my, have you finally accepted your fate?
I heard my lifeless heart thump loudly. What I heard was a sound I had heard before. Somewhere, it was a very unpleasant, unpleasant sound.
Even though it sounded like a voice itself, it didn’t have the weight of a voice. I knew it was approaching me.
…Well then, let’s receive that soul. For all salvation and all happiness in this world.
My eyes twitched even though the blood that kept overflowing from my body was surprisingly cold. I couldn’t move a single finger, but my body told me that someone approaching me was a clear threat.
A golden hair came into view. She was a figure whom I was once familiar with and even harbored feelings for. Now, she was here with a completely different expression than she used to have.
My body didn’t listen to me. Besides, the white blade was still stuck in my flesh, and even if I tried to do something, I wouldn’t be able to move easily.
Therefore, only my eyes were wide open in front of that clear threat.
「I don’t know what happened to you, but you have such scary eyes. I would be happy if you could be a little more friendly to me.」
Something in the form of my childhood friend, Ariene, stood in front of me.
