Chapter 29

Episode 29: The Will of a Hero <3>

Alphonse had no idea what was happening to his body.

Exhausted, his sword broken, and his body battered, Alphonse faced the final blow from the Black Annihilation Dragon. The massive tail swung down, something Alphonse should never have been able to block.

The Black Annihilation Dragon was certain this would be the end.

Yet, Alphonse blocked it. With a sword that had lost most of its blade, he stopped the attack.

The dragon’s expression showed clear astonishment. Seeing Alphonse still standing, the dragon glared and launched a relentless barrage of attacks, as if desperate to finish him off.

A direct hit would mean instant death. Yet, Alphonse dodged, blocked, and even countered the attacks.

The image of a dying insect being toyed with was gone.

In the midst of this intense battle with the overwhelmingly powerful Black Annihilation Dragon, Alphonse felt a strange sensation.

Despite being on the verge of collapse moments ago, he had somehow blocked the dragon’s attack. Moreover, his battered body was now filled with strength, and his entire being was surging with magical energy.

He was pouring an extraordinary amount of magic into body-enhancing and enchantment spells, yet he felt no drain or fatigue. Instead, magic overflowed like a flooding river.

“You… that power…!!” the dragon exclaimed, its eyes wide with shock.

Alphonse, now enveloped in a flickering golden light, wielded a sword with a blade of light extending from its broken tip.

The dragon, furious, intensified its attacks.

Alphonse clashed with the dragon, leaving golden trails in his wake.

This golden magic was something Alphonse had never used before. He had never heard of it, didn’t even know its name. Yet, it felt as natural as if it had always been a part of him.

A strong will resonated within Alphonse’s soul.

—Protect the people.

—Defeat the black dragon.

The fierce battle between the black dragon and the golden light was devastating. The cafeteria was in ruins, barely recognizable.

Despite the overflowing magic, Alphonse’s power still couldn’t surpass the dragon’s. Yet, he continued to fight, each strike barely holding against the dragon’s calamitous attacks.

Then, a single opening appeared.

Alphonse deflected a sweeping attack from the dragon’s foreleg, creating a gap in its upper body.

Without thinking, Alphonse raised his sword, charging it with golden magic.

There was only one thing to do.

Seize this fleeting opportunity and deliver a decisive blow.

—I’ve never used this power before.

—But I understand.

—This technique carries the will of a hero who once fought to protect the people.

“Radiant Glory.”

A dazzling blade of light shot from Alphonse’s sword.

The attack, condensed with immense magical power, exploded against the dragon’s upper body with blinding light.

The shockwave nearly blew Alphonse away.

Stunned by the unbelievable power of his own attack, Alphonse watched as the dust settled, revealing the aftermath.

What he saw left him speechless.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

The dragon had been a calamity spoken of for millennia.

Appearing every few centuries, it would massacre without mercy, burning villages, fields, and lives with black flames.

People had resisted countless times.

In their brave struggles, heroes had emerged.

Sometimes a mighty swordsman, sometimes thousands of mages, they rose to challenge the dragon.

Yet, their hopes were crushed time and again.

No matter how skilled the warriors or how powerful the mages, the dragon would effortlessly cut them down.

When the black dragon appeared, peace was shattered.

It crushed people’s hopes, light, and prayers with overwhelming violence.

Thus, it was named.

—The Black Annihilation Dragon.

No hope could stand before it; all turned to despair.

“This… can’t be…”

Alphonse saw the dragon, unharmed despite his full-powered attack.

Not only unharmed, but it had grown larger, its black body now streaked with ominous purple light.

The light radiated an extraordinary amount of magical energy.

Facing the dragon, now even stronger, Alphonse was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his resolve.

If he couldn’t defeat it, he would fight again.

Feeling his strength waning, Alphonse tightened his grip and faced the dragon once more.

But then,

“That man’s blood is indeed dangerous.”

“……!!!”

Before Alphonse could react, an immense force sent him flying into the air.

He couldn’t even comprehend the attack.

The next moment, his body slammed into the ground with crushing force.

“Guh… ah…”

His breathing faltered, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Before him, a massive black shadow loomed.

The Black Annihilation Dragon.

“It seems you can no longer stand.”

The dragon, now calm, looked down at Alphonse.

Alphonse tried to rise, but his body shook violently, unable to muster any strength.

“No matter how diluted, that man’s blood is not to be underestimated.”

The dragon opened its mouth, gathering dark flames.

“To honor your resistance, I shall obliterate you, leaving no trace.”

A massive, terrifying black flame formed before the dragon.

The final blow, with no room for miracles or hope.

The black flame was unleashed, not to destroy, but to annihilate.

In an instant, the ground was wiped away.

When the flames subsided, a massive crater remained.

The dragon was certain Alphonse was no more.

But a strong unease crept into the dragon’s mind.

Its senses detected something.

The scent it had just obliterated was now behind it.

Turning, the dragon saw Alphonse lying on the ground,

And beside him, another man stood.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

In his fading consciousness, Alphonse saw a man.

He felt a sense of familiarity but quickly realized.

It was the male student who had been calmly eating amidst the chaos in the cafeteria earlier.

“You fought well. Leave the rest to me.”

The man’s eyes, once black, now shone with a golden light.

He stood and turned to the Black Annihilation Dragon, speaking calmly.

“It’s been a while, black one.”

And with that, Alphonse’s consciousness faded.

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