Releasing mana. Then, magic reveals its form in that space.
Whooshhh!
It was a form of magic that did not exist in Geladridion.
Magic that creates plasma and forms a magnificent spear of fire.
Though it may appear excessively dazzling, its power does not fall short of its brilliance.
While observing the mana being calculated and enumerated like formulas, Aslan was astonished.
It was a foreign world’s magic crafted to mimic the divine power of the Abyss.
A technique whose method and principles were unknown.
But Aslan quickly calculated.
Can it be blocked?
Impossible. Even with the arm of the Dragon King, it wouldn’t endure the subsequent damage.
What if I turn my will into a shield?
Uncertain. It’s impossible to predict the penetration and heat.
What if I interfere with the mana?
I don’t even know if it’s the same type of mana. Since it’s likely divine-based, unless I disrupt the underlying calculation, it won’t be destroyed.
What if I take the hit and counterattack?
Aslan nodded involuntarily at the plan that came to mind.
It was the most efficient way with minimal loss, allowing for an organic counterattack.
In this way, Aslan prepared to offer his body just as he had before his death, but then—
‘No, not quite.’
After reconsidering his instinctive decision, he sensed an intense heat from behind.
That thermal energy. Tremendous power.
Yet, almost no Qi manipulation.
It wasn’t hard to deduce.
It wasn’t a subtle enough ambush to evade detection.
It was considerate shooting meant to merely wound if left uncountered.
Even after losing his eyes and his younger sibling, amidst anger and despair, it was still Tiamat’s meticulous archery.
And so, Aslan decided to trust her shot.
The moment he twisted his body to dodge, plasma erupted from behind him.
Kwaaang!
The plasma arrow met the splendid fiery spear, exploding upon contact.
Kwaaaaaang!
Flames and heatwaves surged forth. Amidst the scorching heat, Aslan muttered briefly.
“Acceleration.”
And he charged forward, soaring through the heatwave as if immune to its flames.
Tuuuuh!
Like being roughly thrown into water, ripples spread through the rising heatwave as Aslan burst out.
His target was the mage—a boy known as the Sage of Rebirth.
Facing the charging Aslan, the young mage prepared his next spell.
Extending his arm, he aimed for lightning, which began to boil along his arm. Seeing this, Aslan thought:
This attack, if struck, would surely lead to electrocution and possible death.
A move that could only be countered by closing the distance.
If injured while closing the gap, the next move might become visible.
However, Aslan distanced himself, choosing instead to trust his allies and change direction.
Before the mage could unleash the bolt, a crimson lightning filled the vision.
Zzzziiiiip!
Accompanied by a fatal strike, the coalescing lightning ceased abruptly, severing the arm.
Thud. The severed arm fell, and the girl slid across the ground, swinging her sword.
The blade, imbued with flames, cut through the boy’s knee, causing him to falter.
Only then did Aslan approach.
Closing the distance in one leap, before the mage boy could react, Aslan unleashed a ferocious punch.
Crrrack!
With his fists shaped like knuckles, held tightly by the Dragon King’s arm, he delivered a simple punch.
Yet, the face shattered, the head scattered, the body tilted, and the staff sprang up.
What followed was a magic unseen even in Geladridion—dozens of swords materialized in the sky and rained down like rain.
Two methods of response were visible.
Directly block and charge forward.
Or leave it to an ally.
Aslan did not retract his fist holding the will-turned-weapon.
Instead, he charged forward without hesitation, moving swiftly due to his lack of hesitation.
By the time Richard arrived, running alongside Aslan,
he extended his arm toward the descending rain of swords.
Clang!
A light metallic sound as he deflected the falling blades with the back of his hand.
Jeng!
Then he smashed them away with a punch.
Crack!
Finally, he kicked them away.
Having diverted the swords aimed at Aslan’s head, Richard adjusted his stance and stopped.
Folding the leg he had extended, he disrupted the trajectory of the descending sword with a powerful knee strike.
The altered path caused dust to rise from the ground.
Through the rising dust, Aslan caught Richard’s gaze.
The silent nod from the young man. In return, Aslan nodded similarly and charged again toward the mage.
The Sage of Rebirth, seeing Aslan rushing towards him, raised his hand from below in silence, without any expression or words.
The motion was trembling, heavy as though carrying something immense, slow.
Countless skeletons rose from the ground behind him, as if bearing the weight of their very existence.
Aslan was taken aback by the sight.
At a glance, it seemed to possess most imaginable kinds of magic.
The title “Sage of Rebirth” appeared genuine.
Thus, opportunities were rare.
The surging skeletons, the dead crawling out of the earth.
If he targeted the intervals during their summoning, he could easily slay the boy.
He might sustain some injuries, but alone, he could reverse the situation.
But he didn’t. Though he could catch up, he chose not to.
Instead, he halted.
Even as the skeletons rushed toward the stationary Aslan.
When the skeleton approaching Aslan raised its sword, something flew and embedded itself into the skeleton.
Crrrack!
It was a spear.
A spear reminiscent of a spike, glowing golden.
Crackle! Lightning coursed through it, spreading golden currents in all directions. The skeletons caught in its range froze.
Seizing the opportunity, Aslan extended his hand without hesitation and grabbed the spear.
Ka-drrrrr!
Swinging the spear, he shattered the skeletons.
The skeletons, scorched by the electricity, shattered into pieces, and Aslan casually tossed the spear behind him.
Lumel caught the spear, and soon enough, both Aslan and Lumel were smashing skeletons together.
Wielding purity, transforming willpower into a mace, stabbing and swinging, reverting beasts with purity and smashing them with strikes.
Silently, Lumel thrust with his spear, swept them aside with his sword, and crushed them with the hilt.
Their movements complemented each other, filling in each other’s gaps seamlessly.
“Aslan!”
At the sudden shout, when Lumel’s great spear carved a spiral that shattered skeletons and cleared a path, Aslan sprinted forward.
Accelerating, Aslan’s figure blurred and turned dark.
Approaching him, the mage stood against the Abyss and swung his staff for a final attempt.
Blocking Aslan’s path was ice denser than eternal snow.
The eternal snow that completely obstructed Aslan’s view.
As steam-like cold spread around, Aslan muttered briefly, gripping the greatsword transformed into purity with both hands and charged forward.
Purity might have adequate cutting power to pierce walls, but Aslan’s strength alone was insufficient to break through.
However, there were more than enough comrades with sufficient strength. Aslan did not stop, and two weapons flew past his side.
A greatsword and an axe.
The axe blazing, the greatsword imbued with immense force.
An axe lacking in strength but brimming with high heat, and a greatsword overflowing with power.
They embedded themselves in the ice sequentially.
Kwaang!
The axe embedded itself, its contained heat melting the ice. Then the greatsword followed.
Kwaaaang!
The embedded greatsword effortlessly shattered the melting ice. A path was cleared, and Aslan faced the boy standing against the Abyss, calmly pointing his staff.
Enomoto Jun. Perhaps a light novel enthusiast, who asked to read twice the amount of light novels upon returning.
Recalling him, Aslan took his stance.
Gripping the hilt low, the blade lower still, lightly held with the other hand.
Perhaps ineffective within the Abyss, but in Geladridion, this was the sole method to halt the Abyss’s resurrection and rebirth.
“Star Slash.”
There was only one decisive strike, and one chance. Two targets needed to be cut down.
But Aslan did not force anything, firmly gripping the sword.
No worries lingered.
“Hmph!”
With a brief yell, the supposedly immortal possessor soared, struck by the two-handed hammer wielded by Budonggong, rolling on the ground.
Their trajectories overlapped.
[Remaining Will: 0]
Simultaneously, Aslan’s will also bottomed out.
As if this were some starting signal, Aslan swung his sword.
The swing. A diagonal upward slash. Behind the arc, stars split, and the two possessors split as well.
The Sage of Rebirth’s neck.
The possessor’s waist splits.
The two possessors momentarily hung in the air as if time had stopped.
Immediately, the light of the stars erupted, and their dark bodies tumbled onto the ground.
There would be no regeneration. Likewise, no resurrection.
As their divinity was severed and scattered, they oozed as black liquid and flowed away.
It wouldn’t take long for the liquid to seep into the Abyss.
Beginning with them, monsters everywhere retreated into the Abyss, fleeing as if chased, hurling themselves into the black puddles.
An evident retreat. Watching this, Aslan released the purity.
And folded the beast he held into his back.
Chya-kang!
The sound of the folding beast resonated as the traveling party approached.
Each of them had different gazes.
Most looked somewhat unfamiliar, yet there were differences.
Angie, supported by Ereta, wore a bewildered expression.
Lumel eyed Aslan with a peculiar suspicion.
Phey, furrowing her brows, regarded Aslan with an oddly familiar look, puzzled.
Richard with a perplexed expression and Tiamat, standing far away, observing the group silently.
Various members of the group looked at Aslan with their own expressions.
Receiving those gazes, Aslan sheathed the will-transformed sword at his waist.
His body bore not a single scratch.
Willpower depleted, some mana expended, but his body showed no abnormalities. It was a flawless victory without a single wound.
Despite hastily facing two high-ranking priests.
The reason was glaringly obvious.
It was a reason the group already knew.
Because Aslan had chosen options he usually wouldn’t, leading to this result.
The group, seemingly unsurprised yet skeptical, looked at Aslan.
“Thank you.”
Their skepticism turned to surprise as Aslan smiled brightly.
“I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Though there was much he wanted to say, there was only one thing he needed to express, and Aslan spoke accordingly.
It was a clear statement because they knew it wasn’t a lie.
Since this was Aslan, who could have handled it alone if he wished.
To them, it felt like a declaration that he wouldn’t undertake reckless acts without them in the future.
And indeed, that was Aslan’s intention.
Aslan desired their happiness.
And within their happiness, he hoped to find his own.
Behind Aslan, Budonggong subtly smiled, as if confirming the right answer.
Amidst the cheers of victory, a contented silence flowed peacefully.
