Chapter 59

Fourth Floor of Magung.

Ice Art Gallery.

A pure white cold air gushed out in all directions centered around Nikita, who was engulfed in the magic of the Ice Dragon.

Yet amidst that coldness, a different kind of intense heat mixed in.

Confusion saturated the chill.

Fwoosh!

Inside Nikita’s body, the hidden coldness bared its fangs at me.

Fear.

The overwhelming biological presence exuded by the Ice Dragon.

Even I, who had expected this, was struck by a chill of raw terror.

But the heat of the flames forced my consciousness back to sharpness.

This rotten remnant of the Ice Dragon had finally revealed its true nature.

An additional reason I had left Nikita alone until she touched the Ice Dragon’s magic.

It was precisely because of the bloodline flowing through the Cynthia Marquis family.

The Cynthia family had a history of children being born devoid of talent for generations.

It was said that when giving birth, it was better to have more than one child.

The reason was simple.

Long ago, even before the unification wars of the Empire, the Cynthia family originally served the Ice Dragon.

The reason why the magic of the Ice Dragon was secretly passed down to them was also due to this.

However, the Cynthia family betrayed the Ice Dragon for some reason.

The Ice Dragon, enraged, decided not to wipe them out completely but instead implanted a single curse.

When the most talented child of each generation is born, the curse would siphon away their talents.

Remnants of the Ice Dragon

An offspring marked by the remnants of the Ice Dragon has only one talent.

To wield the magic of the Ice Dragon.

The Cynthia family had long hidden this fact.

Even Nia Cynthia, the current heir, was completely unaware of this.

Only the Cynthia Marquis knew about this curse.

They couldn’t reveal it publicly; otherwise, the Marquis would bear the stigma of being cursed and face rejection from others.

Moreover, it was a curse from the Ice Dragon.

Finding a way to erase it wasn’t easy either.

So, the Cynthia Marquis meticulously concealed this fact.

More than anything, they had also grown accustomed to having children without talent.

For generations, when a talentless child was born, they’d always relied on political marriages.

They knew how to handle a talentless child.

Thus, the remnants of the Ice Dragon continued through the children of the Cynthia family.

In modern times, Nikita, the second child of the Cynthia family, was born without any talent at all.

Originally, Nikita should have been spreading her wings and soaring with talents.

However, due to the curse passed down in the Marquis family, she had her wings taken away and had to crawl on the ground.

But Nikita never gave up, wielding her sword, putting in relentless efforts, and finally reaching the position of Vice President of Jerion Academy.

However, a huge wheel of fate looms over this world.

Nikita may have been destined to eventually wield the magic of the Ice Dragon, even if it wasn’t today.

At least from what I knew during the Fire Butterfly episode.

Nikita had touched the magic of the Ice Dragon in some way.

Of course, that’s if she didn’t find out.

If I had managed to prevent her from touching the Ice Dragon’s magic.

Nikita might have never dealt with the Ice Dragon’s magic in her entire life.

But I had no certainty about the future I didn’t know.

Even in the present at my feet, I was barely keeping up.

What was more, even if Nikita never touched the Ice Dragon’s magic.

Within her, the remnants of the Ice Dragon would always remain.

And someday, when she happily marries and has children.

That child might once again bloom with the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

I didn’t want to imagine what kind of sad expression Nikita would make while watching her child, born without a talent, just like she was.

So, I prepared.

The remnants of the Ice Dragon can’t be removed until they fully manifest in fusion with Nikita.

However, Nikita, while using the magic of the Ice Dragon, finally peeked her heavy head out into the outside world.

“Just try struggling inside for a hundred years.”

Desperate efforts to expel the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

“I’ll make sure to burn you to ashes.”

The mystery passed down from the Steel Empress, the skin of steel.

The Spirit Sovereign possessing the power to confront the coldness held by the magic of the Ice Dragon, the Flame of Fire.

The Steel Empress desired heat more than anything else.

The steel skin reflected this trait completely.

However, aside from that trait, the mystical power repelled heat.

This was a dilemma.

The Steel Empress wanted heat, but accepting it outright would melt the steel.

So, the steel skin instinctively rejected the heat.

Here, the inherent traits of the Flame of Fire would manifest as well.

The Flame of Fire was the body of the Spirit Sovereign born from fire.

To ensure that its final flame burned brilliantly.

The Flame of Fire sought to incinerate anything attempting to extinguish itself.

Currently, the greatest threat to the Flame of Fire was the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

As a result, the steel skin repelled the Flame of Fire.

The Flame of Fire began to stick to the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

As my hand, containing the Flame of Fire, continued to bump against Nikita.

The Flame of Fire increasingly stuck to the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

The worst matchup for coldness was, of course, heat.

With every increase in heat, the power possessed by the remnants of the Ice Dragon drastically weakened.

Gugugugugung!

The chill whirled violently as the remnants of the Ice Dragon expressed their fury.

Nikita’s feet slipped back.

The remnants of the Ice Dragon, sensing danger, tried to escape this place.

Bam!

But I wouldn’t let that happen.

Sticking close to Nikita, I reached out with my hand blade.

Suddenly, Nikita’s sword swiftly blocked my hand blade.

The remnants of the Ice Dragon recognized that it would be at risk if my attack connected.

If just once I connected, a large amount of the Flame of Fire would flood in.

Knowing this, the remnants of the Ice Dragon couldn’t disregard me.

“Trying to run away?”

My red eyes glimmered ominously.

“If it were you, Senior Nikita, you wouldn’t run.”

A crimson thread danced continuously through the cold air.

Boom, bang, boom!

The outstretched hand blade of heat kept bombarding the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

“If you’re going to run away.”

I embedded deep-seated fear into the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

“You run away alone.”

The remnants of the Ice Dragon quivered.

In that moment, Nikita’s mouth opened as a bright white flash surged towards me.

Seeing this, I twisted my body wide.

The flash sped past me and struck out.

KaAAaaang!

The ceiling of the Ice Art Gallery shattered under the direct hit of the flash.

And the icy shards from the ceiling began to rain down upon us.

I evaded the shards and pulled my body back.

Nikita also moved back to escape the shards.

Nikita distanced herself amidst the shards, as the remnants of the Ice Dragon urged her to flee.

Crack—

My foot stamped down on the ground.

Taking a leap position, I forcefully pulled back my hand blade.

I took a deep breath.

At that very moment, as Nikita’s figure momentarily vanished among the shards.

The Magic Seal engraved beneath my feet activated.

The activated magic triggered an explosion.

At this moment.

The synergy between the mystical and the Magic Seal produced an overwhelming force.

KaAAaang!

With an explosion that felt like my foot would be torn off, my body was shot out like a cannonball.

My hand blade reached out towards the ceiling’s shards that obscured my vision.

Snap!

The hand blade plunged into the shards, causing cracks to spread all over the debris.

Clang!

Having shattered the shards, I ambushed Nikita.

But this was all anticipated by the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

Nikita tightened her grip around the sword heavily charged with coldness.

Her enchanted eyes sparkled.

A palpable intent to kill radiated from her.

Watching this, I activated a ring while still in the stance of my hand blade.

Come, StormCaller.

Zap—

A blinding white flash spread across the ground.

A bolt of lightning descended, sweeping all before it.

The Ice Dragon roared its magic, swept away by the storm of the Emperor.

Raising my hand to the sky.

Lightning surged into my palm, drawn in against my will.

Magic Seal · Lightning Catcher

The raging bolt of lightning instantly formed in my grasp.

Stamping down upon the ground, I created a boom!

With an explosion erupting from my elbow, my body twisted backward.

The lightning spear leaped from my hand.

Fizziziziziz!

The outstretched lightning spear pierced through Nikita.

Both Nikita and the remnants of the Ice Dragon screamed simultaneously.

As her body floated in mid-air, I hurled myself forward without hesitation.

The Flame of Fire was once again clutched in my hand.

I slammed the Flame of Fire into my palm with full force.

“Nikki!”

I called out for Nikita, gritting my fist tightly.

“It’s time to wake up.”

My fist, filled with all my strength, slammed down upon Nikita.

Nikita’s body crashed to the ground as the Flame of Fire rampaged wildly.

The remnants of the Ice Dragon, unwilling to yield and striving to survive, howled frostily.

The collision of both forces felt as if my body might shatter into pieces.

Even my clothes were torn apart, and the bandages of the shield began to unravel.

Within the unraveling bandages, my true face was exposed.

My white hair swirled in the wind, revealing bright yellow pumpkin-colored eyes.

My skin was transforming into the rough texture of steel.

It seemed the steel skin was melting under the heat and flowing inside.

The heat of the Spirit Sovereign approaches the flames of determination.

Like with Lucas, the steel absorbed my body, turning into a steel form.

Moreover, having been struck by lightning twice, I bore the scars of the thunderbolt across my body.

I was a complete mess.

What kind of face someone might have made while witnessing this, I couldn’t even begin to guess.

But right now, that didn’t matter at all.

I poured every ounce of my flame into Nikita.

The blazing fire swallowed all the coldness.

Chiiiiiing!

The scream of the remnants of the Ice Dragon echoed.

In contrast, I lost the warmth within me, replaced instead with frigid air.

Yet, my gaze never wavered.

In fact, my eyes flared with resolve, more splendidly than anyone else’s in this moment.

‘You know too, right?’

I addressed the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

‘If you take in any more heat, you will vanish.’

The remnants of the Ice Dragon thrashed wildly.

Finally, it grasped my intent.

To survive, the only choice for the remnants of the Ice Dragon was to transfer hosts.

This time, the flames of determination, which had once filled Lucas, left no room for the remnants.

Thus, the remnants of the Ice Dragon deemed to choose destruction alongside Nikita.

This was the main reason Lucas couldn’t save Nikita.

However, now, all I borrowed was the Flame of Fire.

There was enough room inside me for the remnants of the Ice Dragon to enter.

This was the very difference between Lucas and me.

And the only difference that granted me the ability to save Nikita.

Lucas was the protagonist, which is why he could not save Nikita.

But I was the third-rate antagonist, none other than Bickamon Niflheim who had stepped back from the main story.

This was something I could achieve alone.

‘I’ve never had any talent to begin with.’

Bickamon had originally no magical talent, which Nikita deeply yearned for.

Thus, to substitute it, I learned and defined magic through the Magic Seal.

Now, even if the remnants of the Ice Dragon came in, I had no talent to lose.

This was the real difference between Lucas and me.

While Lucas was too filled with talent for the remnants to even find a gap, I was entirely empty!

The remnants of the Ice Dragon incessantly struggled within Nikita.

However, the conflict didn’t last long.

The remnants of the Ice Dragon could no longer endure the encroaching Flame of Fire.

Thus, it chose to act.

The thrashing remnants of the Ice Dragon surged up along my fist that connected with Nikita.

At that moment, dense coldness spread within me.

Chunks of scales that had clung to Nikita’s body melted away into nothingness.

Her horns and tail melted like snow.

Only her fangs and eyes, however, left traces of their existence.

In contrast, some scales began to surface on my skin.

An overwhelming chill flowed in, enough to be dizzying.

It was an agonizing cold that felt like it would freeze my very brain.

This was the coldness Nikita must have endured while wielding the magic of the Ice Dragon.

Creak!

Yet my body still bore some of the Flame of Fire.

Heat and cold collided and began to offset each other.

Struggling to take hold, the remnants of the Ice Dragon tried to dominate me.

I had no intention of caving in.

The remnants of the Ice Dragon had already been repeatedly struck by the Flame of Fire and were in a significantly weakened state.

In this condition, it couldn’t gather enough strength to control me.

Fwoosh—

Ultimately, the weakened remnants of the Ice Dragon were pushed aside.

Scales that had emerged on my face fell away.

Conversely, my right eye suddenly morphed, evoking the image of a lizard.

As if the remnants of the Ice Dragon had grown distinctly tired, one of my eyes drifted shut.

Thanks to this, my eyesight quickly returned to normal.

The heat of the Flame of Fire began to gradually fade away.

With the coldness and heat receding, only a gentle warmth remained.

Softly—

Melted snow raining from the sky turned into a light drizzle.

Thanks to the warm rain, my spirits felt a bit better.

My head drooped down.

I no longer had the power to move even a little.

Just breathing was all I could manage.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Nikita had to be declared dead here.

To protect the main story and save Nikita.

Nikita also had to be removed from the main plot.

Only with Nikita’s death could the story move forward.

With that in mind, I stretched out my trembling hand.

Gently cradling the unconscious Nikita’s head, I lifted her legs.

My body swayed unsteadily as I stood up.

As the remnants of the Ice Dragon rested, everything around began to melt.

I walked aimlessly.

I was headed for the fifth floor of Magung.

There was a little-known passageway there.

A secret passage allowing immediate return to the surface.

In effect, this passageway had been established for the convenience of users.

However, it would also be incidentally discovered by Lucas.

I moved toward that place.

Descending the stairs to the fifth floor.

I felt like I might topple down multiple times, but somehow managed to stay upright.

Before I knew it, my legs were broken.

It seemed the impact from earlier had broken them.

If I fell here, I wouldn’t be able to get back up.

Knowing this, I held on tightly.

“Huff, big brother.”

At that moment, Nikita’s voice reached me.

She was slowly starting to regain consciousness.

This was bad.

Since I hadn’t organized the shield’s bandages, I still looked like Bickamon.

It was an error due to not having the mental capacity to tidy up.

With no other choice, I pulled Nikita closer.

Her face nestled into my arms.

Fortunately, unlike Hanon, Bickamon has a good build.

Covering her like this meant my face wouldn’t be visible.

After all, Nikita would surely be disoriented from her encounter with the remnants of the Ice Dragon.

She wouldn’t recognize me in her confusion.

Maybe, because I pulled her in a bit too hard.

I felt Nikita tense slightly in my embrace.

Holding her like this made me realize how small she was.

This tiny body had been pushing herself this hard all alone.

But it wouldn’t be the same from now on.

Neither the remnants of the Ice Dragon that had devoured Nikita’s talent, nor the oppressive Cynthia Marquis would exist anymore.

“Senior Nikita.”

As I descended the stairs, I continued speaking.

“As I’ve always said, I admire you.”

There was a time when I too had worked hard.

I had toiled enough to be called a promising candidate.

Yet a single misstep led to my injury and subsequent retirement from sports.

Because I had put everything into sports, when that was gone, I was left with nothing.

That’s how I became engrossed in gaming.

And it was there I saw Nikita.

Nikita, who never wavered regardless of the circumstances, maintained her aspirations.

Watching her brought me unwarranted comfort.

No matter how others belittled her efforts, she always stood firm.

Even when her fate was set in a political marriage, making everything henceforth meaningless.

I found joy in watching her defiantly resist her fate.

But ultimately, Nikita could not defy her fate and met her end.

Every time I witnessed that, I swallowed my rage countless times.

But now.

At last, I could ensure she wouldn’t face the same fate.

“And it will be the same moving forward.”

No matter what path Nikita chooses to take.

I will respect and support her.

This is the repayment for the solace I found, watching her in-game.

“Outside, your brother is likely waiting for you, Nikita. I’m sorry for keeping it hidden until now.”

Today, I had reached out separately to Nia.

It was a promise made when I rescued Nia previously.

Given that this involved Nikita, he must have rushed over.

I wondered how Nikita would react upon seeing that Nia was alive.

This was something I couldn’t confirm.

Since Nikita was involved with the magic of the Ice Dragon, she couldn’t reveal herself to the world.

Nia would handle this part well enough.

“Didn’t you dislike a life spent in a political marriage, living unappreciated?”

I gently caressed Nikita’s head.

The lines from the bad ending, “Ice Dragon.”

Her cries echoed through me countless times.

“I hated my life, bound by the Cynthia Marquis, so easily thrown away.”

Now, she wouldn’t need to throw away that life.

“Let’s live freely from here on out, doing all we want.”

Before I knew it, my feet had reached the secret spot on the fifth floor.

Pushing against the thick stone with my body, a strange passageway appeared.

Watching this, I slowly pushed Nikita inside the passage.

This passage did not lead to the entrance of Magung but to another location.

I had asked Nia to wait there, so she would be waiting diligently.

This was goodbye to Nikita.

But as I opened my mouth to bid farewell,

Tap—

Nikita’s hand caught my arm.

Had she fully regained her consciousness in the meantime?

What kind of mental fortitude was that?

More than that, this would not do.

I still hadn’t organized the shield’s bandages.

“Junior, no.”

Nikita’s hand gripping my arm trembled.

“Bickamon.”

…Had I already been discovered?

I had no energy left for hiding.

As I forced a smile, Nikita looked up at me with pursed lips.

Her face seemed full of things she wanted to say.

But she appeared uncertain of where to begin.

Just like that, emotions swirled, and tears had welled up in her eyes.

“I always turned away from your feelings…”

I finally understood why Nikita was reacting this way.

Bickamon loved Nikita.

Nikita wasn’t ignorant of this either.

But she had no intention of accepting it.

After all, she was bound to a political marriage.

There was no room for her to foster any love.

Knowing this, Bickamon never confessed.

“Why would you go to such lengths for me…?”

As if everything I had shown was suddenly acknowledged, she poured out her emotions.

“It’s okay.”

Bickamon loving Nikita was indeed the truth.

Now I was Bickamon.

This couldn’t be denied.

“As long as Nikita is safe, that is enough.”

The fact that I could no longer call her ‘Senior’ was a disappointment, but.

“Nikita.”

I managed to give her a hearty smile.

“May you find happiness.”

A dismal end was not worthy of her resilience.

So, I loosened her hand and pushed her into the passageway.

“Bickamon, wait!”

It seemed like Nikita had one last thing to say, but I had no time to entertain it.

From afar, the monsters and apostles had taken notice of me and were approaching.

“No…!”

With Nikita’s last voice fading, she left through the passage.

Bam—

Eventually, the passage completely closed off.

I couldn’t exit through this passage.

If I did, I’d have no explanation for my disappearance from Magung.

Swaying, I rose to my feet.

Then, I hastily wrapped the shield’s bandages around myself.

Soon after, my appearance reverted to Hania’s.

I moved toward the stairs on the fourth floor, escaping the pursuing monsters.

The stairwell passage was safe from the monsters’ chase.

However, just as I stepped into the passage and began ascending the stairs, I lost my balance and completely fell.

Thud-

Gasping for breath, I collapsed to the ground.

Dammit, I’m really at my limit.

‘Just a little more.’

I thought of taking a slight rest.

As consciousness faded, I slowly closed my eyes.