Chapter 613 – The Midget and the Extreme

000

An intersection of sharp air-cutting sounds.

Claws and swords that form a trajectory and swing.

And, the shock that resonated with the heavy collision, and the blood that jumped out.

If you think that the blade that penetrated the sharp flesh of the dragon succeeded in slicing through the skin, and at the same time, the sound of “Puouk!” Resounded.

The young man’s body, which floated up, received a strong force and flew backwards, pinning itself against the wall.

And, of course, the young man’s body fell from the wall and landed on the ground due to gravity.

Watching him like that, Gaios was silent and watched the young man spread on the ground with his eyes wide open.

As he hit the body of a dragon hundreds of times his own weight over and over again, his body was in tatters.

Right now, raking off part of the dragon’s forepaw was the first successful attack by Rakshasa.

I couldn’t tell where the wound had been on his head, but his blood flowed out and from his forehead to the bottom of his eyes, there was no place that wasn’t red.

Just because he was a rachal, he didn’t want to die.

He wanted to survive. When he dies, everything he has done with his brother to survive will be gone.

So, I had to stand up.

However, the body does not move like the mind.

For humans facing dragons, the scariest thing is neither the dragon’s overwhelming body nor its unimaginable magic.

Just by having a transcendent being, a dragon, far beyond human common sense, right in front of one’s eyes.

The human heart rustles and breaks, like a thin branch hanging from a dried and twisted tree.

──Although, the story of a hero who won against a dragon, which I had heard of before, naturally came to my mind.

This was a story that transcended that dimension.

During the two years she spent in Asteris away from her brother, Rachal has been refining her swordsmanship, which had been a mess in the past.

Instead of a sword that secretly cuts someone, it was to become a sword that could fight with people behind it.

That was the most basic thing Nayuta had to do as her escort.

As she learned the sword, she was taught by many.

He was able to participate in the training of the soldiers of the palace, and the knights who passed by and heard the temple.

Not only them – if you say a teacher, literally, the dragon that has now risen in front of him – Gaios was also a teacher to the rakshals.

From her, she learned not only swordsmanship, but also what kind of heart she should have when she has to protect her precious people.

After receiving her teaching, she felt stronger when she was with someone than when she was fighting alone.

[Now you know. More than remaining enemies in front of me. That you can’t stand in front of me.]

Contrary to the raging battle, the voice of Gaius resounded in silence.

Rachal recalls that her own breathing has stopped for a moment, and she vomits the blood that filled her respiratory tract onto her ground.

Literally, she raises her body to stagger, thinking for a second that she may have died in the agony.

Did she feel herself growing stronger?

What a simple, foolish, and short thought.

In just two years, she had only swung her sword in her peaceful daily life. Even if she herself became stronger, how much stronger did she become?

He himself was nothing compared to that dragon.

There was such a huge gap between the two that I wondered if Nayuta even needed an escort called herself.

It kept saying ‘run away’ and ‘we can’t win’ as his whole body screamed in pain.

But whenever her shoulder throbbed, she had the confidence to turn her head away from those screams.

The will still remains.

However, the only thing left intact from his body now was an adamantite sword that was no different from an unbreakable toothpick.

Although he had absurd durability to the extent that I thought I could understand why Gaios was called dangerous.

After all, if the one who wields it is himself, it is impossible for him to win against Gaius, and Rakshaka felt desperately.

Ugijeok, Ugijeok… A rachal who somehow wakes up on the spot.

Then, using his sword as a staff, he stood up from the ground and raised his head towards Gaios.

That face—that expression, as in the beginning, showed no hostility towards Gaios.

How could I hate her?

How can I blame her, her, her for hating herself.

Because she knew better than anyone else that she was to blame for creating this situation—her own betraying her for her brother.

[——Kuh!]

However, as if he couldn’t bear to see Rakshasa’s pathetic expression any longer, Gaios raised his voice.

After the light covers the space in an instant, she returns to her usual familiar form and approaches the rakshasa.

With every step she took, she was furious, to the point that the ground split open.

And finally, when she came close enough to touch her face, she stretched out her hand and grabbed Raksha by the collar.

“You are!!! If you’re going to make a face like that, don’t hold a sword!!”

A roar filled with so much that it could not be defeated even compared to the dragon’s roar resounded inside the mine.

At the sudden shout, even the dying Rakshaa opened his eyes wide and looked at Gaios who grabbed his collar.

“That’s clumsy! To serve someone or to betray someone! What the hell is the point of holding the sword with such a clumsy mind! Aren’t you thinking about Nayuta, who would be sad if even a guy like you died!”

Forbidden to get involved with her humans, she was furious for the girl she could call her own friend.

“Guy, Sir Os…”

Alas, everything is as she said.

There is no cause, no justification, no atrocities or martial arts.

A person who is unable to carry out benevolence and wisdom, and who simply follows someone and cannot be either.

That was himself.

One day, Nayuta, who gave him something about her name, Nachal, told me about it.

Nachal is originally a name for one of the evil spirits, and it is said that it was originally born to prey on people.

‘Did she give herself that name…’

She probably wouldn’t have expressed her feelings in front of Nayuta, but maybe she saw through her own true nature. She did and she couldn’t help but think.

For a young man who was originally a thief, she couldn’t have known a better title than that.

However, Nayuta continued talking.

Raksal said that when she met someone who loved her, she repented of her sins and was reborn as a guardian deity to protect her humans, and she began to atone for her sins.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of person Rachal was originally. The important thing is what and how you want to do now. Because Nachal is the one who protects me. Just like the name ‘Rachal’ – I hope you have the courage to change yourself.”

At that time, Nachal did not quite know why she was talking about it.

She thought she had already changed enough thanks to her.

—After all, now that I think about it, she was really looking at Rakshasa well.

For him, compared to two years ago, nothing had changed.

It’s just that she was showing a slightly changed mood—condescendingly.

Inside him, his brother’s orders were still absolute, and to go against his brother was to destroy the bond he had built up to-

He spent his time as a human lending his hand in doing something that anyone could see as evil.

[No, wrong. It is not so. You have changed However, that will is just being distorted.]

As the continuing denial of myself lingered in my head, someone’s voice came into my head.

That voice, which was neither Nayuta nor Gaius’s, was somewhat gentle, but a little harsh.

“Ugh…! Guess…!”

The next moment, Rakshala clutched her head with an intense headache as if she was grinding her own head with a strong millstone.

Gaios must have been quite embarrassed.

Raksha, who was covered in blood in front of her, grabs her head while being grabbed by the collar and starts to struggle with her.

It’s not just to get out of yourself, it’s something-

Gaius sensed the flow of magical energy felt in his body and judged that something inside him was growing pains in order to shed his skin and shed his skin.

“—No way, a demonic sword?”

Thinking so, Gaius must have been at a crossroads of choice for a while.

If, even after Rakshasa awakens to the demonic sword, he continues to be hostile to himself, defeating him may become more difficult than it is now.

Of course, even if that was the case, I didn’t think that Gaius himself would be defeated, but even so.

It was also his true intention that he did not want to further shock the mine.

However, if Rakshaka’s current state is right because of ‘that’ he thinks he is.

He thought that by awakening the demonic sword, the situation could definitely improve a little.

That’s why, at that time when I was in deep trouble because I couldn’t finish the completely defenseless Rakshasa-

Fu-wook!

And, a sharp metal pierced Gaius’ back toward the ship and protruded.

There was no sign- not even a little bit.

But, if he hadn’t been troubled by the state of Rakshaka, he couldn’t have gone unnoticed by the presence.

“You…”

“I’m glad you returned to your human form. Mr. Dragon. Even so, in dragon form, it’s hard to neutralize just stabbing from behind like this…”

While smirking, he pulled out the bladed sword stuck in Gaios, and he was a member of the Dark Demon clan, who seemed to have the same face and voice like that of Rakshasa.

From there, Gaius must have noticed that he was more important blood relative to Rakshasa than Nayuta.

However, the important thing does not end there – his eyes – what burns beyond those jet-black pupils is the ‘hatred for the false world’ that has been passed down from generation to generation.

“I… Was born…”

As soon as Gaios was about to say that, Raksha’s brother drew his sword and kicked Gaios down.

“Even if it’s a dragon, if it’s pierced through the middle of its body, it won’t be able to move for a while. Oh, of course I don’t think I can kill it.”

He said so, and as he fell to the ground, clutching his head, he looked down at his suffering twin brother, Raksha.

“Poor Rachal… I gave my strength like this for his brother, but if this brother had come a little later, you would have been killed by this lizard. But don’t worry. I will save you now.”

“Wait…!”

As he approached him to carry Rakshasa, Gaios, who had fallen to the ground, stretched out his arms and tried to grab Rakshasa’s brother by the ankle.

“Can you move in that state? Amazing After all, a dragon is a dragon.”

However, her body did not move as she wanted because it was not a simple demonic sword that pierced her body—it was a guy with powerful miasma.

After all, before reaching Raksha’s brother, he swishes his feet as if teasing.

For the first time, Gaios experienced something called ‘fainting’ and passed out on the spot.

But-

When he thought he heard the sound of the ground shaking, the ground covered Gaios’ body as if it were alive.

“Oh- indeed. Even if you faint, you’re saying you won’t get hurt. Well, I have no intention of killing you right now.”

He laughs, covering his mouth, and carries his bloody younger brother on his back as he intended.

Then, after moving his gaze as if looking around the mine, he left the place with a fishy smile.

001

When Rachal opened his eyes again, the shabby ceiling greeted him.

Looking around, the unsanitary, shabby ruins of an old castle.

Even in the ruins, it was the largest room, but now it was just an abandoned space.

Even in a land devastated by war, there were rumors that the ghosts of the royal family appeared in this dreary place, so people did not even come close.

The headache that squeezed his head was gone.

When he raised his hand, it was bandaged, indicating that someone had tended to his wounds.

And, as the memories slowly began to return, he suddenly raised his upper body.

“I am alive…”

“Oh, yes, he is alive.”

If he muttered, he wasn’t the only one in the room.

His brother was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, facing his brother with his smiling face.

“Brother…”

“I think you are in danger. I went to save him, but he was beaten by a dragon. Haha. I’m glad I was able to save it.”

After hearing him talk casually, the rachal put his hand on his forehead and bowed his head.

“…I see. Brother, me…”

“Okay. You gave so much strength even to the point of betraying the ‘Dragon’ and the ‘Daemu-nyeo’, but if you throw that away, wouldn’t they be brothers?”

“…”

Was his comment sarcastic, or was it an admirable compliment?

Rakshasa, who decided to stop thinking in detail, turned his head to his older brother.

“Sorry, bro. Adamantite could not be obtained.”

“Ah?”

At his words, his brother looked at Raksha as if he was saying something.

“Gaios-sama… Ah, no, as long as Gaios is the strongest guardian, it will be difficult to find metal there. Besides… Now that I’ve escaped like this, the guards must be stronger…”

“Ah. What were you worried about?”

Contrary to what Raksha had expected, Raksha’s brother smiled and talked to him.

“I have nothing to be sorry about. Just because you’re safe is enough.”

“…Brother.”

2 years ago, when he had his chest pierced by him, until now.

A little resentment lingered in him, but it seemed to disappear as he heard his sweet voice.

Right after that, until I heard him talking.

“—And. It’s not like I couldn’t find adamantite.”

“What?”

Raksha’s brother said so, and he took something out of his bosom and placed it on the worn-out desk.

It was something that looked like a firecracker, wrapped in a bamboo shell with a rope.

The size wasn’t that big, because it was big enough to be thrown by hand.

“…This?”

“It’s a bomb. It’s made of adamantite. Inside this bamboo, there are gunpowder and a lot of fragments made by melting adamantite. It was built using facilities that remained in these ruins. The furnace and the anvil can be used with a bit of tweaking.”

At the story of such a brother who speaks as if it is a heartbreaking thing, Nachal looks at him with a blank expression.

“…Where’s the adamantite?”

“Didn’t you pick up a piece from the mine and put it in your pocket?”

After hearing the story, Rachal kept his mouth shut for a while, then remembered that he certainly felt that way.

“Ah, of course. That alone wasn’t enough, so I used your sword as well.”

“…My sword?”

Nachal’s brother nodded his head as if it were natural.

“Yeah, isn’t that sword you got to use as an escort for the priestess? Now that I’m back with the thieves, I don’t need it.”

“──…”

Obviously, what he says is right.

Since he fled before Gaius, he cannot return with the escort of the High Priestess.

That sword was something that was too much for him.

If his brother helped, that’s okay.

Obviously, it will…

For some reason, breathing was difficult, as if a heavy stone was being placed on top of his chest.

My shoulder hurt.

Seeing Raksha who was unconsciously breathing heavily, his brother got up from his seat and approached him, placing his hand on top of the raksha who was rubbing his shoulder.

“You look so hard on yourself. Looks like the injuries are still there. Come over here, I’ll show you something more fun.”

Saying so, the brother helped Rakshasa and approached the window of the room that was collapsing.

And, if you open it – the wilderness that became a battlefield will be spread under the castle.

It was the place where they grew up, so they remembered that much.

However, there were only craters that were huge enough to cover the wilderness.

No signs of battle, no graves of abandoned equipment and corpses.

There was nothing left, only a few pits scattered about.

“This is the result of testing after making the adamantite bomb. Although it is now extinguished, it spreads adamantite shards in all directions while creating intense flames. Then, when those fragments explode again, it’s a ruthless guy who does massive damage over a wide area.”

Somewhere, at the words of the brother who seemed to introduce a toy, Rachal turned to such a brother.

“I hope you get well soon, Rachal. After you recover, take this and go to Asteris!”

As if singing about a hopeful future ahead, the brothers exclaim with voices full of expectations that have never been seen before.

“And… Let’s go and burn the sacred tree and Asteris… The two of us! It will complete, our revenge!”