Chapter 979 – Black Fallen

000

Through the dragon ring, Cleon draws the power of the earth dragon Gaios to replenish his magical power and then wields his sword against the golem.

It was decided to leave the giant golem to Cleon, and the other personnel needed to focus on preventing the remaining small golems from interfering with Cleon and Herti.

“You don’t give me time to rest…!”

Ben Tuna waved her hand even as she was panting, as her stamina, which was falling along with her magic, was slowly giving her strength.

Then, a gust of wind blew that seemed to have enlarged the trajectory of the hand’s swing, pushing away the small golems that had gathered close to Bourbon and throwing them into the wall.

“What can I do to rest?”

Good luck!

And, what gave strength to the wind was a fiercely burning flame.

The flame in the shape of a phoenix, which came out of Laila’s staff after drinking the potion to the point where her stomach was full, and she couldn’t even take another sip, flew on the wind and had a heat so high that even adamantite could be transformed. The goal was to tie the guys’ feet and cause them to trip and fall.

＂Thank you for your help☆＂

Lila narrows one eye as she says that thanks to Ventuna’s gusts, the flames were able to spread far away from her.

Then, Ben Tuna rubbed her hands with a cold expression and prepared for the next affair.

“That side seems to fit well together.”

＂…＂

Flammé said this while looking at her Melusine, and Melusine nodded her head close to Flammé.

The two people met for the first time today, and there was no significant contact, but in one part-

We understood each other well in just one aspect.

These two people are ‘wizards’ who are much more powerful than they appear on the outside.

That single common perception creates a simple yet clear ‘core of connection’ between the two people.

It was ‘respect’.

Just like swordsmanship and archery, in magic too, along with talent, ‘repeated training over time’ is considered important.

Being a powerful wizard proves that he had to train himself through research over a long period of time.

In other words, the level of perfection of the technique was achieved by spending so much time building up one’s own magic power and through painstaking effort.

It was to establish an equal relationship between the two people under the common denominator of being ‘magic users’.

＂It may be a little unpleasant for a young man like you to be with this old man, but… Can you help me?＂

“Gladly. To me, a fairy, the old and young of humans have no meaning. Maybe I’m older than you.”

Flamme smiled in response to Melusin’s answer, and then she nodded.

And, she will swing her staff at a little distance from her.

As he got older, it became difficult for Flamme to release magic power at a level that was hard on his body at once, but despite this, he has been with the magic power of the earth for a long time and has the skill and wisdom of a wizard that the younger two do not have. I did it.

He took something out of a pocket hanging on his belt.

On the outside, it looked like an earth-colored dumpling with nothing special about it.

It’s something that children make by clumping together mud and then hardening it to make it.

But when he threw it up into the sky and recited a spell-

＂Spread, rupture. A single layer that covers and surrounds. An area to solve.”

As per the order, the clay dumplings that floated in the air fell to the ground and exploded in a wide area.

It wasn’t anything special.

It is a simple method that simply injects earth magic into the soil, greatly increasing its mass and volume.

The scattered dirt covers a wide area and falls under the feet of walking golems.

But that alone is not enough to stop or capture other golems.

Literally, it’s just slightly hard soil.

What made it a little more useful was Melusine’s water magic.

As she swung her sword in the air as if she had been waiting, a stream of water floating in the air was created along its trajectory.

The water stream spreads out and pours down on the scattered soil.

The soil absorbed water and turned into mud that stuck together.

The sticky ground wraps around legs and feet made of adamantite.

However, even that is still not enough.

Although it was not as powerful as ‘thought’, the adamantite golems were somehow able to overcome the stickiness of the mud and were walking towards us.

“This is enough.”

However, Flamme said that she was satisfied.

Then, she used the stick she had swung towards her dango a little while ago, and this time tried to hit it on her ground.

“What the earth element symbolizes is ‘dryness’. At first glance, it may seem like the opposite of the ‘moisture’ brought by the ‘element of water’, but-“

Even if the earth changes its shape once it absorbs the moisture, it can quickly return to its original state.

The ground that had turned into mud is hardening.

And its strength was much stronger, even compared to the mud dumplings that Flammé had scattered at first.

The adamantites, unable to move their legs, struggle on the spot, making a squeak, squeak sound.

“At this rate, it will stay calm for a while.”

Flamme sighed lightly as she said that, and Melusin also nodded.

“I think we just need to repeat that a few more times.”

The place where her eyes were directed was a place where there were golems moving in another place.

＂Hehe.＂

Even Flammé couldn’t help but laugh.

“What. Even so…”

Nevertheless, the reason why Flamme did not make a weak voice was because, as an adult, she believed that she could not sit down first in order to protect the future of young people.

And at the same time-

＂Herti! I’ll step back! Hold on tight!”

Galatea’s voice resonates.

＂Yes, four!＂

It was because Cleon, who was somehow establishing a battle with that giant golem against the blind Herty, could not tell her to rest first.

Cleon wanted to share his vision with Herti, who was blind, like before, but if she shared her senses by connecting magic power in that way during the battle, there was a possibility that she would incorrectly measure the distance to the enemy.

As a result, the method chosen by Cleon was-

That is, borrowing Galatea’s power.

Galatea returned to human form and fought while holding Herti in her arms.

If she is carried on her back or hugged, she will not be able to play her instrument, so she will end up in a princess-like hug.

Cleon thought that supplementing Herti’s lack of mobility and vision through her was a better idea than she thought.

＂Do not disturb, human!＂

Boom! Cleon blocks the giant golem’s sword, which screams at him as it swings, with a slash strengthened by Gaius’ magic.

Tsk-! And when he thought the sound of metal clashing against metal echoed again, the shock that flowed through the handle shook his shoulders and spine, sending a sharp pain through Cleon’s body.

＂Ugh…!＂

It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

However, since I didn’t know what the impact would cause if I stepped back, I just blocked it with my own body.

I could see that magic power was being taken away in real time from the point I touched.

Even compared to other small-sized adamantite golems, the speed of absorption of the giant golem was so unimaginable that it was not possible to easily approach it and engage in sword and fist clashes.

Therefore, if you make a mistake, an attack becomes a self-destructive blow that cuts off your own flesh.

Remembering that the magical power that can be supplied from the dragon’s ring is not unlimited, Cleon uses his strength to push away the fist blocking him with a slash and steps back –

Aim for the moment when the fist, which Cleon has blocked and sufficiently weakened, lands on the fist with a ‘thud’.

＂Huh!＂

I jumped into the golem’s arms, and this time I swung the slash horizontally from this side.

＇3… 2… 1…!’

＂Now!＂

And, if Galatea voices her voice accordingly.

Hertie is Ji-ing! And she struck the instrument of ‘thought’ she was holding in her hand.

Literally 0.01 seconds before the slash touches the golem’s stomach.

It must be the same time that a sound is generated and reaches the body.

Then

Wow!

The slash of Gaios’ magical power – no, in this case, it was almost a blow.

And, a kind of double strike that occurs when the sound of the instrument arrives at the same time with a split second.

Yellow-brown lightning flashes, and the golem screams.

＂!!＂

The giant golem could see cracks forming on its body.

No, rather than saying there was a crack, it would be better to say that the bond between the adamantite lumps that were together was loosened, and a gap opened up.

＇Why…!＇

Obviously, the adamantites that make up this body are all egos that agree with his will and have a hatred for humanity.

True adamantites who do not follow the consensus of weak ‘thoughts’.

＇I would have created this body by gathering all that will…!＇

No, I could figure out the cause of the body’s collapse even without thinking too deeply.

That’s right, Herti.

She, with her power to communicate with the earth, must be the source of this shock.

＇As expected, the power that this person possesses… Is there a need to do something about it… ＇

The golem’s gaze was still directed at Herti, who was held in Galatea’s arms and holding the instrument with a nervous expression.

However, since Cleon was guarding Herti tightly, there was no way to approach her even if she wanted to.

And, the golem’s predictions were almost certainly not wrong.

Every time Herti plucks the instrument, the voices of friendly adamantites are heard to stop golems and other ‘adamantites hostile to humanity.’

I could see that the voices directed at Herti were mixed.

[If you are]

[We can send our voices further.]

[You make our voices louder.]

Thanks to this, ‘thoughts’ had a more powerful effect than when playing a musical instrument, but Herti did not know why something of this type was possible.

She couldn’t play a musical instrument, and that didn’t mean she could use magic.

Maybe – Cleon knows something.

Herti thought so, but to ask Cleon, he had to focus on the fight.

If you ask me, after this incident is over safely.

Thinking so, Herti did not stop moving his hands to help Cleon.

So, for a while, the attack and defense was repeated, with Cleon blocking, counterattacking, and at the same time, the sound of Herti’s strings being plucked exploded.

It may have been a natural result that Adamantite, who had almost no combat experience, could not easily defeat Cleon’s strategy, which had been through numerous turmoil so far.

However, the reason why there is no decisive blow despite this is that this is the home ground of the adamantites.

In the end, the problem was that the magic absorption that occurred every time Cleon’s sword made contact was slightly delaying the complete destruction of the golem.

Somehow, somehow once.

‘That guy.’

‘That human’

If only we could completely destroy it.

Cleon and Golem must have been thinking the same thing at the same time, looking at each other and being silent.

Cleon still thinks he has a slight advantage in the situation.

But he couldn’t relax.

＂Pfft…!＂

The next moment, a sharp pain flowed from Cleon’s hand.

If you glance down.

The amber jewel that was sparkling on the dragon’s ring blinked two or three times, and I could see that its light had decreased noticeably compared to before.

＇As expected, compared to other dragon jewels, magical power is consumed faster…! ＇

Cleon could guess the reason.

Other jewels – The jewels created so far from their horns were created using the horns of each dragon as a single material.

However, the horns of ‘Gaius’ are different.

A crystal of power created by retrieving her horn that she had left behind after she lost her life.

And, since most, not all, of the power was handed over to Herti, it cannot be helped that its quality is different from that of other dragon horns.

However, if Gaius’ magical power runs out, the ongoing standoff may not be able to be maintained.

Cleon felt anxious at such thoughts, took a deep breath and corrected the slash.

“If you don’t speed up a little more…”

The very moment Cleon muttered that.

The giant golem once again lowers Cleon and swings her fist.

It was the same simple attack as before.

After gathering strength, he catches the swung fist.

I don’t know how many times this will be my defense.

But-

With a loud clang, the arm that had been struck towards Cleon was separated.

＂–?!＂

To be precise, the thickness of the arm was reduced by half, and another arm appeared as if it was being torn away from the arm that was struck down.

＂What…!?＂

“You let your guard down, human…! I thought it would be after you got tired that I would attack you in a way that is impossible for you humans!”

She knew.

In the end, the difference in combat experience is an absolute difference that cannot be bridged within this short period of time.

So, rather than giving your all from the beginning, when the other person becomes anxious and has no time to spare-

And, he judged that this move would not work unless he was close to his physical limit.

Her fists struck in succession, this time toward an orbit where Cleon could not place her slashes.

＂-!!＂

It cannot be avoided.

The moment her arms became ‘three’, the attack had already penetrated as if blocking all of her escape routes.

Magical barrier-

No, defense using ‘magic power’ is not possible.

Because it will eventually be absorbed.

It was natural that that moment of hesitation would create a gap for Cleon.

Poop-!

＂Ugh…!＂

Adamantite’s fist finally hit Cleon’s arm, which was not holding her sword.

It seemed like a ‘cracking’ sound came from Cleon’s arm along with a strong shock.

＂Cleon!＂

As soon as Galatea screams, Caliburn hanging on Cleon’s waist will begin to glow and try to heal Cleon’s body.

The broken arm will be recovered by divine magic, even if it is slower than normal recovery magic.

The problem was that ‘Golem”s purpose was not to allow him to recover like that.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!

A hit using the ever-increasing number of arms.

Even if the attack power of each shot becomes weaker, if you continue to deliver clear effective hits to Cleon, it will ultimately lead to irreparable damage to Cleon, who has a soft human body.

Jiing!!

When Herti’s hand swung and a sound rang out, only then did the guy’s fist slow down slightly.

In the meantime, Galatea, who had put down Herti, could have jumped in and pushed Cleon away, helping him avoid the punch.

＂Cough…!＂

Cleon’s arms and shoulders, which had already been hit on half of his body several times, were no longer those of a person capable of fighting.

Nevertheless, the reason he didn’t lose his mind was probably because he had somehow raised his own durability to its limit with the dragon’s magic power.

Meanwhile, another colleague, who briefly took his gaze away from blocking the small golems, interrupted the giant golem, giving Cleon a chance to take a breather.

＂… Cleon are you okay!?＂

＂Ah… Somehow, I can still move…＂

“Don’t be stupid! How can you with a body like that…”

At Cleon’s words, Galatea lowered her voice as she truly thought he was going to collapse.

However, Cleon moved his still intact arm and placed his hand on Galatea’s head.

“… It’s okay… With this, one more time. I think I can do it.”

＂… What… No, no way.＂

Galatea, who can tell Cleon’s intentions even without talking to him, reads his thoughts and looks embarrassed for a moment.

Soon, he clamped his mouth shut and stood up, doing whatever he wanted-

Slash’s blade is directed to the wound and bleeding area, and Cleon’s blood is then placed there.

Creep, creak, creak… Giggle.

Slash drinks Cleon’s blood and becomes heavier and larger.

However, with a body like this, I wouldn’t be able to swing the slash properly.

“… Let’s go. Galatea.”

“You fool, let me be a little more prepared.”

While saying that, Galatea held Cleon’s ‘injured side’ hand.

Soon, her body was transformed into the original black long sword.

And – Cleon closes and opens his eyes, sharing his vision with Herti.

[Cleon. Are you okay!?]

When Herti’s voice enters his head, Cleon will nod his head.

Soon, his height grew higher and higher, and he was well above the height of an average adult male.

When Herti, who felt doubtful about that, asked a question, Cleon answered all of his plans.

And-

[It’s reckless!]

Naturally, Herti’s response was to stop him.

If he uses the method he used, Cleon in his current state will not be safe.

However, Cleon answers.

[I know. However, it cannot be delayed for long. So, just one chance… I’ll ask you a favor. Herty.]

As he said that, he stopped increasing his altitude.

Next moment.

“It’s the same! Humans, spirits, fairies! You can’t stop me with your magical power!”

The outstretched arms were put together again, and the giant golem struck the ground with its clasped arms.

Then, the adamantites rose once again, blowing away Flammé, Ventuna, Melusine, and Lyla at the same time.

＂I will absorb all of your magical power and use it to regenerate fallen comrades…! First, let’s start with the one who gets in the way!”

When the golem saw that the entity that was interfering with it had disappeared, it was about to rush at Herti.

When she couldn’t see Cleon, who she had to stop, she looked around.

And then-

＂!＂

There was a feeling of popularity above her, so she raised her head.

And, it was almost at the same time that something passed before his eyes, falling as if pulled by gravity.

‘Jiying’

Now I could hear the sound of a familiar instrument.

It’s like a falling comet.

The ‘Slash’ became so huge that even he couldn’t control it due to the infusion of blood, and the ‘Supermassive Slash’ that would not have been able to control its orbit without Galatea’s help.

[Super Heavy Sword – Heukrak]

A slash wrapped in black magic lands on the abdomen of the owner golem, who was looking up.

And- the sound reached there at the same time again.

＂—–＂

Whoa!

Except for the first loud sound, silence continued.

From the point where Cleon’s sword exploded, the golem’s body seemed to slowly begin to collapse.

However, the collapse stopped at the abdomen.

The abdomen opens up, and something falls out inside.

Shake it up!

The next moment, Cleon fell to the ground, catching ‘her’ who had fallen from his abdomen.

＂Kaaah!＂

And, as if time had stopped again, the giant golem screamed and writhed.

Many ‘ego-filled adamantites’, which can be said to be the core of one’s body, have lost their minds due to the blow from earlier.

Besides, besides-

＂Liberating your thoughts…! You guy!!”

The golem finally realized why Cleon had been attacking his ship from before.

It was an action based on the simple and clear thought that if you ate it, it would be in your stomach, but it was really there.

This is the ‘thought’ that she swallowed.

The clothes were more tattered than before, and a significant amount of magical energy had been lost, but the body itself still seemed fine.

＂…!＂

The moment the golem tried to take her thoughts by moving her arm again.

Galatea appeared again in human form, grabbed Cleon and her thoughts, and ran back to where Herti was.

＂Cleon is out of combat for a while.＂

And as she said that, she would leave her thoughts to Herty.

＂But, that golem guy, just a little bit further. … You know what I want to talk about, right?”

＂…＂

Herti heard everything about this operation from Cleon earlier.

But in reality, through Cleon’s vision, we realize once again that he does not only see beauty – there are countless times when he looks at death in battle but also jumps into it.

So.

Herti also nodded and stood up.

Although Cleon could no longer see with his eyes.

“Hey, wake up!”

And Galatea shook her from her thoughts and woke her up.

Then-

＂…＂

Even though no voice came out, my mouth was clenched, and all I could think about was opening my eyes and turning my head.

＂! !? ~~! !”

＂I have no idea what I’m saying because I lost my vocal magic… Anyway. Now, I’ll leave it to you to finish off the golem!”

Galatea said so, creating a small area of ​​dark magic surrounding Cleon and disappearing into it.

What is left in that place is what can move safely.

Now, it’s just Herty, ‘Thoughts’, and the giant golem.

＂… Mr. Thought.＂

And Herti called the name of thought.

“The sacrifice Cleon made to save you… Cannot be made up for, no matter how much gold or silver you pay.”

＂…＂

‘Thoughts’ could not say anything and nodded with its mouth closed.

The feeling of sorry was conveyed most to Herti.

“So… Let’s stop it! That’s the only way we can ‘benefit’ and that’s the best outcome!”

Herti says that and opens her closed eyes.

The eyes inside were brown.

Even though she couldn’t see anything in front of her, just moving her eyelids, which had been closed until now, could have been a big change for Herty.

It was an expression of her resolve to look a little deeper into the fragility of her reality with her eyes closed.

Not for anyone else.

He sacrificed himself for himself and for everyone, including himself.

For Cleon.