When humans witness the existence of a dragon, their reactions are never varied. They tremble in fear, submit, or outright give up on life. What feelings arise when facing a being from mythology? Even if it’s a long-awaited entity for revenge, the deep-seated fear in their hearts cannot be ignored.
Dragon.
The being they had long waited for. Why does the resolve to strike fade momentarily when face-to-face?
Is it that it defies common sense, radiating an unimaginable intimidation with just a gaze? They grit their teeth. It’s merely a dragon, after all.
Nothing has changed; it’s still a dire situation. They can only soothe their own heart.
Krooo—
The dragon, with wings fully spread, turned its gaze back to me. The arrogance reflected in its eyes was something I could understand. Just by flying, it could make mountains disappear, and its breath could incinerate an entire nation. That’s what a Dead Dragon must be.
They gripped the sword. Hiding the fearful heart, only the gathered magic power would fill the void. They must not waver. With the singular desire to strike, they had to face the dragon. Turning doubts into conviction, with the resolve to end the hundred moments of waiting.
They would not back down. Advancing forward, they gripped the sword fiercely. They sliced through the wind pressure created by the dragon’s flaps and faced the shadow covering the entire imperial palace. Could they do it? Such doubts were to be set aside. They had to do it.
Thinking back, today was…
A day they always met their end.
#
Perhaps it could look like a grand ensemble. Each had their reasons for fighting, but in the eyes of those battling against a common enemy, there was a shared solemnity. Some fought to protect the imperial palace they had lived in their whole lives; others to protect loved ones.
They merely wanted to shatter what seemed to be this eternal cycle, yet to those who had reached this point, their purpose seemed less significant. Miragen stared blankly as the proud imperial palace, boasting a thousand years of history, burned.
Watching me fight the dragon, she seemed to have many words to say but couldn’t utter a single one due to her concern over the approaching demons toward the soldiers.
Flames blazed, and the buildings became ash, swirling with the wind. Just for a moment, the word “end” must have crossed everyone’s mind. The moon set, and the sun rose, holding the heat of the day while blocking the moon.
Eclipse. Surely, the moment the Dead Dragon aimed for was this.
They were shaken. All who had come this far looked at the Dead Dragon, once again filled with fear. Even Adele, who never wavered in believing they could win, Adrian, too. Even Miragen seemed to struggle to hide her feelings this moment.
“Standing like that must be tough; how about slowly giving up?”
“…Ha.”
Breath was heavy. The most they could do was to aim for a few wing joints, and they couldn’t promise that would turn the tide. After all, attempting to take down a dragon with just a few swords might have been too ambitious. Knowing that, they charged in, but it was even harder than they had expected, causing a laugh to escape them.
There was none. After all, trying to catch a dragon with just a few swords might have been an impossible task. Despite knowing that, I charged in, but it was harder than I thought, and a bitter laugh escaped me.
As I chuckled, the dragon simply watched me. Reflecting my image in its eye, which was about the size of a regular person’s, was quite a peculiar experience. How amusing it must be for something as small as an eye to challenge it; just imagining the dragon’s feelings sent a chill down my spine, making the sword in my hand tremble.
So, can I catch it?
The distance was close. However, the damage inflicted so far was minimal. The power I gained in the imaginary world and the sword I had made were inadequate. The sword given to me by Miragen couldn’t withstand any more magic power than this. No matter how infinite my time was, the sword I had gathered wasn’t nearly enough to reach the dragon…
I held my throbbing head and stared at the ground.
In my mind, I calculated the next actions and the sounds that reached my ears. If I stayed still like this, what would happen next? I closed my eyes, thinking about it. Just for a moment, it should be fine; the people who came with me.
I believed it would be enough for them to endure that moment.
Numerous sounds reached me. The screams of soldiers dying while fighting demons, the voices of the believers weeping as they listened.
“… I don’t know how long I can stall. At this rate, I won’t last an hour.”
“We have to catch the dead dragon. But—”
I briefly chuckled at Adrian’s hesitant voice, then snickered upon hearing Adele’s running footsteps again. It suited her personality better to run than to talk. What had I changed? What had I changed in the life I had lived until now?
In my crumbling, shattered mind, I once again pondered what hope meant. The boy who couldn’t escape the swamp named despair experienced change for the first time in countless repeated lives. Those who tormented me no longer existed. Teresa and Yuria.
I recalled that they were now meaningless beings to me. The things I had built up, the reason why those who should have originally died were still alive here. Wasn’t that the result of all the effort I had put in? The emotions I felt now were distant from emptiness or complaints… Strangely, I felt good, and quietly rose my body while gripping the sword again.
My knees, reaching their limit, creaked painfully. My body, covered in wounds and burnt bits of clothing, faced the dragon once more. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t understand why the initial intimidation had completely vanished.
…Maybe it was because my body had broken down to the point where I couldn’t feel that intimidation anymore.
Life is a cycle. The death and life of someone are connected like threads, woven together like knots; if one person revives, another must die. Did I kill someone to save everyone? By killing this dead dragon, am I moving towards the process of saving someone once again?
“It doesn’t matter.”
I’ll try to live a little selfishly. Saving everyone is something only heroes might say, and I’m not that grand nor do I have such lofty aspirations. Just, if the people I cherish are alive, that’s enough. If I can save them with my strength, and if I can protect them.
“Isn’t it a bit much? As long as the people I care about are alive, that’s enough for me. If I can bring them back and protect them, that’s all that matters.
Isn’t that sufficient?
How many lives have I lived with ambition? I can’t even remember anymore the heart I first held in the past, vowing to protect them. After realizing that feeling was a lie, I wandered, but in the end, here I am.
Facing the dead dragon, I stand before it, gripping my sword. If this isn’t an opportunity, then what is? What I hold in my hand is not just a sword, but an opportunity. A key to surpass the past that always ended today, to see tomorrow.
All that remains is a single swing.
“Are you trying to give up?”
“No, not at all.”
There was always a peak I dreamed of reaching. Even if it seemed like a delusion, I would think to myself—if only I could do this, I wouldn’t have any worries. From my muddled mind, a thrilling sensation reignited the past’s delusions.
Residual thought.
What am I doing right now? I’m about to strike the thing in front of me. Who? The answer is probably a dragon. What I hold is a sword, and the reason swords exist is to cut something.
…Is that enough?
A breeze suddenly blew, pleasantly swirling around my surroundings. It smelled nice despite the lack of flowers. The wind, which should feel hot with flames, felt simply cool. Even if it’s probably an illusion, it felt real. My body felt strangely light, and I sensed I could do anything.
Thus, I dove deeper into my residual thoughts.
Swish—
The sword infused with magic had long since shattered under the strain. The unbreakable sword could not be tested against limits simply because it existed. It’s safe to say that no sword remains that can withstand my power.
Of course, I haven’t given up.
“The sword is a sword.”
Why does it exist as a sword? It’s merely a tool to cut. Being sharp and pointed just makes it more helpful. Is a sword truly necessary for something to be ‘cut’? No, there’s no need to decide that.
It felt like something obstructed was finally breaking free. A powerful energy radiating from my heart spilled out toward the sky. I wasn’t the only one who felt that something was different this time. For sure, a much clearer line appeared.
In a colorless world, the sword’s handle did not stop falling downward in the black-and-white space. There was no blade. It was broken from the start.
However, anyone who gripped the sword, anyone who reached its end—yes, anyone called a sword master.
Shouldn’t they be able to cut even with a tree branch? I cut, and the one flame igniting from that single thought burned like a tidal wave. It crossed the space, cutting through the wind and moving straight ahead. The heat crashing toward my body was felt briefly.
“─────!”
Is that a voice calling me? In my dazed vision, I felt nothing. Didn’t I say? I poured everything I had, only to find it was just colorless. I swing the sword forward, just like the first time I tried to mimic a knight’s actions. So, just. Slowly.”
“It’s just colorless.” He swung the sword forward, like when he first tried to imitate a knight’s movements. Just like that, slowly.
The only thing clear was the sword cutting through the air.
Everyone on that battlefield witnessed the dragon fall. They stared blankly as Robert Taylor’s blade sliced through the sky, cleaving that monstrous beast in two, its expression frozen in sheer horror.
Yet, no one cheered. With so much broken, there was no room for celebration. Those who looked at the full moon rising beyond the cracked sky stood in silence for a moment, then glanced at the dead dragon, now split in half, before simply collapsing to the ground.
There was no strength left to rejoice. The moment the dead dragon vanished, the demon had dispersed too, leading Adrian to suspect that the bond tied to their souls had been severed.
“Probably, when the dead dragon disappears, everyone goes too. I suppose it’s a contract bound to his soul, just as he said.”
“In that case…”
Adele slowly made her way toward the fallen Robert. Despite looking like he might collapse at any moment, she couldn’t just leave him like that. After all, she planned to take him north anyway. Given the state of the capital, it was likely that others would also need to stay in the north for a while.
‘With the princess and the saint in the north… well, I suppose it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to call it a capital.’
Relieved to see he hadn’t lost his breath, Adele frowned at the sight of his blood-soaked body. She wished he hadn’t pushed himself so hard—fighting to the point of draining all his magic power.
“You’ve caused me endless worry, you know. It’s always been like this…”
Searching for the reason he cried, it was Robert. Looking for the reason he got hurt, it was also Robert. Though she always thought she had no connection to men, she finally realized that throughout most of her life, she had been tied to Robert in various ways. Gently stroking the cheek of the unconscious Robert, Adele smiled wryly.
It’s all over now.
The life Robert feared would end today is no more. With the shimmering full moon shining so vividly, there was no longer a need to harbor worries like that.
…Now. It’s all over.
“Good job, Robert.”
The life of a man always filled with bad endings and tragedy has finally been salvaged—by himself.
With a soft kiss on his forehead, Adele wore an unexpectedly gentle smile. It was cool like the wind blowing, as if a favorable breeze had finally come.
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