Chapter: 351
“I’ll start with magic and end it with magic. Just buy us time between the magic for everyone else.”
When the plan to defeat the Witch of Gluttony was first established, my initial thought was that it was good news.
Deciding to settle the matter with magic meant that I wouldn’t have to rely on my new powers to deal with the Witch of Gluttony.
I couldn’t help but think that way.
My newly awakened ability to burn Miasma is powerful, but it’s like a double-edged sword that comes with significant risks.
Even I, who wanted to keep information about my abilities hidden as much as possible, had to admit that using it would consume a lot of my energy, making it hard to use recklessly.
Therefore, I thought even if my abilities would prove effective against the Witch of Gluttony, I’d prefer not to take the front line if possible.
If we could defeat the Witch of Gluttony according to plan, it would be the best outcome.
“Everything is going according to plan! If we keep this up, we can win!”
But at that moment, even as I pressed the Witch of Gluttony hard on the battlefield, I couldn’t shake off the hint of anxiety lurking in my heart.
It was because my opponent wasn’t just any creature; it was ‘that’ Witch of Gluttony.
Although back then it was merely text, so much had changed since then—
Still, I had witnessed the despair that Yoon Si-woo and Sylvia experienced, no matter how hard they tried, against an enemy they couldn’t even touch, and I had seen the end of a whole world they could not escape from.
That’s why even when everyone was filled with hope that they could defeat the Witch of Gluttony, I couldn’t shake off the anxiety that she wouldn’t be so easy to take down.
“That damned witch dares to use the teacher’s powers…!!!”
And unfortunately for us, that anxiety turned into reality.
In a moment everyone thought they had the witch cornered, the Witch of Gluttony used abilities that had never been seen before, turning the tables on the unfavorable situation.
“Damn it, they’re coming!! Block them first!!”
“If you don’t want to die, pull yourself together!!!”
Appearing to use Ms. Eve’s abilities, the black liquid belched from the witch gave rise to countless armies of illusions.
As a result, the previously superior force suffered a significant swing in numbers, causing people to panic and fall into confusion.
But as that chaotic situation arose, I felt a strange calm settling in my heart.
My previously wavering mind had solidified in one direction.
Not long ago, I had received advice from an unquenchable flame.
It warned that if I continued to burn myself, I too would eventually go out.
To that advice, I had replied like this.
That’s what I wanted.
I didn’t care if it meant consuming myself; as long as I could protect everyone in the end, it didn’t matter.
From that moment on, I prepared myself for the possibility that the day would come when I would have to do just that.
And just now, I felt it.
The moment I had been preparing for was now.
“……It’s now.”
It was indeed now.
As I made my decision, my trembling vanished.
There was no place for hesitation in my heart, which was already prepared to burn everything.
Had I noticed the change in my own heart?
“Scarlet.”
Yoon Si-woo, who was fighting alongside me to protect everyone, asked me.
“You’re planning something, aren’t you?”
When I nodded, he said without asking further.
“If you’re going to do it, let’s do it together. I’ll help you.”
Hearing his promise to help, I replied,
“Fool, it’s the opposite. I’m the one helping you.”
“Alright, I got it. I’ll leave it to you guys. Please help.”
Thus, Yoon Si-woo and I requested a change in strategy from Commander Martina, and she granted our request.
By handing over the Sacred Remnants she had set aside for the second meteor, Commander Martina and the mage corps were freed from the constraints of magical preparation.
“With this, we don’t have to see our allies dying to protect us anymore!! Mage Corps! Do what you do best!! Crush the enemies!!”
“All-out attack!!!”
At Martina’s command, the mages, who had to stand by watching our allies die, unleashed their frustration and bombarded spells on the enemies attacking our allies.
Boom—
The sound of an explosion resounded.
Though far from the power of a meteor, the combined spell attacks of numerous mages were strong enough to blow away the clusters of enemies gathered before our allies.
“Ma, magic?!”
“What? Wasn’t the plan that the mages couldn’t fight?!”
The magic blew away the enemies, creating a temporary lull in the battle, during which the voices of the heroes fighting on the front line could be heard in their disarray.
From their perspective, it was understandable to be confused.
According to the original plan, mage support shouldn’t have been part of the equation.
Surrounded by confusion and disbelief, the eyes of the heroes turned toward the mages’ position, and Martina’s magically amplified voice flew toward those bewildered heroes.
“Things didn’t go as expected! Therefore, we’re changing the plan!!”
Having announced the change in strategy, she pointed to Yoon Si-woo and me and shouted.
“The new plan is a special attack! These two will take down the Witch of Gluttony! Therefore, the rest of you will create a pathway for them to reach the witch!!”
At her shout, the gazes of countless people turned toward the two of us.
“Now you’re changing the plan…? Is that okay?”
“More importantly, can you really take down that monster with just the two of you…?”
Amidst those gazes lay anxiety and distrust.
It was natural for people to feel uneasy about an unanticipated change in plan.
And given how strong the enemy was, it was inevitable they would struggle to trust us.
But despite those doubtful gazes, someone stepped up.
“…Yoon Si-woo.”
It was Yoon Si-woo.
He didn’t say a word to the uncertain and distrustful people.
“…A beam of light to illuminate the thick darkness.”
After stepping forward, he merely whispered.
He grabbed his sword glowing with golden brilliance, swung it wide toward the enemies.
Flash—
The golden light swept across the ground, creating a clear pathway through the ranks of enemies blocking the way to the witch.
Following the path Yoon Si-woo made, he moved silently forward.
His actions, his back,
at times could serve as better answers than any phrase.
As the people followed the back of Yoon Si-woo, one by one, I could see their anxiety and distrust washing away.
If a hero from a story came to life, they must look like that.
As I followed Yoon Si-woo’s back, I thought that.
“Let’s go!!”
“We’re gonna help Yoon Si-woo and Scarlet!!”
A group of people quickly jumped out to follow us.
Seeing their faces, Yoon Si-woo and I couldn’t help but feel both surprised and amused.
“You guys….”
The ones who rushed out were the students we had taken classes with at the Academy.
They were the youngest among the gathered heroes.
While a few of the stronger ones were in their ranks, overall, they belonged to the weaker tier. The reason they were the first to leap forward was simple.
“We’re not going to leave everything to you!!”
“That’s right…!! Our friends need help, we can’t just stand by!!”
The sole reason they had stepped forward, trembling, was they saw their friends in need.
Thus, they rushed out to help us, even though they were still anxious and scared, faster than any of the other heroes.
“Gah, these kids are strong…!!”
“Everyone, don’t overdo it!! If it feels too much, fight together!!”
Those wanting to help us started to engage the enemies that began to surround us one by one.
Among them were Dwight, wielding his dazzling talent, spreading magic and slaughtering foes;
and Florene, who was holding her own against a giant targeting the children in a one-on-one tussle.
Even Marin, who realized that binding the witch’s feet was pointless, swiftly charged to freeze the beasts.
While some were particularly strong kids, most of them fell short compared to the usual heroes.
Yet, seeing those children courageously fight on,
“…You brats!! Are you not embarrassed being adults? Even the kids are fighting believing in those two!!”
“Right!! We can’t lose either! Let’s go! Clear the path!!”
Seeing that motivated many of the heroes observing.
All the heroes, united in heart and spirit, leaped into the battlefield.
Though our numbers were still dwindling,
the morale of the heroes, who gained courage and became one, surged much higher than before.
The effect of that heightened morale manifested immediately on the battlefield.
“Either break through or it’s over!! Attack!!”
“Push forward!!!!”
They weren’t pushed back.
No, instead, they pushed onwards.
The attacks of the heroes, who began pouring their strength into the fight, started to dismantle the walls formed by the enemy ranks.
Among them, the brilliant works of commanders like Martina and Lucas stood out.
With a single spell or strike wiping out dozens or hundreds of enemies, thanks to the reliable allies, Yoon Si-woo and I could inch closer to the witch without doing much.
But such asymmetrical power wasn’t on our side alone.
Krrraaahhhhhh!!!
“Is that, could it be?!!”
“Is that a breath…!! We need to stop it!!!”
The dragon soaring in the sky began to fill its mouth with flames while letting out a massive roar.
The ominous sign was clear.
As if to stop the attack preparation, Martina hurriedly fired a massive fireball spell toward the dragon.
“Ugh, and it’s still standing?!”
However, despite being hit directly by the spell, the dragon took only a small hit, sparked a breath, and continued gathering its strength.
I had read about it in books before.
Dragon scales are harder than steel, and their breath can melt even mountains.
They were considered the most powerful beings on the ground until the witch appeared.
And just when that breath, capable of melting mountains, was about to be unleashed upon the heroes, I glanced at the dragon and smirked.
“…Quick one, that guy.”
Because before I knew it, Yoon Si-woo had leaped onto the dragon’s head with his sword held high, just as he had when facing Beatrice.
The dragon’s eyes turned toward Yoon Si-woo, who had suddenly appeared beside it.
I could see a glimmer of mockery in those eyes.
It probably believed in its scales, said to be harder than steel.
But there was something that dragon didn’t know.
I murmured toward the oblivious dragon.
What? They say dragons were the strongest species until the witch appeared?
“…That guy was almost able to beat that witch on his own.”
In the next moment, Yoon Si-woo’s sword, stained black, severed the dragon’s head from its body.
“…Whoa.”
“…Are you insane?”
Dragon Slay.
In days gone by, such a feat would have earned its wielder the title of protagonist in a storybook, yet here it was executed so easily. The surrounding heroes stared in astonishment at Yoon Si-woo, who landed gracefully.
Though the heroes admired, Yoon Si-woo remained indifferent as if these feats were nothing to him.
As if to reassure them that they entrusted their future to a person so strong he could do this with ease.
“Honestly, what a reliable guy…”
“If I were a woman, I would’ve confessed just now…”
As people buzzed with excitement at Yoon Si-woo’s display,
“Crap…”
“Is this for real…”
A look of shock dawned on everyone’s faces.
Because soon, dragons similar to the one Yoon Si-woo had just defeated began to spawn, preparing yet again to unleash their breath.
Seeing those newly spawned dragons, Yoon Si-woo gripped his sword again.
“Yoon Si-woo, put the sword away.”
I said, reaching out to stop his wrist as he prepared to face the dragons.
Yoon Si-woo looked at me with an expression that clearly questioned who would take them down if he didn’t step up.
“I told you before. I’m the one helping you.”
Saying that, I turned my gaze toward the dragons overhead, preparing to unleash their breath.
Though they appeared black, they felt so realistic they could easily pass for living creatures.
That meant they had some resistance even against Sylvia’s powers,
“…But in the end, those things are made of Miasma.”
As I said that, flames ignited in my hand.
The flames, amplified by the power of the Sacred Remnants, blazed fiercely, more intensely than usual.
Those flames soared up to the sky and—
Krrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhh──!!!
The moment they engulfed the dragons, they began plummeting with screeches.
My ability to burn even the power to resist Beatrice’s interference wouldn’t be able to spare those illusions made from Miasma.
Muttering that internally, I turned to Yoon Si-woo, whose eyes were wide in surprise, and said,
“Follow me. I’ll deal with the underlings.”
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.