Crossroad of the Past and Future-Facing the Future

Titan was the last remaining battlefield, as well as the wildest. The clash between absolute beings, the battle between two dragons and humans fighting desperately to save their homeland.

''FIRE , KEEP FIRING''

The screams of the soldiers echoed through the battlefield. As if they did not have their hands full while pushing the dragons away, Countless demons had escaped the abyss thanks to Baal's efforts and were wreaking havoc and massacring the citizens and soldiers.

''Radwolf, is the cannon ready?''

Strands of long golden hair sparkled in the midst of the battlefield, while the current legends, except for sword saint Kraugel, and the last 4 seats of the tower of wisdom were taking care of Nevartan. The first 5 seats, as well as Kraugel, were the ones handling Bunhelier. All of them, except for Hayate, had equipped a Miniature magic machine developed by Radwolf and Fronzaltz, however, its performance surpassed the currently known magic machines by leaps and bounds.

''Hayate... Are you sure you don't need one?''

''It will only hinder my movements, prepare the cannon.''

''Yes, understood.''

Every time Bunhelier opened his mouth, His breath swept countless soldiers and demons alike to their death. One would not doubt that he was the most dangerous factor right now.

'This damned curse...I can only repel it for about an hour...'

Although he looked fine, Hayate was currently resisting the curse of the Dragon race, One that would greatly weaken and poison him when he faces a Dragon. For that reason alone he couldn't afford to waste time, if they couldn't take Bunhelier down by then humanity will be in grave danger.

'Grid...'

'Youngwoo...'

There was one person that popped up in the mind of both Hayate and Kraugel. He was the one who had suffered the most yet he kept fighting despite the pain, And right now, He was the only one who could find the path he wanted to follow.

''The cannon is ready!''

Radwolf's voice echoed through the battlefield, everybody took a fighting stance as Radwolf aimed at Bunhelier's wings. 'To fight a dragon, the first thing you should do is pinning them down', this was the usual strategy of the tower of wisdom.

*BOOM*

a deafening sound suddenly filled the whole capital, simultaneously a concentrated bright ray pierced Bunhelier's right wing. Bunhelier's Roar could probably be heard throughout the empire, It was the scream of rage that indicated the start of the real battle.

*****************************************************

On the other side of the capital, a dragon, whose scales shone brighter than the sun and whose eyes charmed the sky, was surrounded by the current legends and few members of the tower of wisdom, The identity of the Dragon was Nevartan, The insane dragon.

''Move out of my way, Humans.''

''Hm... I am afraid we can't do that''

It was the voice of Ken, the legendary martial artist.

''Hoho, I've never seen a dragon who would spare someone who got in his way.''

Biban followed ken's words as he spoke in a surprised tone.

'' Would it be possible for you to ignore it just this once and turn around, please...''

Euphemina who felt that Nevartan only showed hostility towards Bunhelier requested what would seem absurd to anyone else.

''You carry the smell of my offspring... I do not wish to harm you, so get out of my way, or else I will have to fight you as well.''

Nevartan's eyes showed melancholy as he looked at Euphemina and noticed Nefelina's traces.

''Ahhhh, am not good with discussions, come show me what you got!''

As rash as ever, Biban rushed towards Nevartan with a wide smile on his face. Instead of trying to reach the optimal solution, he seemed to be itching for a heated battle. Biban held his sword tightly as he used Shunpo and aimed at Nevartan's neck.

''Truly unfortunate...''

Nevartan sighed and closed his eyes before opening them again, However his aura had completely changed. The gentle Dragon who was talking to them a few moments ago was no more, only an overwhelming presence and killing intent remained.

Nevartan swung his tail at Biban, which hit his body and sent him flying; He then opened his mouth and a beam of light that was aimed at the rest of his opponents burst out of his throat. The true power of Nevartan's breath was incredible, if Bunhelier's breath was a fog that cursed the world then Nevartan's was a single ray that erased anything it touched from existence. The greatest battles of the current world had officially started.

***************************************************************

After ensuring the fainted Braham's safety and healing him with ruby's skills, Grid asked sticks to teleport him to a safe place and watch over him until he wakes up. While heading towards Titan, A deafening roar reached Grid's ears, It was none other than Bunhelier's.

''That bastard!!''

''Oppa...''

Ruby who was escorting her brother couldn't help but feel the change in his attitude. Her caring and loving brother had lost all affection he held towards the world and only moved forward to destroy his enemies. Her heart sank as she remembered how much he grew thanks to Satisfy, He was once a pathetic man who wasted his life without investing efforts in the right place. However, This world changed him, Here he made friends, Here he became mature, here he gained a family and here he found a clear goal. Sehee couldn't help but be happy while watching her brother do his best to protect those who were dear to him.

'If only I was stronger...'

If only she made more efforts like her brother, perhaps she could have saved the people who were dear to her and her brother. Grid, who noticed Ruby's dejected face, felt weird, He may have lost Irene and his kingdom, but he still had a family to care for. He softly patted her head as he put on a heavy-hearted smile.

''Thank you, Sehee.''

Moved by her brother's efforts despite the agony he went through, she clung to him and started sobbing.

''I am sorry...sorry.''

Gird felt his heart grow even heavier as he hugged Sehee.

'She must have been in great pain as well... What kind of brother was I...'

He had finally woken up, The past was gone but the future was in his grasp, so he will change the present and walk towards a future that he wishes for. It was the duty he carried as a brother, husband, father, friend, and hero. The end of the crossroad between the past and future had finally appeared and he was the one who would lead the world down from there.

****************************************************************

After what seemed like an eternity, Ruby and Grid had finally arrived at Titan, But what welcomed them was not what they expected. Half the capital has been destroyed as purple fog filled the land, while the transcendent beings, the pillars of the human race were falling before the might of the 2 dragons. And before Bunhelier a man with countless wounds on his body and golden hair that was starting to turn red due to the amount of blood on it stood firm.

''Hayate!''

Next to him, the wounded bodies of the other 4 members were lying on the ground, he seemed to be fighting earnestly in order to protect them from further injuries. Next to him, a man who had fallen to his knees was gritting his teeth, it was the current sword saint, Kraugel.

''Sehee! Heal Hayate right now!''

''Okay!''

Grid rushed towards Bunhelier who was preparing to finish off the two remaining men.

'The curse must have put a lot of strain on him, but he still did incredible damage...'

Bunhelier's health gauge was down to 52%, It was an achievement that couldn't be compared to the result of the first Raid where Bunhelier's power grew exponentially when his health reached 80% and wouldn't drop further. Grid pulled out 'Brilliant Crescent-moon sword' and aimed at Bunhelier's neck.

''1,000,000 army breakthrough!!!''

Without a single moment of hesitation, Grid rushed towards Bunhelier with full confidence as he used the strongest skill of Madra's swordsmanship, which showed huge might when facing a single enemy. Unfortunately, Bunhelier who had noticed launched mighty magic which clashed with the sword energy and neutralized most of the attack.

[You have dealt 98,324,513 damage]

It was minor damage when compared to Bunhelier's health, it wasn't even 0.1% of his health]

[some of the effects of the skill have been neutralized due to collision and status difference]

[Bunhelier has resisted the HP% damage]

[Bunhelier has resisted the 'Sealed' status]

However Grid already expected this, his real objective was different. As Bunhelier noticed him and prepared his breath, Grid stood still in the air.

''Dodge it, Grid, You can't resist it!''

Hayate's cry reached Grid's ears, however, he only nodded his head and started dancing in the air, It was a beautiful sword dance, a true form of art in the midst of warm flames. Hayate who was confused by Grid's actions felt his heart racing out of nervousness.

''Trust him.''

However, Kraugel spoke softly and regained enough strength to stand up.

''However, I won't fall behind either.''

And contrary to all expectations, instead of being worried, he was smiling. Sword energy started gathering at the end of Kraugel's blade as he started muttering some words. Meanwhile, Bunhelier released his concentrated breath which was aiming at Grid.

''Flower...''

The breath drew close.

''...Linked Dragon...''

And as it was about to reach him.

''...Pinnacle Kill Beyond.''

Beyond, it was the strongest counter skill, no it was an understatement to call it a counter, it was a result of witnessing the realm beyond all boundaries and possibilities. Even in its basic form, it demonstrated an amount of power that couldn't be compared to 'Revolve'. The breath dissipated and turned into dark red energy which fused with The energy emitted by Grid's sword dance and Charged at Bunhelier before piercing his eye.

[Critical damage!]

[You have dealt 16,132,735,093 damage to Bunhelier in one hit!!!]

[Bunhelier has lost vision in one eye!]

[A Special effect triggered!]

[The wound is Uncurable!]

Bunhelier's ear-shattering cry made even the mountains tremble. with one attack 7% of his HP was instantly shaved and his health bar had a thick red line at 93% indicating he couldn't heal beyond that value. The real reason Grid had used ''1,000,000 army breakthrough'' despite knowing that Bunhelier would block it was for the last effect of the skill ''Your next attack will deal 1000% more damage'', This effect along with the amplification power of 'Beyond', the effects of the 'Hero King' and 'Avenger' titles, and the 'Yellow emperor candidate' skill that activated on critical hits and amplified critical damage, made it possible for Grid to deal that damage in one strike. For the first time since his birth, Bunhelier had received a wound and a mark of shame he could never erase.

[Zeratul's trembling at the sight of a human humiliating a dragon]

[Rebecca's eyes are wide-open]

[Rebecca is feeling nervous]

[Yatan is laughing with a grin on his face and asking you to thank him]

[Chiyou's heart is racing and can't wait to see your growth]

[Nevartan has noticed your attack and has stopped his rampage]

[Your enemies and allies alike recognize your power]

[You have proven a combat might worthy of a martial god]

[The order of the world is collapsing at the birth of a new martial god candidate]

[Yatan's smile is widening]

[Yatan whispered something to Rebecca]

[Rebecca is Silent]

[You are being worshipped as the martial god]

[Chiyou is satisfied]

[Zeratul's anger is immeasurable]

[The authority of martial god Zeratul has sharply fallen due to your qualifications]

[Zeratul's hostility towards you has reached its peak]

[Zeratul is inviting you to a duel in Asgard]

[You can not refuse the du....]

[!!!!!]

[!!!!!]

[The true martial god Chiyou has intervened and stopped Zeratul's interference]

['Your turn will come soon']

[Zeratul's anger is rising!]

[All the followers of the martial god will wreak havoc in the east!]

[Hanul is annoyed with Zeratul's actions]

[Hanul has sent the Yangban 'Mir' to deal with Zeratul's followers]

'...What kind of stuck-up kid is he...'

Grid couldn't help but get annoyed at Zeratul's provocations, however, he had to deal with a more important matter right now.

'It looks like he's focused on me now.'

Having dealt a great amount of damage, Bunhelier's attention was fully concentrated on Grid.

''Guess it really hurts huh?''

Grid smirked as he talked to Bunhelier. The dragon's eyes were bloodshot and for the first time, he opened his mouth to talk and not to attack.

''How dare a mere bug...a mere human, damage an almighty Dragon...''

[You are being oppressed by Bunhelier's evil energy]

[The effect of the Avenger title activates]

[Your status is high]

[You have perfectly resisted]

Bunhelier rushed towards Grid and engaged in a battle with him mid-air, Grid revealed his draconian wings and started deflecting Bunhelier's attack, however, the large difference in level and stats overwhelmed Grid.

'Sigmund...what a beast, he faced him alone and won...'

Although he was incapable of killing Bunhelier due to his low status; Sigmund was probably the only person who could his ground completely against such a powerful opponent. Grid couldn't afford to look away for even a moment or he would be cut in half by Bunhelier's claws. If Grid was fighting Bunhelier alone he wouldn't stand a chance.

'But I am not alone'

A sword appeared between Grid and Bunhelier and Cut one of Bunhelier's claws. It was the power of the 'Dragon Killing sword', a technique that transcended all other sword styles. Grid quickly used this chance to retreat and join Hayate and Kraugel, alone he might not stand a chance, but if they worked together it's not impossible.

''Thank you for buying me time to heal.''

Kraugel showed a warm smile as he talked to Grid, he put his hand on his shoulder and spoke.

''You once promised me something.''

''Yes?''

Grid couldn't understand what Kraugel was talking about.

''"At that time, you and I will be armed with dragon slayer items and cut off his layer of scales. And... huhuhu! Make armor out of the scales. How about it? Aren't you happy just imagining it?'''

''Weren't those your own words, Overgeared god grid?''

Kraugel showed a rare grin as his gaze turned serious.

''ha...But we don't have dragon slayer items do we...''

''Don't you know?''

Kraugel eyes contained full confidence.

''Being Overgeared is not only about items''

It was the moment when Grid realized, Overgeared... to possess great gears, but what was the definition of gears?

''It's also about skills.''

Kraugel who had been trying to hide his grin couldn't resist it anymore.

''In the future, you are my idol and I will be the challenger.''

''Those were the words I told you the first time I truly lost to you.''

''How about a challenge now?''

Of course, Kraugel knew about Grid's internal struggle and longing for the things he had lost, but he also knew better than anyone, that to him and Grid, the only way to forget pain was to have a clear goal and motivation to grow. It was how Kraugel could grow exponentially and stop worrying about unnecessary things when his mother was sick, it was also the thing that made Grid accept Khan's death. Having a goal was their only and eternal cure. Grid who felt his heart thump as he heard Kraugel couldn't help but grin as well. It was Irene's wish and the wish of humanity for him to become a Hero, but before anything, it was his greedy wish to surpass everything. As such he could not resist the temptation for a challenge.

''Bring it on, Rival.''

3 men facing a Dragon, to others it might sound like an absurd situation but these 3 men it was a wall they had to break through no matter what.

The wind started flowing rapidly as Bunhelier was deploying his magic and attacking Hayate and Grid who were attacking him directly. Every time Hayate swung his sword Bunhelier's blood filled the white world, It was the power of the Dragon killing sword. Every time Grid danced, energy filled the world and neutralized Bunhelier's attack. While a large was gathering around Kraugel who seemed to be preparing something special. It was then that Kraugel's Blade pointed towards the sky and the once black sky was shattered as it was replaced by a dazzling blue color and strands of light fell towards Kraugel's sword.

''Oh my blade, shine bright and rise''

His sword shone brighter than any torch.

''Sharper than a needle, harder than steel''

And all the energy condensed inside the blade.

''Bringing upon evil its eventual demise''

Thus Bunhelier's cursed fog started dissipating.

''Showing unwavering pride as I never kneel''

So the energy around him flew into his body.

''A partner on my journey of endless tries''

His eyes sparkling with a green hue.

''As I slice through the eternal hardships and peel''

As his aura captivated the world.

''The unbreakable shell surrounding my dreams''

He became another ray for humanity.

''Oh my blade, entrust yourself to me''

He became one with the sword.

''So that I may rush with haste to what might seem''

Silence dominated his surroundings as Bunhelier noticed his presence and started preparing to attack him.

''A far-off star, chased by a mere tree''

And The light burst off, grazing the sky.

''That wishes to grow taller than the sky and gleam''

Bunhelier's claws aimed at his small body as he swung his sword.

''Salvation sword''

And one of Bunhelier's Legs flew in the air, cut like paper by a sword of light.

[The sword saint has brought Salvation to the world!]

[His presence is Absolute and no evil can face him!]

[Some of the roots of the age of chaos have been severed]

[The Gods of Asgard have temporarily lost their connection to Pluto!]

''Wow...''

That was the only word that Grid could speak out loud. He had no doubts that Kraugel has glimpsed at the pinnacle of all swordsmanship, It was a technique that surpassed all his expectations, Bunhelier's health fell by 12%, It was a huge amount considering His maximum health.

''So that's the current sword saint...''

Even Hayate couldn't hide his astonishment. However, the drawbacks of the technique were revealed soon after, Kraugel fell to the ground unable to move, he had exhausted all his energy reserves in order to use a single technique. Despite its transcendent power, it was obvious that it was still far from perfect, yet still the closest to it. Grid hurried to support Kraugel and moved him out to a safe place while Hayate held Bunhelier off.

''That was reckless you know...''

''Ah... I guess it's still pretty messed up''

Kraugel laughed as he heard Grid's worried voice.

''But now that I found the path, I will catch up soon''

''Yes, I will be waiting.''

Grid smiled in anticipation, he knew how great Kraugel's potential was, and as such he had no doubts about him reaching the pinnacle soon.

''Grid! dodge!''

However, while Grid was getting up and preparing to go back to Hayate, Kraugel's loud words entered his ears. Due to the sudden change in tone, he was surprised and couldn't react in time, and Bunhelier's claws pierced his body.

''Ughhh...''

''Grid!!''

[You have received catastrophic damage]

[A Myth is the source of miracles]

[You have partially resisted death, your deity stat has temporarily decreased by 10 and all stats have temporarily increased by 10%]

Grid was sent flying through the capital, Thanks to being a Myth he could resist death even if a target has a higher status than him. However, as a drawback, every time he did his deity decreases and once his deity goes under 100 he wouldn't be able to resist it anymore with the power of a myth and would have to resort to the power of a legend.

[You are in a state of shock due to the catastrophic damage]

[The effect will last for 5 seconds]

While he couldn't fight, Bunhelier had gone on a rampage as his health went under 35%. It looked like all his abilities and stats were greatly boosted, He had truly become the manifestation of calamity.

'There's no way we can win anymore...'

Nevartan was greatly damaged at the end of his fight with the legends and the transcendents and all the others were exhausted. Now that Bunhelier became even stronger, It was impossible to stop him with only Grid and Hayate. Nonetheless despite the nigh null chances, he had to fight, it was because of a promise he had made.

'So let me go, Grid. Let me go and show the world how MY hero, will become the hero of humanity.'

One that he would never break.