Chapter 121 - Now it's your turn (3)

Blue eyes with stars.

Broken fragments make noise in the night sky.

The divine protection of the white serpent shining loudly with him.

And there was a magic circle with a messy crack right in front.

"This is…"

Beyond the broken magic circle, pale-skinned Geronimo was stretching his arms.

The red color of his lips from a pure white is vivid.

"Vlad! Snap out of it!"

My vision isn't focusing properly.

I felt like something warm was flowing down my forehead.

"Damn it!"

The sound of August crawling seems to be heard from very far away.

As my vision slowly returns, I can see elves running towards Nidhogg.

"Stop..."

"How many do you see? How many fingers do you see in me?

It's tough, sharp, and cunning.

The most powerful enemy I've ever faced.

Nidhogg was like a massive wall that Vlad couldn't overcome.

"I'm not sure about his fingers, but first of all, that guy had three toenails."

"...Fine. Get up."

August lifted Vlad and looked into his trembling but focused blue eyes.

This young knight has not lost his spirit yet.

"He's climbing!"

"Throw the rope!"

Ropes thrown everywhere along with shouts.

However, only a few dozen elves couldn't stop Nidhogg's rough advance.

Ahhh!

With Nidhogg's roar resonating, the elves fell from side to side.

They tangled ropes around its neck, feet, and here and there, but it wasn't enough to stop Nidhogg, who was crazed with hunger.

The elves pulling the rope were being dragged mercilessly.

"Can you do it?"

"...At least once."

Upon hearing August's words, Vlad quickly checked his condition.

The armor was half broken, but the protection of the white serpent still faintly shone.

Rutiger's sword was creaking as it swayed sinisterly, but it hadn't lost its edge yet.

Maybe you can fulfill your role at least once.

"Do you know how to climb a tree?"

"I'm from the city."

"Then it would be good to learn it this time."

August's and Vlad's eyes were focused on the same spot.

Something terrible to climb the World Tree under the moonlight.

The cries of the spirits heard from above were pitiful.

"Now!"

Elves swinging back and forth while holding onto a rope.

An old and a young knight ran between them.

The two people, who departed from the ground but had their sights set on the sky, closed their left eyes without anyone taking the lead.

Two stars twinkled behind the ascending dragon.

"Come, you bastard!"

August, who arrived first in a straight line, quickly jumped near Nidhogg's tail and plunged his sword into it.

Although it can't be said to be a weak spot, it was the weakest part.

Perhaps here is where he can catch its attention and distract it.

Ahhh!

Nidhogg's pupils narrowed vertically as it felt a tingling sensation from behind.

"Tsk!"

The rapidly approaching tail is scary.

In a situation where he had to hold onto the tree with one hand, August did his best to avoid it.

Whoa Whoa!

Nidhogg's tail barely missed him.

However, the thorns fly past the constantly fluttering tree fragments.

August sighed thoughtfully as he watched Nidhogg's attack, which he had already experienced once.

"I wondered why that didn't come to light."

August's upraised eyes gleamed brightly blue.

The original intention of detecting weaknesses is to find the most optimal path.

August's eyes saw a path shining through the dense flying thorns.

It was the only way to avoid Nidhogg's flying thorns.

"Ha!"

The old body creaked among the young thorns of evil.

August's movements, skillfully dodging the thorns faster than arrows, were almost magical.

"…!"

Vlad returns with force following the curve.

Vlad, who had arrived above Nidhogg, saw August's movements through his closed left eye.

The dragon's roar and the trembling of the World Tree.

And his world, shining under the pitiful moonlight, approached like a powerful stage.

It was deeply engraved in Vlad's world.

"Now! Vlad!

"…!"

August's residual image still remains.

Vlad quickly fell towards Nidhogg's head before the residual image disappeared.

Ahhh!

I see it.

It was as faint as a shadow, but the path reached it.

Vlad's right eye, which was wide open, began to glow blue.

"What?"

Regardless of August's panic, Vlad calmly charged towards Nidhogg's horn.

Clang!

Rutiger's sword shatters.

Nidhogg's mouth twisted as it looked at Vlad, who had lost his sword.

Mockery towards humans.

However, the human still had a goal and looked at it coldly.

Humans don't stop.

"…!"

Although it was creaking, I thought it would hold for once.

That was the only way I saw.

"Huaaaap!"

Vlad's right hand began to glow among the scattered sword fragments.

The white beam that shot from Vlad's hand mercilessly struck towards Nidhogg's greedy eyes.

"Try laughing again!"

The feeling of a sharp cutting blade.

A powerful sword because it's short.

Before he realized it, Jorge's unsheathed dagger was piercing Nidhogg's eye.

Kuaa!

Finally, Nidhogg's howl of pain echoed at the top of the World Tree.

The blue-eyed knight managed to create a blemish on a being destined for perfection.

It was Vlad's move towards the massive wall blocking him.

"Die…!"

I am Vlad of Soara, but I am also Vlad of the alleys.

Vlad did not hide the dark memories that formed his roots.

Jorge's shining dagger.

Nidhogg's eyes widened with a single gesture from Vlad.

Kuaa!

Die, you bastard!

Two dragons howled at each other for each of their wounds.

I will kill you today.

I will kill you!

"Oh no!"

The painful effort is intense and the gestures of confusion are large.

August ended up losing his way because Nidhogg fought and gave it his all.

August, who even lost his space to attack, could no longer help Vlad.

"Be careful!"

With just one warning, a star that paved the way for the young knight was falling below the World Tree.

With dark red blood flowing from where he last cut.

"Damn it!"

Vlad didn't have time to worry about August's fall.

Nidhogg's eyes gleamed fiercely towards the only remaining enemy.

Boom! Clash! Burst!

The World Tree trembled mercilessly.

Nidhogg, who had no way to remove Vlad from atop its head, was battering the young World Tree with its sharp horns.

Vlad trembled violently and blood gushed from his burst eyes.

"Argh!"

Vlad waved back and forth like a flag, relying on Jorge's barely inserted dagger.

The fragments of the World Tree exploding from behind stung.

"Son of a bitch!"

Jorge's dagger was shallow despite his best efforts.

It would have been good to have a sword that could go a bit deeper, but this was the best Vlad had.

Kwaaaaang!

Nidhogg's head pierced through the

 World Tree's trunk.

Though he clung on tenaciously, the handle of the dagger, which had become slippery with blood, was not something he could hold onto for long.

Vlad finally fell from Nidhogg's head due to the strong and continuous shaking.

"…!"

For a moment, Vlad felt the dizzying sensation of falling, and his hands were shaky.

The interior of the World Tree that he saw with the girl at that moment was empty.

The World Tree has been emptied to receive the sunlight and moonlight that fall to its roots.

A single starlight was falling towards that sacred root.

The dragon's howl coming from above was fading farther and farther from Vlad's ears.

***

The air surrounding my hair is cool.

"…"

As Vlad struggled to open his eyes, what he saw wasn't Nidhogg's fiercely raised eyes.

"…Here it is."

Bright red maple leaves fluttered around.

What greeted Vlad now was the autumnal scenery contained within the amber stone.

[Does it hurt a lot?]

Vlad turned his head towards the voice.

Someone stood beneath a large maple tree.

Though only from behind, it seemed like they knew who he was, even though they had never met before.

A young knight covered in scars.

The man looking at Vlad's voice was low.

"…I tried my best. It didn't work."

Vlad slowly got up and limped towards him.

But no matter how much he walked, he couldn't get any closer to him.

"Still not working?"

[······.]

As if it still wasn't the time, the gap between the voice and Vlad couldn't be bridged.

Have I been walking too hard, but still can't reach him?

The young knight was saddened by that.

"However hard I try, I can't do it. No matter what I do, it won't work."

A boy from an alley becomes a knight and fights a dragon.

Every step was a step of patience and chilling pain, but there was still only a tall wall and a huge world in front of Vlad.

The young knight grew tired of the fact that no matter how high he climbed, all he got was a measly handful of success.

[······.]

He bit his lip at Vlad's trembling voice from behind.

How can I console the sadness of not being able to have something even though you tried?

[Still, I'm proud of you.]

The world is a place where there are more things we can't do than things we can.

However, the boy from the dark alley never stopped reaching for the star hanging over the forge.

The voice couldn't forget the light shining in the boy's eyes at that moment.

[I'm proud of you for looking up even though no one noticed.]

The world is bigger and crueler than you.

But we must not forget.

The place you look at will soon become your world.

So, lift your head. You're a young knight.

"…Was I doing okay?"

[Yes.]

"It's very hard. I want to stop now."

[You've done quite well so far. You just have to keep doing that in the future.]

With each word of encouragement, the young knight's head lifted.

I've walked it once, so I know how hard it is for you.

Young knight, you're doing an excellent job.

[Yes, you're right.]

With those words, the voice tossed the scabbard of the sword hanging from his waist towards Vlad.

A silver sword.

It was the Sword Master's sword radiating noble light.

"This is…"

Vlad lifted his head and looked at the voice.

Before he knew it, the man approached him.

Though the man's face was obscured by dense shadow, his lips were visible.

He was smiling.

[So now it's your turn.]

Maple leaves flutter.

Before I knew it, the bright red leaves filling my field of vision were spreading their fingers as if saying goodbye.

The figure of the smiling man under the tree grew further away.

"…My turn."

The fall of fantasy has passed with the fall of the maple leaves.

When Vlad opened his eyes again, what he saw wasn't the scenery of an autumn day, but today's moonlight in the sky.

The pure white moon shone in Vlad's blue eyes.

***

Ah!

Nidhogg finally reached the top of the World Tree.

Its greedy eyes scanned the young spirits hanging among the branches.

Nidhogg laughed uproariously as if amused by the many terrified young spirits.

The left eye exploded.

A tail halfway cut.

Though it remained in poor condition, it mattered not.

Now I will harness the potential of those children and become a more perfect version of myself!

"That's not how it works."

At that moment, a stern voice flew from somewhere.

There was a being mocking coldly those who dared to become perfect.

Grrrr-

The knight with blue eyes.

His elevated eyes resembled a fierce dragon, but what he wielded was a knight's sword.

His name symbolizes two worlds that cannot coexist.

Vlad of Soara.

Grrrr!

Nidhogg erupted in wild rage upon seeing Vlad standing before him.

Even if you remove him, he sticks back together.

The young dragon with blue eyes was a terribly tough bastard.

"Get down from here. You bastard."

The only individuals atop Ausurin's highest point are Vlad and Nidhogg.

Now there's no one guarding the spirits behind him.

Now it's my turn to do it.

'…A bit deeper.'

Vlad took a deep breath slowly and opened his left eye.

A deeper world.

Because he knew it wasn't in his eyes but in his heart.

Now it's my turn.

Now it's my turn to protect it.

A light emanating from the heart began to shine alongside the silver sword.

"Huaaaa!"

Ah!

The starlight, leaving the young spirits behind, began to spread toward the dragon.

Faster and more intense than anyone.

Only with your own will.

"…!"

Avoid the sharp horns by taking the agile steps taught by the one-eyed knight.

I blocked the swiftly flying thorns with my armor blessing along with the protection of the white serpent.

"Ugh!"

Though I was slightly pushed, I managed to hold myself up with my ankles strengthened with rigid body techniques.

Find the most optimal path that someone showed you today.

Someone else's world, built upon the sword skill of the Sword Master, was paving the way for Vlad.

"Kaaa!"

Nidhogg's eyes widened as it saw the young dragon attacking him.

To become perfect, you have to harness someone else's potential.

However, the young dragon with blue eyes was scaling the wall with his own potential alone.

A gaze that would make anyone proud.

Ah!

Ferocious thorns shattered against torn skin.

The slim possibility of not being able to fly alone was crumbling with the starlight.

The voice of the dragon dreaming of perfection faded with a scream.

"Now it's my turn!"

Today a new star shone at the highest point of Ausurin.

For everyone to look up to, for everyone to gaze upon.

That light was the starlight the child had always held in his heart.

____

Join the discord! 

https://dsc.gg/indra

____