Chapter 58: Chapter 58

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: The Calamity Dragoness

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The Calamity Dragoness.

Nikita Cynthia.

Facing her, I felt a bone-chilling coldness.

Nikita's eyes, fixed on me, were utterly cold.

Nikita, whose face always seemed noble, had always harbored kindness in her heart.

But today, not a shred of kindness remained within her.

Instead, only the burning desire for vengeance, rooted deep in her heart, blazed fiercely.

"...You've come?"

Nikita's voice, low and level, flowed from her lips.

She echoed my words.

"Does that mean you knew I would come?"

Our senior, Nikita, was quick-witted as ever.

"Yes."

I replied, throwing the sword I held in my hand onto the floor.

Clang—

The sword, striking the frozen snow, rolled away.

Seeing this, Nikita's brow furrowed slightly.

She hadn't expected me to abandon my sword right before her eyes.

"I was waiting."

Doubt still lingered in Nikita's eyes.

But that doubt quickly vanished.

Instead, a wind imbued with a dreadful chill swirled around her.

"Hand Iris Heysirion over to me."

Hearing her next words, my eyes widened.

"If we hand over the Princess, you'll spare our lives?"

"Yes, it has nothing to do with you."

Even though using the Ancient Dragon's magic must have partially consumed her reason.

Even in such a state, Nikita only desired the neck of her enemy, Iris.

She didn't try to harm anyone else.

That's why she deliberately waited until everyone was past the point of being able to resist.

It was kindness, typical of Nikita.

However, I couldn't rely on her kindness now.

"I refuse."

"...Junior Hania, I know you care for the Princess, but you should value your own life."

"Of course, my life is precious to me."

Instead of a sword, my hand-blade was raised.

Putting down the sword, my mind felt lighter.

"But there's something more precious than my life."

It's preventing this damned world from reaching a bad ending.

Only then can I protect my own life.

"So Iris is that precious to you."

Nikita said, lowering her head.

From above her eyes, teardrops fell, turning into ice crystals.

A profound sorrow, enough to ache the heart, emanated from her.

"I, too, lost what I cherished most."

Nia Cynthia.

Her own brother, the only one in her family who supported and trusted Nikita.

He was unjustly murdered.

"So I will take something away too."

The moment Nikita finished speaking, her figure vanished.

Only a single footprint remained where she had stood.

She's coming.

The instant I instinctively knew this, I immediately swung my hand-blade.

Kaaang!

Immediately after, a fierce sword cry echoed before me, with Iris behind my back.

Nikita's white sword, thrust forward, was blocked by my hand-blade.

Kududududuk!

At that, the chill contained within Nikita's sword instantly began to freeze my hand.

Just as expected from Ancient Dragon magic.

My hand felt as if it would shatter just from touching the sword.

Kiiiiiing—

However, knowing this, I had prepared.

The magic engravings manifested on my steel skin simultaneously began to emit light.

Accordingly, the temperature of my entire body rapidly rose, and flames ignited.

Steel skin, as befits steel, has high thermal conductivity.

The magic engravings I had inscribed on my steel skin for today were flame magic.

And it was magic I had specifically asked Sharin to engrave for me.

Intense heat spread throughout my entire body.

Though I didn't possess Lucas's Flames of Resolve.

I could imitate it somewhat.

Perhaps sensing the heat radiating from my entire body, Nikita's eyes narrowed.

"With just that?"

At that, the chill emanating from Nikita grew even fiercer.

The Ancient Dragon's magic Nikita had mastered was extreme ice magic.

Just as the Ancient Dragon's mountain range was always covered in eternal snow due to the dragon's cold.

It was fair to say it was the strongest among ice magics.

'Nikita has no talent for any magic, but—'

Ironically, she had exceptional talent for the Ancient Dragon's magic alone.

However, Nikita had no way to avoid the unique side effects of the Ancient Dragon's magic.

The more she used the magic, the more her draconic transformation progressed.

Ultimately leading to the worst side effect: being completely consumed by the Ancient Dragon's magic.

The chill emanating from Nikita clashed with my heat.

Perhaps because such vastly different temperatures collided.

Kwaaaaaang!

Immediately after, a loud explosion filled the air, and thick white smoke billowed up, engulfing the surroundings.

I felt Nikita recoil a step within the smoke.

The moment her eyes frantically searched for me.

Thwack!

I grabbed Iris and dashed away.

The explosion magic engraved on my feet activated.

I evacuated the area at a desperate speed.

Realizing this belatedly, Nikita furiously pursued me.

Her face was contorted like a demon's.

'First, I need to get out of here.'

A head-on confrontation with Nikita was a dead end.

So I had to lead her to the place I'd prepared.

"Mmm."

Perhaps due to the explosion and my heat.

I felt Iris, held in my arms, let out a faint groan.

But I paid no mind to it.

I simply swung my legs even more fiercely, running to escape this place.

Wham! Bang!

In the meantime, Nikita swiftly closed the distance between us.

Even before acquiring the Ancient Dragon's magic, Nikita possessed commendable skill, enough to serve as a vice-president.

Nikita was someone who dedicated even the hours others spent sleeping to training.

Naturally, Nikita's martial arts prowess was also top-tier.

With the addition of the Ancient Dragon's magic, Nikita's overall physical abilities had increased significantly.

At this rate, shaking her off wouldn't be easy.

That's why I had prepared for days.

Kwaaaaaang!

At that moment, the ground beneath Nikita's feet exploded, shaking the space.

Beneath the frozen snow.

Torn scraps of paper, caught in the explosion, were visible.

What Nikita had just stepped on was a scroll inscribed with explosion magic.

Magic scrolls.

Magic engravings, a relic of the old era.

Had been refined in the modern age.

Although their performance was inferior to that of true mages.

The scrolls I was using now were not lacking in performance.

'Since they were made by the Mad Mage.'

As they were stolen from the mid-boss, Vinesha.

Their performance was certainly reliable.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Nikita, emerging from the smoke of the explosion, came after me once more.

She had clearly taken the explosion magic head-on.

Yet, Nikita was only slightly singed.

She pursued me without any significant damage.

It was only natural.

An Ancient Dragon's body wouldn't be harmed by mere explosion magic contained in a scroll.

However, the restricted visibility and unstable footing.

These two factors created an opening for me to widen the distance from Nikita.

Wham! Wham!

But as if luck only stretched so far.

Nikita ran like a madwoman, trampling on the explosion scrolls indiscriminately.

Or perhaps I had only angered her.

Nikita's eyes were incredibly fierce.

But it wasn't time yet.

Before I knew it, I was climbing an inclined floor.

Between the frozen floor, a magic scroll was visible.

I quickly stomped on the floor.

Pwoosh!

At that, pitch-black smoke billowed up from the floor.

The pitch-black smoke instantly filled the surroundings, obscuring vision.

In the meantime, I stomped on one more magic scroll directly in front of me.

Thud!

A moment later, I heard the grand sound of someone falling spectacularly behind me.

The source of the sound was Nikita.

The activated magic was one that made the floor surface slippery.

With vision obscured by black smoke and the floor made slippery.

Nikita inevitably slipped.

This widened the distance even further.

I used every means I had prepared, desperately widening the distance from Nikita.

'Just a little further.'

I was almost at the final point I had prepared.

The moment I desperately moved my legs with that thought.

Chill!

An instinctive sensation sweeping across my back caused my body to lurch forward.

Kwagagagagagagagagagak!

A beam of ice, extending from behind me, grazed past me.

The extended ice beam passed me and collided with the museum wall.

Kwaaaaaaang!

The museum wall was utterly destroyed by the ice beam, and the impact sent me tumbling onto the floor.

A sharp pain shot through my back.

It seemed the spot where the ice beam had grazed me was completely frozen.

Hwaruk—

Even with the heat from the magic engravings, my frozen back wouldn't thaw.

"Ugh."

Swallowing a groan, I forced myself to stand.

There was no time for this.

The moment I tried to run further, rather than recovering myself.

I saw a sword filling my vision and quickly tilted my head back.

Whoong!

The wind, following the sword that grazed past my head, made my body sway.

Nikita's face, with her silver hair fluttering, had scales emerging on it.

Did she close the distance the moment she fired the ice beam?

Her leg strength was absurd.

Even as my body swayed, I found an opening and plunged my fist into Nikita's unguarded side.

Udeuk—

But Nikita was unharmed by my punch.

Instead, I felt a bone-shattering pain in my own hand, which had thrown the punch.

Nikita's body was currently immune to most physical attacks.

This was because she was encased in a tough, icy bio-armor thanks to the Ancient Dragon's magic.

Knowing this, I had chosen flight over retaliation.

But Nikita was faster than I expected.

I desperately dodged the sword Nikita swung at me again.

Each strike was a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

My desperation was remarkably evident.

Kwaaang!

Finding an opening somehow, I created distance with the explosive power of my magic engravings and gasped for breath.

Thanks to the heat from the magic engravings, the cold was manageable.

But the heat was so intense that my stamina was draining faster than expected.

Nikita slowly lowered her sword and looked back at me.

"Hania, I understand how serious you are about protecting the Princess."

Unlike me, Nikita wasn't even slightly out of breath.

I had used a massive quantity of magic scrolls, enough to make even wealthy nobles wince.

Yet, I hadn't left a single scratch on her.

"But this is as far as you go."

Nikita offered me a final chance.

"Even now, put down the Princess and go to the exit."

If I did, she would spare my life.

Hearing Nikita's words, I remained silent.

Then, I suddenly let out a small laugh.

Seeing my laugh, Nikita's eyes became subtle.

Her expression suggested she thought I had lost my mind.

Looking at her, I took a deep breath in and then exhaled.

"Senior Nikita."

I decided to inform her of a certain fact.

"Haven't you made a mistake?"

A mistake?

Doubt clouded Nikita's eyes at my words.

To reveal the truth to her, I slowly put down Iris.

Instead, I slowly unwound a bandage that had connected her to me.

As the bandage unwound from Iris's body, her appearance began to change.

The bandage's true identity was the Bandage of the Veil.

As Iris began to transform, Nikita's eyes slowly widened.

The one there was not Iris.

The second-ranked student in magicology.

The idiot who was the first to drop out of Iris's team.

Dorara Corazin.

He was the one I had disguised as Iris using the Bandage of the Veil and brought here.

I threw him aside like a ragdoll.

"Ugh."

The unconscious fellow rolled across the snowy ground.

Seeing this, Nikita's head slowly turned backward.

"The real Iris is…"

"She's still back there, I presume."

Nikita bit down on her lip.

Her head slowly turned back to me.

Annoyance was evident in her eyes.

"What's the point of buying time like this? I'll just defeat you and go back to the Princess."

"Senior Nikita, nothing in this world is meaningless."

Everything has meaning.

The reason Nikita had to become this way, and the reason I had to do this.

Everything had meaning.

Nikita targeted Iris.

And pushed her into crisis.

This much was now an established fact in this world.

Act 3, Chapter 6.

The Calamity Dragoness scenario had definitely progressed.

Now, only one thing was needed for the scenario.

The protagonist defeats the Calamity Dragoness.

And the Calamity Dragoness meets her death.

Lucas tries to persuade Nikita again and again.

But Nikita, whose world had crumbled due to Nia's death.

Despite Lucas's desperate pleas, ultimately still tries to kill Iris.

Here, Lucas has no choice but to decide.

Will he kill Nikita?

Or will he let Iris die?

This is a choice and an ordeal placed upon the protagonist.

Nikita's death is inevitable.

Because of the impact of her death, the scenario progresses towards the true ending.

What this world needs is the death of the Calamity Dragoness.

However.

My thoughts are different.

I am.

'Not Lucas.'

Lucas is compelled by the world to make only two choices.

But I am not Lucas; I am the extra, Vikamen.

Therefore.

Instead of the two choices the world compels.

I will make my own choice to advance the scenario.

For this, I prepared and prepared again.

The only way to pull Nikita out of the abyss of despair and allow her to live freely.

Hwaruk—

The sound of flames igniting came from somewhere.

"And Senior Nikita, your premise is mistaken."

I decided to correct Nikita's words.

"First, you have to defeat me."

Hwaruk—

Soon after, Nikita also noticed the strangeness of the situation.

Throughout the ice museum, the sound of flames igniting could be heard from various places.

Crimson flames erupted here and there.

These were no ordinary flames.

The stone I used when I captured the Mystic, the Steel Empress.

Essence of Fire.

It was the corpse left behind after a fire spirit had lived out its lifespan and died.

In the meantime, I tore open my chest.

Accordingly, my appearance also slowly began to change.

Not Hania's form.

But Hanon Irei's form.

Nikita's eyes slowly began to widen.

"Ju-junior?"

Her face showed she never imagined I would be here.

"Why here?"

Her bewilderment was my opportunity.

Inside the Bandage of the Veil.

A single crimson red stone, wrapped in the bandage, was revealed.

The Ancient Dragon's magic was undoubtedly powerful.

Therefore, the standard counter to Ancient Dragon magic was the Flames of Resolve.

However, like the Flames of Resolve.

There was another means to counter the Ancient Dragon's magic.

Spirit Lords.

Beings at the pinnacle of spirits.

With their power, even the Ancient Dragon's magic could be countered.

But I couldn't contract with spirits.

That's why I prepared a workaround.

The Essences of Fire embedded throughout the museum blazed fiercely.

The flames surged upwards in unison, beginning to converge on a single point.

The direction the flames converged was me.

More precisely, the stone on my chest.

"That's…"

Nikita, too, belatedly recognized what the stone on my chest was.

This was no ordinary Essence of Fire.

The Flame of Fire.

The Fire Spirit Lord.

It was his corpse, remaining after his death.

"Boy, state your desire."

A reward granted to me by the White Tree Duke under the Hero's Special Law.

This was what I had requested from him.

The most difficult item in the world to acquire, and—

An item that could temporarily substitute the Flames of Resolve.

Hwarurururuk!

The Flame of Fire, having swallowed all the residual spirit flames from the surrounding Essences of Fire, blazed furiously.

The heat emanating from the Flame of Fire fiercely pounded against my body.

Enveloped in the Fire Lord's flames, I quietly exhaled.

My eyes met Nikita's bewildered face.

Looking at her, I took a stance, my hand-blade raised.

The blazing heat scorched my body.

Though the heat was so intense it was suffocating.

My steel skin, imbued with the Steel Empress's will to seek warmth, firmly contained the heat.

The Steel Empress became a Mystic and pursued warmth.

Thus, the steel skin was also optimized for retaining heat.

The time I could endure the Flame of Fire was not long.

"I told you it would sting, didn't I?"

So, within that time.

I will finish this with Nikita.