Karuna had become more than just strong. His energy had changed immensely.
Magra froze after seeing it.
Fwip!
“Me first!”
Karen leaped into the sky and swung her blazing sword down at Magra.
Booooom!
“Krrrgh!”
Karuna followed up by also pressing down on Magra’s sword.
Creaaaaaak!
“Aaaaargh!”Magra’s feet dug into the ground before the floor broke, making him fall into the room below.
Crumble!
It was the beginning of the Fire Altar’s collapse.
* * *
Magra, with blurred vision, looked at what he thought to be Sulfur Skull Tribe’s soldiers.
“Magra! Magra! What happened?! Please, wake up!”
It was a familiar voice. A voice he had heard a lot recently.
“Zan… do…”
“Magra, are you alright?! Where are they…”
Fwip.
Fwoosh.
THUD!
Karen and Karuna fell through the opening, followed by Jamad and Seol falling through the hole together.
Swarm…
After Seol’s party fell through the floor, the freed captives came as there was no longer a need to go all the way to the roof.
“Snowman!”
“Everyone’s okay! We’re alive thanks to you!”
“Wh-what should we do now? Trolls are coming up from below!”
Magra weakly raised himself up.
Fuuu…
His breathing was heavy.
He had to put all of his effort into just trying to talk.
“Cough… Z-Zando…”
“Magra! What happened?”
“...There’s a problem. A very serious problem.”
“What is it? The impact just now offset the central axis again. I can fight once I reset it again!”
“No, the central axis is not what’s important right now. Compared to this, the central axis could break for all I care.”
Seol patiently waited for Magra. After all, nothing would change regardless of how the conversation progressed.
Magra had a serious look on his face.
“The Fire Altar is finished. Your plans have come to an end as well, so don’t waste time here. Swiftly return to the tribe and inform the alliance.”
“What? What do you… Is it because of those rats?”
Magra shook his head.
It was an empty laugh filled with self-pity.
“They weren’t rats. We underestimated them.”
“What?”
“I may be old, but my intuition is still sharp. Today… I will die.”
“Magra, the reinforcements have arrived! Now, they’re…”
"Shut up and listen, Zando! Reinforcements won't be sufficient. They'd merely be headless punching bags! I may die today, but through my sacrifice, the Sulfur Skull Tribe will survive. Contact the alliance. Let them know that I even resorted to using the Forbidden Spells. Those crones will understand just by hearing that. We don't have time, go! Go, now!"
“......”
“And… if you are resentful about my death… never forget the shadow, Zando.”
“Magra!”
“Stop! There is nothing more to talk about!”
“...Thank you.”
Magra stepped forth, letting Zando run behind him.
This was a first for Seol, too. He never expected them to run away.
The more surprising thing was how Zando did nothing more than bite his lip in frustration, ordering his few remaining soldiers out.
“W-We should catch them…”
“We don’t have the luxury to be doing that.”
It was because, despite having a large number of people, their combat ability was entirely dependent on Seol.
Since the Twin Knights had to face Magra and Jamad had to protect Seol, their numbers were too scarce to even think about tackling more.
However, Seol could only think about this briefly as Magra conjured a massive fire, seemingly attempting to divert Seol's attention from Zando’s retreating figure.
Flare!
And then, Magra resolutely spoke.
“I, Magra, won’t hesitate to use all my strength in my final moments. I hope… that you can be a fine companion.”
Grrsh.
Grrssssh.
Magra’s small figure started to grow and inflate.
His loose, wrinkled skin started to fill with muscle, making it taut.
[Magra, the Scorching, used Forbidden Shamanic Spell: Divine Transformation.]
[Magra’s physical and shamanic abilities are maximized.]
[The Forbidden Shamanic Spell uses the caster’s vitality as cost.]
Riiiiip!
Magra transformed into an appearance resembling Purga, a monkey shrouded in flames. His eyes rolled back, and he drooled, giving the impression that he lost consciousness.
SLAM!
His attack on Karen was much stronger than before, managing to even push her back.
“That old troll!”
Karen swiftly swung her sword back, deflecting his sword away. Karuna used that opening to stab Magra with Breath.
Clang!
It was a clear ringing sound.
Magra easily blocked Karuna’s attack once more then prepared his next attack.
Claaang!
Claang!
Clang!
Their swords clashed countless times in just a few seconds.
However, they were so closely matched that it was difficult to say who had the upper hand.
Then, the altar started shaking.
Rumble!
Boom!
As the battle between the Twin Knights and Magra continued, the altar shook violently. It was likely because Zando stopped supporting it.
Magra, now in a trance, was incredibly fast.
Crash!
“Harder!”
Crash!
“Faster!”
Ruuuuumble!
Clang! Clang!
It was a strange battle.
“Burn! Burn! Hehehe! Fire!”
Magra was as fast as lightning and his strength shook the entire altar.
Even though Karen and Karuna were at their strongest point, they couldn’t injure him.
‘No, that’s not right either.’
Karen and Karuna were definitely injuring him. It was just that Magra healed his injuries the moment they happened.
It was clear that Magra would die without fail once his Divine Transformation skill ended.
But then…
Booooooom!
A corner of the altar shook intensely before the entire altar started shaking altogether.
Creak…
Creaaaaak!
The altar was collapsing.
“Kyaaaa!”
“Everyone, hold on! Don’t fall off!”
“The cart! Someone help the cart!”
“Grab my hand! Grab daddy’s hand!”
It was pandemonium.
The dangerous situation made people clump together like one big mass.
Seol then observed Magra's eyes returning to normal, sending an ominous chill down his spine.
“Dodge!”
Magra had saved his final card for the moment when the altar was collapsing.
Crackle…
“Hahaha… it… is too late. You won’t escape. Let us die together, shadow!”
Fss…
Fssssss…
[Magra, the Scorching, used Forbidden Shamanic Spell: Fuse.]
[In a short while, Magra will explode.]
Fssssssss…
“Haha… Fire will consume everything before you can escape. This altar… you… everything.”
Fwiiiiii…
It was as if Magra himself became a large, living bomb.
A large amount of energy was building up inside of him. It was the energy and powers he had built up his entire life.
“R-Run…”
“How…?! How are we supposed to run away?!”
It was a dire situation, moments before death.
“S-Save me.”
“Save us, Snowman!”
“Please save us!”
“I don’t want to die… I don’t… Mom.”
The freed captives all looked to Seol.
It was because he had sown a seed of hope in them. Everything he had done for them seemed straight out of a fairy tale to those who believed they had no chance of surviving after arriving in Yognatun.
It was like he was telling them that they could survive. To not give up.
All of their gazes were focused on Seol.
Right as Seol was about to speak, someone stepped forth.
Clatter.
“I guess there’s no choice…”
“...Karen?”
“I’ll give you 99 points.”
It was the gray knight, Karen.
“You filled it all up. All 100 points.”
- Yeah, and if you get enough, I’ll really treat you as my master.
The sound of Magra’s explosions filled the air.
BOOOOOOOOOM!
Fwiiiiiip…
And at the same time, Karen ferociously started spinning.
[Karen used Fire Flower.]
[Karen absorbs all heat within a certain radius.]
……
It was a strange meeting.
The knight of a fallen empire arose again at the hands of an ordinary Shadow Summoner. Not to mention, the fact that Shadow Summoner was far too lacking.
After giving Jin’s head to the usurpers, Karen had turned to ash. Her immense rage and sadness burned all of her heart.
But why, after so long, did she stand again?
For the cold human who raised her from the dead?
They began their adventure.
As ever, she had no reason to live.
Though Karuna was close enough to finally reach now, she still was empty.
Her adventure with the summoner was… not that bad.
She was a shadow now, but she still had an appetite and the world was filled with delicious food. Food completely unlike the food in her time. The flavors had become much more sophisticated and stimulating.
But the most memorable food to her, even now, was the food the summoner made for her. When she sat around the campfire and blew into her stew before eating it, it felt like everything else had vanished from the world.
It reminded her of the dreams she used to have when she napped in her room, in the Montra Empire.
It was like… she had become an Adventurer.
She was still Jin’s knight, and still wanted to become one, but for the first time, she felt like becoming an adventurer was not all too bad of an option either.
She could feel herself wandering during her travels.
‘Wandering? Me?’
Wandering between what?
Life and Death?
Jin and the Summoner?
‘No.’
She refused to believe that she was wavering.
She wanted to be Jin’s knight, eternally.
But in the Shade Canyon…
- You can fly away if you want, Koopa.
The summoner petting the massive bird’s neck was a mysterious individual. Her heart broke down at his words for some reason.
Even though their travels only lasted a few months, she was sure of something.
Regardless of wherever they went, people wanted him.
- Thank you… Thank you… sob… sob…
- We were saved... What a miracle!
Some people called him their savior, their miracles.
‘He looks normal in my eyes, though…’
Everyone watched him.
But those eyes… It was a secret, but those eyes made her conceited.
- Heroes are lazy. They didn’t save me.
That was why Gunt’s final words were like a dagger to the chest. Those words scolded her wandering heart.
Even though the world’s like this, I’m still as lazy as ever.
‘No! I… I just…’
She didn’t know what to do.
Even though she had the strength to do whatever she wanted, she didn’t know how to use it.
But the summoner was different.
His expressionless eyes were always looking elsewhere. They were confident, like he knew the right path.
And she was envious of that.
She could no longer control her wandering heart.
It was because she already knew.
Seol was right.
Even so, she still feared.
At this rate, she would forget Jin. And if she forgot him, her most important memories would disappear too…
Turn…
The summoner petting the bird turned around.
But it wasn’t Seol.
It was Jin.
"So, have you returned to me, my ever-faithful knight?”
“Yeah, Jin.”
“You’re still hesitant, as always. Yeah, that’s definitely you. You need to recognize that you’re stubborn.”
She knew it too.
She also knew that seeing Jin meant that this wasn’t reality.
Booooooooom!
…ren!
Creak…
Creaaaaaak!
It was much more painful in real life.
It was hot.
And that was painful.
If she stopped for even a second, the flames would engulf everyone.
But that… was more painful.
‘It hurts…’
What is a hero?
Were they a person who shouldered the pains of everyone else?
Though she was proud, the pain made her consciousness come and go.
And whenever she separated from reality, Jin came closer.
“What answer do you want?”
“...Jin.”
“Karen?”
“...You said that emperors are made by the era, and the era is made by the people.”
Karen’s imagination of Jin nodded.
“Of course.”
"So, when... when do you... when do you recognize that it is time for a new era, for a new emperor to be born?"
“You want to know how?”
“Yeah.”
Jin answered immediately.
“Follow their eyes.”
“Their eyes?”
“Eyes are the windows to the soul. You just have to see where they look.”
“Where they look…”
Spiiiiiiiin!
Obviously, there was no way Karen could see where they were looking as she spun to restrict the fire. It was impossible.
But somehow… she could.
‘I see it.’
They were all looking at Seol.
‘No, are they looking at me?’
She wasn’t sure.
“Was that a suitable answer?”
“Yeah, Jin.”
“...Karen.”
“Thank you… for everything.”
“Karen.”
FLAAAAARE!
Her ashen world began to fill with color.
Her world was ablaze, as if she were incinerating all the pictures depicting the memories of her past.
Creaaak…
Flaaaaaare!
Creaaaaak!
Finally, she stopped spinning.
It began to clear up like a clear sky pushing away the clouds, and Magra’s flames gathered around Karen’s disappeared sword. It was as if she was controlling the space around her.
“Haah… Haaah…”
“Karen!”
“Her hair is…”
Her hair had turned to red from the ashen color.
She was finally, finally back.
“Hahaha! It looks like… It looks like I can still burn!”
She looked happy.
And it was followed by silence.
The altar had ceased collapsing, it appeared as though the massive impact had reset the central axis.
Karen smiled.
“Oh, summoner!”
“Karen…”
“I do not know. I do not know how to wield my strength or what I should vanquish with my sword.”
“......”
“Even so, I am aware that you do know. Therefore, I ask you.”
Her smile vanished.
“Could you teach me the path I should take?”
“Of course,” answered Seol.
Karen then quietly murmured to herself.
"I, Karen, the 10th Guardian of the Montra Imperial Family, hereby relinquish my position as Guardian as of today. Thank you for everything thus far."
Fwooosh…
A colossal fire birthed from Karen’s hands and pointed at Magra.
[Karen used Red Lotus Slash.]
[Its power cannot be controlled.]
[Red Lotus Slash is improved.]
“Goodbye, Jin. I’m leaving.”
Even now, Karen saw a phantasm of Jin in her eyes.
But then, the fire spread to his phantasm.
The phantasm of him began to distort, as if he were a photograph from her past, consumed by flames.
He smiled.
- You can fly away if you want, Karen.
The phantasm finally disappeared.
Fsssssss…
A warm energy filled the altar.
[Awakening! Karen awakens a new skill.]
[Karen awakens Exceptional Skill: Sunset Draw.]
[Exceptional Skill: Sunset Draw is born!]
Now, was the era of purification.
The insatiable evil and all that had fallen would be devoured by flames.
“Kr… Krrrrgh…”
Magra screamed in pain as he was engulfed by the fire.
The dawn of the new era had been welcomed with a beautiful sunset.
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