“Arundel…!”
Zion approached and knelt before Arundel. There was no focus in Arundel’s eyes.
Zion reached out and untied the chains. Unlike the illusion of the swamp, the chains fell off easily.
As the chains that wrapped around the wings were released, Arundel collapsed weakly.
Zion hastily embraced Arundel, who was slumped on the floor.
The strange thing was not just the powerless body.
The white wings had lost their light and turned gray. On top of that, they were a mess and were broken powerlessly.
Just looking at that made his heart ache, and the expression that held no emotion seemed like the world was collapsing.
Zion shook her body with all his might. But the body that swayed weakly looked like a soulless doll.
“Damn it…”
Was it too late?
Zion shook his head. It couldn’t end like this. He closed his eyes and quietly buried his face in Arundel’s chest.
Her heart was still beating.
‘How can I make you come back to life.’
Zion bit his lip hard.
But Arundel, who wouldn’t understand his desperate heart, just quietly leaned on him.
Zion looked at her quietly and closed his eyes.
Only the sound of water dropping on the stalactite and the sound of Arundel’s heartbeat faintly reached his ears.
‘I have to figure it out.’
But contrary to his calm mind, anxious emotions brought uncontrollable power.
Once again, at the power that was about to shake, Zion clenched his fist tightly.
‘Why now!’
He couldn’t be consumed by power. If he couldn’t control his power now, there would be no chance to save Arundel.
‘…No.’
Zion shivered as if he had realized something.
[It was Arundel who saved you. Your dying mother and you.]
The words Hills had said brushed past his mind.
Yes.
The forbidden seed.
‘If I was revived with this, I can save Arundel.’
Zion opened his eyes that he had closed. His chest was still throbbing. His power was struggling along with his rapidly beating heart.
But, he had to overcome it.
Zion, who slowly laid Arundel down, took a deep breath. And he put his hand on Arundel’s heart.
There was no second time.
Just, one chance.
He didn’t know how to do it, or if it was right, but he had to do it.
Zion closed his eyes again. Feeling her heart under his hand, he slowly infused power.
Come to think of it, he had saved her like this before. To save Arundel, who was being eroded by the heartworm, he infused power into her heart.
‘Remember that time, that sensation.’
As he focused, a golden light stretched out from his fingertips and seeped into Arundel.
But it was different from when he killed the heartworm.
Controlling a power of a different dimension felt like balancing on a thin line.
Zion gathered all his senses.
Whether it was a response to his efforts, the amount of power flowing in gradually increased.
A fleeting pain swept through Arundel’s unfocused eyes.
She was in pain, but the fact that she was reacting was a positive signal.
Zion sped up.
The flashing power looked like lightning was seeping in.
“Cough.”
Then blood flowed from Arundel’s mouth. But Zion did not stop his actions.
“Please, endure.”
For you, for me.
Zion kicked off. He gathered the same power as when he swept away the demon horde.
The power did not immediately absorb into Arundel, but the power gathered at his fingertips.
The swirling power was also affecting the surroundings.
Boom!
The swirling power shook the cave. Soon, sand fell from above his head.
Crack!
A crack occurred in the cave. The walls were cracking. Soon, sand flowed down.
Despite that, Zion did not scatter his concentration. When the cave vibrated strongly again, Zion opened his eyes.
His eyes filled with desperation were directed at Arundel.
‘Just as you showed me the world, I want to show you another world.’
Zion pushed the core of the power gathered at his fingertips into Arundel’s chest.
Bang!
And the cave collapsed.
****
“This is the last one!”
Royden shouted and cut down the giant demon with his sword energy. The demon screamed and disappeared into the sand.
“Here too!”
Bianca’s voice came from afar. Bianca finished by firing a huge fireball. Her face was full of tiredness.
Then she asked Lucas.
“Lucas! Are you okay?”
“Yes! I will… finish soon!”
Lucas gathered divine power at the end of his spear and pierced the demon’s heart.
Compared to Royden and Bianca, he might be lacking, but Lucas’s divine power was effective against the demon, so it was threatening.
“We just need to deal with Leviathan.”
Royden said, looking at Hills, who was struggling.
He, who had become a dragon, was fighting quite well, but Leviathan, who was a demon king, was not easy.
Then Hills’ breath and Leviathan’s magic collided.
The red flame of breath and the black magic were like a tight tug of war, not budging.
But soon, Leviathan’s magic was slowly pushed back.
“Really… amazing.”
Seeing that,Royden spoke as if in admiration. Bianca, who was next to him, agreed.
“…It’s an unbelievable power.”
Royden and Bianca, who were among the strongest in the human world, still couldn’t dare to interfere.
But they took pride in having dealt with the ancient demons.
Lucas also couldn’t take his eyes off the aerial battle. Then he shouted.
“Leviathan is being pushed back!”
Hills’ breath pushed back Leviathan’s magic and covered Leviathan.
But Leviathan, who quickly dodged, did not get hit by the breath.
“Oh ho, but you can’t avoid it twice.”
Hills said so and gathered flames in his mouth again.
Then, Leviathan moved away from Hills as if running away. He, who was far away, wiped his mouth and muttered.
“It won’t work.”
And he closed his eyes as if preparing something. Leviathan shouted out loud.
“Arise! Ancient beings who were hiding!”
According to Leviathan’s spell, giant demons appeared again from under the sand.
Apparently, it wasn’t the end.
“I saved it for when I confront Mannheim later…Well, it doesn’t matter!”
Leviathan’s voice echoed in the air.
“I have another contingency plan!”
Hills quickly followed him as he prepared something else, but Leviathan was faster.
When he closed his eyes again and chanted a spell, a black light gathered from all around.
“No way…!”
The black light was being absorbed into Leviathan.
“This fellow! He’s absorbing the demons of the demon world!!”
When Hills realized the situation, it was too late. Unfortunately, Leviathan’s ritual was almost over.
And,
“Hoo.”
When Leviathan opened his eyes, the power reflected in his red eyes flickered.
“They too, will willingly accept this sacrifice.”
Thud!
Leviathan, who flew quickly, hit Hills.
“Cough.”
With tremendous power, Hills fell helplessly. Soon, with a thud! He was slammed into the ground.
“Captain Hills!!”
The party members gathered around.
“I was wrong. It’s not a power I can handle.”
Hills vomited blood and said.
Leviathan, who absorbed the demons of the demon world, was emitting an unbelievably strong power.
Hills still couldn’t move as if his bones were broken.
“Royden! Bianca! Lucas!”
Then Hills shouted out loud.
“When Arundel and Zion come out, open the gate and run away together!”
But Bianca shook her head.
“How… how can we…leave the captain alone…”
Hills gathered his strength again and slowly got up.
“We can’t all die together.”
Although it was not normal for his joints to creak, he was able to stand up by forcibly sustaining himself with his magic.
Soon another gust of wind blew. Leviathan was approaching.
“I beg you.”
Hills flew up again. And he headbutted Leviathan.
“Stupid guy.”
Unfortunately, Leviathan didn’t seem to take any shock. Hills’ eyes twisted.
Leviathan grabbed the dragon’s neck.
“If you had been on my side, we could have ruled the world together.”
Cough!
Hills groaned as if in pain.
“You were talking well earlier, but now you can’t say a word. Are you regretting it now?”
At Leviathan’s sneer, Hills twitched his mouth.
“…I… ”
“What?”
Leviathan frowned at the barely audible voice.
“I said… ”
The deflated voice had no power, but it was tinged with a sense of humor.
“…I won’t…be on the same side…with an ugly…guy… ”
As soon as he finished speaking, Leviathan threw Hills to the ground. Hills, who was slammed into the ground, causing sand to fly, didn’t budge.
“This will be your grave.”
Hills blinked slowly.
As he had anticipated, the end had come.
‘So this moment has come.’
What was he like in the past? He was trapped in eternal time, always wanting to end his life, but he didn’t have the courage to do so.
But then he met Arundel and felt time flowing again.
Excitement, anger, affection, jealousy, love, he struggled with unwanted emotions, but he knew that time was the most meaningful time in his memory.
‘I wish I could see you one last time.’
Seeing Leviathan’s terrifying face, he realized that it was greed.
Perhaps he will be annihilated without a chance to think about Leviathan’s power.
‘Goodbye, Arundel.’
Hills closed his eyes as if to meet his end.
‘In the next life…’
“Goodbye, Hills.”
Hills’ last thought disappeared with Leviathan’s low voice.
Bang!
A gust of wind blew with a loud noise.
Hills’ hand twitched.
‘Huh.’
The sensation of the wind brushing past was too vivid.
By now, he should have been annihilated and unable to feel anything, but not only the pain, but also the energy around him was still there.
Feeling strange, Hills slowly opened his eyes.
And in front of him,
“Arundel…!!”
Six wings were blocking Hills’ front.
