Chapter 567: Sky Coward

A series of colossal structures, entangled with decaying vines and covered in moss, stretched before them. Their structure was closer to that of elves than human houses. Each one seemed to form a city in itself.

This was Zebrililith, the Bastion Beast. Beginning at the northernmost fortress, the infamous Fort Suzif, this monster had continued to devour the lives of countless heroes, warriors, and common folk. It was the one who led the Great Catastrophe.

Such monster that had seemed so far away and so powerful was now before them. It was within reach.

「…Terrifying…」

Eldith murmured, standing before the Bastion Beast that seemed inhuman.

Everyone did the same thing without even realizing it. Its immense size, so great that one had to look up at it, was striking in any way. Admiration, astonishment.

But the thought of having to kill it now left only a bitter sigh.

「Eldith, I’m sorry, but this is as far as we can go. Our horses can’t get any closer. The rest is up to us. You really can do it, right? 」

Using Bernard and the other soldiers as shields, we finally escaped the horde of monsters, and Eldith and I reached the area where the Great Demon Zebrililith stood. However, looking closely, it seemed it would be a battle between an elephant and an ant. The elephant wouldn’t even show a sign of pain if the ant only bit its outer skin.

If we were going to bite it, then it would have to be its heart.

In other words, Eldith and I needed to go even further in order to accomplish such feat.

「Of course. Isn’t a knight’s duty to trust their master? 」

「…Okay, okay, I understand. I trust you, Your Majesty! 」

「Very well…Since it is a precious request coming from you, then let’s do it grandly. 」

There was no falsehood in Eldith’s voice, which even contained a smile. Or rather, I didn’t recall seeing her show any mercy in anything.

「…」

Her small lips began to chant. Though her voice was barely audible, it contained a shock that resembled lightning. Her blessing and curse caused the ground to tremble.

In that instant, the vibrations that had been beating through my entire body disappeared. The horse I was riding could no longer strike the ground.

The horse was galloping through the air. Actually, it suddenly grew wings, no, it could kick through the air. Eldith had simply used her spirited magic to send us, horse and all, flying. The horse neighed in surprise, and my vision flickered. Dust and death snow covered my eyes.

Of course, I had always longed to fly. But I would’ve preferred a gentler way to fly. No, this wasn’t flying, it was jumping.

Eldith was breathing heavily, clearly struggling to make it happen. Not only did she have to send us flying, but we also had to land safely on one of the structures that made Zebrililith’s body.

At this point, it wouldn’t be a laughing matter if I ended up crushed to death after a failed landing.

「Lugis… Don’t bite your tongue. 」

I gritted my teeth at the words whispered in my ear. Eldith’s slender body felt even closer.

Next, I felt a sudden drop. The air that had been spinning around me instantly regained gravity. I held my breath, bracing myself for the impact, my internal organs threatening to burst out.

However, contrary to my expectations, the horse landed safely on the edge of the structure with a surprisingly leisurely gait.

Honestly, I thought the horse’s legs would be ruined, but it seemed surprisingly fine as it pounded the ground with its hooves. I had thought Eldith’s spirited magic…or curse…was a powerful, secret magical art, but it seemed it was capable of such delicate tasks as well.

「…I was hoping to eventually do something on an army scale. But that’s obviously impossible. Just us and the horse almost burned out my nerves. I was trying to imitate Drigman, but it didn’t work out so well. 」

「Hey, wait! If that’s the case, then you should’ve told me earlier. If it was dangerous, then I would have taken other measures. 」

「No way. 」

Eldith dismounted her horse, while showing her beautiful shining blue eyes. I noticed that her lips twisted maliciously. I involuntarily furrowed my eyebrows.

I’d realized by now that she usually said something awful when she was like this.

「You’re always pushing yourself to the limit, but when someone else tries to push themselves too hard, you desperately try to stop them. It’s annoying, you know. Do you still think that everything will be fine if you’re the only one pushing yourself? 」

On Zebrililith’s body. Eldith said while putting her foot on the decaying ruins. Her voice, while seemingly pushing me away, also gripped me.

I paused for a moment before speaking.

「…If it were possible, then I’d like it to be. A world where everything can be resolved just by me running around. That would be amazing. 」

I knew Eldith would look displeased. But it was my true feelings.

It was only in this era that I finally learned to rely on others…to use them, so to speak. The fact that a single adventurer could reach this point was undoubtedly due to someone else’s help. What I had accomplished alone was limited.

But even so…I couldn’t help but wish that everything could be solved by myself. I wondered if that was what a hero was supposed to be.

Relying on someone on the battlefield or in dire straits inevitably put that person in danger. I couldn’t consider such a cheap price to pay so that I could achieve my goals.

…Just as the disappearance of the Jewel Bar Agathos could never be seen as a cheap price.

I intertwined my fingers with the hilt of my treasure sword.

「If I rely on someone and that person is lost as a result, then I’ll never be able to move on. I don’t think you want that for me either. 」

「I see, it’s good to hear some of your thoughts, Lugis. 」

Eldith started walking through the building.

「So, you’ll never forget me no matter what happens. Yes, I thought so. Very good. I don’t mind if you rely on me and never forget me. 」

「Eldith, you’re saying nonsense again…!」

It was the moment when Eldith uttered a flippant remark and shrugged her shoulders…

Yes, it all happened in an instant. Like a beast devouring its prey that had entered its territory in one gulp.

…A sharp black blade crawled out from the depths of the ruins and pierced Eldith’s chest.

—

「Ah…」

High in the sky.

It wasn’t the imitation flight like the one used by Eldith, but the true power of flight that dominated the sky. A copper-looking being muttered.

「That’s no good. 」

「No good? 」

The jewel-manipulating magical devilish being named Leu soared through the sky with the assistance of the copper dragon Shadraput.

Leu thought that flying was a strange feeling. Everything below seemed tiny. Objects that each had a name and meaning seemed terribly weak.

She wondered if one of the reasons the dragons of the past were arrogant was that they were rulers of the sky.

Shadraput, the surviving dragon, nodded in response to Leu’s question.

「Killing Zebrililith is impossible, isn’t it? 」

Shadraput said calmly, as if uttering the result of her observations from the sky. Leu felt astonishment and suspicion before she could react to Shadraput’s words.

The dragon named Shadraput that Leu knew was timid, prone to running away, and always trying to disrupt things with nonsense…yes, a strange, or perhaps even amusing, being…difficult to respect, but endearing.

However, all of that atmosphere was gone from the Shadraput today. She embraced Leu, while her red hair flown in the air and her two wings spread wide in the sky.

「There was a chance to kill Zebrililith, no, the Spirit God, before he truly woke up. Even the strongest can be killed while sleeping…But now he’s awake. He must have been influenced by his own kind. 」

Leu’s face turned pale while Shadraput remained completely calm. She gasped, realizing that the copper-colored dragon before her had absolutely no intention of helping Lugis and the others who were in danger.

Her slender body buried her fingers in the dragon’s shoulder.

「…Shad. You…You’ve never said anything like that before! 」

Leu had no recollection of Shadraput mentioning that Zebrililith was asleep. Even less so the possibility that he could awaken due to influence from his own kind.

Unpleasant thoughts swirled within Leu’s mind. Emotions flickered across her pale cheeks. Shadraput spoke to the breathless Leu with utter disregard for emotion.

「…? Why should I fully side with someone who can kill me? It doesn’t matter to me whether Lugis wins or Zebrililith wins. 」

To Shadraput’s mind, one threat to her life had to be eliminated. That was Shadraput’s joy.

Lugis’ request was merely to buy time. It was a strategic move to defeat Altia.

But he would never be able to defeat Altia if he were to die here.

Then, it would have been better if he were the one to die then. To Shadraput, Lugis, who had killed Vrilligant, was far more terrifying than Zebrililith, who had lost everything but instinct.

Shadraput would be farther away from death if the man capable of killing all things were to die.

「…I understand perfectly. 」

Leu’s words rang through the air. At the same time, her eyes were filled with crimson hue. The jewels responded to her will, swirling through the air and sharpening their magical power. Fierce rage trembled the girl’s arms, striking the dragon’s cheek.

「…What are you doing? I haven’t broken the contract, nor have I lied. Dealing with what frightens is only natural for a living being. 」

Leu roared dismissively in response to Shadraput’s words.

「…You’re always afraid because you keep abandoning people like that! You keep abandoning others, so that’s why you think you’ll be next! You’re not just cowardly, in fact, you’re a very despicable being! 」

The jewels flew through the air, revealing the overwhelming rage that seemed to spill from her slender body.

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