Chapter 264

Chapter 264 – Ah, No. I, I’m Wyvern

At this point, only Zaypo and the five remaining Decullan mages were left standing.

Their forces had been heavily depleted, yet Aster was also in a highly critical state.

Furthermore, these five individuals were the resilient survivors of a brutal conflict, meaning they were formidable adversaries.

Consequently, the clash grew increasingly grim as the wyvern rested powerlessly on the ground, observing the unfolding struggle.

Kwaaang—!

“……Kuhk!”

A sudden, brilliant burst of light flared up, causing Aster to release an unsuppressed groan of agony.

His energy had degraded so severely that blocking basic magical strikes was now beyond him, and from the wyvern’s perspective, Aster’s vitality was wavering dangerously, hovering on the brink of total collapse.

The Decullan mages clearly perceived Aster’s profound fatigue and intensified the cruelty of their offenses. Among them, Zaypo proved to be the most calculating and dangerous.

He refrained from utilizing the grandiose magic he had displayed previously.

Instead, he shrewdly shattered the earth to disrupt his target’s footing, obstructed paths to shield his comrades, and executed precise strikes whenever a vulnerability emerged—though these actions were intended solely to deplete Aster’s remaining strength, nothing more.

He resembled a predator methodically wearing down an injured quarry… though driven by far greater malice.

Naturally, Aster resisted with everything he had, but subduing Decullan mages who had mentally prepared themselves for a battle of attrition was an exceptionally difficult feat.

Throughout this ordeal.

The wyvern pondered with blank, unseeing eyes.

‘……Why.’

For what reason did humans possess such a desperate urge to destroy one another?

‘Why, exactly…….’

What compelled Aster, the individual it had bound itself to, to endure such a punishing conflict?

This was a concept the spirit wyvern simply could not grasp.

The lifespans of mortals were incredibly brief. Their remaining days were far too valuable to waste on anything other than joy, experiencing only the beautiful aspects of existence. Why, then, could they not merely seek contentment within that fleeting window? Or did they truly derive pleasure from such mutual annihilation?

In truth, the behavior of humanity was of no consequence to the wyvern. It harbored no desire to understand. It was merely… horrifying.

‘……Friend, dying.’

A existence already so brief. Why consume oneself in this manner? What did they pursue with such intensity that they would flicker like a vulnerable spark before the impending gale of mortality?

……In the distance.

A fresh contingent entered the wyvern’s field of vision.

They were more Decullan mages. Accompanying them were soldiers wielding spears and blades, along with a few individuals radiating a menacing pressure, unmistakably knights.

The organized force marching forward represented Aster’s impending demise.

An unavoidable doom.

How unyielding and cruel!

Kwaduk!

“……One.”

Aster gripped the neck of a nearby mage and twisted it sharply. The vitality vanished instantly from the mage’s eyes as their body went limp.

Thud!

By the time the corpse hit the dirt, Aster had already shifted positions.

“Kuuh, khek!”

A squad leader, caught in the middle of channeling a spell while managing backflowing mana, fell into a brief panic at Aster’s sudden proximity, but a merciless fist quickly collided with his face.

Before the man could collapse, a follow-up blow struck him.

Right at that moment, several projectiles rained down toward Aster.

Whiiiish!

Kwaduk!

He contorted his body frantically to evade the assault, but a projectile tore through his shoulder.

His momentum was broken violently, sending him to the ground. Concurrently, the squad leader who had taken the blow to the face fell over beside him.

While Aster and the squad leader both struggled on the dirt, a bolt of lightning descended from above, striking Aster directly.

Pajijik!

Aster’s body spasmed violently, his eyes rolling upward. The mage responsible for the lightning shouted, “Now!”, prompting the fallen squad leader to frantically attempt to regain his footing. At least, that was his intention.

Grab.

“……Where.”

“Y-You monster……!”

The squad leader attempted to kick away Aster’s hand, which was firmly anchoring his ankle, but his head was violently forced back by Aster’s unyielding grip. That marked the final experience for the unnamed squad leader.

Because.

Fwoosh—!

Intense, deep red fire erupted from Aster’s palm, turning the body to ash.

“Kwaaaaah!”

As the agonizing final shriek vibrated along the mountain trail, a soft, pristine light began to radiate across Aster’s form. In that very instant, revitalized by the Light of Healing, Aster leaped forward off the ground.

“……!”

Caught off guard by the sudden movement, the mage who had cast the lightning spell failed to conceal his alarm as Aster closed the distance. He retreated in haste, but Zaypo immediately provided defensive support.

Obstacles erupted from the terrain, with jagged stone spikes protruding from the newly formed barriers.

However.

Flash!

“……Two.”

Aster materialized on the other side of the structure. A resounding blast echoed.

Kwaduduk!

Yet another mage reached the end of their life.

Following that……

“Three.”

The Crimson Jade, suddenly levitating, cut viciously through the air in accordance with Aster’s focused gaze, causing another mage to drop motionless.

“You bastard……!”

Zaypo’s furious cry boomed as the ground quaked violently. A massive wave of displaced earth surged toward Aster like a devastating tide.

Aster, insulated by a protective barrier, evaded the rushing soil and accelerated toward the fourth mage.

As if attempting to block his path, an immense wall manifested before him. Yet, even this obstacle proved incapable of halting Aster’s advance.

Kwadududuk! Boom!

“……!”

Aster shattered right through the barrier, appearing directly in front of his target. The mage desperately attempted to formulate a defense, but Aster was a moment quicker.

“Guk!”

Seizing the mage’s hair in a brutal grasp, he forcefully drove their face into the hard ground repeatedly. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Eliminating the fifth and final mage required very little exertion.

Simply……

Pew!

“Kuh……khek!”

Discharging the Crimson Jade was sufficient to settle the matter.

Consequently.

Thud!

As the fifth mage fell lifeless onto the earth, Aster, drawing heavy, labored breaths, locked his gaze onto Zaypo.

“Are we the only ones remaining now?”

“……”

Zaypo offered no verbal response.

A piercing, cold gust blew through the space separating them. Debris drifted through the air, and as the wind swept past, the distant forest fires sparked by the collateral damage of their battle glowed against the horizon.

Down below the scarred mountain path, the main body of Decullan’s forces was advancing. These reinforcements had been rapidly mobilized from the encampment upon realizing the conflict was taking far too long.

Aster was entirely conscious of their approach, yet he maintained an remarkably serene demeanor.

“To be perfectly frank, I never anticipated the situation escalating to this degree. I genuinely believed this was a routine extraction assignment.”

“This old man shares that sentiment.”

“Our positions are perfectly transparent, so there is no utility in stalling. I intend to end your life right here. And you desire to finish me with your own hands, correct?”

Zaypo remained silent.

There was no denying the truth of those words.

Remaining stationary would inevitably result in the arrival of friendly forces, and regardless of how exceptional the tower lord might be, he could not withstand an entire army.

However, Zaypo harbored no desire to cede the honor of defeating the tower lord to anyone else.

Even if it required sacrificing his remaining vitality, the final blow had to be delivered by his own hand. ……Even if it cost him his very existence.

“Let us prepare, then.”

“……”

Further dialogue became redundant. Instead, the intensifying magical energy saturating the atmosphere signaled the impending conclusion of the struggle.

Aster and Zaypo remained perfectly still, focusing their remaining reserves on the final incantations intended to claim the other’s life. Complex sorcery was unnecessary at this stage.

In their current states, a basic offensive spell would be more than enough to prove fatal.

Thus, a single factor would determine the outcome.

The speed and accuracy of their execution.

Pajijik, pajik!

Static discharged as they battled for control over the local magical currents.

Zaypo, having grown accustomed to the tower lord’s disruptive aura, constructed layered and reinforced magical arrays, while Aster worked to shatter the formations before they could fully stabilize.

It was a sophisticated contest of magical precision that would have overwhelmed the mind of any ordinary caster. Neither individual managed to secure a definitive advantage.

As the ambient mana groaned under the strain and brilliant sparks illuminated the sky……

“Let us conclude this.”

Aster managed to finalize his incantation a fraction of a second earlier.

Kwaduk!

A solitary projectile of flame manifested in the air.

It possessed no intricate refinements, remaining entirely basic in its form, reminiscent of what a novice student might conjure.

For a spell originating from the holder of the Fourth Seat of the Seven Mages, it appeared remarkably underwhelming, yet neither combatant paid any mind to its appearance.

The sole detail that carried any weight was……

Its capacity to kill.

Or its failure to do so.

Naturally, its destructive potential was more than sufficient.

……Kwaduk!

“……”

Zaypo stared down stupidly at his own torso, which had been transfixed by the fiery projectile.

It felt as though the progression of time had ground to a halt; the crimson spray erupting from his chest seemed to move at an incredibly leisurely pace. Expectedly, he felt no physical pain. There was only……

‘……It is finished.’

The absolute certainty of his own demise filled his consciousness.

Within that unnaturally elongated moment, Zaypo suddenly envisioned his deceased companion.

‘Coxen, you fool.’

Did you truly find it necessary to precede me in death?

Given the overwhelming nature of that adversary, there was little else that could have been done. Now, I am about to join you.

Even so.

“Heh, heh.”

As the standard progression of time asserted itself, his balance failed and his perspective shifted. Zaypo looked toward the descending sun and let out a faint, weary chuckle.

“Regardless…… I achieved my vengeance.”

In his final moments, as his vision began to darken, a muffled “Kwaduk!” detonation vibrated within Zaypo’s consciousness.

It was the sound of a delayed-trigger spell executing its command, rupturing the torso of the tower lord.

The Fourth Seat of the Seven Mages.

The Ruler of Earth, Zaypo von Draksen, had perished.

……And directly ahead of him, the tower lord collapsed to the earth, his chest heavily ruptured.

As the vibrant spark of life rapidly diminished, a solitary spirit fluttered its wings weakly.

[Friend, do not. Friend.]

The wyvern mobilized its fading physical presence to position Aster flat on the ground, shifting its form in a desperate bid to halt the heavy flow of blood from the wound.

[Why, why depart. Why. You promised, me. The Moonlight Stone.]

The strike had bypassed the heart, but the physical vessel had endured far too much trauma, rendering death an absolute certainty.

And that outcome was rapidly approaching.

[Ah, no. I, I am a wyvern.]

The entity let out a sorrowful sound as its structural integrity began to dissolve. As the mortal partner neared the threshold of death, the metaphysical tie connecting them began to unravel.

[I, I am a wyvern. I am a wyvern, yet……]

Was this truly the final outcome?

It refused to reconcile with this reality.

It was imperative to preserve his life.

It was imperative to shield him.

Hostile forces were converging in massive quantities. In this manner…… in this exact manner, its companion would be seized by those malicious entities!

Had it ever experienced such profound despair over its own lack of capability before this moment?

No, never.

[I, I detest this. No. No.]

The wyvern glared bitterly at Aster’s losing color and the approaching military columns further down the incline.

It shifted its mass to put pressure on the injury while attempting to summon whatever meager power it had left to hold back the advancing forces.

However.

The effort was insignificant. A spirit whose connection to its anchor was actively fraying possessed no meaningful strength.

‘I beg of you…… please.’

The wyvern…… or rather, the spirit that was rapidly stripped of its identity, offered a desperate plea.

Preserve my companion. Halt the malicious forces. If such a thing were possible…… it would willingly surrender its entire existence without a single regret.

A completely unadulterated desire.

An emotion entirely devoid of self-interest, achievable only by a spiritual entity.

Aster’s respiration grew fainter.

Its own physical manifestation grew increasingly transparent.

……For the very first time, the entity experienced true terror regarding the near-endless lifespan ahead of it, alongside a deep bitterness toward its current, helpless state.

If it only possessed the necessary strength.

If that were the case……

Right at that moment.

[……?]

Wooong—

A luminous Fire Mark materialized upon Aster’s chest.

Concurrently, an unfamiliar voice resonated directly within the wyvern’s consciousness.

It delivered a quiet proposition.

• Relinquish your eternal existence.

And then……

• In exchange, I shall provide you with strength.

An incredibly alluring and irresistible proposition.