Chapter 831

Chapter 831
“Julien!”
Deneb shrieked, her arm stretching out in a desperate reach. In that heartbeat, a torrent of celestial energy erupted from her frame like a solar flare, surging forward to envelop Julien.
Julien ground his teeth together, summoning every flickering ember of his remaining vitality. The entirety of his spirit companions materialized, forming a protective phalanx around his battered body.
Escape was an impossibility—the concentrated breath of several dragons descended upon him from every angle. His only choice was to hold his ground and endure.
Kwoaaaaaaaaaaang!
A colossal detonation ripped through the artificial twilight of the sky. Nearby stone and metal disintegrated into fine powder, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Even Arterion, standing at a significant remove, was forced to manifest multiple layers of 9th-Circle arcane barriers to shield Deneb and the sacred altar.
Even with his vast power, the dragon lord had to relentlessly pump mana into the defenses just to keep the shockwave from shattering them. The sheer magnitude of the collision was staggering.
Kuuuuuuuuuuum…
As the echoes died down, a thick shroud of pulverized debris rose, masking the aftermath in a grey veil.
One of the dragons conjured a gust of wind magic to sweep away the grit, gradually revealing the figure within.
“Kh…!”
Julien hacked up a spray of crimson and collapsed to his knees. Despite the gore, his gaze remained ignited with an indomitable spark of life.
Kvarnex, the dragon who had been locked in direct combat with him, spoke with a tone that carried a hint of genuine respect.
“Remarkable. That you managed to survive such a strike.”
The onslaught just delivered was one that even a dragon would struggle to survive. Even the Adversary had always chosen to evade when multiple dragons synchronized their breath attacks.
Yet the hero, boxed in from all sides, had absorbed the full, combined fury of the dragons and lived to tell of it.
Naturally, the Saintess’s intervention with her holy aura had played a part. But even considering that, the dragons had not held back, unconcerned with whether the hero was completely vaporized.
Nevertheless, Julien had proven far more resilient than they had anticipated.
“He is at his limit, however. One final push should be sufficient.”
Dragons could not unleash their breath in rapid succession. But looking at Julien’s current state, such a devastating move was no longer required.
Ziinng—! Ziinng—! Ziinng—!
The heavens were suddenly crowded with a multitude of glowing magic circles.
If those myriad spells were released simultaneously, Julien would have no hope of survival.
“Kh…!”
Julien spat out more blood and forced his chin up.
The effort of blocking the dragons’ breath had hollowed out his reservoir of strength. He lacked the energy to call upon his spirits again.
In truth, he lacked the energy to even remain upright.
‘That voice…’
For a fleeting second, he was certain he had heard someone. A voice that claimed it possessed the means to assist him.
Julien, his features gaunt and drained of color, scanned his surroundings. He found only ruin.
‘Was it merely a hallucination…’
Perhaps his mind, pushed to the brink of extinction, had conjured a phantom hope.
Casting aside the thought of salvation, Julien forced his trembling limbs to move, pushing himself up. His gore-slicked hand tightened its grip on his blade.
“…Deneb.”
He had to persist. Regardless of the cost, he had to ensure Deneb’s safety.
That singular objective was all that remained of his consciousness.
But… by what means?
He had pinned his hopes on Astion spiraling Deneb away to safety, but that plan had crumbled.
He could not overcome these foes in a direct clash. Yet, surrender was not an option.
Step.
Though his gait was unsteady, Julien lurched forward.
Every agonizing inch was for Deneb.
Observing his approach, the dragons bared their teeth in a predatory snarl.
He could still walk? The tenacity of his soul was infuriating. However, the end was finally in sight.
“We must modulate our output. He might expire prematurely otherwise.”
A dragon grunted and loosed a focused spell.
Boom!
The kinetic force sent Julien tumbling through the air before he slammed back into the earth.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A succession of spells from the other dragons hammered into him.
They purposely limited their power to keep him from dying instantly—but to the battered Julien, every impact was a soul-shaking trauma.
“Kh…”
Julien continued to cough up blood as he dragged himself across the crimson-stained soil. Every time his fingers gripped the earth, they left a trail of red.
The legendary champion who had stood toe-to-toe with the Adversary and challenged the dragon flight was gone.
In his place was a man crawling like an insect, his only accomplishment being that his heart still beat.
His vision grew foggy as the light faded from his eyes, but his mind clung to a solitary thought.
‘Deneb… I will… protect you…’
Coated in a mixture of blood and ash, he fought to crawl toward her.
The dragons’ expressions turned to stone.
“That stubborn man…”
“Does he truly hold his own existence in such low regard?”
“That human maggot, once celebrated as a savior, has become nothing more than a nuisance.”
The dragons voiced their irritation and contempt. Yet, beneath their arrogance, an unsettling feeling began to take root.
They couldn’t continue the physical pummeling. If they pushed any harder, the hero’s life would flicker out.
Of course, even if Julien perished, there were other companions of the Saintess they could utilize as leverage.
But this hero was a unique asset—even to the dragons. If he died and the Saintess fell into a catatonic state of grief, their leverage would vanish.
Arterion, likewise, did not want the Saintess to become unpredictable through the madness of loss.
“A terrifying will. Does he really intend to never let his spirit shatter?”
It was a daunting task even for dragons to mentally subjugate someone of his caliber.
Transforming him into an undead thrall to bind his soul was even more complex. His spirit was too untainted, and their own transgressions would only fuel his spiritual malice.
Therefore, they required a method to break the Saintess’s resolve without killing the man she loved.
To achieve that, they had to be more sadistic—they had to make his existence a tragedy.
After a brief deliberation, Arterion snapped his fingers.
“Turn him into a mindless husk. In his current fragility, it should be achievable. Every time the Saintess resists us, sever one of his limbs and hand it over for research.”
“Arterion!”
Deneb gasped, looking at him with pure horror.
Arterion remained cold and detached.
“Saintess, was I not clear? Those who fought and fell are beyond help, but remember—many of your friends are still alive beyond these walls.”
“Why… why must you be so monstrous…?”
“I give you a dragon’s vow—if you refuse to offer yourself for the seal, or if you seek the release of death, we will have our retribution. We will lobotomize your friends, turn them into mental slaves, raise them as corpses, and employ every agony we know to torture them.”
“…”
“Your spirit will be forced to watch their suffering from the void and weep for all time.”
Tears carved paths down Deneb’s face.
Arterion wasn’t bluffing. He intended to systematically demolish Deneb’s psyche—until she had no thought other than total submission.
Boom!
The dragons touched down. One of them shifted into a human vessel and walked toward Julien.
An eerie white radiance began to pulse between the dragon’s palms.
That light was designed to invade Julien’s psyche and incinerate his consciousness entirely.
“I shall personally transform you into a hollow shell. Until the Saintess complies, you will be nothing more than a specimen—our puppet.”
Julien managed to lurch to his feet, swaying violently. In this broken state, he had no way to fight back.
Finally, Deneb let out a broken scream, unable to endure the sight.
“Stop! Please, stop! Fine! I’ll—”
Before the words could leave her lips, a rasping voice cut her off.
“Don’t.”
“Julien…”
“Do not… surrender… to these monsters…”
“But…”
“Don’t… preserve… a world like this…”
Arterion’s brow twitched.
It wasn’t a roar—Julien lacked the breath for such a thing.
Yet that low murmur carried with perfect clarity. Everyone on the battlefield heard it.
Even the dragon moving to strike paused, sensing a shift in the atmosphere.
Julien, with his head hanging low, continued to speak only to Deneb.
“I’m… fine…”
“The others… they will… survive…”
“So… do not…”
“Do not remain… a prisoner here… for our sake…”
With hands that would not stop shaking, Julien lifted his blade.
If he were taken alive, Deneb would inevitably break under their threats.
He decided to end his own life—to strip the dragons of their primary weapon of coercion.
But his hand faltered. Not out of fear.
‘…Deneb.’
If he died here, Deneb would be consumed by an abyss of sorrow—and she would eventually sacrifice herself anyway to save the others.
That was simply her nature.
Clang.
Julien’s sword hit the ground. He no longer had the grip strength to hold it.
Despair flooded his heart. No matter the path he chose, he could find no way to save Deneb.
With his head bowed, Julien whispered.
“What… am I supposed to do…?”
He repeated the question to the emptiness of his mind as the dragons drew closer.
Then, from the depths of his subconscious, the voice spoke again.
— Have you finally tasted a despair that has no bottom?
Julien’s breath hitched. The voice was far more distinct than before.
— I can grant you aid.
The whisper pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.
“…How can you help me?”
His voice was so thin it was almost a plea.
Even if this was a delusion, even if it was a trick of his failing mind—it didn’t matter.
Even if it was a pact with a devil, he needed a bridge out of this hopelessness.
He shut his eyes and focused.
Gradually, the mysterious whisper began to wrap around his very essence.
At that moment, Arterion, who had been watching Julien with suspicion, snapped his head upward.
Gwooooooooh…
“What is this?”
The darkness that blanketed the sky began to churn into a massive spiral.
It had been a stagnant shroud before, but now it felt predatory—a harbinger of something catastrophic.
Yet Julien remained still, eyes closed, speaking to the void.
“If that is possible…”
“Yes…”
“I will…”
The dragons strained their senses—but the words remained silent to them.
Naturally. Julien wasn’t addressing them.
He was in communion with something else entirely.
‘How… can I save Deneb?’
— Do you crave power?
‘I do. The power required to keep Deneb safe.’
— But this strength will consume you. It will bring agony beyond measure. It is anathema to your soul.
‘I do not care. To save Deneb, I will endure any torment.’
The voice shifted, sounding simultaneously like a mocking laugh and a mournful sob.
— Did I not warn you? This is a destiny that cannot be outrun.
‘Destiny…’
— Indeed, fate. However, it can be redirected.
‘Redirected… you mean… I can alter it?’
— This is your final opportunity to change your path. Forget the Saintess. Forget your comrades. Forsake everything and end your life now. That is the only way to sever the loop of fate.
‘…’
— If you do, the scripted future will shatter. Your virtuous soul will be welcomed into the goddesses’ realm to find peace forever.
‘…That is not happiness to me. I cannot leave Deneb to rot in this place.’
— If you embrace this power, your soul will be stained with an eternal shadow and cast into the lowest pit of the abyss. You will be loathed by every living thing. You will suffer for eternity, denied any hope of salvation. Is that truly the end you seek?
‘…If it ensures Deneb’s safety, then yes.’
Even if his life became a permanent curse.
Even if the pain never ended.
Even if he was lost forever…
Ssshhhhh…
Julien’s hair began to drain of color, turning a void-like black. Shadows pulsed beneath his skin like living things.
Paaaaaak!
From his shoulder blades, a pair of wings erupted—wings composed of solidified darkness.
They were the silhouettes left behind when a great light finally burns out.
The ultimate glory—and the most profound hopelessness.
‘…If that is truly my lot in life.’
Julien slowly lifted his face.
His eyes, which once held a radiance that put the stars to shame, were now twin pools of infinite night.
That shadowed gaze settled upon Deneb.
The deepest darkness was now looking at the one unreachable light—aching for it.
‘I will…’
A solitary tear cut through the grime on his cheek.
‘…love even a fate as cruel as this.’