Episode 196

― KWADUK! KWAZIK!

Flesh splattered and the sound of blades striking flesh rang out from all directions.

Where the immortal legions and the coalition forces were tangled together in battle, only screams and cries could be heard.

In the midst of this chaos, everyone—whether living or dead—turned their eyes to the sky.

The sky, tinged a soft violet by the Lord of the Dead’s aura, glowed with a dreamy hue. Etched across it was the sight of Erich, adorned in golden flames, and the afterimage of the Lord of the Dead pursuing him.

Unlike the clash on the ground, their battle was of a completely different scale—a fight between transcendents.

The two were locked in aerial combat. The power unleashed by the Lord of the Dead relentlessly assaulted Erich, while golden flames surged around Erich to intercept those attacks.

― KWAGWANG!

The two forces collided, unleashing an explosive roar. Streams of multi-colored light rained down onto the battlefield below. If this were not the final battle determining the fate of the living and the dead, its beauty would have left all who saw it utterly transfixed.

― HWAHRURUK!

Some members fell back as the white light, which had burst from Erich, touched some of the dead—instantly setting them alight.

Even with the barest contact on their skin, those flames instantly engulfed each dead entirely.

Several members cheered, believing Erich’s power was sweeping away their enemies. However, at the same time—

“Uah! UAAAHHH!”

The members’ own screams followed as shards of black light from the Lord of the Dead struck some of the living, spreading over their bodies like wildfire. Those touched by this power cried out in agony.

Only then did everyone realize just how overwhelming the powers of those fighting in the sky truly were.

Even without getting swept directly into their battle, mere remnants of their clash could end the life of a normal human or dead in an instant.

― KWAAANG!

Ungrim, who had just flung a clump of enemies before him, narrowed his eyes at the sky.

Only now did he truly grasp how foolish it was to even try to face the Lord of the Dead.

With eyes almost on par with a Swordmaster, Ungrim felt the threat more keenly than anyone else.

The auras emanating from Erich and the Lord of the Dead no longer felt of this world by any stretch of the imagination.

Yet, Erich was clearly putting up a fierce struggle. Blades of aura split off and struck the Lord of the Dead, who in turn relentlessly unleashed waves of black energy in an effort to shoot Erich down.

But why, exactly, had Erich appeared on this battlefield?

When Erich’s first white light touched and incinerated the dead, Ungrim wondered if it was simply part of Erich’s calculations.

Yet the Lord of the Dead’s power also affected the living on the ground. In this zero-sum game, the coalition forces—with their limited numbers—were at a clear disadvantage.

The dead, after all, could not truly die; if a coalition soldier fell, another dead would rise immediately to join the enemy’s ranks.

Still, Ungrim reasoned, Erich was not so foolish as to miss that simple fact.

― PAKAKAKAKAK!

Ungrim instinctively stepped back as a vast blade of energy cut through the earth before him. He looked instinctively at the source.

Mikhail.

A man with a power far beyond that of an average swordsman. Among those standing on the ground—excluding the godlike Erich and the Lord of the Dead—he was surely the strongest here.

He was calmly cutting down the dead surrounding him. Ungrim already knew of his strength since their first encounter, but—

‘It’s honestly absurd.’

Yet, even as Erich displayed such might, Mikhail seemed completely unfazed. As if simply trusting in him.

Instead, he rotated his sword to free it from a dead behind him and turned his gaze toward Ungrim.

“Is this the time to be distracted?”

[Hmpf.]

― JJEOUK!

Ungrim nonchalantly threw a punch behind him, flattening the face of a charging Death Fear and slamming it to the ground.

Surely Mikhail—who had long stood beside Erich—placed such absolute faith in him for a reason.

With his resolve renewed, Ungrim plunged back into the battle.

*

Erich and the Lord of the Dead—two beings soared above the battlefield, walking the sky.

― Is this really the best you could think of?

He sounded derisive. Erich responded with a slight, mocking turn of his lips.

“What do you think my plan was, then?”

― Eliminating my minions from the battlefield. That must have been your goal. But you’re wrong. I can create as many minions as I please.

“You’re mistaken.”

The Lord of the Dead’s brows furrowed. His parched, shriveled skin contorted into a grotesque expression.

Erich calmly surveyed the battlefield. He had not come here simply to vanquish the dead.

How, Erich wondered, had humans truly managed to defeat dragons, beings of such vast power?

With Incensus and the Lord of the Dead—those two dragons—as the vanguard, the humans would have been outnumbered.

Yet Erich’s line of thought had taken a different direction. He believed that it was not mighty beings who had slain the dragons.

White light blossomed in Erich’s hand, carrying a familiar energy reminiscent of the flames Incensus once wielded.

It was the overwhelming white brilliance that had enveloped and blinded him at the moment of his death before returning.

‘Incensus never revealed himself. He must have simply found a better solution than directly confronting the Lord of the Dead.’

For all those years, Incensus had aided humanity, yet he never directly involved himself in their battles.

Why?

Incensus was surely strong, capable of standing on equal footing with the Lord of the Dead—nearly his peer in power.

For ages, the Lord of the Dead was repeatedly defeated. Even if he could not be destroyed outright, he was continually sealed away, his plans frustrated time and again.

And in all those years, did Incensus ever intervene directly?

No, Incensus never did. Most likely because—just as Erich was now concluding—he had a very similar realization.

‘No being is truly invincible.’

Erich kept this principle ever in mind. No matter how mighty someone’s powers may be—

Even a Swordmaster, who could cut down dozens at once, would fall if overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

History had proven this again and again; there had never been a case of one solitary figure overturning history on power alone.

And dragons, however powerful, were no exception.

Incensus had arrived at a very simple conclusion.

Rather than hoarding and concentrating strength within himself, it was better to distribute that power to many others.

It was better to share aura among hundreds of the weak than to gather it in a single mighty individual.

Thus had Incensus guided humankind and become venerated as their god.

For a long time, those called saints and sages—who left their mark on history—must have been just so.

It was those who had been granted Incensus’s power.

And the last of these was Erich himself.

Of all the people Erich had seen, he had received more of Incensus’s power than any other—so much so that, to alter the future, Incensus had even turned back time.

Yet it was never about pouring all power into a single individual.

― PAANG!

A towering pillar of white light erupted around Erich. From it, waves of faint white light spread outward, seeping into all those nearby.

At the same time, the immense power radiating from Erich faded, the force that rivaled the Lord of the Dead vanishing in an instant.

The Lord of the Dead’s eyes flicked in confusion.

― Are you insane? Squandering your strength on the worthless?

“It’s not worthless. This is what Incensus did, and it’s my conclusion as well.”

― Foolish…

Erich quickly scanned those around him. All those who shared his power now radiated aura.

However faint, aura mingled with Incensus’s power entered their bodies—glowing with newfound strength.

With a faint smile, Erich addressed the Lord of the Dead.

“Did you truly think you killed all the dragons with your own power alone?”

-… It seems you’ve come to the same foolish conclusion as Incensus. But you’re wrong. They’re useless.

Are they really? Erich played with his sword.

Perhaps, as they cut down the dragons, Incensus and the Lord of the Dead had reached different conclusions.

Incensus bestowed his power upon humans. The Lord of the Dead kept his power for himself.

In the end, though all the dragons were slain, Erich believed Incensus’s conclusion had been correct.

He gave his answer to the Lord of the Dead.

“Then watch. You’ll see who was right in the end.”

― You think I’ll just let that happen?

The Lord of the Dead’s face twisted, his expression shrouded in black energies growing even more monstrous.

― PAAANG!

Waves of dark energy rippled outward from him, powerful enough to swallow the entire battlefield. But there was no way Erich would simply allow that.

― SHWEAAAEAAAK!

Erich’s blade of energy shaved away at the Lord of the Dead’s black force. It was far weaker than before, but still enough not to be completely pushed back.

White light and black energy collided in the air where the two stood.

Clearly, Erich was being overpowered, but he did not allow the darkness to reach the battlefield.

The price, of course, was his own life—but Erich was determined to endure.

‘Until what I’ve foreseen comes to pass.’

Until the battlefield shifted exactly as Erich had planned and calculated.

Slowly, the sun was setting over the field. As the already dark violet sky lost its sunlight, the field began to drown in shadow.

But for now, the battlefield was still ablaze with light.

Erich’s white aura filled the air—the power of Incensus, the aura he had cultivated all this time, the very essence for which he now burned even his life.

And in Erich’s mind—

This was only the ‘beginning.’

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