Episode 235
It was a world engulfed by the winter of the universe, a realm swept by the chill of the apocalypse.
In this world, the Shadow Lord raised his head.
Bubbles floated around the Immortal Navigator, Frederic, one by one being swallowed by the encroaching cold. Soon, within the bubbles of the Navigator’s grimoire, Bubbles of the Apocalypse, only one scene remained.
A universe frozen to its end.
“The world will end in ice. Ah, how true those words are.”
The Navigator finally spoke, but it was not with the confusion he had shown moments before.
“Forgive me, child who claims the title of Shadow Lord.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you took what was mine and declared yourself the Shadow Lord, I thought you were merely a usurper.”
”…”
“But you have the right. Just like me, you have the right to contend for the throne of shadows.”
Was he about to surrender? No, that wasn’t it.
“As a worthy adversary, I truly respect you.”
Once more, tendrils writhed beneath the Navigator’s feet, and bubbles began to rise.
True to its name, Bubbles of the Apocalypse contained within each bubble a world that had perished after the end.
Without exception, they were worlds that had met their end in the winter of the universe.
Pop!
The bubbles burst simultaneously, releasing the ‘end of the world’ contained within. The apocalyptic chill poured out like a flood, threatening to engulf Dale’s existence, but he reached out against it.
The Shadow Heart and the circle accelerated, scattering primordial darkness.
“Do you still deny the truth of futility?”
The Navigator questioned.
“When this world ends in ice and is swallowed by darkness once more, what meaning do you think our struggles hold?”
“As I said, the end of the world means nothing to me.”
“Are you turning away from the truth?”
Endless bubbles burst, releasing the ‘end of the world’ within them. It was a wave of relentless cold.
Yet, against the apocalyptic chill, Dale scattered primordial darkness, swallowing the flood of cold into the shadows.
“My father told me to think of things that do not become futile in the face of death.”
“There is nothing that does not become futile in the face of death. People die, stars die, and eventually, even this universe will meet its end. Look at the winter of the universe we are unfolding. That is the truth.”
It was as he said. The world of thought Dale was unfolding, and the world the Navigator had trapped within the bubbles, all pointed to one scene.
A world ending in ice.
People die, stars die, the universe dies, and the world dies.
Neither of the two great wizards claiming the title of Shadow Lord denied this fact.
Yet, regarding that conclusion, the two wizards offered each other diverging answers.
“Do you know why joyful things come to an end?”
Thus, Dale asked. The unexpected question made the Navigator tilt his head in curiosity.
“So that sad and painful things can also end.”
Joyful things end so that sad and painful things can also end.
“The end of this world is for the same reason. And that end is not as futile as you think.”
”…”
“But in your eternal life, Navigator, surely joyful things and sad, painful things never truly end. Does the end of the world still seem so futile and dreadful to you?”
Dale asked. For a moment, the Navigator remained silent.
There was just a young boy standing there.
And that boy was asking Dale why there was an end to this world.
He was asking what meaning there was in a world that would eventually end.
“Just as joyful things end, accept that the existence of an end allows sad and painful things to end as well.”
Dale continued before the child.
“Truly, what is futile and meaningless is that which has no end. Like your life, Navigator.”
“How amusing.”
“Even if you meet your end here, nothing will change. I still have joyful things to end.”
“And what might that be?”
“To bring down the Empire of Fire and Light and see the end of my revenge.”
Dale replied coldly.
“As I said, things with an end are not so futile and meaningless. There is nothing more dreadful and futile than endless revenge.”
”…”
The young boy burst into laughter. At the same time, endless bubbles rose from the ground he stood on.
Bubbles of the apocalypse, containing the end of the world.
Those bubbles once again reflected an end.
──The final defeat of the Immortal Navigator before the Shadow Lord.
Seeing this, the Navigator let out a bitter smile.
“So, you were my death.”
He finally understood.
Witnessing his own end, the young boy laughed. It was so funny, so amusing, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Come, my death.”
With a shuddering sound, the tendrils beneath the Navigator began to rise.
The distance between the two, who had seemed to be conversing face-to-face, began to stretch endlessly.
A mere few meters became tens, hundreds, thousands of meters.
And from beyond those kilometers, massive tendrils began to rise.
A colossal being wrapped in tendrils finally stood.
To protect its master, the grimoire Bubbles of the Apocalypse descended in the form of an avatar.
Boom, boom!
The mass of tendrils crashed down to crush Dale, and at the same time, the aura heart within Dale exploded.
The warrior clad in the armor of the Night Raven Knight leaped forward.
Even as the distance between the two continued to widen, it finally began to close.
Boom, boom!
The tendrils surged endlessly, crashing down, and the warrior drew his beloved sword.
The Peacemaker shone brilliantly, and one of the tendrils was torn to shreds, leaving no trace.
Nearby, Shub’s laughter echoed.
Dale charged on, undeterred.
The distance closed, and the mass of tendrils surged. The Peacemaker swung.
Tick.
The moving clock hand stopped.
And in that very moment, the otherworldly warrior leaped forward.
He ran up the tendril swinging toward him, continuing his charge.
The stopped second hand moved again, and bubbles boiled up on the tendrils once more.
Bubbles and tendrils crashed down toward Dale, and at that moment, ashes began to scatter from beneath his feet.
The ashes of annihilation imbued in the Book of Cold Ashes.
The Lord of Ashes stood by Dale’s side, and Shub joined the fray, unleashing her tendrils.
The colossal being of tendrils let out an ear-splitting roar.
Before it, Dale’s existence seemed as insignificant as a mayfly. But it made no difference.
Even a mere mosquito can sometimes take a person’s life.
The distance closed, and the colossal tendrils crashed down right in front of him.
In response, the ashes of annihilation and Shub’s tendrils scattered, and the otherworldly warrior tore into the giant’s body.
All the while, the Shadow Heart accelerated endlessly, scattering ‘primordial darkness.’
The power of creation.
That very darkness transformed into a weapon of the otherworld, crashing down upon the giant.
Just as he had once faced the monsters threatening Earth as a ‘monster hunter.’
The sky was covered with armored dragons, and bombers rained down a barrage of fire.
On the ground, countless missiles were launched, creating a battlefield where the hellish flames of war raged.
Even the Blood Alliance trembled in awe of the empire of steel.
What Dale was overlaying onto this world was that very empire of violence.
Boom, boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed. Primordial darkness and apocalyptic cold, and flames of annihilation that belonged to neither, raged.
Yet, the ‘otherworldly warrior’ remained undeterred. He plunged into the giant’s body, tearing through the horrific flesh and bone.
Toward the immortal monster waiting for death at the end.
Cutting down the endless mass of tendrils rising within the giant’s body, Dale moved forward.
Finally, like the great hall of a castle, the empty chamber of flesh revealed itself.
At the center of that hall was the young boy waiting for death.
“Ah, you’ve come. My death.”
As if he had expected it, the empty eyes smiled bitterly.
Dale adjusted his grip on the sword and continued forward.
The distance closed.
The young boy neither fled nor resisted. He simply accepted the approaching Dale.
“Why couldn’t I realize it sooner?”
The young boy murmured weakly.
Dale silently raised his sword. At that moment.
─ It’s not too late.
A voice was heard.
It was the girl with the horns of a mountain goat, who had remained silent until now.
“Oh, Lize… my beloved daughter.”
Shub quietly approached the Immortal.
To the Immortal, it was never a repulsive mass of tentacles.
“I can’t even remember why I was so obsessed with the shadows.”
The Immortal laughed bitterly.
“What could have been so important that I had to sacrifice my precious daughter?”
─ It’s okay now, Dad.
Shub, and at the same time, the Immortal’s daughter, Lize, smiled.
─ It’s all over now.
The end.
It was exactly as the vision of the apocalypse had shown.
The Immortal’s final moment.
“I never imagined the word ‘end’ could sound so sweet.”
Yet, the Immortal’s face, as he accepted the end, was filled with an indescribable peace.
His beloved daughter wrapped herself around him, and above them, Dale silently drove his sword down.
Thud!
Dale’s blade pierced the Immortal’s heart. Blood splattered, and a faint smile lingered on the Immortal’s face.
His body began to fade away.
And until the last of the ashes disappeared, Shub stayed silently by her father’s side.
Only when the final speck of ash vanished did Shub rise.
The little girl was gone.
In her place stood the Mother of Shadows, gazing at the Lord of Shadows with a dignified smile.
The trial was over.
The Empire of Shadows would finally bow at Dale’s feet.
The long-awaited moment had arrived.
It was time to bring down the Empire of Fire and Light and teach the Golden Lord his end.