The End of the War ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whoosh!
The moment I declared “Area declared,” a dazzlingly clear flame painted the sky. Even with my enhanced vision, it was so bright that I felt momentarily blinded.
Instinctively, I squinted. As the light dimmed slightly, I managed to assess the situation.
A low hum filled the air.
The sky had turned a deep crimson, like a gentle, undulating rhythm. It was the pure flow of fire magic.
“You! What trick are you trying to pull now?” Nergal’s voice rang out, tinged with panic.
But it was too late. The fire magic had already begun its next move. The brilliant light that danced in the air spread out, forming a barrier that descended like a falling red sky.
“Crimson Tempest!” Nergal shouted desperately.
Roar!
The fiery storm swirling around Nergal intensified, vibrating the air and spinning faster, ready to unleash its fury.
Then it happened.
Boom!
The clear flame slid down like a wave, striking the ground. Both Nergal and I looked up. We saw it.
The “Area declared” was complete, resembling an inverted glass bowl tinged with a soft red hue. And then…
“What… what is this?!” Nergal’s voice was filled with disbelief. His face was a picture of shock. The fiery storm had come to a complete halt.
“Crimson Tempest!”
”…”
“Crimson Tempest! Crimson Tempest!”
”…”
“Cr-Crimson Tempest!”
His frantic gestures were almost pitiful now. Though I wanted to watch a bit longer, I raised my left hand.
The “Area declared” was a taxing ability. Even with the “Miracle,” I had to consider the burden it would bring. The longer I delayed, the less advantageous it was for me.
‘It follows my will, doesn’t it…?’
“You cowardly human! Release this at once!”
“Idiot.”
I replied simply, aiming my raised left hand at Nergal. Then I spoke softly.
“Be consumed.”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The dark red flames surrounding Nergal changed color instantly at my command, turning into the clear hue of the fire magic.
Seeing this, I continued.
“Explode.”
In that moment.
Boom!
The stationary fiery storm erupted violently.
The explosion was massive, filling my vision. The deafening roar made me wince, but I didn’t look away this time. The sight that followed left me inwardly astonished.
Just two words.
Yet the clear flames before me soared over 20 meters high.
And that wasn’t all. The ground where Nergal stood was now a large crater, the aftermath of the explosion. Dust rose into the air, only to be consumed by the surrounding flames.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Nergal? Nowhere to be seen. No screams, no trace of him.
The explosion was so intense that the fire magic lingered in the air, like tangled electric wires, still asserting its presence.
Five seconds passed.
As the sky, already red, deepened into twilight, a thin wisp of black smoke rose.
Seeing it, I exhaled softly and released the “Area declared.” The translucent barrier vanished, and the blazing fire magic quickly dissipated.
”…”
Nothing remained where Nergal had stood. Only the scorched earth and the slowly settling dust bore witness to the explosion.
In a literal sense, he was obliterated in an instant, without a sound.
Of course, I had targeted Nergal at his weakest. Still, the result was surprising even to me.
‘They said you could control fire magic if your strength reached 101, right?’
I thought about this as I slowly moved forward. The battle wasn’t over yet.
Like in the fight with Belphegor, demons typically have two lives. In the first round, I often let them go, unaware of this fact.
By that logic, Nergal should have resurrected once more.
However, my third eye confirmed Nergal’s death, with no information appearing. This meant the explosion had indeed killed him.
There are two ways to ensure a demon’s death.
The first is the tedious method of killing them twice, once for each life.
The second is to deliver a powerful enough attack to take both lives at once.
I chose the second method. That’s why I went through the process of “Be consumed” before “Explode.” My desire to end it quickly combined with the fire magic’s unique properties, resulting in Nergal’s swift demise. It took both his lives in one go.
In any case, Nergal was dead. My third eye confirmed it, leaving no room for doubt.
Then, a thought crossed my mind.
‘What if Beelzebub finds out about this?’
I didn’t know what path Simon had taken. Why things turned out this way, or how he received the “Seed of the Demon.” But he must have gone through a rite of passage, not starting out like this.
One thing was clear: unlike the accidentally summoned Belphegor, Nergal was likely part of a carefully planned process.
No matter how long it took, stopping it in this war would surely provoke a reaction from the demon lords.
“Sigh…”
I exhaled deeply and looked up.
The sky, once red, had returned to a serene blue.
As I watched the clouds drift lazily by, a sudden dizziness hit me.
Despite the disorientation, I managed a bitter smile. Even at my peak, I couldn’t handle the “Area declared.”
Thud!
I drove the “Glory of Victoria” into the ground to steady myself. I wanted nothing more than to collapse and sleep, but I fought to stay upright, trying to appear calm as I caught my breath.
Thanks to my preparations, I could endure, unlike the times I fainted helplessly before. It was a small mercy.
Because, as I mentioned, the battle wasn’t over yet.
Rustle!
As I caught my breath, a rustling sound reached my ears. I cursed inwardly but decided to take the initiative.
“Show yourself.”
”…Out.”
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
For a moment, I worried if I had chosen the right words. But then I heard the sound of dry leaves being stepped on, indicating they understood (or chose to understand).
A woman emerged, striding confidently toward me. I summoned my strength and pointed my sword at her.
But she immediately raised her hands high in the air and spoke.
Her fluent Korean made me swallow hard. But I soon nodded. She seemed to be a mage, likely using a translation spell.
“Surrender?”
I studied the woman, who nodded lightly.
For someone claiming to surrender, she was remarkably composed. And quite beautiful.
Her hair was a captivating golden wave, her skin a pale Western hue. Her eyes sparkled with a bright orange, like the sun, and her lips were a ripe cherry red.
Though bloodstained in places, it didn’t detract from her beauty.
I took my time observing her, needing to conserve enough strength for at least one proper swing of my sword.
“When did you start hiding?”
I had only noticed her presence when I completed the “Area declared.” She blinked a couple of times before answering calmly.
“Did you see it all from the beginning?”
“Yes.”
“That’s rich. You just stood by while your master was attacked, and now you come to surrender after it’s all over.”
At my sarcastic remark, the woman shook her head.
“No, I intended to intervene. But just as I was about to step in, the commander began to transform. I was stunned by the monster that appeared. What on earth was that? A demon from myth?”
“And then…?”
I was about to continue, but stopped myself.
‘She might be hiding something.’
“And then…”
The woman glanced at me, then spoke calmly.
“Could it be… are you that monster?”
“Monster?”
“During the siege… someone blocked my Spirit Breath. Judging by what I just saw, I thought you might be that monster.”
“My Spirit Breath?”
Confused by her words, I tilted my head. But then a thought struck me, and I quickly accessed her player status with my third eye.
Name: Marcia Yesica (4th Year)
Class: Elemental Shaman of Fire (Secret, Master)
Nation: Nebula
Clan: Tyrant
True Name & Nationality: Blessed by the Dragon • USA
Sex: Female (25)
Height & Weight: 171.2 cm • 54.7 kg
Alignment: Neutral • Belief
[Strength 26] [Endurance 38] [Agility 42] [Stamina 37] [Magic 92(+2)] [Luck 87]
(No remaining stat points.)
(Currently near exhaustion due to excessive magic use. Further strain may result in stat reduction. Adequate recovery is needed.)
‘Ah.’
I let out a silent exclamation. As soon as I saw her status, my mind started racing.
Why hadn’t I realized it when I saw the dragon flame? I must have been momentarily distracted by the sudden awakening of the fire spirit.
“Even so… surrendering all of a sudden puts me in a difficult position.”
“I understand. But when I escaped, my comrades were already scattered. I witnessed something unbelievable… My mind is in turmoil, and I need time to think. Rather than being hunted down in confusion, I thought it better to surrender and become a prisoner.”
”…”
“I know it might seem shameless from the perspective of the invader, but I hope you’ll understand with the magnanimity of a victor. I’ll accept any punishment.”
The translation magic wasn’t perfect, with some awkward phrasing here and there, but it was understandable enough.
After a moment of calculation, I looked back at the woman. She still stood with her hands raised, her golden eyes meeting mine.
Then it happened.
『User’s stamina is below 30%. TOPG’s latent ability, Rage, is activated.』
『Strength, Stamina, Endurance, and Agility are temporarily boosted!』
With the timely activation of the ability, I felt a surge of power in my eyes. I slowly lowered the sword I had been aiming at her and sheathed it, asking in a measured tone.
“Are there others like you nearby? Anyone else willing to surrender?”
My response seemed to give her hope, as a brief light flickered across her face. Meanwhile, I continued to scan her with my third eye, slowly approaching.
“No, there aren’t. Some comrades escaped with me, but they scattered or fled at the sight of the monster.”
“I see. Alright, you can lower your hands now.”
With a sigh of relief, she lowered her hands. As I approached, she offered a faint smile and extended a delicate hand.
“Thank you. My name is Marcia Yesica. Despite the circumstances, it’s nice to meet you. And thank you again for accepting my surrender.”
I extended my hand in return, channeling magic as I replied softly.
“Kim Su-hyun.”
“Ah, so you’re the one who blocked my power that day…!”
But as I reached out, my hand bypassed hers and plunged into her right chest.
Thunk!
I felt the soft flesh give way beneath my fingers.
“Ah…?”
Marcia Yesica looked up at me in confusion. I gave my hand a twist and whispered in her ear.
“Surrender? Do you think I’m crazy?”
With that, I ripped out the orb I had seized.
Crack!
“Aaagh!”
Her scream pierced the air as a thin stream of blood spurted out. In that fleeting moment of disbelief, I swung my left hand with all my might at her head.
Bang!
The force of the blow shattered her head, sending a mix of blood and brain matter cascading down her once-beautiful hair.
All that remained was a corpse with more than half its face gone. I dropped the still-warm body to the ground.
Thud!
Marcia’s eyes remained wide open in the half that was left. I turned away with a deep sigh.
『Fire Crystal』
Blood dripped from the orb in my hand. I stared at it for a moment before tucking it away.
The spoils of this war included three secret classes.
In some ways, war is beneficial. There’s so much to gain.
But it’s also tragic. Because there’s so much to lose.
’…’
With that, everything was over. The war’s conclusion would be determined back on the battlefield, but I had achieved all I wanted.
…Which meant facing the reality I didn’t want to acknowledge.
’…Time to go back…’
I began to retrace my steps, staggering but moving forward.
A bright silhouette, out of place among the bloodstained forest path, shone through.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I’m late! Sorry! Hehehe! I’m really sorry! Hehehe! (Thud thud!)
Oh dear. @[email protected]
Sorry, I lost my mind for a moment. Ahem.
So! The war is over! But there are still people left to kill, that’s the catch!
Who could they be? Ooh hoo hoo. :D
PS. I’m oddly high-energy today. (__)