Chapter 75: Chapter 75 - Battle of Legends ( Part 6)
Complete silence reigned over the battlefield.
Not because the battle had ended.
Because everyone realized it was coming to an end.
The figure of Azrakiel did not move in the scarlet sky.
A gold line began to gradually spread across the black armor covering the chest of the demon general.
Crack.
A second crack appeared.
Then a third one.
His ancient armor which was forged in the Abyss a thousand years ago started to split into pieces.
They slowly floated away in the wind, like black petals of dead flowers.
Nobody cheered.
Nobody rejoiced.
Not even the hunters who nearly died in the process looked joyful in this moment.
The battle with the enemy they were facing was not just any normal fight.
It was the last battle with a legend.
Jennie lowered Excalibur.
It had become clear to her even before Azrakiel got hit by the King’s Final Sword.
It wasn’t that simple.
The technique hadn’t only injured Azrakiel physically.
It split his connection to the abyssal mana, sustaining his existence.
There was no way to heal such injury.
Azrakiel looked down at his glowing body, splitting into pieces.
And then...
He laughed.
Deep and sincere laughter echoed on the ruined battlefield.
"So..."
"I lost."
There was neither anger nor resentment in his voice.
Only content.
He looked at Jennie.
"I wondered how many centuries it would take until someone worthy would come and defeat me."
He smiled.
"But it seems..."
"I was waiting for the wrong person."
Jennie floated quietly in front of him.
"I didn’t want this battle."
"I know,"
Azrakiel nodded.
"That is precisely why you won."
He closed his eyes for a moment.
The memories of a thousand years ago came back to him.
The eternal battlefield.
Burning kingdoms.
The oceans turned scarlet.
And one warrior standing between the humanity and extinction.
Back then, he hated Leonis.
Not because Leonis was stronger than him.
But because Leonis didn’t fight for hatred.
Every blow of the Sword King was filled with compassion even towards his enemies.
"I challenged countless heroes after your death,"
Azrakiel chuckled.
"They sought glory."
"They sought revenge."
"They sought fame."
"But none of them fought to protect."
His eyes turned to Jennie.
"You never changed."
Jennie gently shook her head.
"I did."
"I found someone worth fighting to protect."
A kind smile appeared on her face.
"My family."
"My friends."
"My home."
"I don’t fight anymore because it is my duty."
"I fight to not lose them."
Azrakiel looked at her and burst out laughing once again.
"Good."
"That is far better."
"The Sword King carried the whole world on his shoulders."
"But Jennie..."
"...has people who are willing to carry her."
Below Lucas clenched his fists.
"We will always be here."
Though Jennie couldn’t hear him, he said those words from his heart.
Nearby Princess Lilia smiled through her tears.
"You’re not alone anymore."
The gold line spreading across Azrakiel’s body expanded even further.
The aura of the demon slowly started to turn into countless crimson lights.
Time was running out.
Suddenly Excalibur spoke.
"Azrakiel."
The Demon General looked at the holy sword.
"It has been a long time... old friend."
Jennie’s eyes widened.
"You knew each other?"
Azrakiel nodded.
"Before becoming enemies..."
"...we both were forged during the Age of Gods."
"I was created as the tool of destruction."
"And Excalibur..."
"...was created as a shield."
He laughed quietly.
"Our fates were sealed even before we took the first breaths."
Excalibur stayed quiet.
After a long pause, she said.
"You could have chosen another path."
Azrakiel smiled sorrowfully.
"Maybe."
"But this choice belongs to another life."
The light covering his body intensified.
His very existence started to collapse.
Jennie stepped forward.
"Is there anything you regret?"
Azrakiel carefully considered his words.
Finally...
He shook his head.
"No."
"If anything..."
"I regret awakening too soon."
Jennie frowned.
"What do you mean?"
For the first time since the battle started...
Azrakiel’s face became serious.
"The seal..."
"...is failing."
A cold wind blew over the battlefield.
All of Jennie’s instincts screamed at her that something was wrong.
Azrakiel continued.
"I was only the first one."
"The prison under this world was never meant to keep us forever."
His crimson eyes looked at the horizon.
"I can already feel them."
"They are sleeping."
"They are waiting."
"They are starting to awake."
Headmaster Orion’s face paled.
"There are... more?"
Azrakiel nodded.
"There were Seven Demon Generals."
"I was only the weakest among those who were still sealed."
Silence reigned over the battlefield.
Even Jennie was shocked.
"The weakest...?"
Azrakiel smiled bitterly.
"I was specializing in the art of war."
"But the others..."
His voice became quieter.
"They were disasters."
"The Second one controls endless frost capable of freezing entire kingdoms in one night."
"The Third one burns with fire which even dragons fear."
"The Fourth one devours magic."
"The Fifth one moves through shadows unnoticed."
"The Sixth one"
His voice grew quiet.
"Spreads decay everywhere where she steps."
"And the Seventh one..."
For the first time...
Fear appeared on Azrakiel’s face.
"...should never awake."
Jennie’s grip on Excalibur tightened.
"What is the Seventh one?"
Azrakiel looked into her eyes slowly.
"The only Demon General..."
"...who can defeat you."
The world froze.
Even Excalibur fell silent.
Jennie’s memories flashed before her.
Pieces of some forgotten battle.
A black sky.
A broken sword.
Lonely promise.
She couldn’t remember everything clearly.
Just one feeling remained.
Lose.
Azrakiel nodded.
"You sealed the Seventh one."
"You gave your half of the life to make sure they could never wake up."
"But now..."
He looked at the sky.
"The seal is weakening."
"If the Seventh one awakes..."
"The Great Demon War will start once again."
His body consisted of crimson lights now.
The wind was carrying pieces of him to the sky.
He smiled one last time.
"Jennie."
She met his gaze.
"No..."
He chuckled.
"Leonis."
Jennie smiled gently.
"I told you."
"I am Jennie."
Azrakiel laughed.
"Very well."
"Jennie."
He bowed to her as deep as the Demon General could.
"Thank you."
"For giving this old warrior..."
"...the battle he was waiting for a thousand years."
"It was..."
"...beautiful."
And with these last words, his body dissipated into countless crimson lights floating in the sky like fireflies below the setting sun.
The oppressive aura of the demon was gone.
The storm clouds separated.
Golden sunlight lit up the battlefield once again.
The First Demon General of Ruin...
...was gone.
But nobody rejoiced.
Because his last warning resounded in their hearts.
Other Demon Generals were waking up.
And somewhere in the darkness...
The enemy who once defeated the Sword King was stirring.
For a very long moment, nobody moved.
The scarlet particles that used to be Azrakiel floated in the sky, shimmering as numerous small stars before vanishing into nothingness along with the suffocating aura. The sky filled with the fresh wind that brought scent of the grass and rain.
Finally, the sun pierced the dark cloud.
Golden rays fell upon the battle-field.
It was over.
Suddenly, somebody roared on the battle-field.
"We won!"
"The Demon General is dead!"
Cheers came from all directions. The knights hugged each other despite the wounds on their bodies. Hunters fell to the floor, smiling in relief. Some of them were crying because they simply could not believe they survived.
In the face of death, every breath was a miracle.
But high above all of them, Jennie was silent.
She looked at the place where the demon-general disappeared.
There was no joy on her face.
Just a thoughtful look.
"You mourn his loss, Master," Excalibur whispered in her mind.
Jennie answered after some time.
"He chose the wrong path."
"But until the very end..."
"...he was a warrior."
"He deserved your respect."
"You are compassionate as ever," Excalibur hummed.
"I couldn’t save him," Jennie said quietly.
"No."
"Fate of that man was chosen a thousand years ago."
Sorrow appeared on her face.
"So many lives..."
"So many battles..."
"And still the cycle repeats itself."
Before Excalibur could answer, the earth started shaking.
Rumble...
Rumble...
Everybody looked towards the big hole in the ground that was created by Azrakiel.
The earth was cracking open in the middle of it.
Dark red mana was spreading from the cracks like mist.
Orion Headmaster’s face immediately changed.
"No..."
"It can’t be."
The court-mages quickly raised their staffs.
The hunters instinctively reached for the weapons.
Jennie narrowed her eyes.
The red mana was floating for a few moments before dispersing into air.
The trembling stopped.
Silence.
"The seal is weaker than I thought," Excalibur’s voice became unusual serious.
Jennie looked towards the distant horizon.
"So he was right?"
"Yes."
"The death of the demon-general did not weaken the prison."
"He proved that the ancient seals are already at their end."
Jennie closed her eyes.
"So it means that there is not much time."
"No."
For the first time since her reincarnation, Excalibur sounded uncertain.
"The next Demon General will awaken sooner than we think."
Jennie took a deep breath.
"I finally got the life I always wanted..."
Her thoughts turned to Arthur and Elena who waited for her at home.
Lucas who always worried about her despite the fact that he was older only by a few years.
And Princess Lilia whose smile was now an essential part of her new life.
She smiled a little bit.
"I will not let anybody to take it away from me."
She slowly raised Excalibur to the sky.
The holy sword responded with bright golden shine that lit the battle-field again.
Everybody below instinctively looked up.
They did not see the legendary Sword King.
The conqueror of the Great Demon War.
They saw Jennie.
Young girl under the sunlight, holding a sword that was older than any kingdom in her hands and smiling the same kind and gentle smile.
Hope quietly returned to everybody’s hearts.
No matter what trials were waiting ahead...
As long as Jennie would stand between them and the darkness...
They knew that the world had a chance to live.
Far beyond the borders of the kingdom, in the cave that was not touched by any light during a thousand years, two cold blue eyes opened in the darkness.
Deep, emotionless voice echoed in the empty cave.
"...Azrakiel is dead."
Chains around unknown figure gave a slight noise.
For the first time in a millennium...
A cold smile appeared.
"So..."
"The Sword King has returned."
