The Great Sword is not the Main Body!

The winter that made my bones ache.

The cold that tore my skin.

Memories that were only miserable.

The past that dragged me down to the floor.

The nightmare that tore my spring apart.

Karpeng, who had destroyed everything in me, woke up.

I vowed that I would get revenge someday.

That I had to do it no matter what.

I thought that only I could take that bastard's head.

I abandoned my emotions.

I abandoned my dreams.

I abandoned the past.
If I could have sold my soul, I would have.

That's how I lived, held back by evil.

To overcome the past.

To wake up from the nightmare.

To honor my dead brother.

But why.

Why.

Is this damned body shaking in fear?

Why, am I standing still, unable to move?

“Lu, Luchi...”

The trembling voice of the priestess was heard.

“What the...”

The priestess, soaked in sweat, sighed as she looked south with trembling eyes.

“Ka, why did Karpeng wake up... Jang... The curtain is definitely up...”

I looked around.
The curtain was definitely up, just as the priestess said.

If that’s the case, then someone must have woken Karpeng up on purpose.

And that’s probably.

The one who distorted Hablon in people’s memories.

The one who spread false rumors.

The one who killed all the survivors.

The Pope of Erden.

Alstein St. Erdenshut.

“Luchi.”

Heinzel’s serious voice broke my thoughts.

His voice and expression contained many meanings.

I looked around.

The sight of the village in chaos due to Karpeng's lore came into view.

He was sitting on the spot.

He was foaming at the mouth and convulsing.

He was spitting blood and collapsing.

He was out of his mind.

That scenery.
The exact same scenery as the past Havlon.

It was spread out.

If we turn away from Loholan now and run away.

The four of us will survive.
We will definitely survive.

And this village will be like the past Havlon.

The beautiful buildings will collapse into rubble, and all the fertile land will be dried up.

All living things, including livestock, will die.

Nothing will be left.

It will be a second Havlon filled with demons.

Forgotten from people's memories.

Erased from the map.

Only distorted rumors will remain.

On the other hand.
We can look forward to the future.

Surviving, I can look forward to the next day.

I open my eyes every morning.

I will eat, train, and live the life of a peaceful adventurer.

So.

For now.

“Retreat-”

“Lucci. Is that really your true intention?”

Heinzel’s serious eyes turned to me.

He was looking at me with deep eyes, as if he was trying to see through my inner thoughts.

“My true intention...”

Karpeng is still scary.
I get goosebumps.
My teeth chatter.

My fists are covered in sweat.
My whole body is trembling.
Memories of the past came to mind, making it difficult to think properly.

I want to run away.
I don’t want to die.

But.

I want to kill.
I want to fight.

I don’t want to repeat the past.
I want to overcome the nightmare.

I take that axe.

Knock out his fist.

Rip his hide.

Pluck out his eyes.

Chew his intestines.

Break his bones.

In the end.

I want to cut off his head.

That was my life's goal.

That was the last way.

I can honor my sister, Lux.

I laughed out loud.

I felt funny, receiving comfort from Heinzel.

I felt funny, receiving advice from Heinzel.

"Huh, Heinzel. We're not done with the bet yet, are we?"

"Khahahahahahaha! That's right. We both forgot halfway through. First place goes to that brat. Shouldn't we decide who's last?"

Heinzel's hearty laughter echoed through Loholan.

It made my heart pound.

"Khahaha... That's right. That's right. Your ignorant halberd and my sword. Let's see which one is more shabby."

He clenched his fist and slammed his stiff leg down.

He slapped his mouth that was spewing nonsense and his terrified face.

And then, he pulled out his sword that was almost falling apart.

"It seems like the slate steak is gone. How about we have some food to eat in Urspier Village in Karahan?"

"Hmm. That's a good idea."

Heinzel also grabbed his halberd.

"Hey, you guys... What... What are you going to do-"

"Young lady, it would be better to help the villagers evacuate with the brat. I don't know if they'll be able to get to Urspier. But at least the balls are attached, right?"

He turned around and looked at the priestess.

Even though she was covered in divine power, she seemed to have difficulty even standing.

"That would be a good idea. Keep the divine power wrapped around your body. If you hear that bastard's cries, you might faint."

Then he turned back and looked south.

Far away.

Red fur thicker than blood.

Cruel teeth.

Ferociously extended claws.

A fiercely torn maw as if trying to swallow everything.

It was running towards us.

"Just in case, I'll tell you. Even if Noah wakes up, don't send him this way."

"Kuhahahahaha! That's right. If that brat catches him, there's no way to decide who's last."

"You're going to die... to die. You're definitely going to die... Why on earth..."

I ignored the priestess's words from behind.

I slowly caught my breath.
I relaxed my stiff body.
I wrapped my body in the neatly honed magical power.

“When hunting manticores. I’ll show you who was more active. You ignorant punk.”

“How about you protect your remaining eye? If you get hit by that bastard again, you won’t be able to die because it’s too unfair?”

“Nonsense.”

Heinzel’s muscles swelled.

My magic was sharpened even more.

Right after that.

[GRAAAAAAAAA-!]

Karpeng’s Roar echoed through the sky.

To end the long, long nightmare.

To cut off the bitterly recurring, bitter winter.

To shatter the past that I miss so much.

Jeok-

He took a step.

Despite being thickly wrapped in divine power, Karpeng’s Roar made his whole body tremble.

It made him shiver.

I wanted to collapse right away.

“Huh... Huff... Huh...”

I raised my head and looked in the direction that Lucy and Heinzel had gone.

The Nightmare of the East.

I saw the red wolf Karpeng.

A size that was at least three times larger than a human.

The sticky murderous intent flowing from its body.

The blood gushing from its claws.

The terrible malice dripping from its teeth.

I saw it.

It made me want to run away right away.

It made me want to give up.

But.

At the same time.

I saw a person standing firm in that spot.

With a body that was infinitely weak compared to the demon.

Wearing a shattered armor.

Wielding a cracked weapon.

Continuing the battle.

I saw them.

“You stupid bitch...”

I carefully laid Noah down on the ground.

I whipped my body and got up from my seat.

Chewing my tongue, I pushed away the fear.

I wet my throat with blood.

I concentrated my mind and unleashed my divine power.

So that people could get up from their seats.

So that they could overcome their fear.

So that they could come to their senses.

I remembered Noah’s warm smile when he said he would protect me for the rest of his life.

I unleashed a divine barrier that covered all of Loholan.

A small noise was heard.

The sound of someone getting up.

A tidy breathing.

A cry.
A sigh.
A despair.
A fear.

It enveloped Loholan.

I put my divine power in my voice.

I spread it far and wide.

“Citizens of Loholan.”

I put a warm smile on my face.

I made an expression that became a habit.

I let out a confident voice.

“Right now. The goddess of the sun, Lilith, is looking down on us. So, there is no need to worry.”

He caught his trembling voice.

He shouted with a little more force.

“There was no death in vain. There was no work in vain. Everything. Just went as Lilith intended.”

And.

For the past five years, I have kept in my mouth.

Words I hate to say.

Tired lies.

I spoke them out with all my heart.

“Everything is for Erden.”

Small noises turned into annoying noises.
The sound of getting up turned into footsteps.
The steady breathing turned into a heightened voice.
Cries turned into laughter.
Lament turned into admiration.
Despair turned into hope.
Fear turned into courage.

Changed.

My teeth ground.
My stomach churned.
I felt nauseous.
My hands shook.
I felt like I would shed tears of blood at any moment.

You hated.
You despised.

Those people.

Those people.

They are protecting you.

They are dying over there for you.

Looking at them.

Laughing.
Admiring.
Having hope.
Having courage.

That is what they should do.

That you should risk your life to stop them.

That you should take responsibility.

All of them.

It was disgusting.

It was disgusting.

The old Hablon fell.

My town.

My heart.

It fell apart a long time ago.

But.

You survived.

You could have protected them.
You protected them.
You stopped them.

Because you did that.

Even just one person.
Even just one word.

If I had expressed my gratitude.

If I had shown my heart.

Warm words.

A friendly greeting.

If I had given them even a glass of lukewarm water.

If I had shown even a little gratitude.

They wouldn't have gone alone.

They would have walked forward confidently.

They could have... done it.

"Yes... I could have..."

Me too.

The me of the past.

I could have done it.

But I didn't.

It's not that I couldn't.

I didn't.

I was just like the villagers.

That fact made me sick.

I used to act just like them.

I thought the same.

I now think it's disgusting, it's abhorrent.

It was so.

Disgusting.

It was dirty.

I hated myself so much.

[GRAAAAUUU-!!]

“...Ugh, huh, huhhaha...”

Ironically, Karpeng’s lore is useless to me.

I shook off the thought that was not there.

“Huh...”

I came to my senses and hugged Noah.

And quietly.

I walked briskly.

I had to do what I could as a priestess.
I had to do what I had been doing in the village that had been harmed by the demons for the past five years.

“Who is the representative of the village?”

“Ah... I, I will bring you here now!”

The trembling woman said, pulling back.

“No. I will go there. I will just ask you to guide me.”

“Ah, ah, I understand!”

The woman began to walk with her head down.

I followed the woman and looked back at Lucci and Heinzel.

At that moment.

Blood gushed from Heinzel’s body that I could see in the distance.

The halberd that seemed absolutely unbreakable broke.

His right arm was torn off.

The adventurer who always stood proudly.

was crawling on the floor in a pitiful manner.