Chapter 188 - Two Persons (6)

Carlos had used himself as a vessel to seal Belrun. He had done something equivalent to becoming Belrun.

Carlos had sealed Belrun, but the effects didn't hit him immediately. He had accepted the dangers of sealing Belrun within him, but he had thought he would be able to come up with a solution. This was why Carlos had been happy in the moment of his victory, and he had celebrated with his comrades.

However, he realized a bleak truth as time passed.

'This method won't work. I have to reproduce the same environment as when Belrun was sealed.'

After he agonized over it, Carlos came to a decision. Belrun's power was eating away at him, and his body was turning undead. This was why he had headed towards the mountain peak of Laus, and he had joined the Great Darkness. Finally, he was able to completely seal away Belrun.

The price of his action was on display right now.

He had nailed himself to this place. He was neither dead or alive. Instead of living the life of a human, he became weathered by the long passage of time.

Azell felt wretched as he looked towards Carlos.

"…was that really the only method available to you?"

If he hadn't stopped Belrun, humanity would have been wiped out before Atein was revived.

He knew it. He knew it all too well.

Still, he felt tormented. His anguish was so large that he started to hate the world.

The world required endless sacrifice from him. He had to eternally suffer in this hell, so selfish and ignorant people could enjoy their peace…….

Wouldn't it be better if he had ended everything?

Azell would wake up someday.

It was the only thread that maintained Carlos' resolve.

When Azell returned, his self mortification would be over. He would no longer despise the world, which needed his sacrifice to roll along. He just wanted to see the smile of his friend, who would end all of this. Azell would take over his responsibilities, and he would wrap things up.

"Without fail……."

Azell held back his tears as he nodded his head.

"…I'll end it with my hands."

<Well, it is time for me to tell you my request.>

After hearing Azell's answer, Carlos spoke in a tired manner.

"…what?"

For a moment, Azell was sure he had misheard Carlos' words.

Carlos tilted his head.

<Ah. I guess kill is the wrong word to use. I'm already dead. In this case…...>

"Stop joking around!"

Azell raised his voice. His voice trembled. He couldn't hide the confusion he was feeling.

"What nonsense are you talking…."

<Don't be like that, Azell.>

"What?"

"……."

Azell's face hardened when Carlos spoke to him as if he was trying to soothe a child. However, it was akin to a crack forming on ice. His face started to slowly distort into a wretched expression.

<I'm already dead. Moreover, I'm closely related to Belrun..>

Carlos and Belrun were already two sides of the same coin. One side couldn't be preserved while eliminating the other side.

"……."

Azell looked as if he was about to cry. Carlos laughed when he saw Azell's expression.

It had occurred several times during the Dragon Demon war.

They had taken care of those that were dying and in pain. They ended those that were changing into monsters, so they could die as humans. Then there were the Undeads created by their enemies. These Undeads attacked their old friends. Azell and Carlos had put them them to rest…….

However, Azell never expected to carry out such a deed in this era. Moreover, he never imagined he would have to do it to Carlos.

"How can you ask me to….."

Carlos look up into the empty air as he spoke.

Azell couldn't see his face, but he got a feeling that Carlos had a peaceful smile on his face. It was as if Carlos had let go of all the burdens that he had carried all through his life.

"……."

Carlos had been in hell. For all these years, Carlos wasn't allowed to rest even for a second.

The only reason he was able to endure through the years was the fact that he believed this moment would come some day.

<I'm tired now. No, I've been tired for a very long time. Please show me mercy, Azell.>

"You……."

Azell's throat was choked up, so he was having hard time speaking.

"…you are a tenacious bastard, Carlos."

Carlos pointed toward his chest.

It was a wooden staff with a clear and round gem embedded at the top. It was pierced through Carlos' chest.

Carlos raised his hand as he pointed towards Azell.

"……."

"You evil bastard……."

Azell grinded his teeth. His vision started to turn murky. Azell realized that he had started crying at some point.

Carlos spoke to Azell.

"Yes……."

Azell spoke in a hoarse voice as he extended his hands.

"I'll grant your wish, you bastard."

<Oh. It has been a while since you've cussed at me.>

When Azell grabbed the staff, Carlos looked up at him as he spoke.

<Azell.>

"……."

<I'm sorry.>

Azell roughly extracted the staff.

Koo-roo-roo-roong……!

A thunderous roar rang out, and the mountain peak of Laus, which had existed for perpetuity, shook.

The party had returned to the initial room, and they had been waiting for Azell. They became surprised.

What was going on?

"What the hell?"

Kairen's expression hardened.

"What is it?"

A frightening wave of power was spreading into the surrounding.

It wasn't just one. There were two of them. Moreover, one of them was very familiar to the party.

"Azell has brought out his Sky Splitter."

Laura spoke, and at the same time, she activated her Dragon Demon magic.

-Come forth Dragon weapon! Vitan's Chalice!

The Vitan's Chalice made its appearance. It looked as if it was made from semi-transparent glass. Laura took hold of it as she spoke.

"Enemies are coming this way."

All at once, every member felt the gazes that were trained on them. From all direction, the beings without a real body started to show up. They were spirits that were being controlled by an evil power.

Kairen unsheathed his two swords, and he couldn't hide his dismay.

"Aren't they controlled by Carlos? So why……."

"I did have feelings of unease with them. However, that isn't the problem we should be focusing on right now. It is too cramped to fight in here. We should head out to assess what is going on right now."

Leticia quickly made an assessment. Laura nodded her head.

"Yes."

A distortion formed on the wall as the Path of Tears was activated. Kairen bit his lips.

"I was wondering why everything was going so smoothly."

When he swung his dual swords, Dragon Demon magic spread out like a storm as it swept up the spirits. As horrifics screams filled with evil rang out, the party exited Laus through the Path of Tears.

Then…….

"It's Azell."

Laura pointed towards the sky.

A pillar of light that looked like lightning and fire streaked through the sky. It was the Sky Splitter. After streaking across the skies over Laus, the light started to move all over the place.

"Who is he fighting?"

The power being emitted by Azell was terrifying. Even as Azell's comrades, the incredible amount of Dragon Demon magic being generated by Azell shocked them. It spread into the surrounding like hail.

At that moment, the streak of light created by Azell converged with the streak of darkness.

They knew at a glance. The streak of darkness was another gathering of incredible magical energy.

The streaking of light and darkness clashed against each other. It looked as if a ball of darkness was bouncing around in the sky.

Ggah-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwahng……!

Belatedly, the sound of the explosions started to reach them.

The streak of light moved faster than the speed of sound, and an incredible shockwave formed when it clashed against the darkness. There was enough destructive force to destroy a mountain. It could dry up a lake.

Laura understood the situation.

"Azell forced the battle into the skies."

"Why would he do that?"

Kairen was puzzled.

He could tell at an instinctual level the enemy was powerful.

However, why did Azell drag him up into the sky? If the enemy was a powerful being, wouldn't he want combine forces with his comrades to defeat him?

Laura shook her head from side to side. It seemed she had asked the same question to herself.

"I'm not sure."

Was there a need for him to fight alone?

Or did he want to fight alone?

"Hmmm. In my opinion……."

Suddenly, Leticia looked to side as she spoke.

"It seems Azell is trying to dump them onto us?"

When Laura opened her Path of Tears, tunnels made using spatial distortion appeared on the wall. Undeads leading an army of spirits started appearing from within these tunnels.

Kairen asked a question to the Undead that stood in the front.

"Didn't you say you aren't our enemy?"

He was the Undead that had lead them to the armory. The Undead, who didn't possess a single fragment of bone, shrugged his shoulders.

"I see. It seems you are either a philosopher or a magician. It seems your tongue is spouting unnecessarily complex ideas."

"Master? Carlos?"

There was another layer of nuance to his words.

Laura realized something.

"I see why he is in the sky."

"Mmm? What do you mean?"

When Kairen queried her, she gave an explanation.

"Azell is fighting the enemy that is the source to this power. However, the Undeads and the souls can't reach them when they are up so high. Basically, Azell is weakening that unknown being's power by fighting him in the air."

Maybe, a few Undead could reach the sky. However, they couldn't all reach there.

"I see. I can see what role Azell wants us to play in this."

While Azell fought in the sky, his party was tasked to fight the Undead and the army of souls. Kairen shook off the confusion he was feeling. He queried her.

"Laura, can't you block them from coming out?"

"Unfortunately, there are too many holes. It is like an ant mound."

It was as she said. Numerous dimensional distortions were used to create paths, and countless Undeads were coming out from them.

"How very unfortunate. Shit. It is midday, yet we have to watch these unpleasant beings wriggle free."

Surprisingly, Undeads and spirits were crawling out into the middle of the day. It seemed they didn't feel any pain from the sunlight.

'Are their powers reduced? Hmm. When there is so many of them, I guess it doesn't matter if their powers are reduced or not.'

Each of Azell's party members were a match for a hundred, but would they really be fine against this massive army.

There was no reason to worry about it.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about going up against superior numbers."

Leticia looked around her surrounding as she spoke.

It was as she said. Countless Guardian Shadows were making noise as they gathered. The Guardian Shadows had complete surrounded the region.

The leader of the Undead tilted his head as he found all of this troublesome.

<Jeez. I'm not happy to see them.>

His following words angered Kairen.

"Since you don't have a mouth, I can't say I want to crush your mouth. Anyways, I'll make it so that you will no longer be able to speak."

Kairen no longer held back. He swung his Dragon swords in a heroic manner.

The battle on the ground started.

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