CHAPTER 71 - YOU'RE A FOOL
My blade reached another dead end.
One swing turned to three swings, and yet in neither of those swings did I ever seem to get close to the Scythe's skin. No strike or evidence that I was attacking him was incredibly noticeable.
Moreover, he had blood manipulation. Something I had forgotten about since the novel didn't really give this monster a complete scene, or from what I remember.
The sound of metal colliding with one another was not bringing my mind to boredom, it was actually being more hopeful with every futile strike.
It wasn't something like fighting for the sake of someone or something anymore.
In my eyes it was about winning now, winning against him. Dragoth was a recognizable Scythe here in Alacrya and his defeat would mean a great confusion. No one would ever know that I had beaten Dragoth in a fair fight or even that I was responsible for his defeat.
Only a certain amount of people would know…
[Zero Cuts]
My dark blade erupted in flames, blue flames that had a hint of purple hue in them. The blade then reached for the Scythe in front of me but was short in distance, instead, it served as a catapult and the flames were set to the target.
I witnessed the Scythe was covered in flames. He, of course, tried to block the spell with blood iron spikes conjuring them in front but he was too late.
Then he was met with the fiery spell and managed to scream in pain. That scream made me feel better, it made me more confident in myself. This was ringing in my mind that I could take on every other Scythe and manage on my own seeing as Dragoth struggled against me.
This was telling me that I was as strong and if not stronger than a Scythe.
And yet, something deep down in my mind was telling me that it was false. It was all false hope. That whatever I was thinking was just hopeful thinking.
I denied it multiple times like I was debating with someone other than myself.
"You are a dead man!" The Scythe screamed with every fiber in his burning body. The stench of burnt flesh reached my nose, it disgusted me.
Dragoth swung his gigantic body around trying to put out the never ending fire that surrounded his flesh. He used his Blood Iron technique but it was futile. He even created an armor around his body to kill the flame's oxygen but it was for naught.
Slowly but surely he was going to die by my aether fueled flames.
"This is the end for you, Scythe Dragoth." My voice was calm, dead, no emotions that I had were no longer alive but rather gone. My interest was also gone, the priorities had changed and so did my will to fight this being.
I put away both swords that were covered in the Scythe's blood, and yet he couldn't manipulate it to attack me, or perhaps he couldn't. Either way, I had lost interest in this fight, it was no longer a fight to the death. It was just a pity fight now.
Dragoth, who was busy with the flames eating his flesh, noticed my weapons being put away in the dimension rings.
"What are you doing!?"
Slowly, Dragoth ignored his own body's pain and instead focused on my actions. "Are you running away!? From me?! The great Dragoth?!" His voice was now in agony and in distress. It was like he was trying to prove that if I continued to fight him I was going to prove something.
But there was no reason to know. He was going to die.
I deactivated my Phase Will and turned to him. "You are done, my battle with you is done. There is nothing more to fight about. You will die by my flames, surely you noticed that you cannot exterminate it."
My hands began to shake as the after effects of my Phase Will began to kick in. The footsteps that were once light like a feather were heaving from the toll my Phase came with.
Even blinking was harder than when I was a newborn.
I'm surprised my words came out normal and not sluggish.
And what's more…
With the sense of something changing from deep within me, I placed my hand on top of my sternum.
"You are making fun of me?! I will kill you for such humiliation!!"
Dragoth then became more bigger, used his Warhammer in a bigger size that it fought with the underground jailcell that Agrona had made. I doubt that this underground tunnel was going to survive a couple of more moves before it caved in. Especially when this fool is getting bigger and not seeing the gravity of the situation.
"DIE!"
"You're a fool."
[Tachyon]
I had moved from where I was originally and appeared on the air just in front of the Giant Scythe. I had instinctively released both blades from the dimension rings, imbued them with mana, and used a skill I was hesitant of using before.
[Thousand Cuts]
I moved. Right, left. My hands moved accordingly to what the flow was. One after another I swung my blade, with one thing in mind. And that was to kill this monster.
One strike and another strike, there was no progress with the injuries. They all seemed to be hollow and weak. I needed something stronger, but using [Zero Cuts] when the spell is still in effect might cause greater damage to myself and the cave.
Perhaps… if I imbued Aether to my blades… maybe only then can I get the answer I want.
I once more activated my Phase Will, only that this time it was going to be to fully kill Dragoth.
I had changed my mind
I wanted to leave him alive for the sake of the original plot to continue but it was now futile. Within my own realization, there were things I had done until now that were not supposed to happen in the novel, and yet I've changed them. Perhaps I did that to give myself a better feeling, to be the good guy…
To be the hero…
No…
I don't know anymore…
Was there really a reason for me to save the people who had died in the novel? Or am I just doing it to accommodate my own liking?
Well…
As I charged my reflectionless black blade with aether, a huge sense of concentration was poured only on the blade, my calmness erupted into the battle, making Dragoth even sense it. And for a split second, I was able to get my decision.
Dragoth, The Scythe is better off dead.
In the moment the Aether I had concentrated on for my blade was ready. The Aether that was accumulated in my blade was enough to even hurt Agrona, but this was enough to kill a Scythe.
I swung down, aimed at his giant neck, felt the burnt flesh make contact with my reflectionless black sword and saw how it smoothly went through. I felt no structure block the blade, no bone or spine at that moment. Just the blade with crimson red slowly passed through the neck of someone who struck fear in the continent of Dicathen just for the title he held.
I watched as the head of the "mighty" Scythe fell to the ground. His yelling and arrogance was no longer being echoed through the cavern, it was just the loud thud of the head and the headless body falling over.
Next thing I knew, I was next. I felt the hard ground embrace my injured and tired body. Losing the sensation of the hilt, the feeling of relief washed over me knowing that I was finally done with a battle I looked forward to for so long, years perhaps and now I had achieved it but at a greater cost.
I was losing something. But I didn't remember…
"Finally… I've reached it."