"Heh. I suppose so."
Georg snapped his fingers, casting a spell on me. It was a flight spell to replace the one I'd lost when my Balance Breaker deactivated.
"Thanks."
With that, I charged.
Apophis saw me and let out a joyous roar.
"You've come! I've been waiting!"
"Sorry to keep you! Let's finish this!"
I had nothing left in the tank. I could only sustain this for a few moments. I probably only had a few dodges left in me.
I ducked under a lash of darkness and screamed to Heracles.
"Heracles! Throw me at him! With everything you've got!"
"Are you kidding!? I've got a hole in my gut! You're insane!"
"I know! Just do it!"
"Tch! Fine! Go kick his ass!"
I planted my feet in Heracles's massive palms—and he launched me with his Herculean strength. There was no technique here, no feints, just a raw, straight-line human projectile. But I had to bet everything on this one strike.
As I closed in on Apophis at terminal velocity, spear leveled, the dragon roared.
"A final charge! Splendid! Come!"
Apophis spat out a massive sphere of concentrated darkness. A direct hit would be fatal.
But the darkness was intercepted before it reached me. Perseus had moved in front, acting as my shield.
"Go, Cao Cao! Leave this to us!"
"That's right! We'll clear the path for our Leader!"
Jeanne shredded the black water falling from above. Georg wove a barrier of mist and magic around us.
I squeezed out the last drop of my soul, funneling a massive aura into the Holy Spear. I put everything I was into this strike.
I collided with Apophis's new wall of darkness.
"Incredible! To still possess such power!"
Holy energy and darkness clashed violently, grinding against each other. We were at a stalemate... no, I was being pushed back! But I couldn't retreat. Not here. Not now.
"This is my final gamble."
I tightened my grip and began the incantation.
"O Spear! True spear that pierces even the gods! Siphon the ideals of the Hegemon dwelling within me, and gouge the space between blessing and destruction! O Will, speak your intent and turn into radiance! —— [TRUTH IDEA]!!"
In an instant, a cataclysmic power erupted from the Holy Spear. The golden light condensed at the tip, biting deep into Apophis's darkness.
"PIERCE THROUGH!!"
As if answering my cry, the Holy Spear's golden radiance intensified, shatting the darkness and skewering the Evil Dragon.
▽
After piercing Apophis, I was so utterly spent I couldn't move a finger. I lay spread-eagled on the ground, pathetic and breathless. The black barrier had shattered, the sky was open, and we were back on the original battlefield.
"Are you alive?"
"Not... particularly..."
With Georg's help, I hobbled over to the massive, black dragon lying before us. His body was crumbling; he was beyond saving.
I spoke to the dying dragon. "I'm sorry it had to end like this."
The dragon had wanted a one-on-one. In the end, he had been taken down by a group effort from the Hero Faction.
But Apophis simply gave a small, weary chuckle.
"...Do not... concern yourself. ...The reason you won... is the power of bonds. Long ago... among the humans who challenged me... there were those like you. And those people were... without exception... the truly strong."
"An Evil Dragon talking about the power of bonds. That's a new one."
"Fufu... It is because I have clashed with so many warriors... that I understand."
The power of bonds, huh? To think we actually had something like that.
Apophis's voice grew faint and fragmented.
"I am... proud... to have fought heroes such as you..."
"Heroes...? Us?"
Apophis nodded.
"Certainly... those praised by the masses are called heroes... But I believe... that those who earn the awe and respect of evil... are also heroes. I... call you heroes... with the utmost respect..."
Most of his body had vanished, leaving only his head. Even that was beginning to fade. In his final moments, Apophis left us with one last word.
"Let us meet again... heroes..."
And so ended the legendary Evil Dragon, Apophis.
▽
"So? What now?" Jeanne asked, surveying the battlefield.
Trihexa had been stopped, and Apophis was down. The enemy numbers were still absurdly high, but with the god-class beings on our side, it was a manageable mop-up operation. We had reclaimed the Holy Grail, so their numbers wouldn't be increasing anymore.
I answered her. "The battle isn't over yet. We're going."
Even with Apophis gone, the war continued. We would keep fighting until the end.
However—
"Ugh, it's really hard to take you seriously when you're making that 'cool' face while being carried on Heracles's back. Pfft... teeheehee!"
"Put me down, Heracles! How long do you plan on carrying me!?"
Yes. Currently, I was being piggybacked by a recovered Heracles. Why? Because these idiots thought it was hilarious.
"What's your problem? You're wobbling like a newborn fawn, so I'm giving the Leader a lift. Jeanne, get a picture. You don't see Cao Cao like this every day."
"On it!"
I heard the rapid-fire click-click of a phone camera.
"Stop it! Don't look, don't take pictures! Give me that phone right now!!"
My first priority, I decided, was to recover my strength.
[Cao Cao POV]
Sigh... when did I become the butt of everyone's jokes?
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