Overwhelming Firepower

Alexander, who was witnessing the clash of power between the Lich and Lucen in awe. The power they unleashed felt like something that could annihilate everything in its path.

At this point, he did not know who would win between the two, but of course, he hoped for Lucen’s victory as his loss meant their death and becoming part of the Lich’s army.

What was weird was that he felt a bit of pity for the Lich. Despite feeling the overwhelming hatred of the Lich, he also felt that deep within that hatred was an intense sadness.

He had met several people like this, people who lost someone important, either because of one’s lack of strength or because of some injustice, or even by accident.

It was true that what happened to them was lamentable, but wanting others to feel your pain. Wanting to destroy everything because the world had taken something precious from you.

Alexander could understand how someone reached that point. However, understanding it did not make it right.

’Your suffering does not give you the right to create more of it.’ That thought came into his mind, and he wanted to tell the Lich, the being that was formerly known as Aleister, what he thought.

This was just a sad man lashing out against the unfair world. He understood that it was a battle of life and death, and sparing the Lich was not an option, but still, he wanted to save the Lich’s soul.

If that wasn’t possible, he wanted to reawaken the Lich’s humanity at the very least. While he was thinking, the barriers surrounding the group shook violently.

Lucen’s Explosive Bullet continued pushing against the dark sphere. White fire and necrotic energy tore at one another, sending waves of pressure across the forest.

The trees were either uprooted or decayed and turned into dust. The ground trembled upon their might, and everything that had little spiritual power was dying.

Lucen’s mana was nearly empty, and his aura mantle was close to breaking, but he was smiling.

”If we did this normally, I would have never won against you, but like they say in my old world, using items in battle isn’t cheating.”

Lucen once again spoke in the language of his old world as he let go of one of the trench guns and dug into his pockets, taking out a few vials of mana potion.

Lucen pulled the cork free with his teeth and emptied the first vial into his mouth. Mana rushed through his body. It was enough that he could once again use [explosive bullet] without fainting.

Lucen created another trench gun with his open hand, and while still in his RELEASE state, he gathered most of his mana and what’s left of his aura mantle into this final attack.

”It’s time to roll the f*cking dice!” Lucen pulled the trigger another powerful explosion shot forward.

The shell tore forward, and the layers of mana compressed inside it detonated one after another. Every explosion pushed the next layer ahead, causing the attack to expand into a continuous torrent of white fire.

The ground beneath Lucen’s feet shattered. His arms were forced backward, but he refused to release the weapon. The recoil drove his boots deeper into the earth as the white torrent continued pouring from the barrel.

Trees on both sides were ripped from their roots. Stones rose from the ground before being crushed into dust by the pressure surrounding the attack.

Harlik planted both feet against the ground and pressed his shoulder against his shield. Sir Thalos stood beside him, using his aura mantle to keep the others from being blown away.

Lucen, who was already bleeding all over from every orifice of his body, continued to grin a wild grin as he saw the orb of death being pushed back.

’Heh, so that’s how it is... I kinda understand why those shonen protagonists loved to shout in a final exchange. I kinda have the urge to do it now... I guess I’ll do it too.’

”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”

As Lucen’s roar crossed the ruined forest, the third explosive bullet tore through the air. The shell entered the white torrent created by the first two bullets.

For a fraction of a second, it disappeared within the flames. Then it detonated into a wondrous, blinding light.

BOOOOOOM!

The torrent expanded violently. White fire spread across the sky, and the pressure forced Lucen’s arms farther backward. The ground beneath his feet collapsed, forcing him to kneel.

End of All Life stopped descending. Aleister had not expected that to ever happen. That spell was supposed to absorb the mana and vitality of everything near it, and theoretically even the mana of the spell clashing with it.

In fact, it was indeed absorbing the mana in Lucen’s attack, but it was too slow. The power of the combined mana and aura mantle amplified by the skill, Battle-Crazed, and Lucen’s RELEASE was simply too enormous for Aleister’s spell to consume all at once.

More importantly, Lucen’s attack was not made from mana alone. His aura was mixed throughout the white torrent, bound to the metal shells and the explosive force driving them forward.

End of All Life could drain the mana from its outer layers, but the compressed aura and physical force continued tearing into the sphere. Finally, [explosive bullet] broke through the End of All Life and devoured the Lich.

Aleister’s remaining barriers shattered before they could fully form. The torrent tore through his arms, ribs, and spine, scattering burning fragments of bone throughout the ruined forest. The force continued for several seconds before finally disappearing into the distance.

The Lich fell to the ground, creating a crater. The trench guns in Lucen’s hands disappeared, and he could no longer sustain his RELEASE state.

Lucen could feel his muscles tearing apart, his bones felt like they were breaking, and as he started coughing up blood, his consciousness becoming hazy, he heard the notification sound telling him of his numerous level-ups.

He could not be bothered by the notification sounds as he fell forward, no longer able to move his body.

”Young Lord!”

”Leader!”

”Lucen!”

”Sir Lucen!”

”Big Brother!”

The people who had been defending themselves quickly sprinted toward Lucen. Each one had worry written across their face. Even Cael, who normally maintained a stoic expression, looked shaken upon seeing his seemingly invincible brother lying in a pool of his own blood.

Cael reached him first and carefully turned him over. Lucen’s eyes were barely open. Blood covered his face, and parts of his clothes had been torn apart by the strain placed upon his body.

”Brother, can you hear me?”

”... Yeah, I can... Could you not shout? A bit of your spit got onto my face,” Lucen joked. Hearing that Lucen can still quip like that made the others smile.

***

While everyone was worrying over Lucen, Alexander broke off from the group and headed to the crater where the Lich had fallen.

Smoke rose from the crater. The earth surrounding it had turned black, while several small fires burned among the shattered trees.

Alexander tightened his grip on his broadsword as he approached. He was not foolish enough to believe the Lich, even in this condition, was harmless.

When Alexander reached the edge of the crater, he finally saw what remained of Aleister. Most of the Lich’s body had been destroyed. Only his head and a bit of his chest and right shoulder remained; everything else was gone.

Yet, despite all that, the blue flames that shone in his eyes were still burning. Dark mana gathered weakly around the remains of Aleister’s ribs. It attempted to pull the scattered bones toward him, but the fragments barely moved.

End of All Life had consumed almost all the mana and vitality throughout the area. Even the grass surrounding the crater had turned black. There was nothing left nearby for the Lich to absorb.

His regeneration had finally stopped. Still, this wasn’t a problem for him as long as his soul was intact; he could resurrect countless times.

”Oh, it’s you, child.” The Lich spoke calmly despite his current situation. Unlike everyone else, he views Alexander favorably. Not only did this child have no blood of those he hated, but he actually felt a sort of kinship with Alexander.

Alexander descended into the crater. Aleister’s remaining eye-flames studied him. ”You should be celebrating with the others.”

”I wanted to speak with you first.”

”Why?”

Alexander looked down at the ruined Lich. ”Because I wanted to understand you.”

Aleister was silent for a few seconds and then responded. ”What good will understanding me do? In the end, it will not change my hatred, nor will it change the fact that you must defeat me.”

”You are right. I cannot erase what happened to you, and I cannot convince you to abandon centuries of hatred with a few words. I may never fully understand the pain you are feeling, but I can try to.” Alexander lowered his guard and showed a slight smile.

Aleister studied Alexander for a few seconds and chuckled a little. ”You wish to understand my pain?... Very well, I will tell you a bit. I was once someone who simply wanted to learn new things and see new things alongside my beloved.”

Aleister paused for a bit before continuing. ”Because of my parents, my teacher, and my beloved, I fully believed in the goodness of humanity. I believed that we could understand each other, but I was wrong. They started a war and forced me to kill people; they promised me salvation, but all they gave me was despair.”

Alexander listened without interrupting. When Aleister finished, he said, ”What they did to you was unforgivable. But the people you hurt were not the ones who took everything from you.”

”Then what of my hatred? What of those who died and could not cry out for their revenge? What of my parents, who knew nothing of conspiracy and died simply because they loved me? What of my beloved and her family? What of their deaths, they died simply because of their relation to me? They too did nothing but were given death!”

The Lich was once again burning with anger as he spoke louder, yet Alexander did not flinch.

”Those innocence that were harmed because of despicable means are truly pitiful, but... Aren’t you doing the same thing as those you hate? The only one who knows what happened to your parents, your beloved, and her family is you. The people you have killed now are innocent.”

The Lich chuckled a little before answering. ”Foolish child. There is no such thing as someone innocent; neither you nor I is innocent. For as long as one has independent thoughts, they will sin.”

”Then they’ll need to do their best to overcome those sins and do better. To punish another, and not give them a chance for redemption... To strike down in hatred will only breed more hatred. How sad and lonely such a world would be. Surely if they were still alive, those whom you loved would never want you to do this for them.”

Hearing what Alexander said, the Lich spoke with malice. ”... What would you know? I have lost everything. There’s nothing left...”

”So you wish to take everything else from others? Also, you’re not left with nothing. Don’t the memories of them still exist within you?...”

The second Alexander said those words, the Lich, no Aleister saw something he never expected to see. The face of his beloved Liora overlapped with the worried face of Alexander.

’I see... So that’s why...’

Aleister, for the first time since becoming a Lich, felt something aside from hatred. It was a warmth he had long forgotten.

”Under the tree, at the top of a hill filled with lilies. I buried a ring... Destroy it, and this nightmare will end.”

Those were the last words of the Lich as his body turned into ashes.