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Chapter 90 – Part 2

Dragon Slayer’s power fused with Bastrell’s own power to create a half-spherical shaped barrier of defense, which fended off the attack.

The destructive power went around Bastrell, spraying outward behind him. It split the lake before my eyes, right in two, and then continued on to the end of the floating castle. The space as the power passed by broke like glass.

On the other side of the destroyed space, a soft, purple light twinkled, showing the vast space of dimensions different from this world.

It was a small peek into the face of one of the many neighboring dimensions of this dimension.

But the space which was destroyed by Lenia’s thoughts, giving us a peek into another world, held a repair function in the space itself, so it closed up right after.

「Oh, so you’re able to destroy the walls of space that easily!

It seems there are some restrictions on your soul, but the purity of your thoughts have already reached the level of gods, no, have returned to the level of gods, I should say.

As expected of the one said to be born from a great evil god, and is one of the worst divine beasts in existence.

However, now that you’ve suddenly shown me a frenzy of power the likes of which hasn’t been seen since ancient, prehistoric times, I now understand why the heroes attacked you.

Fufu, certainly, you adore Dragon, the Ancient Celestial Dragon, as your father, and so the rage from your father getting killed was provoked within you.

The scholars of ancient times were never able to derive the reason why, but to think the answer was that you simply loved him as your parent. Surprising, for a divine beast」

As expected, he was quite perceptive. It seems Bastrell has already realized that Lenia’s soul was being restrained by Caravis’ shackles.

The ancient, prehistoric times that Bastrell was speaking of referred to the last era during my life as Dragon, a time even earlier than when the celestial beings had flourished.

However, with the way he was talking, it sounded like Bastrell himself had been alive during that time.

Even though he was a mage who had reached the highest levels of humanity, if he had been born during those prehistoric times, it still would have definitely been hard for him to have continued living until today.

「Silence, shut your mouth! Know that by bringing that sword to my sight once again, you have committed a grave sin, you trash!!」

Her emotions were so strong, the words anger and hatred wouldn’t even suffice. Driven by such emotions, Lenia unleashed a series of attacks toward Bastrell, moving smoothly like flowing water. But Bastrell manipulated Dragon Slayer like a master swordsman, and fended off every single attack.

Already, any physical defenses would be meaningless, and it was even doubtful any spiritual defenses or other high level defensive magic would be able to resist Lenia’s attacks. But her attacks hadn’t made even a single scratch on Dragon Slayer’s blade.

「If it’s Dragon Slayer, Lenia should be able to match its power now」

For now, I will let Lenia face off against Bastrell, and headed back towards where Selina was crouched next to Christina, whose breathing was ragged.

Ever since laying eyes on Dragon Slayer, it wasn’t just Christina’s whole body, but her soul as well, that screamed out at her. The energy had drained from her face, and had taken on the pallor of a half dead person.

「Dran, Christina’s been like this for a while, isn’t there anything we can do?」

Although Selina had kept on using recovery magic on Christina this whole time, her condition didn’t seem to be getting any better at all. Tears were starting to form in the corners of Selina’s eyes.

Because I wanted to comfort Selina who was asking for help frantically, I reached out my left hand to rub her head, as I laid out a magic circle on the ground. It contained the dragon language, and had a protection and healing effect.

It was the same magic circle I had used to protect Ryoukichi during the fight against Octour.

The dragon language magic circle spread out below Christina and Selina’s feet, emitting a white light similar to moonlight. In response, some color started to return to Christina’s wax-like pale skin, and her breathing also began to return to normal.

As long as she stayed here inside the magic circle, Christina’s health wouldn’t be a problem.

「S-Sorry. To think I would become this much of a burden, I really hate this about myself……」

Christina’s skin was still faded in color, but regret and anger towards herself was deeply pronounced on her face. Even though I say she is an overly serious and earnest person, such emotions were unusual and out of place on her face.

「This was the fault of circumstances out of your control. There’s no need to blame yourself.

Selina, I set up a protective magic circle, but keep an eye on Christina’s condition. I’m still a little concerned about what might happen next」

I wanted Selina, who was also inside of the magic circle, to keep on using her recovery magic on Christina, and, if the time ever came, to be ready to carry Christina out of there, just in case.

「Yes, please leave it to me. You will go after that evil mage?」

「Yeah. I can’t just let Lenia and Dramina do all the work, while I stay back and watch. I’ll crush him quick」

「Um, I know there’s nothing to worry about if it’s you, but I get a really bad feeling from that sword. So, please be careful」

Ever since meeting Selina at the village, although it was definitely diluted, she has been exposed to the influence of an Ancient Celestial Dragon’s spirit this whole time. And so, she was slightly starting to gain the properties of a dragon for herself.

That sense as a dragon caused her to react sharply to the dragon-killing sword, and dark clouds of indescribable anxiety and dread spread within her heart.

「It’s going to be alright, Selina. I know just how dangerous that sword is, because I had once wished for it myself.

It’s surprising that it still exists in this world after all this time, but nothing more than that.

It would be good to destroy it so it doesn’t fall in anyone else’s hands, but I might just keep it around for the memories」

In an attempt to reassure Selina, I tried poking a little fun at her, but she saw right through my act of consideration. She quietly whispered, “Jeez,” and implored once again.

「But that sword, it’s, your…」

I see, so the reason for Selina’s anxiety was because of the twisting feeling of uneasiness in her heart, she had figured out that the sword in Bastrell’s hand was the one that had killed me in my previous life.

Because I had told her about my previous life, just by seeing the sword which had caused my death, Selina’s anxiety was flaring up. Perhaps it would have been better if I hadn’t told her about it.

「That’s exactly why I can say with confidence that it’s going to be alright. The one holding that sword isn’t the former hero.

My heart, which that sword once pointed towards, is not the same as it was back then.

As I am now, that sword is definitely not a threat to me. It’ll just be a little bit more troublesome than the usual sacred swords or magic swords. That isn’t a lie, I really mean it」

Well, in the first place, even in my previous life, that sword hadn’t been a real threat anyway.

The reason why the heroes were successfully able to kill me, was only because I let them kill me. I had turned my back on life, and chose to follow the path to death.

When I looked at Bastrell’s grinning face, I could tell that he still had a hidden trump card in his sleeve. But my fighting spirit was fiercely burning to smash that confidence of his at the root.

「Dran」

When I turned my back on Selina in order to intervene in Bastrell and Lenia’s fight, Christina suddenly called out to me, with a tone of voice that was unbelievably frail, especially for her.

Maybe all those unnecessary things Bastrell had said earlier had reached her ears.

Although it was something that I planned on telling her about eventually, the fact that she ended up finding out from the mouth of that sort of person, was the height of my regret.

「As Bastrell said just now, the one who has a deep connection with the hero is me. And the one who looks up to Dragon as her father, is probably Lenia.

Then, the one who holds Dragon’s soul, the one who Lenia looks up to as her father…… Dran, it was you?」

I never wanted Christina to make this kind of voice. I never wanted her to make this kind of face. I never wanted her to look at me with eyes like those.

Various emotions passed through my chest and sunk to the bottom of my heart, as I tried to smile at Christina. You don’t have to feel so hurt. You haven’t done anything wrong. That was what I was trying to convey with my smile.

Right. The one who should be blamed, the one who had committed a sin, was my foolish past self.

「Christina, that’s right, you’re right. My name as a human in this life is Dran.

However, the name of my soul is Dragon. The body of my past self was cut open, and I was born from the heart of that original dragon, the Ancient Celestial Dragon.

I was reborn as a human, while still possessing my soul as an Ancient Celestial Dragon; that is what I am now.

For you to have learned about this from that wretched mage and to be put in this kind of situation, it’s extremely upsetting」

I took a peek at Christina’s face. And what I saw was a face like that of a child’s; one who’d gotten separated from her parents, and after realizing she was truly alone, was on the verge of breaking out into tears. That was the kind of face she was making.

Ahh, please don’t cry, Christina. I never want to make you cry. The expression that best suits you will always be a smile.

「I see, so you’re, no, you are Dragon. The one my ancestor committed an unforgivable sin against……」[1]

「Christina, you don’t have to worry about that. I never thought that this would cause suffering to that hero’s descendants, even to this day.

Your ancestor was the one who killed me, that is the unmistakable truth.

But, that is also something that I had wished for. Because I had given up on living back then, and I had wanted to find eternal rest」

Christina didn’t doubt in the slightest that I was actually Dragon.

Rather than believing what Bastrell said, she believed me after I had confirmed it as the truth.

But, as a consequence, her speech and wording toward me had changed, and I couldn’t help but feel sad.

「Regarding that, it has always been passed down through oral legends in my family. My distant ancestor who struck you down, continued to believe his whole life that you purposefully let him kill you.

You were innocent, and yet you were killed. On top of that, the world in those ancient times lost your existence, then changed for the worse. The evil gods, the demons and the evil spirits ran rampant, and the people descended into conflict. The world lost any sense of order, and for a moment, looked like it was on the brink of destruction.

Because of what my family did, this world was once set on the path of destruction. That sin is something my family should bear, for as long as this world lives.

However, by the will of the gods somewhere, I was able to meet you. No, to put it correctly, I should say, I was able to have met you……

Go ahead and smile; thoughtlessly, foolishly.

But please, I want my family’s sin to be forgiven with my generation. If you will forgive it, then I will give you my soul, my heart, my everything.

In order to atone for my ancestor’s sin, I will resign to any punishment and accept even an eternity of pain.」

Right now, Christina was giving herself up as a sacrifice, as if she were a shrine maiden waiting for the moment the gods would take her life.

That very action was the most saddening for me, but Christina didn’t notice. That is also a result of my past behavior.

「Your resolve is splendid. However, you are too enthusiastic, Christina.

I will say it as many times as I have to. You and all of your ancestors have not sinned at all.

There is nothing that needs to be forgiven. I hold no resentment against those heroes.

Rather, because you are still suffering from this, I feel, with all my heart, that I am the one who should ask for forgiveness.

I am sorry. My thoughtlessness in my past life has caused you and your ancestors needless suffering. Please, forgive me」

As I said that, I bowed my head and gave a wholehearted apology. And in response, before my eyes, Christina lost all words. She was speechless.

She had stuck her neck out for the guillotine, with the feelings of a criminal on death row. But instead of executing her, the executioner had confessed his own sins, so this reaction was understandable.

「I, I just want to be forgiven by you. That was it, that was all, I wanted, but I never thought I would be the one to be asked for forgiveness…」

「I see, then I will forgive you and all your ancestors.

And you will forgive me. With that, can’t we call it even?

This way, you can forgive yourself already too.

If you will let me speak frankly, the way I see it, Christina, the one tormenting you, more than anyone else, is yourself」

「If, If you are saying that you are fine with that, then there is nothing, nothing I can give back to you. Even so, are you really, really fine with that?」

「I am. Ever since I realized that you were his descendant, I’ve always thought that, without a single fragment of resentment or hatred.

Christina, you don’t have to carry your family’s sin by yourself anymore.

It won’t fully sink in for you right now, but I want you to know that the sin of killing me ends here with you.

Forget about the family legend, don’t wish for punishment any longer. From now on, follow your heart’s wishes, and just live freely. That is what I sincerely desire」