Pillars of Ita

Toragotos kept throwing more nodes into the front lines of the struggle, trying to see them become the final straw that broke the young mortal's back.

In the endless calculations, the opponent will completely drain its last bit of potential, and that will be the moment it launches its counterattack.

Its dark golden pupils even reflected the vastness of the ether. There, its bargaining chips were being eroded bit by bit, and its control over the magic array was being weakened to an unparalleled degree.

But Toragotos felt no disappointment whatsoever; instead, he sneered triumphantly.

It saw how many mortals, overestimating their own abilities, tried to rebel against the order of the immortals, but what they pursued was only for a moment; what they had to face was an iron curtain called 'time'.

It sensed that the threat from the other side was slowing down, like an army stepping into a swamp, while the mist rising from the swamp was obscuring the boy's vision.

He will grope his way through that fog and never have the chance to get out. As for himself, he is more like a player at a higher level.

It overlooks all of this.

—And take control of everyone's fate.

“The moment I make my next move,” Toragotos said, lifting his hood to reveal his half-dragon, half-human face, “will be the moment everything changes.”

But in the darkness, a pair of golden eyes were silently watching everything.

Nini is flying up from the rain.

She looked at her 'father' with some worry—the little girl was not yet able to fully understand the true meaning of this relationship—she simply watched as blood dripped from Fang Zheng's nose and mixed with the rainwater.

However, Fang Zheng tilted his head back, letting the blood trickle down his lips, and smiled nonchalantly at the little one. "Nini," he said, "watch me show you a magic trick—"

“Papa”.

"Don't worry," Fang Zheng reached out and patted the little fairy's head, as if comforting his real daughter.

He raised his head, and a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes as the dark clouds parted.

He knew that there were many players on the chessboard, and each of them wanted to be the final, true victor.

"Toragotos, that wanderer, Lifgard, and all those with ulterior motives..."

"But these people only see ambition as a means to achieve their goals, regardless of the cost or the gains or losses. Everything in this world is just a bargaining chip in their eyes."

"If they succeed, then those who were unjustly wronged in the past will never receive fair retribution."

Fang Zheng's dark eyes were as cold as steel, as if he were seeing the raging flames of Idus in the past, the shadow of a giant dragon sweeping across the sky, towers collapsing and crumbling, and people screaming and crying in the sea of ​​fire.

He saw the girl in white, standing at the edge of the firelight, in the shadows.

She gazed at him intently, then smiled gently.

He saw Lady Misu, Aladdin, and Lady Spoon beside him—a black cat with its tail raised to him, with Doryph's heavy phantoms behind them.

He saw the black-clad wanderer again, and the dragon with golden eyes beside him.

The head of the Rogisl family gave him a cold, disdainful smirk—

“The dead cannot speak, young man.”

Because history is written by the victors.

At that moment, on the other side of the city, the man disguised as Kobelflick seemed to sense something and looked up.

"What's wrong?" Bishop Baldoma noticed the man's unusual behavior and asked. He knew this man was always cautious and cunning, so he had to be careful around him.

However, at least so far, their scheme has been effective. The barrier in the sky seems to have ignored them, allowing them to successfully approach the vicinity of the magic circle.

“No, it’s nothing,” Kobelflick shook his head, “it just noticed us.”

"That evil dragon?"

"Don't worry, it can't do anything right now."

Baldoma glanced at the latter, "I hope so."

But what neither of them noticed was that behind them, the young man who had been so quiet and reserved also looked up and glanced towards the mountaintop.

Fang Zheng met the gaze from the shadows—a gaze that was contemptuous and indifferent, as if the fate of all mortals was insignificant to it, and all costs were unimportant.

That past, in history, is being relived in this very moment—

Yes, the dead cannot speak.

Those stories that happened in the past may have had nothing to do with him at all.

Whether it's the songs burned to ashes under the flames, or the embers of the tower buried beneath the years, whether it's the cries concealed in the dust, or the mother who lost her daughter in the sea of ​​fire.

But he saw them all—

Therefore, it cannot be ignored.

He read page after page of that story, reading about virtues and courage, as well as baseness and cruelty. He saw all the good things, and he also saw the cowardice beneath the guise of righteousness.

But the subtle details within that story, like a gentle stream, were enough to make him make a choice at the end of everything.

Yes, the deceased did not speak.

But he can.

“I will make them fail,” Fang Zheng raised his head, speaking with unwavering resolve, each word deliberate and deliberate. He then ripped off his goggles and tossed them into the rain.

He took off his gloves again, and the bulky magical device fell to the ground with a clatter. "I want every unjust ending to receive its due reward."

He raised his hands.

It was as if between those hands, there was an illusory crown, pressing heavily on their heads.

Three words appeared out of nowhere in Fang Zheng's mind:
"you will die."

Fang Zheng laughed.

The rain poured down, and the air was utterly silent. Only the heavy weight of calculations pressed down on his brain, overwhelming him and causing blood to stream down his nose.

Mortals cannot bear being divided into thousands of pieces; their will is tormented as if it will split open at any moment, even though they have received the blessing from the dragon knight.

But this blessing has also become another burden.

Fang Heng covered his nose with his hand, but bright red blood immediately seeped out from between his fingers. His vision was already blurred, but he still waited—

"...Since you have chosen me as your piece, then please let me play the role that this piece should play. I will bring you victory and all your glory."

"Not here."

Where should it be?

Fang Zheng stared into the vast emptiness and questioned—as if there was still someone there, looking at him with complicated eyes.

She was praised for her fairness and courage, but her gaze was soft and kind. She looked at him and sighed softly, as if she were looking at each of her own children.

But the confidence in the boy's eyes was enough to impress anyone.

It was as if a mortal had captured the pulse of destiny with such precision for the first time, from the moment that seed took root and sprouted within him, as if all the causes and conditions had been waiting for this moment to arrive.

He is the owner of that crown.

He finally understood this.

Fang Zheng raised his head, his eyes reflecting the falling starlight, so dazzling, just as the prophecy had been fulfilled.

“Please crown me, Madam Marlan,” he said, his thoughts reaching their limit, as if squeezing out each word, “I beg you for a fair deal.”

All the shadows vanished under the oppressive force descending from the sky.

Leonard stared in horror at the scene. The familiar aura almost made him kneel down. He really was her chosen one, and far more than just an ordinary chosen one.

That's more like...

grace.

He will hold her authority over the earth.

He will act on her behalf.

Honor her glory.

What exactly is the story of the Son of Ignisius?

Below the platform, Aitila suddenly stopped. She turned around, her brows furrowed, and a hint of worry in her emerald eyes. She sensed that familiar yet strange aura.

The giant cat-man also lowered his sword and looked in that direction with an indescribable gaze, but what he saw was not Fang Zheng, but the presence behind him:

A pair of hands in the void lifted a crown and gently placed it on Fang Zheng's head.

A crystal shone with a bluish glow.

The twelve crystals shone with a bluish glow.

Far away on the other side of the sky, in the palace of the Ausy people, far away in the Sacred White Forest, the two kings raised their heads at the same time.

The supreme monarch looked at the emblem of omniscience on his palm and shook his head slightly—the azure flames did not burn with knowledge and mystery.

Rather, it was time rushing toward its end. The knights seemed to have forgotten that they were on the battlefield, staring incredulously at the holy emblem on their chests, where every word of the damp inscription seemed to glow.

Fang Zheng raised his head.

Only then did he understand why the relic was called a relic. The power of the Azure Radiance surged through his limbs and bones. He raised his head and could easily see through all the secrets of the Aether World.

He raised a finger, and without any connecting medium, his will seemed to automatically pierce the barrier between matter and ether, and Toragothos's carefully woven defenses crumbled in an instant.

"It's you again, Azure Radiance—!"

From the other side of the Ether Sea came Toragothos's roar, but the voice quickly turned to panic, the previous composure seemingly vanished, "No... this is not Azure Radiance!"

It seemed to be able to see everything that was happening here by following the veins of the ether, "...The Sea, the Sealin Crown, it actually fell into your hands!?"

Throughout his long life since birth, Torragottos had never experienced such emotions—fear, confusion, anger, and unease.

"You...you're insane!?" the dragon roared, unable to contain itself. "You are not the master of this sacred object; it will kill you!"

Fang Zheng turned a deaf ear.

He understood, of course, that the Azure Radiance surging through his limbs and bones had never been so violent, yet had never been so tamed.

The violence stemmed from what they ignited—everything that constituted his body: elements, matter, and starlight—the principles of which he had long understood.

It comes from the verdant green and returns to the verdant green. It is the most primal and purest power in the world. Once the starlight disappears, all things vanish, but it has no other choice.

Because compared to a tiny bit of starlight, he was facing the most dangerous enemy the world had ever faced.

As for the subjugation, it was because Azure Radiance had never before been so connected to his will, as if he could command this enormous power as if it were his own arm.

Before it, even the laws of the Dragon Knights, which had once been so unbearable, seemed so docile, and the immense computational pressure seemed insignificant.

It's no wonder that filmmakers are captivated by such power.

He wanted to indulge, but he didn't have the chance. In a short while, Cang Zhihui had used up all his starlight. His vision went black, but he reappeared in the same spot a moment later.

To the others, however, what they saw was a sacred shrine appearing in the void, the Marlan emblem flashing across the sky, and Fang Zheng resurrecting on the spot.

Without uttering a word, the knights immediately knelt down. From a distance, the square was filled with a dense mass of people, including the ancient knights, kneeling on one knee.

"Thank you, Ms. Marlan."

"Hurry up."

Five characters appeared one after another.

Fang Zheng nodded. He understood, of course, that Cang Zhihui was constantly burning away his life force, and that he didn't have much time left.

Of course, Torragottos has even less time left.

All its proud schemes were a joke in the face of that unstoppable power; the four sacred artifacts left behind by the Numelin elves were the core power that restrained them.

Countless constructs rose like rain from the earth, and hundreds of thousands of clockwork fairies flew into the air like raindrops.

They tore apart every node controlled by Toragothos, the former lord of Fenris, who tried to resist but was powerless and could only watch as Fang Zheng's power swept over all the nodes like a tidal wave.

Not even one was left for it.

"Do not……"

Toragotos never imagined that the transition between heaven and hell would come so suddenly and dramatically. Finally understanding what had happened, it tried to beg for mercy:

“…You can’t do that. Livegard is using you, it…”

But Fang Zheng didn't give it that chance.

At that moment, Toragotos finally understood the meaning behind the contempt in those golden eyes.

Its former stern master had watched it walk right into the trap; had it known this would happen, it wouldn't have chosen to betray him. For the first time, it bitterly realized that ambition had blinded it—

“I…should have stayed in Fenris…”

"...Don't open that magic circle..."

But it was too late.

As the one who rewrote the barrier, Fang Zheng naturally understood the true meaning of this enormous maze; it was first and foremost a massive sealing array.

A simple overwrite cannot change the core function of this magic circle, nor does it intend to change it, because once the core of the magic circle is lost, Livegard will truly be freed.

But he also understood that once the Creation Spell was activated, it would strip away the bloodline power from Livegard, which would be the moment when the magic circle's restraint on the latter was at its weakest.

And at that very moment, those golden pupils opened.

Everyone seemed to see those eyes belonging to the ruler at the same moment, except that Toragotos, who was in the center of the magic circle, saw them even more clearly.

Of course, its experience was even more desperate.

"You want my power, don't you, Toragothos?"

The owner of the golden eyes spoke calmly, "Then I'll give it to you."

“…No, no…” Toragotos pleaded desperately, his heart breaking. “My respected master, he released you not out of kindness…”

"You think I don't know?"

Livegard sneered, "I know your purpose, I know his purpose, and I even know that young man's purpose. I'm letting you do as you please. Guess why?"

Toragothos was so terrified that his face contorted. It's hard to imagine that such a rich range of emotions could appear on the face of a dragon. If possible, he would have tried his best to escape.

But it cannot do that.

Because at the moment the situation reversed, Fang Zheng had already locked it onto the center of the magic circle, so now, as it wished, the magic circle regarded it as the target of the creation spell.

And it continuously poured the power from Livegard into it. The Dragon King's golden blood was being destroyed and annihilated by the magic circle, and then reborn as a new seed, merging into its body.

Those seeds are the curse of dragon's blood.

But Toragotos felt no relief whatsoever, even though that was originally its goal—it knew even better that the magic circle was originally modified for it.

It certainly understands this power, but at this moment it is merely a temporary node.

In short, it was used as the central hub of the magic circle. Once the transfer was complete, the seed would be extracted from it, just as it had been peeled off from Livegard.

Then it becomes a tonic for someone else.

It didn't quite understand why Fang Zheng was doing this, but it was clear that since the other party had already activated the magic array, he must have made thorough preparations.

Once the curse of the dragon blood is removed from it, the power of the same origin will also be extracted, and that will be its true death.

Toragotos certainly foresaw its ultimate fate, but what it couldn't understand was why its former master was equally indifferent, watching all of this unfold without lifting a finger.

Theoretically speaking, shouldn't the other party be like a grasshopper tied to the same rope as oneself? If one is reduced to ashes, wouldn't the other be the same?
Toragotos looked at the other with pleading eyes, hoping to see the dark dragon save itself, or at least break the stalemate, so that it would have a chance to escape.

But it was destined to be disappointed.

Lifgard seemed completely unconcerned that its power was dissipating. Its golden pupils coldly watched as its body crumbled and gradually flowed into Toragothos's body.

The magic circle left behind by the Numelin elf was a cage for it, but for this 'newly born' dragon, it was an even more deadly shackle.

The body of this dark dragon king finally vanished into nothingness.

But its final gaze seemed to linger in space, its golden pupils silently watching Toragotos howl and roar in agony, yet unable to resist in the slightest.

This was the last 'gift' the elves left for it—

It remained silent, watching as the other's last scale melted away, vanishing like quicksand, turning into air and disappearing without a trace.

And at that very moment.

The phantoms of two giant dragons appeared simultaneously above Vol-Salastir, one of them cold and stern, its face still seemingly bearing a faint expression of mockery.

The other end is frozen in the final moment of terror, as if the despair before death is still solidified in Toragotos's dark golden pupils.

Fang Zheng raised his head and gently lifted his hand. The next moment, the three giant rings above Vo-Salastiel lit up simultaneously, and countless runes extended along the barrier toward the sky.

Inside the city, the wanderer who had transformed into Kobelflick was recovering from the illusion of the golden eyes. "Is that Livegard?" Baldoma asked from the side.

He nodded.

“Toragotos has indeed failed,” the Wanderer said calmly, looking up at the strange sight in the sky. “I warned him beforehand that Livegard wouldn’t be so easy to deal with.”

He glanced at his partner, and spoke as if giving a hint, or perhaps a threat:

"But that stupid lizard was blinded by power. It seemed to fear me more than its former master. But underestimating that evil dragon will come at a price."

"Then what do we do?" Baldoma was silent for a moment, then stopped with the knights accompanying him, looking at the scene above and asking, "Go and seize that seed?"

Kobelflick shook his head. "You really think Livegard will go down with that stupid dragon? No, it planned everything. It's not there at all. Let's go to the temple."

After saying that, he seemed to get a little anxious and turned in that direction without saying a word.

...(End of chapter)