Others Summon Dragons, I Summon Legendary Knights

Chapter 487: Last Dance

’I have always hated the system. It just never favoured anything about me. The authorities, the government, manipulated by Cain or not, the system has never been fair to humanoid summoners, to the weak, not even to the strong!’

It seemed as if the island itself shook as his sword clashed with Asahi’s katana. The samurai was thrown backward, but red lightning ran on the surface of Imperial, crackling with great intensity.

Godfrey grunted, yet stood. ’The unfairness of our world also caught up with you, Ken. You’ve been molded into a version you could have superseded. And for this, I thank Cain. I don’t know how he knew I wouldn’t break, but I didn’t. You... you did.’

He watched Asahi change his stance and, with a step, gusts of wind burst out of the ground.

A great portion of mana leaked out of the black samurai, who took three normal steps forward, then blitzed toward him.

Suddenly, Asahi transformed into a whirlwind of sword slashes and wind so fierce everything in the settlement was levelled.

Ravines were torn into the island from sword gashes that flew out of the whirlwind.

Godfrey stood, staring at the whirlwind as mana beams slammed into his armour, pushing him back step by step. The earth around him was torn open. The depth of these thin holes was too deep to be seen.

’How long will I let the Heads act rampantly? I should be reasonable. I just stepped into the spotlight. Unfortunately, reason died in the Black Sea. All I see is the hand of an egoistical woman pulling the strings and forcing me into a corner. All I see...’

Suddenly, all the wind and sword slashes gathered into a gigantic crescent slash. With a grunt, Asahi swung downward.

Godfrey leaned away.

In the next instant, he felt a rumble, and a part of the island slowly began to tilt away from the other as the waves of the sea became restless.

Wind blasted against his back. Asahi appeared behind him, swinging his katana, but Godfrey rolled forward, slammed his ironclad boot into the ground and thrust his longsword right back.

Asahi gently averted it by grazing his katana against the longsword. Sparks flew as the katana drew closer to the hilt.

Then, Asahi’s eyes lit up with a moon-like glow.

’Moon Stance.’

From within Asahi’s eyes, Ken watched. He shut his eyes, muttering two words. ”Last dance.”

The katana hit the longsword’s hilt. Asahi pulled back, falling to his left. A sudden move that allowed him to evade Godfrey’s forceful second thrust.

Asahi slammed his palm into the ground, spun his legs like the blades of a fan, sweeping Godfrey’s legs off the ground.

’Will Freeze.’

’Will Freeze.’

Both 40.0 Demigods used Will Freeze on themselves at the same moment. Godfrey paused mid-air, his body angled in the direction he was falling, while Asahi paused.

One hand on the ground, with his two feet still in the air.

Godfrey’s one eye met Asahi’s moon-like eyes, then everything twisted, like space sucked in on itself.

Asahi appeared in a strange place where the floor was an ocean and above them was a large moon. He stood on the rippling water, his reflection rippling along with it.

It was quite foggy, and he saw a young Godfrey learning how to box.

”This is not honourable but... the stance never gives the opponent a chance,” Asahi muttered as he approached Godfrey.

Within Asahi was Ken, who sighed with his eyes shut. ’The dying star does indeed outshine the sun in its dying breath. You’ve ultimately lost, Godfrey, the sun.’

Asahi flashed forward as the young Godfrey grew and looked sixteen. It was time. The samurai lifted up his katana.

His slash in this realm was straight to the soul. It couldn’t be blocked, it couldn’t be evaded. This was the Moon Stance. This was his final dance, and it might seem that he died surpassing the one he saw as the greatest prodigy.

Right then, Godfrey’s figure glitched and became his nineteen-year-old self. It glitched again in less than the speed of thought, and Godfrey now had one eye and one arm.

Asahi swung down his katana. A massive wave went down, but the sound of metal hitting metal echoed, causing the samurai and his summoner’s eyes to widen.

Standing where Godfrey once stood was a shadow-armoured being with his back facing the samurai, yet he blocked the blow with a golden sword.

The golden blade of the sword was etched with lots of words that looked like runes. This being, whose soul itself was armoured, an occurrence that was supposed to be impossible, tilted his head toward Asahi.

One bright golden eye pierced through the great distance between them.

It turned, revealing two golden irises embedded in an armoured body made of shadow and mist.

Ken’s eyes slowly widened.

This shadowy being was clearly heavily armoured. Yet, it lurched forward, traversing the distance between them in one leap.

Asahi swung for the kill. Taking out a target mid-air was much easier than on land, but this shadow came with such force that the impact of their blades clashing pulled Asahi’s arms off his shoulders.

The katana fell into the water as both arms hung limp.

In the next moment, the golden sword went right through his chest. Blood rolled down the golden blade, and the samurai’s knees hit the water, forcing violent ripples.

Within his summon, Ken’s eyes remained wide. A lot of questions went through his mind at that moment, but then he chuckled.

’I guess we all have our secrets.’

Asahi’s body suddenly plummeted into the water under the gaze of the shadowy being.

***

Godfrey dropped to one knee and one arm to support his fall, his longsword ready to retaliate, but he saw Asahi dissipate, leaving Ken behind.

There was a wound on his chest, and it was bleeding out. Not even his plague could heal this wound.

Ken chuckled weakly as he stared at the sky. The sun had appeared at the horizon in the east, its first radiance gracing the skies beyond the clouds.

”I lost.”

Godfrey plunged his sword into the ground and slowly sat down. The island was falling apart, several portions collapsing into the sea all around them. Great rumbling sounds filled the air as they fell.

He removed his helmet.

”What did you do?”

”Went to your soul. You were so close to dying, but then I saw your trump card. Hehehe...” He laughed weakly as blood slipped from the sides of his lips.

”Godfrey, the sun. Ken, the dying star.” He whispered, staring at him.

Godfrey looked away. ”Why do you keep calling me the sun?”

”That’s how I see you... like a sun whose radiance reaches far beyond his presence.”

”I feel free, Godfrey,” Ken said. ”I don’t know why, but I feel at...”

There were no more words. Godfrey turned and saw Ken staring straight at him, but his eyes had dimmed.

”...at peace,” Godfrey whispered, and for some reason his right eye grew moist. His heart boiled with anger. What use was all this power, he asked himself once more... if pain still exists?

Maybe the younger him was wrong all along to assume power took away pain. Power had its place. Maybe it was limited?

Godfrey grabbed his helmet and donned it. His one eye gleamed.

He refused to believe that. Beings of greater power existed. The Mana Tree existed. He didn’t care if it was something no one would reach. Setting his goals on the impossible would allow him to at least climb to the peak.

Peace had to be somewhere up there. He might be coping but what else was there. Fate wasn’t his problem, he was.

His hand trembled as he picked up Ken’s core, then rose to his feet, grabbed his sword and ascended what was left of the island.