The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 207
In the blink of an eye, we passed through the forest, drawing closer to Aquiline Academy.
Yet, the closer we got, the more visible the thick, acrid black smoke rising in the distance became.
“You, come with me.”
Just then, Isabel caught up to me from behind.
She spread her wings and ran alongside me.
“Are you really going to end the civil war?”
“Yeah. Now I have my own reason to.”
Aquiline Academy houses students from Jerion Academy.
As a teaching assistant, it wouldn’t be wrong for me to stand against them to protect those students.
Above all, that Card guy is involved.
Even though we always bickered, he’s still my friend.
“I almost lost Seron not long ago—that’s when I realized.”
My eyes gleamed with a fiercer light than before.
“I’m the kind of person who protects everything that comes into my hands.”
The framework of relationships surrounding me.
I swore that every connection tied to me would reach a happy ending.
That was my greed—my possessiveness.
Possessiveness is one of the emotions encompassed by love.
A love lost long ago.
This is the first step to reclaiming it.
I will make this world’s ending a happy one.
Even if I’m just an extra, it doesn’t matter.
To me, in the story I walk, everyone is a protagonist—everyone is a shining star.
Today, I reaffirmed that resolution, which had faded along with my emotions.
“You really are…”
Isabel studied me quietly before suddenly asking,
“Am I included in that?”
A faint glimmer of expectation flickered in her eyes.
“That goes without saying.”
The corners of Isabel’s lips curled up.
She looked pleased.
“Actually, we might not need to hurry.”
It didn’t take long to understand what she meant.
Far in the distance, a massive defensive spell enveloped the entirety of Aquiline Academy, pulsing with immense magical energy.
“The strongest mage is on our side.”
Admittedly, the students are still fledglings.
They’re far from being able to defeat fully-fledged mages and knights.
But very rarely—
Very rarely—
there exist monsters even those adults can’t handle.
Sharin Sazarith.
A candidate for the next Blue Tower Lord of the Empire, a true monster hailed as the strongest mage.
Her magic dared not allow the likes of Phanish nobility’s soldiers to even approach.
Her spells evolved further, crossing life-and-death lines repeatedly.
In terms of sheer magical energy, she now rivals even a Blue Tower Lord.
As long as Sharin stands, Aquiline Academy will never fall.
And she isn’t alone.
Above the defensive barrier, two spirits rose.
One, a Spirit Lord who commands storms.
The other, a supreme spirit who wields the flames of purgatory.
At their appearance, the soldiers panicked and fled.
They were beings ordinary soldiers could never hope to oppose.
But exceptions exist.
KWAANG!
An arrow shot from somewhere blew off the supreme spirit’s head.
A condensed arrow of immense energy pierced through fire and storm to strike the spirit.
Seizing the opening, the soldiers hammered at the magical barrier.
The Spirit Lord blasted them away, but it wasn’t enough.
Since Poara couldn’t harbor killing intent toward humans, the Spirit Lord’s power felt lacking.
Poara’s innate nature was gentle—there was no helping it.
“Isabel, remember this.”
I raised my hand and stomped the ground hard.
“The ones with black feathers on their heads.”
At the same time, flames of ash swirled violently in my grasp.
“Be wary of them.”
With a powerful kick-off, I burst through the forest at high speed.
At that very moment, I came face-to-face with a man drawing a massive bow, poised to snipe the spirits.
A black feather adorned his bird-like helmet.
The strongest force the Phanish Phantom Kingdom boasts—
A knight of the Black Avian Order.
His bow instantly aimed at me.
The once-large bow rapidly shrank in size.
The magical arrow adjusted accordingly, growing smaller.
Instead, the number of arrows nocked multiplied drastically.
PIIING!
The arrows released from the bowstring flew toward me in rapid succession.
An endless downpour of arrows, like a rain of death.
But he misjudged.
If he wanted to fight me, he should’ve stuck with the massive bow—that would’ve been the right call.
The arrows rained down on my body.
The barrage hammered against me relentlessly.
Yet, not a single arrow pierced through.
I didn’t even need to swing my hand.
Simply by advancing, every arrow crumbled and shattered.
Caught off guard by my relentless charge, the Black Avian knight flinched and altered his weapon’s form.
CHAEENG!
Now, a heavy mace rested in his grip.
Smart.
He must’ve realized blades wouldn’t work on me in an instant.
As the distance closed, the mace swung down with crushing force.
Just before impact—
I twisted my hand and slashed toward the mace.
My steel-reinforced edge, infused with flames of ash, radiated scorching heat.
KWADDUK!
The mace’s head was pierced through, and the flames of ash burrowed deep inside.
Weapon Breaker.
JJANG-GRANG!
The mace’s head shattered into fragments, scattering everywhere.
Beneath the debris, the Black Avian knight swung a dagger forged from pure aura.
Though its output paled compared to a full weapon, its edge could cut through anything.
Even a body of steel wouldn’t withstand it.
Truly worthy of Phanish’s elite Black Avian Order.
Despite the relentless, unforeseen circumstances, he adapted without hesitation.
But perhaps because he’d already faced a high-speed Apostle—
His variables and judgment couldn’t match mine.
PADDUK!
Before the aura dagger could touch me—
My foot had already swept his legs.
A body tempered through hellish training, further enhanced by ancient dragon magic—partially dragonized.
No matter how strong a Black Avian knight’s legs were, they couldn’t withstand that.
His leg bent unnaturally, his body tilting sideways.
By then, my fist was already in front of his face.
PAAK!
With a crisp sound, the knight’s nose and face caved in as he spun midair before crashing into the ground.
No doubt, the knight was strong.
Most students wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
But I’ve long since surpassed that level.
I’ve crossed countless life-and-death lines, devoured mysteries and opportunities to grow stronger.
There’s no way I’d lose to a knight now.
Plucking the black feather from the knight’s helmet, I dashed back into the forest.
The ordinary soldiers don’t matter.
My targets are only knight-class.
The elite task force gathered to capture Prince Maron and end the civil war.
The knights weren’t just skilled—they were numerous.
I rampaged through the forest, felling Black Avian knights one after another.
Occasionally, knights from other orders appeared.
But if even Phanish’s strongest, the Black Avians, couldn’t match me, the others stood no chance.
Still, the knights weren’t fools.
The moment they realized their forces were falling, they regrouped seamlessly.
Alone, they were vulnerable.
Together, they stood a better chance.
That much was obvious.
And they weren’t wrong.
No matter how strong I was, charging into a group of knights was suicide.
But there was one thing—
They misjudged.
“You.”
There you are.
Isabel had been fighting fiercely elsewhere, her appearance disheveled.
But the Goddess’s wings shone brilliantly.
“Isabel, you haven’t used the Goddess’s Declaration of Victory yet, right?”
“Yeah. The knights were strong, but not unbeatable.”
“They’re also exhausted from fighting in the civil war. They’re not at full strength.”
Knights fighting on the frontlines had no choice but to tire.
Especially after chasing Prince Maron from the royal invasion all the way here.
Unlike us, who’d had some rest, they’d had none.
So, I decided to personally help them rest.
“Isabel, I need you to declare victory.”
Climbing a tree, I raised my hand toward the sky.
Dark clouds began to gather among the night’s haze.
Below, knights still unaware of the situation came into view.
Knights bound by noble orders.
They were no different from Card.
But to break their will, a grand display was necessary.
Power surged into my ringed right hand.
Above, an immense force began to tremble.
FLUTTER!
At the same time, Isabel spread the Goddess’s wings.
The power condensed in her wings gathered at the tip of her sword before shooting skyward.
A blinding light swallowed by the dark clouds.
The sudden radiance drew the attention of Phanish’s knights and soldiers.
Among them were mages attempting to breach Sharin’s magic.
I raised my hand to the sky, as if greeting them.
Come forth—Lightning Summoning.
Then, the heavens answered the call.
The Goddess’s Declaration of Victory, swallowed and condensed into a colossal convergence of energy.
It descended as a single bolt of lightning.
The blinding heat of the thunderclap, so loud it swallowed all sound, engulfed the forest.
The magical rune in my palm erupted with power.
Magic Rune · Lightning Grasp.
The lightning coursing through my hand morphed into a spear.
The Goddess’s power, infused with the sun’s might, surged violently within the bolt.
The mages, belatedly sensing the danger, raised defensive spells—but it was too late.
Every person has their limits.
None among them could stop me.
Black Avian knights drew massive bows, nocking arrows.
Even now, they struggled to shoot me down—their efforts were admirable.
But the lightning in my hand was the ultimate firepower, capable of swallowing even their light.
My arm, gripping the Goddess’s spear, swung with full force.
Power from my waist channeled into my arm, and the magic rune at my elbow exploded.
If I’m doing this—I’ll make it spectacular.
A single strike to brand into the nobles who started this civil war.
The Goddess’s spear left my hand, devouring even the massive bows before detonating.
KWAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!
The forest before Aquiline Academy—
In an instant, everything and everyone within it was blown away.