Episode 434: The Return of the Hunting Dog (1)
[…] … The devil kills.]Bikir muttered in a low voice.
The graduates of Colosseo Academy, including Dolores, were delighted to see Bikir like that, but soon realized.
That is not Bikir. Fragments of the dream world that were not yet disposed of when Amdusias was eliminated four years ago.
The residual thoughts remaining within it are merely imitating the image of Bikir.
"… … But even so."
"You really look just like Bikir."
Tudor and Bianca broke into a cold sweat.
While everyone has gone through a lot of changes, both internally and externally, over the past four years, Bikir in front of us looks just as young as he did four years ago.
"Now that I see it, Bikir is really young too."
"Did you hunt those scary demons with that young body?"
Sancho and Piggy also groaned.
"… … ."
"… … ."
Dolores and Sinclair remained silent.
However, their gaze was deeply filled with sadness, affection, and longing as they looked at the residual thoughts that were once part of Bikir's unconsciousness.
but.
Soon something happened that shattered everyone's sad feelings.
[…] … The devil kills!]Bikir's residual thoughts.
The ego, which was once a part of Bikir's inner self, began swinging its sword in this direction.
Qua-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwak!
A terrifying slash flew in and swept the land.
Everyone, including Dolores, hurriedly fled, feeling their bones turn bitter.
Yes. Now was not the time for them to sympathize with Bikir.
No matter how devastated Vikir's inner self was, at the time he was an absolute powerhouse who had reached the level of a sword master.
"Uh oh why are you attacking us!?"
"Ugh, is it because I've been trapped here for the past four years? "It's very aggressive."
Since Tudor and Bianca were at the front, they were the first to be attacked.
Kwagigigigeek-
Looking at the teeth flying and tearing in all directions, I felt like a small herbivore being hunted by a huge beast.
Overwhelming fear. A feeling of intimidation that one cannot dare to resist. My instincts are screaming like crazy. Run away now!
Grumbling-
A fierce storm of teeth, an aura like a black, blazing fire.
Only a terrible emptiness was burning in Vikir's eyes as he tore through them.
It was a terrifying look in his eyes that only made me feel like I had to avoid it, but I had no will to fight.
[…] … The devil kills.]Wildfire-like hatred towards the devil.
However, the target that that hatred is burning is not just the devil, but everything in the world.
"… … but. Because there is nothing but devils in this world. "It moves to kill everything it encounters."
Dolores gritted her teeth.
You can guess how much burden and responsibility Bikir has by looking at the scale of the mountain peaks and mountain ranges rising behind him.
Perhaps he has lived with a burden on his shoulders that an ordinary human would not even dare to imagine.
'I've felt that since I first saw the Night Hound.'
The emotions I vaguely felt from behind the scenes as he volunteered for the sick in the slums.
Dolores was clearly reaffirming that at this moment.
Meanwhile, Sinclair was analyzing the Vikir in front of him in detail.
"I guess that's what it looks like."
"that? what is that?"
"… … A humanoid monster that lives only for battle. "A crystallization of residual thoughts that arise from the blackening of a noble knight."
Sinclair answered Bianca's question while wiping off a cold sweat.
"Death Knight."
At those words, everyone raised their heads and saw Bikir's face.
"… … one. … … two. … … three. … … four. … … five. … … six. … … seven. … … eight."
And we counted the number of teeth that Bikir is currently showing.
Vikir, who fought with Amdusias during the Naraksu Incident.
Everyone clearly remembered the path of the teeth drawn by his sword at that time.
8. That was the number of teeth that Bikir had drawn.
And right now, the number of teeth that the Vikir in front of me is drawing.
"… … nine."
9.
Vikir in front of me was swinging the tip of his sword, creating as many as nine teeth.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
The slashes extending out in nine lines grab the entire earth and sky and tear them apart.
Disorder and no rules. However, as far as destructive power goes, the swordsmanship is truly formidable.
"Ugh! Are you saying we have to survive by avoiding this? "In this barren world?"
"I understand why the fragment of Amdusias dried up and died."
Tudor and Bianca hurriedly retreated back.
Baskerville Type 9.
For some reason, Vikir's remaining thoughts, which were able to use it, spewed out terrifying murderous energy and turned his head left and right.
… Wow! … Crack!
No matter how you look at it, it does not belong to a living human being.
It seemed that a piece of Vikir's ego had awakened and achieved something strange after experiencing endless fights and pain while wandering this ruined world.
"We have no choice but to fight."
Dolores said, biting her lip.
Faaah!
Eventually, a sacred wall blocked Vikir's path.
[…] … ?]Vikir's remaining thoughts are startled by the energy that is completely different from that of the devil.
however.
Quack!
There are no exceptions. Death Knight is a being that destroys everything that stands in its way.
Baskerville Type 4. Four slashes struck Dolores' defense shield.
"Brother!"
Sinclair also participated in the war.
She pulled up the gold vein from beneath the ground and added her own golden defense wall to Dolores' sacred defense wall.
Ku-kung-
A terrifying impact tears through the defense shield.
That moment.
"… … !"
"… … !"
Dolores and Sinclair felt powerful waves of emotion surging into their hearts.
And Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, and Bianca, who were removing the fragments of the aura, also had to feel the same things.
Every time the swords meet and blood splatters, a wave of emotion rushes through my heart as if it were cutting into my heart.
That is the emotional wound that Bikir has suffered throughout his life.
It was not a physical thing, but a collection of emotions such as pain, solitude, hatred, loneliness, sadness, and loss.
"… … !"
Everyone focused only on the visible pain and failed to see the shadow of emotion that lay beneath it.
The determination that Bikir always had, and the past that he had ruminated on countless times, filled everyone's hearts.
Empathy. In the true sense.
Dolores, Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, Bianca, and Sinclair found out.
The loneliness of someone raised as a hunting dog amidst all kinds of discrimination.
The feeling of loss of losing the only comrades I had affection for.
The sadness of being betrayed by someone you trusted.
The despair of being abandoned and executed by a loyal master.
The helplessness of having to watch so many people who were trying to protect die like trash.
Lost, tortured, fighting, biting, dying, killing, struggling.
… … Yes, I was struggling. A life of constant struggle.
bastard. The child of an abandoned concubine. So my middle name is also half.
Because he was not born with the surnames such as 'La' or 'Le', which were given to him for free by his half-brothers in his family, he had to work hundreds of times harder than others. Despite this, he had to live his whole life in loneliness and pain.
This is the life of a night hound.
This was Bikir's past life, which was in line with the era of war and destruction.
Jureuk-
Tears flow from my eyes without anyone telling me who goes first.
My whole body was being torn apart in the whirlpool of slashes, but what hurt more than that was my heart.
"Are you saying that Bikir has been living with these feelings in his heart all this time?"
"… … "I can't believe it even though I'm experiencing it physically."
"I can't believe I went through these experiences and still overcame them."
"Really what! "How can a human being do this?"
Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, and Bianca are greatly disturbed by the inner feelings of their colleague, whom they have only just learned about.
Sinclair, who was creating a defensive wall, was also biting his lip so hard that it bled.
'I didn't know my brother's past was this bad.'
To be honest, she thought she was the saddest and loneliest person in the world.
But now, I understand because I am facing a knife of emotions that is cutting through my whole body.
I know for sure.
'Now is not the time to think about things like relationships.'
'… … 'now?''
'?'
'Not now, right? In any case, 'for now'. Then, after your brother achieves his goal, will you have some free time?'
'My goal is very long and difficult. Still a long way to achieve... … '
'know. It must be a truly grand ambition for someone as big as my brother to say something like this. Then, one day, when you achieve everything you want.'
'… … .'
'Can you accept me then?'
How childish and foolish those words were back then.
What kind of pressure did it put on him?
'… … If that day comes.'
And what I thought was something I said without much thought, simply to avoid the situation, was an answer I gave with a heavy heart and with so much earnest sincerity.
Meanwhile.
"… … ."
Dolores could barely keep her hands and feet from shaking.
'Bikir! cheer up! 'You are a strong person!'
She screamed inwardly as she faced the storm of slashes rushing in front of her.
It's a good thing that the slashes in front of me are just rushing in without a target. If the accuracy had been a little higher, this defensive wall would have been torn apart like a piece of paper.
She carefully felt between the swords.
The knife stab that penetrated the wall left long blood lines on her body, but Dolores did not give in.
Eventually, an artifact was pulled out from her chest.
mirror of truth. It reveals the true appearance of the object being illuminated.
Dolores wanted to show this to Vikir's remaining thoughts that were running wild and losing their sense of self.
I wanted to help them see the true nature of who they are and how worthy and brilliant they are.
at that time.
As if it were a lie, the storm of slashes stopped for a moment.
As a final act, Dolores took out a mirror towards Bikir, who was standing still.
Paat-
Soon, Bikir's image appears in the mirror.
Instead of the youthful face of four years ago, the face of a man with slightly thicker and darker lines was facing Bikir's residual thoughts.
Sincerity. Straight. strong beliefs. A face that shows something like strong determination.
Dolores smiled faintly as she felt her body relax.
"is it so. This neat and tall figure. "This is who you really are."
She spoke with sincerity.
Even if I turn into a handful of dust at this very moment, if only I could lighten the burden of this lonely man in front of me just a little... … .
… … .
… … however.
Reality turned out a little differently than Dolores imagined.
"I know."
Bikir in the mirror opened his mouth and spoke.
"?"
Dolores had a blank expression for a moment.
'Did the Mirror of Truth have this function?'
But her thoughts didn't last long.
Sigh-
A palm quietly covers the mirror.
Yes. Dolores's hands were so weak that he couldn't take out the mirror.
… … So what is the Bikir before you now?
Dolores raised her head again and looked closely at the front.
[…] … The devil kills.]"I agree."
In the depths of the abyss, Vikir's remaining thoughts radiate fearsome killing power.
And another Bikir facing his own self.
"Besides, it's been a while, everyone."
The sight of him giving a short reunion speech to everyone clearly leaves no doubt about him.
It was the real Bikir!