"Ughhh..."
Vlad stood up, groaning like an old man.
"I almost died."
[If it weren't for the snake's protection, you would have really died.]
Listening to the voice, Vlad looked down at his armor.
He hadn't expected the snake's protection that had embraced him that day to manifest like this.
"It's useful."
[So let's go again later.]
Vlad ignored the voice's words and remembered his purpose for coming here.
A crack in the ground is gradually approaching.
Rutger and knights chasing after it.
And below, priests and knights were bewildered to the point of not even noticing Vlad's fall.
"Huh?"
[...This is unexpected.]
And among them, a very familiar figure appeared.
Drrrrrrrrr!
Even as Vlad was embarrassed, the crack slicing through the meadow continued to spread relentlessly.
Rutger and the knights were trying hard to catch up, but as the voice said, the speed of the deathworms moving under the ground was so agile that even a herd of wild horses could keep up with them.
"Damn it!"
And the crack in the meadow, extending at an incredible speed, was heading straight ahead.
Precisely, straight ahead, without hesitation, towards the crowd of pilgrims.
"Hurry, gather the priests!"
"Those prepared, leave first!"
Heeeeeh-
The knights shouted and the neigh of horses.
And amidst all that noise, the approaching malevolent crack.
An unstoppable force of immense violence was bearing down on them.
"No way..."
In that urgent situation, Vlad recognized a priest climbing onto a cart with desperate movements.
The only priest the boy knew, someone unforgettable.
His situation struck him like a thorn piercing his eyes, reaching deep into his chest.
"Damn it!"
Coincidence sometimes appears like fate and forces one to make a choice.
In that cruel moment, most people would bow their heads and take the easy path, but Vlad was different from those people.
He had always fought with all his might.
"..."
Gritting his teeth with determination, Vlad leaped towards Rutger with all his strength.
Despite the pounding of his heart, which never seemed to cease, Vlad didn't stop.
Until now, he had cherished two things close to his heart.
One was Alicia's handkerchief.
And the other was his identity token, guaranteed by Andrea.
"Priest!"
The person who first vouched for him when he was nothing.
The one who had allowed him to take root in the world was down there.
Forget the surprise and pain of tumbling down the hill just now; Vlad dashed towards the approaching crack.
He was throwing himself towards a great violence that anyone would want to escape from.
※※※※
"Over here! I'm here!"
Vlad waved his hands frantically, trying to make himself visible somehow.
"..."
And atop a galloping horse, a man with black hair spotted his figure.
But there was a massive gap between them that was too difficult to bridge, and along that gap, a young deathworm was attempting to ambush the pilgrims.
Vlad managed to get the time right, but the position wasn't right.
"No...!"
Vlad muttered dumbfoundedly, watching the crack pass by his side without any hesitation.
"No!"
Vlad shouted angrily at the deathworm that passed by while ignoring him.
I can't remain helpless like this again in front of a huge world, about which I can't do anything.
[Vlad!]
The voice sensed Vlad's intentions, and tried urgently to stop him, but he had already made up his mind.
Now was the time.
If it had to be done, he wouldn't hesitate.
Ignoring the voice's warnings, Vlad firmly grasped the imprint and hurled it high into the air.
A white piece of paper fluttered beneath the sky.
"Here, you bastard!"
The resolute trajectory of the unadorned sword slashed the paper.
As the paper tore apart, intricate patterns filled with simple engravings adorned the unadorned sword.
The sword began to vibrate following the black glowing engraving.
With Vlad's anger directed towards the deathworm.
[...It's not enough. Summon forth your world as well.]
Although Vlad wanted to stop it as much as possible, the voice, who understood Vlad better than anyone else, offered advice.
If you tried it anyway, you shouldn't regret it.
[Amplify the vibration!]
Dorothea's imprint technique was excellent, but it wasn't enough to draw the attention of the deathworm, who was already facing his prey.
So, her imprint needed to be reinforced.
"Ugh!"
Following the advice of the voice, Vlad plunged his sword into the ground.
Then, he closed his left eye.
To summon forth his still fledgling world within his soul.
Even if Zayar were here in this situation, he wouldn't say anything about his actions.
Because this was the only best option.
"....Come forth."
On the day he first spoke his name before the god.
Vlad remembered the sunlight that had descended upon his shoulders through the iridescent stained-glass windows.
It was warm and cozy, and above all, the smile of the priest looking at him was beautiful.
"Come!"
With his shout, faint lights began to emanate from the plain sword.
White, green, and blue.
His world, still searching for its own color, was filled with the colors of the knights surrounding him.
Though faint, they were beautiful colors.
Ooong- Woong- Woong
Dorothea's imprint began to resonate with Vlad's world, invoking a massive vibration.
There was no tremor, but it rippled the air, and although there was no sound, every being here could hear it.
It was like the shout of a boy shouting, "I am here."
"..."
The young Death Worm, who was running towards the pilgrims with blood foam at its mouth, could hear the silent shout of the boy.
It was a voice that resonated more than anything else, even more than the commanding sound in its own forehead ordering it to move forward.
So, it turned its head.
Cr-rrr-rrr-rrr-
The crack halted.
The vast world recognized the boy's world.
Deathworm's heart was beating violently when he felt the boy.
"..."
"..."
And everyone present here gazed at the shining boy.
Ooong- Woong- Woong
For just a moment, the boy's presence dominated everything here.
I am here.
".....Run away!"
"Vlad! Throw your sword at me!"
The moment the Deathworm's head, which seemed to be standing still, moved slightly, Rutger's shout was heard.
The presence created by the boy stopped time in the meadow for a brief moment, but did not dominate it. To do that, the boy's world was still only a weak possibility.
However, it was enough to serve the purpose.
Kraaaaaaah!
The deathworm, having reset its target, burst out from the ground and charged towards Vlad.
With movements faster than the voice anticipated.
As if it had been waiting for this moment.
[Dodge!]
"Uhh..."
Despite the urgent cry of the voice, Vlad could not easily open his closed eye.
The feeble world is not yet established.
Vlad's achievement was insufficient to swiftly open and close that world.
Above the wavering Vlad, a dark shadow loomed.
It stemmed from the colossal gesture of despair.
"No!"
Everyone anticipated the next situation and tightly shut their eyes.
Rutger rushed to save the boy, but the distance between them could not narrow as much as the flow of time.
[Aura on the armor...!]
A huge presence that swallows up even the cries of voice.
The moment when the boy unconsciously tries to swing his unadorned sword in front of the huge world that is crashing down on him.
"..."
Blacker than the despair cast by the deathworm.
A darkness thick and profound, like the color of a moonless night, covered the boy's eyes.
Kwagagagang!
Before the colossal world could crush the boy.
※※※※
"..."
The sound of wind brushing past the ears.
Vlad could feel the heartbeat through his hands.
The movements of the muscles, which were not only warm but hot, and pulsating with blood, were being transmitted to his fingertips.
"..."
A dense cloud of dust swept in behind Vlad.
However, before the dirty dust could envelop him, Vlad was already far beyond its reach.
Those rustling things couldn't catch up with the speed at which he was running.
Somewhere between ecstasy and astonishment.
In the blink of an eye, Vlad felt himself riding on the horse's back and opened his closed eyes.
[Huh...]
"······ That's right."
Without even hearing the sigh of relief of the voice, Vlad straightened his waist.
With the sound of wind, everything around him was quickly passing by.
Vlad had never felt such speed since he was born.
"..."
Vlad spread out his palm to welcome the approaching wind.
The heavy rush of air was fiercely escaping through the gaps between his fingers.
"Ha! Hahaha!"
Vlad had been on the verge of death just a moment ago, but now he was laughing heartily.
Because the scenery he had dreamed of was unfolding before his eyes.
Kwaaaaaah!
"..."
It was only for a moment, but the deathworm's howl was heard behind Vlad, who had forgotten reality.
The intention was successful, but it wasn't over yet.
"Vlad! Vlad! Are you alright?"
A knight with black hair rode up to the boy who was running amidst the roar of the deathworm.
"I seem to be fine!"
"....Good!"
As the knights and Rutger who had rushed to stop the deathworm noticed that Vlad had imbued his sword with an imprint.
A gesture of sacrifice for others.
It was also related to the second disciple of the Swordmaster.
Though the boy was just a squire, he performed his duty better than any other knight present.
"That was a splendid and brave decision. Of course, it was not commendable behavior."
"..."
Rutger pointed out Vlad's action, which was reckless and without preparation, then rode alongside him, looking at the approaching crack.
"Can that thing move?"
"Pardon?"
It was a harsh demand for Vlad who had just managed to mount a horse, but Rutger believed he could do it.
The gaze of the black horse, flowing with determination, gave him that confidence.
"We need to eliminate that suspicious thing for the safety of the pilgrims. We have to gamble here."
"But that's a deathworm..."
"I can do it."
At that moment, Vlad could see it.
The remnants of flames burning brightly in Rutger's eyes.
He understood what Rutger was planning to do.
He intended to lure the deathworm with Vlad as bait and strike it down in one fell swoop.
"Can you do it?"
"..."
Instead of answering, Vlad stroked the neck of the black horse.
The look in horse's eyes as he slightly turned his head to look at Vlad was strangely trustworthy.
Ah, I see.
You're here to save someone too.
"I can do it."
"Good."
Upon hearing Vlad's confident response, Rutger quickly raised his finger and explained the direction they should take.
"······Turn around like this and come to me."
Vlad nodded eagerly, but in truth, Rutger was focusing more on the horse he was riding than on the boy.
It seemed as if the black horse was nodding in response to his own finger.
"Be careful."
Watching the nodding boy and the horse, Rutger and the knights dispersed.
Kraaaaaah!
Instead of missing the shining prey, the deathworm burrowed back into the ground and chased after the boy.
"Let's go!"
On the horse without a saddle, Vlad tightened his thighs and grabbed the mane.
Heeeeeeeeeee-
A different cry from before.
It was not a cry of sorrow for the dying group, but a sound filled with a determination to to catch its prey in one strike.
With determination, the black horse began to accelerate rapidly.
"Whoa!"
A speed even faster than before.
Now, Vlad could feel not just the thrill but also the fear in the speed. He closed his eyes, clutching the horse's neck.
Because he was a beginner who did not know anything about horseback riding.
[Lower your sword. To effectively lure that creature, you need to make your presence known through vibrations.]
But he had a mission.
And it was his own will that drove him.
"..."
Even with the wind raging fiercely, Vlad struggled to open his eyes, but he saw Rutger waiting for him in the distance, holding his sword ready.
He had to do it.
He promised to do so.
"Heeyaaa!"
A sensation of speed he had never experienced before.
The dizzying acceleration felt from the horse beneath him.
Despite everything being new to him, Vlad extended his sword towards the ground, giving his best.
"One more time!"
Taking into account Vlad's posture, which was almost like he was lying on his side, the black horse adjusted its balance.
Vlad glanced at the crack chasing behind him and placed his unadorned sword on the ground.
Thunk, clank, clunk!
As the ground and metal collided, sparks flew from the unadorned sword due to the friction heat.
"Look! I'm here!"
Along with those sparks, faint traces of Vlad's world emerged.
Driven by the imprint of Dorothea etched into the unadorned sword, vibrations began to spread underground.
Deep, deep down.
So dazzling that it was unbearable without being bitten.
Kraaaaaaaah!
The ground split open from the crack.
And from beneath, a massive deathworm revealed itself.
The huge world that had chased away the vibration was rushing towards the boy again.
"Here I am!"
But the boy was not alone now.
A single star shining in the moonless night.
The shadow of a fallen dragon chasing after that star.
Shouting loudly towards the irrational and huge world, Vlad proclaimed his presence here.
That he existed in this place.
Kraaaaaaaah!
"Aaaaah!"
The remnant of the dragon roared loudly, tearing through the meadow.
Against its presence, Vlad also screamed loudly.
Two worlds, uncompromisingly confronting each other.
All worlds deserve to exist, but if they are destined to collide, only the brighter world will survive.
Look, boy. The dragon is coming.
Towards you, shining bright.