Chapter Forty Eight: Gift Of Flight

“KAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
It doesn’t work. It doesn’t work!!
I shot several eagle sound waves at him, but they didn’t seem to have any effect.
Today, the winged freezer had returned to being a coward. He fought on a level I could reach yesterday, but today he was just attacking me from the sky.
Arriving in his territory, he froze my body the minute I entered. That was followed by a light wave. All his attacks landed on me accurately, and I was left paralyzed even before the fight began.
My barrier was different from me in that it could not get frozen. His light attack was reduced to half of its strength before hitting me. No matter how many times I got hit with that attack, I couldn’t seem to grow used to the pain.
Maybe because of my armor or something else, my body didn’t freeze completely; it only happened for a short moment. I was able to move after five seconds or so.
That proved to be in my favor when I countered another attack he hadn’t shown me before.
It was a spiral attack using his drill horn.
As soon as my body started moving after making the sound that freezes his opponent, I glanced up into the sky and saw him spinning violently.
The air around him changed; it smelled hot and metallic, and it looked as though a storm was coming. The more he spun, the redder his body became, like a meteor crashing down from the heavens.
I didn’t need anyone to tell me how dangerous that was going to be when I forcefully broke out of his freezing magic and took out my sword.
I jumped off Duddul and stood in front of him, holding my sword tightly. If only I could use long-distance magic—then I could have countered the immense energy building in the sky above me.
As he spun, the sky became blood-red and an evil aura filled the air. I could clearly see the energy being sucked into his body from the atmosphere, like veins of fire drawing toward his horn.
There was nowhere to run. The attack would reach me no matter where I went.
I had only one choice: to counter it.
The sky reddened even more and the air grew hotter. A deep, guttural sound echoed everywhere—“GUUUUU!!”—the signal for the timing of his attack. A tenth of a second after that sound, the heat rose and the fireball-thing, now a monstrous meteor, came down.
BAD-UMP BAD-UMP
“Duddul, get closer!!” I told him to stay near while I raised my sword vertically and waited for it to come. In that moment, I poured every scrap of energy I could summon into my blade. I couldn’t feel anything being transferred, but I was certain of one thing: I was definitely going to die if I didn’t do something.
The barrier around me darkened—slowly at first, then swallowing light in hungry swathes. Even with its deepening shadow, I could still see the red glow coming from him. Then, in the instant before impact, the light vanished.
It could have been that my barrier had become so black that it swallowed his light, but I knew better than anyone.
With my sword above my head, I struck the air in front of me with everything I had the moment that light disappeared.
“CLANK!!!” was the sound that tore through my ears.
An overwhelming force slammed into my sword and pushed me back with incredible strength.
Despite how prepared I was for that attack, my legs sank into the ground. I could tell—clear as day—that his horn was the object pressing against my blade.
“KZZIIIIIINKKK!!!” A welding-like screech echoed from inside my barrier and sparks showered down like molten rain.
My sword vibrated fiercely in my hands as if it wanted to tear away my flesh. My barrier had been penetrated, and all that separated me from him was a blade that felt as though a hole was being bored inside it.
The materials used to forge my sword were from monsters weaker than the winged freezer. It would be no surprise if he managed to break it. But I couldn’t let that happen.
As my barrier began to vanish from being pierced, I summoned every ounce of strength into the sword. “AAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!” I shouted.
This time I was certain the energy was reaching it.
My whole body reverberated; the skin on my hands tore from the intense vibration and heat flowing from his horn to my sword and then into me. The pain was raw and immediate.
I could no longer feel my legs or hands. All I knew was that I was blocking his attack.
Only then did the nature of his assault become clear. His huge body was spinning above me and his horn had been drilling into my sword the entire time.
The power I sent to the blade barely managed to keep it from being shredded.
The sleeves of my shirt remained intact, but blood poured from my hands in a crimson torrent. They had gone numb. With Duddul hiding behind me, I had no choice but to endure it.
Pain gnawed slowly at my consciousness. The skin across my body peeled like brittle paper; my flesh painted the air red.
I could no longer hold him back when I noticed something: the speed at which he spun was decreasing. Like a fan whose energy source had been cut, he began to slow.
As he slowed, his massive body dropped to the ground with a thud—“GAAM”—landing on all fours.
My hands stayed frozen in that blocking position. I couldn’t move them an inch. My sword had gone black—far darker than how Dambador had forged it—but still not as black as the blade I had made when I defeated the eagle. That one had been as dark as hell.
The winged freezer’s horn glowed faintly before its light died. Exhausted, he stood motionless on the ground like a statue.
It was the perfect chance to strike—if only I could move. Duddul leapt forward and fired his red orbs at the freezer. He circled at high speed, battering every inch of the creature’s body. Unfortunately, his attacks were not strong enough to wound him. Duddul persisted nonetheless.
I couldn’t give up. I couldn’t stand by while my opponent lay spent right in front of me.
Move, damn it!!
Amid the immense pain that surged through my body, I begged myself to move.
Alas, it wouldn’t obey.
I said, move!!
Only my brain functioned. Nothing else followed my command.
If my body won’t move, I’ll make it move even if I die.
I focused—so hard that blood dripped from my eyes—all so I could land a hit on him.
Focusing only amplified the pain. I was on the edge of death, but determination gnawed at that edge.
“HIYAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!” My eyes, crusted with blood, opened wide as I let out a war scream. I shouted so loudly my muscles cramped. A gust of wind blew, and I noticed the change in the winged freezer—his muscles tensed.
Get away, Duddul!!
I wanted to shout for him to flee when another breeze pushed my body gently.
With my sword still raised, my body began to fall toward the freezer, stiff as a board.
Shock flooded me, but then clarity: my sword pointed directly at the freezer’s horn.
This way I’ll……..!!!
“Clank.” My sword tapped his horn with a soft, faint sound. It felt heavenly to touch him.
I couldn’t stop my body from collapsing. I was sure I would fall flat to the ground when a red object filled my vision—Duddul’s neck. He lowered his neck so I would fall on it.
Before I realized it, I was resting on his neck, moving away from the freezer. Duddul was trying to escape with me on his back.
My eyes stayed fixed on the freezer the whole time.
His muscles convulsed. His front legs twitched slightly as he began to recover strength.
I hadn’t noticed until now that we were deep in a crater that swallowed his entire territory. That attack must have leveled everything. The crater continued beyond his domain; it was no wonder I hadn’t realized the landscape had changed—I was inside the heart of destruction.
Just you wait…… I swear I’ll kill you even if it costs me my life……………………
I blacked out. Silence wrapped me as though I were dead.
…………………………………………………………………………
“Come back to us!!” “Please don’t die!!” “Rnn!!” voices called faintly from the edge of the darkness.
Aside from those voices, everything else was silent—too silent. The cries faded into the black and all that remained was the ringing in my ears.
In that darkness a light appeared. Pictures formed within it. Their meanings were unknown to me. The only clear image was a very beautiful girl with long dark hair, dressed in long black clothes. She sat upon a throne. It was not a fantasy throne; it was terrifying and as black as oil. Objects that looked like heads seemed to move about the throne.
The girl sat with a sad expression. Her eyes were sorrowful, but most striking was the smile that contradicted her sadness. Was she sad or not? That was all I could ask.
I could have sworn I’d seen her somewhere before…… oh yeah. I’d dreamed about her while I slept next to a rock in the previous town. I had that dream before Milta left. Why did this girl keep appearing in my dreams like this? Do I have any connection to her?
“Come back…….. Please!!” As the voices grew stronger, I felt a powerful blow to my chest.
“Guh!” I coughed, regaining consciousness.
“.…….He came back!” “He’s alive!” “You are alive!”
What was that?
I sat up and took in my surroundings. I was back inside the barrier, sitting in the field close to it. The girls and Burte circled me with worried faces. They had been crying before I woke.
That’s why I don’t want to bring people with me. Even though I know I can’t die, it’s hard to make them understand that.
“Don’t make me worry like that ever again!” Meila hugged me tight; her eyes red from crying so hard.
“Yeah, me too.” Taht spoke softly.
Her brother kept his gaze fixed on me, puzzled as he said, “Blood……”
“Hmm?” I couldn’t grasp what he meant.
“The blood is gone……” he said more clearly.
“Oh……” He was right. My body had been a mess during the fight—painted head to toe in blood—but now nothing of that remained. The blood had vanished into thin air and my body sparkled as if reborn. My clothes were a different story altogether; they never got stained no matter how dirty I became.
While they smiled because I had come to, Taht made an obvious request: “Please don’t go in there again. It’s too dangerous even for you.”
Somehow I had expected one of them would say that. How could I respond? It’s not like I could promise I wouldn’t go back. In fact, I had to go back.
I could lie, but now that we’d grown closer I’d feel guilty about it.
And it’s not like I could tell her, “Mind your own business.” She did cry for me when I didn’t wake.
“I’ll think about it.” I told her. But there was nothing to think about.
Going back into that forest was something I absolutely must do.
And so the next morning was the same as the last. I snuck out of the house before any of them woke.
I’ll try and try for as long as it takes until I defeat the winged freezer.
He is the first opponent I had to fight more than once. What’s so special about him that I can’t defeat him despite all the abilities I’ve acquired? He is indeed strong and has many special attacks, but the most annoying one is his ability to fly. If only I could fly, I would have defeated him a long time ago.
“GUUUUUUUUUU!!”
The sky echoed with a heavy, monstrous wail when I set foot in his territory.
“Now then……….. will it end today or will I have to come back?”
“GUUUUUUU!!” “KZIIIIINK!!” “SHAAAA!!”
The light wave…… the spinning attack…… and the time-freezing attack…………
He was more ferocious than ever. Before I realized it, I found myself running away from him, bathed in my own blood. To think I came prepared for him today…… how can this be!? Was it all a fluke that I managed to defeat that eagle? Was it only because of my black sword? Then why won’t it appear now?
No. That’s not the main problem. I would have landed a few hits if my opponent had been on the ground like me. He stayed in the air the whole time without ever coming closer than three meters to the ground. How am I supposed to hold my ground against him!?
It was then I realized my weakness. I was weak to anything that didn’t involve swords or hands. The monsters I’d fought until now—except for the eagle—attacked using their bodies, like the gazelle and the kangaroo. They fought with what they had. The undead were the same.
This time, the opponent was extremely skilled with magic, while I couldn’t use it. The closest thing I had to magic was the deception ability I’d recently gotten. But that didn’t work at all when I tried it.
I yelled, “You can only fight on the ground!” to him when I saw him flying, hoping it might force him down. I thought if it worked, he would lose his ability to fly. But it didn’t reach him at all. I tried many ways to deceive him, but none worked.
My conclusion: “Perhaps this ability cannot be used on monsters.”
When I arrived today, the landscape had returned to its normal state from the wreckage after his spinning attack that defeated me yesterday. But now…… everything was chaotic again. Hills were everywhere! Every time he spun, Duddul evaded as best he could. While Duddul dodged, my barrier protected us from the debris created when the ground was torn apart.
I say my barrier protects us, but truthfully it only fully shields Duddul. For me, the pain is only reduced by half. I have to get much stronger so my barrier will be impregnable.
The last spin destroyed the hill Duddul and I had been standing on. It threw us into a deep hole that became the new surface.
I still don’t understand this monster. After the spin yesterday, he was unable to move for a few seconds. That should have been the case today as well, if only his wings would stop flapping. After each spin his whole body froze, but his wings beat away and carried him skyward. That way, even if I managed to dodge the spin, I couldn’t chase him into the air. He stayed frozen for only thirty seconds.
The monster hovered meters above us, preparing his next assault, when Duddul’s behavior changed.
“Rnn!!!” he fiercely threw me off his back. His appearance shifted into something monstrous. His mouth gaped, saliva dripping, and his eyes shone pure red.
“Duddul………?” For a moment the monster in the sky—the one whose horns were beginning to glow red—faded from my mind. My heart ached at the sight of Duddul in that state.
What is going on? Has he turned on me? Why now, of all times?
“Duddul, don’t……….” I tried to reach him while the sky flamed redder.
Duddul seemed intoxicated for some reason. The only thing I could think was that the monster did something to him.
I still couldn’t reach him thirty seconds later.
“Please return to normal!” I begged as the light from the sky grew blinding.
My skin crawled from the immense energy swirling above. It was so red I could hardly look up. I never feared death for myself—I knew I would return no matter how agonizing the end—but Duddul was not like me. If I couldn’t pull him away, he would die.
He began to approach me in that trance. Grunting fiercely, his fangs aimed for my flesh.
“No!!!” I couldn’t believe what was happening. I couldn’t move out of his reach in time.
His jaws closed on my arm. His teeth sank into my right arm like a vampire’s, and a wave of energy emanated from him.
The force flung me away when he withdrew. Only a single tooth had dug deep and pierced my skin. A drop of blood welled and fell. The bite marks were deep.
“GGRRRRIIIIINNN!!!!!!!” He howled like a wild beast overflowing with power.
That was when the monster above completed his preparation.
The ground rumbled even before he released his red wave, and, as if defying gravity, rocks rose and floated toward him.
Then it really happened.
“KKKKKIIIIIIHHHYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” His scream tore at my eardrums as he launched the wave toward me.
Bad-ump!!! Bad-ump!
The heat burned like molten iron. I literally felt myself melt. This is the end.
“BAAAAAAAAAANG!!” Like a nuclear explosion, everything detonated.
Dust rose into the clouds. From high above, I watched the wave spread through the forest, felling trees all the way to the barrier on the right. On the left it swept far across the plains. The forest stretched left as far as the eye could see; behind me it did the same. But a mile in front of me, it ended. A long, wide road stretched out leading to a gate.
Oh—I get it. Since the forest runs from my previous town to this one, that explains why I can’t see where it ends behind me. And because it extends all the way toward Gagi, I can’t see its limit to the left. I had come from the right and the barrier is that way. The town’s gate isn’t far from where I entered…………
I see now. This is the first time I’ve seen the forest from up in the sky.
From up in the sky………………….?
“Wait, I’m not dead!!!!!!??”
That’s when I realized something had been carrying me the whole time.
I glanced down and saw red wings beating gracefully. I followed them with my eyes until I reached the body—and then the head.
“Duddul…………………… you are flying!!??”