The Tale of the Nation That Banished the Saint - Chapter 19

Episode 19: One-on-One Duel

Departing from Eires Castle with my beloved horse, I head east.

While some individuals opt to move toward Eires Castle to distance themselves from the Evil Dragon King, I steadfastly aim eastward.

To persuade my companions who opposed the plan to defeat the Evil Dragon King, I revealed that I have been bestowed with the divine protection of “War God Ares.”

Through this revelation, I managed to gain their understanding, albeit with some reluctance from a few.

Well, it’s understandable.

Even with the divine protection of the War God, victory is not guaranteed.

This is my first time using this power, and the combat prowess of the Evil Dragon King is unknown—

The outcome remains uncertain until we engage in battle.

My reincarnation bonus is the mysterious power known as “War God Power” bestowed by the War God. Similar to “Chakra” or “Aura” in manga, it can enhance the user’s abilities and be utilized for offense and defense.

It can only be used in combat.

There’s a limit to the War God Power, and it cannot be endlessly enhanced.

The total amount of energy provided is one hundred thousand points.

I’ve been conserving it without using it until now.

Now seems like the right time to use it.

In the battle against the Evil Dragon King, companions would only be a hindrance.

Therefore, I forbade the accompaniment of my guard.

I ride eastward alone.

As I progress eastward, the size of settlements diminishes, and the sight of refugees fades away.

The road narrows, with grass growing thickly, and the surroundings become open plains.

“Here it comes!”

A massive dragon soaring from above, aiming straight at me, comes into view.

I dismount my horse and urge it to flee westward to safety.

The horse understands my intention and gallops away from this place.

I plant my feet firmly and ready my sword to face the oncoming Evil Dragon King.

As the Evil Dragon King approaches at full speed, its figure grows larger, obscuring my view.

And—

With a clash, I intercept the approaching claw of the Evil Dragon King with my sword.

The shockwave from the impact reverberates with a deafening roar, causing cracks to form in the ground beneath my feet.

The colossal body of the Evil Dragon King collided with full force, requiring considerable power and strength to withstand.

Just by blocking that one blow, I depleted nearly five thousand points of War God Power in an instant.

The deflected claw sends the Evil Dragon King twisting, and it attacks with its massive tail, sweeping towards me.

There’s no time to dodge.

I reluctantly block with my sword.

Another two thousand points of War God Power are consumed.

Although less powerful than attacks imbued with kinetic energy from aerial motion, it still significantly drains my War God Power.

Continuing to receive attacks like this will deplete my reserves like fuel to a car.

Now, it’s time to strike back.

I’ve been deflecting the attacks with my sword.

The enemy has exposed its back to me.

I leap forward and slash at the exposed back of the Evil Dragon King.

I cover my entire body with War God Power.

With this, I can perform leaps and cut through the sturdy scales of the Evil Dragon King’s body, abilities beyond human reach.

Although I’m consuming War God Power like water, this is not the time to hold back.

Even with its back slashed open, the Evil Dragon King’s movements remain unimpeded.

Immediately after, it twists and swings its arm, attacking me with its claws while I’m still airborne.

Despite its massive size, it moves remarkably agilely.

I deflect the claw attack with my sword, using its recoil to distance myself from the Evil Dragon King.

Upon landing on the ground, I prepare to counterattack—

But the Evil Dragon King’s fangs are already inches away from me.

It intends to devour me.

I consume additional War God Power to increase my strength and kick off the ground, narrowly evading the Evil Dragon King’s fangs.

Before me, in the blink of an eye, are the giant eyes of the Evil Dragon King, filled with rage.

I swiftly slash at its left eye with my raised sword.

As a result, the pain of having its eye gouged out causes the Evil Dragon King to cease its pursuit.

Maintaining our distance, we stare each other down for a while.

The Evil Dragon King flaps its wings, soaring into the sky—

Ascending higher, it flies away from me, as if to put some distance between us.

“If only it would just leave, or better yet, head to the saint’s place…”

I express my heartfelt wish, but this world remains indifferent to me.

Energy overflows from the Evil Dragon King’s body, sparking as it covers its surface—a state similar to “charging up” in manga.

“Please, stop this…”

I mutter in frustration, but there’s no stopping it.

The Evil Dragon King inhales deeply, compressing the overflowing energy into a single point at the back of its throat.

The Evil Dragon King’s breath, which burns its targets to death and never extinguishes until they’re completely consumed—a curse.

The attack range likely encompasses this entire plain—

There’s nowhere to run.

“There’s no choice but to do it—”

With the battle so far, I’ve depleted nearly sixteen thousand points of War God Power.

Facing an airborne enemy, there’s no chance of winning in a direct fight like this.

The enemy is about to unleash its ultimate move.

I’ll counter it and decide the match.

After recoiling and extending its body, the Evil Dragon King releases its breath with force.

I channel three times the War God Power I’ve consumed so far—thirty thousand points—into my sword and meet the breath head-on.

The sword strike, released in conjunction with the Evil Dragon King’s breath, tears through the surging sea of black flames and cleaves through the airborne body of the Evil Dragon King.

The severed body of the Evil Dragon King loses its ability to fly and crashes to the ground.

With a resounding crash—

The surrounding area echoes with the sound, and from the sky, a rain of the Evil Dragon King’s blood pours down.

“Did I…?”

The Evil Dragon King, collapsed on the ground, gazes at me with its remaining right eye one last time—

Imparting its curse, it breathes its last.

Suddenly, my left arm is engulfed in intense pain and heat.