Chapter 252: A Hero is Born (1)
"Run!"
Despite Tiona's warning, she couldn't keep up with Undeus, who swung his enormous sword.
"Damn it..."
Paralyzed by fear and the terrifying aura of death, Tione opened her eyes wide. It was too late to dodge; none of them could. They barely moved, and Undeus's sword was aimed at Tione's body. This attack caught them all by surprise; they never imagined Undeus could jump, let alone run.
(Captain... I... I love you.)
Knowing she was about to die, tears streamed down her face. Time seemed to freeze around her as she could clearly see Undeus's sword about to strike her. However, her body couldn't move fast enough; she couldn't evade. Thus, her deepest feelings surfaced first—unrequited love. Her life flashed before her eyes.
"Tione!"
But before Undeus's massive sword hit her, Tione felt an incredible impact on her back.
Someone had pushed her.
"Captain... Why?"
Turning her head, Tione widened her eyes at the person who took her place. It was Finn, who smiled and whispered a few faint words.
"CAPTAINNN!"
*BOOM
Undeus's sword struck Finn, breaking the ground beneath him. Simultaneously, an incredible shockwave spread, sending the entire group flying in different directions.
"Ugh..."
Rolling on the cold, hard floor, Tione groaned, using her arm to halt her momentum.
"Captain!"
Once her body stopped, Tiona instantly stood up. Even though they didn't take a direct hit like Finn, they still suffered from the impact. However, with their bodies injured, they stood. They watched as Finn swapped places with Tione.
...
However, when the dust settled, everyone froze.
In front of them, Undeus raised his enormous sword. On the ground lay a disfigured body, completely crushed, with only its left arm and lance intact—the same arm that pushed Tione.
Blood ran, and silence engulfed the room.
*ROOOOOAAAAARRRR
Roaring like a victor, Undeus's eyes flickered with flames. Crushing this annoying ant gave him immense pleasure. However, despite this, no one spoke.
They couldn't. Finn's death was a harsh blow to them. Finn was their captain, the leader of them all.
But now, such a person had fallen...
They couldn't accept it. They didn't want to accept reality. This was more shocking to Riveria and Gareth.
After all, Finn was considered important in their hearts—a precious comrade-in-arms who had protected their backs for years.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
A heart-wrenching scream cut through the silence. It came from Tione.
Her eyes flooded with tears, her face bearing a terrifying expression. After all, she should have been the one to die, but her beloved took her place.
The man she loved had died, leaving her in profound sadness and deep hatred.
"I'LL KILL YOU! HOW DARE YOU?! I'LL KILL YOU!"
*Bam
Unable to control the hatred within her, the ground beneath Tione's feet shattered, propelling her forward. Her mind broke; she never expected the person she loved to die in front of her, especially not by sacrificing himself to save her.
That's why she ignored her injuries, her abilities activated instantly, and her rationality vanished. She no longer cared if Undeus was powerful or not—the only thing on her mind was to kill him.
Even if it meant dying with him.
Her 'Berserker' ability activated, and her power increased.
*ROOOOOAAAAARRRR
Roaring with determination, Undeus waited for this annoying ant to approach. He would kill all invaders; that was his purpose for which he was created.
"Stop, Tione!"
Trying to halt her, Riveria raised her voice. After all, if she continued, she would die. Undeus entered an unknown state where all his statistics increased, and his attack pattern changed—it was as if they were facing a different opponent.
Although it pained her to lose her friend, she knew that if Tione continued, Finn's efforts to save her would be in vain.
But it was a pity Tione didn't listen.
"AAH! DAMN PALLUM! HOW DARE YOU DIE BEFORE ME!"
And she wasn't the only one; Gareth also lunged forward almost simultaneously with Tione, followed by Tiona and Ais, who, like the others, had lost their sanity.
"Damn it!"
Even Bete didn't hesitate to run; the hatred within him burned like a fiery flame.
The opponent and how powerful he was no longer mattered. All that mattered was killing him and avenging Finn's death.
Helplessly watching her companions, Riveria knew that what she said was useless.
Finn was very important to them; losing him caused a chain reaction.
"No matter... If I'm to die, I'll die fighting."
Shaking her head, Riveria wiped the tears from her face, gripping her staff tightly. At the same time, a magic circle appeared at her feet. She would give it her all, regardless of running out of magic. At the rate they were going, they would end up dead; Undeus was stronger than they thought.
"Finn... You are dearly loved."
Murmuring softly, Tsubaki looked at all the members of the Loki family engaged in a life-or-death duel against the monster Rex, disregarding their safety.
"Well, I don't want to die..."
Sighing, Tsubaki knew that if she joined the group, death awaited her. Undeus was faster, stronger, almost impossible to evade. With all that against them, it was just a matter of time before more corpses piled up.
"But I guess I have no choice."
But she also knew that if she didn't join this fight, the chances of survival were zero. If she fought, there was hope that a miracle might occur.
Although highly unlikely, it was better than sitting and waiting for her death.
"Finn, my good friend... If fate wills it, I'll see you soon... HAAA"
With a war cry, Tsubaki also joined the chaos.
There's no escaping now; it's all or nothing.
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"KILL! AHHH, I'LL KILL YOU!"
*Bam
Dodging and striking with all her might, Tione's mind was consumed by hatred and pain.
She no longer thought clearly; her eyes were bloodshot as she ignored the wounds accumulating on her body.
"AHH! DAMN YOU, FINN! I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO DIE FIRST!"
Gareth, on the other hand, swung his war axe. Being always at the forefront, he was supposed to be the first of the three to depart to the other world.
He always thought it would be that way—no, it should be that way. He wanted to be the first to go. He didn't want this honor stolen by anyone. But Finn beat him to it; it wounded his pride. The immense pain he felt; he failed in his duty to protect his group. Finn snatched away what should have been a glorious death...
And what better death than dying for your family...
Dying for the young ones, that was his duty. But now... None of that mattered...after all, he would see Finn again soon and strike him wherever they ended up.
(Interfering Pallum... How dare you steal others' work?)
Though tears streamed from his eyes, Gareth kept cursing Finn constantly.
*BOMM, BAM
*ROOOOARRRRR
Explosions and collisions continued for a moment. Riveria's magic combined with the physical attacks of the group proved to be very effective. Undeus roared loudly; this ant-like group was too troublesome, hitting him and evading his attacks. They didn't care that shockwaves hit their bodies.
There was no logic; they were consumed by pain and hatred, and nothing else mattered. Even now, they didn't know where this group had drawn their strength, but they fought with what seemed like an inexhaustible force, gradually pressing Undeus.
*CLANG
*Creak...
Before he knew it, Ais had struck his third arm, causing it, like the previous one, to fall to the ground and collapse. This time, none of them cheered; there was no need. They continued their attacks.
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TN: Yuki watching Finn die for character development: Sorry bro