Chapter 305: Treasure (1) (1/2)

Red blood splattered.

The parched earth greedily devoured the blood, and Jude walked away. Rain began to pour down from the dark and gloomy sky.

The spilled blood.

It mixed with rainwater.

Together, it was absorbed by the earth and disappeared.

Jude continued to walk away. The sword in his hand fell to the ground, but he did not pick it up.

Divine Sword Balisarda.

As its name implied, it was a holy sword. Jude’s own favorite sword and the strongest sword in the world that reached the realm of legends after slaying numerous demons.

But for Jude, it was also a cursed item.

The sword that killed Cordelia.

It fully became a curse for having been stained by the blood of his many loved ones.

It fell to the ground.

Jude didn’t care and kept going. He approached the man lying on the floor, bleeding and nearing his death. He crouched down.

It was a demonic human.

But not now.

Just like Cordelia, the man regained his humanity in the end.

The man smiled awkwardly.

He rolled his eyes to look at Jude even though his empty eyes made him unable to see, and he said at one point.

“As expected, you’re my best rival. You’re the only one.”

His voice was thin and weak.

But there was a bit of a unique refreshing feeling left.

A child who loved novels about heroes.

He was a pure and good boy who wanted to play an active role like the main character in a hero novel one day.

Lucas threw up blood.

He was the last of Jude’s companions and eventually became an enemy like Cordelia did, but he began to cry in the pouring rain.

He wasn’t afraid of death.

Rather, he felt relieved that he would be able to escape the world full of despair and not suffer any more.

Nevertheless, he cried because of Jude.

Because he was worried about the heart of Jude who had truly become his best friend, his lifelong rival, and a companion who was like half of his soul.

Lucas coughed blood again. And he realized.

His humanity that had been temporarily restored by Balisarda was disappearing again.

The demon’s soul located deep inside him rose once more and tried to control Lucas’ entire body.

Lucas gritted his teeth again.

As someone who only had his human shell left, he stretched out his hand to Jude who had sat down but didn’t do anything.

“Jude.”

Jude turned his way. Jude knew. So Lucas clenched his teeth. He put the cruelest words in his mouth.

“Kill me.”

While I’m still human.

Before I get controlled by the demon again and utter all kinds of curses on you.

There was a scene like this in Biltwein the Hero.

So Lucas wept. He was too kind and pure to show a heroic and resolute appearance like the protagonist of a hero novel.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry.

For leaving you alone, for making you do this.

Lucas remembered the moment he killed Scarlet.

He did not forget Kajsa who died in his arms.

Jude placed his hand on Lucas’ chest. He had to say his last goodbye, but he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth.

That was why Lucas opened his mouth first and spoke.

“This world sucks, but… it was nice to be able to fight with you. I liked you.”

There was no strength in his voice perhaps because his consciousness was increasingly blurring.

Jude held back his tears and nodded his head.

“Me too… I like you too. You… You… are my best rival.”

Not Maximilian.

Not Leon either.

Lucas, you were my best rival.

You were my best friend.

“Of… course.”

Lucas cried and smiled.

He put his hand on top of Jude’s hand that was placed over his chest.

Now was really the last goodbye.

Jude used his energy. He destroyed Lucas’ heart. He took the life of his last remaining comrade with his own hands.

It rained.

It swallowed up all the sounds in the world.

Therefore, there was no sound in Jude’s scream. No one heard him weep as he collapsed on Lucas’ chest.

The rain stopped.

The sounds returned.

Someone stepped on the wet ground and approached him. After picking up the Divine Sword Balisarda that fell to the ground, she approached Jude.

“Jude Bayer.”

It was a beautiful voice full of sorrow.

She knelt down near Lucas’ corpse and cuddled the crying Jude. She held him in her arms as he cried like a child.

Archangel Raguel.

One of the archangels who descended on the human world on the day of the Great Summons.

Auriel, the Archangel of Judgment, said.

Give Jude Bayer the sword again.

Give him the will to fight again.

What Auriel said was not wrong. Jude was mankind’s strongest swordsman whom even the archangels could not treat carelessly.

The Sword of Wind he wielded when he reached the sword horizon would surely reach the overlords of Hell.

But even so.

Was it right to force the current Jude to continue fighting?

Was it fair to give a sword to the man who had just killed his friend and tell him to get up and fight again?

“Cordelia…”

Jude whispered as he cried.

Before the Great Summons took place, before many people were forcibly turned into demonic humans, it was a hard but happy life.

The days when he was together with Cordelia.

Raguel read Jude’s memories. So she cuddled Jude just like how Cordelia did.

Instead of telling him to get up and fight again, she hugged Jude just like how Cordelia did.

The rain had stopped.

It didn’t pour down anymore.

But the sky was still dark and gloomy.

***

“Jude?”

Cordelia who was flying low towards the Orange Gate stopped in her surprise. Because tears were streaming down Jude’s eyes.

“Jude?”

She gently called him again, but there was no answer. It seemed like he was still sound asleep.

But why is he suddenly crying?

Is he having a sad dream?

Or a scary dream?

Cordelia was in a hurry, but she could not continue running immediately.

Because it felt like her heart was being stabbed when she saw Jude’s crying face.

Why?

Why do I feel so sad?

Cordelia wiped away Jude’s tears. She held Jude’s head to her chest for a moment and patted his back.

“Corde…lia…”

“Yes, yes, I’m here. I’m here, Jude.”

When she spoke gently, Jude’s face appeared to be relieved. It seemed like he was still asleep, but his expression had relaxed as if he was glad to hear Cordelia’s voice.

‘Thank goodness.’

Because we can be together like this now.

Because I can wipe away his tears.

‘Huh?’

Cordelia blinked at her thoughts that formed without her realizing it, but she did not think about it deeply.

After pinching Jude’s cheek for no reason, she began running towards the Orange Gate again.

[Mistress Cordelia.]

“I know.”

Cordelia responded in a faint voice to Melissa’s low warning.

Elio’s subordinates, the elven rangers.

They were elves who agreed with a rebellion but did not join Elio in his rebellion.

It was not that they were not loyal to Elio.

But to leave Elio alone in the hands of the enemy?

That was impossible. In the first place, half of the reason why the elven knights simply retreated was because they wanted Cordelia to feel at ease.

‘They’re just looking for a chance.’

The Orange Gate was also under Elio’s jurisdiction.

Perhaps the news that Elio had been captured had already spread.

So they would ambush Cordelia at the Orange Gate.

They would rescue Elio and kill them to shut their mouths.

‘Of course, I have a plan too.’

She wasn’t heading to the Orange Gate blindly. Cordelia herself had her own plans.

Cordelia focused her consciousness.

After making a contract with the Spirit King of Storms and Lightning, Cordelia was able to read the wind.