A WISH TO GRAB HAPPINESS

Volume 7, Chapter 177: The Will to Live

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel the immediate fear after falling. Rather, I felt a comfortable sensation from the strong breeze that hit my cheeks. Suddenly, one premonition crossed in my head.

…If I fell on my back, I would definitely die.

However, how could I fall in a different direction after that woman threw me into the air so abruptly? At best, I could twist my body a little or swing my arms around. But the result would still be the same.

So what could I do? How could I avoid my death? Was there a way to survive? My chest was surprisingly fond of this life. It felt rather unbelievable to feel this way now.

I understood the cause. I knew exactly what was making this chest buzz.

My body was hot and my fingertips were quivering, as if something ignited inside my viscera. I sensed my chest becoming distorted and twisted by the emotions that I could not hide.

How could I die in such a place? I didn’t get to do anything yet. I wanted to enjoy the supreme pleasure of falling asleep quietly, but not now.

I shook my legs. Then, I stretched my toes, shouting in my chest that this move should be enough to change the position of my body.

…I felt my ankles tearing off. I clearly felt the bones in my legs getting broken, and the tip of my toes pointed in a direction that did not originally.

It was too fast for me to understand the severity of my sudden action. However, it seemed that if I tried to kick up the wall while falling, my bones would break immediately. It was no exaggeration to say that I became a half-dead person, rather than having a big wound. For me, I wanted to cover my eyes since I felt excruciating pain.

But if I was half dead, then the other half was still alive. As long as I was alive, I had a chance of surviving this affliction.

My body twisted by the impact of hitting the wall with my legs. The shock made me turn to the front. Then, I raised my hand. My fingertips hung on the handle of the treasure sword and I took it out from the scabbard with great momentum.

The purple light thrusted in the air and the blade fell toward the target, the lump of meat. At that moment, the shock ran through.

“…Gyah…ahhhhhhhhhh…”

The screaming sound of the beast echoed high. At the same time, I felt as if the back of my ears had burst. The shock was so big that my arms holding the treasure sword could break apart from the tip of my fingers up to my elbow.

I squeezed my eyes shut. The bones in my whole body squeaked. After all, I fell from a place that was high enough for me to die, but did the impossible to avoid that fate. Did I escape instant death?

I heard a cracking sound in my spine. The taste of blood ran up to my tongue. Every single bone and muscle in my body was screaming.

But it felt strange. Even though I was in a miserable situation, my body was strangely full of vitality. That’s why it felt as if someone poured heat in my body.

I see. Was this the magical power of Filaret? Maybe that’s why I was feeling strangely excited and my body was hot. If that was the case, then I mustn’t give up now. As long as this magical power continued to pass through my body, the magic itself would become my own blood and my own flesh.

Besides, everything was in harmony. As I thought. Maybe this was the right chance. The only moment. Of course, I had to do my best to get closer to the beast to accomplish the last strike.

Ah, could I do it? For a moment, I almost forgot my purpose. The previous exchange got in the way. My mind was blurred and my feelings got confused. But not now. Why? Because now was the moment to do my very best to cease the breath of this monstrous beast.

I put my strength on the tip of my fingers with all my might. Fortunately, the power seemed to be transmitted to my hands. With full power, I pierced deeply into the lump of meat with both hands.

The magical power that seemed to be enormous in Filaret was now in my body through the pledge. My body clung to the beast and made it bite the sword.

Then, there was only one thing to do.

「Filaret! 」

I called her name while spitting blood from my throat.

At this very moment, the enormous amount of heat and vitality that she poured in me became a visible green light, and then flowed through the treasure sword into the body of the beast. It was like a muddy stream.

Soon, a sound that no longer became a sound echoed.

This high volume almost crushed the back of my ears. Unmistakably, the screaming of the beast sounded like the end of its liveliness. The sound was like a wave of pressure that fell upon me. There was no way I could block my ears. If I tried to save my ears with my hands, I would be shaken off instantly from the back of the beast, and I would die miserably.

Then, it was better to have my ears crushed than to have a pointless ending.

The body of the beast moved rapidly and tried to shake me off its body. I continued to pour magical power onto the beast amidst these sudden movements. Blood spilled from my whole body each time it moved, and my consciousness disappeared and reappeared for many times over. The grim reaper’s face was easily reflected in my eyes. Only the amount of magical heat that flowed through my body connected to my consciousness.

Was I going to die? Was I really vanishing from this life? Was I going to give up? My eyes, which had almost lost its sight, opened wide. At the bottom of my ears, that voice remained, continuing to ridicule me. My viscera became hot and irritated just by being aware of that voice.

…That thing appeared before me with Ariene’s figure. That thing was clearly against me.

What was that thing? I still did not know what happened. It even felt as if I was dreaming. After all, Ariene was now living in the Cathedral. I didn’t think it would be easy to get out of there. Therefore, it was reasonable to think that someone tried to deceive me by using a mask. There was no way that that person was Ariene herself.

Therefore, there was only one thing that was certain. Yes, only one. That woman, who tried to deceive me by using a replica of Ariene’s appearance, was undoubtedly my enemy. No doubt about it. For sure.

There was now an enemy to find and defeat. Ah, a new purpose to fulfill. Why would that thing try to control the thread of fate with its own hands?

Of course, I shouldn’t let it happen.

Had I ever been able to do even one of the paths I had walked on? The road up to this point was covered with thorns and I couldn’t move easily, and I was sure it would never change. Perhaps, I would sink further down than this. But even if I sank to the bottom of this earth…

…I would make sure that I reach your neck even if I had to make it my sole purpose in this life. I won’t give up even if I had to pour mud into my own throat.

Yeah, that’s right. So I mustn’t run out of power in a place like this.

Then, I continued to insert magical power into the beast made of flesh without stopping. At the same time the lump of meat became a lifeless meat itself, I let go of my consciousness.