Ending Maker - Chapter 347
Chapter 347: Meteor Strike (2)
Magic existed in Pleiades, so the concept of anti-air warfare was established despite there being no airplanes here.
Because flying wizards and flying mounts such as griffons, pegasi, and wyverns existed.
Therefore, Jude did not think that even if they used an airship, they could safely land in the imperial capital simply by the fact that it could ‘fly.’
Flying towards the imperial capital was like shouting at the enemies to shoot them down.
What should they do then?
“Our only option is to fly unusually.”
Jude’s idea was as follows.
“Rise to a height unobservable to the enemy and then move forward. Afterwards, descend to a near-vertical flight trajectory at a high speed above the imperial capital.”
An idea similar to a dive bombing.
A meteor would fall towards the heart of the imperial capital.
So they called it Operation Meteor Strike.
It was obviously both difficult and reckless.
Even if Erotika was the ship of an archangel, it would end up destroyed in one flight from doing such an absurd idea.
But it did not matter to them.
“Since it can only be used once now.”
If it only had one flight left, they should make sure that it would brilliantly burn in that single flight.
Upon hearing Jude’s plan, Landius burst out into a roar of laughter while Lucas did not know how to respond but eventually accepted it, giving an awkward smile.
And Adelaide, who was in charge of controlling Erotika, said with a big smile.
“I like it! I really want to do it!”
Her response was befitting of her being the eccentric character in Legend of Heroes 2.
Jude and Cordelia never thought that she would refuse in the first place, so they looked and happily smiled at each other.
And now.
As the Erotika soared towards the sun, everyone was clearly feeling what it was like to defy gravity.
“OOOOOOOOOOOH!”
Adelaide shouted in a beautiful voice while Scarlet and Kajsa were screaming.
Red Wind was almost – no, she was already crying.
They went up higher, faster, and stronger!
A trail of white was drawn in the sky.
It soared instantly and powerfully, reaching a realm that could never be reached by ordinary flights.
“KYAA!”
When Adelaide exclaimed, Erotika began to draw a gentle curve.
They were in a cloudless place above the clouds.
All of them were able to regain their senses due to the brief silence in the flight afterwards, and they looked forward and let out deep exclamations.
Not even Scarlet who could run on roofs as if it were flat ground, or Landius who could fly through the sky, or even Lena who had wings and could freely fly, could ever reach the altitude they were in now.
They were in the boundary of the stars.
The line that separated the sky and the universe.
They obviously did not touch that line.
There was still a long way to go to reach that line.
However, it was true that no one who lived in Pleiades had ever reached and entered that unexplored area.
Jude turned to Cordelia.
As if by coincidence, Cordelia also turned to Jude.
Battles were taking place on the ground.
The calamities were strong.
Each one was like a natural disaster.
But oddly enough, they were not that worried.
The words of Count Bayer and Count Chase naturally came to their minds.
They realized the difference between their past lives and their present life.
[The world today is not weak. They will not give in to those calamities.]
Jude nodded at Valencia’s whisper.
Musu, the Sword Saint of Stars.
Ga?l and Adelia.
The great swordmaster, Seryu, the Seven-Killings Sword.
Princess Leica.
Elune.
Siren Queen Iliana.
Count Bayer and Count Chase.
They were not the only ones.
There were many more.
Warriors of the wild lands under the command of the toddling Violent Avalanche and Red Gale.
Generals of the Guardians of the Holy Cross.
Sarah and Leon whom they met but were not that close to, and the cute Kirara who was cheering for them on the ground.
They would be fighting from everywhere.
In order to not surrender to the calamities and prevent the Great Summons this time.
Jude and Cordelia held each other’s hands. After lightly interlocking their fingers, they both smiled.
“This is the last fight.”
“Let’s get married when we return.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to plant death flags?”
Jude kissed her instead of replying, and Cordelia smiled as she accepted his lips.
They had done it several times in the past few days and last night in order to avoid leaving any regrets, but there was still that special atmosphere between them.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
For a perfect happy ending.
Jude and Cordelia quietly whispered and looked in front.
As Adelaide cheered, the trajectory of Erotika changed again.
A descent close to a vertical direction.
Their reckless journey was assisted by the gravity that they had resisted so far.
“Hold on tight!”
Adelaide cheerfully smiled and pulled the steering wheel.
Scarlet and Kajsa screamed at the hull that suddenly began to tilt, and Lucas also gasped for breath.
The five heroes of Paragon were also not calm. Red Wind seemed to have fainted halfway.
“LET’S GOOOOOO!”
Operation Meteor Strike.
A white meteor shot towards the imperial capital.
***
Ga?l and Adelia raised their heads.
Count Bayer and Count Chase both had bitter smiles.
Princess Leica saw it.
Elune looked up the sky and shouted.
There were red pillars of light in the imperial capital.
A white trail of light was added to it.
Archbishop Manuela also noticed it.
He was the one in charge of the ritual at the deepest part of the imperial palace in the capital. Manuela raised his head and was surprised. The presence of Erotika falling down from the sky made him swear.
“Shoot it down!”
His command was received.
The demon followers guarding the imperial capital stared at the sky.
The demons and demonic humans fired magic cannonballs to destroy the falling meteor.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions continued.
The sky appeared like it was going to be destroyed from the series of explosions.
But the Erotika did not stop.
Its descent speed was too fast to be shot down by the magic cannonballs from the ground.
“S-Stop it!”
“It must be stopped!”
Now, it was not about simply stopping it.
Fear of the white meteor itself began to spread in the imperial capital.
Archbishop Manuela did not forget an important fact in the midst of this.
Having recognized at a glance that the white meteor was Erotika, he was able to draw a conclusion.
“That strong one is not an attack.”
The five heroes of Paragon and those accursed Demon Slayers must be in there.
So there’s no need to be worried.
That white meteor will slow down on its own.
I will aim for that time.
I will shoot it down when it’s slow enough!
The archbishop magically shared his thoughts throughout the imperial capital.
The demons and demonic humans understood his thoughts.
It was correct when viewed rationally.
But right after that.
The demons and demonic humans soon realized.
They screamed at the reality that ignored rational reasoning.
“I-It’s falling!”
“It’s not stopping!”
It did not decelerate.
On the contrary, it gradually accelerated.
Gravity accelerated it.
There was also the driving force of Erotika itself.
Archbishop Manuela was stunned.
The demonic humans who remained in the imperial capital no longer thought of shooting down Erotika. They were busy turning their backs and running away.
“Avoid it!”
“Run!”
An explosive sound broke through the air.
It was an ear-splitting sound.
The white meteor that shot through the sky struck the imperial palace of the imperial capital!
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Heaven and earth trembled.
The ground was shaken by the tremendous impact, and the surrounding area was devastated as if a real meteor had fallen.
Operation Meteor Strike.
And a huge explosion to adorn the last!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Erotika exploded.
At the end of its last flight, it boldly self-destructed and burned the imperial capital.
It was something crazy.
No matter how strong Erotika crashed into the imperial capital and caused a big explosion, it could not blow up the entire imperial capital.
Although it was possible to destroy parts of the imperial palace protected by powerful magic, it was completely impossible to destroy everything or kill the archbishop deep inside the palace.
But why?
Why did it self-destruct?
Boooooom!
There was another explosion at that very moment.
And a huge magic circle covered the sky.
Bellastin’s magic circle.
A one-use item.
Its duration was not long.
But it was enough to buy time for their landing.
It was only then that the demonic humans saw it.
Archbishop Manuela understood what those outrageous group had done.
Just before Erotika began its sharp descent.
Adelaide sadly pressed a button.
After the cockpit was separated from Erotika, it followed the tail of Erotika that had become a white meteor.
There was Cordelia and Lena’s magic.
The Phoenix assisted too.
Everyone only focused on Erotika.
All eyes were at Erotika.
And the result.
Erotika had destroyed the defense of the imperial capital, and the cockpit landed safely in that gap.
“Operation Meteor Strike.”
They would not have given it that name if it was not that strong.
“F*CK BAAAAANG!”
Cordelia cheerfully shouted as she ran out the moment the front part of the cockpit of Erotika opened.
From here on out, the group had to carry out their respective roles.
“Good luck.”
Lucas said as he raised Claíomh Solais.
Jude also wished him well while Cordelia responded by putting her hands together.
Not everyone headed to the archbishop.
Jude, Cordelia, Landius, Lena, and Kamael.
Only this five would go to the center of the imperial palace. The rest of the group would stay here to stop the demons and demonic humans from interfering with the final battle.
This was possible because of the special structure of the imperial palace and the descending ritual of the archangel.
By crashing Erotika, they opened the road leading to the only one while also blocking it.
“Unnie, I believe in you. I believe in all of you.”
Red Wind clenched her fists and said.
Velkian and Fran smiled as they looked at Landius, Lena, and Kamael.
“It’s the same as back then.”
“Show us a miracle again this time.”
The battle in Paragon’s royal palace.
Landius, Lena, and Kamael fought the Demon Prince while Velkian and Fran blocked the Demon Prince’s army.
It was the same composition as the battle at that time.
“May the muscles always be with you.”
May this current greeting not be the last.
Landius greeted and smiled before leaving without looking back. He took the lead and ran forward with Kamael and Lena following him without hesitation.
Jude and Cordelia lastly turned to Lucas, Scarlet, Kajsa, Red Wind, and Sun Song. Instead of saying something, they greeted with their eyes and then turned around as they began running.
“Now, let’s have fun.”
Velkian took off his plague doctor’s mask.
He smiled with a wrinkled face and loudly clapped his hands.
“Today is the last time.”
Their biggest and final battle.
So he would not hold back even a bit. He would pour everything he had into this moment.
Following Velkian’s movements, numerous green magic circles appeared in the air.
Numerous undead roared and came out of it.
Death Knights cried and raised their swords.
The wizards of death – Liches, summoned clouds and covered the sky.
Vampires bound by an oath to Velkian then appeared leading their own clans.
And one more.
The lifetime masterpiece of Velkian as a necromancer.
The heavenly calamity that would turn even the hundreds and thousands of undead as mere extras.
“ROOOOOOOOOOAR!”
A loud roar shook the imperial capital.
A formidable giant that made everyone who looked at it shudder.
Ancient Bone Dragon.
The greatest and strongest undead in the history of Pleiades that was created by using Malekith’s bones as a material.
“What a crazy old man.”
Fran burst out laughing at the absurd sight. Instead of looking up at the 200-meter-long giant over his head, he stared forward and moved his hands.
Nature responded to Fran.
The ground was filled with demon followers, but Bellastin’s magic circle was still in effect.
The spirits of the earth stood up.
The spirits of the wind lent their strength.
The spirits of water rose from deep underground and stood by Fran.
Hundreds of thousands of undead, and hundreds of thousands of spirits.
Red Wind was slightly stunned at the tremendous sight, but soon came to her senses. She clenched her fists and sent Phoenix flying.
Scarlet and Kajsa smiled too.
They both felt joy and shock at the unbelievable sight that only a few people infiltrated the center of the enemy camp.
As expected of the five heroes of Paragon.
The scale of what they do was different.
But that was it.
Scarlet and Kajsa did not think that they were unneeded in this battle.
The remaining demon followers in the imperial capital would flock at once at them.
Numerous monsters would rush in, and strong demons and demonic humans would show off their power.
And one person.
What caused the Sword God to stay.
The reason why he was here with the group.
A being who made Lucas guard the road instead of participating in the fight against Archbishop Manuela.
“Maximilian de Avis.”
The agent of Archangel Auriel.
One born with the most brilliant talent in Pleiades.
With his entire body equipped with heavenly gear, he raised Divine Sword Balisarda.
Lucas lifted Claíomh Solais in response, while Sword God also gripped Ultimate Six – Final Sword Valcazard.
“My disciple.”
Sword God called in a low voice.
But Maximilian did not answer.
He rushed forward with the light wings of a Virtue-rank Angel.
Lucas blocked such a Maximilian.
The upright light of the Holy King stopped the erroneous light.
The final battle that would decide the fate of the world.
The battle in the imperial capital began.
We’re finally nearing the ending, though it’s a bit rushed. Even the author himself admitted in an author’s note that he originally wanted the empire arc to be like the wild lands arc. I’m not sure what prompted him to change his plans though. Publisher’s advice? Low readership count? We do not know. But now that we’ve reached this far, let’s stick to the very end.