Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 28

Chapter 28:

The Roar that Rules the Skies 

I DIDN’T HAVE TIME to focus on Northern. He knew this too, and a sly grin rose to his lips. “I’d say you’ve got about, oh, thirty seconds. Think you can make it?” 

“You insufferable bastard!” 

The Divine Dragon was visible in all its glory, soaring through the sky above on six metal wings. It opened its mouth and turned toward Lady Roxy’s army, settling on its target. There was only one choice in front of me: head west with all the speed I could muster. 

Northern wasn’t about to stand by and watch. He fired shot after shot, hundreds of black bullets all aimed at my back as I ran. I dashed forward, cutting them down as I went, but defending robbed me of my chance to use the black bow to slow down the Divine Dragon. That was probably Northern’s intention, since it meant I had no choice but to keep moving west. 

As I ran on, I felt awful magical energy flow from behind me. 

Talk about going overboard! 

A wavering, translucent blue blanketed the landscape—a literal wall of multiplying omega slimes. I heard giggling in the distance. For Northern, this was all some kind of sick game. 

That dirty son of a— 

“Fate!” Greed shouted. “More attacks incoming!” 

Thanks to Greed’s warnings, I was able to handle Northern’s attacks from the rear while I cut down omega slimes and carved my path forward. I could make it. I just needed to make it a little farther… 

Finally, I dove into the battlefield where Lady Roxy’s army and the death parade were still locked in combat. The soldiers valiantly fought against orcs, gargoyles, and hideous monsters I had never seen before. But their morale slipped as fear gripped their hearts. They couldn’t unsee the Divine Dragon approaching from the south. 

However, none of them fled. Everyone continued to fight. Was it because the one who led them refused to back down? Or was it because they saw the end was near, now that the literal heavens bore down upon them? I didn’t know, and at that moment, it didn’t matter. 

I had to focus on the thundering roar of the Divine Dragon. As the beast drew closer, its daunting shape cast a shadow across the lands. It was as though night fell on the battlefield. 

Now that I had unleashed the very limits of my Gluttony, I could face off against the monster without suffering as I had before. My body didn’t freeze. I moved as freely as usual, ready to greet my fellow citizen of the Domain of E. 

What mattered now was whether I could successfully defend against the Divine Dragon’s attack. The beast released a massive energy wave as it roared. The wave’s force was extraordinary, and it obliterated the scorched earth of Galia as it tore toward the battle. 

It incinerated the monsters on the southernmost edge of the battlefield. Orcs, gargoyles, even crowned beasts—none withstood the destructive power. The Divine Dragon’s awesome roar was a weapon worthy of the herald of the gods. 

Here, I would defy that strength. 

“Greed!” 

Now was the time to unleash the power I had earned after devouring Haniel—Greed’s Third Level, the black shield. 

As my sword transformed into the black shield, the full impact of the dragon’s roar hit us. The force was unlike anything I had ever known, pushing through the black shield into both my arms and down my legs. It forced me backward, but I dug in. Somehow, I could bear this power. 

The energy of the roar bashed into the shield, fractured into a rainbow of light, and dissipated into the air. 

The soldiers standing behind me at first had no idea what was going on. Little by little, they understood that I’d protected them, and they cheered me on with raucous support. 

Don’t worry about any of that, I thought . Get out of here while you still can! 

Just as I hoped I could relax, I felt a sudden, searing pain. A black bullet had pierced my right thigh. 

“That bastard!” I cried. 

I couldn’t move while I defended against the Divine Dragon’s attack. Northern had seen this as a prime opportunity to take pot shots. He didn’t aim for my vital spots, just my leg, to draw out his fun that much longer. He really was despicable. 

As I lost the ability to stand on that leg, the battle of power leaned in the dragon’s favor. The energy beam pushed me backward, little by little. I struggled to hold my ground, but blood poured out the hole in my leg. The bullet had severed my nerves. The limb wouldn’t respond. 

My Health Regen stitched the wound back together, but too slowly. I didn’t have enough time. At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to withstand another attack. 

However, others came to my aid. The soldiers behind me grabbed hold of my shield as they looked to protect me from the deadly bullets flying in from the east. 

I knew these men. They were the soldiers I’d traveled with at the great canyon of Galia. I was grateful for their support, but their actions were far too reckless. The Divine Dragon was in the Domain of E. It existed on an entirely different plane. It would destroy them without a thought. 

“Don’t worry about me! Run! Get to safety!” I screamed. 

But the soldiers didn’t listen. They remained, though nobody had ordered them to. They moved of their own volition. Their support gladdened a small part of me, but the larger, smarter part knew what would happen next, and that knowledge was excruciating. 

Northern was not kind or generous. He doubtless relished the situation he’d cornered me into. Another hail of bullets came, passing through the soldiers shielding me. Though these bullets only punctured my flesh, the stat differential overwhelmed the soldiers supporting me, and they burst apart. Their flesh exploded against my skull mask. Even then, the troops refused to turn and run. One by one, they fell. Their blood leaked from their ruptured bodies, pooling at my feet. 

With each passing second, I prayed the dragon’s shrieks would end, and then, finally, they did. The Divine Dragon dropped into silence. However, I knew it was preparing a second attack. The next would be stronger than the last. 

This is bad… 

Then I heard a girl’s voice that was all too familiar to me. “What is happening here?!” 

She had run over when she noticed the attack on her fallen troops. When she had seen the Divine Dragon push me back across the battlefield. I knew she’d come to help, because that was just who she was. Lady Roxy, a gallant knight in shining armor. 

Her timing was awful. Just as she arrived, the Divine Dragon launched its second blast, locking me in place as I defended the battlefield from its roar. The force of it was overwhelming. It ripped the sleeves off my armor and sent cracks through my skull mask, which crumbled to little more than dust. 

No! Northern will have his sights set on Lady Roxy. He’ll be taking aim! I gritted my teeth. “That’s the one thing that I will…not…allow!” 

“Fate, you—” 

Greed’s shock lasted only an instant. The black shield began to transform, sapping my energy. It was an apocalyptic transformation, like that of the black bow and scythe. At the same time, the new great shield I held in my hands was something I knew how to handle without Greed having to explain it. 

As the black shield devoured my stats, a blue flash of light burst out in waves around me. The Divine Dragon’s mouth exploded. Its once-overwhelming roar suddenly transformed into a howl of agony. Northern’s attacks ceased too. 

“Never in a million years would I have expected you to reach the Third Level’s special technique without my help,” Greed laughed. “I’m shocked that you’ve come this far, Fate!” 

“Shut up for a minute, will you?” I muttered. “It’s not over yet.” 

While the Divine Dragon reeled from the damage it took, the troops had to evacuate, and quickly. 

My skull mask was gone, though. I couldn’t turn to face anyone. My identity was no longer hidden, and Lady Roxy would know immediately who I really was. I knew I had to hurry, yet I faltered. 

Lady Roxy called out to me quietly. “Fate… Is that you, Fay?” 

Her voice, calling that name, tore at my heart. I nodded, but I kept my back to her. 

“I knew it…” she continued, her voice a mixture of wonder and relief. “I knew it was you. Ever since the great canyon, I kept looking at Corpse and seeing…you. Seeing Fay. But I thought it was impossible. I thought…Fay…” 

The time to reveal my secret had come. I had tried to put it off, but it was always going to be like this. Lady Roxy had seen my face when we fell into that cavern. She hadn’t been fully conscious, so I told myself it was okay, but the moment had left an impact. 

We’d come so far, but it was all over. I could no longer keep my secrets from her. 

I heaved a great sigh, and I turned to face Lady Roxy, her eyes shining with the sincerity that defined her.