Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 243

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 243

The meteor spear circling around Giuseppe as if protecting him shone brilliantly like fragments of stars, no different from before.

It was proof that Giuseppe still possessed divine power vast enough to handle sacred relics.

Therefore, Lionel could not hide his despair.

“…Do you truly believe that choice is right? Is that why Aria has not taken away your divine power, Giuseppe?”

“Someday, a day will come when you understand everything.”

That was Giuseppe’s habitual phrase when seeing the future with his power of insight.

Every time he heard those words, Lionel had no choice but to stop questioning and wait for the coming ‘someday.’

However, this time was different. He would not just sit and wait for the future someday that Giuseppe spoke of.

Then an aura of light dwelt in Lionel’s sword, and as Giuseppe’s spear clashed against it, remnants of divine power scattered in all directions.

* * *

The top priority of the Northern Alliance was to eliminate the Demon King who commanded the demonic beasts.

However, this did not apply to Chaser.

While following the operation to ambush the enemy’s rear and steadily reduce the number of demonic beasts, he harbored different intentions.

To find and eliminate Ophelia, who would be hiding somewhere in this vast battlefield.

How long had he endured without revealing this purpose outwardly?

Chaser, who had been providing supporting fire from the rear, smiled slyly like a cat that had found a toy to play with.

“You’ve been hiding well like a little rat.”

The messenger beasts he had sent throughout the battlefield. One of them had discovered the Ascetic who had been hiding so well. Even the Demon King, who was said to always stay by Ophelia’s side, was nowhere to be seen.

An opportunity of heavenly fortune that would never come again.

Chaser advanced toward the front where fierce battle was raging without hesitation.

“Master Ru! It’s dangerous if you go forward!”

The Elders were shouting something from behind, but Chaser paid no attention.

Neither the knights’ blind swords nor the poison-bearing claws of demonic beasts could ever penetrate Chaser’s barrier.

Finally, when Chaser caught sight of Ophelia’s silver hair.

As if sensing instinctive threat, Ophelia turned to look at him.

For an instant, their eyes met.

Clear killing intent toward each other.

Chaser’s magic and Ophelia’s dark magic clashed almost simultaneously.

Chaser’s magic circle that covered the night sky like constellations brought down lightning above Ophelia’s head.

Boom!

That single attack devastated the demonic beasts protecting Ophelia, but she herself was unharmed without a single wound.

Before the heat of the lightning that fell to the ground could even cool, Chaser gathered his magical power again.

Crash!

Lightning struck down once more, charring the surrounding ground black.

This time, the dark magic that had been draped over Ophelia’s head like an umbrella was shattered to pieces.

However, Chaser could not be said to be in perfect condition either.

He had concentrated 9th Rank wide-area magic in one place and unleashed it consecutively. His magic circuits had reached their limit, and his heart was painfully constricted as if being squeezed.

Nevertheless, Chaser did not stop his steps moving forward.

Ophelia no longer had the strength to protect herself.

Sensing this with a mage’s instinct, Chaser scraped together even his last drop of magical power and spat out lightning.

After the magic circle covering the sky churned like storm clouds pregnant with lightning.

Crash!

The final magic overturned the earth and shook the very axis of the ground.

The smell of boiling sulfur and black ash spread thickly in all directions.

Though he felt like he might faint at any moment, Chaser endured by biting his lips in pain and stood gazing at the front.

His magic had pierced the enemy.

However, in that instant, Chaser witnessed it.

Something huge like a wild beast leaping in to embrace Ophelia.

Soon, through the heat haze rising from the unbearable heat, two silhouettes faintly revealed themselves.

A 9th Rank attack magic that burns to death all living beings within a 10-meter radius except the caster.

In the center of it, the Demon King stood.

The Demon King had suffered terrible burns with his entire body sizzling, but Ophelia appeared fine with only her clothes slightly singed.

‘Did she use the Demon King as a shield?’

But for that to be the case, Ophelia’s expression looked very bewildered. As if her survival was not her intention.

Soon the Demon King turned his head toward Chaser as if recognizing the threat. The Demon King’s red eyes contained anger boiling like lava, and not a single trace of death’s shadow could be seen.

A situation with no way forward or back.

A mage whose magical power had run dry had only two choices left.

Either resign himself and accept death, or make a final desperate struggle prepared to die.

However, Chaser had one more option.

‘I can kill her.’

Dark magic that destroys souls.

If he used his own soul as the price, he could destroy Ophelia forever.

From the moment he tried to sacrifice his own soul for Kiss, Chaser had not hesitated to put his own life on the scales.

He knew this was not noble sacrifice but selfishness. Even so, he had no intention of stopping.

To be able to protect Leo and Belinda with his own life as the price. Wasn’t that an unexpectedly generous price for dark magic?

Therefore, Chaser provoked her so that Ophelia would come closer to him.

“Are you too precious about your life when you can’t even die?”

Those words properly struck Ophelia’s reverse scale. Her expression instantly turned vicious as she glared at Chaser and approached.

Just ten more steps forward.

Then I can kill that woman.

And thus completely uproot the threat to Leo and Belinda.

“The one who doesn’t know to value his life would be your twin brother. His name was Kiss, wasn’t it?”

Don’t waver.

Chaser kept his head down and only repeated the distance to Ophelia.

Six steps forward.

“Shall I tell you what fate would have unfolded if Kiss had survived instead of you?”

Five steps forward.

“That man, driven mad by vengeance against those who caused his younger brother’s death, headed to the Mage Republic and massacred mages even when the world’s destruction was imminent.”

When three steps remained, he felt pain pressing down on his fingertips.

Glancing back, a Shadow Crow that had poked its head out from the shadow cast by the full moon was biting his fingertip.

And so the final step.

“He didn’t care even if the world was destroyed. Because he had nothing precious to him.”

Facing the brief opportunity to send a final message to Belinda, Chaser slowly opened his mouth.

‘I love you, Protagonist. So very much. More than you could ever imagine.’

However, Chaser dared not voice those feelings.

Because he knew that a confession left like a dying wish would torment her life terribly.

So he smiled as usual and said.

“Don’t watch this, Protagonist.”

Leaving only those words, he crushed the Shadow Crow’s head.

Then he faced Ophelia, who was wearing a twisted smile, directly.

“Just like my brother. I probably would have done the same.”

Yes. If he hadn’t met Belinda, even if he had survived, he too would have met the same fate as Kiss.

So this was a better end than that.

Chaser’s eyes were dyed purple.

“…ser!”

Was it an auditory hallucination? It seemed like he heard Belinda’s voice from somewhere.

‘I’m really seriously ill too.’

It was the moment he drew the dark magic circle with a bitter smile.

“Chaser, you idiot!”

A voice with an unbelievable weight that couldn’t possibly be an illusion struck the back of Chaser’s head.

Then his body floated up into the air like a fish caught on a hook and flew back several meters before tumbling to the ground.

Though an impact that felt like it cracked his ribs occurred, Chaser couldn’t dare utter a single complaint.

Because the Demon King’s claws had embedded in the spot where he had been standing just moments before, creating a massive crater as if a meteorite had fallen.

If he had remained in that spot, it wouldn’t have ended with just cracked bones.

“Damn it! What kind of strength is that! Leo, let’s retreat with this troublemaker!”

“Y-yes!”

Belinda and Leo, who had dropped down from the sky, each took one of Chaser’s shoulders and began dragging him away.

“Protagonist…?”

Chaser lifted his head and barely managed to look up at Belinda, then lost his words.

Her fiercely raised eyes were particularly red. As if she was holding back tears.

Seeing that, Chaser’s heart dropped with a thud.

“Protagonist.”

“Shut your mouth.”

Belinda didn’t even look back at Chaser.

Nevertheless, Chaser realized it. That she was now barely holding back her tears.

Just as Chaser, uncharacteristically at a loss and restless, was about to open his mouth.

From behind them came a terrible howl that seemed not of this world.

A strange sound that seemed like a scream, yet also like maniacal laughter, and also like crying.

Like a frog before a snake, all the hair on her body stood on end as Belinda’s steps came to a halt.

Knowing she shouldn’t, she turned around anyway, and saw the grotesquely distorted form of the Demon King.

“Protagonist, run!”

The moment Chaser pushed Belinda away, a massive shadow fell over their heads.

The Demon King had closed the distance in an instant and lunged at Chaser.

Belinda, who lost her balance, fell and braced herself against the ground.

However, there was neither the expected pain nor screaming.

White breath escaped between Belinda’s lips as she slowly opened her eyes.

The ground that had been boiling with heat was now frozen solid with frost settled upon it.

Winter that had suddenly arrived in midsummer.

Belinda knew what this meant.

As she slowly raised her head, she saw the back of someone she deeply missed.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————