Reincarnation of Suicidal Battle God
Original – Blue-Deep
Webtoon → Webnovel Adaptation || FanFic
Chapter 1: The Last Human (1)
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The world lay in ruins, a testament to a war lost. Amidst the desolate landscape, a colossal, crystalline structure, sharp and jagged, pierced the fiery, smoke-filled sky. Around its base, the ground was scorched and littered with debris, glowing with an ominous, chaotic energy. A monstrous, purple-armored beast, its horns twisted and broken, lay defeated, its massive form sprawled across the ravaged earth. The air crackled with residual power, a silent echo of the cataclysm that had just unfolded.
Then, a voice, resonant with triumph, echoed through the destruction. "...NOW, THE LAST HUMAN."
A fearsome, dragon-like being, wreathed in crackling flames and adorned with glowing red patterns, stood victorious. Its powerful wings spread wide, casting an imposing shadow over the devastation. "THE VICTORY IS MINE."
Below it, a lone figure, a white-haired man in dark, battle-worn armor, lay broken on the ground. Blood splattered around him, and a ragged cough tore from his throat. "Kuhk... Kuhk kuhk!" His sword, a magnificent blade with a glowing blue edge, lay discarded nearby, its light dimming against the fiery backdrop.
Despite his grievous wounds, the man struggled, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. His eyes, though weary, held a fierce resolve. The world, as he knew it, was gone. "THE WORLD HAS BEEN DESTROYED." A year had passed since humanity's crushing defeat in the war against the monstrous Horse Race. The land was now a graveyard, dominated by the grotesque forms of the victorious invaders.
Most of the human race had been slaughtered. Those who survived had lost their minds, becoming grotesque monster hosts, their bodies twisted and contorted, their minds enslaved. The landscape was a testament to their suffering, with strange, web-like structures and cocoons hanging from skeletal trees, hinting at the horrors that lurked within. As the last member of the resistance, he had continued to fight alone, a solitary beacon of defiance in a world consumed by despair. Until this moment.
Before him stood Masin Tartarus, the Lord of Demons, a towering figure of pure malevolence. His form was a terrifying blend of draconic and demonic features, radiating an aura of immense power. The air crackled with dark energy as he prepared to deliver the final blow, his eyes fixed on the fallen human.
Masin Tartarus, with a cruel smile, extended a hand, a golden, ethereal ring of light forming around the human. "YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE IN PAIN. LET ME HELP YOU." The human's eyes widened in alarm as the ring tightened, a suffocating pressure building around him. "...!" He struggled, but the demon lord's power was overwhelming. "I DELAYED YOUR TIME, THIS COULD GIVE US SOME TIME TO TALK." Masin Tartarus leaned in, his voice a low rumble. "HUMAN... NO, 'ZEPIRU'."
"YOU ARE THE FIRST HUMAN WHO CONTINUED TO DISTURB ME FOR SO LONG. I PRAISE YOU FOR YOUR PERSEVERANCE." The demon lord's words were laced with a chilling mockery. He continued, "PEOPLE SAY THAT A PERSON WHO GOES ON A LOSING BATTLE IS NAIVE, BUT... THOSE WHO GIVE UP EASILY FEARING THE ENEMY'S POWERS ARE NOT RIGHT." He looked down at the struggling human, a flicker of something akin to respect in his eyes, or perhaps, just a deeper form of contempt.
Masin Tartarus scoffed, his gaze piercing. "THEY'RE JUST... WEAK." His eyes narrowed, a predatory glint within them. "I GET ENRAGED WHEN I SEE WEAK PEOPLE GIVE UP WHO EASILY. ... YOU'LL UNDERSTAND TOO. SINCE YOU'RE THE STRONGEST HUMAN."
"THAT'S WHY I'LL GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE. WORK WITH ME. AWAY FROM THIS SMALL WORLD, TO ANOTHER ONE, UNTIL WE REACH THE GODS. LET'S CONQUER THE WORLD. WITH BOTH OF OUR POWERS COMBINED!" Masin Tartarus offered, his voice a seductive whisper, a proposition that promised unimaginable power and conquest.
The human, Zephir, looked up at the towering demon, his eyes filled with a mix of defiance and exhaustion. He coughed, a painful, ragged sound. "Hu..."
Zephir, his face etched with pain and disbelief, managed to speak, "IS THAT TRUE... WILL YOU REALLY ACCEPT ME...?" Masin Tartarus simply replied, "OF COURSE." A moment of silence passed, then Zephir, a faint, wry smile gracing his lips, muttered, "NOT BAD. NONSENSE."
Zephir knew his body was completely destroyed from the fight. That prick, Masin Tartarus, definitely knew that he wouldn't recover. "BUT TO DO SOMETHING TOGETHER? TO GIVE ME A CHANCE? THIS ISN'T AN OFFER, HE JUST... HE JUST WANT TO SEE ME BEG." A primal scream of rage and frustration tore through him, his face contorted in a silent roar.
His thoughts turned to the one who had taken everything from him, his friends, the people he loved. He reached out, a desperate plea, as Masin Tartarus extended a hand, a dark, clawed appendage reaching for him.
Zephir, despite his dire situation, couldn't help but think, "MY PERSONALITY... IS SHIT." He recalled a memory, a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair and a crown, her expression gentle yet firm. "THAT PERSON SAID TO STOP SWEARING... BUT SINCE I DON'T..."
He chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "...SHE PUT ME UNDER A FUNNY SPELL." He clenched his fist, a sudden surge of power coursing through him. Masin Tartarus, surprised, recoiled slightly. "?!" Zephir's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. "IF I DO 'THAT'..."
"...AN UNBELIEVABLE POWER WILL EXPLODE MY BODY..." He gathered his remaining strength, a blue aura flaring around him. "THIS IS MY ANSWER, MASIN TARTARUS. FUCK OFF, YOU ASSHOLE!!" With a defiant roar, Zephir unleashed a powerful burst of energy, a blinding flash of light erupting from his body.
The explosion consumed him, a blinding flash of light and raw power. The ground beneath Masin Tartarus cracked and shattered, the force of the blast sending shockwaves through the desolate landscape.
The light subsided, revealing Masin Tartarus, his form still intact, but his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and anger. The attack had clearly taken him by surprise.
Masin Tartarus looked at his hand, a look of utter bewilderment on his face. "MY HAND...? WHAT? WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HAND?" The golden ring that had bound Zephir was gone, and in its place, a strange, dark energy swirled around Masin Tartarus's hand.
Masin Tartarus's expression shifted from surprise to a furious snarl, his eyes burning with intense rage. The demon lord was clearly not accustomed to such defiance, especially from a mere human.
Masin Tartarus roared in pain and fury, his face contorted in a grotesque mask of agony. The attack had clearly done more than just surprise him.
Masin Tartarus, now on one knee, his body smoking, glared at the spot where Zephir had been. "ZEPHIR YOU PRICK... YOU FUCKING BRAT... HOW DARE YOU HUMILIATE ME...! WHEN YOU'RE JUST A MERE HUMAN!" His voice was a guttural growl, filled with venom.
Masin Tartarus let out a furious roar, unleashing a powerful counter-attack. The ground trembled as he struck, a massive impact echoing through the desolate land. But the attack seemed to have little effect, as he stumbled and fell, his form flickering as if struggling to maintain its cohesion.
"THAT'S HOW MY FIGHT ENDED. WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO AVENGE MY PRECIOUS PEOPLE... WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO FULFILL THEIR WISH OF PROTECTING HUMANITY... IT ENDED IN A MEANINGLESS WAY." Zephir's hand, now devoid of life, lay on the scorched earth, a symbol of his ultimate failure.
"...IT SHOULD'VE BEEN BUT..." A faint blue glow emanated from Zephir's hand, a spark of life in the darkness.
Zephir opened his eyes, finding himself floating in a serene, blue void. "HUH...? WHAT...? I JUST DIED THOUGH?" He looked at his hands, then at his body, perfectly intact, no longer broken and bleeding.