Chapter 13 - Second Moon

"YOU!!!" A guard's scream pierced the chaos, his hand heavy on Van's shoulder."Ah, y-yeah?" Van responded, a veneer of calm masking his confusion as he turned to face the guard."Run with me!" Urgency laced the guard's command.Without hesitation, Van fell into step beside him, noting the dread he hid behind a sense of duty on his face."Where are we going to?" Van inquired, his voice steady despite the turmoil around them."I don't know who you are or why you're here...!! Normally, I'd take you in for questioning, but as you can see, this is a crisis, and we're short on guards!!" The guard clenched his fists and teeth, his eyes wide on the way before them, "Since you're all the way up here, someone must've let you through, right!!? Nevermind!! I don't care if you're a murderer or a thief, help us now, and I might consider letting you off the hook, even if you're a criminal!! GOT ME!!?" The guard's words rushed out in a desperate plea, his throat strained, louder than the alarms that rang and the air against their faces."Right..." Van replied, his mind preoccupied.Glancing up at the looming dragon, he pondered, 'A dragon, huh...? I guess they'd want to take that thing down.' He realized. An idea clicked on in his mind, his eyebrow subtly raised upwards, 'Would it work on it...'"What's your name, royal knight?" Van queried."Mine...!?!? You shall address me as Sir Hicks! I require you to man the cannons and—" Sir Hicks began, but Van interrupted him with a stern tone."Sir Hicks," Van interjected, causing the guard to turn around abruptly, confusion etched on his features."WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!? THE DRAGON'S ABOUT TO USE HIS FIRE ROAR AND NO ONE'S ARRIVED YET TO STOP HIM!!! EVEN THE ELITE KNIGHTS WILL TAKE A MINUTE OR TWO TO BE HERE!!! HURRY UP OR THE ENTIRE CITY WILL ALL BE BURNED TO CINDERS—" Sir Hicks's frantic words were cut short by Van's intensity, the dragon looming ominously in the background, preparing its fiery breath."SIR HICKS," Van's voice cut through the air, commanding attention and freezing the guard in his tracks."Since you care so deeply for the capital's safety... can you keep a secret, if it means eliminating this threat?" Van's tone was calm, yet carried a resolute weight.Before Sir Hicks stood a man unlike any he had ever encountered. The stranger's armor was foreign—nothing like the designs worn in the capital. The greatsword on his back, adorned with ancient patterns, hinted at an era long past. And something about him exuded an unsettling aura, one that ignited every instinct in the guard's heart, setting his nerves on edge.But Sir Hicks's love for the capital and its people outweighed any distrust he felt toward Van.In that moment, there was no room for hesitation. Van's words echoed in his mind, and all Sir Hicks felt was his duty—to protect the city and those within it.With passion and unwavering resolve, he responded."IF YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION TO SAVE THIS CITY, EVEN IF YOU'RE UNDER THE SHEETS WITH HER MAJESTY, I SHALL TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE!!" Sir Hicks bellowed, his gaze affixed on Van.'Good...' Van thought with a quiet sigh of relief as he drew his greatsword—a massive blade that, beneath the moon's glow, cast a shadow vast enough to obscure the guard's entire view. A shadow that seemed to stretch leagues farther than even the colossal dragon circling high above the city.'Wha... Just... how big is that thing...!? It's bigger than Lady Cerille's... even Sir Nickelson's!' The guard's earlier focus shattered, his mind momentarily fixated on the sheer size of the weapon."SIR HICKS!!" Five more guards sprinted toward him, their voices sharp and urgent, cutting through Sir Hicks's moment of awe."Who is that guy!? WE NEED TO MAN THE CANNONS!! THE WYVERN RIDERS WON'T MAKE IT IN TIME!!!" one of them shouted, panic edging every word.Hicks watched as Van strode forward, the enormous blade spinning with effortless precision in his hands. The sight sent a chill through him, but he shook it off and turned to his men, his voice steady and firm."Men... Whatever you're about to see—keep it to yourselves. That's an order."The guards exchanged uneasy glances but offered no argument. Much like Hicks, they too felt it—the strange, unsettling animosity surrounding Van. A creeping sense that the man before them was not to be trusted.Yet their loyalty to their commander—and the unwavering determination they saw in his eyes—outweighed their doubts.With silent nods, they acknowledged the order, sealing the moment between them.'When we fought Alicia sixteen years ago, her powers were sealed to match Magus's, thanks to his Passive: The Blessing of The Goddess,' Van recalled, reflecting on that distant battle.'But when I proposed to her in the Demonic Realm... she crushed me effortlessly, wielding her true strength at its peak. Without Magus around to keep her in check, she was unstoppable.' He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. 'I've never fought a true Goddess... but if anyone deserved that title for sheer power alone, it would be Alicia.'Van reached the edge of the wall, the wind brushing past him as he gazed up at the looming dragon. His massive blade rested lazily against his shoulder, a familiar weight in unfamiliar hands.'The brutal ways Alicia killed me...' he thought, flexing his fingers around the hilt. 'They reshaped me. Condensed my muscles into something beyond what I thought was possible.' He gave a slight glance at his own form, feeling the power coiled beneath his skin.'Holding this sword now... it feels like I'm gripping air.'The dragon's ominous crimson glow flickered and intensified in its throat, casting the skys above in an eerie light. Van's expression hardened as he shifted his stance, tightening his grip on the sword with calm, measured precision.'My Strength Stat, along with Vigor and Resistance, all exceed 999... I hit that milestone about a year ago,' Van noted as he crouched, energy building in his legs like a coiled spring, ready to release."What's he doing!? Is he about to jump!?" one of the guards cried, disbelief and fear thick in his voice."THAT'S INSANE! THE DRAGON IS OVER 2,000 METERS UP, AND IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY! HE'LL HAVE TO CLEAR MORE THAN 8 KILOMETERS IN A SINGLE LEAP!" another guard added, his words dripping with rising panic."WE'RE DONE FOR!!! I'VE NEVER SEEN A DRAGON THIS BIG BEFORE!!!" another guard shouted, his voice cracking under the pressure of the moment.The guards instinctively ducked, shielding their heads as if bracing for the inevitable disaster.All except Sir Hicks, who stood firm, his gaze locked on Van. Sweat streamed down his face, but he made no move to retreat—watching with equal parts awe and fear.'I think I'm far enough from them... Hopefully,' Van thought, glancing briefly at the guards below."Sorry for the damage...!!!" he called out as he launched himself upward.A supersonic boom erupted from the wall, shattering the air with a deafening crack. Guards, rubble, and cannons were flung backward by the shockwave, leaving a smoking crater where Van had stood just moments before.As the dust settled, the guards scrambled to their feet, dazed and bewildered, only to look up—and see him. The armored figure was already soaring through the sky, having cleared over half the distance in mere seconds, rocketing toward the colossal dragon looming high above the city."What... Strength...!" Sir Hicks murmured in awe, while the others stood frozen, breathless at the spectacle unfolding before them.Time seemed to stretch into eternity as Van soared through the sky, locking eyes with the dragon just as it unleashed its deafening roar.'I never received another active skill after we transmigrated. The only one blessed with more was Magus... He got a variety of broken skills that made him unstoppable, while I was stuck with just one: [Hard Swing],' Van reflected, his thoughts tinged with both resignation and bitterness.'At first, I thought the [Hard Swing] Active Skill was pointless. What good was an active skill that did the same thing as my passive?' he mused, gripping his greatsword tighter as the ground below blurred, and the dragon's fiery maw yawned wide."THE DRAGON IS ROARING...!!! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!" one of the guards cried out, his voice thick with despair.Van's eyes remained steady, his grip unrelenting as the thought crystalized: 'But if I activate the skill, despite the passive...'He braced for impact, feeling the scorching heat as the dragon's flames kissed the edges of his helmet. 'Coupled with my +999 Strength...''...It becomes a REALLY Hard Swing.'"Active Skill: [Hard Swing]," Van declared calmly, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade through smoke.In that moment, Sir Hicks' eyes widened with disbelief—the impossible unfolded before him.Van's sword, moving with unimaginable force, connected with the dragon's body. In a single, devastating stroke, the colossal beast was cleaved clean in two.The sound that followed was like a thunderstorm made of dozens of thunderclaps, colliding all at once, shaking the very foundations of the city. The two severed halves of the dragon's massive form were blasted beyond the city walls, crashing into the ground with a force that echoed like a distant earthquake.The guards stood motionless, staring in stunned silence, their faces frozen in a mix of awe and disbelief. The impossible had become reality—the nightmare dragon that should have doomed them all was gone, split in two by a single, perfect swing.For a fleeting moment, it was as though a second moon had risen in the night sky—a radiant glow shimmering from where Van hovered, suspended midair, his greatsword tracing the arc of a flawless circle.And in that moment, all that remained was silence.