Kapitel 26: Survive.

Embers danced in the dragon's maw, its corners twisted upward into a cruel, malevolent smile. The monster was nothing like this a few minutes ago. For some reason, Mark sensed that the Malarak standing in front of him was different from the beast who hunted them through the city's desolate streets.

He could talk, and his eyes, though still overflowing with madness, had some reason in them. The dragon felt like a controlled storm, raging inside confined borders and guided only in the desirable direction. That direction was currently Mark himself, and it didn't appear like that would be the case for long.

"REJOICE, O FOOLISH ONE. YOUR FLESH WILL BE MY NOURISHMENT. YOUR SOUL WILL BE MY STRENGTH. YOUR MISERABLE LIFE WILL HAVE A PURPOSE, AND YOUR MEMORY WILL FOREVER LIVE ON."

'This would be a really good time to wake up…' as the pain refused to subside, Mark couldn't help but let out a short laugh.

He was still going on about the whole thing being a dream, even after abandoning the hope not that long ago. He had no way to tell how many bones he had broken since the car crashed, but the pain was unbearable.

'If I really was a protagonist, wouldn't I be able to tell which bones were broken, and which organs were damaged?'

He let out another laugh but the pain turned it into a series of coughs. In the end, he was no protagonist. He wasn't even one of the main cast. So what if he got a system? What's the point if he wasn't powerful enough to survive his first challenge?

'God... fucking damn it!' His jaws clenched. 'Why did I have to face an end-game boss right from the start?' As his anger boiled, he ground his teeth together. 'Hey, you miserable fuck of an Author! Can't you cut me some slack!? First, you gave me a maid, and now you're gonna kill me just like that!? Are you that jealous that I might get to have an awesome harem life with all the heroines you dream about?'

"Screw you!" Mark suddenly shouted in anger, but all of it went away as he felt consciousness leave his body. "I never… asked… to be here…"

As if to spare him any more suffering, Mark's entire body shut down. Malarak noticed it happening, but that didn't matter to him at all. Not in the slightest. The youth was alive and that's all that mattered.

"I PRAISE YOUR RESILIANCE, FOOLISH ONE," Malarak said, bringing his jaws down and bearing his fangs. "YOUR STRUGGLE MIGHT HAVE BEEN FUTILE, BUT I WAS ENTERTAINED NON-"

An arc of white energy struck the dragon's neck, pushing him away from his meal. It didn't do much damage to his obsidian scales, however, and only served as a minor inconvenience. Restraining his anger, Malarak moved his attention to the source of the energy.

"STUBBORN ■■■■■■," He scuffed. "YOUR MASTER IS DEAD. HE CANNOT BE SAVED."

Stepping out of the remains of a collapsed building was a young woman with silver hair, donning a black and white dress. She was covered from head to toe in blood, dirt, and dust, but she seemed fine for the most part, compared to everything else around her.

"Silence, Mad Demon," Lara said, spinning her spear a few times before taking a battle stance. "Even if you regained a semblance of sanity, you will always be a herald of Madness. Return to whatever hole you crawled out of. This world is not meant for the likes of you."

A gust of wind passed between them as they silently stared at each other. After what felt like an eternity, Malarak turned to face the maid, each of his movements sending a quake through the area.

"FINE. I WILL GRANT YOU THE HONOR OF DYING BY MY FLAMES." The dragon spread his jaws open and fire came to life between his fangs. "CONSIDER IT A REWARD. YOUR PRIZE FOR-"

The rough, guttural voice halted, and Malarak slowly brought his jaws together. The vertical eyelids of his left eye closed, and when it opened again, its slit-like pupil turned to the sky. Ignoring the maid in front of him, the dragon slowly raised his head, a frown gradually contorting his already twisted visage. He could sense something fast approaching, but as it was out of his range, he couldn't tell if it was worth his concern.

A second later, the dragon shivered, the cold touch of death alerting him of the approaching danger. Unfortunately for him, he was left with little time to react.

A fighter jet had just passed the air high above them, and from it a single figure jumped, diving straight toward the mayhem.

"A LOWER REALM…" Malarak growled, his fangs grinding against each other. "THIS IS A LOWER REAL, SO WHY…"

Spreading his wings, the dragon suddenly took off to the sky, leaving behind a violent twister that caused more destruction. Lara was confused for a moment but then she sensed it as well.

"It can't be…"

Seeing the black dragon rise to the sky, the diving figure began to move. With a single hand, they reached for the magnificent axe strapped to their back, and at the same time, a light green glow enveloped them from head to toe. The glow spread to their weapon, concentrating around its already sharp edge, enhancing it even further than what its base material allowed.

"Why, you ask?" A feminine voice was heard despite the violent wind. "You aren't the only ones who can jump worlds, stupid dragon!!!"

The axe cut through the air, moving in a downward arc just as its owner collided with the dragon. For a moment the two pushed against each other, but the winner soon became apparent as the glow surrounding the axe grew brighter, casting a powerful light on the city below.

The clash only lasted for a couple of seconds and the winner was decided in an instant. The axe cleaved through the layer of scales fortifying the dragon's body, smashing through his fangs and cutting through his head and neck. The blade of the axe continued to cut all the way to his tail, the bloody trail it traced spreading out until his entire body was split in half.

A single line cut through the sky, dispelling the darkness and inviting the bright sunlight back in. Life left the dragon's remaining eye and the crown floating above his head gradually disintegrated, turning into red particles that faded out of existence.

The monsters rampaging through the city suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky. A moment later, they all cried in unison. Lara looked up as well, her eyes following the mysterious figure who had just done the impossible. A complicated expression took over her for a moment but then she remembered that there were more important things for her to take care of.

"Master!"

Despite having passed out, Mark was able to regain consciousness, if only for just a moment. He saw Lara's battered form as she rushed to his side, as well as someone with a giant axe smash right into one of the nearby buildings, followed by the bisected corpse of a massive dragon that had lost all the malice it brought on this world.

Pain was slowly sapping at what little consciousness he was able to regain and Mark found it meaningless to resist it any longer. The monstrosity hunting him was already dead, and although he wasn't exactly in the safe, the worst of it had passed and he felt that it earned him a well-deserved rest.

[Quest: Malarak of the Dark Mountain.

Difficulty: SSS

Clear Condition: ???

Clear Reward: ???

]

[Due to a supplementary assessment Subject Mark White has been deemed incapable of meeting any Clear Conditions for Quest: Malarak of the Dark Mountain.]

[Malarak of the Dark Mountain (Lord) has been defeated by Natalia Greenhorn.]

[Quest: Malarak of the Dark Mountain has been Completed.]

[Subject Mark White met the Clear Condition: Survive.]

[Subject Mark White has previously been deemed incapable of meeting Clear Condition: Survive.]

[Performance assessment…]

[Subject Mark White has achieved a legendary feat.]

[Calculating Clear Reward…]

[Subject Mark White has been awarded 100 000 AP]

[Subject Mark White has been awarded Malarak's core]

[Subject Mark White has been awarded Malarak's fang (x4)]

[Subject Mark White has been awarded Malarak's Obsidian Scales (x100)]

[Malarak's core, Malarak's fangs and Malarak's Obsidian Scales have been moved to Inventory.]

AUTORENGEDANKEN
Nomanalive

Extra chapter to end the opening arc! I hope everyon enjoyed the story so far! And thanks for all the support you showed the series!

Mark's journy is only getting started! In the coming chapters he will finally learn the truth about the previous events! New characters will join the cast as well! Please look forward to the next update of Maids VS Apocalypse!

Until then, check out my other series Valkyrie Smash!

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