Berserk: The Prophet

Just as the "Dragon Path" between the Netherworld and the mortal realm closed, Potter sensed the red energy fluctuations in the mortal realm that were not bound by the law of causality.

[An existence beyond predetermined fate...]

Potter's face remained expressionless, and as he finished speaking, the gate between the mortal world and the underworld closed.

A colossal four-legged, two-winged dragon soared through the scorching lava, a sight that seemed straight out of a dream...

Green's heart began to pound involuntarily—thump, thump, thump!

It felt like gaining freedom... like being reborn...

The still somewhat uncoordinated body flew along the path in memory, swaying in the air like a young dragon just beginning to learn to fly.

Green's heart pounded uncontrollably, as if he were afraid of heights, but it was quickly soothed by a warm force that seemed to whisper to him—do not resist.

At this moment, it was as if Maitreya Buddha was flying alongside him.

As a dragon, one's vision is incredibly broad, capable of observing even the smallest animals scurrying about on the ground, a perspective many times clearer than when meditating.

A dark figure fleeing to the edge of a cliff on the mountain road caught his eye. As he zoomed in, he saw a person and a black wolf. The large tree connecting the two cliffs was impassable due to the violent earthquake, and the river below the cliff had become turbulent and the water level had risen due to the tsunami triggered by the earthquake.

But the mudslide behind them waited for no one, so they had to leap up and try to escape to the other side.

Black Wolf Luke, carrying Abain, sprinted forward, his hind legs, having gathered strength, suddenly leaped up, heading towards that almost insurmountable distance.

"...Awooo!"

Black Wolf landed on its front paws and its hind paws on the edge of the cliff. The already unstable ground turned into rubble, and Black Wolf and Aba Ying, who had not yet regained their balance, slid down rapidly.

The black wolf's front paws left deep scratches on the ground, and although it desperately tried to bite down on something to stop itself from slipping, there was no vegetation growing there at all.

"—!" Black Wolf and Aba Ying fell from the top of the cliff.

At this critical moment, accompanied by a deep dragon's roar, the two were grabbed in the palm of a huge figure.

"!!!"

The heavy feeling of falling disappeared, replaced by the dizziness of flying high and a brief feeling of weightlessness. The wind howled against his face. When Aba Ying regained consciousness from this state, he found himself in the sky, thousands of meters high.

...Who is that being holding him in the giant palm?

Abain looked up and saw only a long tail and a pair of wings so wide that it was impossible to measure them.

"This is... a dragon?"

Aba Ying stared wide-eyed, her heart filled with shock and confusion.

—That legendary creature actually exists!

Green rescued them at the critical moment and, once they reached a safe place not far from the dragon's lair, gently placed them both on the ground.

Black Wolf Luke watched Green warily, growling softly in its throat, while Abain gently patted Luke to comfort it.

Abain looked up at the giant dragon before him, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you for saving me."

Green nodded in acknowledgment, his enormous dragon eyes watching them, before he continued to flap his wings and fly toward the direction of the fire dragon's lair.

Meanwhile, the once peaceful forest was no longer peaceful, as a group of bipedal dragons, not much larger than humans, were also flying towards the fire dragon's nest.

...This country is about to change.

Abain was incredulous at the sight before him; the unreal absurdity made him wonder if he was dreaming or hallucinating.

...He had never seen a single dragon in this land.

—On the walls of the dragon's lair—

Baziso was exhausted from fighting, and at the last moment, the old soldier took the fatal blow for him and pinned him down.

Baziso's eyes were bloodshot, and his throat felt constricted, preventing him from making a sound. He didn't know if it was from a desire to survive or from fear, but the grief was undeniable. This old soldier, who had cared for him so many times in the Dragon's Nest, was like a father to him.

He risked his life again, using his body to shield himself from the corpse...

Damn it... Damn it...

Why is it that even after fighting so hard, nothing can be changed?!

The sounds of battle had ceased, and the sudden silence made Bazso feel somewhat uneasy. Vultures circled overhead, and sunset was approaching.

The sound of cannons roared from the direction of Gurunberudo; dark clouds and storms rapidly filled the sky, accompanied by the sound of the earth trembling...

Then, something happened that Baziso found hard to understand—

A huge red creature flew across the sky he was watching, and behind that huge creature... were countless tiny flying creatures.

Is this... a dragon?

Baziso's pupils contracted sharply. Forgetting about playing dead, he sat up, took off his kettle-shaped iron helmet to breathe, and gasped for air. He was panting heavily from excitement and fear.

"...What exactly is going on?"

Screams also came from inside the Fire Dragon's Nest. Bazso looked in the direction of the sound and saw the troops led by Grand Duke Hekun wailing. Their bodies had changed so much that their armor was being torn apart. The knights of the Sea Bear Knights were the most affected by this change.

Grand Duke Hekun fared no better. His bloated and short body, already weakened by the accumulation of poison, turned into a monster oozing pus and died suddenly, his death extremely gruesome.

"Roar--!"

Gurunberdo roared, grabbed Edward in his mouth, and flung him away.

A sudden, intense spinning sensation washed over him, followed by a strange, unsettling feeling. Then, Edward felt a tightness in his chest, coughed up blood that embedded itself deeply in the castle tower's outer wall, and blood streamed down his forehead.

Edward struggled to crawl out of the crack in the wall, completely unaware of the changes happening to his body. Blood blurred his vision, but the deafening roar of Gurenberudo kept him on his toes. He endured the excruciating pain, wiping the blood from his face, trying to make out the situation before him.

—Benedict, Heickel, I don't ask for your forgiveness.

—I'd rather eat you than let you die at the hands of the enemy!

The enormous dragon eyes and human face on the forehead of the apostle Gurenberudo stared resolutely at Hikel and Benedict at his feet.