Epic of Ice Dragon: Reborn As An Ice Dragon With A System

Chapter 2433: The Beginning Of The End [14]

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"It was nothing more than a fleeting dream... nothing else. I am too old for love."

As Hel glanced back at Drake, she noticed he had stopped midway, fists clenched tightly.

"D-Drake?"

He walked toward her without a word, gently pulling her close and pressing his lips to hers.

"Hm?!"

No questions. No hesitation.

He simply did it.

"Hm..."

Hel was surprised, but she did not resist.

She let his warm kiss reignite the long-extinguished flame in her weary heart.

She wrapped her arms around him, fingers tracing his back, nails running through his long hair as Drake’s hands gripped her hips firmly.

Their kiss was deep and fervent, brimming with passion and unspoken love.

A love forged over the two years they had spent together in this place...

"Oh, Drake... no... this is wrong..." Hel looked down, guilt washing over her. "W-What have I done? This isn’t..."

"There’s nothing wrong with it," Drake said softly, smiling at her. "I felt we were meant for each other... I wanted to love you... and I did. I want to make you happy, Hel..."

"A-Ahh... Do I truly deserve it? Your love, my dear young king?" Hel asked, small tears glistening in her eyes. "I am so old... I never knew love... I never knew this comforting warmth... I fear I am doing something wrong... my sister would kill me if she knew..."

"My mother? I doubt she would do that. She’s much kinder than you remember," Drake laughed gently. "I’ll love you for every moment you spent alone down here, and I will bring you to the surface so you can see the sun, the blue sky, the forests, mountains, snow, and deserts. I want you to see the ocean and taste delicious food. I want you to enjoy life... Hel."

"Oh, Drake..." Hel cried softly, overwhelmed by his affection. "I-I think I do... I do love you..."

"I love you too," Drake whispered, caressing her face tenderly before kissing her lips once more. "I know it might feel awkward... but I won’t deny the feelings I’ve developed for you. Your mother herself said the future is in our hands now. You need to be more selfish, Hel. You deserve everything I mentioned, and more."

"Ahh... You make me so happy for some reason... Where were you all my life?" Hel smiled faintly. "To think I would find the love of my life at my age... It’s... so embarrassing. For this old dragon to feel like a young dragon in love again."

"I’m glad I make you feel that way..." Drake replied. "But about my family..."

"It’s fine... I never once thought of stealing you away from anyone. I know your love is vast—you are the Dragon King, after all," Hel said. "This is a time of war, a decisive moment for the world... but once it’s over, if we truly save Yggdrasil, I want to meet your wonderful family... Would yours meet mine as well?"

"Of course," Drake said, kissing her again. Her kisses were cool yet so tender. "Thank you for being my guiding light through this entire trial. Thank you for preparing me to become a true king... You will be my queen. Do you like the sound of that?"

"Q-Queen? O-Oh my..." Hel felt overwhelmed. "T-This is moving so fast... let’s... take it slowly, okay?"

"That’s fine. I suppose it’s part of being young to be hasty," Drake said. "You’ve taught me patience too. My family is waiting outside. I can’t keep them any longer. How much time has passed?"

"Two minutes..." Hel replied. "The battle outside is intense. The world trembles before it... This is it, Drake. The final battle has arrived. It’s your time."

"No, it’s our time," Drake corrected. "We dragons fight together as family, right?"

"...Yes, you’re right," Hel smiled. Her pale face seemed to glow with newfound color, warmed by the happiness she felt. "May... I kiss you one last time? A-As a good luck kiss?"

"You never need to ask," Drake murmured.

Hel kissed him lovingly once more, savoring his warmth.

As their lips met, the Void Realm slowly faded. Drake returned to reality, standing before Hel’s true form—a gigantic, ancient dragon mother with bone-like armor covering most of her body and glowing red eyes overflowing with phantasmal energy.

For a moment, she looked down in embarrassment, perhaps believing it had all been a dream. But Drake smiled at her—the same warm, loving smile from before.

It had been two minutes outside, but two years for them.

"Hel, thank you for everything. I owe you more than you know, and I’ll repay you once this is over. I will love you for every lonely moment you endured, and far beyond."

His voice echoed in her mind through telepathy.

His words made her ancient, loveless heart flutter.

"Drake... Oh... Yes... Go, my king. Do it. I will support you with everything I have—with my family here and all my power."

"Thank you. That’s all I needed."

RUMBLE!

The world trembled. The heavens shook. Reality itself fractured.

Everyone in the Underworld—and the world above Helheim—felt it.

His friends, his wives, his children, his dragon family, his nemesis.

Drake’s presence surged like an ocean of flames, winds, thunder, ice, light, shadows, moonlight, earth, water, nature, chaos, demonic energy, blood, and more.

His Aura manifested the silhouette of Tiamat herself.

Oberon’s eyes twitched. He had been pointing his staff at Thor and Baldr, both gods defeated and on the verge of death by his hand.

All other dragons, family, and friends fought endless hordes of clones—billions spreading everywhere.

Massive cracks in the ceiling led to the surface, where Oberon’s clones began ravaging all life to hasten destruction.

Then...

With a single word.

His rainbow eyes fixed on Oberon.

"That’s enough."

TRUUUM!

In that instant, every one of Oberon’s clones vanished.

They dissolved into sparkling dust and were gone.

The portals he created shut instantly.

The cracks above ceased spreading, and the earth seemed to knit itself back together.

It was a miracle.

The miracle the Primordial Dragon King wrought through mastery of all elements.

And the awakening and ascension of Creation.

"Y-You...! What?! How...! Only two minutes passed...! You... you mastered your powers?!"

"No, I didn’t just master them. I have surpassed them. Feel this, Oberon? This is the power I was always meant to wield."

"...!"

"Now come and face me."

RUMBLE!

Reality warped.

Oberon felt an irresistible pull. In a heartbeat, space, time, and dimensions rewrote themselves across a vast area around Drake.

Oberon found himself directly before him.

"You took my swordsmanship. You took my brother-in-law’s life... and I will take away your dream."

"Hahah... Y-You truly have become powerful."

Oberon laughed, looking down. Silence fell.

He attempted a sneak attack.

His staff glowed as Primordial Magic surged.

Drake suddenly stood amid the void, thousands of planetoids hurtling toward him, exploding one after another.

A massive star descended from above, crashing into him, followed by others from below, front, behind, left, and right.

"{Cosmic Judgement}!"

Oberon’s strongest spell—an endless cosmic judgment.

He went all out from the start.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Yet...

Massive fists shattered the stars, triggering black holes that Drake instantly closed.

"Impossible...!"

Amid the cosmic devastation, Drake emerged.

Completely unscathed.

"By inheriting her power... you have become the new vessel of Fantasy...?! No! She still lingers here...! I cannot... I cannot be defeated yet!"

Oberon, ever the coward, attempted to flee instantly.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

TRUUUM!

It proved far harder than he imagined. Drake appeared before him, unleashing a storm of punches and razor-sharp claw strikes that tore through his body.

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