Chapter 271 : Chapter 271
Chapter 271 : O King, May You Enjoy an Era of Peace and Prosperity (4)
Lately, I've been thinking while assuming myself to be Zisair. To read his twisted mind, I willingly submerged myself into that loathsome inner self.
'Zisair recovered the real crown that the Lust Demon had been keeping as soon as that bastard died.'
Even leaving aside the discord between the two bastards, if the 'Crown of Suffering' was truly Zisair's reverse scale, he would've taken it away long ago.
A bastard who employs a monster like Batz as his limb couldn't handle the Lust Demon and just stood by? That doesn't add up.
In the end, the crown was bait.
'A trap set to snare me.'
Either he induced me to cause a ruckus at Philinus II's coronation ceremony, or—
'A trick to divert my eyes and buy time.'
It wouldn't have mattered either way. It'd be enough to complete the 'real stage' while tying me down next to Adeline.
'From the beginning, Zisair intended to use the real crown.'
To depose Philinus II for all to see and seat Adeline on the throne.
As a 'usurper,' that is.
—Make Philinus II the Emperor.
Those words Zisair spat out were sincere. That bastard was soon Philinus II, and furthermore, this Kingdom itself. Revealing his true face that closely resembled Gunt to me was also to flaunt that fact.
'The being most deeply involved in the royal bloodline.'
A twisted desire, or a strong obsession toward the world he created.
'......He couldn't just stand by and watch this land get trampled by the Empire.'
Thus, that bastard abandoned his original mission and ended up committing an unexpected action. Even to the point of making enemies with the other Eight Demons, especially the Lust Demon.
'By sacrificing the body of Philinus II, who shares his blood, as an offering—'
Descent.
Showing me the Shadow Legion in advance was also that bastard's design.
An ulterior motive to flaunt his power and ambition, or to induce me to eliminate the monsters and pave his way.
'In the end, it means I moved according to his intentions.'
Except for one thing—the fact that I'm here right now.
SHING—!
I raised the Heavenly Demon, held in both hands, next to my face.
Zisair must've been certain that I'd remain in the Imperial Capital to protect Adeline, but—
He was wrong.
The grand principle of a swordsman.
'Slash before blocking.'
Cut down the danger before it sprouts. Even if I've to risk my life, if it's worth it, there's no need to needlessly hold a shield.
'Softies like Zisair wouldn't understand even if they died and came back to life.'
I'll show you.
A swordsman's pride.
And—
'Who the Kingdom's Finest Sword is.'
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD—! THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD—!
I stared at the vanguard of the legion charging forward, shaking the ground with furious momentum.
It was truly the form of a black tsunami trying to swallow the earth.
"......"
The distance was still far. However, the black wave that dyed the entire horizon pitch-black was approaching, growing abnormally large at every moment.
WHOOSH—!
A tremendous gale mercilessly brushed past my entire body.
Tucking my chin, I slowly put strength into both hands gripping the hilt.
All the noise of the world recedes like a lie.
The breath flowing out of my nose and mouth scattered slowly.
Silence lingers.
Within a tranquility that felt like standing alone right in the middle of the eye of a storm—
I parted my lips.
"......Come."
Wait. Not yet.
Just a little closer.
'More.'
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD—! THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD—!
'......More.'
Finally, they began to come into view. Spectral knights clad in black armor took up the front line. Horse manes, helmet feathers, and tattered cloak hems fluttered like black sparks.
'Now.'
I swung the Heavenly Demon. The white aura of light condensed on the blade extended furiously.
SWOOSH—!
The Sword Aura, torn in a straight line, flew low over the dry ground. The pure white trajectory advancing through the thick dust shone exceptionally cold and clear against the black tsunami.
CRASHHH—!
Cutting in two with a single strike.
Wherever the white flash passed, the black waves split. The bodies of the spectral knights, severed in two, soared in all directions.
'One more time.'
In my past life, I desperately clung on to manifest this Sword Aura. Even after achieving it, I didn't get a proper chance to use it, but today I'm finally letting out all that resentment.
SWOOSH—!
The Sword Auras unleashed in succession cut through the black waves and buried themselves far into the distance. It was a darkness whose end couldn't even be gauged.
SWOOSH—!
As those bastards narrowed the distance, the flight trajectories of the Sword Auras grew shorter. Every time I swung the Heavenly Demon to shower them with Sword Aura, my vision blinked white as if thunderbolts were striking repeatedly.
BOOM—! BOOM—! BOOM—!
"Uwoooooo—!"
Soon, the hollow cry of the specters reached my ears. They were within arm's reach.
'Quake Stomp.'
BOOM—!
The ground exploded, centered around my stepping foot. The shockwave of the violently surging vibrations and dust swept through the surroundings. The spectral knights trying to surround me were helplessly pushed back.
SWOOSH—!
Taking advantage of that gap, I soared into the air. I clicked my tongue at the might of the Shadow Legion that packed my vision in an instant.
'I'll rain it down from above your heads.'
The moment I was about to swing the Heavenly Demon, my eyes widened. He was furiously charging toward me.
CLANG—!
The moment I perceived it, a blade flew in. I hurriedly raised the Heavenly Demon to block it.
It was a reunion after a long time between our crossing blades.
"Batz!"
"I'm more than glad to meet you again, junior."
We exchanged three or four clashes in an instant. It's truly been a while since I heard the friction sound of blades.
Good. A shiver runs down my spine.
THUD—!
As if we've made a promise, the two of us landed simultaneously. It was right in the middle of the swarm of Demonic Beasts. Those bastards didn't approach any closer, maintaining a certain distance as if waiting for Batz's command.
"Yeah, a battlefield for you and me should be like this."
We each took our starting stances. I couldn't even see the surrounding swarm of Demonic Beasts. A thought occurred to me that there were only the two of us here, him and me.
'If I defeat Batz, it means I've eliminated half of their forces.'
......Well, easier said than done.
CLINK—! CLINK—! CLINK—! CLANG—!
After the metallic sounds rang out a few times, our positions had swapped. That bastard smirked.
"Junior, that's nowhere near enough."
I charged forward, kicking off the ground.
CLANG—!
He stood firmly blocking my path. A sense of weight pressed down on my entire body.
The Heavenly Demon locked in a cross with his blade. He thrust his face between the intersecting blades.
"Keep this clearly in mind. My blade is at the end of the path you walk."
The touching blades trembled and rattled against the force pushing each other away. As if matching that rhythm, the corner of Batz's mouth slowly curled up.
"To be precise, it's somewhere beneath a cliff."
Maybe it's because I recklessly shot out Sword Aura, but I'm gradually running out of strength. I shouldn't overexert myself any further here. I've to thoroughly distribute my strength.
"That's not something to hear from a son of a bitch tied to a collar."
"Heh heh, you probably don't even have a clue how vast the gap between you and me is. That gap will only be filled after you lose your Queen. Only then will you finally realize."
In an instant, that bastard's eyes gleamed fiercely.
"That the sword of one with nothing to lose is the abyss itself."
I decided I should rip that mouth open first. Right, since when was I a person who moved while thinking about the aftermath?
"Ghost Manor."
The darkness blooming from the tip of my Sword finger instantly erased physical boundaries and swallowed the entire area.
A Wraith Cry poured out.
SCREEECH—! SCREEECH—!
The merciless stampede of starving ghosts. It was the form of a blizzard raging within the darkness.
The swarms of Demonic Beasts trapped within the domain were torn to shreds.
RUMBLEEE—!
Just then, the solid darkness split all at once. It was a sudden and violent fracture, like the dawn dusk being washed away by a powerful sunrise.
'......!'
My eyes widened. A shiver ran down my spine.
The one that split my mental world was the leader of this Shadow Legion.
A monster of man and horse as one.
'Knight of Embers!'
No, it was different. That bastard had a 'head' attached.
The purple skin peeking through the gaps of the helmet looked familiar for some reason.
'Philinus II......'
I expected it, but the reality was far more gruesome than that.
'The seed of doom Zisair sowed into this world.'
What should I even call this? My agape mouth wouldn't easily close.
[Uwoooooo—!]
That bastard's roar shook heaven and earth. The hair all over my body stood on end at the gargantuan roar.
'He's lost his reason.'
As if the roar was a signal, the energy of the monsters surrounding the area grew ferocious. Their eyes gleamed crimson all at once.
SCREEECH—!
The swarms of Demonic Beasts pounced simultaneously. They had their pitch-black maws greedily open. It felt as if the ground would collapse beneath their trampling feet.
Black waves surged from all directions.
'Wild Slashes.'
I quickly swung the Heavenly Demon. The white trajectories hacking through the air spread out like a net.
SCREEECH—!
The bodies that touched the trajectories were carved into pieces. Black blood spurted along with a dull sound of tearing flesh.
THUD—!
I leaped, stepping on the piling mountain of corpses. Joining high, I swung my sword again.
Hacking, slicing, and hacking again frantically......
There was no end.
The corpses beneath my feet formed a mountain. The bloated tomb of corpses began to constrict my movements.
Gradually, my arms grew heavy too. To make matters worse, I was even running out of breath.
Slip—
My feet finally got tangled. It was a tightrope walk where a single mistake led directly to death.
BOOM—!
Simultaneously with my fall, the swarm of Demonic Beasts swarmed in with a rush.
The limbs and blades of those bastards swung and extended to catch me piled up layer upon layer, obscuring my vision.
I'm getting buried like this.
It was at that moment, when I was suffocating right in the middle of a chaotic mire.
FLASH—!
A pure white light flashed. I squeezed my eyes shut. It was an intense white glare akin to a snowy field basking in sunlight.
My blocked airway cleared at once.
I slowly lifted my eyelids. The monsters that tightly surrounded me were evaporating without a trace.
"Sir Bihen!"
It was Nebria. This time, instead of a dismal lantern wrapped in chains, she held a staff embedded with a magic tool.
Martial Priests followed behind her.
BOOMMM—!
My head snapped around. Along with a gargantuan roar, the swarm of Demonic Beasts was swept away helplessly in a line as if struck by something.
"Uwoooo!"
Splitting the battlefield with his fists, Bolero broke in. He wore a fierce wave of energy around his entire body like armor.
Beside him, Isaac and Roxy were together as well.
"T-There are way too many!"
"Cult Leader! Did you really try to handle this all by yourself? Are you out of your mind?"
Their complexions had already turned pale at the overwhelming numbers.
How could I've known it'd be to this extent? I didn't even have the energy to reply, so I swallowed the words that rose to the tip of my throat. The moment my tension loosened slightly, the strength in my entire body threatened to drain like the ebbing tide.
'Get a grip.'
I shook my head, opening my eyes wide. The moment I caught myself while exhaling a deep sigh, someone shot past my side like an arrow.
"Sir Bihen—!"
The necks of the monsters were ruthlessly sliced by the Bastard Sword Stanley swung as he dashed forward.
Covered in their black blood, he came to an abrupt halt and roared.
"We must end this fight here today! It won't do for the Queen to step her first stride into blood!"
I couldn't believe it was a spirit emanating from a bony body. Could there be a greater stimulus than an old soldier's ambition? Just as I was about to respond with a shout, my heart sank.
"Dodge—!"
A massive shadow loomed behind Stanley. The leader of the legion, the King of Embers, held his giant lance tightly high.
Right, I'd forgotten. The fact that death on the battlefield naturally comes without any warning. To anyone, that is.
"O Queen! Please, an era of peace and prosperity—!"
Without backing down, Stanley spread both arms and shouted proudly.
It was right before the lance pierced his chest.
"Heaven, Earth, Wind, and Lake; Annihilation by Heavenly Fire —"
A voice heard amidst the noise of the battlefield.
"Execute this command swiftly, in accordance with the divine laws ."
The ground split as four pillars of fire shot up. In the blink of an eye, a wall of fire filling all four sides trapped the King of Embers.
"It's just to tie his feet briefly."
Appearing suddenly, Kuhn approached my side. She was someone who had been moving separately from the Solari priests, monitoring the movements of the Shadow Legion from underground.
......Acting all cool despite arriving late.
Out of spite, I didn't even acknowledge her with a nod. Well, we weren't a pair that exchanged affectionate words in the first place anyway.
Lowering the corners of my mouth, which were creeping up on their own accord, was a greater chore than the life-and-death struggle from a moment ago.