Chapter 193
The air around Erich upon landing seethed. A faint golden radiance enveloped his entire body.
This was the new power he had mastered with Albrecht not long ago.
The difference now was that, unlike when he had exerted his full strength, the light merely faintly encompassed him.
As Erich covered himself with 'power' in this way, another Erich, mimicking his movements, overlapped with him like a mirage.
Yet, even though the golden aura was so thin, not a single dead dared approach within fifty paces of Erich's radius.
—Chiiiiik!—
The flesh of the dead standing at this perimeter sizzled and burned. One could only guess at the tremendous heat raging inside that boundary from this sign alone.
—Step.—
Erich took a step forward.
Wherever his feet touched, the earth melted. His foot sank deeply into the ground.
The Death Fears commanding the dead around Erich hurriedly rolled their eyeballs, quickly making a decision—not to approach Erich any further.
However, setting aside the lower dead, one Death Fear raised its finger.
At that, a large death knight began marching toward Erich.
—Chiiiiik.—
The death knight's whole body quickly charred as it moved forward.
In less than a few seconds, all that was left of it was its armor.
This was a test—to see how long a death knight could endure within Erich's territory.
Having finished the test, the Death Fears finally whipped their tentacles toward Erich.
—Chrararak!—
Dozens of tentacles rained down on Erich.
A single hit from these was powerful enough to smash not just flesh and bone, but even heavy armor.
The tentacles surged at Erich like spiders' threads.
Yet in an instant, all the tentacles froze before his face.
—Fwoosh!—
The tentacles of the Death Fears could push inward up to a certain boundary.
But those that reached Erich could come no closer.
It was only possible to approach when further away from Erich, as the temperature was lower at a distance.
As they came near, the intense heat instantly burned away the tentacles, leaving them useless.
The Death Fears, having lost their charred tentacles, hesitated.
And then—
Erich's hand swept through the air.
—Pit!—
He drew his sword at a speed so fast, no one could tell when he had even unsheathed it.
The tip of Erich's sword swept in a circle and returned to face forward.
—Chaaak!—
A circular blade of energy spread out from Erich.
First, this blade cleaved the dead in two and kept extending, showing no sign of stopping.
Second, a fierce explosion erupted where the blade had passed.
—Kuaaaang!—
Flesh and bone of the dead scattered in all directions. Anyone watching might think a group of powerful mages had cast a massive spell.
The dead, who had surrounded Erich, were obliterated in an instant.
—Shiiiiik!—
The members who had been watching from afar shuddered uncontrollably.
They had certainly been surrounded.
Yet, with a single swing of Erich's sword, the siege of the dead had loosened.
It wasn't that he had merely cleared a path—none of the dead even dared think to approach.
Had they been near that scene—
If so, would they not have been swept up in the aftermath as well?
Such a terrifying thought flickered through their minds.
However, Erich moved forward as if their reactions meant nothing to him.
The Lord of the Dead.
He headed toward where the undead king was absorbing the dragon.
*
Erich broke through the ranks of the dead and arrived at the place where the dragon lay.
Its body was so massive, it appeared as a great mound.
On the way, not a single dead could stop him.
No dead could withstand the mighty power that consumed his very life force—nor the overwhelming heat.
But despite displaying his absolute strength, Erich inwardly struggled to hide his anxiety.
Understandably so.
'... There's no time.'
Erich was unsure of how quickly this power drained his life force, or how long his own body would last.
Moreover, Erich was not the only one present on this battlefield.
If the allied forces, barely holding on, were wiped out before Erich could finish, the battle would be lost.
That was why Erich had no choice but to conclude things with the Lord of the Dead as quickly as possible.
—Step, step.—
Erich bypassed the dragon and headed further back.
Beyond, a gigantic, swirling purple energy soared toward the sky.
Suddenly, an old memory crossed Erich's mind.
The time he faced death beneath a pale violet sky at the hands of the Lord of the Dead.
The backdrop was the same, but the situation was not.
He was now more prepared than ever.
He had prevented the Lord of the Dead from growing stronger and the Watch from weakening as much as possible.
He had received Incensus's power, grown immensely stronger, and gained a deep understanding of the divine ritual after capturing Albrecht.
Could anyone have been more prepared than this to face the Lord of the Dead?
And yet, Erich's body would not move easily.
As if confronted by a colossal beast, Erich's feet—never before touched by fear—refused to step forward.
'It's cold.'
Erich should have been unable to feel cold. The heat around him was so intense that the ground turned to magma.
Yet at that moment, he felt a chill that pierced to his very bones.
He knew he wouldn't die from this cold, but it proved just how overwhelming the Lord of the Dead's presence was.
—Gulp.—
Erich swallowed. If he rounded this corner, the Lord of the Dead would be there.
He would once more face that foul creature's visage.
But for some reason—
His feet simply would not move. Erich realized his hands were trembling.
'... This isn't fear. Then why?'
Just then—
—... Are you afraid?—
—Kuaaaang!—
Erich swung his sword reflexively, startled by a chilling voice in his ear.
Yet there was no one there. Only the aftermath of the immense fiery storm his sword had unleashed.
"... What is this?"
Erich's gaze shot forward again.
In the spot where he'd intended to round the corner, a diminutive figure was standing.
Withered, pale skin. A face so wrinkled it resembled crumpled paper, gleaming with white gaze.
Though its form was different from what Erich had seen before, he instinctively knew who stood before him.
'The Lord of the Dead.'
Though the figure was now gaunt, it was a familiar face.
Its features had changed since then, but the gaze—the eyes he'd faced in the final moments of his life—remained unchanged.
That gaze bored straight through Erich, as if to pierce his very spirit.
Like a child caught in a misdeed, fear surged up inside him.
But at the same time, Erich saw something else.
Despite the thin, shrunken form, within that shell writhed an abomination so purely terrifying that it stirred primal dread.
The creature's gaze drifted to the sword in Erich's hand.
—Sit.—
The undead king's lips never moved, but even so, Erich heard the command echo in his mind, chilling him to the core.
"... You think I'll obey just because you ordered it?"
—Is that so?—
The Lord of the Dead's skeletal lips twisted upward. Erich narrowed his eyes.
Somehow, he found himself seated.
Upon a chair of ice conjured by the Lord of the Dead.
Erich's eyes widened. When had this happened? He hadn't even sensed the undead king doing anything.
'... Just how powerful is he?'
Perhaps, Erich had entirely underestimated the Lord of the Dead.
He had thought of him as an entity similar to the dead he'd fought so far.
He had believed that swinging his sword and unleashing the power of Incensus would annihilate such foes, and that fighting the Lord of the Dead would be the same.
Yet, as he faced the Lord of the Dead once more, he realized—
'He's in a league of his own.'
An existence out of all scale.
The Lord of the Dead soon folded his arms, his every movement graceful.
—... What an enticing vessel you are. How is it that the living can move as you do?—
"Are you just here to banter with me?"
—You are the first human to ever attain the right to converse with me as an equal. Consider this a little amusement.—
"... You must not have much to do."
—When you have lived through eternity, you find yourself thus. —
Again, the Lord of the Dead flashed a grin.
—I sense his power upon you. I wonder why?—
"Are you talking about Incensus?"
—That's another name for it.—
"I suppose he gave it to me so I could kill you."
The Lord of the Dead nodded, his lips curled in a smile.
—Perhaps so. But I'm curious—why does he not face me himself? Why does he use a mortal like you as his shield? Is he not an utterly cowardly the bastard?—
Erich's eyelid twitched. What did the Lord of the Dead want to discuss with him?
'I don't think he's just stalling for time.'
Erich gauged the amount of power remaining in the dragon's body.
It would take considerable time for the undead king to fully absorb it.
Such a conversation wouldn't delay things much.
But Erich also found himself intrigued by the undead king's words. He, too, had harbored the same question.
'... Even if it's a ploy, it's still an interesting topic.'
For that reason, Erich sat quietly and intertwined his fingers. There was reason to hear the undead king out.
"There must be some reason he can't face you himself. Who would want to meet a filthy corpse like you?"
The Lord of the Dead didn't react to Erich's provocation.
Instead, he extended his hand, his fingers twitching.
Erich tried to ascertain if he intended an attack, but apparently not; the undead king simply moved his fingers.
—Just as you are intrigued by my story, so too am I interested in you.—
"And why is that?"
—For instance, that you can so brazenly call me a filthy corpse.—
"What's so strange about that?"
—That a mere wriggling human could resist my presence... It's astonishing.—
Erich fell silent in thought. He was, unquestionably, feeling immense terror from the Lord of the Dead.
It was like a mouse frozen before a cat.
But at the same time, he was able to resist and confront the feeling. That, surely, was the Lord of the Dead's question.
How could Erich speak so boldly in the face of the undead king's overwhelming presence?
'... Come to think of it, this feels different from before.'
Erich had witnessed the Lord of the Dead once in the past. Recalling that event, he realized he had not been able to do anything—hadn't even been able to ask questions before dying.
That was the gap that should have existed between a human and such a being.
Now, Erich could overcome the instinctive fear and stand in opposition.
What was different now from then?
The Lord of the Dead's white eyes flashed.
—I have something to show you.—
"... If you're thinking of luring me into a trap, you'd better not."
—That's the sort of trick Incensus would pull, not I. I'll show you.—
"Show me what?"
—The reason I must eradicate the living.—
The Lord of the Dead snapped his fingers.
Immediately, Erich saw another world projected beyond the scenery before him.
It was not an illusion.
Nor was it a recollection of the past, like Incensus's power.
The Lord of the Dead was simply showing Erich something.