Chapter - 349 Providence (2)
In a magic battle, gauging the opponent's magical capability is the most basic posture.
Because depending on which school of magic they use, you must shift your thinking, and render judgment.
It's only natural to account for outlandish Mado, and you can't rule out the possibility they're carrying unknown magical items or artifacts.
The proof of the logic of power, a fight to kill and be killed.
In any situation you like, the first priority is to grasp the enemy's true intent.
Of course, it never meant you should unconditionally corner them until they show their full strength, or doggedly hang on in a stalemate.
The best is a quick decision.
Before the opponent can even try to do anything, slip into the gap in cognition, and end it in a single stroke.
Whatever others might do, that was Verden's way of thinking.
So—only in part—he revealed a trump card first.
Enduring the backlash of the spatial attribute, he invoked a powerful spell.
He even used
'The result is as expected.'
With one blow, he cleaved the Arch Lich's head in an instant.
A torrent of disintegration,
Belonging to sixth-tier gravity magic, a wave of physically realized force made of magic power.
Its might cannot be fully endured by pure magic resistance alone.
To a Mage who lacks a measure to mitigate physical shock, it is truly fatal, and the same holds even for Undead born of death.
Thus, having reduced the number as planned, Verden turned himself into blue lightning by means of Mado.
Before Kessilus could so much as respond, a spear-edge of magic imbued with space pierced straight through the creature's torso.
'Then slice, crush, and burn.'
A definitive finish.
Such that no one within the human category could possibly survive it.
Yet the Fourth Servant, Kessilus, remained alive even with his heart torn and his skull split.
Crick… crackle…
Skin, warped by flame, writhed and regained its shape.
Broken bones settled into place without a hitch, and the bisected head and upper body knit back together.
Neatly, leaving not the slightest seam.
"Gravity attribute, and spatial attribute. A wave of magic that interferes with a spell's trajectory, and magic that becomes the very element itself. Truly, it is varied to the extreme. I didn't expect to die so helplessly like this."
His voice whistled on the consonants.
Rising to his feet, Kessilus grabbed his own jaw and twisted it this way and that.
Snap. With the sound of bones aligning, the lower half of his face moved normally.
Every mortal wound had vanished cleanly.
Aside from a robe damaged here and there, he had fully returned to form.
'No, he's changed a little.'
Verden's insight caught a subtle difference.
That gray skin, tangled with many ages, had grown a shade paler.
Visually, its texture looked a little more creased.
Which means…
"In exchange for evading death, an irreversible, permanent aging… so that is the Mado you pioneered."
"You have sharp eyes. It isn't the sort of thing one can grasp at a glance."
Kessilus smiled, chillingly.
Mado
The moment he opens it, Kessilus can revive even if his body is ground to powder.
The price of such overwhelming power is an aging that arrives every time he dies, forever impossible to undo.
Only a natural death from bodily senescence is the sole end that Kessilus can meet.
"As you said, the Mado I pioneered brings me back from death. And——"
A bizarre force rippled from him.
With no little magic power, a baleful energy flooded over his whole body.
Crack, crack.
Suddenly, ivory-white bones burst up from the ground and entangled Kessilus.
Orderly.
They linked in regular sequence and became one, looking as if he had donned armor made of remains.
Last, two arm-bones sprouted from his back and writhed grotesquely.
In Kessilus, whose transformation had finished, the Undead's characteristic blue flames flickered in his eyes.
"The more I repeat death, the closer I draw to the concept called death."
Magic power, stronger than before, was detected.
In short, the more often he dies and revives, the greater his magical capability grows.
'An infinite resurrection that continues until he dies of old age…'
Irritating as that Mado is to face, Verden showed not the slightest change of emotion.
He simply lightly curled his fingers around Orient, and set his stance.
"Then let's count how many times I have to kill you before you die."
Bzzzzzt!
Keen shards of rock flew like lightning, and pierced Kessilus's abdomen.
From the perforated wound, bright blood and gobbets of flesh dropped away and soaked the floor.
Given the force of the impact, a rattled mind and staggering body are only natural.
And yet there was something that remained "afloat".
Namely, the two arms formed of bone.
Even though Kessilus had been struck by magic, those arms were aiming precisely at Verden.
Two skulls suddenly thrust up from the earth and gaped their jaws wide.
A ghastly scream that vibrated the air poured out in a straight line.
"...!"
The surface of the nearby ground caved in.
Verden barely formed a magic barrier reinforced by
An exchange measured in seconds.
Spells crossed in a blink.
"Computational threads that run on different trajectories, and eyes engraved with magic circles… Fine, I'll concede it. No matter what means I use alone, there's no way to fully respond to your magic."
No small amount of blood flowed from Kessilus's abdomen.
"But what if I return it like this."
A flow of magic could be felt from the two shoulder-mounted arm-bones.
They seemed to move wholly independent of Kessilus. That's why, even while his abdomen was blown through, he could fire his spells without error.
"You'd offer up your life, and cut your own flesh. Brainless to the core."
"Everyone who witnesses my Mado says that. And without exception, every one of them ends up buried in the ground. I'm curious how it'll go this time."
Suddenly, as if he'd remembered, he added:
"Ah, by the way, aren't you concerned about elsewhere? Sacrid, for example."
Sacrid?
"You should know who went there."
"Yes. DarkWarton's successor, Haldirn, went. Just as expected——"
In that instant, Verden thrust Orient forward.
A ray of annihilating heat burned out a straight line.
Near-simultaneously, a potent dark spell crashed over Verden.
Crack-crack-crack.
Bouncing away the cursed spear, Verden was driven back.
His two legs scored scars across the ground, but he bore neither wounds nor any notable damage to speak of.
By contrast, Kessilus's entire upper body melted away.
Only for a moment—soon he regained his form, shrugged his shoulders, and even the abdominal injury vanished completely.
"Flame magic, in the middle of a conversation. That doesn't feel very polite."
He was fine, as if he felt no pain at all.
Except that he looked a shade older than before.
'So only death can heal his wounds.'
Whether that becomes a weakness remains to be seen.
Separately, Verden had to concede one thing.
If it couldn't be done in a single kill, there was no choice but to hear the creature out.
"Then continue."
With a calm look, Kessilus spread both arms.
"Asher, aren't you curious? Why we used none other than the Kailiens, and why we specifically manipulated the demi-humans."
Before he could ask, the thing answered itself.
"The demi-human outbreak that occurred in the Kailiens wasn't started by us. That began even before we used the [Pillar of Life]. And the corpse transport, which you thought was a lead, was only a secondary element."
"...What?"
"The reason the demi-humans began to rampage was purely a natural phenomenon. What we targeted was the central axis that caused that phenomenon. Well, finding it was nothing but coincidence."
Undead-like eyes stared straight into Verden.
"That 'monster' holds power great enough that not even I can handle it. Even with a scroll storing seventh-tier dark magic, I couldn't dominate its mind, I could only suppress its instincts."
A truly special specimen.
Could Haldirn really contend with such a being alone?
"Well now, I'm skeptical."
Kessilus laughed, low.
***
Despite midwinter, the weather was not that cold.
In the city of Sacrid, where warm light poured down from the sun at its zenith.
"We've arrived."
The Republic's airship carrying Haldirn, Leira, and Supreme Councilor Brillen Keirans finally reached its destination.
Until now, everything had been exceedingly smooth.
There was no instance along the way of Glory of the Dead attacking the airship, and the Sacrid visible below looked peaceful as well.
Bishop Lena let out a sigh of relief.
"Thankfully, it seems nothing has happened… not yet."
"Or perhaps it has already begun."
Fwooooong.
The airship sharply dropped altitude.
Ignoring the urgent halt warnings, it forced its way into the dedicated pier at the inner ward's center.
Soldiers swarmed in, but though full of vigilance, none rashly struck first.
Because the Supreme Councilor's insignia was emblazoned on the airship for all to see.
Haldirn, arms folded, reacted at once.
"Now that we've entered the city, I finally feel it. I sense death's aura condensed throughout the underground. Seems the familiar corpses are piled up."
"Then we should defeat them in detail, one by one."
At Leira's opinion, Haldirn shook his head.
"No, it's spread across all of Sacrid, so handling them one by one won't be easy. Better to erase the place where the condensed miasma is flowing from."
"Where is that?"
"The top of the tallest building."
A cold metal gauntlet pointed nearby.
Brillen, who had been listening at his side, narrowed his eyes.
"City hall… Understood. Then I'll take care of those down here."
Brillen headed down the stairs in the lead.
The Republic's Executioners, the Supreme Councilor's direct unit, seized the surroundings.
"C-Chief, Chief Councilor Brillen?! W-why, w-without any notice, have you…!"
The captain of Sacrid's knights, who recognized him, couldn't hide his dismay and stammered.
"It's an urgent situation, Captain Grofen. Explanations will come later, for now, stand aside."
"B-but there are procedures… and Councilor Dumbred is also here…"
Dumbred, who had taken hands with Glory of the Dead, was here.
There was no time to delay.
"You're utterly failing to grasp my meaning."
"Y-yes?"
"As a Supreme Councilor of the Republic of Beldirn, I issue an order."
Shiiing.
The waiting Executioners all drew their weapons at once.
Silent pressure that said they would cut down anyone who defied their authority. The force emanating from them overwhelmed those gathered at the pier.
Amid the chilling atmosphere, Brillen declared:
"Stand aside immediately. Unless you intend to commit rebellion."
***
What followed was swift continuation.
Tuk, tuk, clank.
Unable to dare disobey a Supreme Councilor's order, the inner-ward guards and knights all laid down their weapons at once, and withdrew.
There was no will to fight. Only bewilderment and fear. Which meant, they were unrelated to Glory of the Dead.
If they had been, they would have tried desperately to block the way.
Tatadadadak.
The subjugation force rapidly sealed off every approach around city hall, leaving not a crack.
Haldirn and Leira, Bishop Lena and the clergy, and a small number of Executioners led by Brillen, went up.
"Be careful. The Executioners who protected Councilor Nellonian are not a major threat, but the Executioners under Dumbred are dangerous."
Dumbred was the oldest among the Supreme Councilors, and had served more than half his life in the council.
"As much as the wealth and power accumulated over the years, those who guard him are formidable. There's even a knight who has awakened seasonal forms, and though they may not have pioneered Mado, there's a lower sixth-tier Mage among his execution squad.
A sixth-tier Mage. Nothing strange about it.
Not everyone who reaches fifth or sixth tier pioneers Mado.
Looking at the overall distribution, Magi constitute a minority.
Finding and walking one's own path is anything but easy.
"It doesn't matter. I'll handle it."
"I'll help too."
Setting aside a Mithril-rank adventurer, there stood a high bishop of the Church of Luas, and the magic tower's next master.
Thus Brillen could advance without hesitation.
But—
"It's… far quieter than I thought, isn't it?"
Just as Bishop Lena said.
The whole building was dark and still.
No sense of anyone's presence. As if no one at all was inside city hall… Embracing a faint eeriness, they reached the top floor.
No one barred them here either.
"There."
Haldirn flashed his magic.
With a shockwave and a thunderous boom, the mayor's office doors blew off in one piece.
And inside, there was only one person, Supreme Councilor Dumbred.
"Du… Dumbred…? What are you, doing… right now?"
The mayor's office was covered end to end with intricate, countless magic circles. Every one of them was inscribed in blood.
Dumbred lay spread-eagled at the room's center, smack in the middle of the magic circles.
Eyes that had been staring at the ceiling turned downward.
"Ah, Brillen. I heard you joined hands with the Church of Luas, and yet you managed to find your way here."
"I asked you!! What in the world are you doing——"
At that moment, Haldirn quietly raised an arm and checked Brillen.
Then he spoke softly.
"…The magic circle has already been activated."
Haldirn flicked his eyes.
Don't move rashly, don't provoke him, stall for time until the blood-circle is analyzed.
Right, this wasn't a time to get heated.
Barely calming his agitation, Brillen exhaled, and asked evenly.
"Dumbred, why did you betray the Church of Luas and take hands with those wicked dark mages."
"..."
"I asked why you are soiling the Republic of Beldirn with your own hands, after governing it for decades."
Dumbred wasn't a paragon of integrity, but he was at least a politician who could put his own country first.
Brillen remembered his many achievements clearly.
"Why, you ask. Because… I was afraid."
"What frightened you so much. Did Glory of the Dead threaten you?"
"I feared the Church of Luas."
"…!"
Bishop Lena behind them started in shock.
So did the clergy with her, and Brillen as well.
Dumbred spoke.
"In the Church of Luas's scriptures, it says this. Life is the process of washing away filth, and if you fail to achieve that, you cannot be saved. Only the clean may go to the side of Luas, the God of Light."
The standard is twofold.
To be blameless before oneself, and recognized by the god.
"So, in my twilight years, I thought it over and over. Whether I could truly be saved."
The answer came at once.
"I am not that sort of great man. No matter how I think on it, I am not the kind of person who, upon death, can go to Luas's side. Even if I belatedly bestow goodness or hypocrisy, it won't suddenly make me blameless before myself."
In youth he'd never considered it, but as senescence set in, fear struck.
"From then on, I feared what comes after death. While I was looking for a way not to die, Glory of the Dead reached out."
"That… is all? You took their hand for immortality?"
"I think that's reason enough, don't you?"
At that matter-of-fact voice, Brillen's fists trembled.
The wish to live forever is a common, trite desire, so that, in itself, was not the issue.
Everyone naturally wants to live long and happily.
But to let the Republic be swayed by outsiders for that, was a capital crime a Supreme Councilor must never dare commit.
"…Where are the Executioners who guarded you, and where is the mayor of Sacrid."
"That one called the Fourth Servant handled it personally. As offerings. They'll be somewhere among the corpses underground."
"And after doing such things, you think you'll walk out alive?"
"But of course. I will cast aside this dying body, and gain a new flesh."
An extension of life.
That was the bargain.
Lost youth from long ago, now right before his eyes.
If this method were repeated, even eternity was no dream.
"You won't find me."
Fwoooooosh!
Light streamed out of the magic circle. Scarlet blood-glow filled the mayor's office.
The air stirred strangely.
Just then, Haldirn, who had finished deciphering the circle, clicked his tongue.
"Damn. We've been had."
"Eh? What do you—"
"Kyaa!"
Haldirn flared magic and shoved the others out of the mayor's office.
In that instant, countless red tendrils shot out from the circle.
They writhed as if alive, and ensnared the two left inside.
"Mmph?! W-what is this…! There was no such talk… Wait, wait this isn't it! This isn't— Gyaaaaaaaah!"
Dumbred, thrashing, screamed until his throat burst.
Instinctively, he had sensed mortal peril.
Moments later, the blood tendrils constricted hard, shattered Dumbred into pieces, and that blood was absorbed into the magic circle.
Dumbred was dead.
There was no such thing as the immortality he awaited.
Which meant Haldirn was in danger as well.
"Lord Haldirn!"
"I am fine. Something like this cannot possibly do anything to me."
Snapt.
Haldirn easily severed one tendril.
"Though, it seems it'll take a bit of time to undo. And what we should be worrying about right now isn't this filthy curse."
"What do you mean?"
"They did not gather corpses, and heap them in Sacrid's underground, to realize some high-order dark magic circle. Still less for that man Dumbred's immortality. Through a sacrifice, it's simply meant to spread the blood-scent widely."
"Blood-scent…?"
Leira twitched her nose.
Come to think of it, a sudden reek of blood wafted thick.
"So all it does is scatter the smell of blood. For what purpose…?"
"This is bait. Feed to draw something in. In my view… their aim is the demi-humans, or the magical beasts. Or both."
Demi-humans? Magical beasts?
"The real problem is outside."
Haldirn jerked his chin to the side.
Following him, everyone moved to the window at the end of the corridor. They threw the windows wide and looked out over Sacrid.
The streets were as before.
But not beyond the walls.
[Grrrrrrrrr….]
[Kyaaaah! Kyaaaaaaah!]
[Screeeeeeeeeeeeeee!]
From the nearby forest, demi-humans and magical beasts crawled out in droves.
Their number far exceeded hundreds. No, it easily surpassed thousands.
From lesser breeds to higher ones, all their eyes were crammed full of killing intent. As if they would tear into the city this instant.
"M-my God…!"
Bishop Lena was aghast.
The others were no different.
If that many crashed into Sacrid… if they got over the walls, it was obvious what catastrophe would unfold.
Kugugugugugu…!
Drawn by blood, thousands of monsters massed.
A massive assault, begun by the surge of demi-humans and magical beasts.
One of the natural disasters of this world, a Stampede, was about to begin.
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