Episode 995 Xerion Empire (2)
Rumble…
The sky, which was already gloomy, has grown even deeper before I knew it. The gray clouds grew darker, leaving a blemish on the calm day.
Cold raindrops are falling.
“It’s suddenly raining. We’re going to catch a cold. Kids, let’s go inside.”“Yes, Director!”“Grandpa Wallick? Grandpa, please come in too!”
Myla, the director of the Lascabel orphanage who raised Verden and Lobeline, covered the children’s heads and sent them into a warm house.
Wallic, a military mage of Northern Delharun who had first demonstrated magic to Verden, stopped in the street and looked up at the sky.He opened his magical path.With a vague understanding of even the realm of high-ranking mages, the path he had pioneered allowed him to perceive, at least slightly, the different scenery beyond the sky.
“Lightning…… Go.”
Have you ever seen an unstable atmosphere?
In the north of Delharun, to the southwest near the Mirror, there is a place where lightning strikes ceaselessly.
Tur Loga.
A sea area where you can witness blue lightning pointing toward the sky and red lightning appearing in an instant.
All flying activities are strictly prohibited there. This is because the lightning is more destructive than ordinary lightning, making it difficult to avoid being half-destroyed or instantly killed upon a direct hit, even with strong elemental resistance.
In his youth, Wallick had once been overwhelmed by the sight on the coastal cliffs with his comrades.Even that past was overwritten and written down by the vivid reality.
My mind went blank.
A massive lightning bolt, large enough to swallow the ownerless land and still have plenty left over, was lurking in the sky beyond the sky, glaring at Arrain, the city encompassing Wallick.
* * *
I am Bantoreon Rodon Taranis.
Bantoleon, an old man boasting a thick beard, eyebrows, and hair characterized by a blue hue, raised the corners of his mouth like a rough man of the wilderness.
Crackle, crackle.
Tiny currents flickered inside every liquor bottle in Arrein’s tavern. The sound of discharge tickled the ears. The metal began to emit heat.Countless electric charges moved in all objects with conductivity above a certain level.
“Nyak?!”
Keirel’s cat fur stood on end from the static electricity flowing through his entire body. The shapeshifters of the Keberet tribe were particularly sensitive to touch.
Isabella and Junia also flinched at the sensation of their muscles stiffening for a moment.
Just like lightning itself.
While Verden headed toward the southern part of the Eastern Continent, new communication devices were installed in the ownerless lands to partially restore the communication network.Although it was not yet connected to other continents, within the Central Continent, communication was possible as far north as the Kingdom of Belmair, currently located in the south, and the Kingdom of Din-el.
Three airships were sent to the Kingdom of Belmair, to which Count Laud had already been sent to request support. Next, Isabella and Junia planned to lead the remaining airship fleet straight south. Thiswas to closely assess the situation in the south andto find the sculptor mentioned by Verden, who was likely in the Blue Mountains or somewhere else.
However, just before departing, Isabella felt as if her soul was trembling in Arrein. At first, it was pure intuition.Afterward, she opened her keen eyes and tried to identify the cause and its existence.
An old man leisurely ordering a drink at a pub on the outskirts.
You have special eyes. I have no intention of causing a fuss. I simply want to wait for Verden to return home.
I witnessed the essence of the Transcendent Being amidst a thoroughly concealed presence. Vantoreon’s soul was incredibly noisy, as if it were made up of countless lightning bolts.
In that standoff, where only those excluding Bantoreon were tense, Verden returned much sooner than expected.
That was the whole story.
“…….”
Verden entered the tavern and walked toward where Vantoreon was sitting. Following his footsteps, a change occurred in the space where blue currents swirled.
──! ─! ───!
Dark red currents manifested here and there and collided with blue currents. Without any material damage, only the sound of sparks flying assaulted the eardrums.The lightning repeatedly stained and consumed each other to devour one another.
“Control reached a new level. As expected, you have mastered the concept.”
Bantoleon waved his hand once. The bottle containing the liquor that suited his taste the best was pulled out of the display case by the gravitational pull of the electric load.
Gurgle gurgle.
He poured the liquor into a clean glass without hesitation and pushed it lightly. The moment Verden stopped walking, the glass came to a stop right next to him.
“I’ll buy you a drink.”“You look quite at ease.”“Do you speak ancient languages? Hahaha, well, I’m just genuinely happy about this reunion that isn’t really a reunion. Anyway, I saw something called an artificial golem patrolling the streets with the guards. It really gave me the distinct feeling that I’ve stepped into the future.”
Bantoleon glanced at his back.
“Excluding the Caveret tribe beastman, those two. They are formidable mages. If the blue-eyed woman is taught well, she will one day be able to contend for the pinnacle of the magical world. And as for the beauty with the strange eyes… even I don’t know. I’ve never seen an electric signal like this before.”
Although his natural insight is not great compared to his rank, he overcame this weakness by seeing through his opponents with bioelectricity.
“anyway.”
Vantoreon swirled the glass filled to the brim.A pungent scent embraced the sense of smell.
“Even if not contemporaries, the Empress possesses power that ranks among the finest of the transcendents I have ever seen. No matter how lacking her equipment may be, she is by no means a being to be defeated helplessly.”“…….”“However, although you appear to be injured, your wounds seem far from fatal. This is despite the fact that it hasn’t been long since you reached the same level as us. In other words, it must mean that your level is on a completely different trajectory from other transcendents.”
The glass of wine Bantoreon offered returns across the table. Verden had refused his drink without even sitting down.
Verden signaled.
Keirel, Isabella, and Junia, who had sent the tavern owner and guests out before Verden returned, nodded in unison and tried to leave.
“Why don’t you just tell them to watch? Even if a conversation between higher beings is nothing special, it often serves as a meaningful experience for lower beings. Rarely, it can even provide inspiration bordering on enlightenment. Even if they cannot understand due to the difference in language, this encounter itself will be an experience. Above all… isn’t there no difference between the inside and the outside?”
A flash of lightning flickered in Vantoreon’s eyes.
“If we collide, not even a trace of this city will be found anyway.”
Crackle!
As their levels clashed, a wall of intense electric shock formed between them. Red and blue currents intertwined in the air like tree roots, to the point where it felt as if space had split apart.
Yunia’s pupils trembled.
This is the first time I have seen Verden so enraged since he dealt with Reisen Tailrod, the second disciple of the Lord of the Bohemirn Magic Tower.
“Is that what you call a threat?”“It sounds like a threat because you are not in peak condition.”“It makes no difference what state I am in.”
In the worst situations that strike unexpectedly, hoping to always be in optimal condition is nothing but an excuse. Such excuses do not work in this cruel world.
“That is a very good mindset. There is nothing more foolish and stupid than looking for ‘what ifs’ on the battlefield. Then, how about doing it this way?”
The wine glass, wrapped in lightning like a curtain, crossed the point of collision. It slid across the table once again and went to Verden.
I will clear the debt you owe me, so let’s have a talk.
Vantoreon clinked his glass.
“Great Area. Wasn’t that a pretty decent magic?”
Verden constructed the
… … makes sense.
Verden took his seat and picked up the wine glass. The two withdrew their confrontational stance. The lightning of Vantoreon that had inhabited the glass also scattered into the air and vanished.
I heard you found me.
Verden asked directly.
“What do you pursue?”“Someone I can throw my whole self into.”
Just as glimpsed in the memories of the first Necromancer, Vantoreon displayed a strong enthusiasm befitting a true battle maniac.
“I wish to fight the greatest battle.”“If that is the case, it would be simpler to just wait for the Old King right now. He is an enemy that we barely managed to defeat in the War of the Transcendents, with the cooperation of many, including you.”“Arkhand…….”
Vantoreon took a sip of alcohol while looking at the past.
“Arkhand is strong. It was shocking when I first met him. So much so that I doubted I could find a transcendent being stronger than him. However, Akhand is absolutely not the being I desire.”“Why?”“Because Akhand lacks agency. How should I put it? Like a puppet, perhaps? If I had said this back then, I probably would have just been called a lunatic.”
He clenched his hand tightly,making a brief gesture of hitting someone.
Every act of destroying others provokes extreme excitement and causes ceaseless emotional shifts within. However, Akand’s emotions were restrained and calm. He was businesslike. He possessed a great fighting spirit, but it was not for Akand himself.
Verden narrowed his eyes inwardly.
“A long time may have passed, but has Akhand’s fighting spirit changed? Of course not. Akhand would still be trying to start a war for someone I do not know. That is why he cannot be my ideal being.”
Even though Vantoreon did not know fate, he understood the essence of Akand as an Apostle of Fate, mentioning a fighting spirit that was completely unsuitable for a mage.
“But are you saying I am different?”“When you inhabited Draven’s soul with the power of super-level magic, I saw your sorcery. That dark red lightning emitting such an overwhelming concept… Do you know what I thought at that moment? Ah, it is both horrific and beautiful.”
thud!
Bantoreon tapped the table, unable to hide his joy like a wizard who had succeeded in his research.
“Verden, you know what desperation is. It is a path of magic that cannot be pioneered without it. I felt freedom from that destruction. An identity that Akand dares not compare himself to.”“You speak as if you know me well.”“Because I have pursued nothing but that my entire life.”
Vantoreon tapped the table briefly with his glass three times in succession, then let out a long sigh as if trying to calm his excitement for a moment.
“During the War of the Transcendents, I was of the 7th rank. I performed admirably in my own way, but I could not measure up to Akhand. I wouldn’t have even stood a chance in a one-on-one fight. After the war ended with the Alliance’s victory, I reflected on my level and immersed myself in magic alone in a secluded place. It was then that I created the journal in which I invented the
The liquor swallowed with regret.
“My life was already coming to an end, and there was no one in the world to satisfy my ideals.”“So, did you make a deal with the glory of the dead?”“Haha, it was to meet you in this era.”
Bantoleon raised his glass high. The light from the magic stone lanterns decorating the ceiling mingled with the glass and the wine, illuminating Bantoleon’s face with various lights.
“As you know, the peace of this age is over. Death is rampant everywhere.”“It is because of the promise you kept.”“In other words, since you kept your promise, one could argue that there is no reason to associate with the glory of the dead. Verden, therefore, I have come to make a deal with you.”
Finally, the main point followed.
“If you promise to fight me with all your might, I will stand by your side. As a form of guarantee, I will also provide you with information about Arkhand’s new forces.”
information?
“Unlike the Empress and the Great Emperor, I am a sorcerer. I have never once ceased my exploration. Not even when I became a soul and was trapped in the Animus. Although I could only see this world in a limited way, it was precisely because of that that I inevitably came to see what this world could not.”
Bantoreon naturally moved to a spot next to Verden.
“Information and military power. That is what you will need. If you have encountered the true records of the War of the Transcendents, you would already know. That Akhand is not the only dangerous being in the Xerion Empire.”
He held out his glass and proposed a toast.
“That dragon will be resurrected, too. However, stronger than it was then.”
* * *
When Arkhand was broken into six pieces and sealed, the undead forces of the Xerion Empire were completely annihilated due to the impact.
and.
The Bone Dragon, having suffered great damage from the relentless pincer attack of the Transcendents, lost its strength and plummeted into the stormy sea.Without even the chance to retrieve its dragon bones, it vanished into the deep sea along with the storm.
Kugugugugugugugugu.
The ocean was violently shaken by a massive earthquake that originated in the vast ocean trench. The tremors gradually intensified, casting a colossal shadow over the sea.Soon, seawater erupted like a volcano and cascaded down from the sky as a waterfall.
The Bone Dragon, crafted from the corpses of the Four Great Ancient Dragons, revealed a skeleton comparable to a massive fortress and slowly surveyed the world.Immediately afterwards, sensing a powerful malevolent energy, it twisted its skull and coldly emitted two glowing blue eyes from within.
[Arkand.]
The Great Death Dragon of the Xerion Empire began heading toward the continent.Unlike before, it spoke a language.
* * *
Meanwhile, a significant anomaly occurred in the Hiaremar Inland Sea as well.
“Tell your home country immediately!”“Something is seriously wrong……! Retreat! Retreat!!”
The airships and ocean vessels monitoring the center of the inland sea are rapidly withdrawing. That was the site where the island destroyed by Verden had stood.
thud.
Powerful shock waves that occurred intermittently shook the surface of the water again.
thud.
The entire inland sea of Hiaremar began to shake.
