Episode 1094 Front Yard Battle (1)
Everyone has a farewell.
No matter how much we beg, parting is inevitable. Because life exists, death also exists. Our lives are beautiful and wretched because they shine like countless stars.
Remembering or forgetting those who have left is solely the lot of those left behind, and that must be the warmth of longing that no one can fathom.
Death separated us.
Gazing at the empty space, we pour out and swallow our emotions until reminiscing becomes easier; just as our gaze naturally drifts away from the traces, we finally bid farewell to one another.
But… … if the person I barely managed to let go of returns, what expression should I make?
Should I savor the joy of reunion?Or should I prepare for another farewell?
Death separated us.
* * *
The air was silent, with only a very brief rise of dust from the momentary impact. The movement, shooting like an arrow and leaving no footprints, was a symbol of restraint.
Weapons abandoned over the conflict zone have reached the pinnacle of weapon technology.
Cut off from the retreat.
Bendie adjusted his grip on the longsword to a reverse hold, leaped high, and spun.The sword energy flowed unbroken, grinding through the cliff.
She dug into the collapsing cliff as if digging into it, stepped on the debris scattered in the air, reverse-summoned the longsword, and held the chain mace in her hand.
The shavings of a bite, [Intum].
Fueled by thrust, the flying mace head destroyed the fragments of earth that made up the cliff. The chains continued to extend.Smashing rocks, and then shifting its angle to shatter others—it tore apart everything around it like a starving beast.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The commander of the Xerion Empire, exuding an ominous presence, nimbly evaded. His movements were light enough to use a small stone as a stepping stone.
Its entire body is tightly wrapped in leather armor, a robe hood, and old bandages. The sleeves are particularly long, so it is impossible to see how it holds the bow.Although its appearance is unclear, judging by the fact that its joints do not move backward, it is highly likely to be a zombie-like creature with skin similar to that of a human.
Somewhere… … .
Bendie suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, but it was only for a moment.He pushed the thought aside.
The metal chains of [Intum] soon coiled widely and took over the space.
Bite and rupture.
At Bendie’s trigger, the mace head paused and reversed its course at tremendous speed. The rewinding chain swayed and ravaged the area.A storm of metal, avoiding only Bendie, savagely bit into the air.
[… … !]
The commander had no time to dodge and was struck by the sheer force of mass. He plummeted downwards, but braced himself on the ground with one hand to absorb the impact, and immediately afterwards slid sideways to escape Bendie’s follow-up blow.
Bendie raised his bow amidst the thick cloud of dust rising from the waves of energy.
[Arth] of the main force.
Wielding every weapon in existence, she is also a marksman surpassing even the elves. As she released the bowstring, a beam of crimson gold was fired.
Whoosh!
The commander, pierced through the chest, was dragged along by inertia as he aimed his bow at Bendie.Concentrated morale forged an arrow of bone.
A rain of different arrows crosses the horizontal.
Arrows collided and caused an explosion. Arrows that did not follow this pattern traced straight or curved paths to target the enemy’s vital points or distract their attention.
The offensive, which seemed like a close contest, tilted to one side in an instant.
Bendie overwhelmed the commander.
The archery, truly miraculous, clearly exceeded the commander’s ability to respond.Arrows of energy, like beams of light, gradually grazed and damaged the worn robes, then exploded in front of the leather armor, blowing away the decayed flesh.
‘end.’
Bendier heightened her visual power. She does not employ techniques or special moves. This is because she has attained a state where she has infused every single one of those skills into her movements.
Kugugugugu… … !
A massive energy was condensed into a single, intense arrow through the medium of [Arte].
At that moment—the commander twisted his body in mid-air and assumed a firing stance. It was a movement that maintained balance even while flying upside down.The commander’s tattered sleeve fluttered, and the top part was torn off. The shape of his hand pulling the bowstring to its limit was clearly visible.
And, the atmosphere changed.
“……That can’t be.”
A deep crimson arrow shot out from the bowstring as it left the grasp. At the same time, the commander also fired an arrow bursting with morale.
Shuwaaaaak───────!
Bendie’s strike pierced the side of the commander’s head before he could even blink.A wind raged strong enough to push the earth along the path left by the crimson energy. As a result, the commander’s counterattack was deflected to the side, and the arrow passed by, grazing Bendie’s temple.
Having failed to hit their targets, they faced each other at a distance.
Bendie slowly lowering his bow.
His gray eyes were stained with astonishment, as if he could not believe it. Bendie’s composure was shattered. The composure that had remained largely unshaken even when he saw the resurrected ancient king had collapsed for the first time since awakening as a transcendent being.
The hood of the roughly torn robe was pulled back, revealing the commander’s face.
“Luerin.”
Transcendents of the Martial Arts Realm awaken to the normal realm while their physical body remains in its prime.Because the meaning of the body differs from that of Transcendents of the Magic Realm, they overcome the human barrier during their youth, when they are at their most physically robust.Aging stops the moment of awakening.
Bendie looks very young on the outside, but she is actually a transcendent being who has lived for over a century. There are by no means many transcendent beings currently alive who have lived that long. Even whena newborn baby grows into an old woman and is buried in the ground, she still exists.
The depth of time is the depth of lost relationships… … .
Over the years, Bendie has raised many disciples and said goodbye to many. The causes of their separation were diverse, including old age, illness, war, life-or-death battles, and accidents. Thiswas because the Temple was a place for those with conviction, and her disciples were practitioners training to uphold their respective beliefs.
Bendie remembers the disciples he has trained. He has never forgotten those who were excommunicated for having their beliefs broken for whatever reason. Asthe memories etched within opened up, beloved faces flashed through his mind. Among them, the smile of the one who had adorned the forefront of his memories flickered before his eyes.
Bendie’s first senior disciple, Muhyang, Luerin.
The hand habit of drawing the bowstring.The overall finesse of archery.The flexibility to shoot an arrow in the desired direction from any stance.And the lightness to the point where it feels weightless.
Everything matched the characteristics in Bendie’s memory. She might have noticed the moment she fired a long-range sniper shot at the extermination corps from the cliff… butbecause even she could not have dared to imagine it, it was conveyed only as a strong sense of déjà vu.
The Grand Master of the Temple reunited with his Grand Disciple who died 88 years ago.As a Transcendent and an Undead.
Pale-skinned Luerin, gazing into Bendie’s eyes, slowly lowered his bow. Then, moving his lifeless eyes, he opened his mouth.
Luerin, the 8th Commander of the Xerion Empire.
[Master.]
That single word from the undead became an irreversible dagger that pierced Bendie.
At the same time, Luerin aimed at the ground.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
The mud rose high into the air. Beyond the view covered in dirt, Luerin concealed his presence. Although they belatedly cleared away all obstacles, Luerin had already vanished without a trace.
… … missed it.
It was not a mistake Bendie should have made, but the unexpected situation itself shattered her composure. She simply stood there, unable to take her eyes off where Luerin had been, ruminating on her bewilderment.
Shortly after the noise of the battle subsided, the legion came out to greet us.
“Master, are you alright?”“……!”
Bendie reflexively turned his head sharply.
Land covered in the debris of cliffs.
One of the three senior disciples who participated in the Southern Eastern Continent Suppression Corps was there. He had stepped forward to assess the situation as the battlefield had suddenly fallen silent.
Bendie let out a long, deep sigh and reverse-summoned [Arte] to the armory.
“It is nothing. The Commander’s stealth capabilities are exceptional, so we missed it by a hair’s breadth. Since this individual is skilled at sniping, you should be careful with long-range defenses.”“Yes, I will convey that.”“We determine that there are no additional ambushes. We will disband the formation and continue the advance.”
Led by Vendie, break through the center of the conflict zone and add strength to Yurion’s side. To seize control of the battlefield according to plan and ideally, her legion must take the lead.
Vendy took command of the legion once again with an indifferent expression. Everyone grasped the reins and hurried the pace of the warhorses.While they began to blend into the battlefield, Vendy alone could not fit in and continued to cause trouble.
It was not merely an undead mimicking Luerin. Its gestures, speech, and judgment. Its level had risen far higher than before, but its roots were the very Luerin of the past.
It might be somewhat understandable if the undead creature were born from Luerin’s corpse, but Luerin was a senior disciple who passed away 88 years ago.There is no way his body could still exist.Furthermore, his funeral was conducted directly by the Ruas Theocracy, and he was cremated with sacred fire, just as Luerin had wished during his lifetime. Even if the scattered bone ashes were gathered together, the birth of an undead creature is absolutely impossible.
But… … such a Luerin returned as an undead.
Even became a henchman of the Xerion Empire.
Why on earth, and by what principle?
Bendie’s gaze quietly tilted. Her cold eyes turned toward the golden crosses hanging around the necks of many soldiers.
Like other humans, Luerin was a believer in the Ruas Theocracy.He was a devout disciple.Never forgetting to pray every day, and having a heart to help people based on the doctrine of light—that in itself was a firm conviction that Luerin had decided upon himself.
And so, Luerin died protecting people until the very end.
Every single mark etched on Luerin’s corpse was proof of his conviction…
Ventier believed without a doubt that his chief disciple had gone to Luas’s side. Although he did not need a god, he did not deny the doctrine of the afterlife asserted by the Luas Theocracy until now.Indeed.Ventier had never refuted the religious explanation of the world.
So far.
Luerin, why are you here?
The words Verden had said at the emergency summit lingered in my ears.
The Darkwarton Tower Master would know best about death, but to answer nevertheless, there are many forms of ‘human’ death. However, the focus of death in a conceptual sense lies precisely in the ‘soul’.
The principle by which the ancient king temporarily eliminated death from the world lies in the soul. Holding onto the soul so that it does not leave the reality where its life has ended—that is the true nature of the phenomenon.
Soul
The soul of Luerin, who should have naturally gone to the side of the Goddess Luas, is here. It dwells within the undead and supports the Lord of Death.
Bendy closed his eyes as if he had reached a conclusion.
The undead emerging from the Four Gates are fundamentally different from those seen so far. I don’t know if Luerin is special, but the existence of the High Disciple proves that they are not merely corpse-based undead.
Did Verden really know up to this point?He probably didn’t.Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have revealed it at the council. For it is a fragment of logic that conflicts with the Doctrine of Light, which has brought prosperity to humanity.
What on earth is the world at war with?
Vendie Caenar harbored intense doubts about the true identity of the Xerion Empire.She began to search for the truth.
* * *
A massive rift was rippling in the southwest of the southern conflict zone of the Eastern Continent.Inside, desolate hills stretched out where not a single blade of grass grew, and at the edge of the hills stood a sturdy ancient fortress.
[Master of the Temple───Vendier Caenar. He is worthy of being classified as a threat by the Sixth Apostle. His death is worthy of being conquered.]
The Undead of the Apocalypse rose from his throne and stepped out of the inner fortress.He stood atop the wall, accompanied by the returned Luerin and two subordinate commanders.
[To those incompatible with fate, a fitting end.]
Apocalypse of War, Necranon.
[Guide the living.]
He, possessing the largest physique among the Sixth Apostle’s retainers, raised his sword high. It was a massive sword, large enough to crush a mere human with its sheer size.
The order was conveyed to the entire massive battlefield encompassing the conflict zone.
The mighty Corruptors who sacrificed countless lives of the Kingdom of Ronia and the lower beastmen tribes.Subspecies of the highest undead.Also, the massive undead army that emerged from the Four Gates.
The Xerion Empire advanced.
* * *
Within the Southern Eastern Continent Suppression Corps, there is no one who cannot handle a horse. In other words, every single soldier possesses a warhorse.
The World Union’s immense wealth.
It was a joint work of Verden and the sinners.
A wealthy war, huh?
Yurion saw the golden skull. Although he did not know the full details, he understood that it was deeply connected to the first Necromancer.The secret that it had accumulated wealth as far back as 800 years for a future war drew admiration from Yurion.
Isn’t it cool?
Their long-standing patience and arrangements have ultimately led to the present, supplementing the strength of the Allied Forces. I assert that throughout the entire thousand years of warfare, there has never been a time when they went to war in a more prosperous state than they do now.
“Wow, the reaction is faster than I expected.”
Yurion’s legion slowed down.
The eastern end of Mane Hill.
We came face-to-face with the Xerion Empire near the boundary of the disputed zone. The hills, and the space between them, packed with a feast of corpses.
“It looks like they rushed out in a panic, afraid of losing their front yard. There are quite a few of them.”“At the very least, they look like more than double our number.”“Who wages war by numbers these days?”
Yurion drew the Sword of the Oath, letting out a laugh through his helmet.
“I convey this to all commanders. The formation is Annihilation Type 3. Concentrate high-level firepower on the higher-level entities. Make sure you follow closely and do not fall behind.”
As the reins were pulled, the magnificent horse carrying Yurion raised its forelegs and neighed.The Transcendent stood on the front line.
I will break through the center.
