Episode 1170 Grand Gathering (5)
Adrian attempted to reattach his severed left leg, but it did not go well. It was likely the effect of being struck by Akhand’s Dragon Sword, which had manifested its power.Although he could recover due to the homeostasis of a transcendent being, it was impossible for the time being.
But there was no time.
If I can swing my lightsaber even one more time, I must pour all my energy into the battlefield.The Citadel is coming to the ownerless land, the capital of my liege’s domain. I must move immediately. Regardless of the others, Adrian must go.
“The aftereffects…… don’t matter.”
Adrian endured the pain, clenching his molars as if to break.Although his injuries were more severe than when he was subjected to human experiments at the Bohemian Magic Tower, his vitality had become even stronger than before.
“Do whatever it takes, make your body capable of fighting.”“……Understood, Adrian.”
If the skeleton collapses, it can no longer endure.That is the case with Adrian.Therefore, he needs a dense, temporary internal framework to replace the skeleton, support his body, and provide at least some degree of support for his vigorous movements.
Serendia brought her hand close to the severed cross-section of his thigh.
“It’s going to hurt a lot.”“So it doesn’t matter───”
Tiny plant roots, like human nerve fibers, dug into the wound. Ugh! Adrian lifted his chin while lying down, unable to speak.As the agony intensified, his eyes nearly rolled back, and his consciousness seemed about to fly away.
The elf tries to wake Adrian up.
“O Luas of Light!”“We offer our light!”
The Church of Luas and the priests of light gather all divine power to revive Saint Ersetia and Saint Leonhardt.
“Phew…… Phew…… Phew…….”
Even with more than half of his skeleton shattered, Vantoreon begins meditating to get up, circulating his magic circuits with just a handful of magic.
“…….”
Even in death, severed at the waist, Hisril exudes a violent presence.Even while wearing a maniacal smile.
Gulp.
The Allied Forces swallowed hard. They were in awe of the transcendents who were willing to fight again even after all this, to the point where they could hardly look up at them, yet at the same time, they were also deeply afraid.
All transcendent beings merely pursue their own ideals, but since the setting is a battlefield… they felt like war machines.
Only a death leading to rest will be able to stop that endless march.
No, could even death really stop them?
* * *
Even death cannot stop us.
Ruminant Rucaria glared while trapped in a transparent container. Her mind was separated from her body and sealed away.
“Your Majesty is Death itself, so the destruction of the living is inevitable. No matter how hard they struggle, the immortal world pursued by the glory of the corpse will be completed.”“Ahaha, considering that, your situation seems quite dire, doesn’t it? Just look at how you sent that ridiculously massive sky island onto the battlefield.”“Ignacia, do you think someone like you can fathom a great death?”
It is blind, like an obsession with an ideal.
Lucaria appears to be pledging loyalty to the Old King, but in reality, she is not.She views the Old King as a tool to fulfill her ideals. This sentiment is likely shared by the other transcendents of the Glory of the Dead as well.
“I don’t know what you intend to do with my body, but nothing will go your way. Since Luneska must have already been resurrected, you will be seen through in an instant. No matter what you surround yourself with, your soul remains truthful.”
Rucaria, who was defeated and captured by Ignacia’s super-level magic in the southern part of the Eastern Continent, did not yield or despair, as expected of a transcendent being.
Ignacia shrugged his shoulders and turned around.
“Well, I wonder how it will turn out.”
She displayed an ambiguous attitude, but she was smiling. In fact, quite some time had already passed since she entered the Citadel through Rucaria’s body.This was possible because Lunesica Anternoa, whom Rucaria had mentioned, had opened the way.
“Verden’s scheme, indeed. How cute.”
Ignacia was convinced that Runeshka, who had been executed in Gargant, could never come back to life. After all, Verden’s magic was not limited to the material world.Moreover, she had even been resurrected once on an island in the Hiaremar Inland Sea through the power of the Old King.
But he is alive? That alone proves that Verden is directly involved in the leadership of the Glory of the Dead.
Eon and the glory of the corpse conspired.
Internal division.
That was Verden’s plan.
I don’t know how on earth he swayed those fanatical servants, but the result must be that the entire Glory of the Dead has sided with Verden. The sudden withdrawal of the undead legions, including Virente, and the Transcendents must be part of that.
Lunesica did not speak at length, but showed a favorable reaction toward Verden. To the enemy of the Glory of the Dead, who had killed Draven and herself.
In other words, the former king disappointed the servants of the Glory of the Dead, meaning that none other than Verden can take the role of the former king that the Glory of the Dead has longed for… … .
Ignacia touched her lips.
That’s interesting. Extremely, extremely interesting.
The current turbulent times were exactly the era Ignacia had longed for. An era of peace could not fully satisfy her curiosity and pleasures.
I organized my thoughts.
The ringleader of the rebellion is Lunesica Anternoa.
When Lunesica was resurrected as [Animus], Rucaria was not in the Citadel. Rucaria still does not know why Lunesica betrayed the old king.
What kind of reaction will they have when they find out this news?
What if the reason for the rebellion was completely contrary to the ideals that have been pursued until now, sacrificing blood and lives in the glory of the dead?
There is a lot to see. In many ways.
Ignacia glared at the sealed Rucaria with a sinister look. She was currently operating a total of three entities, including her main body and clones.
The main body is in the Second Gate of the Southern Eastern Continent.
Spirit No. 1 borrowed Rucaria’s body and went to the Citadel.
The second mental body went to Gargant to transport the spoils named Rucaria.
The former king’s reaction would be interesting, too.
Spirit Body No. 1 is with the Transcendents of the Glory of the Corpse, including Lunesica.Ignacia was at the scene of that rebellion.
* * *
The tattered membrane of its wings, riddled with holes, swept across the sky, embracing and tossing the air.Although there was still distance, an ominous and sinister energy stirred the soul. The dragon’s eyes, like transparent purple flames, flickered violently.
[It is… … so different from the past.]
In the First War of the Transcendents, not even something resembling a Citadel existed.The war effectively ended when Arkhand suffered a fatal blow from the combined assault of the Transcendents. Thus, the Xerion Empire, which was akin to a one-man rule, perished.
The ancient king’s fortress heading toward the ownerless land… … .
What does he desire? What is his purpose? With the clouds of defeat gathering once again, does he intend to take revenge on Verden? A desperate struggle fueled by hatred? Was Akhand Linegea Tain Xerion such a person?
Andes Neckrail had to face once again a question for which the answer had not been found even in the past.
Why did Arkhand start the war?
Why does a monarch who does not conquer crave so much blood and corpses?It would have been clear if he were merely a mad monarch who enjoyed mass slaughter, but the problem is that there is a nobility in his madness that should not be there.
[No matter what, the story that began 800 years ago will end here. It must end. For I have come this far for this very day.]
Andes spoke to the Second Prince, who was riding on his spine.
[Castian, won’t you promise me one thing?]
Please speak.
[Don’t die.]
Castian Linigea Tain Xerion could not answer immediately.
[Thanks to the power of the artifact, you were able to sustain yourself for a long time that ordinary humans could not even dare to imagine, but unlike us, you are alive. Therefore, it is right for you to return to the world of the living once you have fulfilled the duty you bore.]
“I, too, am a person of a distant era…… Is there a place for someone like me?”
[A position isn’t given to you. You have to make it.]
Andes traveled with three sinners.
Reginalf and Magnus felt guilty for aiding the former king and contributing to the war of slaughter. Castian, on the other hand, believed he bore original sin simply because of his background as a brother to Arkhand.
My older brother has committed a sin, so as his younger brother, I will cleanse him of his karma.
Castian was a pure victim, sharing the same bloodline as Akand, yet he voluntarily accepted the yoke of punishment. This was likely because he still loved his brother.At one time, Akand and Castian boasted a strong bond of brotherhood, far from fighting for the throne.
[The world is full of judgment, but ultimately, what matters is the self. In the end, the agent who determines change is not others, but yourself.]
“…….”
[I hope you become truly free.]
Andes was always good, whether he was a transcendent being or an undead. He never asked for a reason when showing kindness or saving people.The Darkwarton Magic Tower, founded by such a first necromancer, has not forgotten his legacy to this day.
Castian moved his lips a few times for a moment, then smiled and said.
Thank you, Andes.
I took Andes’s advice to heart. Indeed. As he said, no matter what advice I listened to, the choice was mine, not others.
Castian quietly became aware of the [Lugina Soul] residing in the body itself.
A spear that kills each other.
Akand dies alongside Castian. With the death of the brothers, the bloodline of Xerion completely disappears, and the War of the Transcendents finally comes to an end.
That is indeed a fitting ending for a sinner of a fallen nation.
* * *
A shocking sound spread from somewhere in the central continent.
Crack… … crack… … .
The boundary of the third dimension began to partially break. Yongin squeezed through the crack and, with a roar, fully set foot on the continent.
[Verden.]
Nekbael, the Evil Dragon who had escaped the periphery of the third dimension, revealed his deep emotions. Crunch! He released his polymorph and began to regain his original form.A small human shadow fell before the slowly growing dragon form. It was Akhand.
It looks like you had a hard time.
[You too… … what a disgrace.]
“This must be my true nature.”
Akand looked up at the calm blue sky. It was impressive to see birds flying freely, unaware of their morale yet.
“The Xerion Empire can hold out any longer. This is finally the end.”
Akand mounted the evil dragon Nekhbael with the dragon sword slung over his shoulder.
“I’ll kill them all.”
[Kaaaaa──────!]
The Dragon Knight of Death soared up, crushing life.
* * *
Legions of the World Alliance, scattered across the continent, assembled one after another on the unclaimed land.Although enemy remnants, such as the massive undead of the Ternetian Federation, were still active, troops were drawn from even such battlefields to the fullest extent.Peace would be restored the moment the enemy’s capital was captured.
In this way, Eon’s territory naturally came to be regarded as the final battlefield.
However, while securing a position first was a good thing, dealing with the Citadel was a major challenge. No transcendent being, nor any weapon, could stop that monstrous mass.Furthermore, the Citadel was even equipped with a speed comparable to that of an airship.
“Is a direct invasion of the Citadel the only answer…?”“But that would make it no different from the assault on the Four Gates. The Xerion Empire is the one attacking, yet the World Alliance is the one executing the siege; ignoring this irony and charging in again doesn’t look promising.”“Right, the Citadel is on the move right now.”“Judging by the Citadel’s anti-air capabilities observed so far, merely approaching it closely would cause significant casualties for the World Alliance forces.”
As long as the Citadel remains operational, ground weapon support is nearly impossible. By the time it is being reinstalled, the Citadel will have long since moved far away.
“Still, we cannot just sit idly by like this, can we? We must do something. If we do nothing, we don’t know what will become of this ownerless land. And, of course, the war situation.”“That may be true, but…”“What, then, is the former king’s true intention?”
Then Emperor Jeracle said.
“Ultimately, the Citadel must be completely destroyed. In any case, it is essentially a war of annihilation. Since the complete destruction of the enemy is the only solution, it makes no sense to look out for oneself right now.”“You are right.”“Then I must make a decision. Who will lead the way?”
Commanders must lead the army. This time, they must stand on the front lines without fail. They must voluntarily take on danger to boost the morale of the Allied forces.The kings of each nation could not answer rashly. For the mere fact that they threw away their soldiers and strategic weapons did not guarantee a full reward for their sacrifice.
Emperor Zeracl chuckled and stood up.
“I will stand at the forefront.”“……!!”“The, His Imperial Majesty himself……?”“Grand Duke, I entrust the vanguard to you.”“As the Emperor wishes.”
It was the moment Emperor Geracle was about to leave the conference room with Grand Duke Rivandale.
───Citadel! Citadel Stop!!
New news came from the communication device.The Citadel has stopped?While everyone doubted their ears, Emperor Xeracle gestured.
“Hurry up and connect the burn golem.”
After hurriedly coordinating with the site, I checked the real-time view of the Citadel through the Golem.
Whoosh.
“This is…….”“Hmph.”
The Citadel was truly at a standstill.
The chains that had been threatening the World Alliance were firmly driven into the ground. They appeared to have dropped anchor. And something seemed to be controlling them.
Grand Duke Rivandale muttered as he watched the scene.
“Indren?”
