Episode 918 The Glory of the Dead (5)
One must reach the extreme point to even come into contact with the Transcendent, and to confront the Transcendent, multiple extreme points must converge…That is the perception of the strong accumulated over the years.
However, just as the hierarchy of magic is diverse, the realm of the transcendent is not just one.
A transcendent being who has recently experienced awakening is not yet accustomed to transcendence and, on average, undergoes a stage of adaptation for several years to a dozen years. Onlythen does a transcendent being who has fully mastered transcendence through their own power acquire a complete stature andslowly becomes perfected by filling the vessel of their innate talent without any gaps.Among them, only a very few step into a realm beyond transcendence based on the potential to surpass transcendence once again.
The gap between the extreme point and the Transcendent… …that applies only between the beginning and the middle of the various stages of the Transcendent listed above.Even that varies depending on the case, so it cannot be guaranteed.
In any case, to engage in a life-or-death battle with a transcendent being who is giving their all, one must be prepared for a great deal. Sacrifice is, of course, a given. If it is a nation, one must fight with the very survival of the state at stake.In that sense, there is only one best way to deal with a transcendent being.
Entrusting it to another transcendent being.
“Heh… I, I didn’t really think you’d come…”“Go ahead and drink.”
Medrant personally fed the potion to the two mages of Yurgen and Eon.
Draven’s unique magic rejects life.The fruit of Lysandro, which is the main ingredient of the potion, holds the abundant life force of the Great Forest that naturally brings to mind elves.
The energy of nature swiftly withdrew the aura of fate that had cast over their faces. Theirhorribly split forearms also slowly recovered.
The anxiety disappears.My fighting spirit surges.
Eon’s execution unit respectfully welcomed the Peak’s participation in the battle. Now, Yurgeien’s eyes were no different from theirs.
Medrant drove the curse that had burrowed into his abdomen away with the hem of his robe. As the Tower Master, he always carried an artifact for self-preservation just in case. He finally rose tohis feet. Verden, who had appeared truly suddenly, came face-to-face with Draven.
Medrant briefly reported only the specifics before heading to the rear.
“Aside from ‘Glory of the Dead,’ there have been numerous instances where I disguised myself as a civilian. The ringleader is likely the Iderat Alliance Leader. I don’t know where he went, but he said something like this.”“…….”“That everything is for ‘you.’”
Verden’s eyelids twitched.He nodded.
“I understand. Support the Luas religion.”“I will do my best.”
Medrant sent a signal and retreated to the Sanctuary, the fortress of the Theocracy, taking Yurgeien, the execution unit, and the mages of the Ostea Magic Tower.
Thump… … Thud… … .
Just then, raindrops began to fall.
* * *
Only two transcendents remained in the streets devastated by the aftermath of the battle.Their respective insights into gauging each other.
Among them, the first to voice a question was Draven LeMarque.
“……The borders of the Holy Kingdom should have been closed. How on earth did you get in?”“With magic you don’t know about.”
Unless he had a specific purpose, Verden was not kind enough to give the desired answer to an enemy filled with murderous intent.
“I never imagined you would divert public attention with the collapse of Zantra and infiltrate the Ruas Theocracy yourself. The Saintess must have stolen the spotlight in a similar way. You’ve been acting like a rat until now, but you’ve become quite bold.”“…….”
Draven’s gaze subsided.
He realized that Zantra, a city in the Free State of Formene, had been destroyed. It was too early.This meant that Grimmel Gromfar’s terror had not gone according to plan to the very end.
Is that why Grimmel arrived late?
I don’t know what kind of teleportation magic they cast to come here directly, but… …in other words, it must be that a transcendent being, whom we were not scheduled to encounter right now, intervened based on the clues Grimmel dropped.
Although it was the first time the two transcendent beings met, they recognized each other’s identities instantly without any explanation.
“You’re getting in the way at every turn, Verden.”
In the Kingdom of Estiria, he joined forces with the Esperensa family to kill Viola of the Skeleton and the Elder.In the Republic of Beldirn, he killed the fourth servant, Kaesillus Chaeren.In the World Conference Hall, he personally intervened to kill the main body through a clone of the second servant, Lunesica Anternoa.
Finally, in the Theocracy of Luas, on the verge of the resurrection of the old king, they have even gone so far as to intrude to block the path to the sanctuary.
Even excluding Eon, Verden was a stumbling block to the Glory of the Dead.Never in the past 800 years had a figure who was neither from the Ruas Theocracy nor affiliated with the Dark Warton Magic Tower blocked the path to this extent.
Verden said.
“You are just as much of an eyesore to me, Draven Lemark.”“I heard you are acquainted with Reindel Nexreon. Did he hear my real name?”“With the atrocities you commit, do you think you have more than one enemy in this world? Though, with that old, hardened mind of yours, you wouldn’t even be able to guess.”
It has been a long time since the first step was wrong.
Since the ideals pursued by Verden and Draven could not align, the only future that existed was one in which one of them had to die in the end.
Until the reorganization of the Ruas Theocracy, probably 1 minute 10 seconds.Until the Pope’s angelic descent, 2 minutes 30 seconds.
Since Grimmel has arrived, the device must have been activated. The remaining time is ’20 minutes’.
Now, no matter what happens, you must leave the Ruas Church within 20 minutes.
Up until just now, there had been no major setbacks to the plan, but with the addition of the variable known as Verden, an unexpected situation unfolded.
I just needed to get to the sanctuary.But even so, I couldn’t just ignore it and walk past like I did the others.
───That dark red magic… … It reached my main body, nonchalantly ignoring the laws of magic. It must be entirely his fault that Landerk died sooner than expected. If he can kill the main body through a clone, Landerk’s pathogen has no way to fight back.
Lunesica strongly warned that divine magic was dangerous. Draven was not a foolish superior who would not heed the advice of a competent subordinate.
We need someone to hold Verden back.To replace Draven.
“Hahahahahahaha! The atmosphere is really intense!”
Boom!
A Bone Dragon landed on the roof of the building. Above its head, Grimmel, wearing an eyepatch and carrying a huge mechanical device on his back, poked his face out.
The other Bone Dragons were swimming in the skies of the Holy Kingdom, tracing large circles.One that had been directly hit by the
Draven asked.
“What’s with that look?”“I let my guard down and got caught by that guy.”
Grimmel flipped the blindfold over and opened his eyelids as wide as possible. There were no pupils. Inside, only dark red flesh and darkness existed.
“I’m sorry about earlier, Verden! I underestimated you too much! Hahaha! I won’t make that mistake again!”
Grimmel covered his eyes with a blindfold.
“I’ll make you a grave without a body.”“That saves you trouble.”
Verden spared no strength and activated his entire magical circuits to the maximum. His unique power shook the skies of the Luas Theocracy.
You won’t need to dig your own graves.
Rumble…
Thunder is heard from the gray clouds trapped within the Veil of Souls along with the Church. Small raindrops grew larger and gathered together to form a downpour.Fires that broke out throughout the city met the rain and spewed out black smoke.
Silence fell on one side of the religious capital, where loud noises and screams still ran rampant.
“───March.”
As soon as Draven’s command was given, a powerful energy was released from the sky. The Scrolls of Glory of the Corpse, fixed to the two Bone Dragons, activated simultaneously in response to Draven’s magic.
Grave Mist
March of the Dead
March of the Dead
March of the Dead
The four 7th-rank black magic spells stored in the scroll stained the northern part of the sanctuary with darkness.The evil spirit of the
They advanced toward the sanctuary, following the shadow of the Bone Dragon.
Kiiiiing!
Grimmel, having jumped from the Bone Dragon, accelerated using the power of his mechanical legs. Grimmel’s body, clad in massive mechanical armor, grew larger than Verden.
The metal arm sliced through the air.
The blade extending from the forearm glowed with a blue light. It was an artificial blade of magical power created by Grimmel using his own technology.
Boom!
As Verden blocked this with [Interis], the ground beneath his feet split open. Grimmel’s worst weapon draws its power from the pure magic of nature.The force generated from it fully embodies the greatness of nature.
I will show you what nature is.
A dwarf wielding artificial creations as a weapon preaches nature. It would be difficult to find a more paradoxical existence than this, even if one searched the world.Meanwhile, Draven attempted to pass through Verden by slightly detouring his route.
You’re acting like a rat again.
Mixed Light
Dark blue light and waves exploded across the area centered on Verden.Lightning, flames, gravity.Exposed to the elemental chaos, Grimmel took the impact in place without making any effort to evade, as if boasting of his resistance to the weapon.
The moment Verden crossed space and appeared near Draven, the blade of the demon sword [Morbein] abruptly changed its trajectory as if it had expected his arrival.Draven’s senses were aiming precisely at Verden’s neck.
Xerion Empire Swordsmanship 1st Formation – Glaros.
Verden immediately unleashed the Magic Path of Destruction. The spear of destruction formed from the head of the staff obliterated the raindrops and sliced through the line of death.
Boom───!
At the moment of impact, dark purple flames and crimson lightning raged wildly. A shockwave from the demonic path rose belatedly, causing the building and floor to sink significantly.The staff and the demon sword, locked in equal contact, trembled violently.
Draven whispered heavily.
“It would be hard to handle even one fully, yet you dare to take on two. You are full of vigor. And arrogant.”“I have heard that a few times.”
The magic circle of reversed heaven appeared in the right pupil.
To those who died at my hands.
Triple Casting:
A 7th-tier magic explosion, instantly activated by the Mystic Eye, shook the Holy Kingdom.The heavens shed cold tears.
* * *
Heavy rain poured down.
Whoosh───
We filtered out as many enemies as possible responsible for the massacre and evacuated the citizens to the vicinity of the sanctuary. We kept a strict watch with the Servants of Light, just in case there were any disguised enemies.
A battle line built around the sanctuary.
The clergy of the Ruas Theocracy, regardless of rank, have completed their reorganization. Furthermore, powerful figures from other nations and forces, verified as allies, have lent their strength to them.
The Pope’s sacred prayer overwhelmed the sound of the rain and held up the sky. The Bible. The rift of light grew several times larger and was visible to everyone’s eyes.
A divine miracle is about to be activated.The Angel of Luas descends upon this land.
All that is needed is a little time.
“In the distant past! The wicked beings who were defeated by the Goddess’s light are attempting to defile it once again! But there is nothing to fear. Just as our ancestors did, we will banish the fallen into the shadows! No, we will exterminate them right here and now so that they will never appear again!”
Archbishop Eunhwi shouted.
“Guard the sanctuary!”“With innocent glory!”
Three Bone Dragons circled sideways and opened their mouths wide. Cold, blue flames rose violently from inside.
The Paladin shouted.
The Breath is Coming!
The knights, blessed with the bishops’ miracles, erected a wall of shields in unison. With the addition of the sanctuary’s sanctity, a veil of light was established.
Breath of cold.
The moment the blue light flashed, an ultra-cold chill rushed in from the south, east, and west. The ground beneath my feet shook violently from the bone-chilling vibrations.
The light froze.
However, a mere skeletal dragon, unable to unleash the power a dragon possessed in life, could not even cross the outer perimeter of the sanctuary in a single go.
“Undead forces confirmed!”“Purify!”
A divine beam advanced beyond the veil of light and obliterated the undead. Powerful outsiders, including Medrant, were able to send magic beyond the veil of light to a limited extent by receiving the Archbishop’s miracle.
Holy Bombardment.Magic Bombardment.
The defensive walls of the Ruas Church, having restored order to the chaos, do not allow the intrusion of evil ones.
“……I guess I can hold out safely until the Pope finishes his preparations.”“Cardinal, you must rest for now……!”“No problem.”
Cardinal Deello of Patience touched the sword mark that had begun to heal slowly.Had he not blocked the neck and the area near the heart with divine power at the last moment, either the brain or the heart would have decayed and killed him.
A believer in light does not die easily.Cardinal Deello was exceptional in this regard.
“The Saint.”“The bishops are currently using holy relics to lift the seal.”“Tell them once again to confirm the Saint’s wishes before opening the gates. It would be a grave matter if he were in the middle of his union with the Holy Sword.”“I will convey that he bears this in mind.”
Cardinal Deello nodded.
“……Anyway.”
His eyes trembled slightly as he looked at another battleground.
“To think that killing five transcendent beings was an undeniable fact…….”
The air turbulently.The earth shook.
Among them, almost no one saw Verden’s true power.
Medrantman witnessed the showdown between Dahit and Verden firsthand, but now that time has passed, he has not been able to verify in actual combat what kind of strength Verden has currently acquired.
Yurgeien opened his mouth.The clergy did the same.The elders of the other magic towers shuddered at the sheer power they felt. The citizens of the Holy Kingdom trembled in fear as they cast their gazes beyond the undead.
Hyun-roe – Flowing Electricity
Dark red lightning stained the dark night.
Grimmel, having plummeted to the ground, rose to his feet while flipping over the building debris. His expression showed a mixture of joy and bewilderment.
Normally, they should have more than enough pressure to put pressure on Verden, but an unexpected variable arose.
“I was mistaken. It wasn’t just magic splitting that wasn’t working properly. I possess extreme resistance to all phenomena stemming from the magic I use as my power source.”
Grimmel’s weapon wailed.
As if loved by the magic of Mother Nature—
Light fell.
Meteor
Kwagwagwagwagwagwa!
The first star of the Holy Spirit Magic engulfed the place where Grimmel was. Precisely only that specific area was destroyed by high heat and high pressure.
Fifth Formation – Arcos.
Draven drove Verden into a barrage of attacks before kicking him in the abdomen. *Crack!* Verden was sent flying and destroyed the building.A harmony of Imperial swordsmanship and martial arts.Without stopping, he unleashed the sword energy of destiny, slicing through the place where Verden was.
Draven immediately calculated his unique magic and assumed the Imperial swordsmanship stance again, but there was bewilderment in his eyes just like in Grimmel.
What is that?
Draven’s insight saw a part of what lay beyond Verden’s body. It was a gap that even his insight had to spend time to barely find.
‘The soul… …what on earth.’
It is immeasurably vast.
I had never seen such a massive soul since mastering black magic. No, I wasn’t even sure if I should define it as a soul.
Yes, that is just like───
‘world?’
Draven Lemarque saw the world in Verden’s soul. He felt confused for a moment. Because of this, his reaction speed slowed down slightly.
[Interis] loomed before my eyes.
Quinter Casting:
A massive gravitational wave surged from a single point and struck Draven. Instead of being blown away, he curled his upper body and plunged his magic sword into the ground.
Kagagagagagak!
Draven, who had barely stopped tens of meters away, suddenly lifted his head.A streak of blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth.
Blue eyes flickered in the center of the Kingdom where rain was pouring down heavily. Like pure magical power, a dark red light flashed irregularly around the blue pupils.
The form of the soul is completely different.
A new question took root in his mind.
Is that really a transcendent being?
Draven began to realize that Verden was fundamentally different from the transcendents he had seen so far.
