Episode 996 Xerion Empire (3)
The unique miracle transmitted to the Cardinal from the Western Continent thoroughly restrained not only the limbs but the entire body of the second servant, Lunesica Anternoa.Her beautiful and eerie hair was soaked in sweat and stuck to her skin.
Drip… … drip… … .
Drops of blood forming and falling from a wound.
There is a reaction to the stimulus.
Cardinal of Samjeong – Deello of Patience gestured toward Lunesica.
“Continue.”“By the mercy of the Mother of Light.”
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
A member of the Seongyul Seongdan wraps his gauntlet in divine power and strikes the face.
Transcendents of the magic world basically have strong resistance to magic and magical power, but their physical resistance is weaker.
Furthermore, if they are in a state where they cannot properly regain their senses, even a transcendent being is bound to suffer significant damage from such an attack.
The transcendent is not invincible.
As if to prove it, the Inquisitor inflicted not only material damage but also internal shock. With every shake of her head, blood gushed from the corner of her mouth and flew far away, accompanied by a faint groan.For reference, the interrogation room was already stained with Grimmel Gromfar’s blood.
The Holy Kingdom, Eon, the Empire, and the Magic Kingdom observed the interrogation that was repeated in a cycle.
The meeting was temporarily suspended as heads of each nation issued judgments and orders regarding how to deal with the anomaly in the Kingdom of Itel, but the interrogation will not end unless the desired information is obtained,no matter how long it takes .
Once Lunesica’s first interrogation is finished, Grimmel’s second interrogation begins.
“Hmm…….”
Archbishop Joseph could not simply stand by and watch, so he turned his head away. No matter how evil the enemy was, and even though Joseph had been killed and resurrected once due to the glory of the dead, he felt uneasy. Forhe, too, had never subjected a great evil to continuous and brutal torture, even if there was no forgiveness for it. This was also the difference between the Order of the Holy Law and the existing clergy.
“…….”
Cardinal Deello watched the entire process without taking his eyes off it for a single moment.
He was seething with rage at the thought of those who died in front of the sanctuary that day… but right now, his sense of duty as a cardinal outweighed personal emotions like revenge.
We must obtain information.To minimize sacrifices.
So that all victims can go to Luas’s side with peace of mind.
Smack!
It was at that moment, as a sacred shockwave spread and Lunesica’s head was thrown back, that Lunesica’s head was thrown back.
“……under.”
Lunesica slowly straightened her head. Her entire face was covered in blood. And the murderous intent and intelligence in her eyes were vivid.
“To wake me up… you’re going to give me a stimulus, regardless of what happens to my mind? Torture? Now you’re finally acting like the Luas Theocracy I knew.”
Her consciousness, which had been consisting only of irregular, painful seizures, was restored. To be precise, it was more like being forcibly pulled out than actually restored.It didn’t matter whether Lunesica’s condition worsened or not.
Ping.
A ring of light seeped into Lunesica.
“You will not be able to sleep again. Before you spill the beans.”“Going all this way, cough, cough.”
Lunesica’s breathing wavered.
“Seeing that you went to such lengths to wake me up when I was broken like this… must you be backed into a corner? Anyway, that armor… did you re-establish the Holy Order?”
After being defeated in the War of the Transcendents, Lunesica has existed ever since with Draben. She has extended the lifespan of her physical body by offering sacrifices.
This was possible because Draben and Lunesica were transcendent beings of the magical world who were closest to the essence of black magic in that they were among the few in the thousand-year history to stop at nothing.
I didn’t participate in the First Great Crusade that defeated the Legion’s Archdemon, but I did watch. Of course, I knew what the Holy Order was.
Smack, crack!
The inquisitor grabbed his head and kicked him in the face with his knee.
“A sinner shall answer only the question asked.”“It wouldn’t be meaningful… would it? Because it’s already too late.”“Wait.”
Cardinal Deello stopped her from slapping her face again.
“What do you mean it’s late?”“Death… is rampant, isn’t it?”
Lunesica looked up at the ceiling as if her wish had finally come true.She thought of Draben Lemarque, the first servant who had succeeded in rebuilding the Xerion Empire at the cost of even his own resurrection.Her superior, with whom she had been for hundreds of years.
The door opened, Captain.
Lunesica muttered silently and tilted her head slightly.
“You are all going to die.”
She began to laugh maniacally toward the world watching her from beyond the wall where she could not see the outside. As if singing a funeral dirge.
So give up. Don’t expect me to betray my loyalty.
The blood vessels bulge.
An unbelievable, intense pain surges from the very depths of my heart.
‘Ber, Den… … !’
Lunesica, whose entire soul has been cracked by ruin, cannot escape the cycle of pain. Unless Verden intervenes, she will be trapped for the rest of her life—no, perhaps not even in death.However, having never died in this state, she might be able to find some peace.
Glory to the great corpse.Glory to the Xerion Empire .
So, kill him.
Lunesica Anternoa is a transcendent being who pursues a unique ideal.
* * *
───Just kill him!!!!!!!!!
Saint Leonhardt quietly looked down at the hateful Lunesica screaming and spitting up blood, while clutching the holy sword.
Did I do the right thing?
As the Commander of the Holy Order, I succeeded in bringing Lunesica out of the embrace of the Arnark Empire. I also negotiated with the Magic Kingdom and placed a dwarf named Grimmel on the interrogation stand.
Do you feel relieved?
That is not the case.
He had expected to feel at least a sense of pride, or at least satisfaction, but Leonhardt’s heart did not fill up.Even though they were monsters who had massacred innocent people just like the villagers of Tyr… it was difficult for him to watch the sight of them being subjected to brutal torture.
It was something that had to be done.Was it something that had to be done?
It was only natural.Was it natural?
It couldn’t be helped.Was it?
Certainty and doubt intersected, swirling in Leonhardt’s mind.Hearing the terrible scream of Lunesica beginning a soul seizure, Leonhardt now stared blankly at the floor instead of at her.
Am I doing well?
It was then.
Cardinal of Samjeong – Gregorban of Justice’s hand placed on his shoulder. Leonhard inwardly flinched and turned his head slightly.
“They say they will maintain the current situation in the Magic Kingdom so that spatial travel is possible for the time being.”
Gregorban whispered.
“The way has been opened.”“The way… but as a saint, it is difficult for me to leave my post at this time.”“The Pope will be coming. Cardinal Serfania has taken charge.”
The fact that Cardinal Serfania was accompanying him meant that the Pope’s health had recovered enough to attend the continental summit.
Leonhardt felt as if an unbearable burden had been lifted.He cautiously parted his lips.
“Did you speak to the Pope?”“I did not. This is Your Holiness’s ‘personal’ matter. There are no major public issues either. I have made preparations, but… since it is a region where some kind of anomaly has occurred, it is highly likely to be dangerous.”“…If it is dangerous, shouldn’t we go all the more? I ask that you reserve a seat so that other forces do not notice, Cardinal Gregorban.”
Leonhardt rose resolutely, as if he had made up his mind. He placed his hand on the holy sword at his waist and waved the cloak of the Order of the Holy Law.A group of heretics selected by the Order of the Holy Law moved behind him.
“Let’s go to the Kingdom of Ronia.”
To Leonhardt’s hometown.
* * *
Bantoreon and Verden’s glasses ran empty.
“Long before I existed… there were four dragons. Dragons that occupied the pinnacle of the transcendent race. I do not know who said it, but this world called them the Four Great Ancient Dragons. Do you happen to know their names?”
Verden nodded.
“I have heard the name of the Red Dragon Sarkandra. Official records state that a century ago, he burned down several cities and vanished into the Demon Realm.”“Sarkandra. That happens to be one of the True Names I know. It is also one of the names I intended to tell you. Let me tell you a brief tale from the past.”
Bantoreon placed the two peanuts he had been eating as a snack side by side.
“The Red Dragon, the Giant Dragon, the Blue Dragon, and the Fierce Dragon. Although they are grouped together as the Four Great Ancient Dragons, like most dragons, their collective nature is extremely faint. On the contrary, they often antagonize one another. Among them, the Red Dragon and the Blue Dragon were particularly bitter enemies.”
Sarkandra, the Red Dragon who burns everything, and Talisia, the calm and storm-like Blue Dragon, were completely incompatible in personality.Even though their territories were very far apart, their murderous intent toward each other never cooled.
“However, they could not fight to the death. The winner would have to shed considerable blood, too. The two ancient dragons understood well that such a loss would become a weakness and be revealed to the other dragons.”
To dragons, death is elimination. They are different from intelligent beings that leave behind a legacy for the sake of the survivors. Even when striving for survival, they do not consider what happens after death. Evenwhen humans process the corpses of their own kind, they merely find it interesting and do not feel anger.
“Then one day, the two clashed head-on.”“Did the situation change?”“I don’t know. However, it was clear that once the battle ended, the other dragon—the ancient dragons—was certain that they wouldn’t interfere.”
Crunch.
A peanut was crushed under the fingertips.
The result was a victory for Sarkandra. Talisia, gruesomely murdered with her scales and organs completely burned away, was reduced to a charred skeleton. Undamaged, even after the passage of many years.
and.
Desperately, Akand discovered Talisia’s body like that.
Vantoreon shrugged his shoulders.
“I do not consider it a coincidence. I suspect that an unknown entity to which Akhand devotes its fighting spirit may have instructed him, but I have no basis for that. In any case, the Xerion Empire decided to craft Talisia into a Bone Dragon, executed the plan, and succeeded. And thus was born…”
The ground peanuts scatter.New peanuts took their place.
“The Death of Twilight, the Dragon of Death, Nekbael. He is the guardian dragon of the Xerion Empire. Although he is a being based on Talisia, he is undeniably a separate entity from it.”“Nekbael.”“Back then, he was merely a powerful Bone Dragon, so the Continental Alliance’s forces could somehow handle him. There was a possibility of his subjugation. However, the one resurrected alongside Akand this time is very different. Death has deepened. A dragon that has regained the power of its life… Even I have never personally faced one of the Four Great Ancient Dragons while they were still alive.”
Bantoreon poured the last few drops of liquor into Verden’s glass.
“Whatever you have prepared, do not hesitate to use any means necessary to carry out your actions. Just as the Xerion Empire does.”“So, are you telling me to make a promise with you?”
Verden asked.
“Do you have that much value?”“Value? Hahahaha!”
Bantoreon turned toward Verden and slowly spread his arms.
“Empress Hisril and High Emperor Lycan… are far superior to me during the War of the Transcendents. Although Lycan was killed by Akhand, he was a being I had to look up to back then. It was purely luck that I survived the battlefield while Lycan died. They are clearly strong.”
but.
I have never considered him my match.
It was the eyes of the strong.
Bantoreon asserted this and took out a notebook he had obtained in the Republic of Beldirn, where he had briefly visited due to the intercontinental space travel field.
“I have recorded the information I know about the Xerion Empire inside this. I hand it over to you. Whenever that may be, if you open this, I will consider it a sign that you have made a promise with me.”
Vantoreon placed his notebook on the table and stood up. He smiled at Junia, Isabella, and Keirel, who were still nervous, and was on his way outside when
“Innocent people, not you, were sacrificed for the promise of the glory of the dead.”“That must be true.”“Sooner or later, the day will come when you must take responsibility.”
Silence flashed by in an instant.
Didn’t that value mean only strength?
Vantoreon placed his hand on the doorframe. Standing at the boundary between the outside and the tavern, he turned his head halfway with the sound of thunder in the background.
“Verden, you… unlike the magic you pioneered yourself, are altruistic. Yet such responsibility exists for the sake of the weak.”“Do not question the commandments.”“The Third Commandment of Divinity. I heard it in the Kingdom of Ronia.”
Bantoreon laughed heartily and kept nodding his head as if he actually liked it.
I look forward to the day you pay the price.
Halfway out onto the rainy street, he left a few more words as if he had forgotten.
“Never judge Akhand Linigea Tain Xerion by his pure strength alone. The Schemer of Catastrophe. Remember his other alias.”
Bantoleon left the tavern.
“The enemy you must truly face is not an individual, but the ‘Empire’.”
Flash!
The moment thunder and lightning shone on Arrein, Vantoreon’s presence vanished. Only the desolate sound of rain lingered in the space he had left.
“So you’ve left.”
Verden stored the notebook that Vantoreon had handed over in the subspace.
“Unia, I withdraw the previous order. Do not head to the Ternetia Federation, but instead welcome the forces arriving from Highlandia soon.”“Highlandia?..”“Adrian will be leading the forces of the Alliance of Transcendents in the near future.”
He left his seat.
“Isabella, you move with me.”“I’m ready wherever we go, Lord.”
Verden turned his gaze to the northwest.
“We are heading to the Hiaremar Inland Sea. I must see for myself how much of the Old King’s seal remains.”
* * *
The space is drawn in.
A vast vortex extending beyond the horizon did not let go of the ships in the sky and sea desperately trying to move away.
“If we continue like this, we’ll sink!”“W-how could this happen……!”
The fleet commanded by the 3rd Captain of the Iderat Alliance also draws a massive circle.It is a gravitational pull I have never felt before.If I am dragged toward the center, I will inevitably be destroyed. At this speed, even a mere graze with a ship from another faction would result in significant hull damage.
No matter how hard I moved the steering wheel this way and that, it wouldn’t budge. There was absolutely no way to get out. I had spent half my life at sea, yet there was no way to survive.
It was that moment.
A shadow began to slowly emerge from the center of the vortex. It was gripping the sea beneath its feet with a massive sword.
“……Is this the world I haven’t seen in a long time?”
The new form of the being looking up at the sky suddenly vanished. At the same time, the vortex that had been pulling the ships disappeared.
and.
On the deck of the Iderat Alliance… a strange figure was standing. Upon seeing him right nearby, the Third Captain began to tremble.
“Could it be, the ancient king?”“You have broken the taboo too early.”
bang!
Akand, having thrust his dragon sword into the main pillar of the signboard, gave a light gesture. The Third Captain, understanding the meaning without even realizing it, immediately brought a chair from inside.
Be silent.
Akand sat in a chair and closed his eyes as if waiting for someone. A voice echoed through the inland sea. No one was murdered.
… … .
All the seaplanes did not move from their spots as if time had stopped. The inland sea was also silent. Only the repeated breathing of the terrified could be heard.
