The Dead

The plan to strike the Hegemon Emperor Arad and the imperial castle simultaneously didn’t sound absurd.

At least those who’d witnessed Pernok’s power at the Holy Kingdom main force expected the absolute being’s appearance that had even erased Chris and Mardo to arrive again.

“If Your Majesty’s power, is there need to painstakingly install traps?”

Those who didn’t know circumstances looked at Arisha and Pernok alternately with puzzled eyes.

“If you shine down that brilliant light once more…!”

“Impossible.”

He’d merely revealed Netherworld’s power that had been a transcendent for a brief time by borrowing the holy grail vessel’s power.

With only that portion, he’d swept away even absolute beings and the border. To use power to the degree they expected, he must collapse the boundary of body and soul for one moment.

Then, Pernok had everything converge to soul for one moment.

It had been possible because even living flesh was refined into soul form that had dwelt in Netherworld.

“And it’s unnecessary.”

He didn’t need to adventure crossing the dangerous river again.

Since risen synchronization rate and body that reached prime combined, even if Chris returned alive, he wouldn’t become an equal opponent.

If one variable, the bright yellow pillar of light that had swallowed Tyr.

If what that meant became clearer, all variables in Rakis invasion would vanish.

“I hope my cards and those bastards’ clash as much as possible. That way, I can block all variables.”

Though Pernok’s appearance that nothing mattered however it rushed was truly arrogant, many people nodded.

Though they’d only stopped at occupying Rakis’s outlying regions, during hundreds of years of history no one had pressured Rakis to this degree.

Alliance forces that had united centered on the Holy Kingdom felt like they’d somehow combined under Pernok.

“How much time is needed until the Floating Castle’s repair?”

The research director answered cautiously.

“Please give us a fortnight.”

“Too late.”

“However, material procurement is delayed, so even a fortnight is tight.”

“Then shall we bring that from the rear?”

“That?”

The research director’s eyes widened.

“Don’t tell me, the Fake?”

There was something Pernok had been making all along when he had capacity.

Another core of tactics made by instructing the research director to operate together with the Floating Castle.

Pernok called this special thing the Fake.

Even among close associates, only a few who participated in the work knew.

“I heard it took shape to some degree. Didn’t I receive reports that means to move it here were also secured?”

“Movement is possible. However, utilizing it as a weapon is still insufficient even mobilizing alchemy.”

“It doesn’t matter. It just needs to take shape.”

“…?”

“I’ll use it as a trap. At a very important moment.”

When Pernok grinned coldly, the research director scratched the back of his head.

“Where shall we move it?”

Pernok pointed to one part of the map.

“Here.”

“Isn’t that the wasteland?”

“If we tangle properly, the conclusion will be reached here. No, I must make the situation so that happens.”

The research director couldn’t understand but left the conference room saying he’d bring the Fake immediately.

And when many people’s gazes concentrated, Pernok spoke forcefully.

“Tell each army to raise artillery fire again.”

“Yes!”

The day messengers returned to each formation, Pernok divided with Arisha and entered operations to catch Arad.

A bit more west from Rakis.

A mountainous region not even bordering the sea.

In a mountain cave where soldiers withdrew, Arad was present.

“How did it come to this.”

Arad lamented while looking down at the corpse before his eyes.

Chris’s remains where the black armor’s energy faintly remained shocked many people.

Who on earth could kill Rakis’s war god so miserably?

Looking forward with eyes hoping for explanation, Marquis Bodrin of the 13 Lords cautiously touched Chris’s body with his hand.

Memory interference.

Special-type Magus Arts that controlled opponents’ minds.

This boasted considerable versatility in aspect of reading the dead’s memories.

Though restricted to one week after death, Chris had arrived five days ago.

It was more than enough to activate Magus Arts.

Whooong!

As mana seeped in, Chris’s mouth opened and grayish smoke flowed out. Eventually the smoke spread out roundly and drew Chris’s miserable appearance.

[Vanish.]

When an existence wearing white, sacred brilliant light gave a command, unimaginable energies swallowed everything. Chris lost both arms and legs but escaped the danger zone thanks to Mardo’s black armor.

But by then he was already breathing his last.

Chris tracked the 13 Lords’ mana through the outrageous method of making the black armor’s mana his own to convey this dangerous scene.

Barely maintaining levitation magic, by the time he finally arrived here, his breath had ended.

Though his loyalty squeezing out life to inform of enemy means to the end was admirable, Arad only watched the disappearing smoke while wearing a strange smile.

“We struck at the opponent’s highest power, but it surpassed expectations. I regret the Duke’s first and last mistake continues like this.”

“Your Majesty, the 13 Lords are shaking.”

“Is Chris’s empty seat large?”

“Not only the Duke. Magus units and forces to raid the Holy Kingdom main force plus even the border simultaneously disappeared.”

“It must be Pernok’s doing who killed Chris.”

Arad recalled the massive pillar of light he’d seen when killing the Sacred Emperor.

When he thought the master of the magnificent scene where countless souls worshipped ceaselessly was Pernok, all pieces seemed to fit together.

He realized the fundamental basis for how a bastard led alliance forces and brought even Chris to death.

“Since he handles the Dead’s energy, even Chris couldn’t manage to withstand it.”

That appearance shining brightly in Chris’s memory wasn’t forgotten.

Certainly, through the holy grail he’d entered the divine realm called X beyond S3, but who would have imagined an existence surpassing that?

Even if Arad had been at that place, he would have been mercilessly annihilated.

“Even so, we need Chris.”

“I apologize, but now we must put forth a new duke in place of the dead. How about selecting from the elders?”

“Who says it’s vacant?”

“What?”

“Come to think of it, you don’t know where this place is?”

Bodrin looked around.

As fires lit in places, ominous things hidden in darkness revealed appearances.

Three special statues were positioned around the central altar.

One was a darkened hand.

Another was a face statue missing both eyes.

The last was a foot covered in moss.

Peculiarly, grooves were carved in the three statues.

Even desolate feelings were felt as if something important was missing.

“When I was ten, while hunting in the mountains, I heard a suspicious voice.”

“A voice?”

“Plunderers who handed me the Dead’s power.”

“…?”

“They called themselves primordial sorcerers.”

When Arad smiled and wiggled his hand, Chris’s body floated up and lay on the altar.

“Masters of a nameless kingdom that had existed from primordial times in this western site where Rakis was established. During uncountable time, they’d contained resentment in those statues and waited for someone to newly infuse power. Who would have known it would be me without mana?”

Arad chuckled recalling that time.

“Those bastards commanded me to refine countless souls into amber gems as price for handing over knowledge and power after ascending to emperor. And asked me to put completed gems in those grooves.”

Instantly, Bodrin’s face hardened stiffly.

“Amber gems made from the dead’s souls.”

The moment he spread both arms before the altar, yellow liquid flowed down from the statues.

“The existence to be born thereby would become a calamity’s incarnation containing only hatred and revenge during eons of time. However, I didn’t wish for that. If there are no people in the nation I’ll rule, how could that be called a nation?”

“Your Majesty, if evil things confuse Your Majesty’s reason, I’ll resolve it.”

“I shook them off long ago. When those bastards handed over power in exchange for gems, I used it to devour them. And I realized.”

Yellow liquid seeped into the altar and embraced Chris.

“If I plant the empire’s loyalty in the emptied place where hatred and resentment vanished, couldn’t I use the calamity’s massive power only for the empire’s millennium? Such thoughts.”

“Your Majesty, what those words mean…”

“But that research couldn’t be executed. There was no vessel compatible with the Dead’s power. However, isn’t the greatest Magus who shed limits right here now?”

Yellow liquid entangled with each other and swelled to transform like a cocoon.

Chris sleeping within seemed to see Arad from before.

Even now when he closed eyes, memories of first encountering them here surfaced.

[Child who possesses nothing. Will you go with us to the place your desire leads?]

They introduced themselves as guardians of an unnamed kingdom.

They who said they’d slept in the west for long ages then awakened meeting compatible ones bestowed eyes on Arad.

[Yellow represents the boundary between lower realm and Netherworld, so the moment this reaches deeper amber, you will possess eyes that see the Dead, hands that control, and feet that handle.]

It was authority to peek into the dead’s world and feel and manipulate power opposite to life.

[The day you become emperor and countless souls unite. We will scatter death throughout the world once more!]

They conveyed that amber gems made from souls must be put in those grooves.

But Arad escaped their expectations.

Despite possessing amber eyes, he wasn’t controlled by their voices but rather devoured souls full of hatred.

Arad’s desire surpassed resentment contained in the statues.

Souls who didn’t anticipate this were absorbed by Arad and presented countless information.

Based on memories, Arad divided ‘eyes, hands, and feet’ to create the most excellent knights among close associates.

Around that time, he met one soul on the battlefield.

Chris.

An unawakened one was wandering the boundary of life and death as a half-living one’s soul.

The day he returned one who hadn’t yet died to flesh.

Chris made a contract with Arad.

“Do you know, Chris? I remember the fallen kingdom’s end. I don’t want to make Rakis the same. Entrust your body and soul to me for an empire where my name will be remembered eternally.”

Chris’s body would also age and vanish someday.

Then what if he breathed the Dead’s power into flesh where mighty Magus’s remnants remained?

He’d handed over much authority to Chris until now to make a guardian deity only for the empire.

But Chris died.

Plans for the future must rightfully be modified now.

A body that reached X.

A soul that achieved rank.

And the Dead’s power.

But the truly important final material was being procured from another nation.

“Marquis.”

“Y-yes?”

“Was there no other news from Tyr?”

“Ah!”

Bodrin came to his senses sharply.

“Barganta and Rezhen captured Tyr’s capital!”

“Hahahaha! What welcome words to hear! Isn’t that right, Sir Sullivan?”

Then, chilling wind brushed Bodrin’s cheek.

Since when had he been standing there?

A man in gray armor whose presence and mana weren’t felt enough that an S2 Magus didn’t notice walked out.

Peculiarly, the man wore a silver mask. A strange foul stench wafted from his body, and faint amber energy hovered beneath his feet.

Bodrin examined the emblem on the man’s shoulder then narrowed his eyes thinly.

‘Imperial Knights?’

They forget the foundation that announced the empire’s beginning when the 13 Lords made names and all nations knew.

Imperial Knights.

They’d enriched the empire from before the 13 Lords system was created.

After the 13 Lords were appointed, the Imperial Knights gradually faded, and by Arad’s time, only Chris was said to have seen their existence.

An organization that should be revealed in light hides in shadow to assist the emperor, that was current Imperial Knights.

“Since my hand is still a normal human’s, the festival is beginning properly. However, their poison must have risen sharply. The problem is an existence wielding the Dead’s power like us exists, so I don’t think they’ll give time at all.”

“Then I’ll try to buy time.”

“Your preparation must also be considerable?”

“Even if I die, doesn’t authority return to Your Majesty? Death is extremely familiar to us.”

“Hahaha, then shall we play territorial expansion after a while?”

“Will you give up the empire?”

Arad grinned coldly.

“If I give one, bring back two. Can you do it?”

Sullivan knelt there and declared.

“I will definitely make the empire’s millennium plan continue as Your Majesty wills!”

“I hope my feet don’t soak in gold.”

And in the blink of Bodrin’s eye, Sullivan vanished from that spot leaving amber afterimages.

Bodrin felt like he was dreaming.

Two eyes unable to grasp the suddenly rushing information flood turned to the altar.

Arad was smiling while looking at Chris wrapped in yellow shell.

“Fulfill the price of resurrection promised by death long ago.”

Generally those with many schemes hide appearances and plan something.

The situation where Arad who liked fighting frontally still hid seemed like viewing a schemer’s machination.

Therefore, Pernok thought.

He must crush the dwelling before the schemer’s scheme was implemented.

Pernok who arrived at Rakis’s eastern Mahad Castle leading only 2,000 cavalry drew his sword.

BANG!

A lightly swung sword.

Though he’d merely burst spiritual power amounting to Circulation Link at most, the enemy castle collapsed.

Unlike shocked cavalry, with an expressionless face, trampling the wall collapsed in one breath, Pernok spoke calmly.

“Tiger hunting begins.”

That moment, magnificent trumpet sounds echoed and countless flames shot into empty air from places.

Ruin, Flemyr, Ludmila, Arisha.

And Pernok.

The alliance’s five leaders’ total offensive began.