Chapter 79

“Please take care of Algul and the Triarch, as well as the Orcus, Sir Araya and everyone.”

Alia had one request.

To just sort out the Orcus.

The witches would handle things with Alia and the harmony guardians, while the humans would deal with their own matters.

It was a simple story.

“The Triarch, Algul’s trusted subordinate, consists of Algul’s children. Originally, there should be more children as Algul is an Einherjar of Orcus, but among them, three who have notably stood out are the Triarchs.”

Alia quickly moved towards the soon-to-arrive battlefield, doing her best to convey all the information she knew.

“The first is the Origin Orcus. He inherited his father’s power the most profoundly, and if things are as before, excluding Algul, he is the only shaman among the Orcus. He solemnizes the souls of Orcus who die in battle, sometimes inheriting their power, and is adept at curses while also managing souls and negative emotions.”

“Curses?”

At those words, Saras showed interest and turned to Alia.

After listening to Alia’s explanation of Orcus for a while, Saras’s eyes sparkled, and he said, “I’ll take care of him!”

Pallas frowned at the sight of a confident Saras, whose eyes were filled with excitement as he snorted.

“This is not a game. Saras.”

“Come on, I know that. I’m serious about it. Or do you want to fight?”

“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is.”

Saras pouted his lips in displeasure at Pallas’s dry demeanor.

At this, Alia cleared her throat and continued her explanation.

“The second is the Tyrannical Actic. He is the most Orcus-like of the Orcus. The primitive instincts of a creature: to fight, to kill, to eat, to violate, to commit. He has a simple yet powerful principle of action. He possesses a strength that seems to have condensed the already formidable power of Orcus many times over. In the Continental War, he has been a figure that slaughtered numerous enemies over a long period.”

“The third is the Righteous Bellator. While Actic is the most Orcus-like of the Orcus, Bellator is the least Orcus-like of the Orcus. Rather than living by primitive instincts, he deifies combat and dueling itself. Only in pursuit of the strong, he has proven himself through duels. Although his innate strength is considered weaker than Actic’s, he is not seen as weaker than Actic, who has diligently trained for victory. His survival after only fighting the strong in that brutal continent is proof of this.”

Afterward, Alia continued to work hard to provide more information.

From her rare expression of anxiety, one could guess the depth of the ill-fated experiences she had encountered on the continent.

“But why did that guy come along?”

Perhaps finding Alia’s explanation a bit tiresome, Saras cautiously whispered as he moved closer to me.

Gal, with an expressionless face, was leading the horse.

Being a quick-witted creature, the horse seemed to sense the presence of its rider above it, trembling to the point of being pitiful while moving its feet.

“…It’s not particularly needed, but he’s not coming to help.”

“What can I do? He wants to follow.”

“Well, there’s no point in stopping someone who can’t be stopped anyway. He seemed quite taken with you, so if you happen to be in danger, he could serve as insurance.”

“…You’re talking nonsense.”

“Maybe so~”

Ignoring the subtle expression on Saras’s face, I tried to lead Rudolf forward.

In that moment, the ears of the High Elves, including myself, perked up.

A faint tremor in the ground.

Though it originated from a great distance, the High Elves could sense that energy without difficulty.

And then, suddenly, an instinct that pierced through my heart.

“Uh? Araya?”

“Gal, assist me for a moment. It doesn’t seem like a good situation.”

“Wait, what are you trying to do?”

While Saras and Anya were flustered, Pallas quickly grasped the intent and dismounted from the horse provided by Alia.

If it were to conserve stamina, it would be wise, but sprinting at full power would be much faster than a horse.

In an urgent situation, there was no time to explain everything.

A soft yet massive golden aura surged towards the bottom of Rudolf where I had landed.

“I will move ahead, so please join me as quickly as possible.”

With those words, I began to rush towards the source, and it seemed like I heard something from behind, but the surrounding scenery changed rapidly, and soon it was inaudible.

With each step, it felt as if I were folding space and ground.

I covered a distance exceeding 70 spans.

My feet struck the ground, and sounds followed.

As I had not fully unfurled my abilities, a breathtaking atmospheric pressure that seemed to tear apart an ordinary human body pressed down on me.

「…I dislike that footwork.」

A thought communicated in my mind.

It must have been an irritating stride for Gal, whose original form was that of a dragon.

「I apologize, but things seem to be progressing urgently.」

「So, what should I do?」

「I would appreciate it if you could use your dragon tongue to allow me and Algul to escape this battlefield.」

「You’re making things troublesome.」

「Wasn’t the surroundings in chaos when we fought? It’s to minimize the damage. I ask of you, Gal.」

As we exchanged brief words, we soon arrived at the battlefield just before the clash.

And at the center, a massive presence loomed.

Though it was wrapped in a strange shadow magic to conceal itself, I could clearly see its essence.

And in front of it was the shattered sword that had exploded.

Beside it, I saw Lamia, whom I hadn’t seen in a long while, struggling against the giant Orcus, while Algul was raising his cage to slam down on Priegoss’s head.

With just one step, the sword I had drawn halted Algul’s swinging cage.

‘If I had been just a moment late, it would have been disastrous.’

Had I truly been even a second late, I would have been looking at the contents of Priegoss’s brain.

With that, I glanced at Priegoss.

The shattered sword, wounds inflicted by the sword, trembling forearms.

Yet, despite all this, the strong will in his eyes was still fixed on Algul.

Though battered, he did not appear to be on the brink of death.

In that instant, it seemed as if I made eye contact with Priegoss.

I smiled gently and left a thought for him.

「Gal. I ask of you.」

With that, the swirling golden energy cut through the world surrounding me and Algul entirely.

◈ ◈ ◈

Priegoss looked around.

He saw armies approaching from both sides, but here, he was left with only Mutuk, Lamia, and the intensely strong Actic.

‘…Was that just now… Sir Araya?’

The golden storm that had blocked Algul, who was swinging the cage at him.

He couldn’t be sure of what kind of harmony it was that had disappeared in an instant, but he perceived it as Araya.

However, Araya had been missing for over half a year.

‘…What on earth happened?’

As Algul suddenly disappeared, both Mutuk and Lamia, as well as Actic, seemed bewildered and paused in their combat.

“Die!”

But after a moment, once the surrounding commotion jolted Mutuk back to reality, he lunged forward with his sword.

Yet he was barehanded.

He barely rolled away to avoid the oncoming assault from the charging animal.

“Kkhhh. I don’t know what kind of trick made Algul suddenly disappear, but that won’t change the outcome. Once the soldiers arrive here, it’s your end. Actic, what are you doing, leaving that as is?”

“…Don’t be arrogant, you—”

Gan. “How dare you give me orders?”

Mutuk, startled, stepped back, his pride seemingly wounded, but Actic ignored him and turned to look down at Lamia.

Among the Orcus, Actic was large, while Lamia, a regular human woman, seemed to be about 5 feet (1.5m) shorter than him.

Perhaps it was due to the several clashes of swords.

Lamia swallowed hard, holding a stiff face.

She did not know the reason for Algul’s disappearance or the identity of the golden tempest.

However, even if the most dangerous enemy had vanished through some miracle, the situation itself remained dire.

“How relaxed you are! Is there time to be distracted while fighting?”

Priegoss evaded Mutuk’s sharp attack, retreating.

Although he hadn’t learned martial arts, he seemed to possess natural strength and combat sense befitting one who had conquered the entire south.

As an ordinary human, even if he had been armed with a sword, it would have been easy to win with bare hands, but against Mutuk, who was even mounted, it felt challenging.

‘I wish I had a sword.’

If only he had a sword, he could defeat Mutuk within ten clashes, but even the last sword he had, shattered by Algul, was long gone.

Lamia was also struggling against Actic, so borrowing a sword was out of the question.

‘Then… I’ll dodge Mutuk’s attacks until the enemies arrive and snatch a weapon from their soldiers.’

Just as he thought this,

“AAAAH!”

Lamia’s scream pierced the air beside him.

Eventually, Lamia lost her sword to Actic’s onslaught of attacks.

Instead of dealing with Lamia, who had dropped her sword, Actic picked it up and began to swing it around carelessly.

“These tools made by humans are too big for you, but they are all of good quality.”

Considering Actic’s size, the sword looked like a toy, but with the velocity at which it was swung, it was hardly laughable.

“Now, how should I have fun with this succubus I’ve not seen in a while?”

Actic started to approach Lamia with a cruel grin.

“…Stay away!”

Lamia, having lost her weapon, seemed to have resigned herself as she shouted and retreated, which only made Actic laugh more.

In that instant, a black smoke erupted from Lamia’s shadow and charged towards Actic.

“You seem to be carrying around annoyances.”

“I never imagined I would see such monstrosities again.”

It was Ra Jin, the dark spirit contracted with Lamia.

“Dealing with spirits is what Orgini is best at. But in the end, it doesn’t matter; I can just tear that woman, the contractor, apart.”

“Do you think I’ll let that happen? Orcus.”

“Those who spout such trivial remarks have been dealt with by me for ages.”

Thanks to Ra Jin, the worst-case scenario of Lamia dying was avoided, but the situation remained grim.

Both armies were about to clash.

If luck was on his side, amidst the chaos, he might seize a weapon and behead Mutuk, and if shadows intertwined in disarray, Lamia could escape easily.

But ultimately, he and the soldiers who had fought alongside him would all meet the same fate.

‘…Unless a miracle occurs.’

Priegoss smiled bitterly.

The very fact that Algul had suddenly vanished was a significant miracle.

Even if they were to be defeated here, without that monster, they could have taken more companions with them.

Enough of these pointless thoughts.

The soldiers who had charged behind Mutuk had now arrived.

In a few seconds, hell would break loose here.

Priegoss steadied himself and prepared to minimize the collision.

Once he seized a weapon, he would have to fight until death.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble.

While the vibrations were not egregious, from the center of the shaking Earth, a gigantic flower bud made of soil began to rise.

“Uwahhh!”

“Uuuhhh!”

On either side of the battlefield, the clash of the armies was already punctuated by yells and the cries of pain, when suddenly a massive soil flower appeared at the center where Priegoss and Mutuk stood, causing both sides to recoil in shock.

As the flower bud slowly began to bloom, everyone watching the surreal situation relaxed a little and stepped back.

Thanks to this, a strange buffer zone had been created in the middle of the battlefield.

“Haah! Everyone’s so mean for leaving me all alone!”

Just then, emerging from the soil flower was a woman dressed in green who wielded a staff with both hands.

“…Lady Araya?”

In an instant, Priegoss muttered without realizing it, as he saw the woman’s form.

She was an elf with features reminiscent of Araya.

However, although she had a similar attire, she was much taller than Araya and exuded an impressive presence unlike Araya.

‘…She is not Lady Araya.’

After eight years without growth, there was no way someone who had not grown for half a year would grow this much.

‘…Is she a sister of Lady Araya who was said to be staying at the Grand Temple?’

“…Uwahhhhh…”

The elf who performed the miraculous feat of blooming a gigantic soil flower in the midst of the battlefield gazed around at the chaos from her elevated viewpoint, seemingly bewildered, and let out a sigh.

But soon, appearing to gather her thoughts, she slapped herself and clenched her fists.

“Em! Get a grip, Anart! It’s time to act according to the mission given by Mother!”

Then, having descended from the flower bud, Anart spotted Priegoss in the strange neutral zone she had created, where everyone was merely eyeing each other, and approached him.

“Um. Are you Priegoss?”

“…Yes, that’s me.”

“Heh… you don’t look too strange for a human. I’m Anart; I came as reinforcements, at the request of a person named Alia.”

“…Did Alia come?”

“Well, it’s a bit far from here, so it may take quite some time. Humans are slow. We were a little anxious about the situation, so we came first.”

“‘We?'”

Boom!

Suddenly, a colossal explosion reverberated from the left flank of the battlefield, and figures erupted forth.

Heavy Orcus were flung into the air like leaves.

“Seems Palas has made his move. Then I too must play my part.”

Anart’s eyes widened as she exhaled sharply.

“Is there perhaps an Orcus known as Actic or Bellator?”

At her words, the self-assured Actic emerged from the temporary lull following Anart’s sudden appearance.

“This is a first for me to see a race like yours. You seem different from humans—are you a native of this land? Beautiful indeed.”

“Oh my, thank you for the compliment. And what’s your name?”

“I’m Actic. You there, girl, can your belly bear offspring from a different race? No, it doesn’t matter. Even if not, I have no intention of letting you go.”

Actic held the sword he had taken from Lamia in both hands as he spoke.

“I would appreciate a bit of resistance if possible, for I enjoy the beautiful screams of lovely things.”

“…That’s fortunate. To be honest, I haven’t found it enjoyable to kill other lives, but at least it seems my guilt will diminish.”

“Eh?”

“Hold on tight. ‘Grandol'”

At the same moment as Anart’s words, two giant hands made of rock burst from the ground and seized Actic.

“Kraaaah!”

As Lamia looked up dumbfounded at the pained, screaming Actic, Anart approached her.

“Wow…”

“Is this your first time seeing a spirit? Did you come from the east?”

Lamia and Ra Jin looked at Anart, who was casually talking after swiftly subduing Actic in the middle of the battlefield, with expressions of disbelief.

“Oh. It seems that everyone on our side has arrived as well.”

Following Anart’s gaze towards the sky, Lamia and Priegoss also shifted their attention.

At the end of that gaze, elves in green clothing were landing all over the battlefield as if flying in from the air.

“Gruaaargh! Woman! I will not treat you gently!”

In the meantime, Actic, who had been bound by the earth spirit Grendol, broke free of his restraints with brute force and shouted.

“Ah… so it really isn’t going to be easy?”

Even at that sight, Anart scratched his head nonchalantly and spoke to Lamia.

“Your sister is looking for you. It seems she has something else to do, so you should join her over there.”

Anart casually said this while watching Actic, who was charging toward him with a roar, along with other Orcus drawn by that cry.

“It’s fine on this side now.”

◈ ◈ ◈

Belator was quite dissatisfied since coming to the west through the shadow magic acquired by his father, Algul.

Unlike the east, which is filled with strife where only the strong survive, the lives here were exceedingly weak.

For Belator, who longs for a contest with the strong, the west, filled only with minnows, was a very dull place.

But the succubi he encountered in a recent battle.

He had fought them even during his time in the east.

However, fundamentally, the incubus counterparts that go with them, the dream demons, were weak races unsuitable for battle.

They were women who merely resorted to petty tricks to evade danger.

However, the succubi he saw in the west after a long time were different from those of old.

As they wielded solid and sharp clubs with beautiful principles, they approached him, threatening him with hundreds or thousands of transformations.

It was an experience he had never encountered in over a thousand duels.

Still, in the end, he severed the entire left arm of the strongest woman among them.

But that wasn’t enough.

He wanted to use the methods of the clubs the succubi had used.

He had an instinct that by doing so, he could become stronger.

Thus, from the moment the armies clashed, Belator sought out the succubi.

Once the battle began, it was not difficult to find their positions.

They were beings that were undeniably inferior to him, far beyond the realm of weak humans or ordinary Orcus.

Wherever he looked upon the chaos of the battlefield, they were sure to be there.

As he roared to announce his presence and rushed toward those women, Belator’s instincts, honed through years of struggle and dueling, rang a warning.

The moment he raised his club, he felt a shock that made his entire arm tingle.

He couldn’t handle all of the impact, and as a result, he experienced tinnitus.

“You have good instincts, beast.”

Stepping back a few paces from the shock, Belator looked at the figure that suddenly appeared before him.

Wearing green clothes, with golden hair flowing down to her waist, she looked at him with a tranquil expression.

She was a being that exuded an overwhelming presence even amidst the intertwining forms on the battlefield.

Belator felt instinctively that she was stronger than any being he had fought until now.

“…Who are you?”

“El Palas. No need to remember me. I don’t like meaningless things.”

◈ ◈ ◈

“…What is going on?”

Orgin, positioned at the very rear of the battlefield, frowned at the sudden disappearance of his father, Algul.

However, he did not panic significantly and continued to chant incantations while striking the iron bars.

He and Algul were beings bound by blood.

As long as he did not die, they were connected by their souls.

‘…Dying like that isn’t too bad, though.’

If Algul were to die, he, being the only shaman of the clan, would become the leader of the Orcus.

However, regrettably, tracing the connection of souls, he sensed Algul’s presence not far north from here.

“But what could be the reason for such a sudden departure in this situation?”

This battle was one Algul personally undertook to avoid the annoyance stemming from the incompetence of the human Mutuk.

He must have wanted to finish it quickly from the start, so why would he make such a whimsical decision?

Orgin sighed.

“Even so, since he went out himself, this matter must be concluded properly.”

Although he was Algul’s child, Orgin was a true Einherjar and, compared to Algul, who had killed the creator to take blood and flesh, he was nothing more than an ordinary and inferior Orcus.

He was merely a child created for utility, and it was certain that there was no such denial for Orcus.

Compared to other Orcus, there was some affection, but if he failed to prove his usefulness and disappointed them, he could be disposed of at any time.

Orgin began to strike the ground with his iron bars while rolling his skull rosary with one hand, chanting incantations.

“Heh… what a unique system. Is it true that the east has many ritual systems based on collective communities?”

Startled by the suddenly playful voice of a woman, Orgin turned to see where the voice was originating from.

“Hello? You must be Orgin, right? I’m El Saraswati. Nice to meet you. Oh, but now we’re about to kill each other, so it’s a bit awkward to say I’m glad to meet you.”

There was a beautiful woman looking down at him calmly from the sky.

◈ ◈ ◈

‘What on earth has happened?’

Algul wore a rare serious expression.

As he swung the iron bars to sever Priegoss’s command, a golden gust of wind suddenly blocked his way.

In that instant, what he saw was an astonishingly beautiful boy.

And at the same time, as the Einherjar of Bruwon Krishaka, who had absorbed some of his power, he felt an incomprehensible and grand principle surrounding both him and that boy—something he could hardly fathom.

The world became distorted, and when it restored itself back to normal, he had moved to a position quite far from where he originally was on the battlefield.

“…Who are you?”

Algul looked at the beautiful boy wrapped in radiant golden light approaching him and spoke.

“While it is unpleasant for a virtuous person like me to converse with a brat who has devoured my father, I cannot ignore the words of one leading a whole clan.”

The sharply spoken boy drew forth a sharp club made of solid stone, which the humans around here used as a sword.

“I am El Araya. Invader.”

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