Chapter 307: Skirmish (2) |
The Immortal Fortress, located deep within the Northern Mountains, now Auterica's most forbidden zone, a fortress of death, practically the Demon King's lair.
A woman, busily moving about within the fortress, suddenly sighed.
“What’s happening now?”
She was Siana, a succubus from the demon world, a valuable asset who had inadvertently become a high-ranking executive of the Immortal Army.
She stopped in her tracks, looking around, and then sighed again.
The Immortal Fortress was currently in a state of disarray.
Their ruler, the Immortal King, had departed with the army's elite forces, leaving…
…a power vacuum that resulted in an increased workload for the remaining executives.
‘Olivia is also on some mission, nowhere to be seen. And with the others gone, the work keeps piling up!’
It was practically an empty house compared to usual.
If the hero party attacked now, they would be vulnerable… but Siana wasn't particularly concerned.
‘There are plenty of expendable pawns. If it comes to that, I’ll just grab the important stuff and run.’
The Immortal Fortress was more of a symbolic structure than a strategically important one.
As long as the Immortal King was safe, they could always rebuild it.
But she still had to fulfill her duties to avoid being reprimanded by the King upon his return.
‘How did I end up like this?’
She shook her head, managing to suppress her sigh this time.
Having a handsome and charismatic boss wasn’t bad, but she was dissatisfied with the lack of progress towards her personal goals. She had been too focused on the Immortal Army’s affairs.
‘I thought I could find it with their help… Where is it?’
She had joined Heaven’s Turn Society, a secret organization, for a reason.
The Revolutionary had approached her first, but she had agreed because she had her own agenda.
She had asked Olivia, the head of intelligence, for help, but seeing her constantly busy with work, she couldn't bring herself to press the issue.
How could she ask for more when Olivia was already working tirelessly, with barely any time to rest?
“Argh! This is annoying! I’ll just finish my work and then go relieve some stress.”
She grumbled to herself and then resumed her brisk walk.
It was only thanks to her stress reliever, former Crown Prince Simon, that she could endure this. Without him, she would have lost her patience long ago.
‘I should have just gone with them. I could have had some fun rampaging.’
Even though she wasn’t a combat specialist, Siana’s abilities weren't insignificant.
She was confident she could be more helpful than most of the other executives.
But the Immortal King Hans had his reasons for leaving her behind.
Deep within the Northern Mountains, in a remote corner of the Ion Continent,
A fierce battle was unfolding, a life-or-death struggle for the undead.
_______________________
Kaboom—!
A deafening roar shook the heavens and earth, and a fierce gale, strong enough to uproot trees, swept through the area.
Two opposing forces clashed repeatedly, flashes of light and thunder echoing through the mountains.
The battle had barely begun, but the surrounding landscape was already devastated beyond repair.
It was fortunate that this was a remote mountain area. If this had happened in a populated area, an entire city would have been destroyed.
But amidst the chaos, Hans remained unfazed, his gaze fixed on his opponent, the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society.
Even though he didn’t have actual eyes.
“So, that’s why you’re so confident. You’ve definitely gotten stronger since we last met in Japan.”
[“Kuhut, you seem weaker than before. Try harder.”]
“…Hmph, if you insist.”
Both the Master and Hans weren’t typical martial artists, so their battle was strangely static yet incredibly flashy.
Their auras clashed, their domains expanding and encroaching on each other, like a game of territorial conquest.
Rumble—
Flash!
The arrogant angel’s sunset-colored energy, radiating from its massive wings, devoured the black darkness, while the wicked Demon King’s abyssal darkness, flickering and shifting, consumed the reddish light.
It was like the primordial chaos of creation myths, a clash of light and darkness, a battle so far removed from human comprehension that even those who craved power could only watch in awe.
‘…I’m losing ground. I wouldn’t have lasted this long without my executives’ support.’
And amidst this chaotic spectacle, akin to a natural disaster,
Hans’s elite undead forces, carefully selected for this battle, were being decimated.
[“Kyaaa—!”]
[“Scatter! Don’t get caught in the blast! Focus!”]
[“Spell formation complete. Coordinate analysis complete. Magic amplification complete. Activating.”]
Despite the devastating storm that tore through space and the relentless barrage of holy power, they bravely threw themselves into the fray, creating even the smallest openings for their King, following his orders without hesitation.
When he had clashed with the Master in Japan, he had been trapped in the enemy's domain, a separate dimension, constantly bombarded by spatial distortions…
‘…This is much better.’
Of course, there were many factors contributing to the difference, like his preparations and the location… but the support of his subordinates was also a significant factor.
Undead had clear weaknesses due to their nature… but they also had their advantages.
They didn’t fear death, they didn’t tire, they didn’t need sustenance, and—.
Thump—
The death that permeated the area pulsed, resonating with the scattered fragments of undead.
Swish—
Swish—!
The remnants, already filled with death, began to coalesce, reforming their bodies.
Undead who had been completely shattered, their bodies beyond recovery, returned to their original forms, their missing parts replaced by pre-prepared materials.
As if rewinding time.
It was a forbidden technique, possible only for the Immortal King, the ruler of death, and his undead servants, who defied death itself.
‘It only works if a part of their body remains, though.’
That’s why, despite his constant efforts to revive them, the number of permanently destroyed undead was steadily increasing.
He had been trying to prevent their complete annihilation by using his abyssal death magic…
“Huu, they’re as resilient as cockroaches.”
…But his opponent wasn’t a fool.
A pillar of light, tearing through the sky, suddenly descended upon the group of Liches gathered in the rear.
Kaboom—!
A pillar of light, its size suggesting a carefully prepared attack, descended from the sky.
The fate of the undead caught in its path was obvious.
Even Arch-Lich Kellypa, one of the high-ranking executives, was among them, but Hans felt no regret.
‘Sacrifices are inevitable.’
Achieving his objective was the priority.
He quickly seized the opportunity, his energy surging, momentarily sealing the Master’s movements.
[“Koooo—!”]
[“Kyaaa—!”]
And at the same time, two black beams of light shot down from the sky.
Rumble—!
Death Breath, unleashed from the Bone Dragons Entracio and Heratos.
The concentrated essence of destruction, imbued with a massive amount of death energy, engulfed the Master, slamming into the ground where he had been standing.
“…Tsk, damn it.”
But even that large-scale attack, carrying an immense amount of energy, didn’t inflict significant damage.
Whoosh—
A powerful gust of wind dispersed the dust and debris, and…
…the Master, unfurling his massive white wings, shook off the black remnants of death that clung to him, like dust.
As if it was nothing.
‘…Not enough, huh?’
Even with his weakened power, the advantage of elemental opposition couldn’t be ignored.
The Master, despite wielding the power of a foreign god, was still a user of holy power, so he should be vulnerable to death energy.
‘But this attack wasn’t just about destructive power.’
The dense death energy contained within the Death Breath had permeated the surrounding area, contaminating it with a black, viscous energy.
The battlefield had become more favorable to Hans.
“This is… interesting.”
As the battle resumed, its intensity escalating,
After exchanging several blows, the Master, having triggered a landslide by destroying a distant mountain peak, spoke, his strange, androgynous voice filled with curiosity.
“You seem to have been prepared. How did you know I was coming? Or was this your base of operations?”
It was a valid question, from his perspective.
He had infiltrated this world silently, without any noticeable presence or disturbance, after tearing through the abyssal seal.
It was probably a technique he had honed while traveling between dimensions.
But he had been detected almost immediately upon entering Auterica.
‘…And it’s rare for someone to be greeted by such a large force, fully prepared for battle.’
Judging by his words, it seemed like it was his first time experiencing such a situation.
Well… How could he have anticipated that not only would the Saintess, blessed by the Main God, sense his intrusion, but also that all factions, regardless of their allegiance, would be prepared to confront him?
[“Puh— Well? I just happened to be out hunting and stumbled upon you. I was quite lucky.”]
But Hans had no intention of answering his question.
He chuckled, spreading his arms wide.
“…Tsk, whatever. I’m getting used to this world’s restrictions. Let’s end this.”
The Master, seemingly annoyed by his dismissive attitude, unleashed his power, the pressure emanating from him intensifying.
Goooo—
It wasn't a big deal for Hans, but the oppressive presence was taking its toll on his undead subordinates, who had been pushed to their limits.
Almost a third of his forces had been completely annihilated, beyond resurrection, and most of the others had been revived multiple times, their bodies weakened and their movements sluggish.
Even Heratos, one of the Bone Dragons, had been critically damaged, forced to retreat into Hans’s heart for emergency repairs.
Considering that most of them were elite veterans who had survived the Great War, the losses were significant.
If they suffered any more casualties, the very existence of the ‘Immortal Army’ would be threatened.
In that dire situation—.
‘Let’s see… At this level…’
Immortal King Hans calmly assessed his opponent with 「Abyssal Eye」.
He couldn’t gather detailed information due to the difference in their levels, but it was enough to gauge his opponent’s current condition.
‘…Good. He’s definitely not at his best. His regeneration rate has decreased significantly. He seems quite exhausted.’
It was a natural consequence.
He had thrown everything he had at him.
And Hans himself had suffered more damage than when Heinrich had pierced his heart with the holy sword.
Of course, if this continued, he would eventually lose… but there was no need to push it that far.
[“You seem impatient. Why don’t we have a little chat?”]
“Ha! Don’t make me laugh. Now?”
[“Kkuk kuk— Well, I won’t force you if you don’t want to. I’ve kept you occupied for long enough.”]
It was a loaded statement.
The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society’s eyes narrowed, as if sensing something amiss.
He seemed displeased.
Whoosh—
And then, accompanied by a sudden gust of wind, the scattered undead and their remains transformed into black smoke and were drawn into Hans’s body.
An emergency retrieval spell, designed for undead, usable only by him.
“Trying to escape again?”
[“Escape… you say?”]
“I told you. I’ll finish what I started on Earth, right here. You think you can escape me again?”
As he finished speaking, a strange energy began to seal off the surrounding space.
It wasn't complete yet, due to the lingering death energy, but it was only a matter of time before he was trapped.
And it seemed like he had anticipated Hans’s previous ‘Dismissal’, as the containment was much more thorough than before.
[“Kkuk kuk— It seems you’ve misunderstood.”]
But there was one thing he needed to correct.
This wasn’t an escape.
It was…
「Avatar Assembly」
…just a brief intermission, since he had other guests waiting.
A considerate gesture for a busy modern man.
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