Chapter 365: Fugitives, Usurpers (4)
Teams blocked by the wall of souls each tried their own methods to break through. Naturally, most were simple and crude approaches.
“A dragon really isn’t an ordinary monster.”
“It has reached the apex of both physical and magical prowess—truly a monster among monsters.”
The knights in summoner Ricardo’s team confirmed the wall visible in the distance. These were the ones who had taken the left path at the fork.
-An impenetrable wall blocked the way. Even throwing our bodies at it only bounced us back.
They had received a heads-up from the team that had taken the right fork first.
“His Majesty overcame every obstacle through courage and strength. Though I cannot compare to him, if we pool our efforts, we can at least imitate him.”
The knights had torn a mining log from somewhere along the way. Having spent long periods as wanderers, they were skilled with their hands. Using simple tools, they had converted it into a temporary battering ram.
“Knights. That is a magical barrier—force won’t work. Perhaps we should try something else…”
Ricardo, the plant summoner, advised, but the knights shook their heads.
“In the past, I would have followed that advice, but I have received a great revelation from His Majesty.”
“Yes?”
“That if force doesn’t work, it simply means insufficient force. If an individual’s headbutt won’t open it, the answer is for everyone to combine their strength and charge together. Isn’t that how His Majesty overcame countless obstacles?”
If Eugene had heard this, he would have been both exasperated and indignant. The man who, at crucial moments, relied on force but otherwise schemed endlessly to balance costs and benefits.
“Haaaaah!”
“Chaaaaarge!”
The knights and squires surged forward, ramming the log into the wall of souls.
Shluk.
“Gah!”
“Wh-what?!”
The log passed straight through the wall of souls, and the charging knights all lost their balance. Naturally, the knights and squires were filtered through like a sieve.
They crushed and collided with each other in a painful pile. Fortunately, their armor and trained bodies prevented any deaths or serious injuries.
“Oof.”
Summoner Ricardo sighed and covered his face.
Meanwhile, another team attempted a more scientific approach.
Woof! Woof!
“There, good boy.”
A squire patted the war dog he had trained with for four years.
“Look for gaps to pass through, or hidden passages. Or any weaknesses you sense.”
People believed dogs were spiritually sensitive beyond just their sense of smell. When death approached and the Grim Reaper came, the dog would bark at it, granting a brief moment to say goodbye.
Poor lords or mercenary companies who couldn’t easily summon mages often used war dogs for spiritual matters.
“If you succeed, I’ll give you your fill of this.”
Showing the dog something resembling guanciale—smoked meat—the war dog wagged its tail furiously. It was bugbear meat they had processed on the way to the dryad village.
-Your Majesty. Even if it’s not meant for human consumption…
-If it’s not for humans, what’s the problem?
-It looks too much like that. I’m worried about unflattering rumors about Your Majesty.
-But it seems wasteful to just throw it away?
After ordering the bugbear to be smoked, Eugene was distributing it as dog food. The rich umami of fat combined with the smoky aroma was like drugs to the dogs. Offering this as a reward ensured they would follow orders with absolute devotion.
Sniff sniff sniff.
The war dog advanced, sniffing thoroughly.
The problem was that not all walls of souls harbored peaceful intentions. There were also walls of evil spirits with a higher concentration of lizardman souls.
As monsters, the solidity of their souls was far inferior to intelligent species like dwarves. Few lizardmen had persisted as poltergeists to the present day, but the number that had originally attacked was large. Thus, some walls were extremely dangerous.
“Ulpi! Come back!”
A squire shouted upon seeing the wall near the war dog distort. But the dog, as always, had its nose to the ground, focusing most of its attention on smell.
A massive lizard snout burst from the translucent wall—large enough to swallow even a large dog in one bite.
Rrrip!
The bitten war dog was lifted into the air. Wearing anti-bite armor, it avoided instant death, but blood streamed from its mouth under the crushing pressure.
“Ulpi!”
“It’s too late! Fall back!”
A knight urgently restrained the squire trying to rush out.
Drrrr…
The war dog, gazing pitifully at its master, soon drew its last breath. The evil spirit’s mouth, having savored the life force drained through pain and terror, retreated into the wall.
In its final moment, the knights clearly saw the corner of the evil spirit’s mouth curl upward.
“You damn—!”
“Use holy water.”
The knights were enraged by the evil entity’s mockery. All of them were followers of the Banas faith, each carrying a precious bottle of holy water.
But they didn’t need to use it. A far more potent remedy had just been deployed.
Suddenly, the wall of souls began to convulse. The maw of the evil spirit that had just bitten the dog protruded, then holes tore through from all directions and it disintegrated.
[Good fortune to the heroes’ path.]
Vague forms emerged from the wall of souls, gazing at the knights. Small but sturdy dwarven warrior spirits. They soon dissolved into a wisp of smoke and ascended.
“Did you all see that?”
“What was that?”
Before the opened passage, the knights and squires turned to the summoners.
“Lord Summoner?”
“I-I don’t know either.”
But even he couldn’t understand what was happening.
*
“My lady.”
The knights knelt before Valda.
This was not merely for clearing the wall of souls. They had witnessed the divine right of kings—something they had only known conceptually—manifested as a clear实体.
The knights present had attended many banquets and events, socializing with nobles. They all called themselves “noble blood,” but…
They had never once seen noble blood itself accomplish something. People were moved only by the power and wealth that nobles possessed.
But the knights had witnessed it today. Before truly noble blood, the world itself submitted.
“Well then, shall we go?”
Eugene led, and the knights, filled with a sense of fulfillment, followed. At the same time, those in other passages where obstacles had vanished also resumed their advance.
“Another fork?”
“It can’t be the right path again, surely?”
The seven teams of knights deliberated. At the previous two forks, they had gone left and returned empty-handed before breaking through the right path.
“Surely not the right path three times in a row?”
“Assumptions can be deadly.”
“Hmm…”
They all held their heads like boys and girls worrying over a future desk problem. Fortunately, there was now someone who could tell them the answer.
[……]
An ancient dwarven warrior spirit appeared, slowly pointed right, and then ascended.
“Thank you!”
The knights made the sign of the holy cross and headed right.
“Wait! Can we really trust this?”
“Would it lie? As a fellow warrior, I can sense that the guardian spirit just now was pure.”
“That’s why I tell you not to just swing your sword but also attend services to strengthen your faith. At crossroads like this, you can choose the truly correct path.”
Declan, the skeptical knight, bristled at being called faithless for merely suggesting they play it safe.
“No, I’m saying we should be careful!”
“Sir Declan. Deceit and pretense require a physical body as a tool. For a being that is only a soul, lying is extremely difficult. It’s like trying to cheat at dice with hands that have rotted to bone—everything falls apart, making it easy to spot.”
The summoner accompanying the seventh team explained in terms even a blockhead could understand.
[……]
“Thank you! Ancient warrior!”
Throughout, dwarven warrior spirits guided them toward the dragon’s location.
“So you’ve come too?”
“The blocked passage suddenly opened up.”
The knight groups that had been searching separately began to converge one by one. Eventually, the lead group discovered what they had been hunting.
“It’s the dragon!”
“You pest! Today is your day of judgment!”
“But what is that?”
Between the knights and the dragon stood a final defensive line—a massive wall of evil spirits. Unlike those they had encountered before, this was composed entirely of lizardman souls.
[Shaaaaah—.]
[Kyaah—.]
[Kyarrrrr—.]
Moreover, its density was so great that one couldn’t guess how many layers deep it went.
The wall, writhing with nauseating intensity, resembled a gas giant’s atmosphere. Approaching meant instant death—truly similar.
Woof woof!
Grrr!
War dogs from each team barked frantically. The wall of evil spirits responded with amusement.
Without even getting close, more than ten—not one or two—lizard heads burst forth.
Snap!
Each time the jaws snapped shut like a crocodile’s, spiritual sparks flew, threatening the knights. If bitten there, even armor wouldn’t save them.
The intimidated war dogs immediately dropped their tails and hid behind their masters.
“Approaching rashly is dangerous.”
“Summoner! Quickly, think of something!”
The knights, bruised from charging with a log, sought the summoners first.
But summoners weren’t omnipotent. Each excelled in their specialized field; their role elsewhere was primarily advisory.
“Lord Henrik.”
“Your technique is most appropriate.”
The summoners focused their gaze in one direction.
“I… I’m not sure I should step forward…”
To counter evil, one needed evil. The most appropriate method to break the wall of evil spirits was, of course, necromancy.
But necromancy was a spell that could easily get one branded as a heretical mage. With so many knights staring brightly, it was difficult to use.
“I have no choice. I’ll try.”
A trapper summoner who wielded the souls of beasts stepped forward.
The lizardman souls had lingered as poltergeists for so long that even the minimum of rationality had been destroyed. If so, their instincts as lizards would remain intensely strong.
[Piiiyoorrr—!]
A clear cry rang out as a spirit in the form of a great hawk appeared. A mountain god-like existence—the condensed spirit of forest and mountain.
“Go! Drive away the prey that dares stand in your path!”
The trapper pointed at the wall of evil spirits. The plan was to stimulate the lizards’ primal fear of raptors to drive them away.
The problem was that behind the wall of evil spirits, just as there was a trapper behind the hawk spirit, there was a dragon.
SKRAAAH!!!!!!
A roar filled with the tyrant’s mystique. The hawk spirit, exposed to it, couldn’t last even a second before being forcibly de-summoned.
“…Is this the answer?”
“Lord Summoner?”
‘Damn these blockhead knights.’
The trapper glared at the knights who looked at him with bewildered expressions. After seeing Alzhar’s giant golem, the knights’ expectations of summoners had skyrocketed.
‘Damn it. Alzhar used up all the mandrakes—what do I do?’
The trapper had every right to feel wronged. If he could use top-quality catalysts like Alzhar had, he could certainly break through such a wall too.
“So many have already arrived.”
“Your Majesty!”
Fortunately, with Eugene’s arrival, the attention directed at the trapper disappeared.
“Look! The dragon is there!”
“I know. They’ve been guiding us all along.”
As expected, VIPs received different treatment. Before Eugene and Valda, vivid spirits guided the way.
“The spirits we encountered simply told us the way and immediately ascended.”
“I heard that on the way too. These friends aren’t leaving because they still have a final duty to fulfill.”
Eugene pointed at the extremely dense barrier.
“They will destroy that and open the way.”
The ancient spirits alternated glances between the dragon and the wall of evil spirits.
The former—their archenemy—was something they couldn’t do anything about. But the latter, they were determined to destroy to support their benefactors.
The summoners reacted immediately.
“But Your Majesty, to shatter evil spirits of that mass would require enormous energy. If these spirits charge that wall…”
“It would mean mutual annihilation. And even then, the wall might not fall. It’s very regrettable.”
The spirits were already heading toward the wall of evil spirits. Eugene spread his arms to block their path.
[Great King. Step aside.]
“I will not. You will fight with us in more important battles to come.”
Eugene drew the Agony of the King.
Kwaaaaa!
The Aether-forged sword was enveloped in brilliant white light. The holy radiance illuminated the underground cavern, and the knights felt an indescribable warmth.
“I won’t need to use it twice today. I’ll tear it open with this one strike.”
The Aether-forged sword resonated and trembled. An ordinary weapon would have been destroyed by the massive holy power, but a divine sword like the Agony of the King could withstand it sufficiently.
Just being bathed in the sacred brilliance caused the wall of evil spirits to thrash wildly—like a slug hit with salt.
Shweeeaaak!
A mass of light, propelled by tremendous force, struck the wall of evil spirits head-on.
[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]
Three lizard snouts immediately burst forth and crumbled to dust.
And another.
Another.
Another.
The snouts, twisted in agony, dislodged one after another and disintegrated.
“The wall is thinning!”
With each strike, the dragon hidden behind the wall became more and more visible.
Kwaching!
The moment the last wall of evil spirits collapsed, the dragon charged. Now there was no choice but to fight. The advantage of the first strike had to be seized at all costs.
*
But the subjugation force was also fully prepared.
“Fire!”
Vindicator ballistas positioned in the rear fired giant bolts in unison.
The dragon, exhausted from continuous pursuit, couldn’t achieve the same high-intensity hardening as the initial clash. Though they couldn’t penetrate, massive shock seeped inward.
“It’s coming!”
“Block it! Block it with your lives!”
The dragon tried to crush the artillery through the pain, but knights who were prepared to die stood in its way. A knightly force wielding weapons imbued with various mystiques and pouring out one-man-army fighting spirit. The dragon had no choice but to abandon its charge.
Shweeeaaak!
Shwaak!
Seizing the opening, Eugene and Homi launched a surprise javelin attack. Since the javelins weren’t imbued with magical power, the dragon was slow to respond.
Grrrrruuu—!
The dragon’s left leg buckled, its massive body tilting. Two javelins had struck its knee.
Eugene’s javelin pierced through from the left to the right side of the knee, while Homi’s lodged shallowly and dangled. But even that was a tremendous feat.
“Gabil Khazad (Great Dwarf)!”
Eugene raised Blackout toward the dragon and shouted. Having spent long periods with the Hammer Brothers, he had learned a significant portion of their language.
[Khazad ai-menu (Dwarves, charge)!]
[The Great King leads us!]
The ancient dwarven spirits answered with a roar.
Being forgiven by the elven royal family and fighting alongside the great king—the correct path they should have chosen long ago had once again unfolded before the spirits.
In an eternity of regret, the single chance given could never be lost.
“They’re growing?”
The knights marveled at the dwarven spirits, who had grown to about two and a half meters.
“It’s the mystique of gigantification.”
“The lizardman evil spirits clustered their spirit energy to form giant snouts—why wouldn’t they be able to do the same?”
The summoners sensed that every dwarf soul in the underground city had flowed here to lend its strength.
The gigantified dwarf spirits charged at the dragon with axes, hammers, and spears.
“Support our allies!”
Giant bolts flew from behind. Still unable to pierce the hide, they provided stiffening that aided the dwarven spirits’ attacks. Axes and hammers infused with spirit energy were not things the dragon could ignore.
But the opponent was still the strongest creature.
“Oh no!”
The knights sighed.
A brave dwarven spirit had been caught by the dragon. Its savage hands grabbed the spirit’s upper and lower body, pulling in the air.
Shluuuuah.
Blue-white spirit energy poured out like mist instead of blood, and the spirit ascended. Visually brutal, but it had fought honorably on the battlefield it had so desperately longed for.
“Restrict its movement!”
“The left leg! Target the left leg!”
“Lord Summoners! We’re ready!”
The knights and summoners launched a coordinated attack.
Rope lassos thrown by the knights targeted the dragon’s left leg—the area already severely hampered by the knee injury. Spirits guided the lassos, and several found their mark.
Since spirit control couldn’t be perfect, some ropes wrapped around the neck instead.
“There!”
“There, what! Let go immediately, you idiots!”
Young knights enthusiastically hung onto the ropes around the neck, but older knights restrained them. Though the neck was a vital spot, the pulling force was on a different level.
Boooom!
As expected?
“Aaaargh!”
“Uwaaah!”
The dragon shook its head, sending five knights flying like orbiting satellites.
“Pull!”
Seizing the opening, the knights gripping the left leg’s ropes poured their strength. The force of dozens of knights concentrated on the wound in the knee created by two javelins.
AAARRRGGG!!!
The dragon, locked in a struggle, collapsed as its cruciate ligaments and meniscus tore. For the first time in its life, it had face-planted during combat.
Sensing death approaching, the dragon squeezed out its final strength—a power it was reluctant to use because it caused significant damage to itself too.
Its grayish hide turned red and began to glow. The intent was to draw out all the heat contained in the dragon’s blood and release it in all directions.
“It’s dangerous! Dodge!”
“If we get caught in this, it’s over!”
Summoners who detected the countless fire spirits infesting the hide warned.
The dragon had retreated to the underground city partly because it was its lair, but also because its secret weapon could发挥 maximum power there.
With an explosion, a storm of fire crashed like a tsunami. But the heat couldn’t harm a single warrior.
[You shall not pass.]
The dwarf spirits united and became a wall of souls. The flames, flickering like snakes, couldn’t pass through the barrier at all.
Having expended too much energy, the weakened dragon lowered its head. The exhausted dwarf spirits also began ascending one by one.
[Long live the king.]
[Long live the queen.]
As they faded, they looked at Eugene and Valda and bid their farewell.
“You fought honorably. Rest in peace.”
Eugene charged, Blackout raised high.
“The dragon is trying to flee!”
“Charge with His Majesty!”
“But—the heat…”
The knights tried to follow but couldn’t go far. The residual heat on the ground and in the air threatened to burn them.
But no inferno could stand against Eugene alone. The dragon saw a vision of its own kind in Eugene, who was dyed red just as it was.
Shkk!
The dragon’s forepaw was cleaved in two. Blood gushed from the severed claw, drenching Eugene, but he didn’t flinch.
The massive axe, held in reverse, slammed into the dragon’s right knee.
Kchak!
The large spike replacing the axe blade pierced the dragon’s knee mercilessly. With a single scream, both knees destroyed, the dragon toppled forward.
The dragon trembled at the weight of Eugene stepping on it as he climbed. But it was too weakened to throw him off.
Of course, to Eugene, even this was an annoying struggle.
Wham!!!
The dragon’s fifth thoracic vertebra snapped.
Wham!!!
Then the third thoracic vertebra.
Wham!!!
Then two cervical vertebrae broke simultaneously.
Boom!
With its chin on the ground, the dragon felt Eugene standing on the back of its head.
In its fading vision and consciousness, the dragon—no, Eugene—gave up resisting death. The savage eyes that had drenched the world in fear slowly closed.
The dragon heard the victorious roar filling the cavern. Immediately after, it felt the fierce thunder boring into its brain.