Elkein’s face twisted horribly.
“I-it’s over.”
Already, the Death Knight that had run rampant was approaching from the front, its eyes gleaming. He had not been confident of handling that one alone, and with the Dullahan blocking his rear as well, there was no chance of victory whatsoever.
Clang.
He threw away his sword and closed his eyes. Since there was no point in resisting any longer, he had resolved to meet his end cleanly. But the Death Knight did not simply leave Elkein be.
Thud.
With the heavy sound of a blow, his consciousness plunged into a dark abyss. Elkein’s sturdy body collapsed limply, and the Death Knight appeared, lowering its sword.
“Ugh…”
Elkein opened his eyes, feeling a faint pain radiating from his head. His head throbbed fiercely and he could not move his body, but he soon regained his reason. The fact that he could feel pain was proof that he was not yet dead.
“I… I’m alive?”
Elkein, his mind suddenly snapping awake, hurriedly looked around. The situation from before he lost consciousness had finally returned to him. His face twisted horribly. The scene around him did not deviate from his expectations in the slightest.
The first thing he saw was his subordinates, bound in a row like a string of dried croakers. With Walter at the head, the paladins and trainee knights were tied to the wall in a line, and at the very end was Sarina. Seeing that she was firmly bound to a chair, it was clear she could not move either.
He quickly checked the condition of his subordinates.
“A blessing amid misfortune.”
Fortunately, no one seemed to be dead. Though every one of them was injured and grimacing.
“Have you awakened?”
Walter, tied beside him, spoke. Seeing the blood caked thickly on his head, it seemed he had been dealt with rather harshly. Elkein’s gaze fixed on Walter’s face.
“How long was I unconscious?”
“I’m not sure either. When I woke after passing out, everyone was already tied up like this.”
“Then we’ve become the necromancer’s prisoners?”
“It seems so.”
Deep despair appeared on Elkein’s face. To think that, as an honorable knight, he had become the prisoner of a mere necromancer… To Elkein, this was an outcome worse than dying in battle. But there was nothing to be done. The force commanded by the necromancer was powerful beyond imagination.
“To think there was a necromancer this strong in Arcadia…”
This time his gaze turned to Sarina. She, too, looked extremely haggard. Unable to abandon a single thread of hope, Elkein asked a question.
“Sarina. Can you use magic?”
Sarina’s expression hardened as she shook her head. A magic circle had already been drawn around her to interfere with the gathering of mana.
“It’s impossible. I’ve tried several times already, but I can’t gather even the smallest trace of mana.”
“Astonishing. To think he subdued Sarina with his skill…”
At those words, Sarina whipped her head around.
“He is absolutely not a 4th Circle Expert. The Upset he used on me is a high-level spell of at least the 5th Circle or higher… No, even without that, it’s the same. You can tell just by the level at which he fired his Magic Missiles. Judging from the situation, there’s a strong possibility he is at minimum a 7th Circle mage, and in the worst case, an archmage surpassing the 8th Circle. I’d very much like to know from whose mouth the words ‘4th Circle Expert’ came.”
Something like madness blazed in her eyes. It was pure rage directed at the necromancer. In truth, it was understandable.
After losing consciousness for a moment and coming to, something shocking had happened to her. The necromancer had been staring fixedly at her thighs. And drooling all the while, no less. Since she had been hanging upside down, Sarina had no choice but to hurriedly push down her skirt and scream.
“Kyaaaak!”
With an expression of deep regret, the necromancer smacked his lips and stood up.
“That was truly quite a show.”
When he gestured with his hand, the Death Knight approached her. The creature slung her over its shoulder and began walking somewhere.
Recalling what had happened moments before, Sarina ground her teeth and continued speaking.
“The Death Knight carried me into this room and tied me to a chair. After a little while, the Dullahan brought the unconscious knights in one by one and tied them to the wall. Sir Elkein was brought in last.”
“What on earth is he scheming?”
Elkein and the other members of the punitive force had to rack their brains over the necromancer’s intentions. They had already been stripped of all their weapons, and even Sarina could not use magic at all. In the truest sense, they had been completely suppressed. If the necromancer so wished, not one of them would survive. Thus, they had no choice but to wait for the fate that approached them moment by moment. The knights of the punitive force waited for their end in utter tedium. After a long period of waiting, the door finally opened.
Clack.
The one who appeared was, unexpectedly, an old mage with an ordinary appearance. Of course, Sarina could tell at a glance that he was an evil necromancer. Looking over each of their faces, Damon let out a low, strange laugh.
“Kekeke. You must have waited quite a while. I had things to prepare, so I was unavoidably delayed. My apologies.”
At those words, flames of fury flared in Sarina’s eyes.
“You evil bastard. How dare you, my, my…”
No matter how battle-hardened a war sorceress she was, her nature as a woman remained undeniable. Sarina could not bring herself to say the rest and only panted with rage. Though he knew perfectly well what she meant, Damon feigned ignorance.
“What did I do?”
“You rotten son of a bitch! You sea squirt, sea anemone, mangy orc’s tail of a bastard. If I ever get free, I’ll tear you to pieces and kill you!”
As Sarina’s tone grew rougher and rougher, Damon’s brows furrowed. Of course, being cursed at by a woman was unpleasant for anyone. For Damon, who had once been an absolute being, it was utterly intolerable. A cold air settled over his face.
“If you curse at me one more time, I’ll teach you a proper lesson.”
“A lesson? How are you going to teach me a lesson? At best, all a bastard like you can do is kill me, isn’t it? Why don’t you try? I’m not afraid of death in the slightest.”
Sarina paid him no mind and continued hurling abuse. Seeing her act so rudely toward an old man of considerable age, one could tell her temper was no ordinary thing. But Damon was already well experienced in such matters. In other words, he knew precisely what sort of threat would strike home. He turned his head toward Winslet, who stood behind him.
“Winslet. Strip that woman naked at once and hang her upside down. They must have been bored waiting, so we should at least give those fellows something to feast their eyes on.”
At those words, Sarina’s face turned deathly blue. What woman would want to show her naked body to comrades who had eaten from the same pot, and trainee knights who were her subordinates at that?
Of course, Damon’s actions were contrived from beginning to end. The Dullahan was an undead that moved by spiritual command, so there was no need to issue orders aloud as he did now. It would move exactly as he thought. Still, as if the meaning had been fully conveyed, Winslet lumbered toward Sarina. Seeing Winslet’s hideous form, Sarina had no choice but to scream once again.
“Kyaaak! Save me!”
Watching that, Elkein gave a bitter smile. With his extensive experience, he had grasped to some extent the playfulness in their opponent’s behavior.
“Stop. If I ask it of her, she will no longer insult you.”
Damon’s gaze turned to Elkein’s face.
“Are you the commander?”
“That’s right. I am Elkein of the Durellude family. As an Imperial Guard Knight of the Krosen Empire, I am in charge of this punitive force.”
Seeing him meet Damon’s gaze without yielding in the slightest, he was clearly no ordinary man. There was not a trace of fear on his face. Judging from the spirit that seemed ready to accept death with a smile, one might call him the very model of a knight who valued honor. Damon nodded in satisfaction.
“You’re quite a decent fellow.”
“I have no intention of receiving praise from you. I merely find it bitter that I lack the strength to punish you. But even if I die here, I will have no regrets. Before long, an even stronger knight order will arrive from the capital to capture you… They will surely avenge our resentment.”
Elkein’s answer strove not to lose its dignity. But Damon merely snorted coldly.
“Even if that rabble comes in droves, there’s nothing to fear.”
“That will not be so. Among the hundred or so Sword Masters belonging to the Krosen Knight Order, I am the weakest. Though your Death Knight is rather strong, it will not be able to handle them all. Even if the Dullahan standing behind you joins in.”
At those words, Damon seemed somewhat surprised.
“Ha! Not paladins, but a hundred Sword Masters? That truly is an impressive force.”
“The days of your infamy are not long remaining. Your end will soon come, so look forward to it.”
Damon gazed steadily into Elkein’s eyes.
“Infamy, is it? Was I so infamous? As I recall, I don’t think I’ve done anything particularly evil since coming here…”
Rays of rage surged up in Elkein’s eyes. The horrifying sight he had seen the last time he entered this place vividly returned to him.
“Abominable… Must I say it aloud for you to understand? Though I do not see them now, and do not know when you cleared them away, I witnessed the sight of countless human corpses rotting here. Exactly one year ago. How could you commit such a dreadful deed as a human being?”
Elkein’s rebuke was fierce. Yet Damon showed not the slightest sign of agitation.
“Now that you mention it, I do have some idea what you mean. But remember one thing. Since coming here, I have not killed a single person.”
Elkein shouted furiously.
“And yet you still dare to lie so shamelessly? If mankind cannot punish your sins, then God surely will. Prepare yourself, for your soul will suffer in hell for countless eons.”
At Elkein’s stern scolding, even Damon could not help but grow angry.
“I let you speak, and now you climb over me without end. It seems I’ll have to let you taste something bitter.”
“Do as you please. Whether you strip me naked and hang me up or torture me, I will not so much as twitch an eyebrow…”
Having finished speaking, Elkein shut his eyes tightly. Damon had to ponder for quite some time, with a very troubled look, over how to deal with this inflexible knight. First, he looked around at the bound knights.
“Fine. What you think of me is none of my concern, so I suppose I should settle the matter at hand first. To begin with, you are guilty of trespassing into my dwelling without permission. You intruded with impure intentions of killing me, so you would have no regrets even if you died, would you?”
“Of course not.”
Walter, speaking in Elkein’s place, nodded with a firm expression. His attitude was more resolute than expected. Even the trainee knights wore expressions as if prepared for death. Seeing that, Damon understood to some degree what sort of resolve the members of the Krosen Knight Order possessed.
“With the members’ resolve like this, how could they not make a name for themselves? Great Emperor Krosen, I truly envy you. If all the subordinates of the Demonic Cult had been men like these, the Demonic Cult would have pacified the murim long ago.”
Of course, the Guardian Demon King Army that had followed him was in no way inferior to them. Unfortunately, most of the Demonic Cult’s warriors had not been that way, which was why Damon had ended up in such a position. Though, of course, even now, one could not say his position was bad. Damon felt the need to break their spirit first. To do that, a display of power was essential.
“Then which one should I start with?”
Out of nowhere, a mass of blue flame blazed into existence in his right hand. It was the spell that could most clearly display his magical ability: Hell Fire. In an instant, the Hell Fire swelled to the size of a human head. The moment they witnessed it, the prisoners’ faces drained completely of blood.
“H-Hell Fire. Oh, God…”
The moment Sarina saw the Hell Fire, she fainted on the spot. Hell Fire, the ultimate magic of the 9th Circle. This was an ultra-high-level spell that even the master who had taught her would not have dared attempt to deploy.