After blocking or dodging the attack, the Death Knights’ merciless counterattack would begin. Mounted on the backs of the Bone Dragons, the Death Knights would take to the air and join battle with Berkis in a fierce aerial fight. Damon reviewed the plan he had set up in advance one more time.
‘Helbertron, the most skilled of them, will ride Zichrate with me and draw his attention. The other three will join forces with Russellant and attack him from both sides. The Bone Dragons are fast, so as long as they get into the air, they won’t be taken down easily. In the meantime, I’ll do everything I can to keep his magic from striking the Death Knights. The target is solely the wings. We have to concentrate our attacks on his wings and bring him crashing to the ground no matter what. If that happens, Kasim, Mitchel, and the rest of the unit will immediately launch their attack. They’re all Paladins, so there’s no way they won’t be able to pierce Berkis’s scales. If the Death Knights finish him off while they pour on their attacks… Hoo. Please, let the plan succeed….’
While Damon was racking his brains, the fireball in Berkis’s hand finally stopped growing. The fireball, swollen to an enormous size, looked to be easily over ten meters in diameter at a rough glance.
The fireball continued to change without pause. Its red hue gradually faded and turned white, and as if that still were not enough, it began to shift into a bluish white. In other words, it was transforming into the kind of extreme heat that could only be seen in Hellfire. A superheated blaze that would turn a human body into smoke the instant it touched. As Damon watched it, anxiety settled over his face.
‘For now, it’s certain that fireball is fire-element magic.’
Damon had drawn in as much mana of the water and ice attributes as he could for the purpose of disrupting the spell. Mana of the wind and wood attributes would instead add to the power of fire-element magic, but the attributes of water and ice had the effect of neutralizing it. Since the Bone Dragons beside him were providing a sufficient amount of Frost-attribute mana, Damon thought he would surely be able to interfere with the spell.
Fwoooosh.
While they held their breath, the fireball turned a perfect blue. The fireball, radiating a chillingly blue light, waited only for the moment it would be fired from Berkis’s hand.
“Now then, try taking one of my attacks.”
Along with Berkis’s low declaration, the fireball mercilessly cleaved through space.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Damon, tense to the limit, focused the mana he had rearranged.
“Huk.”
A startled gasp burst from his mouth. Berkis’s attack was not flying toward him. The deep-blue fireball was heading directly for the place where the Crown Prince stood. Seeing that, the faces of the escort knights stationed around the Crown Prince turned deathly pale.
“I should finish the commission I accepted first, shouldn’t I?”
At Berkis’s sneering voice ringing out from high in the sky, Damon bit down hard on his lip. If the Crown Prince departed this world like this, the scheme he had gone to such trouble to arrange would come to nothing. In other words, not only he himself, but even Duke Fershtein, who was known to have joined hands with him, would have to bear responsibility for the Crown Prince’s death. War breaking out was as obvious as fire.
From Damon’s position, he had to prevent humans from slaughtering one another at all costs. Because of that, he focused his mana with all his might. His goal was to dispel the magic, or at least change its course.
However, the magic disruption that had blocked a dragon’s magic several times until now did not take effect this time. It was the same even when he raised the concentration of mana as high as he could. The fireball was completely unaffected by Damon’s magic disruption. On the contrary, it absorbed Damon’s mana and grew even larger. As things failed to go as intended, desperation appeared on Damon’s face.
“H-how can this be…?”
At that moment, Berkis’s mocking voice dug into his ears.
“Magic disruption, is it…? A clever idea, but it won’t work. Because when I was a hatchling, what I enjoyed playing with was the method of disrupting magic.”
“Eek.”
As if refusing to lose, Damon bit his lip hard and concentrated his mana even further. But despite his efforts, the fireball only continued to grow larger.
“It’s useless. Do you know what spell that is?”
“…….”
“It is Fireball. Of course, the mana arrangement is a little different. Think of it simply as adding 1 and 1, then rearranging it by five multiples of that. Do you understand?”
“Wh-what?”
Damon was shocked. A spell that had displayed such dreadful power was nothing more than a simple Fireball…. More than that, what shocked Damon even more was what Berkis had said afterward. If the mana had truly been rearranged by five multiples of 2 as he said, its power could not even be imagined.
“2, 4, 16, 256—by the gods….”
Damon trembled faintly. If it was magic rearranged that many times, there was no way magic disruption would work. The mana he focused would only increase the power of the fire magic instead. With that level of mana arrangement, it would be more than enough to completely change the mana’s attribute.
But this was not a situation where he could simply stand there in shock, so Damon gathered himself with all his might. Now he had only one card left to play. He turned his head and roared.
“Russellant! Protect the Crown Prince, even if you have to use your body!”
Russellant launched himself reflexively. The fire magic had already almost reached the space above the heads of the Crown Prince’s party. Damon was now placing his trust in the single anti-magic barrier he had cast over Russellant. According to his calculations, Russellant’s magic barrier should be able to withstand one or two Ninth Circle spells.
Kwa-ru-ru-ru!
Russellant let out a roar and plunged between the fire magic and the Crown Prince. His speed was tremendous.
“B-block it!”
The escort knights thrust out their swords with terrified expressions, but Russellant did not hesitate in the slightest. Damon watched the sight with a heart in his throat. The instant Russellant’s massive body completely covered the Crown Prince’s party, the terrifying fire magic struck Russellant squarely in the back.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
Along with an explosion that seemed to shake the earth’s axis, thick smoke covered the surroundings. The shockwave that spread out with the explosion made the central plaza suffer yet again. To grasp the situation, Damon deployed Air Blast without hesitation. As soon as he confirmed Russellant was safe, he had to begin the counterattack. However….
“Th-this can’t be….”
Damon froze on the spot. The scene revealed after the smoke was swept away by Air Blast was misery itself. Astonishingly, half of the Bone Dragon Russellant’s body had been blown away. The Bone Dragon, composed of those incredibly hard dragon bones, had been utterly smashed.
The anti-magic barrier had already vanished without a trace, and Russellant, as if he had exhausted all his strength, was pressing his bone-only head weakly against the ground.
Thud.
Russellant lay stretched out and did not move. No matter how many orders were given, it was useless. The secret weapon Damon had poured his heart and soul into making had been rendered useless by a single spell from Berkis.
Damon was at a loss for words. Had Russellant not been the one he had been confident could withstand even Ninth Circle magic? And yet that Bone Dragon had failed to endure even a single spell cast by Berkis….
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that the Crown Prince had somehow preserved his life. The escort knights, their entire bodies covered in soot, staggered out from beneath Russellant’s body. Seeing the Crown Prince following behind them as well, Russellant had at least completed his mission.
But the problem began now. Since the most powerful secret weapon meant to fight an aerial battle against the dragon had been neutralized, Damon could not help but be at a loss. Berkis’s sneering voice dug into his ears.
“An anti-magic barrier cast by an insect—did you think that would work on a dragon?”
“Eek.”
Damon, biting his lip hard, turned like lightning. Now only one thing remained: he had no choice but to put all the Death Knights on the remaining Bone Dragon, Zichrate, and send them into the air. The Death Knights, understanding his intention, mounted Zichrate’s back like bolts of lightning.
Kwa-ru-ru-ru-ru!
Just as Zichrate flapped his wings and tried to take off, Berkis’s cold voice rang out once more.
“Do you think you can take to the air without my permission?”
Before those words had even ended, something dropped like an arrow from midair. The massive object gleaming silver was descending straight toward Zichrate. It was so fast they could not even properly identify it, and the Death Knights who confirmed it were thrown into panic.
“D-dodge!”
The moment they threw themselves aside, the silver object plunged squarely into Zichrate’s back just as he was about to take off.
Crack!
With a sound like something breaking, Zichrate’s body lurched. A crack ran through his back, made of incredibly hard dragon bone. Having suffered a great impact, Zichrate lost his ability to fly. The Bone Dragon’s enormous body soon began to fall to the ground.
Thud.
A thick cloud of dust billowed up. Zichrate, driven mercilessly into the ground, struggled to raise himself. Since he had not fallen from a very high altitude, it seemed he had not taken that great a shock. However, the mysterious silver object was already gripping Zichrate’s wings tightly.
Crunch.
The left wing, flailing again and again, was torn away from Zichrate’s body. Then even the right wing was ruthlessly ripped off. Only then were the people able to recognize the true identity of the silver object.
“B-by the gods….”
The mouths of those watching fell open. The true identity of the silver object was a gigantic steel giant that appeared to be over six meters tall. The steel giant, shaped like a naked, muscular man, held a massive shield in one hand and a great axe in the other. No, rather than holding them, it seemed more accurate to say they were integrated into its hand and forearm.
A shriek flowed from its head, which had been carved in the shape of a knight’s helm.
Kyao!
Without the slightest hesitation, the steel giant swung its great axe and began hacking down at Zichrate beneath it. Each time the axe, which looked to weigh several tons, was swung, fragments of dragon bone scattered thickly into the air.
Krrrraak!
Zichrate thrashed desperately, but he could not escape. The steel giant of tremendous weight was firmly pressing down on his neck and torso. Zichrate’s struggling body was slowly being dismantled by the steel giant’s axe.
“So that’s the Iron Golem I’ve only heard of.”
Gritting his teeth, Damon roared. He had to stop Zichrate from being shattered any further.
“Hurry. Deal with that Iron Golem first.”
Even without Damon’s order, the Death Knights were already rushing toward the Iron Golem. No matter what happened, they had to save Zichrate. In the current situation, Zichrate was their only means of fighting an aerial battle. But before they could reach the Iron Golem, something once again came falling toward them.
Shurururu—thud!
The Death Knights urgently threw themselves aside, and heavy things struck mercilessly into the spot where they had been standing only moments before. They were blocking the path exactly between the Iron Golem and the Death Knights. When the Death Knights hesitated for a moment, the things, just like the Iron Golem, stretched out the arms and legs that had been crouched tightly. A moment later, what revealed themselves were gigantic bronze giants about four and a half meters tall. Exactly twelve bronze giants were blocking the way in front of the Death Knights without a single gap.
Kyaooo!
The bronze giants let out a shriek once, then charged at the Death Knights without delay. They were only slightly smaller; in appearance, they were identical to the Iron Golem. Unlike the Iron Golem, however, they held massive longswords, and their movements were incomparably natural and fast. In a word, they were monsters that could not even be compared to something like Stone Golems. The four Death Knights were soon locked in a fierce battle with the twelve Bronze Golems
spread out. Verkis’s additional explanation came from the sky.
“Allow me to introduce them. They are the bronze golems that guard my lair. I am confident they will make fitting opponents for Death Knights.
I have assigned three bronze golems to each Death Knight, so it should not take long
to see the end of this.”
Having finished speaking, Verkis looked at the tense members of the Kasim Mercenary Corps.
“I had originally assigned liches to you. But seeing the great magic-resistant armor you stole and put on inside Incresia
has changed my mind somewhat. I shall assign five bronze golems
to you lot. Of course, the liches will join in as well, so fight with all your might.”
The moment he finished speaking, the space beside Verkis opened wide. From within it, five bronze masses
shot down like arrows.
Boom.
The masses that struck the ground once again transformed into bronze golems and charged toward the Kasim mercenaries, who were hurriedly throwing themselves aside. As longswords more than twice the height of a man
came flying in chaotically, Kasim and the other mercenaries had no choice but to fling themselves about desperately.
It was not only the bronze golems that revealed themselves. As many as thirty liches
appeared once more through the opened space. Since it had the same form as Incresia,
it seemed to be a second magical treasury Verkis had created in order to transport golems and liches efficiently.
Leaving only one behind, the liches began descending toward the ground. It seemed they intended to rain magical attacks
upon the Death Knights and the Kasim mercenaries. If the destructive power of the bronze golems, which fought in direct combat, were combined with supporting fire from the liches,
it was certain to display unimaginable might.
“Th-there’s no chance of winning.”
Damon’s strength drained away. He had never dreamed that Verkis would have brought such an enormous force
of reinforcements. Even fighting one against many, victory could not be guaranteed,
and yet the superiority in strength was actually on the other side.
The situation was literally hopeless. Russellant, half his body blown away, did not stir,
and Zicrate was being battered into a wretched state. As if intent on grinding him to powder, the iron
golem mercilessly swung its axe and crushed Zicrate’s body.
Thud, thud.
But Damon could not move a muscle. The Red Dragon Verkis was staring straight at him.
He desperately wanted to support his comrades,
but he could not move rashly, not knowing when Verkis’s terrifying magical attack might come flying.
“Now things have been arranged to some extent. Is it time to dispose of you and recover Incresia?”
Damon ground his teeth.
“I won’t go down so easily, Verkis.”
Yet despair was spreading through his mind. Considering the difference in strength,
this was no different from a battle already decided. How long they could hold out was the only
task remaining to them.
The Death Knights were engaged in a bloody battle with the bronze golems, one in which neither side’s superiority could be judged. By contrast,
the mercenaries were busy dodging for their lives. Only Mitchel, Kasim,
and Gerald, whose skills were relatively outstanding, managed to counterattack from time to time. And around them, the liches’ attack magic
exploded wildly.
Flash, crash!
If they had not been wearing the magic armor, they would have been turned into corpses on the spot. After roughly surveying the situation,
Damon calmly settled his mind.
‘A one-on-one duel against an Ancient-class dragon. There’s no need to even think about the odds.’
Sensing mana being rearranged around Verkis, Damon bit his lip as if refusing to lose.
“Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
All manner of attack magic focused on him. Not a single one was anything less than high-grade,
and their number was difficult to count. Yet Damon was not intimidated in the least. Because of his thirst for revenge,
his eyes blazed fiercely.
Rumble. Boom!
The battle between the twelve bronze golems and the Death Knights was, in a word, magnificent. From the Death Knights,
who moved at speeds that could barely be seen, fearsome attacks poured forth. Advanced techniques that could be described as the essence of swordsmanship
were being unleashed in succession.
However, the bronze golems opposing them were no ordinary foes either. With speed at least three times greater than stone golems,
their gigantic bodies, and their massive weapons, the bronze golems
were effectively blocking the Death Knights’ attacks.
Their bronze bodies boasted flexibility like willow branches, and their thick frames
and huge shields prevented them from taking serious damage even when the Death Knights’ attacks landed.
Moreover, their longswords, nearly three meters in length, were weapons that posed an unparalleled threat to the Death Knights.
If struck squarely, they would have to be prepared for tremendous damage, so even the Death Knights could not help but be on high alert.
Even so, the Death Knights were displaying tremendous fighting spirit. Though they were at a clear numerical disadvantage,
they had seized a slight advantage and were pushing the bronze golems back. Already, two bronze golems
had had their life stones destroyed and lay sprawled powerlessly.
But as time passed, the light in the Death Knights’ eyes grew darker and darker.
“This is bad.”
Though they had seized a slight advantage, that alone could not be called sufficient. If they delayed any longer,
Zicrate would be completely smashed to pieces, and if that happened,
capturing Verkis would be beyond imagination. There was no way at all to approach Verkis, who floated high in the sky.
For that reason, the Death Knights continued to launch fierce assaults, trying to break through the encirclement.
Crunch.
A bronze golem whose left chest had been pierced by Helbertron’s attack trembled and stopped moving.
There were already unsightly holes scattered all over the bronze golem’s body. That was because Helbertron
had indiscriminately gouged out any part of the bronze golem’s body where the life stone might have been embedded.
With its life stone destroyed, the bronze golem soon began to topple backward.
Boom.
Beside him, Saramis was destroying another bronze golem. This bronze golem’s
life stone had been embedded in its right flank. The fallen bronze golem’s torso had, quite literally,
been turned into a honeycomb.
The battle was proceeding roughly in this manner. To begin with, the parts of the bronze golems’ bodies
where the life stones were embedded were all different. Since their locations varied, the Death Knights
had to attack every area where a life stone seemed likely to be hidden.
Because that was the only way to discover the location, the process of destroying them could not help but take time.
In any case, under the Death Knights’ fierce assault, four bronze golems were destroyed, and because of that,
one part of the ironclad encirclement was broken open. At once, Helbertron attempted to break through without hesitation.
“Take care of the remaining ones. I’ll deal with the iron golem.”
But before Helbertron could even break through the encirclement, Verkis’s voice thundered from the sky.
“That won’t do. Considering that you lot are stronger than expected, I will supplement my forces further.”
Before he had even finished speaking, a chilling sound of something cutting through the air rang out once more.
Whoooosh.
Needless to say, it was the sound of bronze golems descending.
Boom.
With a thunderous roar, clouds of dust spread thickly, and within them, five bronze golems slowly
rose to their feet.