#137
The Immortal King Stirs (1)
As had become an issue in the meeting just moments ago and given Crown Prince Simon an opening, the Main God Order had already once allowed the Immortal King to infiltrate them.
Naturally, it was only a matter of course that they had tightened their security even further afterward.
Moreover, as this Continental Summit was a more important occasion than any before it, it could be said they had mobilized every means truly available to them.
However.
Having already been badly burned once, the Main God Order could not help but prepare for the worst.
‘In truth, the place where the final fragment of the Immortal King was sealed was already the best the Order could do.’
A sealed site where outsiders were strictly controlled, where even space itself had been distorted, and where no one had been allowed to infiltrate for hundreds of years.
And yet, the Immortal King had broken through that place even in an incomplete state. Now that he had fully revived, what preparations could possibly stop him?
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean the Main God Order just sat on its hands.’
They regarded Hans’s “power to ignore all defenses and leap across space” as some sort of authority-like ability, and assumed that it would be impossible to block his intrusion at the source.
Thus, what the Order focused on preparing for was what came immediately afterward.
Crackle—!
Wooooong—
Just like now.
[...This is quite electrifying. As expected of the Main God Order, worthy of being this body’s sworn enemy.]
In an instant, densely engraved golden prayers raced across the walls, and several layers of overlapping sacred barriers activated at once, dyeing the surroundings in brilliant light.
The black mana that had been spreading ominously was suppressed, and the deathly aura, lethal by its very existence, weakened.
Against the Immortal King’s momentum as he ate away at space as if to look down upon the world, the sacred energy overflowing around them violently rebelled.
Amid that confrontation of light and darkness...
“Hannibal Strauss. Today, you will pay the price for your arrogance.”
As if representing the light itself, Heinrich stood at the forefront and boldly declared so, pointing the holy sword overlaid with 「Blessing: Light Sword」 at Hans.
He had somehow managed to pierce the interference barrier and enter, but this space, filled with hostile energy, was the worst possible place for a being that belonged to the demonic.
And in such circumstances, the one he had to face was not merely the Hero Heinrich.
“Now that the Immortal King Hans has come here alone, this is our chance! If we can inflict even the slightest damage on him now!”
“I wondered if it could really be, but to think he truly appeared here. Hurry!”
Saint Riesta, who had fallen back and made the halo above her head shine even more brightly, and Archbishop Fion, who had joined the scene at some point with three paladins.
Cardinal Cordelia had withdrawn toward the barrier where the envoys had taken refuge in order to protect them in case of emergency, but her absence did not have a major effect on their fighting power.
After all, the powerhouses of the Main God Order were not the only ones here.
“Kuhah! I thought this foreign trip would end with nothing but boring talk, but to think that the Immortal King himself would appear! This should be fun!”
A flowing mane like a lion’s, a swollen physique, and sharply protruding claws.
Lionel, the lion beastman representative of the Wild Land, who had worn an apathetic expression from beginning to end and said not a single word throughout the meeting, bared his beastlike teeth and stood beside Heinrich.
“It certainly is an aura on a different level from when I sensed it through the fragment. Still, with the sacred barrier’s aid right now...”
Lafori Granwood, the representative of the Elven Kingdom, summoned spirits around him and took a position in the rear.
Of course, they were not all.
“No matter how anomalous this generation’s Immortal King may be, to allow infiltration twice—are the defenses of the Great Temple not far too lax?”
“Hmm, and yet I, too, felt no fluctuation of mana whatsoever. He simply appeared as though overlaid upon that space all of a sudden. To be frank, even I cannot get a sense of how one ought to defend against it.”
There were the imperial master-class knight who had come as Crown Prince Simon’s escort, and the leader of the Magic Tower Alliance.
“Kkeuk-kkeuk... No wonder the divinations have been foul lately...”
“Damn it, I hate working for free. Think I can bill the Main God Order later?”
The great shaman of the Kalkos Tribal Alliance, the current Mercenary King of the Mercenary Guild, and others...
Powerhouses capable of fighting at once voluntarily joined the Order’s side one after another.
Considering they had stepped forward even after feeling the Immortal King’s horrific aura, they were all people capable of withstanding the Immortal King’s attacks, if only for a while.
Though, to begin with, anyone unable to even recognize their own limits would never have been able to attend this gathering.
However, despite facing the Hero and Saint, along with the world’s powerhouses, in such an unfavorable environment...
[Keuheuheu... The vermin put on quite the show of force.]
The Immortal King’s attitude was no different from before.
[Ah— I came in anticipation when I heard a summit was being held to oppose this body. Is this truly the best you can do? Are those who have reached the summit of this world only at this level?]
Gooooo—
The moment his words ended, a dense darkness that seemed capable of swallowing even light billowed up and began encroaching in every direction.
Though it should have surely been suppressed by the Great Temple’s sacred barrier, that overwhelming momentum expanded without end, enough to feel impossibly distant.
“...Don’t tell me, is that the aura of the abyss? He’s handling it directly?”
“Mm...”
“Khh, this makes my flesh tremble!”
At the instinct-stirring pressure, everyone groaned and furrowed their brows.
The tail of Lionel, the beastman representative whose senses were especially sharp, had already curled in without him realizing it.
Step— step—
But they did not retreat.
No, they could not retreat.
Because how could they dare think of anything else while looking at the broad, towering back of the one who slowly stepped forward, even as he bore that terrible momentum head-on in order to lessen the burden on everyone else?
“You are misunderstanding a few things, Immortal King.”
[Ho? And what are they, Hero?]
With everyone’s gaze focused on them, the conversation between the two sides continued.
The powerhouses standing behind Heinrich, and even those hiding within the safe barrier watching it all, held their breath as they looked on.
“First, our true strength by no means ends here.”
It was called a summit, but most of those present were merely working-level officials for discussion or responsible parties with authority.
Of course, the proportion of strong individuals was high, but not many among them were still active on the front lines.
“Second.”
The blade of light resting upon his holy sword gradually swelled in size through the power of 「Blessing: Increase」, and an aura like blazing flame poured from his entire body.
“Even with only those of us here right now, we are more than enough to deal with the weakened you!”
Fwoooosh—
For an instant, radiance burst from him.
It touched the Immortal King’s black aura, which had been slowly expanding its territory, and began to clash violently with it.
At the center of the energies surging violently like a storm, their gazes crossed sharply.
And that stark contrast of light and darkness, good and evil, was engraved vividly into the minds of all who watched.
[...Keuheuheut! Very well, then I should correct one misunderstanding of yours as well.]
Had he felt, at the end of that battle of nerves, that Heinrich was no easy opponent?
In the end, the Immortal King changed his attitude and slowly stretched both hands out to either side.
The floor around him had, at some point, become completely covered in a sticky, viscous darkness...
[Who told you I was alone?]
Clatter!
Sssss—
From within that darkness, undead wreathed in pitch-black energy rose one by one.
Of course, although they were minimizing the effects of the sacred barrier by cloaking themselves in the abyss, it was unavoidable that their abilities were not as they normally were.
However.
Those beings were top-tier undead, including death knights.
[This humble servant, Karam, has come in answer to my lord’s summons.]
[Glory to the Immortal King—! Eternal terror upon the world—!]
[...Orders...]
And if even several executives who would support him were present, then they could become a force that absolutely could not be ignored.
[This body has devoured the death of the abyss, overcome it, and dominated it, reaching transcendence in the end. I am the ruler of death—]
Even if this place was the very heart of the Great Temple.
[—and I am death itself.]
***
Rummble—!
The thick beam of light fired by the Saint hammered against the Immortal King’s barrier.
Strengthened further with the sacred barrier’s aid, the attack showed results beyond expectation as it shook the structure of his black mana.
“Haap!”
The holy sword of the Hero, who did not miss that opportunity, split the black barrier apart with a flash.
Not stopping there, the sword completed another rotation and was swung as it drew out a long blade of light...
[Keuheuheut! Not bad!]
A black hand extending from a black magic circle constructed in an instant took the attack in his stead and pushed Heinrich back.
In exchange, the black hand was torn to shreds, but it could not be helped that the opportunity they had finally seized had slipped away.
Yet he showed not the slightest panic or regret. Calmly, he sprayed a wave of light from his back to cancel out his momentum, then charged forward again.
A terrifyingly cold sword strike that never rejoiced or despaired no matter the situation was swung at the Immortal King, bearing the enlarged light sword.
Kwaaaang—!
The sword of light collided with the barrier that had been regenerated in that instant.
Along with sparks born from the clash of diametrically opposed energies, another intense shockwave spread in every direction.
And so, as if they had planned it in advance, a meticulous exchange of offense and defense began once again.
Ultra-high-level black magic and sacred arts burst forth so rapidly one could not take their eyes away, along with combat techniques founded upon profound martial skill.
It was dazzling enough to draw one in without thought, captivating enough to bring forth exclamations of wonder.
And so overwhelming... that it made one feel a wall of despair.
“......”
“...Ha.”
Those who could not join that battlefield due to their insufficient strength merely stared blankly from within the protective barrier.
As the battle continued, the shockwaves that erupted made the surroundings tremble.
Fortunately, thanks to the sacred barriers that had been densely inscribed in advance and the divine protection fundamentally dwelling in the Great Temple, the damage to the building was not that severe compared to the scale of the clashes.
If not for that, no matter how much care had been taken on this side, the surroundings would already have been flattened by the aftermath alone.
‘Even if the Main God tacitly allowed it, completely smashing the temple to pieces would be a bit much. Still, at this level, if they just pay attention to the remodeling... it should be fine, right?’
Of course, that included the unseen intervention of someone who had coordinated every situation in advance.
He had inspected the site several times, selected the most appropriate stage, decided from what angles and in what manner the fight should be staged, and even prepared countermeasures for the aftermath that would spread to the surroundings.
Since Heinrich was the general manager in charge of security, it was not all that difficult.
Within a barrier positioned in a prime spot at a corner of the grand conference hall, Harris watched the battlefield with a sharp gaze, as though he were a film director.
‘Their forces seem too concentrated over there, so should I adjust things a little to balance it out? Hm, that gentleman seems far too excited. I’ll need to suppress him for a bit.’
A group of troops moved toward where the lion beastman Lionel and Ghoul Lord Fiona were clashing, and the formation was arranged so that the battle would appear fiercer and more intense.
The center of that work, carried out little by little so that those participating in the battle would not feel anything amiss, was naturally the clash between the Immortal King and the Hero.
Rummble!
Once again, Heinrich, aided by the Saint and Cardinal, collided with Hans, and the shock spread in every direction.
Wooooong—!
The barrier where the envoys had taken refuge continuously let out vibrating sounds.
Since it had been constructed using even a holy relic, it would never break from mere aftershocks, but the impact was so powerful that even the people inside the barrier could feel the momentum contained within the shock.
It was merely a fragment of a sliver that had seeped in very faintly...
But that chilling, hair-raising aura alone was enough for them to understand why the Immortal King was called the “terror of the continent.”
“Should we not get as far away from here as we can, even now?”
“With that chaos outside, where do you think we can go? If not for this barrier, we would have been swept up in the aftermath long ago, and they would not even be able to find our corpses!”
There were those frightened by the intensifying fight, and those coldly assessing the situation while observing the state outside.
“Ha! To allow an outsider to invade twice. I have misjudged the Main God Order. And at such an important event as this!”
And even Crown Prince Simon, who tried to engage in political maneuvering as though he had seized an opportunity.
For now, it seemed they had succeeded in staging an impressive scene.
‘Then now I need to prepare the finale. ...While I’m at it, should I have Harris sneak in and take a bit of the spotlight too?’
Yes, Harris might not yet be main-character level.
But perhaps leaving a slight impression as a memorable scene-stealer would not be half bad.