ALL NOVEL Chapter 241: King of the Dead Subjugation (5)
About 10 years ago, The Floating Island had swept through the area once. The damage from that day remained like a scar.
Many lands were like that, and the Barony of Ropenheim also bordered the wilderness.
The underground kingdom was located somewhere in that area.
Once Calgart the Necromancer had revived it received a message from Mephisto the Contractor.
Someone is protecting our target, the Child of Light. It's the Elemental King of Ice, the Ice Sovereign.
He seems to be aware of our plans and has acted accordingly.
I do not know by what ability he accomplished such a task, however...
You cannot defeat the Ice Sovereign with mere brute force.
So kill him with your power.
If you get caught, it's over.[The fuss...]
Mephisto was an agent of the Evil God. He didn’t spread unnecessary lies or exaggerated facts.
Nevertheless, he couldn't help but think he was making a fuss. It sounded as if he were praising the Ice Sovereign.
Soon, Calgart felt an intense gaze and squinted his eyes. He immediately realized that Ice Sovereign had discovered him.
Even so, he felt no particular emotional agitation. It was because he wanted to see with his own eyes what kind of man the Ice Sovereign, whom Mephisto had boasted about being strong, really was.
Yes, he felt anticipation.
And, he was curious to see how the Ice Sovereign would react to the choices he would present.
In the underground kingdom, from his throne, Calgart rose and touched the ground with his magic staff.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the wilderness.
The heavenly being, Vuel, sat on a hill, watching from a distance as Calgart set up camp with his army of corpses. The busy movements suggested he had been discovered by the Ice Sovereign.
Behind Vuel stood a female heavenly being dressed in a sacred white robe. She gazed at the same scene as Vuel.
The deal with Mephisto was concluded. However, before leaving, Vuel wanted to see with his own eyes the human called the Ice Sovereign, who might become an obstacle.
How strong is the Ice Sovereign really?
Vuel couldn't help but shake in anticipation.
* * *❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ 「Act 10, King of the Dead」.
From Semester 2 year 2, the scale of the events expanded to a global level.
The Evil God Nephid deemed that no matter how many demons were inefficiently spawned in the academy, it would be impossible to defeat Ian.
So the Evil God decided to take the time to awaken powerful demons spread across the world.
Thus, in 「Act 10, King of the Dead」, Calgart the Necromancer was revived. He led the army of the dead across the Empire towards Märchen Academy.
Märchen Academy and the Imperial Knights crossed the land bridge, set up a last-ditch defensive position, and engaged in battle.
At this time, they requested the cooperation of Ian Fairytale, who was the weakness of the demons and deployed him to the battlefield.
Of course, since Ian was a student and needed protection, he received priority protection from the academy and the Imperial Knights while fighting the army of the dead.
The mid-bosses were Mangled Qilin Molikarth and the Evil Dragon Orchis. Both were dead magic beasts but were revived as demons through Calgart's power.
The final boss was Calgart the Necromancer.
「Act 10, King of the Dead」was also a scenario where one could truly feel the power of the Luminous Sword.
However, in reality, Calgart appeared before Ian obtained the Luminous Sword to defeat me.
In other words, Act 10, which was supposed to be the first part of Semester 2 Year 2, would end today.
In the middle of the vast wilderness, a large army exuding dark mana could be seen. It was an army of corpses.
Their appearance was deformed to the point that they could be considered a mass of demon soldiers rather than zombies.
Among them, a group of neatly arrayed wizards simultaneously deployed dark magic circles. The targets were Alice and I, flying on our dragons.
In an instant, numerous dark magic circles arrayed in formation pushed away the moonlight filling the wilderness.
"Hilde, attack."
I calmly gave the command.
Hilde, who was carrying me, roared fiercely and drew a huge magic circle above her back.
Soon, the corpse wizards fired a large amount of dark magic.
Bwaaah!!!
The pitch-black darkness extended toward Alice and I, resembling the thick smoke emitted by an erupting volcano.
The strange currents of the numerous dark spells were remarkably consistent. Eventually, they all merged into one and swirled fiercely. The impact scattered dark lightning in all directions mercilessly.
The army, true to its nature of being united by Calgart's power, had excellent Mana Mastery.
There was no place to evade. But it didn't matter.
I’ll just break through.
[Kaaaah!!]
The magic circle deployed by Hilde shot out a line of pure white light.
It pierced through the wave of darkness, rapidly growing and transforming into a massive beam of light.
Kwoaaah!!
8-star ice spell, [Hell of the Crimson Lotus].
The dark mist clashed with [Hell of the Crimson Lotus].
Kwoaang!!!
A cold, dark blue explosion, infused with dark lightning, burst forth mercilessly.
The area began to freeze rapidly with a crackling sound. Before long, the desolate land transformed into a frost-covered icy terrain.
There, Hilde and Jabberwock landed.
Alice and I jumped off our respective dragons. Alice was already holding the Vorpal Sword, the sword that banished nightmares, and was clad in armor made of mana.
The army of corpses faced us. Seeing the sheer number of troops that couldn't fit in my view all at once, it was clear how many corpses Calgart had defiled to strengthen his forces since his early awakening.
To Calgart, the flaws of the corpses didn't matter. They could be supplemented with the forms of demons. This was why the army of corpses had transformed into monstrous forms.
I have to return peace to all of them.
It seemed like an opportunity to gain EXP, but such a mindset should be restrained in front of the corpses.
Alice and I walked towards the army of corpses side by side.
[You must be Ice Sovereign.]
The one who spoke to me stood at the forefront of the army of corpses. Their voice was clearly heard, possibly amplified by magic.
It was a familiar figure.
Dressed in a neat black robe. A sturdy adult male with broad shoulders.
Copper skin, curved horns protruding from both sides of his head, and pitch-black eyes.
A bizarre staff rested in one of his hands.
It was Calgart the Necromancer.
Calgart the Necromancer
Lv: 186
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Revival
Danger Level: Highest
Psychology: [Intends to drive you into despair.]
"Do you enjoy defiling corpses?"
[Needless chatter is unnecessary.]
Calgart's deep and grotesque voice resounded in my ears.
[Finding me is commendable, but you have focused too much on what is right in front of you. Surely, there are things you must protect as well?]
"…?"
[Ice Sovereign, you are an inferior creature bound by unnecessary emotions such as affection. No matter how strong you are, you cannot be flawless.]
What nonsense.
[...I have sent my soldiers to the place where the Child of Light is and to Märchen Academy. While you are here, everything you must protect will be destroyed.]
Calgart's voice maintained a consistent pitch.
[Choose. Will you let those you must protect meet their deaths, or will you leave now to save one of them? Let this be the moment you realize that your strength cannot solve everything.]
The mansion of the Carnedas family.
Märchen Academy.
It seemed he had sent mid-bosses and corpse forces to both locations.
From here, my [Clairvoyance] couldn't reach Märchen Academy. Fortunately, it could reach the Carnedas County.
A bizarre demon in the form of a qilin, Mangled Qilin-Molikarth, was leading corpse soldiers in that direction.
"Haa."
A sigh escaped me.
What a childish dilemma and threat.
The Imperial family had already begun to act, but it was difficult for them to detect and stop Calgart's movements in advance.
Well... it doesn’t matter.
I created an ice chair with [Ice Generation] and sat on it. Hilde stood guard behind me.
[What the...?]
Calgart expressed suspicion as he saw me sitting comfortably in a chair in the middle of the battlefield.
"Alice."
"Yes, Master."
"I'll take care of that guy, so sweep away the rest of them."
I pointed my chin at Calgart as I spoke.
Alice was my minion. Her exploits would become my EXP.
"As you command."
Alice swung the Vorpal Sword to her side and walked forward.
The Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock roared as it flew up, accompanying Alice from above.
Calgart frowned.
[Did you not… understand my words at all?]
"I think there’s something you’ve misunderstood."
I answered nonchalantly.
"You've been too focused on me."
[What do you mean...?]
I knew from the beginning that there was a clear limit to what I could do alone.
No matter how strong I became through the system's power, I couldn't become arrogant because I couldn't become omnipotent.
But what about now?
Although it was a cheesy expression, I already had reliable people who would support me in my journey to defeat the Evil God.
Fwoosh!
Soon, Alice grasped the Vorpal Sword with both hands and kicked off the ground.
The corpse warriors, each holding their weapons, rushed towards Alice, and the corpse wizards unleashed elemental magic infused with dark mana.
The sight of my subordinate, Heart Queen Alice, charging alone toward the numerous troops was extremely majestic.
A reddish purple aura imbued the blade of the Vorpal Sword. Alice raised the sword and slashed upward.
Kwaaang!!!
The reddish-purple sword energy exploded upwards and swept across the ground like a storm, grandly extending towards the horizon.
The corpse battalion caught in the path of the sword energy was cleaved in half and stopped dead like broken machines.
Even the soldiers nearby were blown away like balls by the wind pressure emitted by the passing sword energy.
One after another, the horizontal slashes of sword energy flew sharply and struck the corpse army.
Kwaaang!!
The soldiers at the front raised their shields, but they were swept away by the explosion caused by the collision of the sword energy.
The formation of the corpse army collapsed in an instant.
The Vorpal Sword's power to banish nightmares turned into a power that drew in nightmares when Alice infused it with her will.
However, the concept of dreams didn't exist for the corpses whose life activities had already stopped. They would find peace in death once again.
The concentrated bombardment of dark magic was blocked by Jabberwock’s 8-star neutral spell, [Illusion Flame].
Whoosh!!!
The mysterious reddish-purple flames surged fiercely, driving away the dark magic and roughly tearing through the frosty wilderness.
Meanwhile, Calgart was only staring at me. He believed that if he moved, I would move as well.
Thus, Calgart remained wary of me.
* * *Inside the mansion high up in the County of Carnedas.
Amy Halloway was anxiously pacing while using a magic tool similar to a telescope to watch the demon army approaching the lord's castle.
The sight of the demon army bringing clouds made of dark mana reminded her of the terror from the Student Council President incident that happened only about two months ago.
The most frightening and dangerous-looking entity was the massive black qilin in the middle of the demon army.
Its neck was so long it seemed to reach the sky, and its face had teeth that pierced through its cheeks. It was a terrifying appearance.
"What should I do? What should I do...?"
With Ian Fairytale and Ciel Carnedas having gone to some strange place like the celestial world, only the Carnedas family's combat forces were left.
Everyone was tense. They didn't know how long they could hold out against the demon army.
The Imperial Knights swiftly moved towards them. They had to hold out until the knights arrived at the very least.
That day might have been their grave. However, they vowed to honorably defend their lord's castle with their lives.
Whooosh!
At that moment, a surge of ice mana swept forward, transforming into ice knights clad in platinum armor and ice wizards.
The combat forces of the Carnedas family were startled, drawing their weapons in alarm. However, the ice knights, appearing indifferent, turned their backs to the wall and faced the demon army.
A squad of ice wizards in navy blue robes provided support from the rear.
Subsequently, four paladins from the Kingdom of Hearts appeared and joined the ice army.
The knight commander of the Carnedas family asked with a wary expression.
"Who are you lot?"
"We are followers of the Ice sovereign."
Zenon, the black-haired Spade Paladin in full uniform, answered while drawing his tachi, Jacula.
A pale blue chill slowly imbued Jacula.
"He sent us here. Our orders are to defend this place if the demons attack."
"Why? Explain what's going on."
"The King of the Dead has sent troops in multiple directions. Our purpose is to stop them, and thus, we are here to protect you. Is that explanation sufficient?"
"..."
It was clear that the army standing before them were subordinates of the Ice Sovereign, judging by their appearance and the icy aura they exuded. These were the soldiers of Düpfendorf, known only from records.
Although the exact identity of the Ice Sovereign was unknown, it was widely known that he was called the Nameless Hero who strived to protect humanity.
Sometimes, such great heroes emerged.
If such a person stood up to protect the people against the demons, it was understandable.
"I see, Ice Sovereign... But can you stop that?"
No one could be certain if they could defeat that terrifying black qilin demon on their own.
The aura emanating from the creature was already beyond anything the strong ones here could produce.
At that moment.
Whooosh.
Thud.
A tall woman descended from the sky and landed on the ground. She had come riding a familiar.
A burst of dense, fierce cold emanated from her, cushioning the impact of her landing.
Even those with low mana perception could clearly sense her immense mana. The knights of the Carnedas family swallowed dryly with shocked expressions.
Dressed in a uniform harmonizing navy blue and white, the tall woman stood at the forefront of the Düpfendorf army.
The subtle rising chill made her light blue bob and white cloak flutter.
A long, old scar ran across her face. She exuded the overpowering presence of a formidable predator.
The ice soldiers and paladins saluted her in unison. Only Heart Paladin, Shera Hectoria, muttered, "Who is that sister?" as Zenon forced her head to bow.
"Haven't I already explained? Figure it out."
Zenon scolded in a whisper.
The tall woman glared at the advancing demon army.
"Amazing. How far has our new lord foreseen...!"
She admired with a husky voice.
She clenched her fists and her body trembled. It was out of a sense of deep admiration.
"He is the only one who could make us set foot on the land of the Empire and elevate Düpfendorf's stature in this world. I can't wait to see his noble presence...!"
The new Ice Sovereign had anticipated the appearance and marching routes of the demons as if he knew the future, positioning his forces accordingly.
He was truly an inscrutable Archwizard.
On the surface, it seemed they were doing good for the Empire, but in reality, the gains and losses were clear.
The new Ice Sovereign quickly allied with the Empire, erasing any debts, and globally elevating the name Düpfendorf.
The battle to be fought here was no different. The Empire had no choice but to cooperate with Düpfendorf.
The tall woman contained her excitement and changed her expression to that of a beast on the hunt. She extended her right arm to the side.
In her hand, a pale blue mana condensed into a large silver two-handed axe. It was the magical weapon, “Farahorn,” which formed a core of extreme ice.
She slammed the end of Farahorn onto the ground.
"Everyone! Prepare for battle!"
As the woman shouted fiercely, the ice soldiers and the paladins of the Hea raised their weapons and channeled their mana.
“Isabel Silverwolf”, the commander of Düpfendorf's 3rd Legion.
She infused a massive amount of ice mana into her two-handed axe, Farahorn.
"Charge!!"
The army of Düpfendorf let out a roar and charged towards the demon army.
The combat forces of the Carnedas family followed suit.