novelraw Chapter 199 : Chapter 199
Chapter 199 : Chapter 199
Chapter 199 : He Died? Really?
This, this can't be happening…….
André, a middle-aged magician, was muttering the same words endlessly with vacant eyes, staring at a single spot.
A truly grotesque sight unfolded where his gaze was fixed.
First, there was a bluish corpse wearing a turban, thrusting out its right arm which held a golden katana.
The corpse, frozen in the exact posture of thrusting out its sword even with its left arm severed, was emitting sharp frost and horrific demonic energy in every direction in the middle of the desert.
And at the spot where the blade pointed, there were crumbling, rotting bones beneath a robe of extraordinary material.
The sight of the flesh completely rotted away with only bones remaining, even in a battlefield where an intense coldness unlike the desert flowed, conversely told how powerful the magic power the corpse possessed during its life was.
Even for someone with no knowledge of magic or combat, the corpses made the situation easy to guess.
But André could not accept it.
That…… that can't be. For His Excellency to die with a mere Great Warrior of the desert……. No, it is nonsense! Something is wrong!
His appearance, shouting out loud, was almost like that of a madman.
In fact, he had been repeating the same action continuously for hours.
[To complete the work in Trey, I must first eliminate the Great Warrior Marte. I have discovered his hideout in the desert, so I am going to deal with him. All other reports will be received after I return.]
[Ah, if there is an urgent situation, you may come directly there. However, if it is not truly urgent……. You know, right?]
When he had reported that the Black Knight was active within the Empire, the response that finally came back was an answer automatically recorded by magic.
Because of an ominous feeling he could not explain, he had flown frantically following the coordinates he knew, only to see a sight like this.
- The only ones in the world who can threaten me are the old monster of the Imperial House, the Master of the Black Magic Tower, and the Dragon Sword of the North.
- Well, even they will not be able to defeat me.
For His Excellency, who took such pride in his own strength, to have died along with Trey's Seven-Star, whom he did not even regard significantly.
For André, it was a situation no different from the sky falling.
So, he had no choice but to be unable to accept it.
But even after a long time had passed, the vision(?) before his eyes did not disappear, so he eventually had to accept reality.
Some, something is wrong. Yes, something is wrong…….
For example, over there, His Excellency's treasure, the magical tool robe. Maybe the Jet-black Long Robe was a fake, or something…….
André's hands trembled as he moved to check His Excellency's corpse.
But at that moment.
He felt a tremendous heat moving toward him from all directions.
The spell he had prepared in case he might be caught in the battle between the Great Warrior of the Desert and His Excellency, Glacial Barrier, activated automatically in response to the heat.
CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK.
BOOM!
The gathering heat vanished in an instant due to the ice magic.
Yet, the remaining force still caused the Absolute Barrier he had prepared for his survival to activate, lifting his body into the air.
How……?!
Only then did he realize the danger.
He hurriedly activated other protection spells one after another.
Between the very short gap where another protection spell was added to the fading Absolute Barrier.
An arrow imbued with blue light dug in.
THUD.
Gah-huk?
In a situation where his consciousness felt like it was flying away from the unexpected strike piercing through his abdomen.
SWISH.
Something cold wound around his ankle.
At the same time, magic power drained away like an ebbing tide.
Ugh!?
What is this?
His gaze naturally turned toward the pain and surprise that surpassed the pain in his abdomen.
He saw the knight in the terrifying black armor, whom he had heard about many times through information, extending a long iron chain toward him from the ground.
The Black Knight!? How is he here……?
The Knight Who Eats Magic.
Their, the magicians', natural enemy.
- Ah, if that fellow is completed, he could become a threat. Though this is not an era where that young brat can have such a long time.
CRUNCH. CRUNCH.
No. Cult Leader…….
André was feeling it clearly as he sensed his magic power draining away like an ebbing tide.
That black something eating him from down there right now was a true monster that did not need to wait for such a long time until completion.
Ah…….
That sensation of being chewed and swallowed whole along with his demonic energy reminded him of the pressure he felt when he first became a magician and indirectly experienced the power of the Great Archdemons.
Naturally, he sensed that right now was the end of his life.
Because of that.
THUD.
Spit out who is behind this, magician. If you do, I will let you die without pain.
Even within the minimum mercy bestowed by that monster, André could smile.
Heh-huk. His Excellency is, over there…….
Is that corpse truly His Excellency's?
Or is it His Excellency's scheme for a grand plan that he himself could not guess?
Hoping it was a scheme so sophisticated that even he himself was fooled, and hoping that it would fool this monster as well.
That robe is, His Excellency's treasure…….
In preparation for a possible superpower of truth appraisal, he spoke only the truth.
CRUNCH. CRUNCH.
Soon, as his life force was sucked away along with the last remaining demonic energy, André quietly closed his eyes.
While trying hard to ignore the fact that what awaited him after death was the otherworldly hell ruled by the Archdemon.
Whew…….
A sense of exhilaration rose within my entire body.
CRACKLE.
CRUNCH.
I could clearly feel all my bones and muscles becoming even tougher and my armor strengthening.
Now I could be certain.
Just one more now…….
I would be able to undergo the sixth evolution even if I just devoured a 6-Circle magician, no, a 5-Circle magician close to 6-Circle.
Was it not too hasty to kill him after hearing only that short answer?
There was nothing more to get out of him anyway. While absorbing his magic power, I felt his sincerity.
You can even do that?
Well, it is just a guess.
It was not just nonsense spoken in the midst of exhilaration.
Because I had an intuition that the magician who just died would not have given a better answer no matter what torture he received.
It was the intuition and certainty felt by the Demon Devourer, which had absorbed everything of the fellow right before he died.
A certainty similar to Roanna Trian's True Eyes, yet a completely different kind.
However, a problem arises if that is the case.
Then does that mean the Demon Cult Leader really died?
Just as Imadi said, I had to accept the fact that Exlam, the Demon Cult Leader who was my enemy and presumed to be behind all of this, was dead.
……That is certainly a chilling magical tool. And the residual magic power left in the corpse is at a level that is hard to believe for a 6-Circle magician.
Rotting bones that had crumbled before a frozen golden blade.
Then is that really that Demon Cult Leader?
Do you know who that frozen corpse is?
I have heard of him. Trey's Seven-Star. Marte, who is called the Sun Warrior or the Great Warrior of the Desert. That katana is likely his beloved sword. I do not know the exact name, though.
Lauel's words made me sigh even more.
The probability that Exlam was actually dead had increased.
Trey's Seven-Star and the Demon Cult Leader died together?
After spitting the words out, it felt even more hollow.
Then to whom should I demand revenge for my biological parents, and for the resentment of my childhood?
Ryut Exeo…….
Where should I look again for the memories regarding the name presumed to be my real name?
Just when I felt the hollowness was about to encroach upon my heart.
It is certainly strange. It looks too intact.
Pardon?
That one sentence from Imadi caught my ear instantly.
……That robe with the chilling energy is definitely a top-tier magical tool. It seems correct that it is an item difficult for even a typical Seven-Star to possess. Though for me, it is an item I want to burn right away.
And?
Even so, is that the kind of item that would not even have a single hole from a Seven-Star's attack?
Ah…….
While some artifacts can self-repair, magical tools have no relation to the concepts of restoration or recovery. Ah, of course, it is possible the robe was not pierced by the attack and only transferred the impact to the inside…… maybe?
Imadi seemed uncertain even as he spoke.
But those words gave Muno inspiration.
I will check it.
What?
Leaving behind Imadi, who looked flabbergasted, I extended my iron chains.
I do not know much about magic.
But I now knew about the patterns of demonic energy to some extent.
Should I say I can feel the purpose even if I cannot figure out what kind of magic it is?
Vibrate.
As the iron chains fumbled over the robe, the black robe trembled as if it were alive.
Was it the feeling of prey instinctively sensing a predator?
It is damaged.
I could clearly feel the traces of the protection magic being shattered by a strong impact.
The feeling of a powerful magic being broken by a tremendous impact beyond that.
It seemed the last remnants of that magic were what was maintaining the form.
He really died?
Strength drained from me again.
To think the enemy I wanted to tear to death with my own hands died so hollowly.
The rage boiling within my chest began to wander, having lost its destination.
At that moment, as if reflecting that rage, the iron chains began to chew on the robe.
CRUNCH. CRUNCH.
As the ring-mouths of the iron chains began to tear the robe apart, the wavelength of the demonic energy flowing from the robe momentarily became even stronger.
One could call it the death rattle let out by a top-tier magical tool.
Then at some point, the expression of the one who was unintentionally performing Chain Devouring hardened.
Because there was an image flowing out of the robe.
As I focused my consciousness on that image as if possessed, I saw it.
The sight of a man with a gray beard, wearing a fishy smile, deliberately disrupting the robe's protection magic.
- This should buy some time.
SNAP. SNAP.
I could even vividly hear that muttering voice.
Ha!?
That made a smile appear on Muno's lips.
The appearance of that familiar beard I had seen during the fierce battle with the Hydra looked so close I could almost touch it.
It was evidence that my enemy was alive, yet strangely, laughter kept coming out.
……He is alive. Exlam.
Exlam?
It is the name of the man presumed to be the Demon Cult Leader.
How……? As expected, was there protection magic remaining?
If so, it is far too flimsy, Muno.
No. It is not like that. This is something that likely no one but me could have known.
Pardon?
He probably wanted to show it to someone else, to that magician fellow who came here. To show that he had died, and to tell someone about it.
To someone?
Well, I do not know that for sure yet. But…….
When I combined it with various pieces of information I had heard recently, I could roughly guess.
Victon, it seems you will have to give up your expectations.
A bitter smile appeared when I briefly thought of the Imperial citizen for whom I now felt an unnecessary sense of familiarity.
Of course, that was not a good result for me, or rather, for this world.
……Anyway, it is certain that the bastard is alive.
Ho. Should I say it is a relief……?
It is a relief. At least we were not fooled.
Then is there a way to track him……?
That seems difficult.
Muno gave a bitter smile as he looked at the remains of the robe that the chains had already torn and swallowed.
Still, we can guess that the Demon Cult will not be able to operate properly for a while. Even just that makes following him worthwhile.
Literally, a situation where I had to be satisfied with the fact that it was not a waste of effort.
And above all.
Then, is all that is left to deal with that? That also seems like it might become a bit of a problem.
At the end of Imadi's gaze hung the corpse of the one-armed swordsman, still frozen solid.
A heavy task, which they had unintentionally taken on, remained.