Chapter 764: Thorn Castle
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 764: Thorn Castle
Neither Rem nor Ragna had any intention of fighting in earnest. If they had, Encrid would have been the first to step in and stop them.
"The air of the Demon Realm is nothing," Rem muttered, casting a sidelong glance at Ragna. Even in his youth, Rem had a history of tearing through the western reaches of the Demon Realm. This level of atmospheric pressure was of no concern to him.
Sorcery power, in particular, was highly effective for enduring such hostile environments. After all, the very atmosphere here was akin to a curse. By circulating sorcery power throughout the body and allowing it to diffuse outward, one could maintain a constant defense. It was a matter of dyeing the surroundings with one's own power—a trick that was easy yet difficult, simple yet profound.
Essentially, he was releasing sorcery power to convert the hostile air into a familiar form, a feat that could not be replicated with Will alone. Thanks to this, he could move with the same fluidity whether he was inside or outside the Demon Realm. Since he had to constantly vent a portion of his sorcery power above a certain threshold, it placed a limit on his capacity to cast major spells, but it was a reasonable penalty for the mobility it granted.
"Hmm."
Though his method differed from Rem’s, Ragna was doing something similar. Sunrise, held firmly in his hand, was both an imprinted weapon and a magic weapon. The Will that had resided within Sunrise for generations communed with Ragna's own, pushing back the oppressive air around them. While it couldn't cover a vast area, it was enough to keep his own body moving without hindrance.
In truth, even this wasn't strictly necessary. Ragna was already adapting by adjusting his five senses in real-time. Of course, the same went for Rem.
A massive figure slipped between the two of them, moving with a quiet grace that belied his size. The sound of his feet tapping the ground was incredibly soft.
"If you two are going to keep bickering, the Lord's humble servant shall step forward first."
Audin was a man considered the finest on the continent when it came to wielding divine power. Overcoming the air of the Demon Realm was child's play for him. He stepped forward, a white light flowing across his entire body—a simplified version of his Holy Light Armor.
A monster that could easily be called a tree giant rather than a mere tree monster saw Audin approaching and lashed out with its branches. The strike seemed purely reflexive. Audin watched it approach and flattened his hand into a blade. Instantly, a white light took shape along the edge of his palm, standing perfectly straight.
The light gathered on his hand resembled a blade, and he immediately proved that the resemblance was not merely cosmetic.
Sshk!
The sound wasn't that of wood splitting; it felt like slicing through soft tofu. The living, dark-brown branch was severed effortlessly along the path of his hand-blade. Sap sprayed in all directions from the stump. A few drops splattered toward Audin's cheek, but the white light enveloping his body burned them away with a sharp hiss and a wisp of smoke.
"This consumes quite a bit of mental energy."
He had manifested a smaller-scale version of the blade of Will that Ragna had shown. Even then, he had barely managed to sharpen the edge at the exact moment of impact. Even if the blade was short and small in scale, it was an astonishing feat. To perform such a technique with a bare hand rather than a sword was unheard of.
Audin smiled, withdrew his hand-blade, and clenched his fist.
"I suppose I still prefer this, brothers."
He raised his fists to guard his face, lightly stepped forward, and closed in on the tree trunk. His approach was marked by the same restraint and quiet grace as before. He was fast and nimble. Crouching low, he kicked off the ground, instantly closing the distance. Audin stepped out with his right foot and swung his left hand horizontally—a hook curving from the outside in.
A white light gathered around his left fist, rounded and dense like a mace. His footwork was like a butterfly, and his thrusting fist was like a bee sting—though the power was incomparable to any mere insect.
The fist, packed with condensed power, struck the bark.
Boom!
It didn't just shatter the surface; the tree trunk exploded. The massive trunk bent awkwardly as black sap sprayed from the ruptured area, scattering in all directions. A few drops even reached Encrid's feet. Just how hard did one have to hit to make such a thing possible? Only Audin knew the answer.
"Lord Father! I send to you a servant to attend you!" he shouted.
With his cry, the light bursting from Audin's body grew even more intense. His movements became lighter, leaving afterimages of light trailing between the trees.
Thud! Crash!
One by one, with a single blow each, the tree monsters collapsed, spraying black sap in radial patterns. It was a diligent process of conversion, sending them straight to the Lord's side in a single hit. Whether the monsters understood the profound meaning behind those punches was anyone's guess. Frankly, after taking a hit like that, they would have to ponder its meaning in the afterlife. They likely didn't even feel the pain; they were simply transported to the heavens in an instant.
Thwang!
Another arrow flew in, and both Rem and Ragna struck at it simultaneously. Even before the arrow arrived, both of their heads snapped forward—an astonishing display of sixth sense. The incoming arrow flew along a trajectory meant to impale them both in one shot. Despite having directed murderous intent at each other just moments ago, their axe and sword split the front and back of the arrow in perfect synchronization.
Clang!
With a thunderous roar, the iron arrow snapped in half and deflected.
"We'll settle this afterward, you crazy, directionally challenged bastard," Rem growled.
"We can settle it right now," Ragna countered.
Refusing to yield even a single word, the two split to the left and right. Soon after, a succession of wet crunches and splintering cracks echoed through the forest. It was the sound of them deliberately hacking and smashing the tree monsters to pieces.
"I'm amazed you manage to keep a unit like this as a knight order," Luagarne marveled anew. It was a wonder how such self-willed individuals had gathered so cohesively.
"They were gathered into a single unit because they were uncontrollable from the start, and I was just sent in as their squad leader," Encrid replied. It was the simple truth.
Yet, had it not been for him, they would have scattered to the winds. Above all, they might not be living the lives they were now. Rem might have spent his days literally crushing noble skulls, while Ragna might have gotten lost and ended up as a knight of Azpen or the Empire. Or perhaps he would have been hired by the South; anyone would covet his skills. Audin might still be living with his divine power sealed, haunted by resentful illusions.
Yet, all of them were here, in this very place. At the center of all their transformations stood a single madman.
"Let's sweep them," the madman said, looking ahead. He was a man with striking black hair and piercing blue eyes.
"Yes, sir. And if arrows fly at us again, you can leave them be. I can block that much, alright?" Pel grumbled, ambling forward, while Ropode merely bowed his head and moved in the opposite direction.
Chwaaa.
Watching the two, Luagarne drew her whip. "It is time for me to enjoy myself as well."
Though not as physically imposing as a giant, Frok, who possessed formidable martial prowess, was not lacking in fighting spirit either. It was just that his curiosity was greater. Luagarne ignited the flames of her whip for the first time in a while. It was said that she had learned to wield the blazing whip after watching a fragment of a Balrog fight.
Encrid stepped in front of Sinar as these thoughts crossed his mind.
"Are you alright?"
Sinar looked worse than ever. Although she had drawn her Leaf Sword, there was no need for her to waste her strength here.
"You can rest," Encrid said.
Sinar took a few shallow breaths. Then, she raised her head, looked past the tree monsters toward the dense forest that stood like a barrier, and replied, "How gentle of you."
"Pardon?"
"I shall have to fall for that gentleness of yours once more."
Encrid honestly wanted to admit defeat. "Can we stop with that joke now?"
The demon that had tried to seize the Elven City was dead—or perhaps it was more accurate to call him a half-baked demon. Therefore, Sinar no longer bore any burden. No duty, either. Even though the entity demanding courtship was gone, Sinar did not stop the joke that had hardened into a habit.
"Does it sound like a joke to you?" Sinar asked back with an utterly serious expression. She turned her head, staring straight at Encrid with her green eyes.
"Let's say it isn't. At any rate, just watch from back here."
Encrid gave up. He could just tease the elderly elf back in due course. Stepping forward, Encrid raised his pristine blade.
Thwang!
Arrows flew in occasionally. Their power was as formidable as ever, but no one was hit. It was likely because of what Rem had said earlier: "The one who gets hit by an arrow loses!"
This made them fight even more desperately. The madcap knight order fought exceptionally well, dodging the occasional arrows that flew their way. To one side, Teresa let out a wild roar, shield and sword in hand.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
The blood of the half-giant was boiling. The number of tree monsters dwindled rapidly. There was no need for Encrid to even step in. It was only natural; this group could easily be considered the military might of an entire nation. A single knight was a walking disaster, and here were nine of that caliber.
‘Even excluding myself, Sinar, and Sachsen.’
That still left six. Those six alone would be more than enough to overthrow a kingdom.
Crash, bang! Clang!
Amidst the bizarre cacophony, only black sap sprayed. Not a single person shed red blood. Well, actually, there was one.
Pel, caught up in the excitement, had lunged between three tree monsters. While dodging an arrow that flew through the gap, his forearm was grazed by a blade-like branch. Fortunately, he was wearing bracers, so he didn't sustain a major injury. It was just a bit of bad luck. The bracer itself hadn't been pierced; it was made of three layers of harpy and troll leather with a thin plate of Noir wrought iron sandwiched in between. However, the joint area had to be thin for flexibility, and that exact spot had been grazed, drawing a few drops of blood. Even so, it was barely a scratch.
"Pel, you lost," Ropode said, rushing over while dodging a tree monster's root that shot up like an awl. His reaction was swifter than a starving hound. He said this while dodging attacks with acrobatic ease.
By now, the label of "madman" suited Ropode perfectly as well. If his former comrades from the Red Cloak Knights saw him, they would wonder if this was truly the same man. He had risked danger just to not miss an opportunity to tease his comrade. The safety-first Squire Ropode was no more.
"This doesn't count. I wasn't hit by an arrow."
"You got cut so badly you need to be evacuated to the rear."
It was a scratch that had stopped bleeding after a single drop. If squeezed, a few more drops might come out, but if that warranted evacuation, then a sprained ankle would be considered a near-fatal injury.
"Did you get monster sap in your eyes?" Pel retorted.
"Heh," Ropode chuckled, backing away once more.
"Idiot," Rem chided Pel.
"Everyone experiences setbacks," Ragna offered consolingly. But that only made it more annoying. Pel decided then and there that he needed to train for Absolute Defense.
While they were busy wiping out the horde, Sachsen—who had vanished the moment the black lightning struck—suddenly emerged from the front of the forest wall. Black sap covered the ground, and for some reason, even the sunlight filtering through the Demon Realm's forest felt gray. It was a dull, heavy light. Yet, everyone seemed unfazed. Though some still found the air uncomfortable, they were adapting.
In any case, everyone had black sap splattered here and there. Only Sachsen emerged looking perfectly clean. Rem was about to say something, but Sachsen spoke first.
"I've cleared a path this way. And there is something 'interesting' ahead."
It was the same manner of expression used by both Rem and Sachsen. It meant there was something dangerous ahead—but for them to call it interesting meant it was exceptionally so.
"Let's go."
Encrid did not wait for everyone to fully adapt. That was likely what the enemy wanted, and there was no need to play into their hands. The incoming arrows had also ceased for the moment.
"They can't fire hundreds of arrows imbued with Will through teleportation," Rem said, taking the lead. He knew how to use a similar technique himself. Firing arrows with that much power required significant preparation.
Following Sachsen's lead, the group cleared a path by swinging their blades. They didn't have to walk far. The wooden barrier was thin. And beyond it, a real wall blocking their path came into view.
Gruuuu.
It was a wall carved with human faces, with irregular clusters of thorns sprouting around them—a castle wall. This was the outpost of the Demon Realm, known as Thorn Castle.
"I get the black lightning, but what on earth are those things?" Rem muttered, scratching his head with the handle of his axe.
He looked up. Atop the Thorn Castle wall, perched on a towering tree that resembled a sharp spire, was a figure holding a bow. The figure had pointed ears, dull gray hair cascading past the waist, and deep indigo skin. The sharp eyes and prominent nose clearly revealed the creature's race.
"An elf?" Ropode said, his voice thick with surprise.
"Incorrect. That is like a rotten, decayed potato sprout. It is a demonic spirit—something so rotted that even its form has warped," Sinar answered. An unprecedented murderous intent flickered in her eyes.
The elf, its purple pupils tainted by demonic energy, blinked a few times. The castle wall was high, and the outpost was even higher. They were not at a distance to see each other's faces clearly, but Encrid's pupils contracted as he locked eyes precisely with the opponent. And the opponent stared right back.
"Not bad-looking," the elf muttered.
Encrid quietly measured the distance, drew a rod tucked diagonally at his waist, and flicked it into the air.
Clack.
The rod extended, and a spearhead popped out from the tip. The drawing and flicking of the rod happened in a single, fluid motion. While his right hand extended the spearhead, his left foot planted Dawn Forge firmly into the ground to serve as an axis. Then, pulling the sword grip with his left hand, he spun his entire body along with his Will, throwing the javelin.
It was a throwing technique infused with the Heavy Sword Style's Vortex.
Who could have predicted such an action the very moment they crossed paths? Especially since all of Encrid's movements had occurred in the blink of an eye. It was a strike that shattered everyone's perception.
Boom! Crash!
Breaking the sound barrier, the javelin became a streak of light and struck the tall wooden outpost. Though he hadn't expected it to, the elf did not die. It had merely fallen sideways in surprise.
The one who had deflected the javelin was a massive figure clad in black armor standing beside the elf. It was a hulking mass encased in plate armor, wearing a helmet with a tightly closed visor. In its hand, it held a morningstar—a blunt weapon that visibly exuded black soot. Anyone could tell it was a magic weapon.
The creature held the weapon in its right hand and a shield in its left, having blocked the spearhead with that very shield. A tremendous sound echoed, but the target had not been hit. Deflected high into the sky, the spearhead fell with a thud halfway between Thorn Castle and the group.
"A pity," Encrid said.
Having poured his entire body's strength into the throw, his right foot was half-raised. He readjusted his stance and stood firm.
Gruuuu.
The restrained souls making up the Thorn Castle wall shrieked, but somehow, they too seemed taken aback.
"Since we received a gift, it is only polite to return the favor," Encrid said in a flat tone. After all, how many arrows had they been forced to block so far?
"True enough," Ragna agreed. The others' reactions were no different. Their eyes were fixed on the gate.