Chapter 155
Chapter 155
Chapter 155
Evangeline (1)
Fortunately, Derrick and the knights were alive.
However, while all the others were unconscious, only Derrick sat there in a daze, looking up at Rudian.
"...You."
Oh no.
"What exactly... are you?"
'Did Derrick see everything?'
When Rudian had moved them, Rudian thought Derrick wouldn't wake up easily, but this was definitely a miscalculation.
"If this isn't illusion magic, then you're... truly someone wearing Rudian's mask?"
"Hmm..."
Unable to find a proper answer, Rudian scratched his cheek with an awkward expression.
'Honestly, whatever I say would lack credibility.'
How much time had passed since Derrick and Rudian parted ways?
At most 1 year? 2 years?
In that time, Derrick would be considered a genius just for being able to handle magic.
But what would Derrick think if he saw a mere squire he had known for years displaying abilities that far surpassed even a Sword Master?
Rather than thinking, "Ah, this guy worked hard and reached an absolute realm in just one year"...
"What exactly are you! What are you scheming with Rudian's appearance?"
… Such a reaction would honestly be more appropriate.
"I am Rudian, Sir Derrick."
"D-don't lie to me! I haven't lived my life foolishly enough to fall for such words!"
If Rudian joked that Derrick had lived foolishly, a blade would fly at him immediately... No, it would be fine now, actually.
Rudian shrugged and said:
"Well, I won't particularly ask you to believe me. Former squire of Calline, Count of the Empire, Elder of the Psychic Tower... All of these refer to me."
Rudian lightly lifted a pebble from the ground with telekinesis.
WHOOOM!
"...Th-that!"
The pebble dancing above his palm, controlled by telekinesis, was a sight Derrick had become familiar with recently.
It was the distinctive power shown in battle by the psychics who had newly joined them.
"Sir Derrick, please don't rashly judge others' growth. If you do that, you'll commit the foolish act of limiting your own potential as well."
"...!"
"Well, I have the holy sword Daylight here, and the badge proving my count status... There are many ways to prove my identity. If you're really concerned, shall I bring up some of Derrick's other episodes?"
Derrick flinched slightly at the mention of "other episodes."
For a family man... Derrick had quite a few incidents he'd caused outside.
Rudian had been a living witness to those for several years.
"B-but for you to have grown that much is too unrealistic!"
"Well, that's true, but..."
Rudian chuckled and ambushed Derrick directly.
"I don't particularly seek understanding."
Now Rudian had to go finish off Layla, and there wasn't much time to convince Derrick.
"W-wait! Let's talk a little more...! I feel like I might realize something...!"
Derrick's words couldn't continue to the end.
THUD!
As soon as Rudian applied slight shock to the back of Derrick's head, Derrick collapsed forward without even a groan.
'There's no one outside, so even if I leave Derrick here, Derrick won't be kidnapped by enemies.'
Rudian threw Derrick and the knights outside the space using telekinesis.
Rudian didn't know what kind of relationship Derrick and Rudian would continue in the future, but if possible, Rudian hoped Derrick would also survive to the end and they could meet as good allies.
'Someday we'll meet again.'
Having thrown them out, Rudian headed inside toward his real goal.
'Seven Arks... This time I'll finish you perfectly.'
***
"Why... why?"
"What in the world is happening, Layla!"
Jarsen the 'Illusionist,' who could be considered the only combat personnel in Seven Arks at this point.
Forgetting even the unwritten rule that one who handles illusions must not waver, Jarsen was now showing the greatest turmoil of his life.
"What is happening right now!"
Jarsen pressed the prostrate Layla.
When the gate to the underworld suddenly closed and Layla, who had been maintaining the gate, collapsed, Jarsen realized that things had gone very, very wrong.
After a considerable time passed, Layla raised her upper body and muttered weakly:
"The gate to the underworld has closed."
"I can see that with my own eyes!"
"And my contract with the Death King has been severed..."
"Wh-what?"
"To be precise... the Death King abandoned me. Ha, ahahaha...!"
When the gate to the underworld was forcibly closed and the death energy that had filled her entire body drained away, Layla's mind returned to clarity, unlike before.
But in the current situation, this was both a curse and punishment.
Even if Layla wanted to surrender herself to madness and go insane, Layla couldn't do so.
"Setting aside what happened to the Baphomets... I never thought the Death King, who had maintained a contract for over a thousand years, would break it so easily... What exactly is that guy...!"
"Damn it, and Britian isn't responding to contact either!"
Saint Britian had completely disappeared after what happened in the Great Forest.
Layla had gone to Luuren to persuade Britian, but it was futile, and instead the worst situation unfolded where Layla was caught by Baal and became food for Apophis.
"Damn it..."
Jarsen roughly shook his hair and organized the situation.
If the Death King had broken the contract, Layla could be considered to have essentially lost her power.
Minor magic might still be possible, but unique domains like the nightmare barrier could never be used again.
Moreover, the plan to devour Morian and Rohans' forces to increase their power had also gone down the drain.
'Can my illusions deal damage to that guy?'
Even taking advantage of home ground... buying time would be the limit.
"Let's run away, Layla. Rowen and I alone cannot stop that guy."
Even to Jarsen's proposal, which was the best choice possible, Layla shook her head.
"...No. If things continue like this, our entire great work will come to nothing."
"Then what do you want to do! Face that monster and die a dog's death?"
Layla weakly uttered her next words.
But even though her energy had drained away, the venom and murderous intent toward Rudian still burned fiercely in Layla's heart.
"First, send out Rowen. And tell him to buy as much time as possible."
"You, don't tell me..."
"In the meantime, you and I will modify Evangeline into a spirit body. A spirit body... no, Evangeline, who would essentially be a spirit god, would have sufficient chance of victory against that guy."
"..."
Jarsen stared at Layla with his mouth slightly open.
That essentially meant turning against Rowen, and it was also an act that signified the true end of Seven Arks.
"...Are you serious?"
"Anyway, if we can't kill Rudian Belstad right now, we won't be able to plan anything in the future. If we miss this opportunity, the gap between that guy and us will only widen further as time passes."
"Hmm..."
A world for humanity alone.
And the prophet who would lead that world.
That great ambition now stood at a crossroads of whether it would collapse or not.
"How much have we protected that Evan girl while being mindful of Rowen's gaze until now! Now it's time to receive payment for that investment!"
"Ahem!"
Strictly speaking, it was essentially nonsense, but Jarsen didn't particularly refute those words.
Jarsen too was someone who had lived for over a thousand years for one purpose.
If there was even a slim possibility, Jarsen wanted to desperately cling to it.
"A-alright. Then I'll give orders to Rowen."
Thus Jarsen and Layla made an irreversible decision.
***
'Hmm, finding the way has certainly become easier.'
Nightmare Sanctuary, the headquarters of Seven Arks.
This place, which was also a mythic-grade artifact like Celestial's headquarters, the Celestial Hanging Garden, was also a location that bordered the underworld.
With the defenses of illusionist Jarsen and necromancer Layla, it had become an almost invincible fortress, but...
Bow down!
Nod!
The illusions that Jarsen had laid out were too different in level for the current Rudian to fall for, and the wraiths and undead scattered throughout either bowed in extreme reverence upon seeing Rudian or avoided meeting him altogether.
'Being the Death King's contractor makes this one thing convenient.'
It wasn't particularly important now, but Rudian had probably become completely free from lifespan issues as well.
—It's over there, great contractor of death.
"Oh, thanks."
Anyway, when Rudian asked the dead for directions, they answered kindly, so Rudian was starting to wonder whether this was an enemy's headquarters or his own home.
Thus Rudian passed through the land of the dead and arrived at the true center of Sanctuary and the residence of Seven Arks members, the 'Illusion castle .'
Rudian looked at the Illusion castle , whose form had become blurred like replaying an old film.
'As expected, even with this much power, it's hard to see the true form of a mythic-grade artifact clearly.'
Actually, the fact that Rudian could see the castle's form at all was tremendous.
If it had been Rudian before entering Shub's temple, without Adi's help, Rudian wouldn't have even known that the castle's form existed.
"This is unexpected..."
"..."
When Rudian arrived in front of the castle, Rudian saw a kind-looking young man standing there, weapon in hand, preparing for battle.
At that moment, Rudian felt something had gone wrong and frowned.
"Why are you here?"
To Rudian's question, the young man, Rowen Elaid, opened his mouth calmly.
"Naturally because I received orders to stop you."
"Then why did you come alone? Where did you leave Jarsen and Layla?"
"I cannot answer that."
"..."
A disposable card.
The word that flashed through Rudian's mind the moment Rudian saw Rowen alone.
Honest Rowen would naturally have followed orders, but this wasn't the situation Rudian wanted.
"Evan is in danger. Please step aside."
TWITCH!
"What... do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? While you're stopping me, Layla and Jarsen will modify your sister into a spirit body. An artificial god who has lost her self and become a puppet."
At Rudian's words, Rowen reacted violently.
"My comrades wouldn't do such a thing!"
"Then what is this situation? If they wanted to stop me, even having all three of you wouldn't be enough, yet they sent only you?"
If they had seen Rudian dealing with Baphomets and undead, this would be no different from telling Rowen to go die.
"Obviously they said they have a way to stop me, so they asked you to buy as much time as possible until then."
"..."
Having hit the mark, Rowen's expression contorted.
"I... trust my comrades. They provided much support for the sickly Evan over a long time. I have a duty to respond to their faith and goodwill."
'So I'm telling you that your comrades' actions were all calculated.'
Rudian wanted to say this, but looking at Rowen's current attitude and eyes, Rudian was convinced it would only have the opposite effect.
'Rowen Elaid...'
In Seven Arks, where thousand-year-old beings swarmed, the only genius whose outer appearance and actual age 'somewhat' matched.
Having lived only about a hundred years, yet possessing military power second only to Seven Arks' leader, Overlord Galdran.
Though Rowen had lived like the youngest for decades due to being pushed down in seniority, the reason Rowen, who took on all sorts of menial tasks, couldn't leave Seven Arks was naturally because of his sister Evangeline.
'Born with such powerful natural energy that survival is impossible without the life support devices provided by Seven Arks.'
Therefore, even if Rowen knew he was a disposable card, Rowen would have stood before Rudian.
'Defeating Rowen is easy, but...'
If Rudian did that, there was no telling what kind of rejection Evangeline might show when they met, so Rowen needed to remain unharmed and intact if possible.
The action Rudian took after making that decision was...
"...Huh?"
CRASH!
Simply ignoring Rowen and charging toward the Illusion castle !
With one punch from Rudian, the outer wall of the Illusion castle was completely shattered.
"Wait, what...?"
Never expecting his opponent to take such an absurd tactic, Rowen's expression was momentarily colored with bewilderment.