Chapter 352: Libra (8)
Chapter 352: Libra (8)
"Huh?"
Isn't Boiling Silence being a bit too quiet?
Given how petty that bastard is, it wouldn't be surprising if he tried to stab us in the back while the battle is in full swing—like sneaking in to attempt an assassination of a key figure.
That was exactly why I didn't just reinforce the fortress walls but deployed a barrier covering the entirety of Yggdrasil. Since the barrier is made of the holy power of Cyclic Life, everything inside should fall within her range of perception. Even if an assassin from Boiling Silence tried to slip in, she would notice immediately.
...And yet, there’s been no word.
No matter how great Boiling Silence’s Authority is, an Authority granted to a believer shouldn't be able to deceive the domain of a god. If that’s the case, is Boiling Silence really just watching without pulling any tricks?
There’s no way.
If there were spies planted inside beforehand, I might have thought they were planning something with them, but I’ve already cleared out anyone suspicious. I don’t even need to stab them with the Shining Lion Dagger anymore; I can identify them instantly with my Cultist Detection Trait.
From the attitude of Ugly Prosperity—which differs from what I knew—to the prisoners we captured separately, and even the Knalfs who were protesting for me to be handed over... Boiling Silence hasn't stepped forward personally, but it’s certain he is deeply involved in this war.
Then what exactly is he doing, and where?
I canceled the magic I was preparing and began chanting a wide-area detection spell.
"[An eye that sees the unseen. An ear that hears the unheard. I am he who is nowhere, yet everywhere. …Area Search.]"
A powerful wave of mana erupted from me, echoing off everything in the vicinity. With so many people and monsters gathered, and the residual mana from everyone firing off spells, there was a lot of noise, but it was manageable.
Suppressing a throbbing headache, I sorted through the information flooding into my mind. Thanks to that, I finally identified the source of the dissonance.
"Oh?"
These bastards. They were using an Authority of Stealth to secretly gather the fallen corpses in one place. This is actually quite baffling.
Neither Ugly Prosperity nor Boiling Silence possesses an Authority related to utilizing corpses. Controlling the undead is strictly the domain of Narrow-minded Usurpation.
Then why on earth are they gathering bodies?
"…Wait. Is there even a need to overthink it?"
The 'why' doesn't really matter. If I'm going to blow it all away anyway, I don't need to confirm their motives.
I aimed my staff toward the area caught by my detection.
The greatest advantage of Fire Phoenix is that once cast, it fights on its own according to the situation, requiring no further attention. In other words, even if I’m maintaining four of them simultaneously, I can cast other spells without any issues as long as I have enough mana.
Well… a spell like Punishment, which requires my full effort, would be difficult, but that would be overkill for this situation anyway. It’s not like Ugly Prosperity is pouring out power through Instant Spirit Possession right now. It’s better to just use Advanced Magic rather than risk falling into a groggy state for a moment.
Mixing Dragon Tongue and Resonance should provide more than enough power.
Wuuuung—
Waves of mana rippled out from my heart. Feeling the responding mana begin to stir, I spoke the chant. Simultaneously, a magic circle drew itself in the air.
As each verse flowed from my lips, the faint magic circle regained a distinct form. Though it was composed of complex formulas and symbols, to me—knowing how to interpret them—they merely served to add detail to the image in my mind.
I imagined a massive typhoon tearing through the enemy lines. A gale so fierce it could uproot ancient trees hundreds of years old, leaving the cultists scattered and helpless.
As the chant neared its end, the image became increasingly vivid. It shifted from a graphic I had once seen on a screen to a concrete sensation, as if I were feeling it directly before my eyes.
The moment that imagination became so firm it turned into a conviction that it would actually happen, I uttered the first word of the activation command.
"[Rage forth. Dual Hurricane!]"
The wind, which had been blowing with a slight chill, began to intensify, gathering at two points to become whirlwinds. Two storms were born.
As if conscious of one another, the two whirlwinds spiraled around each other, creating even greater destruction. The storms advanced, plowing through the ground and tearing the caught cultists and monsters to shreds… but the enemies weren't stupid enough to just let a spell of this magnitude be.
I didn't know his name, but thanks to my Excellent Memory trait, I clearly remembered his face: the Beastkin Cardinal.
A muscular man of the Ronin Tribe, looking exactly as he did in the cutscenes, let out a thunderous howling.
"Awoooooooo—!"
At the same time, his lower half grew larger than his own torso. It was an unrealistic sight, but the true value of that Authority lay elsewhere.
As if following the size of his phallus, which had become as massive as a support beam, his entire body began to grow. He transformed from an ordinary beastman with just ears and a tail into a bipedal wolf.
If I had to name it, I’d call it a Full-body Erection. As terrifying as the Authority was, its power was equally brutal.
Having become a giant werewolf, he lunged his claws toward the two storms.
"Graaaaaah!"
With a sound that seemed to tear the air itself, his razor-sharp claws collided with the magic I had created.
Skreeeeee!
Even though it was just claws clashing against wind, sparks flew in all directions accompanied by the screech of metal on metal.
On the surface, they seemed evenly matched… but I knew. I was the one at a disadvantage. Wind magic has a wide range and is highly versatile, but its raw power is somewhat lower compared to other spells of the same rank.
At this rate, my Dual Hurricane would likely be cleaved in two by that werewolf’s hands.
So, before the magic could be cut and dissipated, I would use it differently. All I needed to do was find out what they were hiding.
"[Unite!]"
Using Spirit Language, I forcibly merged the two storms. This actually reduced the range and power… but it condensed the wind to the point where the werewolf’s claws couldn't easily slice through it.
When a large-scale spell doesn't have its core cleanly destroyed but receives a significant impact, what happens? The answer is simple. It runs wild and explodes.
BOOOOOM!
"Aaaagh!"
A gale swept across the battlefield, accompanied by a roar that sounded like a balloon popping amplified a thousand times.
The giant werewolf, who had taken the brunt of the impact at point-blank range, had his front shredded as if he had been hacked by a thousand blades. Of course, it only managed to flay his hide… but perhaps he had exhausted all his strength just enduring it, as his body began to shrink back down.
Seeing him slumped over as if he’d just hit post-nut clarity, he wouldn't be able to use his strength properly for a while.
That was enough.
"Huuu!"
I took a sharp breath and focused my mind on the Fire Phoenixes flying through the sky.
The firebirds, which had been darting around to avoid the strong enemies capable of destroying them, flinched for a moment. Then, following my command, they dove toward this location at full speed.
Whoosh—
A red afterimage streaked past the Cardinal, who had returned to his Ronin Tribe form. Shortly after, the sound of an explosion rang out.
K-boom!
Though it was seemingly empty air, the Fire Phoenix had triggered a grand explosion as if it had struck something.
No matter how well Boiling Silence had hidden it, I suppose it couldn't withstand an impact of this scale. The space wavered, and the Veil of Silence lost its power.
Shall we see what you were hiding so desperately?
With a smirk, I cast a simple Far-Sight magic on my eyes and waited for the smoke to clear.
"…You’ve got to be kidding me."
The moment I confirmed its identity, my expression turned grim.
Elisha, who had been pouring out various spells beside me while carefully managing her mana consumption, tilted her head as she looked at my face.
"Dear? What’s wrong all of a sudden? Everything seems to be going according to plan… has a problem arisen?"
"Look over there."
"You mean where the explosion just happened? What on earth could it be that…… Ah."
Elisha’s mouth fell open as she saw what was revealed beyond the smoke.
Yes. Even if she didn't know exactly what it was, she could tell it was something ominous. Even I, who knew its identity, felt my body tremble with a vague sense of dread and disgust.
It looked like the corpses of Ugly Prosperity’s followers and still-living prisoners had been clumped together and rolled into a sphere. At a glance, it looked like an egg or a nest, but looking closer revealed a horrifying reality.
Swollen breasts, firmly erect phalluses, and the faces of prisoners with their tongues lolling out in lewd expressions, driven mad by the Authority.
The sight of other undigested parts protruding like lumpy tumors was reminiscent of a small hell.
Elisha, unable to tear her eyes away, asked in a trembling voice.
"W-what is that? You know what it is, don't you?"
"Yeah. I know. …The problem is that I know it too well."
It wasn't finished yet, but that was a Birthing Chamber.
A Birthing Chamber meant to give birth to Ugly Prosperity.