Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Lord of Darkness, Agarez
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Under the black sky.
The Celestial Knight Order ran with tense expressions on their faces.
Agarez was an opponent they had to fight without regard for death.
Though their main goal was to buy time—at least two days' worth—they couldn't help but be on edge.
Of course, Krash, who was at the forefront, had no intention of merely buying time.
'It's about time.'
His mind was filled only with thoughts of taking it down.
"Krash, what do you know about Agarez?"
Krash was the one who had confidently claimed he could stand against Agarez.
So when Lilish asked, Krash spoke up.
"I know that the moment the black sky became visible, it started watching us."
The black sky was Agarez's eye.
And beneath that black sky, the Erosion Beasts possessed a different kind of power than before.
Because entering Agarez's domain doubled their size and amplified their innate demonic traits.
"I also know we have to avoid meeting its eyes directly. Doing so would start with vision blackout and lead to chained curses."
"You know your stuff."
Lilish nodded lightly.
"Agarez is a tricky Erosion Beast due to its innate curse traits. That's the biggest reason I brought you along."
Lilish's rational judgment was spot on.
Had Krash not deliberately mentioned the curses, she would have dismissed it as bravado and left him behind.
Krash knew her personality well enough to bring it up.
"Yes, I can break that curse."
"...It won't be dangerous, will it?"
"Not at all."
It felt awkward receiving Lilish's concern, but Krash shrugged it off.
Sorry, but when it came to World Erosion, Krash was more of an expert than Lilish right now.
The current state of World Erosion was still something humanity could fight against.
"Then, if we break that curse, what's our chance of taking down Agarez?"
"Fifty-fifty."
As Krash stated it firmly, Lilish slowly curved her lips into a smile.
"That's pretty high."
It was high.
Especially since it assumed everyone survived and returned.
But Krash didn't say that much.
He figured Lilish would call it pie-in-the-sky nonsense.
"Just to be clear, we're still focusing on buying time like we planned."
Krash didn't object to that.
He just knew Lilish would naturally lean toward taking Agarez down anyway.
"Lady Lilish."
At that moment, Darbian, who had been running alongside, spoke up.
It was because darkness had appeared ahead of them as they ran.
The same black as the sky overhead blanketed the path before them thickly.
Lilish halted her steps.
There was no point in running further once they reached this point.
"Everyone, prepare for battle."
At Lilish's command, the knights drew their weapons in unison.
They exhaled the breaths they'd built up from running, their faces hardening.
"It's coming."
The moment Lilish spoke.
Dudududududududu!
The entire ground began to rumble as if an earthquake had struck.
At the same time, countless presences erupted from the darkness simultaneously.
"Everyone, from now on, focus solely on reducing the number of Erosion Beasts under the black sky!"
With the knight order's resounding response, Erosion Beasts poured out from the darkness.
Their forms varied wildly.
But they all shared one trait: dozens of glaring red eyes where eyes shouldn't have been.
And they were stronger than their original power.
No Expert upper-level could even contend with them otherwise.
It was Agarez's unique ability, Lord Command.
And to defeat Agarez, dealing with these minions was the most crucial task.
'Each one with eyes boosts Agarez's power further.'
So they had to take down as many of these turned servants as possible.
This role would fall to the Dissolver Knights once Agarez fully appeared.
That's why they'd brought them along.
For now, Agarez hadn't shown itself yet.
Krash assumed his stance, Thunderclap at his waist.
The moment he took a short breath, World Erosion ignited within him, activating Inferno Erosion.
His body heated up naturally.
Hot flames slowly leaked from his mouth.
At the same time, Krash sprinkled Black Flame over the golden aura blade blooming on Thunderclap.
Lioner formed into a sheath-like shape.
This would be the opening strike.
Since they had to fight anyway, he'd hit them with a big one.
Pazik!
The Black Flame within the erupting lightning sheath burned even fiercer.
And when the Black Flame reached its limit, making the lightning sheath howl.
Krash released the suppressed Black Flame.
"Inferno Erosion" "First Form" "Inferno Blade Draw"
⟨ Inferno Blade Draw ⟩
Kwagwagwagwagwagwagwagwang!
The unleashed Black Flame swept the area.
The Erosion Beasts charging toward the blazing Black Flame burned up and vanished in unison.
Those in the rear were somewhat spared by distance from Inferno Blade Draw's range, but even they weren't unscathed.
The Black Flame had leaped to their bodies and raged fiercely.
Ignis-formed Black Flame excelled at incinerating World Erosion.
Thus, the survivors writhed on the ground, screaming.
The knights stared at Krash, who stood tall before the fallen beasts, momentarily stunned.
No one among them could unleash such a high-output strike.
Knight training prioritized stability, so they never learned body-burning techniques like Krash's.
Thus, this disregard for safety etched itself firmly in their minds.
Krash Valheim.
That he was a direct descendant of the Valheim family.
"What are you gawking at? Get it together! More are coming!"
Lilish barked at them.
Krash's Inferno Blade Draw had momentarily dazed the knights.
The knights hurriedly re-engaged.
New Erosion Beasts were pouring in, just as Lilish said.
They'd killed so many in the first strike, yet seeing their numbers...
Reducing Agarez's power by wiping out all the Erosion Beasts seemed impossible.
"Krash, you really go big."
Lilish remarked to Krash without much surprise.
She had seen him take down Harpas.
So she roughly understood his fighting style.
But understanding and witnessing it were different.
'Extreme high-output attacks.'
Techniques that poured everything into killing the enemy without a thought for the aftermath.
Unreasonable powerhouses.
Honestly, Lilish wanted to stop him.
Krash's techniques clearly ignored the future.
As if failing to give his all now meant no future at all.
Each move was the best he could do without regard for his body.
It was fine for now.
Krash was young, with many years ahead.
But someday, the repercussions would scar his future.
'Does he know that?'
Lilish glanced at Krash while cleaving an Erosion Beast's head.
To her, Krash darting through the beasts looked perilously unstable.
'...Is that from being born a Valheim direct descendant?'
Was it purely the Valheim blood that drove him to crave power so desperately?
For some reason, Lilish felt it wasn't just that weighing on his shoulders.
'When we get back.'
She'd ask.
She'd neglected him more than a sister should.
But now, as his sister, even belatedly.
She too had realized that staying silent changed nothing.
＊ ＊ ＊
Hours had passed since they began fighting the Erosion Beasts.
Just when their numbers thinned, more would surge; thin again, and more would come.
Kung!
For the first time, the darkness shuddered violently.
At the same time, the stagnant darkness expanded, surging toward the knight order.
"Dissolver Knight Captain! From now on, retreat and fight only those emerging from the darkness!"
At Lilish's command, the Dissolver Knights halted combat and dashed out of the darkness domain.
There was no chance of victory once inside.
Agarez's darkness was like black rainwater.
Inside, the curse embedded in it seeped into the body, leading to ruin.
"Krash."
Lilish turned to Krash.
Only Masters could endure the darkness.
Krash was Expert upper-level.
So Lilish asked just in case.
"I'm fine. You know what my skill is."
Krash reassured her.
Ignis burned World Erosion itself.
Burn away the curse before it seeped in—that was all.
Of course, it required constantly incinerating his insides with Ignis, but.
Krash didn't mind.
He was doing it anyway.
'If Belokin had done the same back then.'
He wouldn't have fallen to the Thousand-Faced Ghost's curse.
Krash clicked his tongue briefly, recalling Belokin.
A guy afraid to burn his own body—fitting end for him.
[This is as far as I go.]
Seeing the encroaching darkness, Crimson Garden spoke up.
Krash nodded, aware of it.
Even Crimson Garden's crow couldn't withstand Agarez's darkness.
"I'll be out soon. Just enjoy the scenery."
As Krash joked, Crimson Garden sighed deeply.
[You should have turned one of those knights into a familiar.]
"Worried about me?"
[Worried my ass. Just curious what stupid stunt you'd pull.]
Crimson Garden's attitude toward him was growing ruder by the day.
But Krash felt the concern in her words and let it slide.
[Come back safe.]
As Crimson flew off, Krash too was engulfed in darkness alongside the Celestial Knights.
Within the pitch-black darkness.
Krash slowly surveyed his surroundings, Inferno Erosion blazing.
All light and sound vanished.
The darkness had swallowed everything.
In this darkness, all senses went haywire.
And ultimately, vague doubts arose: Was he really here? Was he truly alive?
Another curse of Agarez's darkness: Oblivion.
People crumbled in the darkness of oblivion.
Forgetting even to breathe or beat their hearts.
Hwaruk—
Of course, irrelevant to Krash.
He incinerated every curse trying to seep in.
The other knights did the same.
They used aura to shield against the curse in the darkness.
Their aura would wear down steadily, but.
As Masters, barring vision limits, they moved without issue.
[Lord Krash, can you hear me?]
A voice rang in Krash's mind then.
It belonged to Celestial Vice-Captain Darbian.
This was his skill, Vicallis.
A skill that transmitted will to designated targets.
It even allowed sense-sharing, invaluable for knight order operations.
[I'll share senses with you.]
With that, he'd grasp all Celestial Knights' positions.
That's why the Celestial Knights dared enter the darkness.
Krash waited silently, and soon a prickling sensation hit his head as sense-sharing began.
He could feel all positions even without Sixth Sense.
Definitely useful in this regard.
'Tempting.'
But not worth taking.
Hoovering up talents everywhere would thin the talent pool, leaving World Erosion undefended elsewhere.
He'd pass on that.
"Krash, can you hear me?"
"Yes, loud and clear."
Lilish ahead called to him.
The Celestial Knights were used to sense-sharing, but it was Krash's first time, so she was considerate.
"Good. Ten minutes from now, Agarez arrives here."
Fast.
Whatever Agarez's goal in advancing, collision was inevitable.
"Once combat starts, we must pin down Agarez's gaze to buy time afterward. We don't know your full capabilities. Can I trust your personal judgment?"
Sound judgment.
Forcing Krash to match the unpracticed Celestial Knights would only cause friction.
"Yes."
So Lilish granted him autonomy.
At Krash's reply, Lilish raised her sword.
Blue aura flowed along her blade, blazing intensely enough to repel the darkness.
It served as a guidepost for the Celestial Knights.
"Everyone, prepare for battle."
The moment Lilish shouted again, rows of glaring red eyes appeared atop the surrounding darkness.
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeek!
The moment a grotesque screech like scraping metal echoed.
Julpuk—
With the sound of something dripping, a figure began walking from the distant darkness.
Its face was hidden by pitch-black shadow, but the horns protruding from its head marked it a demon.
Its long arms dangling from a cape of blood-red ooze were far from human.
Where it walked, darkness dripped like ink.
Ossak!
Krash shuddered, goosebumps rising just from the sight, but grinned shakily.
A red eye emerged on its jet-black body amid the darkness.
That was the signal.
The surrounding darkness morphed into bladed forms and rained down.
Rank 8 Erosion Beast, Agarez.
The Lord of Darkness had arrived.