Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: The Unborn God (2)
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Well, considering the imperial family's Bloodline Ability, it's only natural.
This is the first time I've seen it in person, but the imperial family's Bloodline Ability is Inheritance.
It allows one to quickly master techniques learned by their ancestors up to the highest levels.
Thanks to this, imperial bloodlines exhibit genius-level talent in any field right up until they're on the verge of reaching the pinnacle, like Swordmaster or Archmage.
That's probably why Patricius could reach Sword Expert and elder-level mage at such a young age in his twenties.
...But it's still not enough to touch me.
Unless more time passes and he trains with the full resources of the empire focused on him, like the emperor.
Patricius at his current level can't do anything to me.
The moment his aura, resembling black flames, touched mine, it scattered. The moment it touched the black skin shaped by mana, it melted away, losing its form.
Thud!
All that remained was a dull clash. With the sword crumbling and Patricius's strength, he couldn't knock my hand away.
But it seems he could use it as a springboard to push himself back.
"Tch. You're tough."
The guy who clicked his tongue threw himself backward using his own force.
He spun in midair, regained his balance, and distanced himself. As if to maximize the gap, he now shaped multiple weapons in the air instead of his hands.
Greatswords, polearms, arrows, spears, gauntlets, scythes, and more.
Weapons of all kinds appeared, overlaid with thick aura.
Not as distinctly shaped as Adriana's aura blade, but coating them with this much aura without even touching them was impressive.
Patricius, with a confident expression, swung his hand.
"Clashing directly was too arrogant after all... How about this?"
Weapons of various types drew their trajectories, closing in from all directions.
Weapons that blocked any escape with unrestricted strikes, unhindered by teeth to wield.
And it didn't end there. The black mages began unleashing their completed spells at me next.
Spears made of infinitely dividing vertebrae. Acid rain bubbling as it fell from the sky. And otherworldly monsters that couldn't even be classified as such.
Not curses made of dark mana alone, nor fire magic commonly used for its lethality.
Threats with clear physical form, limits to countering with pure physical force—magic.
Just as I'd grown accustomed to the black mages' ways, they'd grown accustomed to mine.
So I couldn't ignore it outright... but that was it.
I shook my head at the aura-mixed weapons and bizarre dark magic filling my vision.
"Eh. Probably no different."
With that, I unleashed the aura I'd concentrated in my body across my entire form in one breath.
Whoosh!
An explosion pushed right to the brink, drawing on my experience of rampaging aura.
Red-burning shockwaves spread out, incinerating the surroundings.
Each carried the power to disrupt abilities.
The aftermath's compressed air disrupted the trajectory of the still-dividing spine spears.
The intense heat that made breathing difficult evaporated the falling acid solution.
The otherworldly monster, sensing not with sight but aura, lost direction, writhed in agony from its burning body, and turned toward its summoner.
Patricius's mana weapons remained intact thanks to aura protection.
But this much, I could just swat away directly.
"Haaap!"
Weapons flying in with their own martial forms. I thrust my fist forward without hesitation.
Krunch.
The greatsword striking down with river principles shattered against greater force.
The polearm swung to maximize weight and distance toward my neck was grabbed by its shaft just before contact and halted.
Seizing the gap, the arrow aiming for my heart from behind was met by twisting my body to the limit and catching it with my teeth.
Crunch!
Aura and mana crumbled in my mouth, creating a small storm. Wounds etched into my relatively soft gums and inner cheeks.
But this much would heal quickly after spitting out some blood.
I swung the trembling polearm at the spear plunging vertically toward my crown.
Kraka!
Patricius's own aura and mana collided and shattered.
Beyond the scattering, melting fragments, a gauntlet rose from below in a bizarre trajectory, but...
"Fistfighting in front of me?"
The unfamiliar technique was crushed by a flexible kick that exploited its opening before it fully unfolded.
Splut!
Finally, the fiercely spinning scythe that couldn't be touched.
"Not even worth responding to."
The moment it touched my nape, it failed to pierce my skin or withstand its own force and shattered like glass.
Clang!
No particular reason. The imperial Bloodline Ability granted near-omnipotent power with each generation.
But it wasn't freely given; it merely provided shortcuts.
No matter how fast he ran, Patricius couldn't master all martial arts at his age.
Lacking proficiency compared to other weapons, it couldn't pierce my body.
Surrounding buildings burned, touching my uncontained aura. I kicked off the ground toward the second prince beyond the obscured vision.
Tat.
Unlike the previous flashy movements, a silent advance using assassins' arts.
Patricius, noticing my approach late, panicked and discarded the reforming weapon.
"What...!"
Instead of scattering daggers, a massive shield quickly rose, blocking between us.
Thickness rivaling city walls at a glance. Covered in fierce aura, with six or seven protective spells layered behind.
Buying time to prepare the next shaping magic, but...
"Careless."
Boom!
A stamp that cracked the ground. Power rose from ankle through knee, waist, shoulder, arm to fist.
The pattern on my forearm glowed brighter than usual, wreathed in flames.
The loaded fist fired.
Krunch!
Extinguishing Patricius's aura in one go, the shield tore.
Beyond the melting, formless shield, complex magic circles floated.
But pure mana shields without form, like the previous one—how long could they hold?
Not as much as against dark magic, but my resistances against decent spells were squeezed to the limit, mingling with the flames on my fist.
Krunch! Clang! Craaack!
Magic circles shattered instantly upon touching my flames.
The unhesitating fist pierced straight through Patricius's chest, his heart.
"Guh!"
Pulling out the bloodied fist, blood poured from the hollow chest.
Patricius, vomiting blood, let out a deep sigh.
"...Cough. Too reckless after all."
He collapsed face-down, spewing blood.
Normally, dark magic would fly in now, but...
"Aaagh! Fate! I curse you!"
"How could the Sword Lord guarding the emperor be here...!"
"...Farewell, brothers."
Instead of dark magic, screams flew.
Elise and Byron combined forces, systematically taking down black mages one by one.
Adriana, without divine power support, used Swordmaster physical prowess and overwhelming aura blade to cut down black mages.
The black mages drawing circles began dying from both sides, collapsing while bleeding out amid their circles.
The massive ritual magic had just ended, draining their power, and their first spells focused on me had failed, leaving no proper resistance.
Unlike the initial tension, the battle ended quite anticlimactically.
They feared and guarded me too much, misjudging.
Well, even if focused elsewhere, the result wouldn't change.
I shrugged with a somewhat empty feeling.
"At least it's settled for now. Time to think of a way to send back the God of Nightmares..."
"...Enoch! Get out of there! Now!"
Before my mutter finished, Elise's sharp cry.
My instincts were still quiet, enemies all down, so reason rejected, but...
Knowing from experience her eyes were sharper than my intuition, I tried to pull back immediately.
I tried.
"Ah."
Sudden heavy pressure on my shoulders froze my body.
Not just overwhelming strength. Far more primal—a being's rank I'd never felt against any foe crushed me.
Thump-!
The distant heartbeat grew closer. As if whispered in my ear.
Forcing strength into my stiff neck, I scanned around.
Enormous dark mana leaked from the dead black mages' circle, flowing with their blood toward the sphere above.
Patricius, pouring blood from his chest hole toward the God of Nightmares, mustered final strength to curl his lips.
"Heh. My thanks. Thanks to your nightmare-like blind killing intent, Duke Zahav... the ritual is complete."
"You bastard... I'll finish you right now!"
Breaking through immense resistance, I raised my fist. Just smash down... but slower than his taunt.
"Do as you like. But you've noticed by now. It means nothing."
"...What scheme is this?"
"Simple. Rebellion to become emperor is foolish. No imperial heir can surpass the current one. But."
Bloody lips curled. He wore a familiar expression.
Like the black mages I'd defeated—eyes filled with madness and conviction.
The delusion that only they were different. ...Thus, no hesitation in causing others' tragedy.
"Rebellion to become a god is worth risking it all."
"You mad bastard..."
Hearing him, I knew.
Black mages' ultimate goal: ascension to godhood.
Not ascending themselves, but stealing another's.
Summoning a god without a soul, unborn...
Filling that empty shell with their souls forged in death and struggle to usurp godhood.
The second prince willingly joined.
"You know? All nobles are fallen gods... So noble blood should open the path to godhood."
With those words, the sword-only sphere. A red hole began piercing the swaddling cloth of Nyx wrapping the God of Nightmares.
But nothing flowed out.
Far stronger suction pulled in Patricius and the black mages' blood... their souls escaping flesh.
"Imperial blood is the finest among countless blue bloods. Surely, among myriad souls, one resembling me will emerge."
"You think that's really possible?"
"Haha... See for yourself, Duke Zahav. Though it might look a bit different then."
With that, Patricius breathed his last.
With his final breath, all blood spilled here defied gravity, fully seeping into the pulsing sphere.
Thump!
Heartbeat now ear-piercingly loud.
Grinding teeth to force my unmoving body, patterns across my body flashed fiercely, briefly freeing me.
Not missing the chance, I rampaged all remaining aura, burning it all.
Kwaaa!
Bursting pillar of fire enveloped the writhing darkness within, burning.
Omnipotence filling my body. Trusting it, I clenched my fist.
I didn't know the exact principle, but a ritual completed via dark magic. Thus, destructible by my power.
"Just go back to sleep...!"
Shouting, I thrust my fist. Dragon breath-like flames followed its path into the red hole in the still-open curtain.
That was it. No change.
"Fuck!"
Cursing as the blackened membrane tore, a massive form emerged.
Shape evoking a peacefully sleeping newborn, body curled—not round—serene, yet crushing the world by existence alone.
Child of nightmares. Unborn god. Transcendent permitted false ritual, vessel filled with countless black mages' and prince's souls.
Its eyes slowly opened.
The moment our deep black pupils met.
"Screwed."
My mind blurred, instantly falling into sleep.
...A long nightmare awaited.
After Enoch entered the academy.
To prepare for any contingency, Emperor Wilfred personally led knights, encircling the academy.
Ready to expend his remaining lifespan to protect the empire's future if anything happened.
Shrrk.
The barrier enveloping the academy melted away all too easily.
"Success...?"
He'd thought Enoch handled it somehow, sighing in relief.
Zzt-
Clear foreign memories forcibly injected into Wilfred's mind.
-Ki... kill... I'll kill you all... not one spared... all...
A young Enoch tortured, limbs restrained.
Enoch, first and deepest in contact with the God of Nightmares.
As if announcing a new god's birth, Enoch's untold nightmare transmitted to everyone in the capital.