The Small War on Bukhan Mountain (Conclusion)
In the heavy silence, only the sound of wood burning could be heard.
Where the shells had exploded, black soot spread like sunlight.
The center of the blast had left nothing but black ash, as if it were a black hole. Only beyond five meters could scattered flesh fragments be seen. From over ten meters away, the shapes of corpses were at least recognizable.
“…….”
The 5th Priest and Specter King, along with the head instructor, were left speechless.
Half of the demons that had rushed forward were dead. The survivors among them had lost limbs and were in critical condition.
A moment later, fireballs began to rain down—debris and flesh pieces blasted high into the air.
The flames clinging to the falling objects burned with ferocious intensity.
“……Who is it?”
The 5th Priest and Specter King stared at the forest where the shells had come from. At the end of the circular path, a bulky figure emerged, belly protruding as he walked forward.
A large triangular hat adorned with pirate patterns. Thick, curved mustaches. A golden hook glinting in his right hand.
He looked like a male puppet straight out of a medieval pirate tale. In his left hand, he gripped a cutlass that suited his image perfectly, stepping forward with heavy, deliberate strides.
The puppet’s mouth was unnaturally wide open, the lower jaw hanging completely down to touch his chest. Inside, a cannon belched black smoke.
With a gear-clicking sound, the jaw closed. Black smoke leaked from between the puppet’s yellow teeth.
“…….”
The 5th Priest felt a strange sensation at the sight of Krathan.
She had confirmed time and again that the Queen’s military strength was elite level—B-class at best. The legion had still been in the early stages of formation… where had this monster come from?
[Well done, my disciples and the hut.]
‘This crazy woman.’
She urgently fired off various signals toward Anja.
But nothing responded. Not people, and not even the building’s magic circle.
Specter King turned to the 5th Priest.
“It’s different from what I heard. The Queen said she was only elite level, right?”
“……Yes.”
“Then why?”
“I don’t know… maybe she caught something delicious.”
“Your disciples couldn’t possibly grow that strong. Besides, how do you explain that noble?”
“Is he a noble?”
“Yes. He seems a bit off his rocker.”
At that moment, Krathan’s eyes widened. He shook his head violently and clicked his tongue with a rough voice.
“Oh, now the octopus is holding a contest?”
A few students who had been evacuating let out soft laughs.
Indeed, Specter King’s transparent skin was that of an octopus.
It wasn’t a joke, and it was a life-or-death situation, but at some point his mood had improved.
Without hesitation, Specter King shattered the white flame barrier and charged forward. The intense heat made his skin sizzle, but he paid it no mind.
‘Siphon-side Queen…’
I don’t know why she betrayed us, but if her goal is to protect humans, she would definitely interfere.
He swung his hand blade toward Krathan, who blocked the path.
Krathan met it with his cutlass.
Wadddd!!
The blue chill of the hand blade ignored the blade and extended forward like a laser.
Krathan’s chest, pierced by the chill, was instantly covered in ice.
“……!”
Specter King’s ice had the special property of nullifying the target’s defenses. Krathan shook the hook desperately, as if he didn’t want a hole in his chest.
“Ooooo, hey hey.”
“……?”
“Calm down, calm down. My goal is to protect the Queen. I have no interest in the ants walking around behind her.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Really. Here, I’ll set the weapon down.”
Specter King narrowed his eyes at the sight of Krathan actually lowering the cutlass.
After all, nobles didn’t die easily. Even if killed, the Queen could revive them. If a collision could be avoided, there was no reason to fight.
That momentary hesitation proved fatal.
Taaang-!
“Kuem……!”
His left side tingled, then transparent flesh splattered.
Gripping his side, he stared directly at Krathan. In his left hand was some kind of flintlock pistol.
It was fortunate he had moved reflexively; if not, his head would have been pierced.
“BANG!”
Krathan kicked the cutlass lying on the ground with his foot. Snatching the spinning blade in midair, he rushed at Specter King.
Specter King reacted without thinking, and the two S-class monsters clashed in earnest.
Kadddduk-!!
Specter King’s nails carved deep valleys into Krathan’s chest. Krathan laughed heartily and struck Specter King’s forehead with the cutlass handle.
Kwoong……
The upper body of Specter King, whose head had slammed into the ground, was completely embedded in the earth. When Krathan scratched the inside of his coat with the hook, new black beads fell onto the surface.
The explosive sound of dozens of fireworks detonating at once rang out.
Soon, irregular flashes of blue light pierced the hazy dust. Indiscriminate cold beams shot out, tearing through the dust and extending like hedgehogs.
The vegetation touched by the cold beams shattered into small ice shards and collapsed.
Tang!
With the gunshot, the cold beam stopped. Then, the sound of glass breaking followed in quick succession.
Every time the cutlass and ice collided, the air flickered and the dust was pushed away.
‘Interesting.’
The head instructor let out a relieved laugh. With magic depleted, there was nothing more to do. Now it was just a show to watch.
The 5th Priest frowned.
“Is laughter appropriate in this situation?”
The head instructor nodded.
“It’s not funny. Seeing your throat makes it even funnier.”
“……Magic is depleted, right? Just die already.”
The 5th Priest drew the bowstring again.
Gray magic swirled around the transparent magic arrow.
The head instructor sighed inwardly.
How had she not noticed the powerful magic for so long? Her strength, once said to be around B-class, was now nearly S-class.
“Was she sick because she ate poison during that time?”
“What do you think?”
Right.
Eating poison herself for such a long time. What kind of insane religion was that?
At that moment, something like a piece of paper fell vertically. The 5th Priest’s right wrist, gripping the bow, was severed. Blood spurted out, and the bow tilted downward from the loss of fixed power.
The 5th Priest groaned “Ugh!” in pain and accidentally released the bowstring.
Pewk!!
The arrow stuck into his own foot. The swirling magic instantly sliced through his ankle.
The 5th Priest, holding his limp lower leg, collapsed. Then, belatedly noticing his severed right hand, he let out a much louder scream.
Took-.
Beside the 5th Priest flailing with blood spraying everywhere, Pecia landed lightly with an umbrella.
She folded the umbrella and placed the back of her hand on both waists.
“Ufufu, why did you interrupt the show? You paid a lot for the entrance fee.”
“Aaa!! Aaaaaaaaak!!”
“Ah, noisy. If you keep doing that, you’ll be scolded more?”
Pecia stabbed the 5th Priest’s neck with the umbrella. With a “Puff-!” sound, blood gushed from his mouth.
Pecia looked down at the scene for a moment, then tapped her lips and tilted her head.
“Uhm… Was it too much? If I ask for a refund for the entrance fee, it’ll be troublesome.”
She gracefully extended her right hand, pulled out a white thread from her middle finger, and connected it to a needle she took from somewhere. Then she began stitching the 5th Priest’s neck.
The stitching started at the wound and soon filled the eyes and mouth completely.
After finishing, Pecia shook her hands and smiled with satisfaction.
“He won’t die. He just won’t be able to speak from now on.”
“…….”
The head instructor’s eyes turned cold.
Teacher Pyara had thought she was not in her right mind, but she was not comparable to this Pierrot girl. She realized it was better not to lightly provoke someone who was being helped.
Suddenly, the Pierrot girl noticed the gaze and turned back. Despite being quite far away, her weird smile was clear.
“You won’t be able to point the bow at our gentleman anymore. Or should I say knight? Anyway, keep enjoying the show. Our show is fun, right?”
“Show?”
The Pierrot girl put her hands together and placed them on her cheek.
“The pirate captain met the sea octopus monster, right? The monster that shakes the ship with overwhelming power, and the captain who shoots the monster with a cannon and kills it. Isn’t it cool and beautiful? Like a scene from a fantasy movie.”
“…….”
A hollow laugh escaped the head instructor’s mouth.
Normally she should not have understood the girl’s words, but somehow she felt a faint empathy for that strange sensation.
After all, it was a fight between S-class monsters—a sight that couldn’t be bought even with millions of won anywhere.
“Well, it was fun.”
The Pierrot girl jumped in place at the head instructor’s honest impression.
“I knew it!”
“By the way, if you’re going to help, I wish you would do something about these bulky guys. The power is running out.”
Then the Pierrot girl scanned the Gravewards inside the white flame barrier.
She closed her eyes and muttered something. The Gravewards trembled in place with strange noises.
The girl slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head in puzzlement.
“Knight.”
“Speak.”
“Have you enjoyed the show enough?”
“If it’s a show…”
The head instructor turned her gaze. Krathan and Specter King were still fighting.
However, the tide of victory seemed to be leaning a bit. Their shadows were visible in the dust, and the thin one’s right arm was dangling.
Specter King kept trying to escape out of the dust, and every time, golden rings shot out from inside and grabbed the neck and dragged him.
The head instructor nodded.
“I don’t think we need to see more.”
“Okay.”
Chwararararuk-!
From behind the girl, trump cards unfolded in curves.
Starting from the right, they spun and flew toward the battlefield, disappearing into the dust.
Specter King’s scream rang out, and the cards splashed blue blood and repeated going in and out.
The screams from inside soon stopped.
The dust began to settle as the battle ended. The limp Specter King appeared.
Pecia closed her eyes again. The Gravewards suddenly convulsed and rushed at the white flame barrier.
Chiik-!
“Mind control too…”
The head instructor released the skill with a low sigh.
It was a situation that was not only one or two strange points, so it was quite chaotic, but she exhaled a sigh of relief that the immediate crisis was over.
Looking directly at the mysterious Pierrot, she said.
“Thanks to you, I lived. Monster girl.”
“No thanks! But that monster isn’t me. There are moms too?”
“.....?”