398. Dusk (3)
398. Dusk (3)
- 1 -
The sunset seeped into the mountain ridges.
As the red sun slowly hid its face, the sky gradually stained with darkness.
Just like that, the moment the violet twilight spread out as if swallowing the world...
He arrived.
"... Everyone's here."
The sacred ground and highest peak of the Culenese Mountains.
The summit of Saint Andrea Peak.
Rodrick watched Anselm's back from the sky as he stood atop it.
His clothes were ashen from being soaked in sweat and dirt, the hems torn in places from forcing his body beyond its limits.
His body was utterly battered.
It was because he had barely used his holy power during the entire climb up to this place.
Even though he had only been stripped of his Archbishopric, and not yet formally 'excommunicated.'
'So this is "penance."'
Rodrick inwardly sneered at him.
One who had accepted the power of a Demon Realm Archduke, not of God, and been played by its temptations — how dare he speak of being a servant of God.
Though he had been controlled by magic without knowing anything, the greed and jealousy that had taken root at its core were clearly his own.
'Murder, rape, exploitation... well, except for rape, he committed nearly every filthy act a person can.'
What he had done up until now was by no means the work of a 'faithful believer.'
And yet now, claiming he would atone, the best he chose was mere 'penance.'
Such hypocrisy was beyond hypocrisy.
The fact that he didn't even realize that the result of his penance was turning him into a monster was the height of foolishness.
"Krrrrk..."
As a result of pushing his body to its limit while forcibly suppressing his holy power, the 'corruption' deeply hidden in his soul had finally begun to affect his body.
The changes were still slight.
Teeth and claws sharpened like a beast's.
Horns grown small enough to be hidden among his hair.
The whites of his eyes turning slightly dark red, with blood vessels showing through.
But if one looked carefully, it was possible to tell that he was no longer a 'sound human being.'
Without realizing his own appearance, Anselm took his final step towards the sanctuary where the seal lay dormant.
"Halt!"
Before him, a pure white blade flashed.
"Who... Huh?"
The holy knight's voice cut off.
The moment he properly confirmed the face of the man in rags, his eyes flew wide open.
"L-Lord Central Archbishop...?! How have you come to be here...!"
As fate would have it, the guard holy knights protecting the sanctuary were thrown into confusion.
An archbishop who should have been under house arrest in his residence for a long time suddenly appeared, and in a completely battered state at that — they couldn't help but be shocked.
It was right at that moment that Rodrick intervened.
No, he had actually been intervening continuously ever since Anselm escaped his residence.
Secretly, and naturally.
"'Morphea.'"
- Yes, master.
At the quiet call, mana rippled.
Sarak —
A dancer in a blue mask revealed herself in the air.
A body scattering like transparent silk, movements as graceful as a butterfly's wingbeats.
As she floated up over the castle wall, dreamlike light powder scattered in all directions.
"Uh...?"
"Wait, why is sleep suddenly..."
The effect was immediate.
Clergy falling asleep.
Though all of them possessed strong mental power and showed some resistance, it was not enough to oppose a spirit harboring lord-level magic power.
The holy knights dropped their weapons one by one, collapsing on the spot and falling into deep slumber.
The other clergy guarding this sealed ground would surely be the same.
"A spirit... Rodrick."
Only then did Anselm realize Rodrick's presence and look around.
But he could not find him; Rodrick had completely concealed his presence.
"My thanks."
In the end, Anselm muttered as if to himself, and moved his steps toward the firmly closed door of the sanctuary.
Grrooooooo...
And a moment later, the entire sanctuary began to wail as if screaming.
The ancient seal, dormant for ages, had begun to unravel.
- 2 -
At the same time, Clarent.
The request to inspect Libertas's territory had been made within a surprisingly sensible range.
It was, in a way, even a diligent request: to inspect every major city and rural village of all nations belonging to the Union once.
That didn't mean it was a story I couldn't accept, of course.
"The underground market you wish to see is this way."
Thus, Leviathan and Evangeline were walking through the streets of Clarent.
It was to inspect the city's 'dark side' that Leviathan desired.
"Though its scale will be smaller than the Demon Realm, everything that should be here is— Your Highness?"
Sensing that the presence following her had vanished, Evangeline turned around.
Leviathan, at some distance from her, was staring fixedly at one side of an alley.
"Is there some problem?"
"..."
At Evangeline's question, Leviathan shook his head wordlessly.
Even so, his gaze was nailed to one spot.
Evangeline also turned her gaze that way.
"Hwiiiing — the wyvern flies!"
"Kyahahaha!"
A scene of a peaceful family was visible there.
The figure of a father lifting his small daughter up with both hands and running about playing with her.
It was a very ordinary and happy sight.
Except that the members were not 'human'... but all beastmen, 'orcs.'
"Honey, wait! I said it's dangerous!"
"Ah, it's fine! Our daughter's sturdy like me, so it's fine!"
As a result of a human-demon integrated society being built in the central continent, those who had been hiding in forests and mountains were coming out to cities and building new lives.
Most of the streets were still occupied by the existing 'human race,' but in this Clarent, the ratio of 'beastman races' was also considerable.
But for people like these, being able to walk the streets peacefully as a family was a relatively recent development.
Because before then, even within the Union, fear of beastmen had not been completely washed away.
Now it was different.
Certainly, everyone was advancing toward becoming a member of society, and everyone was trying to wash away prejudice.
That was the path Libertas desired.
"... It's a good sight."
"Pardon?"
At the quiet murmur that leaked out, Evangeline looked at him with curious eyes.
"It's nothing. Let's go."
Leviathan answered coldly and walked ahead.
Evangeline, watching his back, once again observed the orc family.
The place where Leviathan's gaze had lingered was none other than the figure of the father orc playing with his daughter.
'Now that I think of it, didn't they say the young lady exists.'
Only then did Evangeline dimly understand why the Demon King had 'lightly' dealt with Leviathan's punishment.
He was a person who had tried to pull down the existing queen consort to give his daughter the highest position.
Even if the method was twisted, the beginning might have been pure paternal love.
'... A pity.'
But that was only the position of the Demon King and Leviathan.
To Libertas and Vellastella, he was still a 'potential adversary.'
For his own future, he would inevitably have to sacrifice something more.
"What are you doing? Guide me, quickly."
"Yes, Your Highness. My apologies."
Evangeline shook off her regretful feelings and hastened her steps.
Her master's enemy was her enemy. There was no reason to give sympathy to that.
That alone was her belief.
"... Huh?"
It was right then.
Leviathan stopped walking again and looked at the distant sky.
The radiance dwelling in his green eyes began to deepen gradually.
"What is the matter?"
"You will feel it soon too."
It was as Leviathan said.
A moment later, Evangeline also felt something and her eyes flew wide open.
As she hurriedly turned her gaze eastward, an unbelievable sight was unfolding.
The entire sky was swirling with a gigantic flow of mana.
The center of that flow was east, far beyond even Hilsa.
The Holy Kingdom.
"What on earth...!"
"Something is awakening. Beings that are very old... and possess very powerful strength."
The corners of the Archduke governing envy twisted.
"It has become interesting."
In his eyes, the peculiar, cruel amusement of the demon tribe was swirling.
Like a child who had discovered a new toy.
- 3 -
At the place where Leviathan's interest was directed, the man who had become the source of a new tragedy stared up at the sky with despair-filled eyes.
"Lord..."
After two massive pillars of light had soared up, piercing the sky from the sanctuary he had opened, a dull and ominous force had begun to gather in that sky.
That mana, centered on the two points, endlessly whirled and took the shape of '∞'.
A shape like a vortex where each offered prey to the other.
"Wh-what have I... done...?"
Only after feeling that immense power that shook the entire earth firsthand did Anselm realize what he had done.
Paimon was a mere child by comparison.
Compared to this immense power he was feeling now, it was the level of a puppy before a tiger.
"No, no...! I have to stop it...!"
Hwaaaak...!
He began to gather all his holy power.
What he had wanted was to reign over the continent, not to stand alone atop a ruined continent.
But it was clear that these beings now awakening would be a calamity just by moving.
"... Foolish."
Watching that scene, Rodrick sneered at Anselm once again and tried to leave the place.
The objective was achieved. Now was the time to think of his own safety.
It was precisely at that moment.
- Darling.
A bewitching voice entered his mind.
"... Astaroth? Is there something else you need me to do?"
Rodrick retorted somewhat brusquely.
He had to escape this place even a moment sooner.
He needed to get the guild in order before destruction and chaos engulfed the entire continent.
- Right now, a huge power is being felt in the west, I was wondering if you happened to know anything.
But at Astaroth's next words, he could not help but be bewildered.
"What do you mean? Right now, just as you arranged, Anselm is releasing the seal..."
At his matter-of-fact words, Astaroth's voice returned, sounding even more perplexed.
- Wait a moment, darling. What do you mean? I told you to get Anselm into the Holy Kingdom, I never told you to send that bastard to the sacred ground?
"... What did you say?"
Something was strange.
Only then did Rodrick's face twist ominously.
- When I said that, it would be after my army had finished preparations to invade Rugnisah! Because I have to control the situation! I never said I was ready yet!
"But... he clearly said he received a revelation from someone to climb the mountain. I thought that was your will, so I helped. But if it wasn't you, then..."
- Told him to climb the mountain? Who?
"Anselm clearly... said that the 'Goddess' spoke to him directly..."
Rodrick and Astaroth.
The two, each in different places, felt the same shudder at the same time.
A spine-chilling realization passed through them.
- Stop it! You have to stop it right now!!
"... It's already too late."
Though Astaroth's urgent shout was heard, Rodrick instead hurried his preparations to leave that place.
As Rodrick flew upward, escaping the area, a tearing scream burst out behind him.
- Kyaaaahk — !!
It was a hair-raising scream let out by the spirits of nature.
The verdant forest died, turning ashen in an instant, and the clear valley water changed into revolting, toxic oil.
A massive evil that twisted the very principle of all nature from 'positive' to 'negative' with its presence alone.
Kurrrrung —— !!
Keuheuheu —— !!
Before his eyes, two gigantic 'monsters' were tearing apart the seals and revealing themselves.
Exuding a presence so overwhelming it made one dizzy just by looking.