The Fall of El Nergavil
When the flames subsided, no more summons remained in sight. In fact, not only the summons but every trace of rubble, corpses, walls, and statues had vanished as if evaporated. The only things left were Ryban’s three clones.
“…Think before you act! What if the cave collapses?”
The bandaged clone raised his voice. The jackal-headed clone who had cast the spell remained unfazed; even amid that intense blaze, not a single scorch mark appeared on his body or the edges of his bandages.
“If you were going to bring it down in one go, there was no point coming all the way in here!”
Truthfully, even if an entire mountain had been dropped on their heads, they could have escaped alive without issue. The real reason they had refrained from simply burying El Nergavil from the start was to confront Urshus directly and demonstrate their own will. That had been their true purpose.
Do not worry. The surrounding bedrock has been reinforced by powerful spells and mana. It will not collapse from spells of this level.
El Nergavil was a temple vast enough to fit inside this cavern. Yet it had stood for ages without even a single supporting pillar. Naturally, it possessed ample safeguards.
More importantly…
At a flick of his wrist, more tiny mana orbs scattered in every direction. They burrowed into the floor and vanished, only for a thick green liquid to bubble up from the holes moments later.
Soon after, sections of the floor cracked open and enormous centipedes the size of men poured out. They had intended to ambush from below to avoid the flames, but it was pointless.
Even after all this, he still refuses to show himself. Sending only these pathetic summoners and their beasts.
“I suppose that is their way of showing loyalty.”
Behind the centipedes appeared massive moles with white bodies and razor-sharp claws. Before they could even swing those claws, the scorpion-tailed clone’s pincers tore them apart and swallowed the pieces whole.
“Grr!”
The centipedes apparently did not suit the clone’s taste, so he left them untouched, but the moles were devoured while still alive. Naturally, neither the moles’ claws nor the centipedes’ venomous fangs could so much as scratch the clone’s body, and the Dark Priests’ orders made retreat impossible.
The scorpion’s pincer pierced a centipede’s head with contempt for its dripping venom, then injected far deadlier poison through its tail. The centipede’s body immediately went limp and melted away.
“But this tiresome routine is about to end. Air, ground, and underground. With this many eliminated, they have no more summons left to send.”
The bandaged clone and the jackal-headed clone began walking forward. The beast-form clone was still leisurely chewing on a few moles, but the power gap had been overwhelming from the start. They had waited only because they expected Alsh Unak or other demons to appear once the summons were dealt with. If no one was coming, they might as well head straight for the center.
Finish your meal and follow.
“Grrr.”
The two clones’ forms flickered, and the walls collapsed around them as they reached the heart of El Nergavil.
“……!”
“W-when did they—!”
A handful of remaining Dark Priests had gathered there, the floor and walls around them covered in spent summoning circles.
Only small fry here as well?
The moment the jackal-headed clone pointed his fingers, blood-red beams pierced the Dark Priests between the eyes and they collapsed.
“Even so, Urshus would not have prepared only this much. These are nothing but throwaway pieces…”
No number of Dark Priests could ever be a match for them, yet both the quality and quantity were far too low. Even if the Dark Priests had long vanished from the surface, this was the oldest and only remaining temple of Urshus on the surface. Such feeble resistance felt suspicious.
Are they preparing a trap? Against just the three of us?
They might be Ryban’s clones, but their opponent was the demon god Urshus. Even if his vessel was crude, defeating a demon god with bodies rooted in the demon race would not be easy. That was precisely why only the three of them had come.
Their goal from the beginning had never been victory, but to display an unyielding will even in the face of death. Yet the lack of resistance made the situation all the more unsettling.
“It does not seem that way…”
The bandaged clone quietly surveyed the fallen Dark Priests.
“You still cannot sense Urshus’s presence?”
Nothing at all. It is not hidden; it feels as though it has completely vanished.
“Then…”
His body blurred once more, and another wall collapsed. When he reappeared, he was holding a Dark Priest by the collar.
“Staying quiet instead of charging in was the right choice, but hiding behind only two walls gets you this. You should have run farther, like the others.”
His bandaged gaze swept past the walls toward the remaining Dark Priests scattered throughout the temple. Though some were invisible, several were clearly fleeing.
“Now speak. Where is that Alsh Unak? Where is the chamber where Urshus’s flames burn? Above? Or below?”
The captured Dark Priest struggled to escape the grip, but his body would not move.
“Speak. Do you wish to end up like them?”
He gestured toward the fallen priests. Of course, he had no intention of sparing anyone.
“Speak. Urshus cares nothing for the likes of you. Otherwise he would not treat you as disposable pawns.”
The Dark Priest hesitated briefly, then, as the clone’s power intensified, raised a trembling finger upward.
“T-the Chamber of True Flames…!”
That was the end. The Dark Priest’s body was hurled into a wall and his life extinguished. Knowing the exact location would have been preferable, but the general direction was enough for them.
Blood-red mana orbs pierced the ceiling, and countless fragments were obliterated by the next volley. This was only natural. The chamber where Urshus’s flames burned was sealed by spells, which was why even the clone specialized in mana detection could not pinpoint it.
Therefore, creating even a single small hole in that chamber would suffice. That alone would reveal its location.
Yet—
“…Still cannot find it?”
……
The ceiling was now riddled with holes, but no presence could be felt. It was only natural. Before they had even entered, Granbipra had already extinguished Urshus’s flames, and Alsh Unak had been subdued.
“……”
Silence fell among them as more mana orbs continued to tear through the ceiling. Thus the once-sacred temple of El Nergavil slowly crumbled into ruin.
“…You do not know how to open a portal?”
“No.”
The utterly confident reply made me momentarily forget our current predicament. Rescuing Kainaknus from the location Alsh Unak had indicated had gone smoothly. Though roars and explosions echoed from below, all we needed to do was leave.
Yet Granbipra, whom I had trusted without doubt and who had always exceeded expectations, caught me completely off guard.
“Not at all?”
“I was only ever commanded to protect the Ancient Forest. If I wished to leave, I simply had to go…”
Given his speed and the way he controlled his clones, he truly had no need for portal or teleportation magic. Still, it was hard to believe that a being on the level of a Demon Commander or higher could not use such spells.
Of course, his mana reserves and control were on an entirely different plane. If he learned now, he could probably use them immediately, but the problem was finding someone to teach him.
As I had said before, a summoner’s summoning magic differed from portal and teleportation spells. Naturally, I could not use them either.
“……”
I looked at Kainaknus, still suspended in the air by Granbipra, and at Alsh Unak. Alsh Unak was restrained, while Kainaknus had lost not only mana but even his physical strength to the roots and vines that bound him, and now lay unconscious.
Should I wake him?
The thought crossed my mind, but it seemed unnecessary.
“There is no need for concern. Escaping from here is…”
Energy flowed from his body and enveloped us. I felt myself lift slightly. The light took the shape of a serpent, and soon it felt as though we had entered the glowing belly of a massive snake.
“What are you going to—?”
I never finished the question. The serpent of light raised its head, burst through the ceiling, and soared into the open air. It then began boring straight through the bedrock toward the surface.
Right. There had been no need for teleportation or portals after all.
“……!”
At the sound of an explosion below, I looked down to see countless tiny blood-red spheres erupting and punching holes through El Nergavil’s once-beautiful and majestic outer walls. After a brief silence, just as our section of the serpent slipped between the rocks, an overwhelming barrage of blood-red mana orbs erupted from every part of El Nergavil with a force far greater than before. The sight suggested the temple might collapse at any moment.
Watching that scene, I caught myself feeling, for just an instant, a pang of regret.