Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Empire's Turmoil (4)
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The Empire's capital, Jelon, which had basked in long years of peace, was plunged into chaos by the sudden upheaval.
"Grant everyone a peaceful death—!"
"B-block them! They're after the Count!"
The Black Mages, along with Hans's followers, had gone berserk and launched assaults on their assigned targets.
Those subversive elements, including the Oath of Reverse Heaven, had been under such strict control that they couldn't even commit suicide—they'd been living in a state of suspended animation, neither truly alive nor dead...
And this incident was the first command issued by the Immortal King amid such circumstances.
With their reasoning long shattered, they disregarded their own lives and moved solely to fulfill their mission.
Even if it meant dying in the process—for them, death was merely an escape hatch from their enslavement.
Whenever a spot proved a bit too tough for them alone, the undead and their officers joined in to shake things up without fail. Thanks to the element of surprise, the operation had been proceeding smoothly so far.
[Hmmm... This area's mostly wrapped up... Ah, you there? Your next target isn't that way... How dim do you have to be to not even follow the ghosts' guidance properly...? Maybe you should just toss that brain of yours out. Shall this girl lend a hand...?] Overseeing it all was Hans's ever-reliable right hand, Banshee Queen Olivia.
She ignored combat entirely, focusing solely on orchestrating the stage through her ghosts.
The barrier enveloping the capital had weakened the ghosts flying within it to their limits, rendering them utterly incapable of fighting...
But their role from the start was just to flit around as her eyes, ears, and mouth—no issue there.
[All according to the King's will...] She glanced toward the direction where the atmosphere churned violently, then refocused on her assigned task.
The window for gaining an edge through surprise attacks was closing, and the humans' counteroffensive was growing fiercer by the minute.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Kugh—!"
"Don't push yourself! Our role is just to buy time...!"
In an instant, black mana concentrated densely.
It took on a structured form in the blink of an eye, soon manifesting as a sublime mystery in the world.
Rumble!
A ferocious black storm laced with curses swept through the area, causing some of the dozens of knights caught in it to spit blood and collapse.
[Hmmm, being next to the Imperial Palace means the barrier's influence is stronger than expected. Even holding back, I didn't think the effect would drop this much.] The fact that those knights were the Empire's elite Imperial Guard, clad in all sorts of magic tools and bolstered by enhancement spells, wasn't particularly important.
No matter their preparations, those who couldn't match the tier could only buy time—nothing more.
Wooong— Boom!
At that moment, a massive golden magic circle formed on the surface of the barrier surrounding the Imperial Palace, unleashing another wave of intense light.
The light couldn't inflict major damage on the target, blocked by darkness coalesced like an abyss.
But the tiny gap it created was enough to buy time for those handling close combat to close in.
"Hah!"
Heinrich, the hero wrapped in holy aura like a beacon in the darkness.
The light emanating from his body gently enveloped those exposed to the horrific energy, restoring their bodies and minds to grant them the strength to rise again.
But his true value wasn't limited to such support abilities...
Fwaaah—!
His holy sword, infused with the blessings of 'Light Sword' and 'Added Weight,' swung forth carrying the newfound enlightenment of 「Path of the Ruthless」.
Flowing like water, yet halted like stone—like the dawn slicing through twilight. That sword strike cleaved through the simultaneously unleashed black magics, opening a wide path straight to the Immortal King.
"Now!"
"Hah—!"
In that instant, two Empire knights who had been waiting for an opening charged forward.
The Captain of the Imperial Guard, overseeing the palace's defenses, and the Commander of the Imperial Knights, the Emperor's personal protectors.
Both were qualified to clash directly with the Immortal King, transcending mere excellence.
The Vice Commander, another master within the palace, wasn't joining due to close protection of the Emperor, but that was irrelevant—the Commander's prowess was that impressive.
Slash— Swish—
Cool sword light like moonlight sliced through the countless black serpents extending from Hans.
That swordsmanship, precisely severing mana veins, was so efficient and beautiful it drew admiration even from Heinrich.
'That old man's impressive. Even with diluted density, to handle abyss energy coalesced like that so easily. To think such a powerhouse was hidden in the palace—truly an empire. His stamina seems a bit low due to age, though...'
The elderly man with a sturdy build unfit for his wrinkled skin—Commander Conwell of the Imperial Knights—was a swordsman who had reached transcendence.
At that level, he could solo handle not just Harley, but even Viscount Bisk Yupersh, a complete Holy Blood.
'Of course, Heinz, empowered by all sorts of skills and 「Hybrid Evolution」, would be a different story.'
Purely in terms of realm, he was a transcendent swordsman whom even Heinrich couldn't match without his hero and awakener bonuses.
'Now I get why the Azerion Empire is the continent's strongest. And these aren't even all their powerhouses.'
"Hiyah!"
As he admired their hidden strength, someone lunged like a beast into the gap in Hans's defenses created by their combined assaults—
Boom—!
The one swinging a sword-scarlet aura-surging axe down like chopping firewood.
Harley, the valiant barbarian warrior who had come from the Roselia Cathedral to support Jelon.
"Kahaha! I heard coming here meant I could smash the Immortal King's skull! Not sure if it'll even crack, though!"
[Hoh, not bad.] Crackle!
The axe blade halted a finger's breadth away, blocked by black energy.
He unhesitatingly leaped back to dodge the abyss serpent piercing space, then charged again with claws extended on one hand.
'Called in Harley to balance things out, but the Empire's hidden power is more formidable than expected.'
The cathedral's spare forces had already been dispatched across the continent, and with even the saints away, pulling more from the main cathedral was impossible.
That's why Harley had 'volunteered' to support the Empire...
But now it seemed unnecessary.
And for good reason.
Weeeeng— Rumble!
Alongside the powerhouses directly engaging him, the level of magical support centered on the Imperial Palace's barrier was extraordinarily high.
[Hmmm, this is getting quite bothersome.] Hans casually blocked lightning crashing from above and grumbled.
Despite steadily shifting positions amid the prolonged battle, the magic activated via the Imperial Palace showed no signs of weakening, covering the entire capital as its range.
'According to prior intel, there's supposed to be only one great mage left inside.'
Yet with support from lesser mages through the barrier, high-tier spells poured out ceaselessly, as if there were four or five great mages.
[Kroooar—!] [Kieeeek—!] Boom!
Thud!
Even with two bone dragons relentlessly pounding the barrier.
The Imperial Palace's barrier would waver precariously, only to swiftly recover as stable energy poured in from within.
'From the mana flow, it looks like they're squeezing out reserves, seeing this as their chance... Hmmm, even using Dragon Hearts? Desperate times.'
Admirable as their efforts were, it was about time to call off targeting the palace.
It had only been a greeting anyway, and now it was time to kick off the original plan.
[Come on, step it up. Isn't the thrill wearing off?] Crunch!
"Kaaak!"
"Sir Timos!"
One of the dozens of abyss tendrils from Hans bit into the nape of a fatigued knight.
Given its origin, unless one was extraordinarily high-tier, a vital hit meant instant death.
Thanks to the growth of 「Eye of the Abyss」, which revealed beings' evil karma, those hindering him had been dropping one by one for a while.
Naturally, as they fought while moving, their battle had reached the targeted spot.
'Found them.'
And so, Hans came face-to-face with those held back by Death Knight Lord Karam, Archlich Dwell, and the undead forces.
The Empire knights fighting him had spotted them too, of course.
The Imperial Guard Captain and Imperial Knights Commander looked that way with stunned expressions.
"Huh? His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince? Even the Fifth Princess?"
"Well, damn—Count Garfield and Viscount Pristin are there too. Protecting two imperial heirs yet lingering in this dangerous spot..."
Over a hundred elite soldiers in disheveled states from fierce combat.
Amid them, the two royals and great mages kept their distance, faces awkward.
"...Duke Conwell!"
"Sigh, we couldn't do much about it..."
They had naturally tried to avoid this.
But after twists and turns leading to joining up, as they headed for the cathedral, the undead army and officers appeared, doggedly interfering like it was planned. What could they do?
No matter how they shook them off, the persistent foes clung on, preventing escape even as they sensed the Immortal King's presence approaching.
"Tch, no time for this anyway!"
"...Undead incoming!"
Seizing the lull from the encounter, the Empire side hurriedly regrouped, but...
They weren't granted much time to reorganize.
On cue, the undead army rampaging through the city halted their fights en masse and began converging here.
[For the great King of Death!] [Despair upon this world—endless terror to the weak—!] Due to the capital's barrier, only high-grade undead species had been summoned here.
Leading them were the executives of the undead army, protagonists of the previous great war.
Boom—!
The humans were being pushed back by the sudden onslaught, but with the barrier's aid and palace magic support, they weren't collapsing immediately.
Merely, the melee devolved into chaotic frenzy, making it harder to mind each other.
[Ah, as expected of the Empire's capital. Looks like it won't crumble so easily this way. Hmm... Plus all these interlopers making it less fun than anticipated.] And finally.
Hans took the lead, starting the exchange.
"Immortal King, pitiful sovereign of the lost souls! Are you enjoying the chaos you're unleashing now? Covering the world in death at the abyss's whispers, battling those who resist?"
[Kuhuhu—I overcame such base delusions long ago. As I said earlier? What I crave is solely the intensity born from clashes of life and death!] What followed was, naturally, the hero and demon king joining forces for... a grand con across the entire continent.
As they paused fighting to converse, those battling Hans alongside Heinrich halted attacks too, redirecting efforts elsewhere to observe.
No need to provoke the biggest threat when he removed himself voluntarily.
[I sought power at first, but lost my life in exchange, reduced to drifting existence. Bereft of purpose, I pursued only strength and death by inertia.] The Immortal King's reminiscence flowed softly.
Amid the noisy battlefield, his mana-infused voice rang clear without fading, audible to all present.
[But then I met him! The lone Holy Knight who burned his own life to defy death, thrusting his sword into this immortal heart—my nemesis. Yes, Heinrich Saint Landgard. You!] Building the narrative.
From the encounter between Immortal King and hero—the catalyst and resulting change.
Afterward, he prioritized personal amusement over inertial continental destruction.
One could say he shifted to a relatively moderate path rather than extreme annihilation.
Of course, he hadn't stopped—opening the abyss for the madness incident, dooming the duchy—but those strayed far from world-ending goals.
If anything...
"Your ways of grabbing attention are quite grand-scale."
It was a madman with power throwing a tantrum for notice.
Of course, that world-class nuisance stemmed largely from his inherently vile nature, unchangeable by minor shifts.
'...That's the setup. A lunatic's mindset excuses any lack of persuasion.'
Anyway, their conversation—now entering the main point—was less dialogue, more one-man show.
"Immortal King, Hannibal. How about a wager with me instead?"