Chapter 227
Chapter 227
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: Immortal King vs Hero Party (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
They had merely crossed a single door, but the air that rushed in was utterly different in quality from the outside.
As expected, the building at the center of Beorsen was no longer an ordinary space.
…Disgusting.
Heinrich grimaced as he surveyed his surroundings.
The vast, towering area—too expansive to even call it the interior of a building—was filled with darkness. A filthy, suffocating, sticky aura enveloped everyone who entered.
Like an endless abyss trying to drag them into its depths.
And at the center of that space.
He stood.
[It's been a while. Hero Heinrich Saint Landgard.]
The culprit not only behind this incident but the chaos engulfing the entire continent.
…And a being who embodied the complete opposite of Heinrich's nature, yet was also another facet of himself.
"Immortal King, Hannibal Strauss."
This was the moment the hero party finally confronted the undead sovereign.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Immortal King.
Crunch—
Gios Kalkin, a member of the hero party, gripped his spear shaft tightly.
Finally.
It was the moment he had desperately awaited.
Had it been a year since that tragedy? No, not even a full year yet?
It felt like ancient history, yet the details were hazy.
Good thing I joined the subjugation force.
Otherwise, he never would have gotten this chance to face the Immortal King directly.
Clashing weapons with him in person? Impossible.
Of course, he had slain countless black mages—those involved in the incident—while defending against the Immortal King's assaults.
He always prioritized the black mages, and after battles, he didn't hesitate to drag survivors away for torture.
Heinrich, aware of Gios's circumstances, permitted it without objection.
For a man of such righteous character, it must have been uncomfortable, but Gios was endlessly grateful.
[Kekeke… How amusing…]
"Immortal King! Right now…!"
The Immortal King and hero exchanged heated words right before him, but none of it reached Gios's ears.
His blurred vision conjured memories from long ago, vivid as if they had happened yesterday.
—"Ufufu— What do you think, Gios? Ready to become a daddy yet?"
His wife Anna, lovingly stroking her swollen belly.
With no family but each other, the arrival of their child made them a family of three.
—"What do we do? She's so cute. Whose daughter sleeps like such an angel?"
He remembered the newborn, wriggling blindly in the world.
—"Hwah— Hwahh—!"
—"You're making the baby cry, Gios! Tease her moderately! There, there~ It's okay, Nia. Mommy's here."
He recalled his clumsy failures in handling the child.
—"Dada! Look, this! Kyahaha—!"
The once babbling infant had grown, toddling to him with a bright smile.
—"I'll take my time dating our daughter, so you, the busy lord daddy, go ahead alone. Right~?"
—"Right~? Hehe! Daddy will be quick, so no crying, okay? Wait for me?"
—"As if Daddy would be lonely and cry. He's probably holed up digging holes somewhere."
—"Ah! Yeah, he totally would! Ehehe!"
…He still remembered that final farewell vividly.
Gios raised a hand to trace the deep scar etched across his chest.
Upon hearing the news, he had clawed at his chest until his hands were bloodied and muscles shredded, desperately swallowing his tears.
To honor his daughter's last words: no crying, wait for him.
Even a master knight couldn't fully control that.
But he hadn't shed a tear since. Surely she'd overlook this.
She knows me too well.
And holing up to dig holes? Not wrong either.
He had wasted time in a daze after, though now he had a goal and ventured out.
With a bitter smile, he gripped his spear again, lowering into a predator's stance before the hunt.
His gaze fixed on the culprit, memorizing every twitch, ready to snap his neck.
But… sorry. I don't want to wait anymore.
Fierce flames raced through his veins.
A conflagration named vengeance and rage, fueled by sorrow and despair.
If you can't come to me no matter how long I wait, then I'll come to you.
The heat distorted his lips into a twisted smile, though his body was already ashes.
And just as he anticipated.
The clash between the hero party and the Immortal King began.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Swoosh— Swoooosh—!
Splash! Slash!
Heinrich charged the Immortal King, slashing the abyssal serpents lunging from all sides.
The Blessing: Light Sword from his holy sword was a natural counter to the abyss, but they kept regenerating endlessly, undeterred.
Tch, this is worse than I thought.
Thankfully, Gios's Refracting Spears from behind gave him breathing room.
Activating Blessing: Amplification, he heightened his holy power and gritted his teeth.
In truth, his exchange with the Immortal King was trivial.
Just the usual demon king-hero banter.
The real issue was the internal debate that should have proceeded tacitly.
He figured Hans would reluctantly reopen communication upon direct confrontation…
No concessions, huh.
Even now, mid-battle, the channel remained shut.
*I'm not backing down. I'll do as I please, so if anyone's retreating, it's you.*
A one-sided declaration.
Hans…
Boom—! Bang! Kaboom—!
Then, arrows from Lydia—fired with the party—shook the Immortal King's barriers repeatedly.
Arrows crafted from dry world tree branches, fueled by Howard as kindling, carried spirit power and Riesta's holy energy, raining down like bombs.
[Tch, annoying pests.]
As his mutter ended.
The enveloping darkness writhed, sharpening into blades that engulfed the rear party members.
But.
"Lord God—protect us from the abyss!"
Riesta's prayer unleashed a sphere of light, repelling the darkness and shielding the group.
Under the onslaught from all sides, she held firm as a saintess.
Crackle—! Sparks flew repeatedly around Isea beside her.
Started at battle's outset, persisting still.
"Tch, even in this chaos, you still have attention to spare for me? What kind of monster…!"
She bit her lip, cold sweat beading.
Massive mana density around her collapsed in sparks the moment structures formed.
A grand magic disruption—typically used by high mages on novices—targeting her, a grand mage.
And repeatedly, dozens of times, while handling others.
[Pathetic.]
It didn't end there.
Roar— Boom!
Before she could react, high black magic—black hellfire—slammed into the saintess's light barrier.
"Ugh!"
Riesta groaned, straining to maintain shields and party blessings.
Disrupting others' spells while casually casting high magic himself.
Infuriated by the absurdity, Isea refocused.
Yielding meant a rain of high spells.
Yet despite everyone's efforts.
The frontline hero accumulated damage, burden mounting.
[Krhh! What's wrong? Hero? If you want it, take it yourself!]
The Light Sword was super-effective even against the Immortal King.
Intercepting attacks to close in and cleave barriers like butter was ideal, but he wasn't a punching bag.
…Infuriating. If Harley were here, would it be different?
Even peeling barriers led to counterattacks widening the gap, repeatedly.
But he couldn't stop until landing a fatal blow; damage piled inevitably.
I'm a holy knight; no immediate crisis. But stacking abyss-laced attacks is trouble.
Or could his comrades hold out?
His approaches succeeded thanks to Lydia's fire support, Riesta's buffs, and Gios's interceptions.
Isea reducing Hans's spell barrage helped too.
With Harley, a real shot.
Though Hans might summon remaining executives.
Squeeze—
Heinrich shook off regret, regripping his holy sword.
Now was the chance, facing Hans solo.
Habit or arrogance?
No time to hold back.
A critical hit now could buy days until the main body awoke.
For the decisive moment, he unleashed Blessing: Leap without reserve, swinging.
With full intent, to split that bald skull.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Throughout the fight, Gios calmly assessed what he could and couldn't do.
The Refracting Spear from Chehai transcended space to strike targets, an pinnacle aura technique—but not without limits.
My attacks don't pierce the Immortal King's mana barrier.
Not unique to him; common against strong defenses.
He wasn't transcendent yet.
Even timing barrier breaks… probably minimal effect.
Analyzing obsessively, Gios intuited the secret around the heart via spatial sense from spears.
Immense spatial distortion encasing the core. Refracting the tip alone is pointless. Need spatial intervention to hit beyond.
Impossible for current Gios.
…Normally.
His secret art was extraordinary.
Non-transcendent intervening space with aura alone was pinnacle anomaly.
Chehai's "aura superpower" had evolved in Gios to a truer "aura secret technique."
"Hoo—."
Sweeping encroaching black mana, he deep-breathed, observing.
Spark—! Crackle! Zap—!
Sparks erupted around Isea repeatedly.
Spurred, she amassed her specialty—vast mana—for simultaneous multi-spells.
Risky, potential backlash, but it sharply cut the Immortal King's casting.
Lydia and Riesta supported Heinrich relentlessly.
Innumerable arrows pierced abyssal serpents.
Holy power from the saintess—now light incarnate—burned darkness, empowering them.
Gios's gaze returned forward.
Heinrich desperately clinging via space, Immortal King responding leisurely.
No hope like this.
The hero and saintess might perish here.
A dire… world crisis.
Yes, so… this is unavoidable.
A subtle smile curved Gios's lips.
As if pleased.
Immortal King.
And so, master knight at technique's apex, Count Gios Kalkin of Resk Kingdom.
I probably can't kill you even like this.
Without hesitation, he twisted, squeezed, uprooted his aura core.
"Guh— Cough—!"
From it, he drew a single strand of blood-red aura, infused with his life, rank, karma.
But this… will hurt a lot.
Right after the hero's holy sword sliced the barrier.
Gios's spear thrust—and its tip pierced space.