Chapter 128
Translator: penny
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Clash: Celestia (4)
In the heart of the Erbar Alliance's territory, atop a peak in the Barkat Mountains.
The Doctor stood there bundled in thick clothing, gazing at a translucent screen alongside his comrades.
The scene showed the altar captured by 'Polaris Zero,' stationed in the northern reaches of the continent.
The site where the Alliance's shamans had been conducting their ritual was being broadcast through Celestia's surveillance network.
"It seems Sir Austin has begun his assault."
On the screen reflecting in the Doctor's eyes appeared a knight clad in black armor.
Assault-type magic armor—Sirius.
It was the magic puppet Austin LineNote used when operating under the name of the Seven Seats.
Was it to faithfully carry out the Doctor's request to disrupt the ritual?
Sirius had leaped into the midst of the barbarians performing the ceremony, fully demonstrating the enhanced performance of its magic armor.
"Acheronar, provide backup for Sirius with long-range bombardment."
Having checked Sirius's status, the Doctor directed the order toward Acheronar nearby.
In response, Acheronar turned to the Doctor.
"You want me to support with magic from long range?"
"Yes, that's right. There's no need for you to charge into the heart of the enemy lines."
"……Understood."
The modified Sirius boasted vastly superior performance to before, but the place where it now fought was the thick of the enemy forces swarming with barbarians.
Moreover, the foe Sirius faced was Barkat's mightiest warrior, the one who had revived the Alliance's name from the annals of legend.
Even among the Seven Seats, this was a different league from Isaac Leoblan, whom they had encountered before.
"Someone who once led the Mobile Fortress in bombarding the surface should be able to inflict meaningful damage from this distance."
For that reason, to delay the ritual as much as possible, the Doctor had requested separate support from Acheronar.
A mage of Acheronar's caliber could deliver precision strikes just from the scenery on the screen.
Acheronar herself offered no denial of the Doctor's words.
She simply gathered her mana, preparing for bombardment.
"—[Magic Corridor] activate."
Whooooom—.
Dense mana began to roil around Acheronar.
The origin of the power accumulated over the long life of a long-lived species far exceeding human spans.
The mage who had completed the closed world within herself now flashed her eyes, revealing her true intent.
"You've brought a ridiculous monster as a comrade, Doctor."
The surging, expanding mana.
Leintus, who had been scanning the surroundings, awkwardly opened his mouth amid the pressure melting the fresh snow.
"Come to think of it, this must be your first time seeing her cast magic, Leintus."
"Isn't that beside the point? How the hell did you lure a monster like one of the Seven Seats into this?"
Leintus spoke of Acheronar, still clearly wary of her.
He couldn't forget the sight of the Mobile Fortress bombarding the ground during their last operation.
"I did tell you last time, didn't I, Leintus? I have quite a lot of friends."
Kekeke—.
The Doctor burst into laughter at Leintus, then shifted his gaze to his masterpiece nearby.
A soul transplant device, exposing writhing flesh and dripping pale green culture fluid.
It was something the Doctor had specially prepared for this descent ritual.
"But in a case like today, even having many friends isn't enough."
Adjusting his monocle, the Doctor grasped the lever beside the soul transplant device.
This particular soul transplant device was designed to simultaneously stabilize the soul and function as an altar.
Furthermore, to enhance physical stability, it included a function to administer elixir during the ritual.
All that remained for the Doctor was to pull that lever.
Grip—.
Tightening his grip on the lever, the Doctor addressed Leintus and Priela, who waited nearby.
"The moment we begin the ritual here, the barbarians will catch on and mobilize."
"……."
"Your job is to protect this place from the barbarians who will come swarming after."
Yawn—.
Priela let out a short yawn and nodded quietly.
Leintus, grasping the Doctor's intent, stared down at the steep mountainside with a serious expression.
"This is the first time we're pulling off something as insane as fighting barbarians smack in the middle of Alliance territory."
"Isn't it great? When else would we get a chance to come to the Erbar Alliance like this?"
As Leintus said, their current position was right in the heart of the Erbar Alliance.
The moment things kicked off, barbarians would surely pour in like a flood.
It was like performing a tightrope act, pulling off madness in the enemy's midst.
If anything went wrong, the situation would tangle into a massive mess.
And the Doctor was someone who absolutely loved that thrill.
Otherwise, he never would have joined a lunatic group like the Magic Research Society.
"Alright then, let's get to it."
Clunk—.
The Doctor's hand pulled the heavy lever downward.
The culture fluid filled in the soul transplant device drained out, and lights sequentially activated in the magic circuits.
"Once this operation ends, it looks like I'll be getting an earful from Sir Austin after a long while."
"……What?"
A mutter slipped from the Doctor's lips as he pulled the lever.
In response, Acheronar's bewildered voice rang out as she prepared her spell.
KABOOM—!
A bolt of lightning struck a distant peak in the mountains, the expanding thunderclap swallowing the two voices.
* * * * * *
Austin LineNote, member of the Celestia Secret Society.
The knight known to continent gossips as 'Heretic Sirius' was currently battling barbarians in the midst of the northern snowfields.
Beyond the Rozas Frontier County where he was born and raised.
Austin had plunged into the snowfields teeming with Erbar Alliance barbarian warriors of his own volition.
"You're no human, that's for sure!"
- …….
Clang, clang—!
A sharp metallic clash echoed across the steep ridge.
There, Austin faced off against the barbarian great chieftain amid piles of corpses.
Kclang!
Sparks flew from Sirius's armor with every flash of the massive twin axes.
The trajectory of Great Chieftain Partlinger's axes carried a brutally violent and destructive flow.
'No way such a monster was lurking up north—!'
Sirius's violet optic glared at the great chieftain.
Clang, clang—!
As Partlinger's axes danced forward, Sirius's body moved instinctively, deflecting the attacks.
Relentless feral strikes.
Austin's taut instincts deflected Partlinger's blows as much as possible, but shocks continued accumulating in the frame nonetheless.
"Of course, what lunatic would dare charge into Barkat alone with that hunk of meat!"
Scraaaape—!
The attacks from the hulking barbarian warrior weren't merely powerful.
Crunch! Craaaack—.
Partlinger's axes kept shaking Sirius's barrier from both sides.
With every fierce swing, the magic armor wore down at a rapid pace.
'The Brotherhood's leader... even Isaac Leoblan wasn't this much—.'
Kclang—!
Sirius deflected the incoming axe and retreated a good distance.
Even Isaac Leoblan, the Seven Seat Sirius had faced in the Great Forest, hadn't been this intense.
The sensation grew like sinking into quicksand with each exchange.
The warrior before him seemed several cuts above the Brotherhood's leader.
"Cokia! Ensure the ritual doesn't stop for anything!"
Moreover, even as he traded blows with Sirius, he issued commands to his subordinates with leisure.
A stark contrast to Austin, who squeezed every ounce from his consciousness at each clash.
- "Partlinger……!"
"You think you can halt the ritual just by interfering—!"
Flash—!
The sharp blades under Sirius's control sliced through the air, shooting in all directions.
The multi-combat support spell [Procyon] installed by Acheronar.
A dozen magic swords, wrapped in mana, began sweeping the surroundings.
"Gahk……!"
"C-Cokia! The barrier's shaking—!"
The barbarian warriors surrounding Sirius.
The shamans conducting the ritual.
Even Great Chieftain Partlinger, crossing blades with him.
Austin's consciousness rapidly processed information, launching simultaneous attacks.
However, Great Chieftain Partlinger showed no fear facing the floating blades.
"Hraaaah—!"
Instead, as if he'd been waiting, he swung his axe shrouded in ferocious energy.
Whooosh—!
The air-splitting whoosh of the strike.
The axe, disrupting surrounding currents, accelerated at unbelievable speed.
Boom! Bwoooom—!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, Sirius's magic swords tangling in the aftermath.
- "……A monster in his own right."
A heavy mechanical voice leaked outward.
On Partlinger's bizarre counter, Austin voiced his impression.
Of course, Partlinger scoffed in response.
"As if a scrap-rat like you in that metal shell has room to talk!"
- …….
Bursting through the whirlwind of blades, Partlinger hammered Sirius's barrier at rapid speed once more.
Boom! Craaaack—.
The fierce axe blow glanced off the barrier, cracks spreading like a web.
Boom! Kboom!
Craaaack—.
Merciless barrages poured down.
Amid them, Austin focused on minimizing shocks through his senses.
'Disrupting the ritual in this standoff is too much strain.'
The current deadlock didn't sit well with Austin.
Sirius's deployment wasn't to trade axe blows with Partlinger from the start.
He had launched the assault to delay the barbarians' ritual and execute shaman Cokia.
"What's wrong, Empire's knight! Be honored I'm facing you myself!"
But now, he was reduced to merely blocking Partlinger's attacks.
Thung, thung—!
Magic swords occasionally fired from behind struck at the altar, but the shamans had anticipated interference too.
A mere handful of magic swords couldn't shatter the barrier protecting the altar.
To break the sturdy barrier conjured by dozens of shamans required firepower of equal magnitude.
'I need some meaningful means.'
Whirr—.
Sirius's body, weathering the axe storm, had retreated farther than at the start.
Austin righted the unbalanced Sirius and glared at the valiant warrior before him.
"Gardo! Tighten perimeter security! Tell the warriors below to drag in anyone suspicious!"
"Yes, Great Chieftain!"
"Cokia! Finish the ritual no matter what!"
Even as he racked his brains furiously, Partlinger busily directed the barbarians.
Despite the short distance between them, the great chieftain showed not a single gap.
Such was Partlinger's direction of his subordinates, eyes scanning the surroundings.
Clunk—.
Soon, Partlinger gripped his axes in an ominous stance.
"Alright, enough scouting."
- …….
"You've had your fun, haven't you? Now let's get serious, you and me."
Murderous aura swirling around Partlinger's axes as he traced a slow arc.
"Put your all into it, come at me for real. If you're holding anything back, better bring it out now."
As if the fight so far had been mere play, Partlinger exuded an even more chilling presence.
Sirius too readied to charge at such a Partlinger, regaining balance and preparing to lunge.
Whirr—.
Metal friction sounded as their gazes measured the distance.
Eyes hunting for openings.
The gap narrowing beneath.
Just as the two warriors, gauging intervals, prepared to clash with full power—
"Gyaaaaah—!"
"……."
Rumble, boom—!
Suddenly, a vivid bolt of lightning plunged from the sky above the ritual altar.
A streak of light crossing the void.
After the searing flash struck, thunder roared, shaking the barrier enveloping the altar.
Rumble—.
Amid the quaking barrier, a voice cried out.
"Ugh… urk……!"
Thud—.
A young shaman inside the barrier vomited blood and collapsed.
Backlash from maintaining the spell.
"……!"
- …….
Barbarians hearing the spreading thunder looked up at the sky in horror.
Violent lightning ravaging the peak.
The bolt's shockwave, without warning, swept the surroundings with absurd power.
Along with one shaman upholding the barrier, nearby guarding warriors perished in the aftermath.
"Wh-what the… hell……!"
"You idiots, focus on the ritual—!"
In an instant, chaos gripped the altar.
As the barbarians pushed forward with the ritual, another vivid bolt began descending upon them.
KABOOM—!
The destructive light's path rattled the barrier.
"Kyaaaaah……!"
"Kargo! Kargo's dead—!"
With the savage strike, another shaman upholding the barrier collapsed.
Thud—.
This shaman too had died bearing the full backlash of the spell.
'Is Acheronar casting spells!'
Watching the shamans fall, Austin soon realized it was Acheronar's doing.
Nearby members were finally launching full action.
"Looks like other saboteurs were hiding nearby."
Grip—.
Rage twisted the great chieftain's face as he gripped his axe.
"Find those saboteurs and kill them now! Make them pay for treading on Barkat!"
Great Chieftain Partlinger's sharp voice erupted.
His hands gripping the axes poised to cleave Sirius at any moment.
Sirius advanced toward him.
With support for Sirius underway, he had to devise some way to halt the ritual.
'I need to settle this while the support continues.'
KABOOM—!
Igniting rear thrusters, Sirius accelerated forward in a dive.
Partlinger prepared to counter the incoming Sirius, swinging his twin axes with bulging muscles.
"First, I'll smash that arrogant armor—!"
- "Partlinger……!"
The eyes of charging Sirius and Partlinger met.
Crossing gazes.
Clashing senses.
As Sirius poured mana to breakthrough Partlinger with full power—
Beep—.
A sudden clear alert shattered Austin's focus.
- Sirius self-destruct sequence initiated.
- "What……?"
Sirius's body reacted a beat slower than usual to the voice in his ears.
Crunch—.
Great Chieftain Partlinger's fierce axe shattered Sirius's pauldron and dug in.
The startled Sirius's arm embraced Partlinger to restrain him.
But that wasn't all that shocked Sirius.
- "No, why the hell does Sirius have a function like…!"
- Approval complete. Deploying Forbidden [Abyss].
KABOOM—!
A spear of light plunged from the sky, piercing Sirius's chest and halting.
Before startled Sirius could speak, golden chains spread faster.
Clinkclinkclink—.
Mana chains rapidly bound Sirius's body.
Golden wings began to expand.
Simultaneously, an incomprehensible sensation rapidly swelled within Sirius.
"Trying to use your trump card now, eh!"
- …….
Sensory chaos rattled Austin's perceptions.
Illusion-type Forbidden, Abyss—
The heinous spell dropping humans into oblivion began deploying.
Tick, tick.
Under Abyss's influence, pressure twisted inside Sirius, presaging explosion.
"Fine, I'll indulge you! Show me your true power!"
But Partlinger, unaware of Austin's inner turmoil, mistook it for Sirius unleashing a hidden ultimate technique.
Face flushed with excitement, he raised his axe to block, poised for Austin's attack.
Wings sprouting on the machine and a light spear from the sky were easy to misinterpret.
He assumed Sirius had some special combat mode.
- …….
Of course, meanwhile, the explosion timer rapidly approached.
Tick, tick.
Sirius's chest swelled with bizarre pressure.
Great Chieftain Partlinger heightened his ferocity further.
Sirius's time sense warped in a way utterly beyond his control.
An unrelenting voice clung to Austin's ears like a curse.
- "Damn it all, Doctor……!"
Sirius's violet optic gazed skyward.
Falling lightning.
Spreading wings of light.
The shaking barrier screaming amid shamans dying from backlash.
Within, a meteor shower filled the full-moon night sky, greeting Sirius.
- "Aaaaaaaah—!"
In the hellscape world, Sirius's body detonated.
KABOOOOOM—!
Austin LineNote's consciousness cut off.