Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Tail Was Too Long
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Serimuk's supply tent was astonishingly spartan for the dwelling of a leader who had rallied the scattered nomads with miracles and overwhelming force.
Inside, there was only a simple wooden desk and chair, a leather sleeping bag, and atop a hastily assembled small altar, an urn containing someone's ashes and an incense burner—nothing more.
Before Serimuk, who sat with eyes closed in front of the altar, a writhing mass of darkness soon took the form of a person.
"Ulu Shaman, did you find out anything? It's been three weeks since the soldiers fell into fear. In a few more weeks, the Empire's main force will arrive in the Grand Duchy."
The red-haired witch pressed Serimuk, but she remained silent with eyes shut, ignoring the witch.
"Are you listening!? The scouting parties we've sent out are just freezing to death on the mountains!"
Irritated by the outburst, the witch snapped, and Serimuk's eyes opened.
"The preparations are complete. Today, we strike down the impure usurpers."
As her gray eyes gleamed coldly, the witch flinched and could only nod, speechless.
-Bzzz! Buzz!
I sat in the cave, interpreting the vibrations from the communication magic tool.
At the glad tidings it brought, I gathered everyone.
"Everyone, you've all worked hard. Duke Ardell has positioned his forces and traps at the designated spot. Today will be our last day luring the enemy—we'll draw them in and link up with our troops."
"Dortumakto!"
"Lak sentur!"
"Lancelot, Lak-sent/ur!"
"Yeah... good work, Owen..."
"At least that's one worry off our minds, Apostle!"
I praised Owen, who had sunk so deep into his role that he'd invented his own dialect, then announced the next plan.
"The detachment consists entirely of knights who can ride, so we can harass them lightly while fleeing—it'll be manageable enough. After that, we'll hold out in the Grand Duchy and wait for the Imperial Army."
Victory was starting to take shape in my mind. I stood to carry out the final operation.
"Everyone, let's move out. For today's escape, no teleporting—we'll fly to draw their attention, so keep that in mind."
"Yes!"
With no time to pack properly, we shoved what we could into subspace and flew into the sky, hiding atop the supply camp that seemed to have the fewest enemies.
"Let's begin."
Another operation underway.
Seeing everyone nod, I activated my magic.
-Awooooo!
-Kara Mord! The Death Beast has appeared!
As usual, the sleepless barbarians burst out from everywhere.
I tried to sow chaos and flee as planned, but then a refined voice echoed from somewhere.
"They really came here? Gives me chills."
Beside the red witch emerging from writhing shadows appeared a barbarian with four arms made of swords, a heretic with torn-off lips, a warrior wielding a massive halberd, and a blue-skinned man holding a dagger of bone—one after another.
With a wave of her hand, the witch made our bodies glow red, revealing our positions.
Was my tail too long? I cursed myself for overdoing it, but self-recrimination could wait.
I changed plans on the fly.
"Everyone, plan's scrapped! Escape via teleport!"
As I focused my mind and senses to activate the spell, vein-like runes lit up from the ground, canceling the teleport.
With the coordinates tangled, I shouted to my comrades.
"Escape's blocked! Defend yourselves and fall back!"
""Yes!""
Shouting as we prepared to fly, we deflected the witch's incoming magic and drew our weapons, assuming positions.
"Everyone, get ready!"
At Jenia's cry, the barbarian soldiers charged us.
-Kill the enemies!
-It's not Kara Mord! Sever the filthy usurpers' heads!
-Waaaaah!
I bounced the ground beneath the charging soldiers like a spring, launching them skyward.
-The ground is folding! Watch the cracks!
Jenia cleaved the flying barbarians in one stroke.
I scanned the soldiers' weapons, shattered them, then used the fragments to slit the grunts' throats.
Even so, as more charged, Veronica slammed her mace into the earth, unleashing holy power from the ground that incinerated the foes.
Lancelot and Owen unleashed sword beams at the barbarians I'd gathered and crushed into clumps.
-Hold!
The barbarian with the halberd shouted, halting the soldiers.
They lined up before us one by one.
'What is this, the Four Heavenly Kings?'
"Hoo... boss battle event, huh."
"I'll take the one with the massive axe!"
"You pick your foes—the grunts and witch are mine."
"Then the lipless one for me!"
"The four-armed guy."
"I'll handle the last one."
Everyone swiftly claimed their opponents.
The barbarians scowled at our brazen words.
"Once I kill the witch, we bail—no thoughts of winning."
""Yes!""
""Hoo... I'll end it in two minutes.""
The witch sneered at my words.
"Arrogant fool. Two minutes? Try it if you can!"
With everyone matched up, the fight began.
The grunts flinched under whipping sword winds, unable to close in.
"Hey, esteemed whore of the great idiot god! Changed my mind—you're toast in one minute flat."
Provoked, the witch's eyes rolled back white as mana erupted from her body.
"I'll tear you to shreds!"
"Can't even contain your mana? Forty seconds."
Blood fountains gushed from the earth toward me.
I casually folded the ground to dodge, then split the witch's perception field in half, offsetting upper and lower halves.
The black magic circle shook violently and lost power.
"What did you do to my eyes?!"
Thirty seconds.
As the blinded witch rechanted, I flipped the ground she stood on upside down and dropped her.
"Kyaaaak!"
Screaming, she opened her eyes in confusion, failing to cast flight magic properly.
Dozens of magic circles deployed midair, intercepting her.
Twenty seconds.
Her flight failed; as she writhed on the ground, charred all over, I sliced her torso in half with a compressed laser from my hand, then psychokinetically hurled away the lower half.
"Gaaack!"
Ten seconds.
As blood from her upper half reached for the lower, I detonated the center link, then turned the falling ground into a blender, crushing her from above.
-Uzzzzzdrdrdr!
Unable to even scream, she was minced to death.
"Couldn't even last forty seconds, you hack."
That bitch couldn't have stalled me.
Serimuk must be nearby.
I wanted to dissect the ground-activated spells one by one, but my comrades were starting to get pushed back.
I slammed light magic atop the enemies' heads and yelled.
"We're bugging out—group up!"
My comrades nodded and converged, but a massive, smoky hand descended over their heads.
"Faster!"
To block the falling hand, I hammered runes into my mana.
In the brief pause, my comrades reached me.
"Where do you think you're going, filthy usurpers?"
Looking toward the eerie voice, I saw Serimuk holding a skull staff, a colossal giant woven from ghosts looming behind her.
-Roooaaar!
The giant's roar shook my insides.
The deafening bellow scrambled my mind.
Emergency—Serimuk's power was off the charts, unquantifiable.
Unreadable strength meant she outclassed me.
No confidence in escaping while shielding everyone.
"Everyone, flee into the mountains! Rendezvous at the join point!"
"No, Your Highness!"
"I... I'll stay too!"
Sorry, but no room for that.
"Jenia, Veronica! Want to get knocked out and dragged, or go willingly?!"
At my question—are you dead weight or not?—the two women's faces paled.
Serimuk wasn't giving us time to decide.
"Where to."
She swung her staff; the giant's hands whipped up a massive sword-wind.
No time to shudder at the overwhelming force—I spun my circles furiously.
Racking my brain, I summoned a brilliantly shining giant soldier.
As the glowing soldier's sword swung, a colossal shockwave erupted.
-Kwaaang!
Mass versus mass. Crude modeling, but optimal efficiency.
Feeling my mana drain in chunks, I snapped irritably.
"Hurry!"
Only then did my grimacing comrades flee toward the mountains.
Serimuk wasn't fool enough to let them go.
"Hoo... pursue."
At her curt order, the barbarians gave chase.
I bombarded the Four Heavenly Kings-lookalikes with light magic while facing the ghost giant.
Annoyed by my spells, Serimuk scowled and tapped her staff on the ground.
-Tong!
Waves from the staff rippled out, stimulating the vein-like circuits on the ground. Vines of them sprouted at my feet, binding my ankles.
-Tong!
I didn't even know the runes, but each tap drained my mana unpleasantly.
Stumbling as strength fled, the Four Kings glared at my singed form and pursued my comrades.
Left on the field: grunts, me, and Serimuk.
Time bought—now for a real fight.
Sensing it, she focused on me.
I ripped the circuits from the ground with the earth itself and took to the air.
The giant soldier severed the ghost giant's hands, blocking attacks, as I distorted Serimuk's vision diagonally upward.
But she spoke calmly, unflinching.
"Impressive. Not illusion magic, yet vivid. How?"
"None of your business."
Chitchat was a luxury.
I split her staff from below toward her heart, but a wrist flick revealed it as hallucination—nothing happened.
"Enough games. Time to rip your family apart."
"No parents here—don't drag others' into it."
Ignoring the cheap taunt, she thrust her staff skyward. Space rippled, wails echoing from all sides.
-Kyaaaaak!!!
Ghosts crept from the ground, soon filling the sky.
"You psycho bitch..."
As I cursed at the cloud-obscuring horde, she said flatly.
"I won't kill you... until the Empire burns."
With that, the ghosts swarmed.
Irregular paths from every direction—no room for lapse.
I darted about, intercepting them.
She effortlessly parried my probes, then clenched her fist midair.
The gapless ghosts crushed in without escape.
"This is bullshit, you crazy bitch!"
"..."
I gathered mana over my body and burst with light.
My circles, at six and spinning endlessly, began to creak.
Feeling the ghosts slow, I pooled my released mana for escape—only to find more ghosts waiting.
Understanding high-level ninjas who'd seen Ultimate Art twice, I encased myself in a sphere, slamming in resistances.
-Krrrk!
Groaning under the strain, curses spilled out.
"Fuck..."
Mentality wavering under pressure, the ghost giant shredded my giant soldier and smashed down.
Slammed into the earth, pain shattered my focus; the barrier dispersed.
"Kuh-huk!"
Serimuk gazed coldly at my gasping form.
"I've claimed the tribute to soothe our ancestors' souls."
With that, I blacked out.