Chapter 278
Chapter 278
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 278
Chapter Title: The Undying Human (4)
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Ashes to Ashes.
This incantation, symbolic of the Ashen Mage, unleashes firepower surpassing even the highest-tier spells if there's enough ash. And since it utilizes the remnants of mana left after combustion, its cost-performance is terrifyingly efficient.
But right now, Raniel casts the spell disregarding all efficiency. Not content with the swirling ash particles, she draws every last drop of mana from her body to amplify its power.
A single spell woven with everything she has.
No matter that it's an undead reassembled from the Hero's flesh—no one could withstand that horrific incantation at point-blank range. Kuntel's superhuman senses scream in warning.
Sizzle!
Before his fist can even connect, Kuntel's body begins to melt. Seeing this, Raniel half-convinces herself of victory—when Kuntel moves.
Crunch.
His movement is astonishingly swift.
Kuntel rips his captured left arm free from his body and thrusts out his empty right hand, seizing the sword hilt embedded with clinging flesh. Then, he swings it.
Not downward—but upward.
Whoosh—the sword lodged in Raniel's shoulder rockets skyward. But there's no time for another swing. The spell is already erupting in a flash of light, and Kuntel's blade points to the heavens.
Crack!
Crushing Kariot's skull that had been gnawing at his ankle, Kuntel leaps backward. He steps just outside the spell's range, creating space to swing his sword.
And then, he slashes at the oncoming blaze.
Kuntel's right arm blurs with afterimages. Even his reassembled body can't keep up—muscles tear, bones snap—but Kuntel's sword(?) doesn't stop.
Slash.
With each swing, the flash splits and the heat dissipates. Reading the spell's foundation, Kuntel keeps slashing. Once isn't enough? Ten times. Still not? A hundred.
The silvery blade cleaves through the blaze.
His body shredded to pieces, yet driving a deathblow toward the blade of death—Kuntel's obsession persists even in undeath. Burning in the inferno, he never lets go of his sword.
But futilely, the flash finally engulfs him. The heat hammers his body, bleaching the area white.
BOOM!
With the roar, Raniel's vision flickers.
When the light and heat fade, Raniel barely steadies her nearly toppling body. She can't afford to fall yet.
That judgment proves correct.
As the heat clears, revealing the surroundings, Raniel unwittingly gulps.
Plop.
Kuntel is still alive.
Unyielding flames cling to his body, which sags from the unbearable heat... yet Kuntel stands firm on both feet.
Melting flesh, severed left arm, right arm dangling with every bone shattered. But in his grip, to the end, a single sword. Even that doesn't last.
Clang.
Kuntel drops the sword.
His body has reached its clear limit. Yet Kuntel's eyes still fix on Raniel. Confronted by that chilling gaze, Raniel swallows dryly.
'This is insane.'
Alive in that state.
Sure, he looks like he'd crumple at a touch—but it's not just Kuntel. Raniel herself is the same.
The reckless reinforcement spells are taking their toll. Her vision blurs. Even breathing is hard.
Kariot, whose body is regenerating, and Garahal, utterly exhausted from blocking sword ki—they're no different.
They have no strength left to restrain Kuntel.
"Fire!"
But they're not the only ones here.
With the oppressive aura lifted, the knights spring into action. Arrows rain from the ramparts, and knights charge with spears and swords.
And then.
Thud.
Kuntel stomps lightly.
The ground trembles briefly—that's all. Arrows pierce his body, knights' spear tips aim to slit his throat.
Rumble.
The earth begins to shake.
Charging knights tumble, debris from the crumbled walls jostles everywhere.
"...Raniel!"
Garahal urgently grabs Raniel's arm.
Simultaneously, something surges from below. Debris scatters into the air amid dust clouds—Raniel looks up at the rising mass.
"Ha..."
A wry laugh escapes Raniel before the encroaching black shadow. What fills her eyes: a serpent-like beast clad in jet-black armor.
Scraaaape!
The Armored Dragon, its obsidian plating gleaming.
The familiar beast of calamity erupts from the earth. Its gaping maw swallows Kuntel whole.
Knights charging at Kuntel are swept into mincemeat by the dragon's lunge. No one stops it.
Having devoured Kuntel, the Armored Dragon veers and burrows back underground.
Thud, boom!
Just like that, in an instant—the airborne debris begins falling. Amid the quaking earth, Raniel bows her head.
"Ha, haha..."
Laughter seeps from her lips.
It doesn't last. She bites her lip hard and mutters.
"Toying with us...?"
Blood trickles from her bitten lip.
Grinding her teeth, Raniel forces her body upright. Reaching into the air.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Balance.
The empty scales manifest.
Aiming at the hole the Armored Dragon burrowed into, Raniel extends her senses to the limit. If even the Armored Dragon has appeared, the apostate is likely to show soon.
If so, only she can buy time. Her breathing falters briefly, but Raniel steels herself.
Several more seconds pass.
The ground quakes cease completely. No sign of the apostate. Only then does Raniel wave her hand, dismissing the scales.
"......"
Raniel lets her arm hang limp silently.
Turning, she surveys the surroundings. Rubble from the collapsed walls. Knights' corpses sliced by Kuntel. Shreds of flesh from the Armored Dragon.
Corpses everywhere she looks.
"...Lania."
Garahal calls her name softly.
Raniel doesn't respond. Teeth clenched, she heads toward the knights buried in debris—to save any still breathing.
"Lania, rest. This place is..."
"Let go."
"Lania."
"I'm fine. Let go."
Garahal frowns.
Blood pours steadily from Raniel's open shoulder. Without immediate first aid, she risks death from blood loss.
Deciding to stop her by force, Garahal reaches for her arm—the moment Raniel's body crumples first.
"Lania!"
Before she hits the ground, Garahal catches her. Her limp body burns like a heated iron ingot.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
"Treatment's done."
"...Is she okay?"
"Just mana exhaustion from draining every drop. I have no idea how she pushed her body so hard with this much strain..."
Sara sighs.
"I poured in every holy spell I had, so she'll be up good as new in a day."
"Her shoulder..."
"Garahal."
Sara cuts him off.
"You don't get called a Saintess for nothing, right?"
Sara, who can reattach cleanly severed limbs with ease. Pointing at the unconscious Lania, she adds.
"But these injuries aren't the real issue anyway."
"Pardon? What do you..."
"Garahal."
Sara narrows her eyes.
"It's Raniel, isn't it?"
"......"
Garahal falls silent.
Sara sighs, brushing back her hair. She glances complicatedly at Lania on the bed.
"No use pretending. You knew, and only Raniel would carry something this horrific in her heart."
Sara, who once handled Raniel's treatments.
She regularly suppressed the curse in Raniel's body—no way she wouldn't notice.
"I suspected as much."
Sara lets out a hollow laugh.
"No wonder she's hiding her identity after ending up like this. Ridiculous. That's why she acted like she knew Kyle so well... That's why..."
Muttering to herself, Sara sighs deeply. No point talking to the unconscious.
'That's why she freaked out at the tail-chasing comment.'
It all fits now that she knows.
Her intense reaction, looking at Sara like a bug... It all makes sense if the girl before her is Raniel.
'Part of me wants to spread the rumor.'
Sara clicks her tongue.
Even in that state, fighting on by grinding down her body—Sara feels pity now.
'A dying body, lifespan running out.'
Wasting it on the blood-soaked battlefield.
Sara can't fathom what drives that mage so far.
'Not that I want to understand.'
That's why Remia gave up.
The proud elf favored Raniel over Kyle first, but wearied by Raniel's lofty ideals, Remia eventually left.
"Pathetic man."
Sighing, Sara places her palm on Lania's chest. Starlight blooms, easing the curse gripping her heart.
"Garahal."
"Yes, Sara."
"No plans to spread rumors or act like I know. Pretend you heard nothing."
She doesn't want further entanglement with Raniel.
Drawing that line, Sara flashes Garahal a mischievous smile.
"What's good about getting tangled with ex-comrades? It just gets sticky. I hate sticky relationships."
"Then for Raniel..."
"Tell her I cussed her out without noticing. That arrogant mage probably thinks I'm just a brainless fanatic—won't suspect a thing."
Blame it on Delorhim appropriately, Sara mutters, waving her hand.
"I saw nothing, know nothing. Not telling Kyle either."
"...Understood."
"Why make more rivals?"
Even if Raniel has no such intentions, who knows about Kyle. He's already interested in the girl. Unlikely, but Sara can't ignore even slim possibilities.
'What if another one piles on?'
One more rival with the huge hometown-friend advantage? Just tiresome.
Two women by Kyle suffice.
One more means longer dissatisfying nights. With that thought, Sara glances at Raniel one last time.
"Anyway..."
You're the same as ever.
Chuckling softly, Sara walks away. More urgent patients await.
The immortal Kariot.
Naturally, power defying death's providence demands a price.
She'll have to stick to that shameless man for 37 hours straight. Feeling annoyance rise already, Sara sighs deeply.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
Only after half a day post-incident could I open my eyes. Dragging my heavy body outside, I see knights clearing debris.
"Ah, Miss Lania."
The knights' gazes toward me have changed slightly, but no time to mind. How many died? Damage extent? I ask, get answers.
The damage wasn't light.
Though minimized by stopping Kuntel, more knights were swept up than expected.
I gaze at the hole the Armored Dragon burrowed. It stretches from Cateron Fortress far into the plains.
'Undead via underground waterway, Armored Dragon tunneling through.'
Cateron Fortress area layered with barriers, interception spells, traps. Even an Armored Dragon couldn't tear through them all.
Probably sliced by the undead wearing Uncle Kuntel's skin. Barriers and traps mean little before sword transcendence.
"Hoo..."
I sigh deeply.
What a mess. Truly a mess.
'What the hell is the goal?'
Why charge in alone? Purpose unknown. The apostate never showed. No clue what that damned lunatic is plotting.
As I tousle my hair with a sigh, a knight approaches.
"This... Knight Commander said to deliver to Miss Lania."
He holds a sword.
I frown. The undead's sword. Eerily similar to Uncle Kuntel's in life.
"Found nearby."
"Why give it to me?"
"Commander Heinkel said you should keep it."
I nod slowly, taking the sword.
It's hefty. Amid that chaos, the blade remains unmarred, glinting sharply in sunlight.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Two days after the raid.
Those two days were cleanup frenzy; I spent time re-inscribing Cateron Fortress's barriers and trap circuits.
"Whew, close call. For real."
On the second day, Kariot rises from bed.
37 seconds of hyper-regeneration's price paid over 37 hours. Used to high priests swarming for healing... not this time, apparently.
"Thought I was gonna die, huh?"
With a Saintess who outperforms hundreds of high priests. Sara beside Kariot looks hollow-eyed.
"How many times did you die exactly? First time in ages I've drained holy power like this..."
"Dunno. Roughly 50 more, maybe."
"In 37 seconds?"
"Opponent was who he was."
Sara shakes her head in dismay.
I glance silently at Sara. Heard she healed me while I was out. Garahal said she didn't recognize me...
'No way she didn't.'
She can't miss the curse in my heart. She treated me back then. Noticing my stare, Sara turns.
"What're you staring at?"
"Thanks for the healing."
"Healing? Me?"
Sara snorts.
"Just dumped holy water. What good's holy magic on an atheist?"
Crazy bitch?
I sigh, shaking my head. Fair enough—not a severed arm, just sword cuts aren't hard for her.
"Anyway, thanks. Holy water's pricey as hell."
"Good you know."
I brush off her waving hand and stand before Kariot. Bathed in Sara's holy magic, he looks healthier than days ago.
"Body okay now?"
"Perfect. Thanks to our Saintess."
Kariot pats the Saintess's shoulder, turns to me grinning.
"Trial. Let's keep going. Came here for that."
Grinning brightly, he says.
"Think I can now."
He was right.
That night, Kariot passes the Holy Grail's trial.