Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Dragon Fang Legion (3)
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‘In the end, I have no choice but to use it.’
The [Array of Clockwork] was one of the ‘traps’ that Cassandra had prepared in advance to catch her enemies.
-Following the Necromancer, now Troyvan and the Holy Demon Church’s forces as well. It would be too much for Theo alone to handle them without reinforcements, so I thought I’d lay down a few arrangements beforehand.
Unless one was a battle mage, mages weren’t a class particularly specialized for combat.
But the reason they were shunned by people was because they were beings who summoned miracles.
Especially, it was best never to step into an area they had seized in advance.
-……You’re preparing a magic barrier.
-You saw right through it. That’s right.
-But don’t you lack mana stones right now to construct a magic barrier?
-…….
-Don’t tell me?
-I trust you’ll handle the preparations on your end, Theo. Isn’t that right?
To activate a magic barrier naturally required that much energy. Not to mention an imaginary domain.
But with no mana stones to expend at this time, Cassandra sought to procure energy in another way.
-Let the enemies strike down the enemies. What better tactic is there?
The procurement method Cassandra had in mind was human sacrifice.
Using the corpses of the freshly dead Troyvan swordsmen.
But the real biggest problem was something else.
Namely, that Cassandra’s mental world and mana circuits, still too young, weren’t fully formed to activate such grand magic.
* * *
On the side of the clock face where Theo and the Od group stood, a slightly smaller chronograph was spinning.
Chirruk, chirruk—
As the hands turned, the corpses buried in the underground tomb liquefied. The blood seeping out soaked into the clockwork, making it spin even more vigorously.
In turn, the barrier forming the domain grew stronger and stronger.
At this moment.
The Od group was no different from prisoners locked in a jail cell.
And,
“Aaaagh!”
The Od group screamed under the various pressures constricting their bodies.
In particular, the Azure Dragon Captain collapsed entirely, slamming his face into the ground.
As mana rampaged wildly, their bodies swelled as if about to burst, then their muscles and bones twisted grotesquely, leaving them gasping on the verge of death.
Blood burst anew from Od’s right arm, which she had barely stanched, and Karli grimaced at the sensation of her blood spirit shrinking instead.
Beneath their feet, new chronographs of varying shapes had appeared, their hour hands spinning rapidly.
In contrast, Theo was different.
The chronograph under his feet had its hour and minute hands rewinding in the opposite direction.
Color slowly returned to his pale complexion, and even his breathing grew steadier and quicker.
It was as if time itself was rewinding.
[External law applied. All Buff duration extended.]
[Current possible time: 2 minutes.]
[3 minutes.]
[4 minutes.]
.
In reality, the time applied to Theo was rewinding.
-You’ve regressed, so you should know well about my imaginary domain by now, right?
-I’ve only heard about it roughly.
-My imaginary domain is based on the ability of foresight. The only difference is that it doesn’t end with ‘knowing.’
-You apply what you see directly to reality?
-Exactly. To those who enter my domain, I give each a personal clock. And then I wind it. The direction is up to me.
A magic that freely manipulated the time applied to intruders.
He had been quite shocked when he first heard about it.
But facing it in reality like this, he could understand why Cassandra had earned such a grandiose epithet.
‘With power like this, why was she only toyed with in the future?’
Pushing aside the thought that briefly surfaced, Theo channeled mana into his sword again.
In theory, as long as he remained in this domain, he could maintain the All Buff state ‘infinitely.’
“Gaaahhhh……!”
Kwaduduk, kwaduk!
The Azure Dragon Captain writhed from the mana rampage before his neck finally snapped sideways, leading to his complete demise.
The result of maximizing aftereffects with ‘fast-forward.’
“Why! Why isn’t it working!!”
Conversely, Od’s time was under ‘rewind.’
Sustaining the moment when her arm had just been severed, perpetuating the bleeding and pain.
From excessive blood loss, Od’s complexion was as pale as it could be.
The fear that she might die a pathetic death like this dominated her mind.
To escape this curse, there was only one way: deal with Theo.
‘I…!’
Od gritted her teeth.
‘And our ancestors didn’t devote their entire lives just to meet an end like this!’
The harbinger of death rapidly approached her.
But before she could even move,
Paaat!
The Moonwhite Sword and Dragon Slayer Sword dropped squarely before her.
Chaaeng—
“Get away! Get away from me!!”
The more Od flailed, the more stubbornly the Moonwhite Sword and Dragon Slayer Sword clung to her.
Just as Theo had faced her and Karli simultaneously moments ago, now she faced two swords at once.
The problem was that their movements were as distinct as if wielded by different people.
The Moonwhite Sword displayed flashy motions close to Plum Blossom Twenty-Four,
While the Dragon Slayer Sword showed sharp thrusts based on Demon Dragon Six Forms.
But the foundations were ones Od knew all too well.
-The flow of the Sword Canon you so longed to see was right there.
“You’re…… testing the Sword Canon against me?”
It was a provocation.
About who was more suited to the Sword Canon.
Let’s pit the Sword Canon your ancestors sought to restore against the one I interpret—see who’s closer to the true one, who holds the advantage.
That’s what it said.
And,
-I’ll take your [Black Ice Full Moon] too if it’s any good.
It even revealed such arrogant intent.
Tuk!
Something snapped in the back of Od’s mind.
She could never forgive that fake.
Jjjeojeok!
Od ultimately froze her right arm in ice, unleashed a grand moon eclipse, and confronted the Moonwhite Sword and Dragon Slayer Sword.
Kwarurung—
Chachachang!
“Unbelievable…… A mere heretic’s magic…… rejecting the grace bestowed by the Lord…… This can’t be……!”
Meanwhile, Karli bit her lower lip as she watched Theo slowly approach.
The personal time applied to him was in ‘Pause’ state.
As a result, the infinite mana drawn from the [Nameless Sovereign] had cut off, making it hard to maintain her blood spirit.
“Holy Demon’s Glory, Holy Demon’s Glory…… Lord, embrace this foolish lamb who failed to overcome the impudent heretic. Sternly rebuke the folly of this lamb who could not properly endure the trials You sent to test it.”
Karli squeezed his eyes shut and recited the prayer.
He believed he had no means left to resist Theo.
If so, only one path remained.
“As atonement, this foolish lamb offers its soul to You. So please quell Your wrath and guide it to the righteous path. Then, even in death, it shall follow You.”
Karli drew a dagger from within his robes and suddenly stabbed his nape.
Then, without hesitation, slashed sideways.
Puhiak!
The spurting blood fountain instantly turned inky black like ink.
At the same time, drawing a grand vortex to summon the colossal existence beyond the imaginary domain.
It became a massive eye.
An eye that regarded humans of the mortal world, including Theo, as mere insects.
『A trivial wish, but I shall grant it for your faithfulness.』
Its will became a voice that echoed shrilly, and finally, a black silhouette emerged behind the blood fountain.
The [Nameless Sovereign].
A portion of him had successfully descended through Karli’s self-sacrifice spell.
Tuk—
Theo halted his steps and looked up at the [Nameless Sovereign].
‘So far, it’s gone as the Magic Empress predicted.’
His final conversation with the Magic Empress kept flashing through his mind.
-However, the [Array of Clockwork] is a magic system not yet complete in this era, so even with an energy source, maintaining it won’t be easy. The penalty this young body must pay from the chaos of causality will likely be enormous.
-Then…!
-Still, I must do it. As the emperor of a nation. I have the duty to protect my subjects and prepare for the potential apocalypse. So please help me, Theo.
He could never forget the resolute gaze of the determined Magic Empress.
-I intend to bind the [Nameless Sovereign] with shackles. Shackles of time.
The Magic Empress had said that once the enemies were trapped in the imaginary domain, the Holy Demon Church bishop would surely self-sacrifice to summon the [Nameless Sovereign].
-Then, in his arrogance, he’ll probably say something like this.
『Were you waiting for me?』
-Were you waiting for me?
『Try it, you lowly worm.』
-Try it, you lowly worm.
『Whatever it is, I shall indulge you well.』
-Whatever it becomes, I shall indulge you well.
The [Nameless Sovereign] was arrogant.
So, they just needed to exploit that arrogance.
Whether it worked or not could be worried about later.
“Dragon Fang Legion!!”
Theo did not answer the [Nameless Sovereign]’s query.
Instead, he called out to another.
Now remembered only by the name of ‘suicide squad.’
The beings buried and vanished in ancient legends.
-I’m……
-I’m here!
-I’m here too!
Faint spirit bodies began appearing one by one around Theo.
A ghost legion.
Chronographs lay beneath their feet as well, rapidly rewinding hour and minute hands.
-Hahaha! Dragon Fang Legion!
-Such a nostalgic name.
-Who would’ve thought we’d reclaim a name we’d forgotten like this?
The ghosts’ forms grew clearer, taking on human shapes.
Swordsmen clad in white armor and helmets, swords in one hand.
Some mounted white horses, others held flags meters long at the vanguard.
There were those with drums, shields, spears. An army of 299 formed ranks.
The hostility they exuded all at once overwhelmed the [Nameless Sovereign]’s presence,
Revealing the full majesty of the suicide squad that once blocked the monster horde’s southern advance.
This was the Magic Empress’s scheme.
Rewind the personal times of the ghosts who entered the imaginary domain to revive the legion.
And,
Theo stood at its center.
Chak—
Theo donned Aegir’s helmet and clad his body in white armor.
Dazzling white light repelled the [Nameless Sovereign]’s darkness, dyeing the world white.
In one hand, he held Drake’s blade covered in dragon scales; in the other, the reins.
“All forces—”
Pulling the reins summoned a shadow, manifesting Umbra as it attempted to take flight.
“—follow me.”
With his declaration of war, Theo soared high into the sky, the Dragon Fang Legion following behind.
-Dragon Fang Legion!
-Advance!
-Ad- vance!
Dung! Dung! Dung! Dung!
The advance began with resounding drumbeats.
Transcending centuries of time.