Chapter 202
Chapter 202
Though I’d seen it through a monitor before—
“Seeing it in person is even more revolting.”
I could let its massive size slide—about three times my height, rivaling even the Nameless King.But the sheer grotesqueness of its form struck far deeper.
“Ugh… brother, what is that?”
“Ah, right. You probably never saw it since you got stuck halfway through. That’s the Calamity of Death.”
“What kind of final boss looks like that?! There’s nothing cool about it—just pure horror!”
Good grief, this girl.
Not every final boss looks stylish.This one was just… designed in a different direction, that’s all.
‘Still, I can’t deny that “hideous” is a fitting word.’
Its upper body resembled that of a human skeleton—truly befitting the name “Calamity of Death.”But its lower half was wormlike, a grotesque form that constantly squirmed.
It dragged its massive, bony arms to crawl forward, hauling its bloated wormlike lower body—A sight that instinctively made one’s skin crawl.
—Grrrhhh…
What made it even more horrifying was the mana it emitted.That black light carried a presence any living being would instinctively recoil from.
“…But seriously, is this okay? If it’s the final boss, that means it’s stronger than Luciana, right?”
As expected of someone who’d been stuck at a mid-boss, Rene was already trembling in fear.I clicked my tongue at her pitifulness.
“Probably—for now.”
That thing was, quite literally, a calamity that scattered death itself.And thus, its gaze naturally turned toward where life was most abundant.
“…All units, formation! The enemy has summoned something monstrous!”
—Grrrhhh…
The first thing that caught its attention was undoubtedly the Duke’s army—And most likely, the strongest among them, Duke Roberc himself.
“Using the enemy’s enemy as your ally—there’s no better tactic than that.”
“…Less bragging, more running! We need to escape while we can!”
“The Saint is right, Hans.”
Freesia’s ears trembled slightly—a rare sign of unease.Not from curiosity or joy, but from fear—an emotion I’d never seen in her before.
“The spirits are trembling. That thing isn’t something we can face recklessly.”
“…Sorry, Freesia. But we don’t have a choice.”
A calamity is called such for a reason.If left alone, it would spread its reach far beyond the West.
Countless lives would be crushed, and the entire region would be transformed into a wasteland—A land of death.
“Do you want to see the southern jungles vanish, turned entirely into sand? What about the World Tree—dried up and withered?”
“…Of course not. Don’t even joke about that.”
“Then keep your wits about you. Our only choice is to take down that monster.”
A being that heralded the end of the world itself—That was why it was named “Calamity.”
“Well, for now, let’s set aside the worrying. Look on the bright side—the power balance against the Duke has evened out a bit, hasn’t it?”
Thanks to bringing in this asymmetric variable called a Calamity, we finally had room to breathe.But the problem came after that.
“Duke Roberc will lose.”
That was simply the nature of a Calamity.
Not only due to the immense power that came with its size—but because lesser beings couldn’t inflict meaningful harm upon it.
“L-Lord Duke! Our magic isn’t working at all!”
“Don’t target the bones! Aim for the abdomen—use fire spells, the kind effective against sandworms!”
“E-Even our blades can’t pierce it!”
“Switch to blunt weapons! Its means of movement are those arms—aim for them first…!”
Despite the Iron-Blooded Duke’s commanding presence—
“It’s not working—argh!”
“Fall back! Regroup and form ranks!”
Whether crushed by its massive skeletal hand,flattened under the weight of its wormlike abdomen,or vaporized into bare bones by its mana—
The soldiers’ valiant efforts ended only in corpses.
‘Well, it is the final boss for a reason. No ragtag army’s going to fell it.’
Numerical advantage?That only mattered when attacks actually worked.
You’d need something like a Divine Archer or the Nameless King just to deal meaningful damage.
The only exception was the Saint’s blessing—But since she was on our side, the Duke’s defeat was practically inevitable.
“W-What the….”
“Don’t look away. Watch closely.”
I gently stopped Elizabeth from covering her eyes.
Even a tragedy could serve as a valuable lesson in pattern recognition.We needed to understand exactly how those soldiers were dying.
“…Well, I don’t think you summoned that thing without a plan.”
—Yes. With that confidence, you must have something up your sleeve.
Receiving the expectant gazes of Camilla and the Nameless King,I opened my mouth.
“For now, let’s just watch. Whether it’s the Calamity or the Duke’s forces, one side will tire out first. That’s when we’ll strike.”
Like hyenas pouncing on exhausted predators,we’d hunt them all when the time was right.
“Now then—let me explain the Calamity of Death’s attack patterns one by one.”
As the Duke’s men turned to corpses, I recalled each motion and relayed them to the group.
“…Hah. Ridiculous.”
A hollow laugh escaped the Iron-Blooded Duke’s lips.
He had spent decades preparing for this rebellion—Rallying rebels, gathering sworn soldiers and knights,offering up rights to magic stone mines to recruit researchers from the Mage Tower,and luring in criminals with promises of power.
All that effort was now turning to dust before his eyes.
—Grrrhhh…
“So this is a Calamity. No wonder the Holy See warned us so fervently.”
And to think—there were said to be three more of these things.The height of absurdity.
“Captain. Gather the remaining forces and retreat.”
“But, my lord, we won’t be able to shake it off—”
“Do not hesitate. If we lose any more men here and miss our timing, the Grand Plan will fail.”
After hollow laughter came rage.He clenched his teeth.
After all the years he’d come this far—To have his ambitions thwarted by an act of god? Unacceptable.
“…I will remain here.”
“My lord!”
“Silence. I will hear no more.”
He might not become Emperor himself,but the great House Roberc would live on.
That was why he’d taken so many wives—In rebellion and succession struggles, death was inevitable.One must always have insurance.
“My successor… will be Bern. He once competed with the Student Council—he’s capable enough. You’ll serve him. He will be Emperor.”
“…Understood.”
“Once you leave here, head to the Academy immediately. There’s someone there who’ll cooperate.”
Even if it wasn’t him, as long as House Roberc broke free of the West and seized power in the Central Empire,that would be enough.
‘The table’s already set—all that’s left is to pick up the fork and knife. Surely even a greenhorn can manage that much.’
He pointed his staff—once a symbol of command—at the beast.
—Grrrhhh…
“Vile monster. I won’t let you stand in the way of my ambition.”
Responding to his mana, the ground rose up.
First around its massive arm bones.Then its spread-out ribs.Lastly, around its hulking wormlike torso.
Massive walls of magic stone surged upward, one after another, limiting the creature’s range of movement.
—Rrraaargh!
“Futile struggle.”
A direct confrontation was out of the question.So the Iron-Blooded Duke chose the alternative—
Imaginal Barrier: Iron-Blooded Labyrinth.
A prison-space modeled after Riskraza,the confinement facility passed down through House Roberc.
“You’ll never escape! Ever! Stay imprisoned there like a common criminal!”
No matter how overwhelming its raw strength or bizarre abilities,it couldn’t break a barrier imbued with the concept of inescapability.
The only way to destroy the maze was to kill its master.
‘…As long as it doesn’t find me, it’s fine.’
Since he was the maze’s creator, he could sense its every corner—his own position, and the prisoner’s.
With ample rations stored, he could likely keep the beast trapped until the rebellion succeeded.
Or so he thought—just before trying to move farther away from it.
“…Up to your tricks again, are you?”
From the walls of the labyrinth, black smoke began to seep out.Clearly an attack created by the Calamity.
“Can’t dodge this one… I’ll just hold my breath.”
He cut off his breathing, replacing it with mana circulation—but his effort was soon betrayed.
“Khuhk!”
Blood spewed from his throat despite the magic.
“Q-Quick, a detox spell—”
—Useless.
A strange voice reverberated through the labyrinth.
—Your life… exquisite. Your death… I await.
There was no mistaking it—this was the Calamity’s voice.
Its speech was halting, its tone eerie—but unlike before, it conveyed clear intent.
“…Tch. It’s even capable of evolving?”
—Not evolution. You… strong. You… worthy to understand.
Between its low, rasping laughter, its words licked across his mind.
As the labyrinth slowly crumbled,the monster’s enormous form drew closer.
—Offer it. Your life.
‘…Damn. Guess this is it for me.’
He was about to let go—to surrender his heavy eyelids to oblivion—
When—
“Haha, that’d be troublesome. You can’t die yet. War criminals need to stand trial to prove their worth, you see. And you’ll make a fine justification for the rise of a new duke.”
The Duke flinched at the sight of the young man standing before him.
“As expected of the Saint’s blessing. Impressive—it can even block the Calamity’s attacks.”
A pair of daggers held up the creature’s massive bone hand.His whole body trembled from the strain, barely holding on—but the surprising part wasn’t his strength.
“You’re…”
“Ah, the former Duke Roberc. Please remain still. We’ll take care of this Calamity.”
Behind those narrowed eyes—black pupils gleamed without a trace of fear.
Only conviction.A sense of duty to destroy this monster.And an unshakable belief that he could.
“Alright then. Let’s stick to the plan. Time to become heroes and save our world, everyone. Understood?”
Spreading his arms wide, he spoke theatrically—
“You and your damn bravado—seriously! Are you my brother or my enemy?”
“Calm down, Freesia. Just follow Hans’s instructions…”
“Where does he even get information like this? …Well, I guess it helps us.”
—You have chosen well, my contractor. At last… my death draws near!
The Saint, the elf, the northern mage, the skeleton—All advanced with renewed resolve.
“Father. I hereby arrest you for high treason, incitement of murder, unleashing a Calamity, and other crimes against the Empire.”
Among them stood the very daughter he had once tried to kill.
“…Camilla.”
“I won’t sentence you to death—yet. We have more pressing matters.”
She fastened cuffs that sealed his mana,ordered her sand soldiers to guard him,and joined the others at the front.
That brave figure—truly worthy to inherit the title of Duke.
“Heh… You’re blaming me for unleashing the Calamity? Weren’t you the ones who set it free? I see the Academy’s taught you well in politics.”
The Duke forced his eyes open.He would witness this final battle with his own two eyes.