Chapter 96
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Final Chapter of All These Stories, Yuri ha Geldina (2)
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The final chapter of all these stories,
Yuri ha Geldina (2)
“I'll update you on the current situation.”
Ria Alter Tassalpo spread a large commander's map wide. She placed markers across the map, which detailed the continent's geography.
“The forces of Shur'kulla, the old ruler of the seas, broke through all our defense lines. The western front has suffered over seventy percent casualties and is in constant retreat.”
“Has Shur'kulla awakened?”
“He hasn't shown himself yet... but we have no choice but to assume so. The Valkrush Clan has become his puppets.”
Valkrush...
A lifetime, a lifetime of unforgettable, fateful pain burned on my left cheek.
Wasn't it after that day, after this brand was seared onto me, that my entire life tumbled into the very depths of hell?
It has come...
The time has finally come...
The sword from my mother, which I'd kept even after being reborn as an Eldia, trembled within my coat.
“They're of the Uruk tribe, undergoing piscine transformation. The remnants of the demon race have also gathered under Valkrush's banner. It's a massive army.”
Akirea of Crimson Flame, who had been calming the Abyss within her through meditation in a cross-legged position, spoke.
`Shur'kulla seems to know he's the last one remaining. But something is strange... The number of his retainers is far too great. There are some not mentioned in the archives, and the power of those that are recorded is bizarrely strong.`
“It's because of the absolute eclipse.”
“It's because of the absolute eclipse.”
The answers came out at almost the same time.
I exchanged an awkward glance with Liam. Then I shrugged, yielding the floor to him.
“It means the descent of the Lord of the Abyss, Yotos Yolle Yotiatos, has begun. He is raising the Palace of Shur'kellis from the seabed to realign the stars. That's why he hasn't taken to the field himself, leaving the combat units to his retainers.”
`Then where is Shur'kulla now?`
“He's in <Terbenople>, Your Excellency, most beautiful Akirea of Crimson Flame. The forces of the old seas and the demons have all gathered there. They've begun excavating the land, mobilizing every troll.”
Ridwards skillfully flirted with Akirea of Crimson Flame, the eldest daughter of the Three Spirit Dragons.
Had she been a man, a hundred death sentences would not have been enough, but her being a woman granted her a pardon.
Setsunen of Thunderous Fragrance wore a complicated expression.
`So the darkness that blankets the firmament is the absolute eclipse. What happens when it is complete?`
“The great overlord of the Abyss, Yotos, will descend upon this world. He is the master of all [The Forgotten Kings].”
A bewildered silence fell over the room.
But the weight of the stillness shared between Akirea and Setsunen was different.
Could it be that the being they had only heard about from their father, the Dragon Sage Rain Ludwick, was finally revealing himself to the world?
Their father had warned them.
That on the last day of the world, Yotos Yolle Yotiatos would return here.
That was why he was worried.
So worried that he could never bring himself to leave their side...
[That is why Shur'kulla is changing the movement of the stars even now. He intends to break the field of light my master has placed around this planet.]
Kaduel emitted light to convey its meaning.
[When Yotos descends, not only humanity, elves, and demi-humans, but all life in this world will perish. We must seal Shur'kulla before then to weaken Yotos's power, just as the Lords of Light did. Only then will we have a chance of victory.]
In the memories of Eldia Katha (05), Enuel, he had been but a bystander in the fight against Yotos.
But now was different.
To cut down Yotos and end this ceaseless charade—it felt like a destiny given to him from the moment of his birth, no, from the moment of creation.
“Ria, you must have a plan, right?”
“Yes. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. I believe we must land at <Terbenople>.”
At that, the faces of the staff officers turned deathly pale.
“Are you suggesting we shift to an offensive now?”
“Please reconsider! It's impossible! Humanity is already at a disadvantage even in a defensive war.”
“Hey, you, the ugly human man over there. Once the eclipse is complete, it's all over. There's no point in fighting defensively until then, you know?”
Ridwards said.
“But... <Terbenople> is impregnable! It withstood the demon invasion for years during the 'Black Summer,' and the same during the 'Red Summer'! Your Excellency, who has served since childhood on the southern front—a place said to be more hellish than hell itself—should know this better than anyone! And the sea is Shur'kulla's domain. How on earth could we launch a landing operation...?”
Then Liam began adding various pieces of information to <Terbenople> on the map with a pen. It was the deployment of enemy troops and the locations of tactical facilities.
“Currently, Shur'kulla's army is defending the coast of <Terbenople>, and the Valkrush Clan has established the land defense line.”
It was information he knew because he had seen a future others had not, and had returned from it.
The information was concise, yet clear.
Liam did not speak of the weight of sorrow he had to bear to obtain this information.
“But here, if we can activate the Teritos, we can be perfectly protected from the fishmen's attacks during the coastal landing.”
The Teritos, flagship of the Tervel Golden Fleet.
Today, it was famous as the lighthouse and grand bridge symbolizing <Terbenople>. A great bridge connecting the two halves of the city, divided by the Velisore River.
The Teritos, symbolizing the landing of [The Ones Who Came] on the Acrad continent, was the long-held pride of the citizens of the old republic's capital.
“<Terbenople> is renowned for its triple walls, but the seaward wall is low and only a single layer.”
Kaisen asked.
“You think Shur'kulla doesn't know that?”
“We just need to activate the Teritos. They haven't managed to completely destroy it yet. For this operation, we first need the legacy of the Black Sun, Karenden.”
Liam's gaze fell upon Julius Page.
As if he knew this day would come, Julius unhesitatingly took out the black orb hanging from his neck.
The Black Sunscale, a fragment of his own core that the Black Sun, Karenden, was said to have gifted to his first disciple, Emissa.
“It seems our ancestors have preserved this for this very day.”
That legacy and will had been passed down through the eldest sons of the Page family for ages.
The Black Sunscale could function as a power source to operate the equipment of [The Ones Who Came].
From that pulsing black light, I could feel an overwhelming flow of power.
“I understand the concept of the operation. So, do we even have the ships to transport all these troops?”
The voice that answered Kaisen's carefully posed question was enough to shake one's heart.
“Transporting you barbarians to that place is my mission. We don't have many warships left, but this situation is still easier than dealing with Isla.”
A demi-human race with more advanced and colorful uniforms than any other.
Among those demi-human soldiers, the one with the most splendid and brilliant gear slightly tipped his military cap and grinned.
I stared in bewilderment for who knows how long, but in the next moment, all I could do was laugh.
“You were alive?”
But it was less a laugh of bewilderment and more of a tremor, the same kind I'd felt from our fateful reunion before.
We've met again.
We've finally met again.
As if my very soul had been waiting all this time for us to meet again like this.
“You think I'd die that easily? I survived the 'Black Summer.'”
“If only Isla could have known you were alive like this, she would have been so happy...”
Halvaron gave a sad smile.
“I deeply feel the same. But there was no other way. I needed to fake my death in order to root out the players within Kinderlanz.”
Halvaron nodded, scanning my features and gear, then let out a hollow laugh.
“People are strange things. Whether it's parent and child or master and disciple, if you're around each other long enough, you start to give off a similar vibe.”
“...?”
“You used to have the same scent as that Camilla girl. But now, you give off a vibe like Raminea's... no, an aura of an even higher caliber. What in the world happened to you?”
I didn't answer.
I couldn't answer.
Because I remembered what Roveris had said, beating her chest, during those days in the mountains that now felt so distant.
- Kaisen, surpass Senior Camilla. And become a hero like her master, Lady Raminea.
But there was no time to wallow in that memory.
“To make this operation a success, we absolutely need your power, Sharrilion.”
The plan was not just extraordinary; it was verging on unrealistic.
It had a fatal flaw: if even a single cog was out of place, everything would fail.
After Setsunen of Thunderous Fragrance teleported the advance team to the waters of <Terbenople>, Kaisen had to completely suppress the enemy forces on the coast and reactivate the Teritos.
'And all in less than five minutes.'
The moment the Teritos was reactivated, its light would neutralize the king's force field, allowing Setsunen to teleport the entire fleet.
Success would mean a great victory, striking at the enemy's heart in five minutes. Failure would be recorded as a crushing defeat, with the annihilation of all three armies in five minutes.
And the key to that success or failure rested on the shoulders of one man: Kaisen.
The advance team included Liam, Ridwards, Shiren, and Halvaron, but it was Kaisen who would initiate the operation.
The plan was for Liam and Ridwards to create a diversion, Shiren to handle internal suppression, and Halvaron to control the Teritos.
`Dum... Has... Leva...`
Just then, an unholy, maddening echo that could make even providence submit rang out.
My vision, my consciousness, wavered violently. The four True Holy Swords began to howl with furious light.
Within that trembling fissure and shimmer, a distinct and clear, dark green form emerged.
“That octopus head is at it again.”
Halvaron grumbled, clutching his head in pain. Akirea shouted.
`Nen, hurry and dispel this illusion. All the soldiers are being tormented by this madness.`
`Sister, the level of this illusion is too high. It's going to take some time.`
`Then take your time, but focus on protecting the soldiers' minds and souls as you proceed. Ah, if only Mir were here in a situation like this...`
Just then, the mad illusionist who had filled my consciousness and vision with a dark, murky blue began to speak.
`You low and vulgar mortal children, how dare you blasphemously plot against the established order. You who are bound by providence are mortal beings and must follow the natural course. Your world shall once again be consumed by the Abyss and rot away.`
In that moment, I felt Shur'kulla's consciousness, gaze, and madness explode and focus on a single point. It was directed at Liam.
A normal person's head would have exploded from that power.
But Liam was enveloped and protected by the brilliant field of light emanating from Berkensia. His expression was serene.
`You, a servant of light, will not be able to defile the workings of the universe. Soon, the true ruler of this universe shall descend. I, his messenger and confidant, the great Shur'kulla, declare it so. The cycle of light in this world will now come to an end.`
As those words ended, my turbulent consciousness calmed.
Thanks to that, the mad figure that had appeared in the frenzy of my mind also vanished. Setsunen had dispelled Shur'kulla's illusionary field.
Ridwards strummed her lute and spoke as if singing.
“He's not even trying to hide it anymore. A man who doesn't know how to play hard to get can't appeal to a woman.”
“You know how it is, Ridwards. Kings are too arrogant to be so modest.”
“So, what now?”
Ridwards seemed to be asking Liam, but her gaze was fixed on Kaisen. Just then.
“Enemy retainers spotted! Three of them!”
“All enemy forces are converging on our position! There are too many! They'll reach this fortress within thirty minutes!”
“Your Excellency, your orders!”
A chaotic flurry of voices erupted. It was always like this at the start of a battle.
It is a moment when uncontrollable fear takes hold.
But if we can control this fear and open a path... we can shake off the three retainers and strike at the enemy's heart in a single blow.
“Your Excellency Setsunen, please transport the soldiers to the fleet and send me to the top of the Teritos.”
`Kaisen, how...`
“I'm going to go shatter that king's arrogance.”
I've already done this once, two thousand years ago.
So it's not a problem.
Doing it one more time.
Was that why? Why I was unknowingly saying the exact same thing as Eldia Katha Enuel from the Shur'kulla subjugation battle all those years ago.
“I'll finish this in three minutes.”