Chapter 148
Chapter 148
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: 51st Chapter: King's Escape Operation (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The capital of the Jaist Mage Kingdom—and the royal castle in particular—had essentially fallen under the control of the Doomsday Society, led by Beris, the man known as the Puppeteer of Emptiness.
The kingdom's major nobles had all succumbed to Beris's brainwashing, turning into nothing more than marionettes. Aside from a handful of his innermost circle, every noble who had sided with the king had perished in the great purge that had taken place not long ago.
"Lord Beris. The combat teams are ready."
Beris's adjutant approached and reported. Abgard, the Spear Knight of Extermination who had been listening silently at his side, wordlessly picked up his pitch-black spear.
"What are your plans for King Rudel?"
"He's incompetent, but the world deems him an important figure. I can't brainwash him with my current abilities. It'd be best to capture him if possible, but if not, we'll have no choice but to kill him."
"Shouldn't we wait for separate orders from the Society?"
Abgard had been dispatched purely as Beris's bodyguard rather than a key combatant, so he favored waiting for instructions from the Doomsday Society. But Beris shook his head with a resolute expression.
"By the time we report to the Society and wait for orders or reinforcements, it'll be too late. We need to act now."
He intended to move with only the forces currently holding the castle. Even without reinforcements from the Doomsday Society's main force, Beris brimmed with confidence. The troops he could directly or indirectly mobilize from the castle right now were far from insignificant.
"Well... You're the ranking officer here, Lord Beris, so I'm sure you'll make the right call."
In the end, Abgard flashed a grin and slowly nodded.
"The combat teams are fully assembled, so it's time to move out... Adjutant!"
"Yes, Lord Beris. Your orders?"
"Transmit the attack order to all combat teams."
"Right away."
It was at that moment, as the Puppeteer of Emptiness Beris's orders reached the Doomsday Society's combatants.
Raymond had linked up with King Rudel and was hurrying to prepare their escape from the castle. He had no time to awaken the mad mage scholars or their mage units, nor even to exchange brief greetings with King Rudel.
"Something feels off..."
The air was chillingly cold and hostile, as if an ill wind were blowing to repel unwelcome intruders. It was impossible not to feel uneasy.
Raymond grimaced and muttered to himself as he pressed on.
"Royal Guard, heighten your vigilance."
Marquis Blizzard, sensing Raymond's unease, issued the order to his Royal Guard in a voice taut with tension.
As the Royal Guard bolstered their defenses, the group quickened their pace toward the secret door leading outside, hoping to slip away from the castle unnoticed.
"Your Majesty. It seems there's a group blocking the path ahead."
The one-armed knight, a loyal bodyguard bearing the title of Sword Saint, narrowed his eyes sharply as he spoke.
Raymond had also sensed the flow of air thick with murderous intent, so he cautiously pulled King Rudel aside.
"King Rudel. Is there no other route to the secret door?"
"Unfortunately, Your Majesty... this is the only way."
Overhearing the exchange between Raymond and Rudel, the key figures from the Jaist Mage Kingdom who were with them grew restless and noisy.
"Get a grip, everyone. This is our castle, but right now, it's the heart of enemy territory."
Marquis Incred, losing patience, raised his voice slightly.
"So, breakthrough is our only option..."
Raymond furrowed his brow. His gaze soon turned to Silvia.
"Is there no detour?"
"All routes are sealed off. And something's heading straight for us right now, Your Majesty."
Silvia, meeting his eyes, spat out her words in a rapid-fire burst, her voice trembling.
"Royal Guard! Prepare for battle!"
At Raymond's shout, Marquis Blizzard and the Royal Guard drew their weapons in unison, assuming combat formation.
"Graaaah!"
A scream erupted from somewhere. It was merely the beginning.
"Guhk!"
"Uwaaak!"
The screams didn't stop, and red blood sprayed from the bodies of the Royal Guard.
"You dare! Shadows! Show your filthy faces at once!"
Marquis Incred raised his staff. Old as he was, he was the Grand Mage serving as head of the royal mage corps.
Simply lifting his staff without incantation gathered enough mana to complete a high-tier spell. He closed his eyes, then opened them—hundreds of small birds wreathed in crimson flames scattered in all directions.
"Kuh!"
The shadows, struck by the concentrated firebird assault, spat out a black silhouette. A man with silver hair and black garb, his eyes glowing red.
"A vampire?"
Someone's voice rang out. Among vampires, only one in the Three Kingdoms Alliance's territory could conceal his presence to this degree.
"The Guardian of the Night... Duke Alipis?"
He hadn't shown himself even when Edriger Kingdom fell. Who would have thought he'd appear here now.
Duke Alipis was an assassin who had reached the realm of Shadow Emperor. Even with a grand mage and Sword Saint present, if other high-ranking Doomsday Society officers joined, victory was far from assured.
"To think we'd meet here, Emperor of the Philius Empire."
Duke Alipis's eyes gleamed with cold killing intent.
"Attack."
Raymond raised his hand and issued the icy command. Shades emerged one by one from the darkness.
The black shadows sworn to protect the Philius Empire and imperial family bared their hostility toward Duke Alipis in unison.
The Royal Guard followed suit. Their gazes locked on Duke Alipis, and even the king's elite guards drew their swords.
"Planning to overwhelm me with numbers? Then I can't just stand by."
Duke Alipis flashed a grin, his red eyes flickering.
"Your Majesty! They're coming!"
Silvia warned. Soon, black silhouettes poured through the dark night sky. All of them were the Doomsday Society's elite combatants.
"Enemies!"
The Jaist Mage Kingdom's mages shouted sharply, unleashing a barrage of spells at the foes. Multicolored magical flares traced brilliant arcs across the darkened sky.
"Graaaak!"
"Uwaaaak!"
Doomsday Society combatants struck by the offensive magic screamed in agony as they plummeted, but their numbers remained formidable.
"To think my castle harbored so many enemies!"
King Rudel lamented. But there was no time to dwell on it. Before he knew it, the Soul Sword in Raymond's right hand was radiating white brilliance.
"Royal Guard, protect His Majesty!"
The Doomsday Society's combatants were closing in. At Marquis Blizzard's command, the Royal Guard moved with disciplined precision. The Shades advanced to intercept the enemies.
Fierce combat erupted. Blood traced red arcs, and screams rent the air as if flesh were being torn apart.
The first to fall in droves were the Jaist Mage Kingdom's elite guards. Compared to the Royal Guard or Shades, they were markedly less elite and thus easy prey, collapsing helplessly.
"Graaaak!"
Another scream. Of the over twenty elite guards, fewer than five remained.
By the time King Rudel gathered his wits amid the chaos, the formation had completely crumbled from the massacre of his guards, and even the mages were under attack.
"Begone, you villains!"
Marquis Incred fought valiantly. Despite his advanced age, he spared no mana. He relentlessly bombarded the enemies with spells, thinning their ranks considerably.
"Impressive... A grand mage is on another level."
Desia's voice came from beside him—a pure expression of admiration from one mage to another. Glancing over, Raymond saw her pouring out her mana without restraint as well.
"Your Majesty! More enemies inbound!"
"Damn it! This won't do!"
Silvia warned again, and Raymond spat a rough curse.
Soon, his senses picked up more foes approaching this location at ferocious speed. Getting bogged down here would spell disaster.
"Royal Guard, clear a path!"
Reading Raymond's intent, Marquis Blizzard barked the order sharply, but the Doomsday Society's encirclement was flawless and lethal.
In the chaotic battlefield, in a split-second lull, Duke Alipis's red eyes unleashed eerie killing intent. Blood fountains erupted from the bodies of three Royal Guard blocking the front.
"Kuh!"
"Uwaak!"
"Guhk!"
Leaping over the staggering, collapsing Royal Guard, Duke Alipis swept his hand—daggers shot from his sleeve toward Raymond.
At first just two, they soon numbered in the dozens. Each brimmed with aura, moving erratically as if possessed of will.
"Your Majesty! Behind me!"
The one-armed Sword Saint, Gestain, stepped forward. His eyes flashed as his swung sword scattered sharp aura. Sword beams rained down, stripping the aura daggers of power and sending them clattering to the ground.
"Impressive... So the title of Sword Saint is no empty name."
Duke Alipis halted his assault, stepping back momentarily to compose his shadow energy.
"Lord Gestain! I'll join you!"
"Support from a grand mage... Reassuring."
Marquis Incred joined in. A faint smile tugged at Gestain's lips, and Raymond fixed Duke Alipis with a cold stare alongside Desia.
"Four against one is a bit much for me... Time for reinforcements."
No sooner had he spoken than black-clad figures gathered beside Duke Alipis. Each exuded extraordinary, potent auras.
And there were quite a few of them.
"Officers, huh..."
Raymond muttered. He knew little about the Doomsday Society, but those auras didn't belong to mere combatants.
Not on the level of the high officers he'd faced before, but far from negligible.
Marquis Incred's face hardened as he gauged their prowess. As a mage who had ascended to transcendence, he recognized they were no low-tier foes.
"This looks like it'll be a tough fight."
Raymond nodded silently at Marquis Incred's near-muttered words.
In the tense standoff, fragile as thin ice, the Doomsday Society side moved first.
The officers scattered, closing in from all directions to disrupt vision. Duke Alipis vanished into the shadows amid the confusion.
"Duke Alipis has vanished!"
"From the rear!"
Someone reported his disappearance, and Silvia immediately followed up that he was approaching from behind. Gestain reacted fastest.
"Not on my watch!"
Gestain swung his sword, sharp aura flashing in a barrage of sword beams. Duke Alipis was forced to use shadow energy to protect himself, exposing his position in the darkness.
"Kuh!"
"My turn now!"
Marquis Incred thrust out the hand gripping his staff, detonating mana around Duke Alipis. It was a basic mage attack requiring no incantation, but its power was anything but ordinary.
Cast by a grand mage who had reached transcendence, the blast was devastating. It engulfed a 50-meter radius in explosion, instantly killing two Doomsday Society officers trailing him.
But the enemies' numbers were still plentiful, and Duke Alipis remained unscathed—the battle was far from over.
'We need to take out Duke Alipis first.'
Raymond thought, biting his lip. As the Doomsday Society officers' assaults intensified, he couldn't count on much support from the Royal Guard or Shades.
He wasn't alone, but his allies were few, while his opponent was Duke Alipis, hailed as the pinnacle of Shadow Emperors.
Moreover, numerous Doomsday Society officers were backing him up. The situation was dire.
"Do you intend to use that?"
Gestain asked cautiously, sensing immense energy gathering around him. Raymond nodded quietly.
The Spear of Sacrifice carried too great a risk, so he planned to use Chains of Eternity with moderated mana.
"Come forth! Chains of Eternity!"
At his sharp cry, the dimension tore open, unleashing pitch-black chains.
"Could this be...!"
Shock crossed Duke Alipis's face. As a vampire who had lived far longer than any human, he knew of the Chains of Eternity.
"You think I'll fall to this?!"
His red eyes flashed as he extended his hand—one of the nearby Doomsday Society officers was yanked forward by an invisible force, blocking the chains. Then, Alipis's shadow possessed the man.