Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: King's Twilight (3)
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*
Crunch. The prow shatters under impact. In this extreme situation, facing death head-on, Fernandez pushed one step deeper into the path of shedding.
The North Sea's gale howled vividly in his ears. The brutal wind of the frozen wastes whipped around the ship like an explosion. Far off, the ocean breeze scattered snowflakes, trembling. In this moment, his sharpened hearing captured the sounds of the entire sea.
Fernandez ran toward the ocean, feet pounding the deck as if charging across solid ground—steady and balanced. It was too fast to call a fall. It was a charge.
-Thududududu!!
The sea rushed up at tremendous speed. The black North Sea surface hurtled toward him moment by moment. Yet even then, Fernandez searched for his foe. He couldn't see the body that had plunged into the waves.
'No way he threw himself in to commit suicide.'
If the bastard was sane, he never would have. Mana detection was dulled. The protective spells encircling the flagship disrupted his senses. Because of that, he had to rely solely on sight and sound to pinpoint the enemy's position.
-Whoooosh...
He couldn't fall any further. Abandoning the visual search, Fernandez twisted his body to brake. The greatsword slammed into the deck, a harsh ripping sound echoing from his wrist.
It didn't matter. As long as it wasn't torn to shreds, there was room to recover. The body of Demonica shedding, now infused with divinity, still held ample regenerative power.
-Kwadududuk!!
The greatsword, embedded like a spike in the hull, shuddered violently. An impact that would have shattered ordinary steel a dozen times over coursed through the blade into his body. Ignoring the numbing pain, Fernandez scanned the sea without a change in expression.
As the fall finally slowed, his eyes caught a small object. A scrap of white silk, sinking into the water. It was too small an area to spot easily amid the submersion. Fernandez yanked the sword free and used the recoil to hurl himself toward it.
"You can't escape anymore, Malayrn!"
He swung the greatsword back wide and leaped at the silk. If the bastard had plunged straight into the water, there hadn't been enough time to evade or scheme further. He was still here!
-Whoosh!
As the greatsword plunged toward the surface, a faint whisper rose from beneath the waves.
[Did you truly think I fled?]
-CRUNCH.
With the sound, an ice spear shot up and struck the greatsword's blade. A brief gap opened in the force-laden swing. Fernandez crushed the ice spear, twisted toward the voice's direction, and readied his next strike.
[I am the lord of the Thousand Spires, the king who slew and devoured a god, the destroyer of Ataylatl and monarchs, the ruin of dwarves.]
-Kurrrung...
The voice continued from the seafloor. Soon, waves rippled across the bottom, rough mana beginning to surge forth.
'He still has this much power left?'
For a mortal who'd lost an arm and plummeted into the frozen depths, it was far too immense. Fernandez hastily steadied himself and leaped onto a floating chunk of wreckage.
[I am the Eternal King, who from the moment my people commanded the land to this day dominating the great ocean, has never once retreated.]
-Kurrrung!!
The ripples intensified, ice spears erupting toward Fernandez. He narrowed his eyes and battered them aside. Each blow landed heavy and fierce, like a charge from elite cavalry, gradually pushing back the floating debris he rode.
[Gazer upon all peoples, devourer of all desires.]
-Slrrrr.
The ice spears bursting from below ceased. The mana retracted toward the epicenter like gathering storm. Only snowflakes scattered now. Fernandez glared at the sea, snowflakes the size of palms falling from the sky.
'It's coming.'
-What was he preparing?
Hurling spears was just a stall. Whatever he was readying, it wouldn't be enough. The bastard knew this was mere thrashing too.
The spells on his flagship were being dismantled by his own people. Reia's ships had already begun aiding. His kingdom was finished.
Did he have any ace left to reverse this? How? By what means? Even if his past self returned at full strength, mutual destruction would be the only way to flip it.
-Of course, he wouldn't do something so stupid.
Feizashi muttered. So that wasn't the method either. Fernandez's thoughts were forcibly interrupted then.
-Kuuuuuung.
An immense presence began rising from the mana's origin. Instinctively, Fernandez knew what it was. Pure divinity boiled up from below, the sea parting of its own will before the surging holiness, as if possessed!
-Kwadudududuk!
[I am Malayrn, master of a thousand spells, a living dream—and I am your nightmare!]
Ice pillars pierced the sea like towers stretching skyward, freezing the ocean itself higher, ever higher...
'Sea God!'
-Kian...!!
Divinity exploded outward. Snowflakes scattered on the wind, clearing the air in an instant. Centered on Malayrn's flagship, dozens of pillars—each dwarfing ships in size and width—sprouted like trees.
-Kurrrrung!
The sea heaved like waves, then froze in place. All vessels afloat shattered against the ice, their elf crews screaming as they tumbled onto the frozen surface.
Fernandez stood atop the iced sea, glaring at the mana and divinity's core. There, ice shards and snowflakes swirled, forming a massive silhouette.
The humanoid outline slowly took shape. Its mouth parted, and Malayrn's voice echoed.
[Devourer of divinities, great ruler, slayer of kings! I seized the power of twilight and devoured the son of the sea. I am Malayrn! Kneel before your king!]
-Kwaaaaang!
As the ice giant roared, countless spells floated around it. A familiar tactic. No longer just Malayrn, but wielding his spells.
Fernandez readied his sword and loosened up lightly. He squinted, scanning the surroundings. Elves scattered in terror. From his sleeve, he drew a horn trumpet.
[You, human. Inquisitor! Even your god is but a feast laid before me. I have become a true god, and thereby I shall ascend to the heavenly pantheon, rule them, and place the material world beneath my feet. Eternally!]
"I'll add one more charge: impersonating a god. It won't change the sentence."
Fernandez smiled, raising the horn to his lips. Sparks flew from the giant's eyes at his words.
[Insolent mortal!]
"None of those who said that to me can still say it."
They were all dead. Fernandez chuckled dryly and blew the horn. His voice boomed across every elf ship and its wreckage, to all gathered elves.
[All fleet, open fire!]
*
The elves of the Gaimern dynasty were veteran sailors, some with over two centuries of service, others mere decades—masters of the sea. They adapted fluidly to any situation at sea. Even those rare crises met once in a lifetime.
-Kwaaaaang!!
Even amid panic, chaos, fear, and despair. They executed fleet battle tactics mechanically, honed over lifetimes.
-Kwaaaang! Boom!
All batteries spared burial in ice or shattering excluded aligned in an instant, firing near-simultaneously. Dozens of warships, frozen atop the sea, unleashed a barrage.
[These... vermin!]
The giant swept a hand, summoning spell shields to block the shells. Spherical protections formed around it, shells embedding and belching thick smoke. For a moment, its vision was obscured.
That was enough. Fernandez dashed forward, circling the giant across the frozen sea. He eyed the spells entwining its body while marking warship cannon positions upright in the ice.
It was a reenactment of the flagship siege. Spell-wedge shells hammered its protections. Alone, that couldn't breach the layered spells, but...
[Around the queen's flagship! East-East-West 3rd Squadron, full broadside!]
-Kwaaaaang!
The ability to pinpoint spell vulnerabilities—mana gaps in circuits, brief intervals during spell rotations. Fernandez's senses directed—
[Due North-East 1st, 4th, 12th! Full broadside!]
-Kwaaaaang!
And elite soldiers executed without error, backing it.
[St-stop! I am your god! I am the last hope to revive our people!]
-Kwaaaang!
Spell-wedge volleys, precisely targeted, battered the giant. Layers peeled away like onion skins.
Mana circuits blazing on its body tangled from the shocks, backlash striking its soul. The ice giant trembled, terror leaking from it.
A god is conceptual. God of the sea, war, sun—ruling ideas, wielding influence beyond form. Thus, losing one's concept turns divinity to poison—
[Cease! I-I did it for our people!]
"Save your excuses for the people you devoured, your children, and your god."
Fernandez whispered, charging the giant leaking only fear now. Madness-tinged, sticky mana spilled across the ice.
Deprived of its concept, the giant's divinity crumbled. Below form. Mere mortal flesh. The stolen divinity evaporated, scattering.
The blizzard whipped up again. Sleet clung to Fernandez's face and body. He raised his greatsword, stomped the giant's leg, climbed atop, and charged upward.
[B-be gone! I have a mission. For my people only, only for my subjects' welfare—]
"Holy Pantheon, grant your blessing."
-Shing.
At the giant's face center, Malayrn's terrified, quivering body appeared. Fernandez scaled to its shoulder, glaring down.
Lifetime of magic crushed, divinity from schemes lost, homeland and people stolen—the old king Malayrn had no resistance left.
Malayrn's blazing white eyes roamed hopelessly. Fernandez, now planted firmly near the giant's cheekbone, looked down at the upturned face.
"Executing the sentence on the accused."
[No! You have no right! I-I have higher ideals!]
"The accused has no further right to defend."
[I will pray, priest! I will pra—]
-Kwaduduk!
Malayrn's head split, brains splattering. The greatsword's impact webbed cracks from the giant's brow to jaw.
Fernandez watched Malayrn's body burst bloodily amid the crumbling giant.
"No god remains to hear the accused's prayer."
Slayer of his race's god, thief of its divinity for immortality. Old spider fattened on his people's souls and flesh. Malayrn wouldn't even leave ashes—frozen blood scattering to the depths.
Fernandez sheathed his greatsword on his back from the shattering giant. The ice cracked, revealing black seawater below. No rescue ships nearby. Nearly all but Malayrn's flagship half-wrecked from battle.
Tch. Fernandez clicked his tongue. Without immortality's blessing, overexertion tore muscles, fever raging. Dazed, he stared at the approaching sea.
"Benefactor!!!"
-Thud!
Kirhas grabbed him, hurling them onto an unmelted ice floe. Fernandez gazed at the clearing dawn sky, coughing dryly.
Beside him, Kirhas stroked his hair, whispering.
"You've worked hard."
"Thanks."
"For saving you?"
"For everything."
Time to go back. After settling a few more things. Fernandez gazed skyward in Kirhas's arms, then closed his eyes.