Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Melisildur's Dawn
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-Trot trot, crackle.
Fernandez was roasting salted jerked meat over the campfire, gazing at the twilight. The wasteland's evening held a restrained beauty. Ever since acquiring this new body, he'd come to enjoy taking in natural scenery.
*In my past life, everything was just tainted filth.*
*-You used to say you liked it that way.*
*That was back when it was you.*
*-Making distinctions now? You know it doesn't matter. I am you.*
*Talking like that makes you sound like a real nutcase.*
*-Why not? You're literally talking to yourself right now.*
Feizashi chuckled. Fair enough—split between soul and nature from the same spirit, they could be called the same person in the broad sense. Fernandez stared at Feizashi, lost in thought.
*-So, think we can survive the night?*
*I've made preparations. If that's not enough, can't be helped.*
Nightfall was imminent. The furious executors of Franzrit would soon arrive, thirsting for his blood.
His mana was nearly depleted. Fernandez surveyed the weapons at his disposal while eyeing the storm clouds gathering on the horizon.
The vampires' hour was approaching.
*Vampires are heretics too, right?*
*-Not devil worshipers, but... yeah, heretics by the Holy Pantheon of Good Gods' standards.*
What was this guy on about now? Feizashi scowled at Fernandez. Fernandez stared at the black carriage looming at the horizon's edge and spoke.
"Then it's time for an inquisitor! Kirhas! Up!"
"Huh, gasp! Slurp!"
Kirhas bolted upright in alarm, her head poking out from under the blanket. She hastily wiped drool from her mouth and grabbed her gear.
"Let's purify the heretic!"
*
-Thunder of hooves...
The black four-horse carriage raced across the wasteland. The four corpse horses driven by the skeletal coachman seemed to herald blasphemy itself. Amelia sat on the velvet sofa, polishing her blade.
"Ah, sis. Come on! No drawing swords inside the carriage!"
"Keep whining and you're dead."
"Why's everything end with 'dead' for you? We're already undead, aren't we?"
"What's with you today?"
-Shing...
Amelia swung her sword lightly. The crisp bite through empty air felt sharp. Everett flinched and ducked his head.
"Why'd our Julian have to croak in such an annoying place? Inquisitors—Demonica inquisitors, no less. Last thing I want is to tangle with them..."
"But that guy's really an inquisitor? He was using black magic."
"Yeah, weird, huh? Maybe kill him, raise him, and ask?"
Amelia let out a sharp laugh. Sadistic glee overflowed from her eyes. Then Everett cried out in horror.
"S-sis, put the sword away! Get down!"
"Wha—what?!"
-KABOOM!
A massive impact slammed into the carriage! Everett, who had dove flat, was flung into the air, and one door shattered off. The outside scenery whipped around in a blur!
"What the—aaahhh!!!!"
-CRASH!
The carriage flipped in an instant, sending Amelia and Everett tumbling across the floor. It wouldn't kill them, but the shock was brutal.
A broken wheel spun on the ground. Far off, the black night sky was visible through the open doorframe.
"Ugh..."
"S-sis. You okay?"
Everett and Amelia groaned as they struggled to their feet. In their long lives, a sideways carriage was a first.
They cautiously peered out the door at the sky. Black sky and red orb... Red? Burning? A burning orb...?
"Flame Strike?! Shit! Sis! Out!"
-Whoosh!
Everett grabbed the dazed Amelia by the collar and leaped from the carriage. The blazing orb hurtled toward them at tremendous speed, smashing into the carriage the moment they escaped.
-KABOOM!
Everett and Amelia rolled three times across the ground to evade. Their fine suits were instantly caked in wasteland dirt.
The carriage exploded into flames. Amelia snarled, glaring toward the village outskirts.
"Inquiiiisitors!!!!"
"Right on time? Come on in, make yourselves at home."
"You know what it means to invite vampires, don't you? You do, right? Fine. Fine! I accept your challenge!!"
In her vampire's keen vision, Fernandez stood on a two-story building at the village edge, arms crossed, smirking leisurely! Amelia's eyes burned red as she prepared to charge.
"Wa-wait, sis! Hold on. Calm down!"
"...? What! Why!"
"There were two traps at the village entrance!"
Everett was a mage, and he acknowledged the opponent was at least half a step—no, maybe two—ahead of him in magic.
Charging into a prepared mage's lair was never wise!
"No idea what's inside, and you're just gonna rush in?"
"Got another way?"
"Uh..."
"Two measly humans, and we're supposed to run scared before the fight? Wanna report that to the master?"
"Uh..."
"Hey, you've got me, sis. Don't worry, little bro."
Amelia confidently strode toward the village outskirts, dragging the anxious Everett by the arm.
*
"Tch."
Fernandez clicked his tongue as the two vampires entered the village. He hadn't expected them to tuck tail and flee at that level, but he'd hoped to take out at least one effectively.
Against two high noble vampires, his forces fell short in raw power. Fernandez gazed at Kirhas, deep in thought.
*Prime Kirhas could've assaulted Franzrit by now...*
*-That girl's prime is at least thirty years off. Too early still.*
*Shame.*
Still, he had moves left. Fernandez gripped his silver longsword tight and raised the kite shield emblazoned with the Inquisition's emblem. Heavy as it was, it inspired trust with its versatility.
"Kirhas. Plan B. Got it?"
"Yes!"
Kirhas swiftly vanished into the village alleys. Fernandez stood in the square, facing the approaching vampires head-on.
"Played all your good cards? No more daylight luck like before, inquisitor!"
"Daylight was luck? Hmm... doesn't seem like your brother thinks so?"
"Gh!"
Amelia bit her lip hard, glaring daggers at Fernandez. She slowly drew her sword.
-Shing.
"No more talk! I'll ask your corpse!"
-Tat tat tat.
Amelia's sword cleaved the air. In the pitch-black night with scant light sources, only faint moonlight traced its path.
But Fernandez, Amelia, Everett in the distance, and Kirhas lurking somewhere—all could see this darkness as clear as day.
Vampires, Demonica, and catfolk. Surprise held little meaning for them.
-Clang!
Fernandez parried Amelia's sword with his shield and swung his right hand. Blades danced. Amelia retracted at near-invisible speed, clashing blade-to-blade with Fernandez's strike.
-Clang! Clang!
Swords scraped, sparks flying. A clash of immense force. Fernandez gritted his teeth against the pressure surging into his arm. She wasn't inferior in strength. Nor in skill...
-Clang!
"Ha, haha! Inquisitor! That all you got?!"
-Clang!
Amelia's sword intertwined with Fernandez's, twisting like a lever toward his throat. A textbook counter.
Fernandez tilted his head back to dodge and shoved Amelia's shoulder with his shield. Another textbook shield bash!
-Thud!
"Gh! Strongarm bastard! Everett! Blast him!"
-KRAKABOOM!
With Fernandez tied up by Amelia, no magic to check the mage. Everett, free to chant, summoned a blood-red lightning bolt above Fernandez's head.
"Gasp!"
Fernandez raised his shield overhead, blocking the falling bolt. Red currents crackled across its surface.
Immense pressure bore down, his hair standing on end in the vortex. But no real damage yet.
"Opening!"
-Clang!
As Fernandez's stance faltered, Amelia surged in aggressively. Fernandez swung his numb arm, barely parrying.
-Clang! Clang!
"Where's that catfolk bitch? Fled, huh?!"
"No!"
"...What?"
Fernandez suddenly swept his sword horizontally with a roar.
"Vasila!!!"
"Yep! Silver strike!"
The voice came from behind?! Amelia whipped around in shock. Beside Everett, mid-chant for his next spell, a blade flashed out.
Everett stared at the sword in panic and swung his staff, but Kirhas, who had appeared at his side, was faster.
-Stab!
"Grrk?!"
Kirhas's sword sliced across Everett's side. She scowled the instant it connected.
Too shallow! The vampire's body was denser than expected. Kirhas rolled across the ground to reset her stance.
"Die, mage!"
"You filthy catfolk bitch!"
Everett glanced at his bleeding side and twisted his face demonically. The handsome noble youth's features were gone.
With a devilish grimace, crimson eyes glowing, fangs bared, he shrieked.
"I'll kill you! Drain every drop of blood!"
-KABOOM!
"Ugh!?"
Everett swung his staff abruptly, closing for melee. Kirhas panicked and raised her sword to block. But his close-quarters skill was better than expected.
"Haha, fools! Inquisitor! Thought my brother was some frail mage?!"
High noble vampires. With centuries to hone skills, what couldn't they master? Amelia mocked Fernandez's plan. Just an assassination attempt on the mage?
But Fernandez smirked, crossing his guard to block and twist Amelia's sword. A brief deadlock of strength. They stared close-up.
Red eyes, sharply arched beautiful brows, porcelain skin. Contrasting black dress... Fernandez smiled at Amelia.
To Amelia, that leisurely smile grated.
"Bluff all you want! You're done now!"
"And you're not thinking I'm just some brute inquisitor, are you?"
"...?!"
Amelia's instincts screamed warning at his words. She wanted to pull back fast.
But withdrawing her sword mid-close-quarters power struggle was suicidal. She'd eat at least three strikes in the gap.
"Th-this?!"
"See this."
Fernandez raised his shield hand. On the shield's underside, strapped by leather buckles to his wrist. His free left hand slowly twisted, forming seals.
"M-mage!"
Too close—even in this darkness, the black halo rising behind Fernandez's head was visible.
Amelia's eyes widened as she poured more force into her sword. Had to break free! This bastard was a mage!
-Clang! Clang!
"Eeeek! Let—let go!"
Each time Amelia swung to disengage, Fernandez's blade bound her deeper. Then the black halo flickered like igniting flame.
Plan B. While Kirhas pinned the enemy mage to disrupt his spells, Fernandez would feed Amelia magic to create a power imbalance.
Fernandez's hand finally clenched mana from the air...
The spell completed.
-Melisildur's Dawn...
Feizashi marveled at the finished spell. Light of the ancient world tree. Fernandez lacked mana to manifest the full 'world tree's light,' but its echo was enough for now.
The world was swallowed in light for an instant,
and the four entangled fighters seemed frozen.