Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Judge Zekt 4
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For Azadin, this was utterly absurd. It was true that he had killed Sir Gazrek, but the man was a criminal who had murdered civilians—and more than that, was this their chosen method of investigation? Turning him into an undead to hunt down his killer?
“This Sir Gazrek looks like a wicked undead now, doesn’t he? No additional harm? He won’t attack random people nearby, only targeting his enemy?”
“Of course, if he has no enemy or can’t absorb blood and flesh to maintain his body, he’ll lash out at anyone close by—but don’t worry. We’re managing him carefully.”
“Is it acceptable for a holy knight to do this? Raising the dead with black magic and using them? What if he slips control and attacks innocent civilians?”
Azadin posed the fundamental question to the holy knight before him.
“It wasn’t me who raised him—it was just an unfortunate accident.”
“...”
Azadin drew in a sharp breath. The familiar scent of embalming fluid.
Just like the fluid Count Kazel had prepared in his palace.
The Sir Gazrek before him was an undead created by removing his entrails and pickling his body in embalming fluid. A reinforced undead with artificially removed rotting parts, treated with spells and preservatives for longevity. There was no way it had risen on its own.
And this holy knight, who had clearly used black magic, had the gall to say something like that.
“In cases like this, wouldn’t the proper thing be to let Sir Gazrek avenge himself first, then grant him peace? Especially since we can’t tolerate someone as dangerous as a herald wandering around?”
Sir Zekt and Azadin were both holding back what they really wanted to say, sounding each other out with side remarks. But there was one thing obvious about this holy knight at a glance...
‘He’s incredibly strong.’
You could tell just by looking. An overwhelming powerhouse. This must be Judge Zekt.
Thanks to the magic he had used, Sir Gazrek was now extremely powerful. His body brimmed with black mana, making it as hard as steel, and clad in plate armor, he was incomparably tougher than any human.
“That’s the one who killed my father! The herald who pretended to be a pilgrim!”
Chief Officer Meiya glared at Azadin from the side. Sir Zibek stood a step back with a troubled expression, watching Azadin.
“How dare you stand before me after killing my father and pretend you didn’t!”
Meiya drew her sword in fury.
“Your father was scum who murdered civilians. He massacred innocent farmers.”
“Lies! You took his life and now you slander his honor too?”
As she stepped forward in excitement, Sir Zibek held her back.
“Wait. Lady Meiya. Alone, you...”
“We’ll attack together. He’s a soulless heretic anyway! No need to worry about knightly honor!”
Meiya was seething with rage. The fact that Azadin had deceived her right to her face seemed to grate more than his use of black magic, even as a holy knight.
“First, let’s give Sir Gazrek the chance to exact his vengeance himself.”
At Sir Zekt’s words, Sir Gazrek lunged at Azadin.
*********
Sir Gazrek had been eager to charge at Azadin the moment he saw him, but the holy knight Zekt behind him had kept him in check. Now, at this moment, he had released the leash.
Like unleashing a frenzied hound, Sir Gazrek barreled toward Azadin, thrashing like a beast. His movements were savage, utterly divorced from any principles of swordsmanship.
Powerful, heavy blows that would send ordinary humans flying with a mere graze poured toward Azadin like a storm. But Azadin raised his sword and lightly deflected them.
Azadin too possessed strength beyond ordinary humans, so parrying these attacks wasn’t difficult. The real problem now was the holy knights watching from behind this Sir Gazrek.
“Hmm, impressive skill. Few could handle Sir Gazrek that easily.”
Sir Zekt held a censer in his left hand and drew his sword with his right. A massive two-handed sword as long as a child was tall, yet he wielded it effortlessly in one hand as he chanted a spell using the censer as a catalyst.
—Chain Magic Bolts!
Even as a holy knight, he wielded colorless magic. Unlike white mana, powered by prayer and divine will, colorless magic required pure study of the arcane.
Which meant Sir Zekt was no slouch as a mage either.
Azadin parried the undead Sir Gazrek’s charge, then reached out and grabbed his helmet. With a swift twist, he effortlessly redirected Gazrek into the path of the chain magic bolts.
He casually hurled the rampaging undead to block the spell with his body!
That was when it happened.
—Variation!
The magic bolts scattered like a flock of startled birds, then regrouped and flew at Azadin. In a pinch, Azadin unfurled his cloak and swung it, following with a palm strike.
—‘Flower Bird Wind Moon, Azure Sky’s Thunderclap—Kazas Strike.’
The bolts touching the cloak detonated all at once. In the meantime, Sir Zekt closed in.
“Interesting. Not using Flower Bird Wind Moon? It looks similar, but it’s not.”
“...”
Azadin was taken aback by Sir Zekt, who had discerned with one glance that what he just used wasn’t magic.
Azadin’s Azure Sky’s Thunderclap—Kazas Strike appeared no different from magic on the surface, and no one had ever identified it as a physical technique at first sight. Yet Sir Zekt saw through it instantly.
He must have experience fighting heralds. A great deal of it.
‘A judge after all.’
Azadin glanced toward Midiam and Ismail’s escape route. From this higher ground, he could still see the kids fleeing. If he didn’t buy more time, they wouldn’t make it.
Team-fighting would have its advantages, of course... but Azadin glared at Judge Zekt.
‘This guy’s dangerous. White magic, black magic, colorless magic—and sharp eyes too. Above all, he radiates the leisure of absolute superiority.’
Midiam and Ismail were skilled enough that support fire from them would help, but one mistake and they could die in a single blow.
For instance, if Zekt or another holy knight suddenly targeted them while they shot arrows from afar?
When attack power outstripped defense, it got risky. Better to buy time alone and let them escape.
Sir Zekt seemed to be thinking the same, wanting to stall until his subordinates arrived. He held his sword at the ready, blocking Meiya and Zibek from joining.
“Ah, S-Sir Zekt. What about me...”
As Meiya stepped forward with sword and shield, Sir Zekt stopped her.
“Step into his range, and he’ll take you in one exchange and hold you hostage.”
“What?”
“He’s strong. Unless you have a spear or something, don’t approach him.”
Insulting words, but from a judge. Meiya couldn’t defy him and fell back.
“What should I do?”
Sir Zibek was inwardly conflicted.
He knew Azadin. At first meeting, Azadin was a suspicious herald—a foe any King’s Church holy knight should execute on sight. But considering what Azadin had done since, Zibek couldn’t help but acknowledge him.
Yet turning a fellow holy knight’s corpse into a monster to hunt him down? He couldn’t ignore the King’s Church to side with Azadin either, so he pretended neutrality, standing at a distance as a bystander.
“Fall back too, Sir Zibek. Sir Gazrek can handle it. Our sergeants will arrive soon—wait until then. I’ll keep this one tied up alone for now.”
Azadin wanted time for Midiam and Ismail to escape; Zekt wanted time for his sergeants to arrive. On the point of dragging things out, they agreed.
Azadin tightened his grip on his sword.
“You’re Judge Zekt, aren’t you?”
“That’s right, herald. And you?”
“Emperor’s Herald, 108th Herald—Azadin.”
“108th? With that skill? I figured you’d rank higher.”
Sir Zekt tilted his head.
“Well, I don’t know your organization’s internals. Shall we get to it, then? You won’t cough up that New King’s Scripture copy until you’re dead anyway.”
Sir Zekt’s blade tip began to quiver. His face was hidden behind his helmet, but Azadin sensed a smile.
Without a signal, Azadin and Zekt moved at once.
Sir Zekt thrust cleanly. A textbook thrust, the blade extending like an attack with no preliminary motion—a ghostly strike that chilled the onlookers’ spines with its utter silence until launch.
Azadin placed his hand on his blade and swept it upward, deflecting the thrust.
‘Oh? He blocked that?’
Smiling, Sir Zekt swung his censer. Before Azadin could counterattack, it flew toward his face.
‘Hm?!’
Azadin wore a helmet, so the censer itself was no threat—but it was Zekt’s catalyst for magic. Sure enough, he invoked chain magic bolts.
Too close to dodge!
As the bolts struck Azadin’s body in rapid succession, he swung his sword horizontally, slashing at Sir Zekt.
An exchange of sword and spell! But Zekt parried Azadin’s strike with his own blade. Unable to withstand Azadin’s monstrous strength, Zekt’s body slid sideways. Still, by this exchange, it was clearly Azadin who’d taken the loss.
“Impressive.”
Sir Zekt retreated as he spoke.
“Taking my magic head-on like that with no real damage.”
Ordinary folk would die from a single bolt, yet Azadin endured six.
“Tch!”
Azadin hurled the sword in his hand at Sir Zekt.
—Swoosh!
The wind-cutting blade flew true, but Zekt casually swept it aside with his own. Azadin’s sword snapped into two pieces—it had already been damaged when it clashed with Zekt’s earlier.
—Crack!
The fragments flew toward Meiya and Gazrek, who had taken cover behind Zekt.
—Thud!
Gazrek took one to the head; the piece aimed at Meiya was deflected by Sir Zibek’s sword.
“Ah, th-thank you, Sir Zibek.”
“Focus! Against a herald, one moment’s lapse and you’re dead.”
As Sir Zibek spoke, Azadin leaped backward onto his Kerim mountain goat.
“Let’s go! Sweater!”
The Kerim mountain goat bolted.
“Trying to escape...”
In that instant, Azadin drew a fresh sword and threw it at Zekt. Zekt deflected it easily with an upward flick, but in that opening, Azadin unslung the bow from his waist and nocked an arrow.
“Oh no, that’s trouble.”
Sir Zekt frowned as Azadin switched to his bow.
—Swoosh!
Azadin drew an arrow from his saddle quiver and loosed it. The arrow danced like a serpent, grazing the necks of the horses held by Sir Zibek and Lady Meiya.
“What?!”
“Ah!”
The horses reared in panic. As the holy knights struggled to control them, Azadin widened the distance while firing another arrow—this one aimed to pierce Sir Zekt’s throat.