The Sword of the War God (2)
“How dare you draw a weapon before me!”
The dragonkin spat out dark, congealed blood as he shouted. At his words, Dalen glanced at Lucia’s sword.
A double-edged sword of moderate width and length. It resembled the one she usually carried, but the vivid wave patterns etched along its pristine white blade hinted at its extraordinary nature.
“A holy sword. The third holy sword, Lerredonatel.”
“Yes. The commander always told me never to use or even unsheathe it. But…”
“But?”
Lucia continued, her face slightly flushed.
“When the person most precious to you is in a life-or-death situation, the gift of the gods will save them from death…”
Trailing off, she raised the sword’s tip, keeping the two demons at bay.
As Dalen wrapped his tattered shirt around his side to staunch the bleeding, he pondered her words.
‘The Guide, indeed. Did he foresee this moment from the distant past?’
The commander of the Holy Knights, Edgar Reinhardt, had the ability to see the future.
Beyond the fragments of the future he grasped with his own power, he could glimpse the scenes shown to him by the War God through his unfocused eyes.
Even after losing an arm and both eyes, the transcendent power and vision he reached at the sixth rank seemed boundless.
Letting those thoughts drift away, Dalen focused on the blazing holy sword aimed at the archdemon.
The holy sword prepared by the commander was a perfect match for the abilities Lucia had unlocked, and it possessed the most crucial power needed in this battle against the dragonkin.
‘Holy Sword Lerredonatel. It may not summon divine powers like lightning, but when it comes to wielding a sword, it allows no interference or hindrance. Moreover…’
It could also harness the essence of the secret sword techniques left by Lerredonara.
A legendary warrior and sorcerer, and a hero who contributed greatly to the Holy Knights, Lerredonara’s legacy was scattered across the continent in various forms.
The skill Dalen recovered from a corpse was one such legacy, and the sword said to be bestowed by the War God was another.
This holy sword was the very one Lerredonara wielded throughout her life, containing the powerful essence of the secret sword techniques she founded.
“According to the records of the Holy Knights, the third holy sword was the medium through which the War God granted Lerredonara the enlightenment of the secret sword techniques.”
An old man, descending beside them with a golden ripple in the air, spoke.
Dalen looked at Felber. The old man’s complexion was slightly pale, but the golden light flickering in his eyes remained vivid.
“You seem well-versed in the Holy Knights, old man.”
“I stayed with the main order for research for a while. As you age, you accumulate a lot of knowledge just by listening. A cozy old man in a study is quite a suitable companion for sharing various stories.”
“I see. And the fortress walls?”
“Our hot-blooded comrades are handling it well. It seems I don’t need to lend a hand.”
Felber chuckled, pointing at Dalen’s side.
“So there’s no need for you to overexert yourself alone. Even a hero destined to save the world can’t fight alone.”
“Elle. Memento Caisbolg.”
The smiling old man murmured an incantation softly.
A gentle golden wave flowed out, soaking the wound. As the function of the dragon’s blood was restored, steam rose from the torn muscles and skin.
The bleeding stopped, and the wound healed without a scar in the blink of an eye.
“Still, I can’t meddle with your timeline. I wonder who holds your fate.”
“Then how did you manage this?”
“I only touched the curse that had burrowed into your body. It’s a powerful curse, but from the perspective of handling timelines, it’s easier to deal with than the dynamic nature of life.”
“You’re quite the spellcaster, old man.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
Felber tilted his head. Dalen chuckled without answering.
“The wizard on the wall, is it?”
At that moment, the dragonkin spoke in a boiling voice. Dalen turned to face him.
Some time had passed, and the wound from the holy sword seemed to have healed somewhat on the surface.
Though the scales hadn’t regrown, the blood had clotted and formed a scab.
Judging by the occasional grimace of pain, the inside was still a mess.
It was only natural, as Lucia’s power, combined with the holy sword and the white flame of the single demon, was lethal even to the archdemon’s regenerative abilities.
“Lord Taalmad, what will you do?”
The armored figure, gripping a dragon-slaying spear and keeping them in check, asked. The dragonkin gritted his teeth and replied.
“Focus on the holy knight. Even if he can manipulate timelines, it’s just a trick. If we kill her, we won’t lose.”
“Understood.”
Dalen scratched his chin. What a joke. Who said they’d let that happen?
He took a slow breath. The vitality that once surged through his body was no longer there.
His body was pushed to its limits. His stamina and mana were nearly depleted.
Yet, he still had a bit of strength left. He couldn’t launch an aggressive assault like before, but he could serve as the shield to protect the Holy Knights’ sharpest sword.
“Lucia. Don’t think about anything else and aim for their hearts. I’ll handle the defense.”
“I’ll join you. Earth-based spells are generally optimized for defense.”
As Felber quickly formed hand seals, golden ripples began to shimmer beneath their feet.
Dalen loosened his shoulders. At his will, the ashen earth and the dark clouds above began to rumble once more.
“War God, hear my plea.”
As the holy light flashed from the knight’s body and the powers of the two archdemons stirred.
━━━━!!
Above the ruins of the fallen celestial fortress.
Two archdemons and three transcendents clashed.
The dragonkin charged first.
[Graaaah!!]
With a roar that echoed through the ruins, his form elongated and surged forward.
“Elle—Daltadum!”
Rumble!!
At the moment Felber chanted the spell, a massive earthen wall rose from the ruins to block his path.
As the tower master of Elgaia’s magic tower, the earthen wall was as thick and heavy as the walls of a fortress.
“Graaaah!”
But with a mere wave of his hand, the dragonkin shattered the wall like a sandcastle before a wave.
Of course, that wasn’t the end.
Crack—crack—crack—
Amidst the debris of the shattered wall, hundreds of roots sprouted, blocking the dragonkin’s path.
A combination of two spells learned from the basics of plant magic: ‘Rapid Germination’ and ‘Living Roots.’
Having fought together for months, Dalen and Felber understood each other’s abilities better than anyone.
The cooperation of two sorcerers who had reached the fifth rank extended to the point where even the remnants of a spell became the catalyst for another.
“Such petty tricks!”
The dragonkin reached out toward the roots blocking his view. At that moment, the surface of the roots split open, spewing flames.
「Ignition」
「Holy Prison」
In an instant, the dragonkin was surrounded by a cage of holy flames.
Through the bars of the cage, an alien presence slipped in.
────Thwack!
It pierced through the heart and withdrew.
The swift strike of the holy sword was impossible to dodge or block.
“Graaaah!!”
The dragonkin screamed in agony, grabbing the bars with a brutal hand.
Crack!
Ignoring the burning scales, he tore apart the bars of the cage, and at that moment, a dark figure appeared high in the sky.
“Lord Taalmad!”
“Kill the holy knight!”
In the sky, a figure clad in dark armor descended. A massive form falling against the backdrop of storm clouds.
Despite his comrade’s injury, he didn’t rush to help.
He judged it wiser to neutralize the opponent’s only means of attack in that time.
“I am the key to the infernal armory—!”
Whoosh!!
As his will manifested, the space around them rippled, and suddenly, hundreds of spears and swords began to rain down like a storm.
Each one was a weapon forged in the infernal forge.
If released into the world, they were sinister weapons that dark sorcerers would risk their lives to seek out.
“Old man!”
Dalen shouted, summoning lightning to his hand. Even before he spoke, Felber was already forming hand seals.
“Elle. Memento Caisbolg.”
A golden circle rippled beneath their feet, and from that point, a golden dome was constructed.
Thud, thud, thud!
Hundreds of weapons struck the golden dome. As the grotesque weapons crossed the boundary, they were ensnared by the golden magic.
Crackle—!!
Blazing infernal flames. Blood-red magical tendrils licking the space.
Thousands of souls trapped within the weapons wailed, engulfing the area in a chilling aura.
As if they were ready to shake off the golden magic binding them and feast on the target’s flesh and blood.
[Elle. Memento Caisbolg—!]
Once more, the incantation echoed, nullifying those sinister wills.
With a resounding crash, the golden dome shattered outward in a brilliant explosion.
The clash of the hellish weapons’ will and the power to turn back their time resulted in a simple burst of force, scattering in all directions.
Hundreds of blades and spears flew through the air, while a figure in dark armor pierced through, continuing the battle.
Crackle!
Bolts of lightning were hurled, dodged, and parried, as a holy sword struck like a beam of light, aiming for the heart.
In the blink of an eye, the dragonkin and Dalen, clad in fiery armor, exchanged blows at a speed that covered a hundred paces.
Seizing the moment, a curse from a dragon-slaying spear aimed for the back, only to be nullified by a golden radiance.
Boom— Rumble…
Each time the five figures clashed, the hill crumbled, and the earth surged like waves.
The scale of destruction was more intense than a battlefield before a fortress besieged by tens of thousands.
As time passed, the wounds from the white flames accumulated on the two great demons, and the fatigue and injuries on this side grew exponentially.
Even for monsters that transcended humanity, fighting forever was impossible.
In this battle where each side gnawed at the other’s transcendence, the end was drawing near.
Boom!
Dalen, drawing a bolt of lightning from the sky to strike his armor, leapt back and spoke.
“Old man, buy me some time.”
In the fleeting moment between fierce combat, silence was agreement.
Felber stepped forward, deploying a golden barrier with all his might, while Dalen, half-closing his eyes, surveyed the battlefield.
“Dream Pursuit”
“Gray-White Panorama”
The battlefield unfolded in black and white shadows before his eyes.
Thanks to the efforts of the holy knights and high orcs, most demons had fallen, leaving only tens of thousands of monsters.
Dalen’s gaze swept over the intense area around the fortress walls.
He sought the gray corpses that appeared in the notification window.
[Discovered the corpse of a bound necromancer.]
[Discovered the corpse of a senior knight of the Silver Helm Order.]
[Discovered the corpse of a priest impaled by a demon’s spear.]
[Discovered the corpse of an artisan who raised the collapsing walls…]
[Discovered the corpse of a wizard who couldn’t withstand torture…]
Nearly ten corpses in total.
Besides those slain by the two great demons, the battlefield was littered with seeds of potential.
“Sevenfold Dispersal”
“Return to the Underworld”
Squeezing out his worn concentration, he spread his form in all directions.
Each divided form was both a shadow and a reality.
Not an illusion from some spell, but a projection of the original’s aspect, skirting space.
The six extended bodies swept across the battlefield, reclaiming the scattered potential.
[Recovered the corpse of a bound necromancer.]
[Inheritance Reward: Intelligence +1, Magic +1]
Both sides were exhausted. The precarious balance maintained with all their might could break at any moment.
[Recovered the corpse of a senior knight of the Silver Helm Order.]
[Inheritance Reward: Strength +1, Dexterity +1, Silver Full Plate of Silla]
Thus, from the untouched potentials, they ignited the spark of an offensive to decide the final outcome.
[Recovered the corpse of a priest impaled by a demon’s spear.]
[Inheritance Reward: Intelligence +1, Prayer of Healing (D)]
[Recovered the corpse of an artisan who raised the collapsing walls…]
[Inheritance Reward: Dexterity +1, …]
[Recovered the corpse of a wizard who couldn’t withstand torture…]
[Inheritance Reward: …]
If one’s original power was exhausted, the solution was surprisingly simple.
Bring in new strength from outside.
[Recovered the corpse of a nameless soldier devoured by demons.]
[Inheritance Reward: Strength +1]
As Dalen reclaimed the last corpse on the vast battlefield, he opened his eyes and looked ahead.
Crash—
“Ugh…”
The golden barrier finally shattered under the relentless assault of the two great demons, and Felber was sent flying by the backlash.
“Cough! Ugh, cough!”
The strain of casting the domain’s power, coupled with the backlash from the shattered spell, left him coughing up dark red blood. His brown beard was already soaked with the dead blood.
“Master of the Tower!”
Lucia, who had been focusing on controlling the holy sword, rushed over to heal him with divine power.
Dalen took a deep breath and moved past them.
[Thank you, old man, Lucia.]
His voice resonated, echoing across the battlefield.
Thud.
His steps became strides, pressing the ground beneath him.
With the abilities accumulated from reclaiming nearly ten corpses, his body and mind were elevated to their limits.
It was like the relief felt after a high fever breaks, or the liberation of setting down a heavy burden carried for hours.
[Hoo.]
A small sigh distorted the air with heat. Shadows of dark red flames flickered between his breaths.
Even the weight of the air felt lighter.
Or rather, he realized belatedly that it had been heavy all along.
Of course, having already exhausted his stamina to the limit, this heightened state wouldn’t last long.
Nevertheless.
[I’ll finish the rest.]
To harvest the experience from the two battered demons, that was more than enough.
“Gray-White Duel Shadow”
In the refreshing exhilaration, Dalen’s form suddenly blurred.
“Twenty-Eight Instant Strikes”
───Crack!
In the next moment, without a chance to groan, twenty-eight fist marks were etched into the dark armor’s plating.