The Flame of the Order (1)
The Stone of Wishes.
A legendary artifact said to grant any wish to its possessor.
Sealed away in ancient times before the Great War, the Stone of Wishes was also the ultimate goal of this game.
“It’s the only way to conquer the apocalypse. No matter how many hidden pieces you gather, it’s impossible to face the infernal depths and evil gods alone.”
Even with allies, it was the same story.
Even if humanity pooled all its strength to fend off the demons’ onslaught, it would only delay the end by a few months or years.
In the fantastical world where the roots of hell lay, thoughts and emotions were akin to power, and the evil gods and demons endlessly spawned armies from the infernal depths to attack the continent.
It was absurd to think finite humans could withstand such an assault. Ultimately, there was only one way to avert the apocalypse.
“We must destroy the five great hells, the heart of the evil gods where demons and monsters emerge.”
For that, the Stone of Wishes was essential.
This was why Dalen had to descend to the depths of the labyrinth.
Fortunately, there wasn’t just one path into the labyrinth. Across the continent, there were several entrances, and if you included the smaller cracks, there were ten times as many.
However, most of these cracks were frequented by monsters, making them far from safe.
“The labyrinth is a place that straddles the world of illusions. You could say it’s a passage connecting the material world and the world of illusions,” said Inuoko Todd, the envoy sent by the White-Eyed Seer.
“And the Barrier Tower is the most efficient way to descend into the labyrinth. It’s the only way to safely enter the labyrinth.”
“And it was blown to bits by a bomb not long ago.”
”…Yes.”
Todd sighed deeply. Perhaps they should have been more thorough with their inspections.
[Dalen, it’s not strange for humanity to take pride in the Barrier Tower. It’s practically a direct projection of power into another dimension. Even if several transcendents gathered, it would be an incredible feat.]
The ancient dragon’s voice echoed beyond the realm of thought.
[Building a barrier formation the size of a city and amplifying its power by making it function as a city itself—what a brilliant idea. No dragon ever thought of that.]
Is it really something to be so impressed by? I knew it was a significant achievement in the lore, but I didn’t realize it was to this extent.
[Back when I roamed the continent, there were no Barrier Towers, no Paladin Orders, nor the Palace of the Dream King. Even the Sandstorm Dynasty was still exploring the labyrinth.]
“Those places… they all have passages leading to the labyrinth.”
[Yes. Since those passages weren’t sealed, what do you think happened? Demons were frequent visitors to the continent, and monsters were as common as wild beasts.]
In an era when humans, elves, dwarves, and even other races were too busy chasing survival to record history properly, the ancient continent was such a place.
[Of course, civilization was much less developed than it is now. Things only improved after the Great War ended with the defeat of the evil gods… but to think they’d develop to the point of erecting barriers to suppress the labyrinth.]
Yet all of that is once again at a crossroads, the red dragon murmured.
It was true. Regardless of the development of civilization or the prehistory of humanity, one thing was certain: a battle rivaling the ancient Great War was looming.
One of the clear signs was the man before them, an envoy from the Golden Palace.
“The bird that flies without a shadow, Inuoko Todd.”
The envoy sent by the White-Eyed Seer was also a transcendent of the fifth rank.
He belonged to one of the twenty-six halls of the Golden Palace, and his barrier-breaking skills were not easily undone.
His hair was a unique blend of blue and ash, with translucent feathers haphazardly stuck in it.
Interestingly, the carriage carrying Dalen and his companions was flying through the sky, carried by thousands of birds adorned with the same feathers.
“The Endless Flight of the Ghost Birds.”
With each flap of the birds’ wings, faint ripples spread out in concentric circles.
The flock carrying the carriage flew just below the clouds, but it was a sight invisible to those on the ground.
Todd was one of the few remaining members of the avian race, specializing in swift and stealthy movement rather than combat.
As such, he was often tasked with gathering reinforcements from across the continent to the labyrinth city just before the final chapter of the apocalypse began.
“I suppose this means the end is truly near.”
Though unseen, it felt as if the armies of the five evil gods were baring their fangs at the labyrinth city.
Since the Witch of Vines attacked the western district, Enaxagus and Lapilem had already formed a loose alliance.
With the alliance of the Blood Demons and the Pantheon, Enaxagus and Temomron were also likely in a solid union.
That made three already. The Dragon God would move in whatever direction benefited it, so it would surely follow if the majority moved.
The last one left was the evil god Sume. However, Sume was so obsessed with battle that even Enaxagus would find it hard to sway him…
“Come to think of it, there was a time when they tried to do something from behind but gave up and swallowed Sume’s hell whole.”
Even when I served as a necromancer under Temomron, the destruction of an evil god didn’t necessarily mean the destruction of a great hell.
Another evil god of equal rank could absorb the hell left without a master.
Of course, the destruction of an evil god was a rare sight, even in hundreds of repeated cycles.
Just as I was pondering the unsettling feeling, Todd spoke up.
“So… are you really planning to use the rift?”
”…”
“The main headquarters of the Paladin Order is currently under direct attack by the Dragon God’s forces. We don’t know the Dragon God’s movements, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it appeared at any moment.”
“There are no other options.”
It would be ideal to use the safest passage, the Barrier Tower. But with that path blocked, they had to find another way.
“Indeed… using the Dream King’s underground palace or the Sandstorm Dynasty’s ruins isn’t an easy choice.”
“It’s not about easy or hard. What’s important is that the continent doesn’t have much time left.”
The palace of the Dream King, ruler of the shadow elves, was across the sea.
A group of islands not far from the elves’ homeland. But whether it was the land of the elves or the shadow elves’ archipelago, they had to cross the eastern ocean either way.
It was a long voyage in itself, and the area was constantly eyed by the evil god Lapilem.
“Sienna, didn’t you say the elves’ fleet docked at the Three Kingdoms?”
“Yes, before we left the labyrinth city, I heard a grand fleet had arrived.”
“That means their homeland has practically fallen into the hands of the evil god.”
”…Probably.”
The ruins of the Sandstorm Dynasty were no different. Whether it was the vast eastern ocean or the great western desert, both took a long time to traverse.
The closest option was the rift.
The passage to the labyrinth sealed by the Paladin Order, and the place where Dalen and Felber had beheaded the Azure Dragon years ago.
Of course, traveling from the vampire count’s domain at the southeastern tip of the continent to the southwestern headquarters was no easy task.
The distance across the empire was considerable, and Dalen and his companions were still wanted fugitives in the empire.
“In any case, the plan remains unchanged. We can’t just sit back while the Dragon God’s forces attack the Paladin Order.”
The Dragon God was an enemy they would have to face eventually. If they could weaken its forces even slightly here, it would be a great help in the final battle.
Moreover, even if they couldn’t completely defend the headquarters, they needed to preserve some of the Paladin Order’s strength.
“They’re sure to play a crucial role in the final battle.”
Long before the apocalypse loomed, they had been holding the rift to protect the continent, humanity’s home.
No organization was as dedicated to protecting humanity as they were.
Perhaps that’s why, if even a portion of their forces survived, the Paladin Order always made significant contributions in the final battle.
The superhumans who wielded faith as their weapon were literal monsters in the war against demons.
Their leader was also a transcendent of the sixth rank, so it was wise to preserve as much strength as possible, even considering a clash with the Dragon God.
“If that’s Dalen’s will, then I will follow your lead as the Seer commanded.”
After hearing Dalen’s explanation, Todd turned away. As he formed a seal in the air, the speed of the flock carrying the carriage gradually increased.
“If we hurry, we can arrive in about two weeks. Please take the time to rest.”
Dalen nodded and turned his gaze out the window.
The sky was red. The sun was setting in the west, casting its last golden light, which mingled with the crimson hue.
It reminded him of the golden hair of a certain paladin and the crimson of the battlefields she had tread.
”…Oh, God.”
A soft prayer. Lucia looked up at the sky.
The sky was red.
Not the red of sunset or dawn, but a red that was close to a blazing fire.
The scorching air was suffocating, a heat so intense that an ordinary soldier would have collapsed under its weight.
Even the holy warriors, bolstered by divine power, were not immune. Their skin was flushed and their breaths came in ragged gasps. Sweat and blood clung to their armor, only to evaporate in the searing heat. Their swords glowed like branding irons.
“Surrender, humans. Retreat and inform your leaders. Resistance is futile. Disband your barriers and accept the rightful rule of the Dragon God.”
The dragon’s voice was laced with mocking laughter.
It had the size and strength to back up its words. Its head alone was as large as a carriage, and its body stretched at least fifty or sixty meters.
In contrast, Lucia’s detachment was a mere five hundred strong.
Fifty paladins and four hundred and fifty holy warriors. Many had already fallen, leaving fewer than three hundred standing.
Lucia glanced at the paladins. Their eyes were filled with determination, but beneath it, a flicker of fear was unmistakable.
Fear mingled with resolve. Lucia had seen that look before.
In the northern capital of Eclahim, the soldiers who defended it had eyes like those.
But back then, she hadn’t been at the forefront. There had been a warrior who stood a step ahead of her.
A warrior who refused to yield, even as his body broke and shattered. When he finally fell before the dark god, the divine granted him new strength.
“Divinity.”
Lucia remembered.
While Charina stalled the enemy, Dalen’s hands had shaped a pure white axe.
The radiant light that enveloped him, the divine power that restored the holy sword’s blade.
“I am afraid too.”
She recalled the warrior’s words.
“I fear death. I fear being forgotten. I fear crumbling under the weight of the world.”
In the tent, he had hidden his fear behind his eyelids as he continued.
“But I hate the thought of kneeling in helplessness more than failing.”
“I can’t lose again.”
Lucia stepped forward, into the path of the dragon’s breath.
Her armored boots crushed the boiling earth beneath them, steam hissing up in response.
“If you are watching, O God…”
“You keep calling for your god. Did your god ever answer when you truly needed it? What has it done for you, other than giving you a sliver of divine power and sending you to your doom?”
“Grant me the divinity you gave to Dalen.”
There was no dramatic change.
The ground didn’t quake, nor did lightning strike from the sky.
Without any warning, a thin beam of light pierced the crimson sky.
And then.
A resonant hum filled the air.
The divine blade, cutting through the air heated by the dragons’ power, was now cloaked in a clear, white divinity.