Chapter 120 – Blasphemy
“Tch, there you are again.” Said the robbed man, looking at Wynn.
“Reynard…” Wynn stared at him: Reynard von Hoffman.
“Ho? Is that someone you know?” Mito asked Wynn, since he seemed to know his name.
“Yes. He’s the culprit in the serial kidnapping and murder cases that happened earlier in Simurgh. And, the skeleton demon that Liesbert-san said he saw, he was the mage who summoned it.” As soon as he said it, Wynn was on the move. The cane he held in sight.
However, perhaps anticipating the attack, Reynard stepped back to take distance, a little faster than Wynn advanced. The stick Wynn was holding passed through the space where Reynard’s head had been. But though he avoided it, Wynn’s attack ripped off his hood. The hood flew off like a bullet. In the starlight and the dim light from the temporary temple, the face of a gaunt-cheeked, lifeless old man was revealed.
“Tch, tch, what a nuisance.” Reynard muttered irritably.
Just as Wynn was about to give chase….
“Woah!”
Abel’s shout was heard.
“Abel!” When Wynn gave up the chase and turned to look at Abel, he saw that the cane Abel was holding had been cut, leaving it about a third of its original length.
Another person lunged at Abel, who was recoiling at the sight of his weapon having been severed. In the other person’s hand was a hoe. It was not a weapon designed to kill people, as a sword was, but a tool for farmers to till the soil. However, the iron blade that was used to dig the soil would have enough force to kill if wielded forcefully against a person. However, a hoe that was not made for attacking other people was heavy. The blow was so forceful that it was easy to dodge. Besides, for an adventurer with real combat experience, it wouldn’t even be a threat. Abel had also gained quite a bit of experience after the incident in Torque village. But if a man with a sword had slashed his cane, which was his only weapon, and he had devoted most of his attention to it, and then the man with the hoe came at him from the side… that would have been a disaster. The man with the hoe was wielding it so hard that he didn’t care if he hit a man with a sword, who was supposed to be his ally. By the time Abel realized this, he had already put himself in a position where he would not be able to dodge.
“Salvation for us…”
“Hii…!” A scream escaped from the back of his throat.
“I won’t let you!” With a shout, it was Mito’s halberd that came out from between Abel and the man’s side.
The hoe was so heavy that Mito thought he couldn’t stop its momentum just by knocking it down, so he used the blade of his halberd to accurately strike its handle. As a result, the hoe’s blade missed Abel’s body, and the handle hit the cane that he promptly raised to defend himself.
“Whoa!”
Abel’s body was thrown back by the strong attack. It was an incredible physical force that easily sent Abel’s body flying, who could not be said to be light-bodied. Such strength was unimaginable for the physique of the man holding the hoe. Abel was thrown toward the table and chairs in the sitting area.
“Umph!” Meanwhile, Mito swung the halberd’s handle at the man who had lost the hoe from the earlier slash, knocking him to the ground, and then struck the man who had approached him with the sword, causing him to knock it to the ground too. He then kicked him to make him stay on the ground. Immediately afterwards, there was a great sound caused by Abel falling at the same time, involving the table and chairs. It was to be expected from the Sword Crafter.
“Strength matters, but without skill, it’s nothing.”
But Wynn already knew what this was like.
“Mito-san, please be careful! They’re unusually strong!”
“What the hell!” Mito shouted in surprise.
“…Salvation for us….”
The two men who should have fallen to the ground got up, muttering. If they were normal people, they wouldn’t have been able to regain consciousness that easily. Even if they had been conscious, the pain would have prevented them from moving their bodies. In normal situations, something like this wouldn’t happen.
“Hmm… this will be a headache.”
However, the men showed no sign of pain and immediately got up. Mito let out a sigh and tightened his grip on his weapon.
No signs of redness or swelling in the area where they were hit. What the hell is going on here?
“Abel, are you okay?”
“Yeah…it hurts, but…” Abel responded with a grunt to Wynn’s question. “Da-Damn, somehow….”
“Well, consider yourselves in trouble. If you don’t lose consciousness with a few blows, the only thing left to do is to break your bones….”
The question was whether breaking their bones would actually prevent them from moving. At that moment…
“It looks like those people have had their souls taken away.” Liara Thane stood there with a silent anger in her normally gentle smile.
◇◆◇◆◇
“Onii-chan!” Leticia, who came with Liara, ran to Wynn’s side. “What’s going on?”
Liesbert ran to Seri, who was still crouched on the ground.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Brave Mavis.” Reynard made an overacted bow to Leticia. “Tch. I didn’t think the person who destroyed the demon Ruff I summoned was the famous Brave Mavis.”
“Onii-chan, here you go.” But Leticia showed no sign of concern for Reynard, and handed a sword to Wynn matter-of-factly.
“Tch, tch, I see. You don’t even mind me… what arrogance. That’s a very haughty attitude, Brave.” Perhaps offended by Leticia’s attitude, Reynard’s tone was slightly stern. However, he exhaled once to calm his seething irritation. “Well, that’s all right. I’ve always wanted to meet you.” Reynard’s eyes widened, and he looked up at the sky with a wide grin of glee.
“Me?”
“Letty, have you ever seen this man before?”
Seeing that Reynard spoke of Leticia as if he had known her for a long time, Wynn asked her, but she shook her head slightly.
“I think I saw him before, when I entered the research tower in the imperial palace with you, Onii-chan…” Leticia closed her eyes and was silent for a moment, trying to search her memories. When she was traveling as the Brave, she had to fight several enemies. Not all of them were demons. Perhaps Reynard was among those enemies she fought.
“That’s all I can remember.”
“Tch, tch, tch. No wonder you don’t know me. It’s only me who knows you. Tch, tch, well, I’m not the only one who knows you. Anyway, you’re famous. Kukuku…” Reynard laughed, as if he couldn’t contain his excitement. He bent his thin body like a withered branch and while shaking slightly: “I really… I really wanted to meet you.”
“What do you want with Letty? Revenge? Or payback?”
“Kukuku… Revenge. Yes, maybe revenge is the closest thing.” Reynard stopped laughing at Wynn’s words and looked at Leticia, amused. “Revenge against you for not knowing your place and snatching away the feat my master, Conrad Heisenberg, was about to accomplish. Oh! Tonight, my wish will finally come true… I will relive his work with my own hands, kill the Brave and offer her corpse at his grave! And the world will be blinded by the work he left behind!”
“Were you a disciple of Conrad?” Leticia asked curiously.
Before his death, Conrad Heisenberg did have a group of people he called disciples. One of them was Sarah Ferrule, and there were four of them. Leticia knew them all. Three of them, except Sarah, joined the Continental Anti-Demon Alliance when Conrad died after surrendering. They lost their lives in battle. Information about Conrad Heisenberg’s research and those around him was only available to a few, and few people knew his disciples. Leticia and Liara were the only two people present who knew this information.
“Not officially, no. But I inherited the research Conrad left behind and revived it. In fact, I can rightly say that I am Conrad Heisenberg’s successor.”
“So you’re not his apprentice, are you? What the hell are you talking about then…” Abel’s muttering, as he pushed aside the overturned table and chair and moved closer, might have been what those present thought.
“Well, all right. It’s not something a fool would understand.” Conrad heard the murmur, and shrugged his shoulders as if nothing was wrong.
“So you want revenge by fighting me?” With narrowed eyes, Leticia stepped forward.
“Yes, I do, but I’m sorry, I’m in no condition to face you right now. Unfortunately, I don’t have the whole legacy in my hands. I still have some things to do. I still have to get Conrad Heisenberg’s legacy and finish reviving his research. I have to continue that legacy.”
“It’s useless.” Crossing her arms in front of her, Liara stepped forward. “Sarah Ferrule’s shrine has been powerfully protected by the Great Sage Tiara Scyrus Velfa. And also sealed by Sarah Ferrule herself.”
“Tch, tch, tch, the Great Sage. The Great Sage, right…? Then let’s give it a try.”
“Do you think we’ll just sit back and let that happen?” Mito stepped forward with his halberd at the ready. Wynn also pulled out from his sheath the sword he had received from Leticia.
Seeing this, Reynard lifted the corners of his mouth, making a smile. It was a smile of arrogance, as if he was looking down on the people around him.
“You come with me. The rest of you stay.” Then Reynard turned and walked away, taking only one man with him.
“What the hell is wrong with these guys? There’s something strange with them!” Abel took Wynn’s cane and readied it as a weapon for the moment, but was pressed by the group of people closing the distance with no expression on their faces, and was forced to back away.
The group Reynard had brought was a mix of men and women of all ages: A girl Leticia’s age holding large scissors; a housewife wielding a kitchen knife; an old man with a sickle; a young man with a harpoon. Dressed in their everyday clothes, they held as weapons the tools they used in their daily lives and work, and they approached Wynn and the others, repeating the same words in low, mumbling tones. Their faces showed no signs of life, even in the darkness.
…Salvation for us.
…Salvation for us.
…Salvation for us.
Their eyes were unfocused and, as Seri had first thought, they looked like a bunch of dead people.
“Are these people being manipulated?”
When the girl attacked him with a pair of scissors, Wynn ducked and rolled to the ground. If they were just victims being manipulated by Reynard, he couldn’t just cut them down with his sword.
“Not so.” The one who answered Wynn’s question was Liara. As she pulled Seri, who had no fighting experience, behind her, she said with a touch of sadness in her voice. It is an evil thing that inhabits their bodies. Maybe their souls are already…
“Damn it!”
There was the girl who swung at Wynn and there was a boy who was even younger than her. In addition, there were old men, young men and women, many of whom had never been involved in battle and had been living their lives to the fullest. Even the way they wielded their weapons denoted that they were not the movements of someone who had received proper combat training, and were simply charging at them in the dark. It would not be so difficult for those present, except for Seri, to prevent the attack. But there were so many of them. Even if they punched them away and rolled them on the ground, they were still coming at them. Even the ones they had knocked down seemed to feel no pain, and they got up immediately. And even if they were already dead, they were hesitant to take them down, and Wynn and the others were unable to pursue Reynard.
Meanwhile, two figures approached Reynard with the speed of a gale: Leticia and Mito.
Leticia, with her amazing speed, ran through the gaps of the approaching people and easily slipped through without letting anyone touch her. And Mito, using the handle of his halberd, swept the feet of those blocking his way, sometimes rolling them on the ground with a slight push of his body, and jumped easily in front of Reynard.
“What…?” Reynard turned and opened his eyes wide.
“It’s over.”
Just as Leticia tried to thrust her sword into the old man’s exposed chest….
……! Leticia noticed something approaching from the side and quickly swung her sword to the right.
An explosion. What came flying in was a light bullet made of magic power. It was slashed by the sword wielding Leticia, scattering after exploding. However, although she received no damage, she could not avoid the impact created by the explosion. Leticia’s light body shifted to the left.
“Oh!” And Mito, who was approaching Reynard while following Leticia, jumped backwards at the moment of the explosion, weakening the impact, but not stopping to protect himself from the flying sand and gravel.
“Kukuku…”
Reynard took that opportunity to distance himself from the two. Leticia tried to chase after him, but… One after another, light bullets flew towards her, and she had no choice but to deploy her defensive magic to protect herself and Mito.
Magic with so much power, who the hell was that person?
The direction from which the light bullets were flying was at the end of the cliff. However, at that place there should be nothing but the ocean. The light bullets hit not only Leticia and Mito, but also the group behind them.
“Onii-chan!”
The light bullets fell not only on Wynn and the others, but also on Reynard’s followers. They mercilessly blew off their heads, chests and abdomens. Some escaped immediate death, while others ended up with all their limbs torn off.
“Onii-chan! Guys!” Leticia shouted. Dust from the aftermath of the explosion prevented her from seeing Wynn and the others. She wondered if the figures occasionally flying through the air were her friends. Worst of all for her, could one of them be Wynn? She felt her heart freezing.
“We’re all right!”
She heard Wynn’s voice above the sound of the explosion.
Through the flames and dust, she could see the light of defensive magic. It was Liara using her magic. Leticia was deeply relieved when she saw that light. Liara could use high-level defensive magic, borrowing the power of the creator goddess Anastasia. In particular, when it came to healing and defensive magic, Liara was unrivaled.
“Ho! If we don’t do something, we’ll never get anywhere. Brave-dono, if that hadn’t been a surprise attack, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge us with just a simple move. Shouldn’t we take care of this shooter first?” Said Mito, who had hidden behind Leticia.
“Yes… you’re right. Then I’ll break the defensive magic, okay?”
“Oh, go ahead.”
With Mito’s approval, Leticia removed the barrier. The two dodged the flying light bullets and even the sand and gravel kicked up by the explosions, reading the airflow and the presence of magic, using their weapons to repel the incoming attacks. They were the Divine Sword Princess and the Sword Crafter. They executed extraordinary moves that did justice to their titles. Next, Leticia concentrated her magical power on the tip of her sword, timing it so that the light bullets would not fly towards her. Then a white point of light was born at the tip of the sword. Then it expanded instantly. It swelled into a sphere the size of a human head.
They probably came from that place!
Leticia then fired the ball of light she had created towards the point of the incoming bullets of light. The ball of light flew through the air as if gliding. When it passed the cliff and reached the sea, it stopped there for a moment. It was fifty meters from the material yard where Leticia and the others were, and thirty meters from the cliff. The ball of light only looked like a point of light once it flew that far. But the next moment, it stopped. A tremendous flash of light seared the eyes of those present. It was as if the sun had fallen. A heavy sound, like a thump, echoed. The glow lasted only a few seconds, and there was no heat, no sign of an explosion. But as the light dimmed and their blinking eyes became accustomed to the darkness again, Mito, Seri and Liesbert, who had good night vision, shuddered at the magic’s strength. At the edge of the cape cliff. The solid bedrock was completely destroyed in the area where the sphere of light had touched it. No noise was heard, no debris was scattered around. The light bullets that had flown a few minutes ago, scattering fragments everywhere, had disappeared without a trace.
How tremendous… Mito, who was behind Leticia, let out a sigh of astonishment. I see. As soon as she saw that the attacker’s location could not be identified, she attacked with a wide area so that the attacker could not escape, even if they retreated a little. I don’t know who or what it was, but it will have been eliminated without a trace.
In fact, the light bullets had stopped coming. Now it was hard to tell who was firing them, but if they were planning to buy time, then they had achieved their goal. By the time Leticia had cast her spell, Reynard had already gained enough distance.
‘Answer my call and come. Come, with your fierce and majestic wings. Fall from on high, King of Earth, Hasten and follow my command!’
At first, it was a small darkness, like a drop of black ink in the blackness of night. Then the darkness grew larger as Reynard recited his spell. It was as if it was the exact opposite of the light Leticia had just created. As the darkness stretched to the size of a three-story building, the thing Reynard had summoned appeared out of it. It was a lizard-like head. It had glowing yellow eyes and a jaw so large that it could even hold an animal as big as a horse. It had razor-sharp teeth. Red flames could be glimpsed from the back of its throat, flickering in rhythm with its breathing. Behind the head, a thick foreleg like a large tree trunk emerged from the darkness. Then, a torso like a small mountain. On its back, huge wings swayed in rhythm with the body’s movement. And finally, a strong tail as thick as its front and hind legs. As soon as it glided through the darkness, it swung back and forth vigorously and sent one of the nearby sheds flying.
The wooden shed, which had been a warehouse for storing tools, was easily destroyed by the blow of the tail, and the wood flew through the air along with the tools inside.
“A dragon…” Wynn gulped saliva.
Some adventurers who relied too much on their own abilities would tell you that dragons were nothing more than lizards with wings. They would say that the dragons in myths and stories were simply exaggerated by their authors, because most of them had never seen a dragon with their own eyes, and the authors of the stories were describing them from their imaginations based on books and legends written in the past. The more powerful the dragon was, the more emphasis was placed on the exploits of the heroes who defeated it in the story. The dragon’s strength was just an illusion, exaggerated to make the story more interesting. Although he believed in the existence of dragons, Wynn also thought there was a certain point of truth when it was said that their strength was over exaggerated. However, after seeing the creature that had just appeared in front of him, he had to change his mind.
“This is a real dragon?”
Of the same dragons that appeared in many myths, legends and heroic stories. Its steel-hard scales repelled blades, and its sharp fangs and claws could cut and bite through hard rocks. And it was said that the powerful breath it exhaled from its snout could destroy even mountains. But even without it, his massive body and the muscles that supported him were by themselves a tremendous threat. By simply waving its thick limbs and strong tail, even a stone fortress would be destroyed and people would easily become masses of flesh.
A dragon named Fiand, king of the dragon race living in the east, was enraged by the invasion of his home by the demons during the war against them, and burned the entire area to the ground. This incident brought to light the fact that Fiand, who had been spoken of in name only since the mythical time of Anastasia, the goddess of creation, really existed, and that dragons were as powerful as gods and demon kings. This dragon named Fiand was said to be as big as a city.
Wynn had experienced several battles with giant demons. In the past, he had defeated a giant demonic wolf that could overtake the trees of the forest, and more recently, the giant ants’ queen that he had encountered in the underground tunnels of the Majil mountains. It’s aura of intimidation was greater than that of any demon. The mere fact that it was large was enough to make people feel a strong sense of oppression. But the dragon that had just appeared in front of him was of a different order of magnitude. Although it appeared a bit far from where Wynn was standing, it felt as if a mountain was looming in front of him.
A huge sailing ship anchored in the harbor. A cathedral, a large dining hall, and a temporary temple with several large rooms. These were the great buildings Wynn had seen in Lyon. But this creature was bigger than any of them. The strongest species on earth that had lived since the mythological age.
“That dragon… it looks familiar.”
Deep in the Majil Mountains, a dragon had settled to protect a World Tree sapling. Mito had seen this dragon many times in the square where the World Tree sapling grew before the mine was abandoned. The dragon had never attacked the dwarves or the people digging for iron unless the sapling or he himself was in danger.
“I see… that’s why it wasn’t there. I didn’t think he had been caught in a magical technique….”
The dragon usually slept peacefully, except when he went out to get food. He didn’t expect to find it in a place like this. Mito prayed with his eyes closed, even though the threat of a dragon was right in front of him. Although he was not familiar with magic, he could imagine what was happening to the dragon. Maybe it was going through the same thing as the people who had just arrived. Otherwise, the dragon, the proud king of heaven and earth, would not have been used by a human mage.
As if answering Mito’s prayer for compassion, the dragon tilted its head back and howled skyward. Its roar sounded as if it was angry with itself and with the mage who used him. The air shook, and a part of the cliff collapsed and fell into the sea. It wasn’t even an attack. It was just a roar, but it had such an impact on the surroundings. Even Wynn and the others who were far away had to hold on tight so as not to be swept away by the gust of wind.
“The dragon, like these people, seems to have its soul distorted and its body wounded.” Liara’s voice contained a tinge of deep sadness as she said this.
“Letty.”
Leticia, who was with Mito, stepped forward with her sword lowered.
“Yes. He is a champion who soars in the sky and rules the land. But that dragon has lost most of its power. Perhaps it is only a shadow of its former self.”
Leticia was the only one standing, unperturbed by the dragon’s roar, as if it were a matter of course.
Even that dragon… isn’t even he a threat to Letty? Mito looked at Leticia, standing in front of him, shielding her face from the dust raised by the flapping of the dragon’s wings.
Leticia, her silky golden hair fluttering in the fierce wind, stood silently with her sword at her side. Her figure was that of a hero facing a dragon. She was like a picture in the eyes of Wynn and the others. Leticia’s small body glowed with a pale golden radiance. The sense of intimidation radiating from her small body was no less than that of the imposing dragon. To a dragon, a person would normally be no different from a mere ant. There was a great difference in power between the two creatures. But it seemed that even the dragon could not ignore the presence it sensed from Leticia, who stood silently. It emitted a menacing growl from the back of its throat and turned to her. In time with the roar, a gurgling red flame burned on the back of her chin. Although it was being controlled by Reynard, it seemed to recognize Leticia as a dangerous presence. However…
“Tch. What are you doing, dragon? Your primary duty is to remove those hateful barriers in the middle.”
That was what Reynard said as he gently landed on the dragon’s head. In response, the dragon roared, and to the ears of Wynn and the others, it sounded like a cry of pain.
“Ahaha! Kukuku… What do you think, are you surprised, Brave? This is the work of Conrad-sama’s great wisdom. A great power that can subdue even this dragon. Even if it is an unfinished technique, it can accomplish this.”
‘Curse you, mage…’
At that moment, a voice echoed in his head.
‘How humiliating that you would manipulate my body even after death and use it for your own desires.’
“Tch, tch. But what a surprise. I didn’t think that even after death, you would still have a consciousness in your body. Even rotting, you are a dragon.” Reynard said with a laugh. “But as a the loser, you don’t have the slightest right to say anything, do you? The loser is deprived of everything, and loses the right to even complain. Isn’t that what it has always been?”
‘You fool… Even if you do things with borrowed power, if you don’t know how to control it, you will find nothing but ruin.”
“Tch, shut up. The loser has no right to say anything. You should just be quiet and follow my orders.”
‘Guh… You, daughter of man, have extraordinary powers. Will you grant me a wish? My body is no longer under my will because of that damned mage. I regret to say that I am unable to disobey his orders for the nefarious things he plans to do. So, could you use your power to destroy him and save my soul?’
“Great and proud dragon. I will grant you your wish. My name is Leticia. I am Leticia von Mavis. In the world of men, I am known as the Brave.”
‘Allow me to thank you, Leticia the Brave. When I was alive, my name was Verni. I am truly honored to have this body perish at your hands.’
“Tch, don’t ignore me and pretend I’m not here.” Reynard shouted, interrupting the exchange between the dragon who called himself Verni and Leticia. “Tch, tch, you are just a tool! Come on, dragon! Now, obey my will and smash this hateful high elven barrier!”
Leticia ran. The arm that moved against Verni’s will, thicker than a tree trunk and covered with scales harder than steel, was easily severed by the sword of the Holy Spirit that appeared in Leticia’s hand. And then, at a brisk, backward pace, Leticia cut deep into the dragon’s belly with her sword. Then, with the momentum, she ducked under the dragon’s belly, kicked it in the hind legs and jumped. Next, she jumped even higher and swung her sword at the dragon’s thick neck.
‘It was useless… you didn’t make it in time.’
Verni’s plaintive voice echoed in her head. Forced by Reynard, Vernis exhaled his breath faster than Leticia’s sword could cut off his head. A breath with incredibly high temperature and destructive power came out of Verni’s mouth. It extended all the way to Sarah Ferrule’s shrine. Almost at the same time as the dragon’s head, which had been cut off by Leticia, fell to the ground, the breath reached the barrier protecting the shrine.
“Tch, tch, tch, Sarah Ferrule! The legacy of the great mage you stole will now be mine!”
After a moment of balance of power, an unpleasant, loud sound like metal scratching glass that lasted a few seconds, the sound of something hard cracking echoed throughout.
“Hahahaha! Now, all that’s left is the barrier that Sarah Ferrule put up with the help of the God of Destruction. Tch, tch, now it’s your turn. Open the legacy path before me.” He called out to the only one of the people he had ordered not to fight Wynn and the others.
A diligent craftsman in the town at the foot of the mountain, and with dead eyes he cast a spell upon the door of the shrine as Reynard commanded.
‘My God, may the desire of thy servant be heard. By the power of thy greatness, grant me the key that unlocks the seal.’
With the magic of Rolf’s prayer, the shrine was enveloped in a faint glow, and then slowly opened from left to right. And then…
“With this… with this, the legacy is mine!” Reynard’s loud laughter was heard at the top of the cape, where the effects of the dragon’s breath and the destruction of the barriers still lingered.
Chapter 120 – Blasphemy
“Tch, there you are again.” Said the robbed man, looking at Wynn.
“Reynard…” Wynn stared at him: Reynard von Hoffman.
“Ho? Is that someone you know?” Mito asked Wynn, since he seemed to know his name.
“Yes. He’s the culprit in the serial kidnapping and murder cases that happened earlier in Simurgh. And, the skeleton demon that Liesbert-san said he saw, he was the mage who summoned it.” As soon as he said it, Wynn was on the move. The cane he held in sight.
However, perhaps anticipating the attack, Reynard stepped back to take distance, a little faster than Wynn advanced. The stick Wynn was holding passed through the space where Reynard’s head had been. But though he avoided it, Wynn’s attack ripped off his hood. The hood flew off like a bullet. In the starlight and the dim light from the temporary temple, the face of a gaunt-cheeked, lifeless old man was revealed.
“Tch, tch, what a nuisance.” Reynard muttered irritably.
Just as Wynn was about to give chase….
“Woah!”
Abel’s shout was heard.
“Abel!” When Wynn gave up the chase and turned to look at Abel, he saw that the cane Abel was holding had been cut, leaving it about a third of its original length.
Another person lunged at Abel, who was recoiling at the sight of his weapon having been severed. In the other person’s hand was a hoe. It was not a weapon designed to kill people, as a sword was, but a tool for farmers to till the soil. However, the iron blade that was used to dig the soil would have enough force to kill if wielded forcefully against a person. However, a hoe that was not made for attacking other people was heavy. The blow was so forceful that it was easy to dodge. Besides, for an adventurer with real combat experience, it wouldn’t even be a threat. Abel had also gained quite a bit of experience after the incident in Torque village. But if a man with a sword had slashed his cane, which was his only weapon, and he had devoted most of his attention to it, and then the man with the hoe came at him from the side… that would have been a disaster. The man with the hoe was wielding it so hard that he didn’t care if he hit a man with a sword, who was supposed to be his ally. By the time Abel realized this, he had already put himself in a position where he would not be able to dodge.
“Salvation for us…”
“Hii…!” A scream escaped from the back of his throat.
“I won’t let you!” With a shout, it was Mito’s halberd that came out from between Abel and the man’s side.
The hoe was so heavy that Mito thought he couldn’t stop its momentum just by knocking it down, so he used the blade of his halberd to accurately strike its handle. As a result, the hoe’s blade missed Abel’s body, and the handle hit the cane that he promptly raised to defend himself.
“Whoa!”
Abel’s body was thrown back by the strong attack. It was an incredible physical force that easily sent Abel’s body flying, who could not be said to be light-bodied. Such strength was unimaginable for the physique of the man holding the hoe. Abel was thrown toward the table and chairs in the sitting area.
“Umph!” Meanwhile, Mito swung the halberd’s handle at the man who had lost the hoe from the earlier slash, knocking him to the ground, and then struck the man who had approached him with the sword, causing him to knock it to the ground too. He then kicked him to make him stay on the ground. Immediately afterwards, there was a great sound caused by Abel falling at the same time, involving the table and chairs. It was to be expected from the Sword Crafter.
“Strength matters, but without skill, it’s nothing.”
But Wynn already knew what this was like.
“Mito-san, please be careful! They’re unusually strong!”
“What the hell!” Mito shouted in surprise.
“…Salvation for us….”
The two men who should have fallen to the ground got up, muttering. If they were normal people, they wouldn’t have been able to regain consciousness that easily. Even if they had been conscious, the pain would have prevented them from moving their bodies. In normal situations, something like this wouldn’t happen.
“Hmm… this will be a headache.”
However, the men showed no sign of pain and immediately got up. Mito let out a sigh and tightened his grip on his weapon.
No signs of redness or swelling in the area where they were hit. What the hell is going on here?
“Abel, are you okay?”
“Yeah…it hurts, but…” Abel responded with a grunt to Wynn’s question. “Da-Damn, somehow….”
“Well, consider yourselves in trouble. If you don’t lose consciousness with a few blows, the only thing left to do is to break your bones….”
The question was whether breaking their bones would actually prevent them from moving. At that moment…
“It looks like those people have had their souls taken away.” Liara Thane stood there with a silent anger in her normally gentle smile.
◇◆◇◆◇
“Onii-chan!” Leticia, who came with Liara, ran to Wynn’s side. “What’s going on?”
Liesbert ran to Seri, who was still crouched on the ground.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Brave Mavis.” Reynard made an overacted bow to Leticia. “Tch. I didn’t think the person who destroyed the demon Ruff I summoned was the famous Brave Mavis.”
“Onii-chan, here you go.” But Leticia showed no sign of concern for Reynard, and handed a sword to Wynn matter-of-factly.
“Tch, tch, I see. You don’t even mind me… what arrogance. That’s a very haughty attitude, Brave.” Perhaps offended by Leticia’s attitude, Reynard’s tone was slightly stern. However, he exhaled once to calm his seething irritation. “Well, that’s all right. I’ve always wanted to meet you.” Reynard’s eyes widened, and he looked up at the sky with a wide grin of glee.
“Me?”
“Letty, have you ever seen this man before?”
Seeing that Reynard spoke of Leticia as if he had known her for a long time, Wynn asked her, but she shook her head slightly.
“I think I saw him before, when I entered the research tower in the imperial palace with you, Onii-chan…” Leticia closed her eyes and was silent for a moment, trying to search her memories. When she was traveling as the Brave, she had to fight several enemies. Not all of them were demons. Perhaps Reynard was among those enemies she fought.
“That’s all I can remember.”
“Tch, tch, tch. No wonder you don’t know me. It’s only me who knows you. Tch, tch, well, I’m not the only one who knows you. Anyway, you’re famous. Kukuku…” Reynard laughed, as if he couldn’t contain his excitement. He bent his thin body like a withered branch and while shaking slightly: “I really… I really wanted to meet you.”
“What do you want with Letty? Revenge? Or payback?”
“Kukuku… Revenge. Yes, maybe revenge is the closest thing.” Reynard stopped laughing at Wynn’s words and looked at Leticia, amused. “Revenge against you for not knowing your place and snatching away the feat my master, Conrad Heisenberg, was about to accomplish. Oh! Tonight, my wish will finally come true… I will relive his work with my own hands, kill the Brave and offer her corpse at his grave! And the world will be blinded by the work he left behind!”
“Were you a disciple of Conrad?” Leticia asked curiously.
Before his death, Conrad Heisenberg did have a group of people he called disciples. One of them was Sarah Ferrule, and there were four of them. Leticia knew them all. Three of them, except Sarah, joined the Continental Anti-Demon Alliance when Conrad died after surrendering. They lost their lives in battle. Information about Conrad Heisenberg’s research and those around him was only available to a few, and few people knew his disciples. Leticia and Liara were the only two people present who knew this information.
“Not officially, no. But I inherited the research Conrad left behind and revived it. In fact, I can rightly say that I am Conrad Heisenberg’s successor.”
“So you’re not his apprentice, are you? What the hell are you talking about then…” Abel’s muttering, as he pushed aside the overturned table and chair and moved closer, might have been what those present thought.
“Well, all right. It’s not something a fool would understand.” Conrad heard the murmur, and shrugged his shoulders as if nothing was wrong.
“So you want revenge by fighting me?” With narrowed eyes, Leticia stepped forward.
“Yes, I do, but I’m sorry, I’m in no condition to face you right now. Unfortunately, I don’t have the whole legacy in my hands. I still have some things to do. I still have to get Conrad Heisenberg’s legacy and finish reviving his research. I have to continue that legacy.”
“It’s useless.” Crossing her arms in front of her, Liara stepped forward. “Sarah Ferrule’s shrine has been powerfully protected by the Great Sage Tiara Scyrus Velfa. And also sealed by Sarah Ferrule herself.”
“Tch, tch, tch, the Great Sage. The Great Sage, right…? Then let’s give it a try.”
“Do you think we’ll just sit back and let that happen?” Mito stepped forward with his halberd at the ready. Wynn also pulled out from his sheath the sword he had received from Leticia.
Seeing this, Reynard lifted the corners of his mouth, making a smile. It was a smile of arrogance, as if he was looking down on the people around him.
“You come with me. The rest of you stay.” Then Reynard turned and walked away, taking only one man with him.
“What the hell is wrong with these guys? There’s something strange with them!” Abel took Wynn’s cane and readied it as a weapon for the moment, but was pressed by the group of people closing the distance with no expression on their faces, and was forced to back away.
The group Reynard had brought was a mix of men and women of all ages: A girl Leticia’s age holding large scissors; a housewife wielding a kitchen knife; an old man with a sickle; a young man with a harpoon. Dressed in their everyday clothes, they held as weapons the tools they used in their daily lives and work, and they approached Wynn and the others, repeating the same words in low, mumbling tones. Their faces showed no signs of life, even in the darkness.
…Salvation for us.
…Salvation for us.
…Salvation for us.
Their eyes were unfocused and, as Seri had first thought, they looked like a bunch of dead people.
“Are these people being manipulated?”
When the girl attacked him with a pair of scissors, Wynn ducked and rolled to the ground. If they were just victims being manipulated by Reynard, he couldn’t just cut them down with his sword.
“Not so.” The one who answered Wynn’s question was Liara. As she pulled Seri, who had no fighting experience, behind her, she said with a touch of sadness in her voice. It is an evil thing that inhabits their bodies. Maybe their souls are already…
“Damn it!”
There was the girl who swung at Wynn and there was a boy who was even younger than her. In addition, there were old men, young men and women, many of whom had never been involved in battle and had been living their lives to the fullest. Even the way they wielded their weapons denoted that they were not the movements of someone who had received proper combat training, and were simply charging at them in the dark. It would not be so difficult for those present, except for Seri, to prevent the attack. But there were so many of them. Even if they punched them away and rolled them on the ground, they were still coming at them. Even the ones they had knocked down seemed to feel no pain, and they got up immediately. And even if they were already dead, they were hesitant to take them down, and Wynn and the others were unable to pursue Reynard.
Meanwhile, two figures approached Reynard with the speed of a gale: Leticia and Mito.
Leticia, with her amazing speed, ran through the gaps of the approaching people and easily slipped through without letting anyone touch her. And Mito, using the handle of his halberd, swept the feet of those blocking his way, sometimes rolling them on the ground with a slight push of his body, and jumped easily in front of Reynard.
“What…?” Reynard turned and opened his eyes wide.
“It’s over.”
Just as Leticia tried to thrust her sword into the old man’s exposed chest….
……! Leticia noticed something approaching from the side and quickly swung her sword to the right.
An explosion. What came flying in was a light bullet made of magic power. It was slashed by the sword wielding Leticia, scattering after exploding. However, although she received no damage, she could not avoid the impact created by the explosion. Leticia’s light body shifted to the left.
“Oh!” And Mito, who was approaching Reynard while following Leticia, jumped backwards at the moment of the explosion, weakening the impact, but not stopping to protect himself from the flying sand and gravel.
“Kukuku…”
Reynard took that opportunity to distance himself from the two. Leticia tried to chase after him, but… One after another, light bullets flew towards her, and she had no choice but to deploy her defensive magic to protect herself and Mito.
Magic with so much power, who the hell was that person?
The direction from which the light bullets were flying was at the end of the cliff. However, at that place there should be nothing but the ocean. The light bullets hit not only Leticia and Mito, but also the group behind them.
“Onii-chan!”
The light bullets fell not only on Wynn and the others, but also on Reynard’s followers. They mercilessly blew off their heads, chests and abdomens. Some escaped immediate death, while others ended up with all their limbs torn off.
“Onii-chan! Guys!” Leticia shouted. Dust from the aftermath of the explosion prevented her from seeing Wynn and the others. She wondered if the figures occasionally flying through the air were her friends. Worst of all for her, could one of them be Wynn? She felt her heart freezing.
“We’re all right!”
She heard Wynn’s voice above the sound of the explosion.
Through the flames and dust, she could see the light of defensive magic. It was Liara using her magic. Leticia was deeply relieved when she saw that light. Liara could use high-level defensive magic, borrowing the power of the creator goddess Anastasia. In particular, when it came to healing and defensive magic, Liara was unrivaled.
“Ho! If we don’t do something, we’ll never get anywhere. Brave-dono, if that hadn’t been a surprise attack, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge us with just a simple move. Shouldn’t we take care of this shooter first?” Said Mito, who had hidden behind Leticia.
“Yes… you’re right. Then I’ll break the defensive magic, okay?”
“Oh, go ahead.”
With Mito’s approval, Leticia removed the barrier. The two dodged the flying light bullets and even the sand and gravel kicked up by the explosions, reading the airflow and the presence of magic, using their weapons to repel the incoming attacks. They were the Divine Sword Princess and the Sword Crafter. They executed extraordinary moves that did justice to their titles. Next, Leticia concentrated her magical power on the tip of her sword, timing it so that the light bullets would not fly towards her. Then a white point of light was born at the tip of the sword. Then it expanded instantly. It swelled into a sphere the size of a human head.
They probably came from that place!
Leticia then fired the ball of light she had created towards the point of the incoming bullets of light. The ball of light flew through the air as if gliding. When it passed the cliff and reached the sea, it stopped there for a moment. It was fifty meters from the material yard where Leticia and the others were, and thirty meters from the cliff. The ball of light only looked like a point of light once it flew that far. But the next moment, it stopped. A tremendous flash of light seared the eyes of those present. It was as if the sun had fallen. A heavy sound, like a thump, echoed. The glow lasted only a few seconds, and there was no heat, no sign of an explosion. But as the light dimmed and their blinking eyes became accustomed to the darkness again, Mito, Seri and Liesbert, who had good night vision, shuddered at the magic’s strength. At the edge of the cape cliff. The solid bedrock was completely destroyed in the area where the sphere of light had touched it. No noise was heard, no debris was scattered around. The light bullets that had flown a few minutes ago, scattering fragments everywhere, had disappeared without a trace.
How tremendous… Mito, who was behind Leticia, let out a sigh of astonishment. I see. As soon as she saw that the attacker’s location could not be identified, she attacked with a wide area so that the attacker could not escape, even if they retreated a little. I don’t know who or what it was, but it will have been eliminated without a trace.
In fact, the light bullets had stopped coming. Now it was hard to tell who was firing them, but if they were planning to buy time, then they had achieved their goal. By the time Leticia had cast her spell, Reynard had already gained enough distance.
‘Answer my call and come. Come, with your fierce and majestic wings. Fall from on high, King of Earth, Hasten and follow my command!’
At first, it was a small darkness, like a drop of black ink in the blackness of night. Then the darkness grew larger as Reynard recited his spell. It was as if it was the exact opposite of the light Leticia had just created. As the darkness stretched to the size of a three-story building, the thing Reynard had summoned appeared out of it. It was a lizard-like head. It had glowing yellow eyes and a jaw so large that it could even hold an animal as big as a horse. It had razor-sharp teeth. Red flames could be glimpsed from the back of its throat, flickering in rhythm with its breathing. Behind the head, a thick foreleg like a large tree trunk emerged from the darkness. Then, a torso like a small mountain. On its back, huge wings swayed in rhythm with the body’s movement. And finally, a strong tail as thick as its front and hind legs. As soon as it glided through the darkness, it swung back and forth vigorously and sent one of the nearby sheds flying.
The wooden shed, which had been a warehouse for storing tools, was easily destroyed by the blow of the tail, and the wood flew through the air along with the tools inside.
“A dragon…” Wynn gulped saliva.
Some adventurers who relied too much on their own abilities would tell you that dragons were nothing more than lizards with wings. They would say that the dragons in myths and stories were simply exaggerated by their authors, because most of them had never seen a dragon with their own eyes, and the authors of the stories were describing them from their imaginations based on books and legends written in the past. The more powerful the dragon was, the more emphasis was placed on the exploits of the heroes who defeated it in the story. The dragon’s strength was just an illusion, exaggerated to make the story more interesting. Although he believed in the existence of dragons, Wynn also thought there was a certain point of truth when it was said that their strength was over exaggerated. However, after seeing the creature that had just appeared in front of him, he had to change his mind.
“This is a real dragon?”
Of the same dragons that appeared in many myths, legends and heroic stories. Its steel-hard scales repelled blades, and its sharp fangs and claws could cut and bite through hard rocks. And it was said that the powerful breath it exhaled from its snout could destroy even mountains. But even without it, his massive body and the muscles that supported him were by themselves a tremendous threat. By simply waving its thick limbs and strong tail, even a stone fortress would be destroyed and people would easily become masses of flesh.
A dragon named Fiand, king of the dragon race living in the east, was enraged by the invasion of his home by the demons during the war against them, and burned the entire area to the ground. This incident brought to light the fact that Fiand, who had been spoken of in name only since the mythical time of Anastasia, the goddess of creation, really existed, and that dragons were as powerful as gods and demon kings. This dragon named Fiand was said to be as big as a city.
Wynn had experienced several battles with giant demons. In the past, he had defeated a giant demonic wolf that could overtake the trees of the forest, and more recently, the giant ants’ queen that he had encountered in the underground tunnels of the Majil mountains. It’s aura of intimidation was greater than that of any demon. The mere fact that it was large was enough to make people feel a strong sense of oppression. But the dragon that had just appeared in front of him was of a different order of magnitude. Although it appeared a bit far from where Wynn was standing, it felt as if a mountain was looming in front of him.
A huge sailing ship anchored in the harbor. A cathedral, a large dining hall, and a temporary temple with several large rooms. These were the great buildings Wynn had seen in Lyon. But this creature was bigger than any of them. The strongest species on earth that had lived since the mythological age.
“That dragon… it looks familiar.”
Deep in the Majil Mountains, a dragon had settled to protect a World Tree sapling. Mito had seen this dragon many times in the square where the World Tree sapling grew before the mine was abandoned. The dragon had never attacked the dwarves or the people digging for iron unless the sapling or he himself was in danger.
“I see… that’s why it wasn’t there. I didn’t think he had been caught in a magical technique….”
The dragon usually slept peacefully, except when he went out to get food. He didn’t expect to find it in a place like this. Mito prayed with his eyes closed, even though the threat of a dragon was right in front of him. Although he was not familiar with magic, he could imagine what was happening to the dragon. Maybe it was going through the same thing as the people who had just arrived. Otherwise, the dragon, the proud king of heaven and earth, would not have been used by a human mage.
As if answering Mito’s prayer for compassion, the dragon tilted its head back and howled skyward. Its roar sounded as if it was angry with itself and with the mage who used him. The air shook, and a part of the cliff collapsed and fell into the sea. It wasn’t even an attack. It was just a roar, but it had such an impact on the surroundings. Even Wynn and the others who were far away had to hold on tight so as not to be swept away by the gust of wind.
“The dragon, like these people, seems to have its soul distorted and its body wounded.” Liara’s voice contained a tinge of deep sadness as she said this.
“Letty.”
Leticia, who was with Mito, stepped forward with her sword lowered.
“Yes. He is a champion who soars in the sky and rules the land. But that dragon has lost most of its power. Perhaps it is only a shadow of its former self.”
Leticia was the only one standing, unperturbed by the dragon’s roar, as if it were a matter of course.
Even that dragon… isn’t even he a threat to Letty? Mito looked at Leticia, standing in front of him, shielding her face from the dust raised by the flapping of the dragon’s wings.
Leticia, her silky golden hair fluttering in the fierce wind, stood silently with her sword at her side. Her figure was that of a hero facing a dragon. She was like a picture in the eyes of Wynn and the others. Leticia’s small body glowed with a pale golden radiance. The sense of intimidation radiating from her small body was no less than that of the imposing dragon. To a dragon, a person would normally be no different from a mere ant. There was a great difference in power between the two creatures. But it seemed that even the dragon could not ignore the presence it sensed from Leticia, who stood silently. It emitted a menacing growl from the back of its throat and turned to her. In time with the roar, a gurgling red flame burned on the back of her chin. Although it was being controlled by Reynard, it seemed to recognize Leticia as a dangerous presence. However…
“Tch. What are you doing, dragon? Your primary duty is to remove those hateful barriers in the middle.”
That was what Reynard said as he gently landed on the dragon’s head. In response, the dragon roared, and to the ears of Wynn and the others, it sounded like a cry of pain.
“Ahaha! Kukuku… What do you think, are you surprised, Brave? This is the work of Conrad-sama’s great wisdom. A great power that can subdue even this dragon. Even if it is an unfinished technique, it can accomplish this.”
‘Curse you, mage…’
At that moment, a voice echoed in his head.
‘How humiliating that you would manipulate my body even after death and use it for your own desires.’
“Tch, tch. But what a surprise. I didn’t think that even after death, you would still have a consciousness in your body. Even rotting, you are a dragon.” Reynard said with a laugh. “But as a the loser, you don’t have the slightest right to say anything, do you? The loser is deprived of everything, and loses the right to even complain. Isn’t that what it has always been?”
‘You fool… Even if you do things with borrowed power, if you don’t know how to control it, you will find nothing but ruin.”
“Tch, shut up. The loser has no right to say anything. You should just be quiet and follow my orders.”
‘Guh… You, daughter of man, have extraordinary powers. Will you grant me a wish? My body is no longer under my will because of that damned mage. I regret to say that I am unable to disobey his orders for the nefarious things he plans to do. So, could you use your power to destroy him and save my soul?’
“Great and proud dragon. I will grant you your wish. My name is Leticia. I am Leticia von Mavis. In the world of men, I am known as the Brave.”
‘Allow me to thank you, Leticia the Brave. When I was alive, my name was Verni. I am truly honored to have this body perish at your hands.’
“Tch, don’t ignore me and pretend I’m not here.” Reynard shouted, interrupting the exchange between the dragon who called himself Verni and Leticia. “Tch, tch, you are just a tool! Come on, dragon! Now, obey my will and smash this hateful high elven barrier!”
Leticia ran. The arm that moved against Verni’s will, thicker than a tree trunk and covered with scales harder than steel, was easily severed by the sword of the Holy Spirit that appeared in Leticia’s hand. And then, at a brisk, backward pace, Leticia cut deep into the dragon’s belly with her sword. Then, with the momentum, she ducked under the dragon’s belly, kicked it in the hind legs and jumped. Next, she jumped even higher and swung her sword at the dragon’s thick neck.
‘It was useless… you didn’t make it in time.’
Verni’s plaintive voice echoed in her head. Forced by Reynard, Vernis exhaled his breath faster than Leticia’s sword could cut off his head. A breath with incredibly high temperature and destructive power came out of Verni’s mouth. It extended all the way to Sarah Ferrule’s shrine. Almost at the same time as the dragon’s head, which had been cut off by Leticia, fell to the ground, the breath reached the barrier protecting the shrine.
“Tch, tch, tch, Sarah Ferrule! The legacy of the great mage you stole will now be mine!”
After a moment of balance of power, an unpleasant, loud sound like metal scratching glass that lasted a few seconds, the sound of something hard cracking echoed throughout.
“Hahahaha! Now, all that’s left is the barrier that Sarah Ferrule put up with the help of the God of Destruction. Tch, tch, now it’s your turn. Open the legacy path before me.” He called out to the only one of the people he had ordered not to fight Wynn and the others.
A diligent craftsman in the town at the foot of the mountain, and with dead eyes he cast a spell upon the door of the shrine as Reynard commanded.
‘My God, may the desire of thy servant be heard. By the power of thy greatness, grant me the key that unlocks the seal.’
With the magic of Rolf’s prayer, the shrine was enveloped in a faint glow, and then slowly opened from left to right. And then…
“With this… with this, the legacy is mine!” Reynard’s loud laughter was heard at the top of the cape, where the effects of the dragon’s breath and the destruction of the barriers still lingered.
