A brilliant beam of light descended from the sky, melting everything it touched, and asserted its overwhelming presence in the heart of the Kingdom of Tenerope.
“What in the world…”
Its power was immense, far beyond comparison to advanced magic. It was potent enough to be considered transcendental magic. The radiant beam from the heavens carried an overwhelming amount of magical energy.
‘But I think I heard Francia’s voice.’
It was unclear whether it was due to his utterly exhausted body or his hyper-sensitive state. Yet, Yohan could distinctly recall Francia’s voice brushing past his ears.
“…Am I hearing things now?”
Regardless, it was a chance to escape, and he had to take it. Yohan dragged his staggering body and set out to find Eris.
Unfortunately, Fedelian was nowhere to be found.
It seemed that the shadows had taken him and fled. While this was regretful, Yohan was relieved to know he had plenty of ways to track him.
By reading Fedelian’s magical energy through his mental landscape, he had fully grasped its essence. Using a tracking spell, he could find him at any time.
As for Cassis, Yohan decided not to worry.
With one shoulder gone and his body sprawled on the ground, he was bleeding out so profusely that it wouldn’t be surprising if he went into shock soon.
Especially in the current chaos, survival seemed impossible for him.
Anyway, Yohan kept moving forward. Eris had been flung westward, a considerable distance away. The lingering effects of the battle hadn’t reached that far, which gave him some relief.
Barely dragging himself to the rubble of a collapsed building, Yohan summoned his magic. Crackle! His battered magical circuits felt like they were burning.
“Urgh…”
Gritting his teeth against the pain, he used his magic to lift the debris. Digging deeper into the wreckage, he finally uncovered Eris, unconscious. Her breath was faint but still present.
“Eris.”
He gently called her name while supporting her, but there was no response. Her condition was dire. Her already pale skin had turned a ghostly white, and her breathing had grown shallow.
‘Damn it.’
Eris might not survive.
He had to reunite with the inspectors as quickly as possible.
Lifting her into his arms, Yohan began walking slowly. Boom! Explosions echoed around him, accompanied by the screams of citizens.
The ground shook, black, acrid smoke billowed into the sky, and ashes swirled in the air. The stench of burning stung his nose.
“Ugh…”
As Yohan moved to escape the scene, Eris, cradled in his arms, stirred slightly. She slowly opened her eyes, her blurry gray pupils focusing faintly on him.
“Who… are you?”
“It’s me.”
“Ah…”
Her cracked voice struggled to form words.
“What about… the traitor…?”
“He escaped,” Yohan answered quickly, adding reassurance. “But you don’t need to worry. I can find him soon. For now, we must focus on the immediate situation.”
“…I see.”
Eris’s body went limp again. Her eyes kept fluttering shut.
“Stay awake.”
“…”
“Eris!”
“Ah…”
At Yohan’s shout, Eris weakly opened her blurry eyes to look at him. Slowly, she lifted her hand and gently touched his cheek.
“You’re so handsome…”
“…”
“I wish you could’ve been my lover.”
“…”
“Your skin is so nice too.”
“I’ll let you touch it as much as you want later.”
“Wow…!”
It seemed her semi-conscious state was making her spout all kinds of nonsense. Yohan said nothing, thinking that when she regained her senses, she’d probably cringe at the memory.
Just as they exited the danger zone, a group of inspectors appeared.
“Highlander Special Inspector! Rahardt, the Elite Mage!”
Other inspectors were approaching. They didn’t look to be in great condition either, likely due to clashes with the Golden Knights.
“Let’s evacuate. We’ve prepared an escape route.”
“Is there a healer among you?”
“Yes!”
“Please tend to the Highlander Special Inspector.”
Yohan gently laid Eris down. A healing magic-wielding inspector examined her condition.
“Her abdominal organs are completely ruptured. It’s a miracle she’s alive right now.”
It was the aftermath of the damage caused by the Grand Swordmaster. It would’ve been stranger if she were unharmed.
“But she can be saved. We’re not too late.”
“That’s a relief.”
A warm, green glow enveloped the healer’s hands. Mana flowed into Eris, and her complexion gradually began to recover.
“I’ve received word—reinforcements are on the way. The First and Second Administrators, along with the Imperial Knights, are joining us.”
The leader of the First Administration, Grand Duke Renokhonan, was also a Grand Swordmaster who had reached transcendence. The captain of the Imperial Knights, responsible for protecting the capital, was equally formidable.
It might seem odd that such powerful figures hadn’t intervened earlier, but the stronger someone was, the more constraints they faced. A blade as sharp as theirs required a clear justification to be wielded.
“Yes, let’s join them immediately.”
Yohan nodded. Then, he glanced back at the battlefield. The acrid smoke continued to rise into the sky.
‘….What was that light?’
It couldn’t have simply been support from the empire. There were no mages capable of using such magic.
‘I have no idea.’
In any case, it had been a tremendous help. Now, they just needed to focus on recovery and dealing with Fedelian. Turning back, Yohan followed the inspectors toward safety.
* * *
In the woods near the royal road.
With the help of the shadows, Fedelian evacuated to an uninhabited area.
He was a wreck.
His body was covered in magic burns, and one ankle had been amputated.
“…It won’t regenerate.”
“What?”
Shadow, who knew how to use healing arts, tried to regenerate it, but the missing ankle didn’t return.
“Well, the ankle is completely disconnected from the mana, so it can’t seep in…”
“Damn it!”
Fedelian slammed his clenched fist down on the rock. Shards of stone flew in all directions, his face crumpling like a demon.
‘Yohan Rahardt, you’re going to the end…!
At this rate, it would be impossible to escape. My maneuvering is hampered. Even with the help of the shadows, I’m sure they’ll catch me by the tail.
“Damn it…”
Fedelian wiped his crumpled face with both hands. Things had gone quite wrong.
The trusted Duke of Aegis had been caught by surprise, and Cassis Renokhonan, the one person he thought would be helpful, was helpless and near death.
At this rate, his survival, let alone his crowning, was uncertain.
“Let’s get out of here. On the other side-”
At that moment, a shadowy figure in front of Fedelian vanished without a trace, leaving only his wrist behind.
“What the…!”
“Fedelian Rogino.”
Before he had a chance to panic, a clean, feminine voice rang in his ears. A familiar voice. He turned his head.
“….Francia? Why are you here?”
There she was, the woman Ferdelian had wanted so badly.
“I’m glad I can take you into my own hands.”
“What does that mean…”
Woof!!!
The golden blade in her hand glowed. A vast gust of pulsating magic power surged, and a gust of wind swept around them.
Kwagwagwag!
“Ugh!”
Fedelian covered his face with his arms. He can’t open his eyes. The wind is too sharp.
“Francia, what the hell!”
“I’m going to kill you.”
A jerk. She stumbles to her feet. Her red eyes were cold, her face rigid. A sick, vicious, flesh-crunching sensation.
“You’d better not expect to get comfortable, for I’m going to exterminate your very soul.”
The golden tip of the sword flashed in the light and pointed at Fedelian. The target was the heart. The part that contained a man’s soul.
“Damn it, what the hell! Come on!”
“It’s just you and me right now.”
Before he could finish his sentence.
Poof!!!
A golden beam of light pierced through Fedelian’s heart in an instant. Blood gushed out, and a stifled scream erupted from his mouth.
“They’re all dead.”
“Huh…!”
The express knight indeed. His heart had been pierced, but he was still slightly alive.
“Hoo-hoo.”
Thud.
The eerie sound of her laughter echoed as she took another step forward. Francia approached slowly, a cold, fish-like grin spreading across her face.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
“….”
“Always wanted to kill you.”
Fedelian sprawled on the floor and looked up at her. Pitbull spewing from the corner of his mouth. It hurt. Insanely painful…
“May the heavens atone for your sins.”
The golden sword was raised high in the air. The tip of the blade was pointed at Fedelian’s throat.
“Though I doubt you’ll go in peace.”
Poof!!!
It sliced through skin, ripped through muscle, and shattered bone. But he would not go easy.
For the Artifact, Gladius Luminis, is a sword that judges the sins of its wielder.
Fedelian’s sins are too numerous to count, and he will burn in the fires of Hell for hundreds of years.
“Hah…!”
The corners of Francia’s mouth slowly turned up. It was a normal smile, but with an unknown twist.
“Yohan, wait…”
She fought back a rush of joy, and started walking again. She didn’t need to worry about the shadows, they were all dead.
The reason she had so little combat power was because of the artifacts she had taken from the celestial mage’s library.
The time had come, everything was ready, and now she didn’t have to hold back as she had before.
‘I’ll kill them all.’
I had originally intended to kill only Fedelian and Cassis, but I changed my mind. Just in case, I’d take out the rest of them, too.
‘For me and Yohan.’
Her red eyes flashed with murderous intensity.
* * *
Support arrived.
Judging by the speed of their arrival, they had been waiting all along.
So Yohan, minimally restored to health, accompanied the inspectors in pursuit of Fedelian.
He was in the woods near the royal road.
And then–
“What is this…”
“They’re all dead?”
The interior of the forest was a bloodbath, and the shadows under Fedelian’s command were all dead. One by one, their hearts were pierced.
“Let’s go in.”
Following the mana-tracking spell, they went further in. An open clearing emerged, and there, a familiar blond head.
“That’s…”
“Fedelian.”
It was Fedelian, and he was dead, his eyes closed. Even his head was still there…
“….”
“….”
The inspectors all pursed their lips, dumbfounded. Who could have killed Fedelian in such a gruesome manner?
“Judging by the fact that only the head was left, there must have been an altercation. It’s as if the Tenepe have taken a stand.”
The Jebela Highlander spoke up.
“With the way things have turned out, there’s no point in supporting the Fedelians, since they can no longer usurp the throne.”
He was right. It was too late for Tenerope, but it was best to kill Fedelian now and hope for the best.
“Whoa.”
Yohan swept his bangs back and let out a deep sigh. Something about this felt hollow.
‘We can still execute Cassis, but…’
Cassis had been captured. He’s healed, barely clinging to life, and now he’ll be executed in the streets of the Ecliptic.
He will go down in history as a traitor, a madman whose brain is muscle.
“Is that all?”
A procurator asked.
“Yes. The execution is complete, and the escaped Cassis Renokhonan has been captured.”
The executioner’s job was done. There was no reason to tread the soil of Penelope any longer.
“Let us return.”
In any case, the job was done.
* * *
Blazing flames devoured the earth, and the ceiling was covered in black smoke.
Molten lava roiled on the ground, and the air was filled with the stench of hot ash and sulfur.
The wind howled like a scream, echoing endlessly.
“Extinguish!!!”
I hallucinated my skin melting away. No, it was too vivid a pain to be a hallucination. The burning of his flesh, the flames that seemed to burn through him.
burning flames pierced his nerves endlessly, crushing his consciousness.
A searing pain wracked his entire body.
The heat of the flames tore at his throat as they seeped into his bones, and the flames raced frantically across his skin, never letting up.
“Ugh…! What the hell!”
Fedelian groaned. It was as if he had become a living torch.
The pain wasn’t just heat; it was the sensation of thousands of blades digging into his flesh, a constant scream, a nightmare that consumed his mind.
“Extinguish…!”
Fedelian screamed, engulfed by the flames. A pungent smoke filled his lungs. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot.
How long is this going to last? It must only be a moment. Yes, it’s only a moment. Just a little longer and I’ll be comfortable…
[I confess your sins].
Then a voice echoed through the inferno.
[You have taken thousands of lives, trampled on your own kind. Know the weight of your sins, and your punishment will be as great as the blood you have shed, as great as the number of your own].
“Ugh…! What are you…?”
Fedelian chewed his lip as his entire body burned with pain.
[7,814 years in total].
The Judge continued.
[Time for you to suffer the torments of Hell].
Fedelian’s face turned pale.