Chapter 402 – Victory March (4)

000

Black giant.

People who escorted the emperor of the empire and took on his orders to serve as executives of the nation.

Each one of them is a mighty warrior, and each of them did their part his and led the war between the Empire and the Kingdom.

According to legend, he was a member of the platoon led by the emperor at the military academy, where the emperor of the empire gradually rose to prominence.

Conquest of Berlin.

Otis of War.

Death Hutina.

Famine Poltuk.

Their names spread widely not only in the Empire but also in the Kingdom.

The people of the kingdom trembled in fear, considering them followers of the devil or the devil itself.

Their strangely deep loyalty to the Emperor of the Empire, and their unforgiving attitude toward the enemies of the Kingdom.

Not only did they harass countless people in the kingdom, but they were also respected and feared at the same time among the people of the same empire.

Of course, it was a troublesome opponent for the warriors who fought against the empire along with the kingdom.

In particular, Otis, who was good at plotting and scheming, had been interrupted several times from the beginning of the trip and faced a great crisis, Lesia had said.

If they survived after the war, they wouldn’t have been able to avoid being tried for war crimes.

In that case, he would have been punished so severely that he would have been better off dying in war.

For those who stood on the side of the emperor of the empire and insulted countless lives, it could be said that it was an appropriate ending.

However, they were all defeated by the hero Lesia.

They were evil people who did what the emperor commanded them to do, drowning people into the abyss of sorrow and despair.

They met a fitting end.

In the fight against the black giant, Lecia was perfected as a hero.

But- it’s not just Lesia who has a relationship with them.

Before the current king of the kingdom, Lucius Chaldearis ascended to the throne.

When I was still a child.

The Empire kidnapped Lucius, who was crown prince, while Lucius was away from El Cerdo, the royal capital, for private purposes, not for public affairs.

It was Otis who led the plan.

Naturally, the kingdom demanded the return of the crown prince, but the empire insisted that Lucius invaded the empire’s territory first.

Certainly, the place where he was kidnapped was where the border between the Empire and the Kingdom was blurred.

Even so, the royalty of a country.

Also, kidnapping the Crown Prince, who would become the next king, could not help but go against the circumstances.

The empire began to make various demands to the kingdom, taking Lucius as a hostage.

The kingdom did not feel the value of accepting the unreasonable request that started with ‘If you want the crown prince back’.

The nobility began to express radical opinions that it was necessary to use force against the empire in order to get the crown prince back.

It was because there was a lot of opinion that the empire at the time was an unstable country with a new emperor sitting on the throne.

Besides, the empire, which could not return to its lost golden age despite the former emperor’s policy, was no longer seen as even a virtual enemy in the kingdom.

A team of knights is sent to the place where the crown prince is being held, subdues his guards his and retrieves Lucius.

The military might of a crumbling empire would do nothing against such a thing.

Hegemony of the continent had long since passed to the kingdom, and he had to inform the young emperor of the empire.

So, the Crown Prince Rescue Team was organized.

20 elite kingdom knights, 300 common soldiers.

Despite the information articles’ dissuade, they headed to the prisoner of war camp of the empire.

This is the place where it is said that Lucius, the crown prince of the kingdom, was imprisoned.

In conclusion, it was a tragedy.

The Empire’s soldiers were far more powerful than the kingdom expected, and they were waiting for the kingdom’s army armed with the latest magic tools.

17 out of 20 knights in the kingdom were killed, and 300 common soldiers were annihilated.

Then, their severed heads were packed in boxes and sent to the royal capital.

Of course, the recapture of Prince Lucius also failed.

Many nobles were shocked by this ridiculously clean defeat.

In particular, for a kingdom that lost 17 elite knights overnight, restoring its lost power was the priority.

According to the three surviving knights, all the dark giants of the empire were there, and each of them was said to be as strong as Drake, the dragon knight, or Percy, the hero.

This incident was an act that gave the empire a reason to attack the kingdom, and it was also an act that ignited the fuse of the war between the empire and the kingdom.

—And at that time, Lucius was having a hellish time in the prison camp of the Empire.

Otis, who was directly in charge of managing Lucius in the camp, had the heads of the decapitated kingdom soldiers put directly into boxes.

To prevent falling asleep even by mistake, torture is applied by dripping water droplets on the forehead at regular intervals while tied to the bed.

Sometimes, they were forcibly brought to see the terrible human experiments conducted by the empire, and they had to fix their eyelids and stare at the horrendous appearance.

It was Otis who thoroughly imprinted the fear of the empire on Lucius.

The reason why such Lucius, who was not strange even when his mind collapsed, did not break.

The fact that it was thanks to Sariel, the beautiful girl he met for the first time in the camp.

Does Lucius remember?

001

“Otis…!? Are you talking about that black giant Otis!?”

“Bah, that’s stupid! I heard that the hero Lesia-sama defeated him…!”

Citizens as well as nobles.

And especially, the two legendary nobles who were active in the war 30 years ago, Duke Regent and Sir Percys, couldn’t help but stare at the man who was too lively to be called a specter, with their hardened faces still unsolved.

Otis suddenly looks at these two people and greets them with one arm raised as if meeting an old friend.

“Hey! They’re both old! Well, after 30 years, it’s time for the young men to become old men… Haha!”

Percys clenched his fists at his words and shouted to Regent in front of him.

“Regent! Bite the soldier! Fight with the knights! This man… Is too dangerous!”

After hearing Percy’s voice his, Li Gent, who suddenly came to his senses his, nodded his head and commanded the soldiers.

“Ah, ah…! Sir Drake! Protect Your Majesty!”

As soon as his horse falls off, the dragon knight on top moves right next to Lucius.

Already, the purpose of leading the noble council to overthrow the Tromeya family was good enough for him.

“It’s too much… Am I not included in your conversation just because I’m young?”

The moment after Otis shook his head while laughing as if it were too much.

“Haha!”

A blue flash of light jumped out from the marching line.

It was a powerful blow that was swung with divine magic power.

Bang! When a huge shock erupts, Otis raises his dagger to block the attack on himself.

“…Sir…!”

“Aruru!?”

When Sir Percys’ panicked voice rang out, cheers erupted from the crowd at the same time.

“Aruru-sama!”

“If it’s Aruru-sama, even if it’s the Dark Giant!”

The voice of citizens’ expectations that he hears.

However, Aruru’s heart was not so comfortable.

It was nice to come out to take down the man in front of me, the obvious enemy of the kingdom, but-

Watching Otis not only responding to her own surprise blow, but also blocking it with one arm and a dagger, Aruru breaks into a cold sweat.

It didn’t matter that the Arondite in her hand was about to break as it cracked.

The problem was that unlike himself, who was using both of his hands her, he still had one hand left.

“Arondite… Wielding the holy sword of Tromeiya means that you are the son of Sir Percys. Hmm, are you a woman? It’s not bad. Skills and beauty… His Majesty the Emperor will be pleased with you.” Except for being a warrior.”

“Kuh, you bastard!!”

With one hand left behind, she thought she would attack him, but all she got back was her insulting sentence her.

Aruru, enraged by his words her as if she were judging herself, immediately put more of her magical energy into it and overloaded Aaron Dite himself.

Then, Aaron Dyte increased the cutting power of the holy sword that she had while cracking open the cracks on her body.

The black dagger in Otis’ hand and the arondite shattered at the same time, scattering fragments in all directions.

“Arondite! Don’t miss it!”

The next moment, when Aruru commanded the holy sword like that, the fragments that spread all over her glowed in the air once again.

Each of them became another arondite and flew toward Otis.

“Ah. Come to think of it, it was this kind of ability. It’s annoying.”

Otis moves his body like an acrobat, dodging the alondites flying towards him with a gap of a piece of paper.

Part of it was to use one of the remaining daggers, held in one hand, to break them apart as if cutting off flying flies.

‘No matter how fragmented it is… Arondaite is so easy…!’

Aruru, while looking at his skills her, grabbed one of the Arundites waiting to be ejected while floating in the air.

‘But, if it’s an overloaded arondite, I can break that dagger too!’

Aruru draws out several traces of blue flash while unleashing a series of lightning-like attacks.

While displaying all of the swordsmanship he had polished up until now, he focused all his energy on her on slashing the great criminal in front of him.

As the number of fragments spread around increases, this area becomes Aruru Tromeiya’s territory.

A series of attacks, followed by another series of attacks.

If only the number of attacks, it would have already exceeded dozens, but Otis was receiving them all without blinking an eye.

“Certainly, you seem to have more talent than Percys…”

“Father… Don’t insult me!”

If you shout like that, 6 huge arondite fragments will be created behind Aruru’s back his.

The fragments that were spread around – and even the lesser crystal powders coalesced into one, shaped like the wings of blue ice.

As it is, it spins and charges toward Otis like a giant lance.

Otis evaded the spears one by one, trying to hit only the unavoidable ones with his dagger, but-

Of course, it’s not just Otis that can move.

When Aruru jumps up holding Arondite in her hand, she flies high in the sky and gets out of the spears’ trajectory.

And, the place where she moved was right behind Otis.

Aruru’s eyes her sparkled at the simultaneous attack from the front and back, an attack that no one could avoid.

However, in that situation, the only ones who raised their voices were neither Aruru, nor Otis, who was being attacked.

A hero of the kingdom who has fought swords with Otis many times and knows his danger.

It was Percys Tromeilla.

“No! Aruru! Fall!”

The father’s voice shouting that was probably a little late.

Quadduk…!

The sound of tearing human flesh, piercing muscle, and shattering bones resounded.

Otis gave up defense and received Aruru’s sword with his back her, and at the same time, spears created from fragments of arondite were pierced into his arms, legs, and heart his.

“…”

Silence.

Not only Aruru, but also the citizens who watched the scene. Nobles. And even the king, Lucius, could not make a sound.

That will be too.

Otis himself, who was attacked, must have given up defense after intuition that he could not avoid it.

That expression was not distorted by shock, anger, or pain.

It was because it was such an evil smile that seemed to have concentrated human malice.

“Aruru!”

At that time, Sir Percys jumped and pushed Aruru’s body over her.

Aruru, though, remained frozen and unable to separate from his sword her.

With his father’s help his, he came to his senses his and quickly got up and tried to look up at his father his.

“Arbor-“

“Ah— what is it? It feels good as expected. Percys.”

Next moment.

Kwadeuk. With a sound, something like a black tentacle protrudes from Sir Percys’ left chest.

“—Huh?”

Thinking that such a voice had come from Aruru’s mouth, Sir Percys vomited blood from his mouth.

As he watched his own daughter’s face, his own blood his splatter.

With a thump, it collapses to the ground, like a giant tree falling.

“Father…?”

“Persis!!”

Aruru’s devastated expression, and at the same time, the Regent’s voice burst out.

Piercing through the chest of the fallen Percys were countless wriggling black tentacles protruding from Otis’ open wounds.

It seemed to be filling his wounds—the inside of his body his, like the cotton that filled Otis.

“Sir Drake!”

When Duke Regent’s voice rang once again, the next moment, a huge flame engulfed Otis’ body in his.

It was the flame magic that the dragon knight who had descended from the king’s chariot radiated from his fingertips with one hand outstretched.

“It’s a pretty good magic. That’s with no chant. But-“

Otis said that, and as if he did n’t care about flames, he tried to stretch out his tentacles at the dragon knight without erasing the smile on his face.

Drake was no longer there.

He moved at a speed that didn’t even leave an afterimage, and before he knew it, he had moved behind Otis.

He poured the potion he was holding into Sir Percys’ wound.

“D, Drake… Sir…”

Aruru, while looking at such a dragon knight, sees that Percys’ wounds are slowly healed, and succeeds in regaining his disordered spirit.

“Hey, is it Mushi?”

But, did she feel sorry for being ignored? The moment after Otis tries to look back at Drake.

She realized that her body was divided into upper and lower halves.

The red straight line was drawn the red spear Drake was holding.

Watching the tentacles bursting from his own lower half as he writhed away in a burst of flames, Otis burst out laughing.

“Haha! That’s amazing! Is this a modern dragon knight…! You’ve created more monsters than 30 years ago!”

But, next moment.

As Otis’s lower body turns to ashes and disappears, the tentacles protruding from his upper body her intertwine to form a temporary bridge.

Citizens who saw it run away in fear, but Otis talks while tapping his leg as if shaking off dust.

“It’s not bad. It’s fortunate that he remained as a good opponent for war. If this is the case, even the current kingdom without Lesia would be worthwhile. I can deliver good news to my compatriots as well.”

“…Otis… You bastard…! I will never forgive you!”

Aruru gets up again holding the arondite, but Otis laughs and says,

“We don’t ask for any forgiveness, lady. We only want one thing.”

Then, he puts his hand on his chest and scatters to ashes from under his feet her.

“It is only the order of His Majesty the Emperor, who is our master.”

“…The demonic sword emperor is dead!”

“No, he’s alive. I can still feel him… That’s why we appeared. To commemorate this false victory.”

At his words her, Aruru tightly gripped the holy sword she was holding.

If what they’re talking about is Cleon-

Aruru had to tell them.

“Cleon is not the Demonic Sword Emperor.”

“Ahahaha! Maybe now!”

Otis laughed and pointed his finger at Lucius.

“But… The more he is disappointed in this country. The more this country treats him badly… The closer he will become to our emperor.”

“──”

Aruru’s expression made her look like he hit her head hard at his words her.

“Then next time, with other compatriots… This time, let’s come for a real ‘war’, not a greeting.”

“Wait! Other compatriots, no way other black giants…!”

Otis disappears, ignoring Aruru’s voice her.

Lucius was still terrified.

Drake and Regent look at Percy, who has fallen to the ground.

Regent commands.

“…The victory march is stopped. Let’s go back to the palace with His Majesty.”

001

And Cleon heard from Lyla that such a commotion was happening far ahead.

The fact that Laila, who was watching the situation from a distance, was somehow sorted out and—

Hearing that the march might be stopped, Cleon nodded his head.

Hearing that Percys had fallen, Cleon was worried about Aruru, but first of all, if this abnormal march does n’t continue, Amelia will be able to safely return to her tower.

“…What happened? The front…Is everyone okay?”

“… Lyla said. It seems that a strange man appeared and there was a battle. … In the process, Sir Percys was wounded, but it seems that his life was not affected.”

When Amelia sighs at Cleon’s words her, Cleon looks at her with her bitter face.

“Even though both of us are being pursued for our lives. It seems that the march is called off, so I think we’re going back to the castle.”

“…I see. …Then, will the assassination request for Cleon be stopped?”

“——Well, I guess I’ll have to watch that a little longer.”

As Cleon muttered, he looked around the street.

Perhaps, this day will go down in history as the worst march.

Blood mixed with pollen scattered on the ground.

And, the expressions of the citizens who were terrified, and their eyes looking at themselves and Amelia.

All of them were displeased and couldn’t help it, but Cleon calmly persevered.

[…—What is it? This…]

The next moment, what came to Cleon’s ears his.

It was Lila’s voice that sounded a bit flustered.

[…What’s wrong, Lila?]

[No…Something. There’s a weird guy…Is it magic? Or, the Exiled Church…?]

[The Exiled Church…!?]

Cleon, nervous at her words his, put his hand on Galatea’s handle once more.

[Watch out, Cleon, something’s moving towards you fast. …But the movement path is strange, as if moving from space to space-]

As soon as Cleon heard those words, he instantly felt a movement of magical energy that seemed to pierce his body.

Her gaze was directed to Amelia, who was sitting behind her behind herself, inside her cage.

There, someone wearing a robe and holding a sword in one hand.

At Amelia, she was seen about to stab her dagger.

And the next moment.

If you think that the spark that popped out.

Amelia tumbled off her wagon as if on the ground.

It must have been because she couldn’t keep her body her centered. Surprised that her own body had been moved outside her cage.

She somehow turned her gaze back to where she was, and there-

“…!”

I saw Cleon pierced by her sword her, vomiting her blood her.