Chapter 840 – Fortress Seotrae

000

A huge cloud suddenly appeared in the sky above Asteris.

The citizens looked up at the sky to see it getting dark above their heads, even though the sacred trees had not yet bloomed.

And before I knew it, it was no longer surprising if it rained right away, and as I looked at the dark sky, I sighed.

“It won’t happen this year either…”

After someone speaks out like that, others will also come up with the opinion that it would be better to go indoors before the rain pours down.

However, what held them back was the special situation of the last day of the festival.

Thinking that the Five Elements Festival might end soon, he was anxious to return to his lodgings or his own home.

Maybe… Flowers will bloom on the sacred tree after a while?

So, wouldn’t it be possible to spend some time around the area, avoiding the rain?

＂If you don’t mind, please avoid the rain in our store! We are providing tea snacks as a service!”

At that time, I saw the young man who walked out after seeing the sky darken and saw him shouting that in front of his store.

The young man’s store was a small bar.

If you find yourself in this situation right now, of course you won’t be satisfied with just tea snacks.

If someone who doesn’t know the situation sees it, they might think that he ‘knows how to run a business’.

＂Our store too!＂

＂Us too!＂

However, when not only the young man but also other nearby stores raise their voices to use their stores, each citizen feels the same way: ‘If that’s the case…’

They stretched out along the road and entered the shops to avoid the rain.

Each store offers services that are not normally offered. Has it suddenly caught fire to attract customers?

Of course, that wasn’t the case.

Now, the stores that are attracting people on the streets are all stores belonging to the Dark Dragon Company managed by Herta.

A perspicacious person would have been able to tell that the stores of the Dark Dragon Store were trying to attract customers to their stores in any way possible, not just in the center of the street near the sacred tree, but regardless of the east, west, south, and north.

And, those stores are stores that have underground shelters prepared by Herti.

In other words, it was an operation to gather citizens indoors in advance before something happened outside and cause panic, and to evacuate them underground if something happened.

Moreover, it was the government forces of Asteris that gave strength to it.

“A huge, strong rainstorm is expected to arrive, so citizens, please move indoors nearby!”

This stimulated citizens’ concerns about rain.

Such a weather forecast did not come from a temple, but when you look at the sky that looks like it will rain right now, of course such propaganda works.

The citizens outside took their own steps and waited for the rain clouds to pass.

There were people watching that scene from the roof of the tallest building near the sacred tree.

“Citizens have begun to evacuate.”

“Huh. It must be an order from Herti and Master Miyeom.”

When Dryne lowered the small telescope she was holding in her hand and spoke, Aine nodded and answered.

When I first heard about the underground shelter from Herti, I was surprised that the construction was carried out so secretly that even they didn’t notice.

When, how, and where? Even more than the question, the huge cost and keeping it secret.

It certainly took a lot of effort.

“What’s left is whether it will be right on time.”

As Zwei looked up at the sky while saying that, the clouds covering the sky above Asteris were becoming larger and darker.

This type of cloud enlargement, which does not occur naturally, is, of course, because the clouds are not naturally formed.

Strictly speaking, this wasn’t even a rain cloud.

It’s just made to look like that, just floating in the sky and containing a little bit of moisture.

When Aine held out her hand to Dryne, Dryne handed over the telescope she was holding in her hand to her older sister.

And when Aine held up the telescope to the sky, there was a small dot floating at the end of the cloud that you couldn’t notice unless you looked closely.

Of course, it is not just a ‘point’.

Only a very few people knew that those floating there were wizards floating in the air through magic.

“How big will the clouds grow?”

Whether a cloud large enough to cover the entire fortress could be created in time depended on the skills of Lila and her friend who came to Asteris from a faraway academy to help her.

Of course, it wasn’t that Aine doubted Laila’s skills.

So then, what were the parties actually doing?

If you move the viewpoint up to the sky and to the side of the clouds, there, Lyla and Beatrix are diligently applying ice magic to convert the moisture in the air into clouds.

Only when the bottle of magic potion in their bag became half empty, were they able to create a cloud of a size that their vision could not contain.

However, even this is not enough to contain the entire fortress.

＂How much more do we need to grow in the future…?＂

After drinking another bottle, Wild Lila wipes her mouth and speaks as if she is a little tired, and Beatrix answers after sharing her view from the familiar she had flown to observe the size of the clouds.

＂Hmm… I think it’s about 70% right now… I think I’ll just have to make about half as much as I made now.”

＂Luckily, it’s more than halfway done… Haha. Using magic that doesn’t match the attribute consumes too much magic power and stamina.”

Beatrix smiled wryly as she watched Lila’s clouds continue to rise from her hands while she grumbled like that.

“Still, Lila is the only one who can use magic of a type for which she is not apt, using her attribute characteristics.”

“Well, it is the result of repeated research.”

It was a time when Lila was feeling a little proud after receiving Bea’s encouragement.

What I felt was an impact that vibrated the magic power in the air.

＂Ugh…!＂

＂Ugh…＂

For wizards who sensitively sense magic power, the vibration of magic power was a phenomenon similar to an earthquake occurring when a person was on the ground.

And, this type of vibration was usually a sign that someone had used a large amount of magical power, or that there was magic that affected space.

＂No way this-＂

When Lila, feeling dizzy, shook her head, raising her hand to her forehead, Beatrix nodded her head.

“Lila! Let’s spread the remaining clouds as widely as possible! Even if density is insufficient, you can overcome it with size!”

“I know! … If I had been even a little late in starting to make it, I would have been in big trouble…!”

The next moment, the clouds covering the sky changed their shape slightly, spreading out and increasing their size by 1.5 times.

Thanks to this, even though the moisture layer inside became a little thinner, it still reached the target size.

And at the same time-

Lila and Beatrix felt something like a chill running down their spines.

This sensation is the one I felt before at the Academy, when the ‘dimensional gap’ was torn apart.

If you think that something, like a line of light, appears horizontally-

Immediately afterward, the light opened up and down, and something appeared within it.

＂…!＂

A huge, flying fortress.

The weapon once used by humans to defeat the Demon King has once again appeared in the sky to lead humans to their destruction.

Neither Lila nor Beatrix could keep their mouths shut for a moment in front of its overwhelming size, but after confirming that the fortress was escaping from the gap in the other dimension and entering the clouds, the two quickly reached out to the clouds.

At the same time-

＂Cleon! Can’t you see it!? “

[Ah. I see it. This side is ready.]

At the answer that came back to Lila’s mind, she nodded her head.

Meanwhile, something like a huge battery attached to the side of the moving fortress moved, making a screeching sound, as if it didn’t care about the clouds.

What they are aiming at, of course, will be Asteris on the ground.

＂… I’ll set the timing right. I’ll count 3 seconds.”

When Lila says that, Beatrix nods her head.

＂3…＂

Tighten the magic organs in your body.

There was a need to reverse the properties of the magical power contained in the blood flowing throughout the body, starting from the heart.

＂2…＂

As she felt her body temperature drop rapidly, Lila felt as if her body was freezing.

However, this was bearable. The important thing is:

＂1…!＂

Soon, the magic power concentrated at her fingertips was collected and released at once.

She closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the possible depletion of her magical power.

＂Now!＂

001

＂Asteris, aiming is complete.＂

As the man in the monkey mask finished speaking, the man in the owl mask looked down at the ground.

Although it was only dimly visible due to the clouds, the green leaves of the sacred tree still existed before their eyes.

＂…＂

Sacred tree. He is a representative of the false gods that Adam hates.

Adam knew well that its purpose was not to be worshiped by humans and gather their faith to become a god.

“What is the barrier of Asteris?”

“It’s being held firmly. In front of this weapon, it is no different from a piece of paper.”

In response, the owl nods his head.

“In a land ruled by those who went against the Father’s will and turned their eyes away from the truth. His mace.”

After his prayer-like words, the monkey masked man tried to put his finger on the fire button.

When this is pressed, the magic incineration bullet fired from the fortress will burn the Asteris barrier, go inside, and fall to the ground.

And a huge explosion will occur, which will not only incinerate all the surrounding magic power, but also cut off the spirit vein.

People, animals, buildings, and plants will all be burned without distinction, and even their bones will be reduced to ashes.

The entire sacred tree becomes a huge firewood that will burn for several hours.

In the history of the inherited world, there will never be another such mass destruction of life in such a short period of time.

Reflecting on the fact that we are together in such a historic situation.

It was the moment I was about to press the fire button.

Coogung! And I felt the entire fortress shaking for a moment.

“Is this a counterattack on the ground?”

When the owl masked man asked that question with a hint of anger in his voice, the monkey masked man immediately read the situation through the surrounding dashboards and monitors.

“No, there was no sign of anything coming from the ground. Is this… Freezing…? There seems to be a freezing problem in various control parts, including the gun port.”

“The altitude isn’t that high, so what-“

As the owl tries to talk nonsense, he remembers that they were inside a cloud.

＂… No way─＂

“Don’t worry, the ice is not that thick, so the ice-resistant design of the fortress itself will break the ice and restart.”

The monkey masked man answers calmly, but the owl masked man feels anxiety creeping up on him.

And the next moment.

Cooung!!!

＂Kuh?!＂

A powerful shock that shakes the entire fortress.

Unlike before, the monkey man almost fell off his chair, and the shock was so strong that the owl mask almost fell backwards when he let go of the control stick he was holding.

Was there something in Asteris that could deliver an impact strong enough to shake this entire fortress?

＂Go, ascending altitude! I’m being pushed up by something! These days, balance control is impossible!”

“I’m being pushed up!? Goofy…! What do you think the mass of the fortress is!”

A monkey mask that moves a mechanical arm and operates a monitor even while falling.

Then, what was captured by the fortress’ lower camera was a translucent-light green barrier pushing up the fortress.

＂This is..? Asteris’ confrontation? Foolish… At most, a barrier controlled by a single shrine maiden wouldn’t have the power to exert this much physical force…!”

When the monkey masked man said that in embarrassment, the owl mask clicked his tongue.

Now, the great shaman of Asteris is not just one person.

That means that the magic swordsman’s group’s shaman Naburaengi and the great shaman of Asteris are collaborating.

Using the barrier that surrounds the entire Asteris, the fortress that was frozen and held in the air is pushed up.

＂Burn down the barrier with magic incineration bombs!＂

When the owl mask gave instructions, the monkey mask responded by shaking its head.

＂Without the fortress’s balance control, you cannot fire! Can you control the recoil─ huh…?!”

The monkey mask that was answering, the next moment.

They found something standing on top of the barrier pushing them up.

If you ask me since when, I might have been standing there from the beginning.

＂Things, people…?＂

If Monkey Mask speaks in confusion, Owl Mask’s gaze will also turn towards that direction.

And looking at the figure standing there, the owl mask made me gnash my teeth.

＂Demon Swordsman…!＂

＂Seo, no way, that guy. Climb the barrier and ascend to the sky…!”

The monkey mask opened its mouth as if it knew what his plan was, but the next moment.

As soon as the black magic swordsman disappeared from the camera’s view, vibrations echoed within the fortress once more.

Then, the light illuminating the inside of the fortress turns red and sounds an alarm.

[Alarm. There is someone intruding from outside through the open port.]

＂Invasion through the port!?＂

The voice of the owl mask resonates high, mixed with the alarm sound.

In the past, it was a fortress that was intact even during the battle with the Demon King.

It was able to withstand most of the damage from the outside, but its only weak point was the gun port, which is the only passage to the outside that opens right before firing the shell.

Remembering that the Demon King had also been targeting that place and threatening them, he hit the wall with his fist.

＂What is the number!?＂

[There is only one unregistered life reaction discovered.]

“One…!? Are you looking down on me?”

When Owl Mask raises his voice like that, Monkey Mask somehow stands up and speaks.

＂How about sending her out to deal with her? Even if she is alone-＂

“Don’t underestimate her opponent. Because he is her father’s nemesis. … Send all available troops there. And there are limits to the expansion of the barrier. As soon as the fortress regains control of its balance, incineration bombs are fired.”

After Owl Mask tells Monkey Mask to do so, he thinks he might have to do battle too.

“… Be prepared in case it breaks through.”

While saying that, the monkey mask watched quietly behind the owl mask as it walked out of the control room.