“Miss Alshiera. The smell of the undead has multiplied.”
He thought they had exterminated them all as they ran through town, but seeing how they returned as long as their corpses were left behind just as Alshiera said, there was no way to keep up with those numbers. It would likely require Zagan’s level of power to truly annihilate them. Kimaris had no way of knowing this, but Raphael’s judgment of burning their bodies without leaving even a speck of ash behind was correct. Alshiera laughed as if she knew this all full well.
“Then would it not be sufficient to just gather them all up in one place?”
“Meaning...?”
“The ones they are chasing are myself and Kuroka. So, if we were to be together, all those good-for-nothings would gather around us.”
“And you want us to fight like that?”
“Indeed. By now, the Silver-Eyed King and Balor’s daughter should be around too, right?”
Kimaris was not permitted to use Heaven’s Phosphor without Zagan’s permission. As such, the only ones in town who could destroy the undead were Zagan and Gremory.
“But the scent of the undead already surpasses a hundred in number. Even if we were to seek Sir Zagan’s aid, wouldn’t it still be difficult to protect Kuroka and Shax while evading them all? Moreover, it’s not guaranteed we can persuade Sir Zagan to do so either.”
Even in her current state, Alshiera had no problem at all dealing with these undead. However, it was a different story if it came to doing so while also protecting Shax and the cat Kuroka.
Zagan would likely take action if they mentioned Kuroka, but in that case, they would have to explain what had happened to her body. And that would take quite some time. Just how much time could Alshiera’s body even hold out?
Even if they did make it, as long as the caster behind them survived, the undead could be recreated indefinitely. This would drive Alshiera and Kuroka further and further into a corner. And yet, Alshiera simply nodded without showing any signs of wavering.
“You’re right. Then let us clearly define our conditions for victory.”
Kimaris nodded as he continued running, and Alshiera raised her index finger.
“First. The safety of myself, Kuroka, and while we’re at it, that Shax fellow.” The reason she didn’t say survival was likely because she herself wasn’t really alive. “Second. The elimination of those good for nothings. About the only things that can erase them without a trace are the Silver-Eyed King, Balor’s daughter, and perhaps a dragon’s breath.”
As long as Kimaris didn’t have permission to use Heaven’s Phosphor Typhoon, he was unable to completely annihilate the undead. They also couldn’t rely on Foll’s breath as she was all the way back at the castle. They really did need Zagan or Gremory’s assistance. Alshiera then raised her third finger.
“Third. The elimination of the caster. This is likely the biggest problem. We don’t even know who the enemy is.”
It wasn’t like they didn’t have any clues. Archdemon Shere Khan once had a hand in the atrocious rare species hunt and was left as a husk of himself by Marchosias’ hand. But was that sorcerer even alive anymore? The probability that he was being impersonated by another just like Orias wasn’t all that low. Just how were they supposed to find someone they knew nothing about? Moreover, how were they supposed to eliminate them?
It was an extremely disadvantageous gamble, yet Alshiera simple laughed.
“I don’t believe we’ll make it short of a miracle happening.”
“Then we should—”
“Today is Alshiere Imera, a holy night where miracles occur, right? Then it won’t be all that bad an idea to pray for a miracle.”
What kind of god would answer the prayers of a vampire and a sorcerer? It was so laughable that Kimaris could only think of it as a joke, but her voice mysteriously had a ring to it that made him want to believe in her.
“It seems you have some conviction behind that decision.”
“It’s not conviction, but hope. Don’t black cats bring about good luck?”
Kimaris put on a strained smile.
I’ve heard that Miss Kuroka has a rather unfortunate disposition, though.
It was to the point that Zagan would talk about it with a completely serious expression. It must have been quite severe.
Alshiera then bopped Kimaris on the neck.
“Now then, that’s enough talking. I’ve made my bet. What shall you do? Are you in?”
Taking a good look, Kimaris could spot what looked like Shax’s back in the distance, and he let out a sigh.
“It would be troublesome if we fail and there was nobody to shoulder the blame with me. Do get through this safely.”
Kimaris had clearly already thrown his chips in just by the fact that he was helping this girl.
And so, the girl and the lion split up.
◇
“So? What’s this about?”
Zagan passed through Barbatos’ shadows in chase of Shax who likely knew where Kuroka was, and suddenly had Kimaris’ claws coming down at him, though they stopped just short of hitting him.
“Uhh... It’s quite difficult to explain...”
“Just give me a yes or no. Do you know where Shax is right now?”
It seemed he knew full well that Kimaris was secretly up to something today.
But, I promised not to pry further.
That’s why Zagan kept it short. Kimaris’ golden eyes shot open in surprise, as he then respectfully bowed his head.
“Yes. I believe they’re headed toward Archdemon Palace.”
“I see. I don’t know what’s chasing them, but I guess Archdemon Palace is closer than the castle, huh?”
It was to be expected of the one left in charge with Zagan’s subordinates at the church. His judgment was quite sound. That’s precisely why it would be regrettable to lose him here. He had to be saved. Zagan then threw out his next question.
“By they, you mean Kuroka’s with him?”
“Yes. However, it seems Kuroka has taken the form of an actual cat. I do not know the cause.”
“A cat...? Now that you mention it, she’s a cait sith, right...?”
The cait sith were said to be a race of cat fairies. They were supposed to be closer to cats than the tabaxi.
“...Maybe it’s an ability that the cait sith originally possessed.”
And it was lost over the long passage of time. However, Kuroka was a rare specimen in that she had four ears. If that was a sign of atavism like with Nephy, then it wasn’t all that incomprehensible. Historical documentation on the cait sith was ambiguous to begin with, and there was almost nobody out there who even knew what really differentiated them from the tabaxi.
According to the information we found in Liucaon, many races were rendered extinct a thousand years ago.
If the few scant survivors all hid themselves in Liucaon, then it was only natural that little information of them remained on the continent.
Zagan then moved on to his last question.
“So, who are they?”
There was a countless number of corpses scattered around Kimaris that looked like they were fighting with him. Many of them looked to be dead, but there were still those trying to get back up. A barrier existed around town which could detect whenever any outsider was to step foot into Zagan’s domain.
Hundreds upon thousands outsiders would naturally come and go within a single day, but it was very likely that this was some large and organized group. Even though his barrier was on the lookout for such things, he was unable to detect their intrusion at all.
The only ones who don’t set off the barrier are those like Barbatos who can leap through space.
Leaping through space was extremely advanced sorcery, and there were few capable of doing it. This would conversely make it quite easy to trace who was behind it. But here, the rabble scattered across the ground didn’t look anything like exceptional sorcerers.
“Seems like they’re homunc
uli, but how did they get into town?”
For some reason, Kimaris looked like he received quite the shock from this statement.
“Homunculi...? Them...?”
“That’s what they look like to me?”
Homunculi were outside Zagan’s field of expertise, but Zagan had witnessed the sight of many homunculi who possessed no will during the case with Nephteros and Bifrons. The rabble here showed a resemblance to those pitiful creations.
Kimaris shook his head, astonished at his own absentmindedness.
“Having preconceptions is truly terrifying. I was completely fixated on them being undead.”
Seeing that Kimaris was unusually shaken and making statements unlike his usual self, Zagan narrowed his eyes.
“...I see, so Alshiera is involved.”
“Erk.”
Kimaris’ body stiffened up noticeably.
“It’s a misunderstanding Sir Zagan! She’s one of those being targeted! She is absolutely not the culprit instigating these assailants!”
“Well, if you say so, it must be true. However, it doesn’t change the fact that she brought these nuisances along.”
“That’s...”
Kimaris was at a loss for words.
“Fool.” Zagan replied with a sigh. “I said I would not pry. All you need do is answer with a yes or no.”
“Huh...?”
Kimaris didn’t look like he understood what was going on, so Zagan simply repeated his question.
“These are the enemies. Alshiera is not an enemy. Is that all?”
“...Y-Yes! I do not know their true nature, but they’re enemies. They also possess a disposition where another individual will come from their corpses.”
“In other words, they’ll keep crawling back up unless they’re completely annihilated.”
Several shadows began crawling out of the corpses while they chatted. However, Zagan wasn’t just standing there idly all this time. Small lights like powdered snow coiled themselves around the shadows. Seeing this, Kimaris’ eyes shot open once more.
“This is... Heaven’s Scale Snowfield?”
This was the power that Zagan had developed for his daughter’s sake. However, that wasn’t all there was to this sorcery.
“Indeed. However, it will now become something else. Heaven’s Phosphor Will O’ the Wisp.”
Zagan snapped his fingers, and the snowy lights wrapping around the shadows turned black in an instant. And just with that action, everything was over. The fallen shadows, the standing shadows, the shadows crawling out of the corpses, anything and everything was dyed in black and vanished into the wind. After observing the result, Zagan nodded in satisfaction.
“Hm. There’s nothing to criticize regarding the precision of its use.”
Zagan promised Foll that he would teach her Heaven’s Phosphor when she grew up. He believed that this power was suitable for his daughter to use.
A gulp could be heard from Kimaris’ throat.
“So you’ve even developed it in such a way...”
“Yeah. Having said that, it’s good that it hit everything I was aiming for, but there’s a need to attach multiple of each light to a single body to turn it to ash. There’s purpose in using it as a variation of Snowfield, but I can’t say it’s as outstanding as a standalone spell.”
It didn’t possess the penetrative power of the Fivefold Grand Flower nor the wide effective range of Autumn Lightning despite all being variations of Heaven’s Phosphor. It appeared like a defective product at a glance, but Will O’ the Wisp’s true worth came in being able to select one’s targets even in a large mob. It would be quite some time before he bestowed it to Foll too, so he had plenty of room for improvement.
But I guess I could say the final trial run for Heaven’s Phosphor is complete with this.
Heaven’s Phosphor was a spell which boasted of unparalleled offensive power as it burned the very essence of life itself. Nevertheless, Zagan didn’t consider it to be complete. It wasn’t able to burn the entirety of a giant and resilient body like that of the Sludge Demon Lord, and it wasn’t flexible enough for dealing with a large number of enemies. Above all else, it burned everything it touched, so using a hostage was an easy way of sealing the move.
That’s why Zagan gave birth to variations which covered for such deficiencies. Now that he had finished the last trial run, he could move on to completing the sorcery itself. All so he could massacre every enemy that shows up before him from now on, be it Archdemons, Demon Lord, demons, the church, or anyone else. All for the sake of living under the light of day alongside Nephy and Foll.
Well, lately I feel like it might be fine without slaughtering them all too.
But even so, he required power. Peace wasn’t so simple that it could be brought about and maintained without conflict. It was like a cradle in a tree, even a breeze could bring it crashing down.
Peace was brought about on a foundation of peerless power and authority, imposing one’s rule and bringing all those in opposition to ruin. It was the greatest asset which could only be obtained through bloody strife, atop a mountain of sacrifices.
That’s why Zagan had to be stronger than all others. Zagan bit down on his resolve once more as he confirmed Will O’ the Wisp’s effectiveness, and turned toward the dumbfounded Kimaris.
“Now then, I must go and save Kuroka and Shax. If Alshiera is there too, I bet the rest of this rabble will be gathered around them. It’s perfect for disposing of them.”
Zagan didn’t want to get involved with Alshiera, but he did save her once already, though it was at Nephy’s request. He would permit having to save her incidentally while saving the others. In any case, Kimaris seemed fixated on protecting that vampire.
“And what will you do? Will you come along?” Zagan asked the lion.
“Please allow me to accompany you, my liege.” Kimaris replied with a reverent bow. He then raised his head once more. “But, there is just one problem. There should be a caster manipulating them. The same thing will just repeat itself if the caster is left at large.”
If these were all homunculi, the existence of someone who created them was certain. Moreover, from what Kimaris had seen, it was possible that there was a completely inexhaustible supply of them. And yet, Zagan shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
“Well, that’ll work out on its own.”
“Meaning...?”
“That Gremory is strangely enthusiastic about this. She does want to fulfill her goal of embracing the whole world in her peaceful arms while preaching about love power, after all. Her drive to do so is worthy of admiration. Even if we just leave her at large, she will surely slug any idiot out there trying to ruin today’s festival.” Zagan commented in a tired voice.
Zagan himself didn’t really want to rely on that fact, but it was completely true that he had no choice but to accept it. Moreover, Barbatos was inexplicably here to help as well. No matter where the caster was, it wasn’t all that big a problem.
“...How do I put it...? I’m really sorry for Miss Gremory’s habitual behavior...”
It seemed that once one got involved with Gremory, they were bound to end up apologizing to others even if it wasn’t their fault.
◇
Kuroka was completely bewildered while being held in the arms of a sorcerer who reeked of alcohol. She couldn’t wield her swords as a cat, and she didn’t know where her beloved swords the Moonless Sky were to begin with.
She was somehow able to recognize the length of her limbs, but she had no opportunity to stand on her own legs being carried around like this. Even now, she didn’t think she could walk around on her own. In short, she was a complete burden.
Why doesn’t this person just leave me and run away...?
The two of them were being chased. No, more specifically, it was likely Kuroka who was being chased. And yet...
“Tch, how the hell many of them are there? But don’t you worry one bit Blacky. I’ve got confidence when i
t comes to running away.”
The sorcerer threw something as he complained. The sound of an object cutting through the air was likely a knife that he had tossed out. Judging from the sound, Kuroka would normally be able to dodge such a knife toss with ease, but it struck its target nevertheless.
She could tell from the sound of the strike that the knife didn’t pierce any bones, but was more wedged into a gap between the bones, likely around the knee or ankles. It wasn’t fatal, but it was impossible even for a sorcerer to run with a knife lodged in such a place.
The enemy obstructing his path fell over, and the sorcerer ran through the opening. This sorcerer called himself weak, but Kuroka didn’t think he was at all.
This person is strong. It’s just that his sorcery isn’t suited to attacking.
He was also quick-witted. Even when cornered, he would calmly search for his opponent’s weakness, then break through cleverly and effectively. They had been in multiple dangerous situations now, but every time this man would act all flustered but calmly break through.
That’s why Kuroka understood full well. If this man cast her aside, he would easily get away safely.
If he knew who I really was, he wouldn’t even think of saving me...
Kuroka recognized his scent. He was likely one of Zagan’s subordinates stationed at the church. She didn’t know his name. It was suspicious whether he even knew Kuroka’s face either.
Even though they both lived at the church, Kuroka proactively avoided contact with sorcerers. As a former member of Azazel, a secret organization specializing in dealing with sorcerers, it would only make sorcerers uncomfortable to deal with her.
To reiterate, this man was tremendously sharp and able compared to his own self-evaluation. She didn’t believe that he would be stupid enough not to have information on how dangerous a person Kuroka was. If he knew who she actually was, he would surely put all his effort into keeping away from her.
So isn’t it unfair that I’m being protected here...?
There may have been people like Zagan or this man who would hold their hand out to her among the many sorcerers she killed. When she lamented over this fact, Zagan told her to live. That was a sin she committed out of a necessity to survive.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 8 (Premium) Page 13