The Champion's Return

by Hyougetsu

  “Those are all famous necromancers we read about in Master’s books! And all crazy ones too! Are you trying to tell me all those necromancers you summoned are famous dead people!?”

  “It took a lot of effort to persuade all of them to listen to me.”

  Forget persuading ’em, normally you wouldn’t even be able to summon these guys! I stare at the ranks of undead dead guy summoners in absolute disbelief. They’re still summoning even more skeleton soldiers. It’s completely insane. There’s so many of them that they don’t all fit in the square, and they start spilling out into the main street. A few minutes later, I hear people screaming in panic. Hell, I’d be panicking too if I suddenly saw an army of undead skeletons show up in the middle of my city.

  “You’ve already got thousands of skeletons here, and you’re still going!?”

  “Well, I’d like to have around ten thousand or so.”

  “You’re gonna turn the capital into a boneyard.”

  Parker shrugs his shoulders and says, “Veight wanted me to plunge the capital into chaos. In order to do that, I’m going to need a lot more skeletons.”

  “Oi.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve ordered them all not to attack.”

  “That’s not the problem here!”

  Dammit, if I don’t keep an eye on this guy he might create a disaster. I pull the custom Blast Rifle I made for myself out of my bag and flick off the safety.

  “Are you sure those boneheads are gonna listen to you?”

  “Of course. I’ve already shown them the difference in our power.”

  What the hell did you show them?

  “Oh, but they’re not exactly under my control. I’ve summoned them as friends, not servants. It took a lot of effort to convince everyone too, so this isn’t the sort of spell I can cast often.”

  Good, cause I don’t wanna see them often either, or ever again, really. I can hear people panicking in the distance now. Looks like the giant army of skeletons got their attention. Still, Parker doesn’t look worried at all.

  “Division one, cause a diversion at the north gate. Division two, surround the palace. Division three, capture the south gate. Divisions four and five, disperse among the streets and sow as much confusion as possible. Dismissed!”

  When did you get so good at commanding armies? Were you a noble or a general or something back when you were alive?

  “Now then, let’s head to the south gate ourselves, shall we? Opening the gates from the inside should be a piece of cake.”

  “I mean, yeah, but...”

  I can’t believe he pulled all those skeletons outta nowhere. And if I’m shocked, imagine what the residents are thinking.

  “Hey, Parker. Did Veight really approve a crazy plan like this?”

  “Of course. Though he made it very clear that I wasn’t to harm any civilians or soldiers, regardless of whose side they’re on.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like him.”

  I grin, and Parker grins back.

  “Besides, I have no way of knowing which soldiers are working for Lord Bolshevik and which aren’t. If I let the skeletons attack, they might end up killing innocent city guards who are only doing their job. So it’s safer to order them not to touch anyone.”

  “So they’re gonna force the gates open just by using overwhelming numbers?”

  “I mean they’re strong enough to subdue humans bare-handed. I ordered them not to attack, but they’re allowed to restrain people who get in their way.”

  Parker turns back to his fellow undead necromancers and shouts, “More, call up more! Empty the circles of hell! Tonight will be a festival of the departed, a banquet for spirits. Fill the capital of the living with the voices of the dead!”

  “Gods blast it, you’re scaring me, man!”

  “Hahaha, don’t worry. So long as I have you, Veight, and the others, I’ll never fully become an undead.”

  Are you sure you wanna trust this guy, Veight!?

  * * * *

  Eventually, I started hearing screams and stampeding footsteps above me. I wiped my forehead with a handkerchief and grinned.

  “Looks like things are going well.”

  “Heh, you’ve got that evil smirk on your face again, Commander.”

  If I’m supposed to be the bad guy, I’ve gotta look the part. We’d circled around the capital and were now waiting outside the city’s south gate. I shouldered my Blast Rifle and turned to the werewolf next to me.

  “Did you guys see any private armies moving around the capital?”

  “Not as far as we could tell.”

  Perfect, this means none of the nobles have made a move yet. I’d expected as much. Sure there was a crisis going on, but gathering information, analyzing that information, then rallying your troops to sortie took time. From the looks of it, I didn’t need to worry about anyone stopping us just yet.

  “The south gate should be opening up soon. Call Vodd’s squad back here. That old geezer’s gonna pout for weeks if he misses his chance to let loose.”

  “Hahaha, yeah.”

  Vodd was a mercenary through and through. He loved fighting more than anything else, and if he learned I started the operation without him, I’d be hearing him complaining for ages. As the messenger left, Jerrick walked up to me and said, “Hey, boss, do we really have to go in through the gates? We could scale walls that short no problem.”

  “We could, but we’d be defenseless while we’re climbing. If the guards on the walls start shooting at us, we’ll take casualties. Besides, don’t forget the enemy’s got werewolves too.”

  I doubted Volka and her clan would attack us, but it didn’t hurt to be careful since we didn’t have a good grasp of the situation inside the capital.

  “Besides, I trust Parker. He’ll get the job done for sure. When it comes to necromancy, he’s as skilled as Master.”

  Jerrick gave me a quizzical look as he checked over his squad’s Blast Rifles.

  “What exactly did you ask him to do?”

  “I told him to summon a bunch of skeleton soldiers and cause an uproar in the city. We’ll sneak in while everyone is panicking. He can see everything his skeleton soldiers see, so he’ll be able to pinpoint where the enemy garrisons are too.”

  This was the first time Parker had used his secret technique, but theoretically, it let him summon an infinite number of skeletons. Since it involved summoning a bunch of undead necromancers to do more summoning for him. And if any of those undead necromancers happened to summon yet another undead necromancer, that one would then be able to continue the chain. It was like a pyramid scheme of undead spirits. Actually, it might be better to compare it to a telephone chain. Kinda like...

  “Yo, Master of Spirits, Kilgol.”

  “Sup, Miasma Emperor Pededotok. How’s it going?”

  “I heard from Bone King Gusforitus that there’s gonna be a party in the mortal realm. Wanna go?”

  “Seriously? Hang on, I’ll call my friends. Oh yeah, let the Burial Lord Vicrea know too.”

  “This dude called Parker’s gonna give the signal. When you hear it, come.”

  Yeah, basically like that. Parker’s ultimate technique relied on a few very simple principles, but it was extremely difficult to pull off in practice. Undead necromancers, especially undead necromancers of renown, weren’t like other spirits. They were masters of the underworld. Because of their extensive knowledge of the dead, they knew how to actually negotiate with necromancers who summoned them.

  Handling one might be possible for someone at Master’s level, but even she’d have a hard time controlling a dozen of them. It was just like trying to control an unruly mob of living people; which was why Parker and Master had spent weeks working together to come up with a rigid summoning order that would help Parker keep everyone in check. If he wanted to use this technique a second time, he’d have to redo that order entirely. Thanks to this summoning, the relative power difference between each necromancer and Parker would have changed
completely. Honestly, pulling this off took more event planning skill than magical skill.

  Soon enough, the massive capital gates started swinging outward. They were being pushed by a team of skeletons wearing ancient armor.

  “Welcome to the festival of the dead, Veight.”

  Parker swept off his hat and gave me a regal bow. I ignored him. Next to him stood Ryucco, a miniature Blast Rifle gripped tightly in each hand.

  “What’s the situation?” I asked.

  “What does it look like? The city’s a mess. Oh, and there’s a bunch of people no one recognizes near the north gate beating down Parker’s skeletons,” Ryucco replied.

  If no one recognized them, it meant they had to be Lord Bolshevik’s men. They couldn’t be city guards, at least. Parker rose from his bow and donned his hat, looking slightly disappointed that I’d ignored him.

  “You could have at least thanked me for my services.”

  “Oh yeah, thanks, Parker. I knew I could count on you. I see you in a new light now.”

  “It doesn’t mean much when you say it in a monotone like that, you know?”

  “If you want my sincere thanks, wipe that smug grin off your face.”

  Parker had split the skeletons into squads, with each undead necromancer leading a squad of their own summoned skeletons. But he’d also put a few of his own summoned skeletons into each squad to keep an eye on the overall situation.

  “At any rate, things are going more or less as you predicted, but there’s something strange going on at the palace,” Parker said, his expression turning grim.

  “What’s happening at the palace?”

  The imperial palace hadn’t been designed as a military structure, and so it wasn’t very defensible. If there was an army of skeletons surrounding it, the palace guards should have been out fighting with all their might to keep them at bay. Parker looked off into the distance, likely tapping into what his skeletons were seeing on-site.

  “Though we have the palace completely surrounded, the only opposition my skeletons face is the city’s garrison. And there doesn’t appear to be too many of them.”

  “That’s strange, considering both Dillier and the emperor are in the palace.”

  Unless Lord Bolshevik had taken both of them somewhere else, which now seemed quite likely. He’d probably predicted that I’d try and rescue Ashley with my werewolf squad. But there was no way he’d predicted an army of undead would suddenly materialize within the capital.

  “Parker, is there anyone within the capital who seems to be up to something?”

  “Hmm... Us, I suppose!”

  Can’t really argue with that. Even as he joked around, Parker was scanning the capital through the eyes of his skeletons.

  “Ah, one of the scouting units inside the palace has been completely demolished. They were...by the east tower.”

  I’d visited the palace a few times, so I knew where that was. If I recalled correctly, there were two identical five-story towers built on both sides of the palace. Originally I thought they were just there for decoration, but it seemed they were actually emergency shelters. There was only one entrance to each of them, and that entrance was a very sturdy iron door. I see, so that’s where you’ve got the emperor confined, huh?

  “Alright, I’ll send the werewolf squad over to investigate. By the way, do you have any idea where Lord Bolshevik is?”

  “I’m afraid I haven’t seen him. The Bolshevik manor in the capital is deserted though.”

  So he’s gone into hiding. He always was a wily fox, eh? No matter, rescuing Ashley takes priority anyway. Ryucco, who was still holding his twin Blast Rifles steady, said, “Hey, be careful inside the capital. A few people tried to snipe at us with crossbows and Blast Canes on the way here.”

  “Well I’m glad you’re safe then.”

  “Fear not, playing dead is a specialty of mine! After all, I have more experience with death than anyone else!” Parker replied cheerfully. Ryucco patted his rifles and gave a completely different account of their encounter.

  “I blew them to bits along with the buildings they were hiding on. Those fools never stood a chance against these babies.”

  Which one of you is telling the truth? Whatever, the point is I need to be careful, right?

  “Werewolves, transform and get into your squads. No one goes anywhere alone. Travel across the rooftops and make for the palace. Don’t stop, no matter what.”

  Not only did werewolves have the pack hunting skills of wolves and the intelligence of humans, but they also had the agility of monkeys. As long as they were in motion, no sniper would be able to draw a bead on any of them.

  Fahn gave me a worried look and asked, “Are you sure we should transform?”

  “It’s fine even if you get spotted. Once this is over we can just pin all the blame on Lord Bolshevik.”

  And if we couldn’t manage that, Eleora and Cardinal Kushmer probably had enough influence combined to sweep any werewolf sightings under the rug. Besides, the capital was in chaos right now.

  “Oh yeah, make sure none of you get close to any of the Sonnenlicht temples in the city. I convinced the Order to let citizens use the temples as a place of refuge in case a battle within the capital broke out.”

  “I’m surprised they agreed to something like that,” Ryucco mused.

  “Protecting the people is the Sonnenlicht Order’s sacred duty. Besides, saying you’ll shelter anyone who needs safety is a great way to raise your popularity. The Order gladly agreed to my request— especially since it reinforces the idea that it’s only Eleora and the Order that people can rely on.”

  “Ah, I see...” Fahn said with a twisted smile.

  Suddenly remembering something, Parker added, “I’ve also ordered all of my skeletons not to go near the temples.”

  “Thank you. Now everyone’s going to think the holy protection of the Sonnenlicht Order is enough to keep even werewolves and the undead away.”

  “Veight, you’ve got that evil smirk on your face again... I never thought you’d grow up into such a wicked man.” Fahn sighed.

  Hey, at least this way no one will get hurt. Besides, it’s a win-win for us and the Order. So what’s the problem? At any rate, the stage had been set. All that remained was to play our part.

  “Alright guys, let’s do this!”

  “Yeah!”

  We transformed and loped into the capital under the cover of night.

  Everywhere I looked, I saw skeletons. The residents of the city had either holed up in their homes, or run to the Sonnenlicht temples for safety. There were a few half-crazed citizens trying to fight with torches or hammers, but the skeletons easily rebuffed them with their shields. And that was all they did. None of the skeletons fought back.

  Initially, I’d been a bit worried about this plan, but it seemed like Parker really did have everyone under control. Me and the other werewolves darted across the roofs, wary of snipers. Though if the snipers were just armed with crossbows and basic Blast Canes, they didn’t have enough range to cover the whole city. That meant they were likely positioned near key locations and around the main thoroughfares, which was why I had everyone go across the rooftops. Even then, we occasionally got a few shots coming our way.

  “Waaah!?”

  Monza, who was running next to me, screamed as a bullet of light slammed into the rooftop next to her. Though the shot hadn’t even grazed her, it was obvious the sniper was aiming for Monza. Fortunately, light bullets left streaks in the air, so I could tell at a glance where the shot had come from.

  The sniper had fired from the third-floor window of the stone building at the T-junction up ahead. It was an ideal sniping location for someone using a Blast Cane. They’d have a clear view of anyone trying to cross the street below.

  “Hah, I’ve got you now!”

  Monza took cover behind the roof’s slope and pulled out Evening Dew, her custom Blast Rifle, which specialized in sniping. She took aim at the shadow standing by
the window and fired.

  “Gah!”

  Even though she’d barely spent a second aiming, her shot flew true. After that grunt, no other sounds could be heard from the window.

  “Oi, don’t bother engaging every enemy who shoots at you.”

  “Ah, sorry... I just...” Monza scratched her head awkwardly. Well, I guess it’s fine.

  I’d ordered everyone to ignore the snipers, but when that guy had nearly hit Monza I’d gotten pissed myself. Now that she’s already killed him, we may as well do a bit of investigating.

  “Monza, take your squad and secure that room. Everyone else, keep an eye on our surroundings.”

  The enemy’s Blast Canes didn’t have much range, so it’d be hard to deploy multiple snipers to cover each other while also spreading them out enough to cover the whole city. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry, so I had my werewolves keep an eye out anyway.

  Monza and I leaped over to the roof of the building the sniper had been shooting from. From there we jumped down and smashed our way through the third-story window. There was no movement inside the room. It seemed the sniper had been acting alone, without the aid of a spotter or any guards. A single man lay on the ground. He was wearing civilian clothes. At a glance, he seemed to be no more than an ordinary citizen, but no ordinary citizen possessed a Blast Cane.

  I’d taken out my own Blast Rifle, Ryuuga, but it seemed it wouldn’t be necessary. Sighing, I put the gun away. “Now that I’ve become a commander I don’t get any chances to use my own gun...”

  “Didn’t you get to shoot that gatling gun or whatever you called it back in winter, boss?”

  Monza had a point, but I’d been desperate back then, so I barely remembered how it felt to shoot. Man, I really wanted an opportunity to use my Ryuuga. Blast Rifles fired bullets of pure mana, so using one was a great way to practice refining your mana control too. Well, whatever. At least I can practice absorbing the bullets these guys’ll be firing at us.

  “Now then, I wonder who this guy’s Blast Cane originally belonged to?”