Skeleton Knight in Another World Vol. 5

by Ennki Hakari

  You see, Summoners could only summon one demon at a time.

  Sure, you could use as much magic as you wanted in this invincible state, but a Summoner primarily relied on demons for its attacks, which it couldn’t use when their status locked.

  Compounding that was the fact that it used a lot of magic to summon forth Aion, which made sense, considering its effect. Even adding in a mid-tier, magic-based class, it’d probably take more than three minutes before you were able to make up for all the magic you’d consumed to summon it.

  Therefore, in order to properly make use of Aion’s abilities, you’d need to have another high-level class, one that could unleash powerful offensive attacks, as either your main or secondary class.

  Even though I was able to use any skill I’d ever learned here, back in the game, you were limited to skills belonging to either your main or secondary classes. With Summoner taking up one of those, and another dedicated to offensive capabilities, your player character would be heavily weighted on offense.

  Basically, this demon was reserved for gaming addicts.

  “All right, let’s wrap this up! Don’t leave a single ember left burning!”

  I looked up to see the creature heading straight toward me, its countless legs wriggling along its stomach like little hairs. Pulling up my sword and shield, I readied myself for the attack. Though Aion prevented your health from dropping in the game, I actually wasn’t sure what kind of effect it would have in reality.

  Being overconfident definitely wouldn’t do me any good, but I figured that, for now, I’d just ignore any incoming attacks and launch an assault of my own.

  While several of the arms were able to strike direct blows on me with their weapons, I didn’t feel any pain other than the sensation of being knocked back. At the very least, the demon’s abilities seemed to be working.

  However, I was unsure how much time was actually passing, so I wouldn’t be able to make use of the full three minutes. That would be a problem.

  Even though I was able to nullify the impact of the creature’s attack, I was still no closer to my objective.

  I needed to do everything I could to weaken the creature as much as possible before my time was up.

  “Sacred Seal!”

  Hot flashes of light sparked off my blade as I called forth one of my offensive Paladin skills. Forcing my way through its frenzied attack, I brought my sword down on the creature’s torso.

  A trail of light hung in the air as I swung my sword, the blade finding its target and chopping off a chunk of the creature’s body.

  “Oooooooooooww!!!”

  This was the most powerful skill I had against the undead. Fortunately, it seemed to be quite effective. While the skill was active, even normal attacks would have the same effect, making it a rather useful technique as far as magical abilities were concerned.

  I hadn’t summoned Aion just for this, however. I had bigger plans.

  The creature was drawing back now, in an attempt to protect itself, but I didn’t let up.

  “You’re done for! Cross Advent!”

  This was an area-of-effect spell from the Priest class. A bright circle of light appeared in the air above the creature before transforming into a giant, glowing cross. It looked almost like Jacob’s Ladder, going all the way down to the creature’s head.

  “Oooowww!!!”

  The creature began bubbling and evaporating where the light struck it, tendrils of smoke rising into the sky.

  It leaped back as the pain grew too much to bear, landing on top of several giants and killing them instantly before crashing into the wall of the church, sending down a landslide of rubble.

  But I wasn’t about to let up the attack now.

  I launched into another flurry of strikes against its body using Sacred Seal before calling forth another Cross Advent the moment the cooldown ran out and I could cast it again.

  The snake-lion design on my armor began fading just as the creature’s body started sizzling away and turning into an amorphous lump of pale flesh. It was an awful sight, like a bunch of human bodies mashed together.

  “Kyii!”

  “Hah! Looks like I did it!”

  Ponta landed on my head to offer up words of encouragement. I turned my gaze away from the lump of flesh to survey my surroundings. The church had been pretty much destroyed in the battle.

  At least this time it wasn’t my fault. Or at least, that’s what I told myself as I turned my gaze back to the mass of melting flesh.

  Just what was that creature anyway?

  Also, where were Ariane, Chiyome, and Goemon? Were they okay?

  I turned around, leaving the wreckage of the church behind me as the survivors stared at the remains of the creature, dumbfounded.

  The threat over here was pretty well pacified, so I figured it was time to meet up with the rest of the group.

  I glanced up at the star-filled sky and sheathed my sword.

  The fires still burning throughout Tagent were like streetlights as I walked along, my heart full of doubts about whether I’d actually be able to meet up with Ariane and the others.

  “Hmm…maybe I should just head out of town and wait with Houwe? That might be easier.”

  “Kyi?”

  Ponta responded to my rhetorical question with an inquisitive mew of its own, wagging its long, cottony tail excitedly as it spotted something that caught its interest.

  “Kyii! Kyiiiiii!”

  I caught sight of three figures heading toward me.

  It was Ariane, Chiyome, and Goemon. I let out a sigh of relief. Now we could finally get out of this place.

  I waved at Ariane as she crossed the open square toward me. “Ohh, Ariane! Did you have any trouble?”

  Ariane simply let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.

  As we closed the distance, I noticed that Chiyome’s eyes were cast down. She hadn’t said anything yet. Even her usually perky cat ears were lying flat atop her head.

  Back when we’d first entered the town, she’d taken off after Sasuke. I leaned in and whispered to Ariane, “What happened with Sasuke?”

  She only shook her head silently.

  Chiyome’s ears twitched slightly, as if responding to what I’d just asked. She slowly opened her hand, revealing a glowing red diamond.

  I’d seen something like it before. It was a pledge spirit crystal—a treasure cherished by the Jinshin clan, which allowed a person to become one with a spirit by pledging themselves to it, giving them the ability to use powerful techniques. Chiyome had one embedded within her as well.

  Since Chiyome was holding it in her hand, that had to mean…

  I locked eyes with Ariane. She nodded.

  Chiyome spoke at last, in a hushed tone. “The last thing Sasuke told me was to watch out for the church…then he was gone.”

  I looked back at Ariane and Goemon, but all they could do was shrug.

  “Watch out for the church”? What did that mean?

  I looked back over my shoulder at the church grounds where I’d battled the giant creature. Sasuke had called forth the undead and used giants to lay waste to the town. Did the church have something to do with all this?

  But if that were the case, then why would the church stage the attack within its grounds? Though, to be fair, we couldn’t assume that the church was acting as one.

  I scratched my chin and frowned.

  Back where I came from, every religion was made up of multiple denominations and factions, so it was entirely believable that there might be no central, solid consensus at the core of the Hilk. Could this be a case of in-fighting?

  I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and unravel this tangled ball of yarn. But I wouldn’t be able to find any answers right now, no matter how much I thought it over.

  Without knowing what they were after in the first place, it was impossible to figure out the reasons behind their actions.

  Besides, it was probably best for the elves and mountain people
to stay away from the church in the first place, considering that their teachings insisted the elves were “usurpers” and the mountain people had been “cast out of humanity.” There was more than enough reason to steer clear. All this meant was that we’d want to be a little more cautious in how we conducted ourselves going forward.

  But for now, we should head out of town and make our way back to Chieftain Houwe.

  I gazed up at the church. Flanked by the two towers, it resembled a tombstone against the night sky. I tore my gaze away to look back at the group.

  Epilogue

  On the northern continent, the Holy East Revlon Empire held domain over the land to the east.

  The imperial capital of Habahren sat at the center of the empire, with numerous roads leading into and out of the city, stretching off to the farthest reaches of its domain. Power over all these lands was concentrated in Habahren.

  A company of soldiers marched along one of the arteries that supported this great empire, heading off to the southwest. At their head rode a small number of cavalry, followed by rows and rows of infantry. Behind them was a long train of horse-drawn carts.

  The massive formation of soldiers outfitted in identical armor was truly a grand sight to behold. At the center of the formation was a carriage pulled by four horses, a contingent of guards walking along with it.

  The elegantly decorated black carriage carried the crest of the Valtiafelbe household—the imperial family that ruled over the Holy East Revlon Empire. However, it was occupied only by two of the emperor’s chambermaids, with the emperor himself nowhere to be found.

  At the front of the formation, a young man sat atop a beautiful black horse, leading the thirty-men cavalry. The man had a distinguished nose and untamed reddish-brown hair. He was dressed in a form-fitting military uniform, far grander than those of his fellow soldiers.

  His name was Domitianus Revlon Valtiafelbe, and he was the young ruler of the Holy East Revlon Empire.

  Riding off to Domitianus’s side was a large, middle-aged man who leaned in close to the young emperor’s ear. The man looked rather worried.

  “Are you sure about this, sire? I understand that you’re the ruler of these lands, but if there are any spies or assassins out there, you’d make a marvelous target at the head of this formation.”

  Domitianus laughed in response.

  “As you said, this is my domain, so there’s nothing to worry about. Besides, don’t you think I’d be even harder to spot out here among the men than in that giant rolling box with my name stamped on the side? Kyahaha!”

  “Why, I, well… I mean… Who can say?”

  The man was temporarily at a loss for words as he thought over the possibilities.

  Domitianus’s shoulders slumped at the man’s overly serious demeanor.

  “It’s boring sitting in that carriage. And even if something were to happen, I have all these men out here with me.”

  The young ruler shot a mischievous grin toward the older man.

  “Of course, sire! We would all happily give our lives for you!”

  All of the men riding along with the emperor offered up a salute. The middle-aged man reached out with his riding crop and gave the emperor’s horse a few good strikes.

  “Whoa, whoa, cut that out! Are you trying to tell the enemy where I am?”

  Domitianus gave an awkward laugh, eliciting a bow of apology from the man.

  The man looked back behind them at the massive formation of troops, filling the road to the brim.

  “Counting our supplement troops, the army stands at around 20,000strong. It’s quite a sight to behold.”

  Domitianus grinned at this.

  “With me here, we’re going to take the fight all the way down to Tisheng and beyond. We’ll send that old fart in the west running with his tail between his legs. His days are numbered.”

  Several of the men around them nodded in agreement with the young emperor’s words.

  “First, we’ll need to summon Lieutenant General Keeling’s Southern Imperial Army.”

  “Aaah, it’s been quite some time since I’ve been on the front lines. I guess I’ll at least bring Velmoas a gift for sitting back at the palace. The lieutenant general’s head, maybe.”

  Domitianus broke out in a broad grin and waved his sword about for emphasis. Apparently, he intended to slay the lieutenant general himself.

  The middle-aged man looked off toward the western sky, his mind full of the perils they were facing—most of which were ignored by the young ruler, filled with the courage of youth.

  “But if they’re able to link up with any other forces, even our army may not be enough.”

  “Hmph. We’ve leaked information about this expedition to Aspania as well, so they are almost certainly moving around behind the scenes, trying to look for a way to take advantage of it. In that case, the west won’t be able to move any of their forces for some time.”

  With that, Emperor Domitianus narrowed his eyes at the road ahead and smiled.

  ***

  The Hilk religion was the most popular religion among those who lived on the northern continent.

  The country known as the Holy Hilk Kingdom, led by the pontiff, was the seat of the Hilk religion. It was bordered on three sides by the Delfrent Kingdom, the Nohzan Kingdom, and the Salma Kingdom. The rest of its border was defined by the Beek Sea, on the opposite side of which sat the Great West Revlon Empire.

  The Hilk capital was located at the base of Mount Alsus, known for its mythril mines, which was a part of the Rutios mountain range. This range marked the rest of the border with the Great West Revlon Empire.

  A huge clearing had been clawed out of the mountainside by hand, at the center of which was a huge building surrounded by an open-air corridor. The entrance was such a brilliant white that the sunlight reflecting off it nearly blinded those who approached the awe-inspiring compound.

  This was the central Alsus church and home to Pontiff Thanatos Sylvius Hilk, the highest figure in the Hilk religion.

  However, only a select few were ever allowed entry to the holy church.

  The outside of the church was magnificently decorated, as if to tell all who set eyes upon it the power that the Hilk wielded. The grand design did not stop at the exterior, however, as the interior corridors and rooms were just as, if not even more, grand in their design.

  The vaulted ceilings of the corridors stood around three times as tall as any normal building, and the floors were decorated with intricately woven carpets. All of the pieces of furniture filling the rooms were works of art in their own right, made by master artisans.

  Off in one room sat at large, round table, around which sat six figures dressed in magnificent robes. They were in the midst of an important discussion.

  “According to the reports, Cardinal Industria was killed at the hands of an unknown party down in the western empire’s colony of Tagent on the southern continent.”

  The speaker, a man of around thirty years, with immaculately arranged black hair and the elaborate uniform of a clergyman, wore a warm smile on his face. His name was Cardinal Palurumo Avaritia Liberalitas.

  After the pontiff himself, the cardinals were the highest-ranking officials in the Holy Hilk Kingdom. This man was known among his peers as Liberalitas.

  However, he was not the only cardinal here.

  A well-built, muscular man snorted at this.

  “Hmph, Charros was always the weakest of the seven cardinals. What a disgrace to his rank to be killed off by some nobody. He always was a lazy sloth. Now that the seat of Industria has opened up, I say we ask the pontiff to assign the role to someone useful.”

  Cardinal Marcos Invidia Humanitas stood around 190 centimeters tall and sported blond hair and an unkempt beard. His muscular body was barely confined by the elegant robes he wore, giving him less the appearance of a man of the cloth and more that of a military man.

  However, he had clear bags under his eyes and wore a deep frown on his face
.

  Next to speak was the only woman sitting at the table, a smile gracing her face.

  “Oh, so are you saying you doubt the pontiff’s choice in assignments? In that case, I suppose you don’t trust the pontiff’s judge of character?”

  The woman—Cardinal Elin Luxuria Castitas—had long, blonde hair and a graceful face. However, her all-white attire, which left her gently swaying chest exposed for all to see, seemed completely unfitting in this place of reverence. A long slit ran up the side of her skirt, showing off the pale skin of her long legs, crossed delicately as she sat.

  She shot an enchanting smile in Cardinal Humanitas’s direction. His eyes went wide, and he struggled for words.

  “I… No, I didn’t mean it that that way. It’s just that Charros was rather unscrupulous and…”

  The heavily built Cardinal Humanitas looked around frantically as he searched for words. Noticing that Pontiff Thanatos was not in the room, he let out a large sigh of relief.

  An old man with white hair slowly closed his eyes, deep ridges forming on his forehead as he spoke.

  “Hmph. We have only been granted the role of cardinal by the grace of His Holiness. He makes no mistakes in his choices, though he is limited in his selection. It is simply a matter of fact that some of us do not live up to our roles.”

  The old man with arms crossed was Cardinal Augrent Iyla Patientia. A man in his early fifties, he sported a magnificent white mustache to match his head of white hair. Muscles larger than even the hulking Cardinal Humanitas bulged against his robes.

  Cardinal Humanitas gritted his teeth, barely able to conceal his anger.

  “What are you implying?! That I’m not fit to be a cardinal?!”

  Cardinal Patientia kept his eyes closed as a cool smile formed on his lips.

  “No one said anything of the sort. Perhaps you’ve simply come to that realization yourself?”

  “Can you just cut it out? Your petty bickering will get us nowhere. Honestly, from where I sit, there’s little difference between you two meatheads.”

  A tall, lanky man with black-rimmed glasses—Cardinal Baltord Spelvia Humilitas—butted in to the squabbling in an attempt to end it. The man’s head was completely shaved, and he looked the most priestly of all those in the room. There was, however, a strange vibe about the man. He cared little about anything that didn’t specifically pique his interest.