Chapter 234

-Grrrrr!

-Impudent ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍wretch! Die—!

With ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍that roar, the Death Knight sprang at me.

Wrapped ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍head to toe in blood-red, vile mystery, the Death Knight moved as though leaping through space itself—an image of pure terror.

“U-urgh?!”

“Uuugh…?”

The knights who faced that madness-laced mystery had gone rigid, as though they had met a basilisk’s gaze.

All except one.

-CLANG!

The Miracle knight.

Me.

“Wraith that wanders, unable even to die! Come at me!”

With my shout, I swung my sword with all my strength at the Death Knight charging straight in.

As always, I aimed for its shield.

-WHOOSH!

The blade, heavy with power, split the air with a dreadful tearing sound.

Then, a heartbeat later, when it met the shield—

-BANG!

A weighty crash rang out, as though it shook the very space around us. The sound alone made it clear how violent that collision had been!

But the result of my strike was different from before.

I had not pierced its shield.

“?!”

-!!!

In the hollow eye sockets of that bone-only thing, astonishment was visible even without eyes. Of course, the most shocked person was me.

“My attack… was blocked?”

I had not swung with every last ounce of strength, but still—blocked? This was the first time that had happened against any opponent I had faced.

Even so, it was not as though my strike had been meaningless. The blade that pressed against the shield began to scream.

-Kiiiiiiiiik!

-Tzzzt!

-Tzzrrik, kirik, tzz!

The surging vile mystery convulsed around the shield, desperately trying to force my sword away.

It spat sparks as though it might snap at any moment, shrieking with a strange, metallic cry.

If I pushed just a little harder, I could break through that resistance and split the shield apart!

-Y-you monstrous…. Filthy spawn of a false god, this is absurd!

Seeing its shield shudder as though it might split at any moment, the Death Knight screamed as though it could not believe it.

It—strengthened by vile mystery, and having absorbed even the power of the undead around it—was being pushed back in a contest of strength by a single human.

It was truly beyond comprehension.

It felt like a dream it had stubbornly clung to back when it still lived. But this was no illusion—it was reality.

In the end, the Death Knight had no choice.

Before my monstrous strength shattered its protective mystery, it would withdraw and deal with the others instead.

-Eat this, then! Grrrrr. Take it!

-KROOOOAAARRRR!

---

“Are you all right?!”

“Yes, I am all right, Magician Agpiel.”

Magician Agpiel shouted urgently. A moment ago, the Death Knight had abruptly spewed vile mystery and retreated.

Fortunately, between the blessing Magician Agpiel had placed on me and the Holy sword’s effect, the vile mystery could not invade me and quickly died away.

“Damn it….”

I felt thoroughly unsettled and disgusted.

Because the Death Knight had spat that vile mystery into my face with a mouth that was nothing but bone.

Worse, it was a dark, murky color—like having vomit splashed across my face.

“Ugh.”

“No! Were you cursed? To pierce the protective magic—what a formidable thing!”

“Mm…. It is not that.”

“It is not?”

At Magician Agpiel’s puzzled, still-worried gaze, I could not bring myself to tell him the truth.

“Ahem. It is nothing. More importantly—what is that thing? Do you know what it is?”

I hurriedly changed the subject, pointing toward the Death Knight, which had already pulled back.

-Kyakyak!

-Die! You mortals!

“Ghk! Block it!”

“It is rampaging!”

Having withdrawn from me, the Death Knight was now fighting the knights, and unlike earlier, it was slaughtering them with a brazen, triumphant air.

“I do not know either. I never expected such a being to be in a place like this. It must be some insidious plot prepared over a long time by an eerie cult.”

“Is that so…?”

As I listened to Magician Agpiel, I furrowed my brow.

The truth was, I could not clearly remember what event this was. [Pangea Universalise] produced cultist events from time to time, and there were so many varieties that it was hard to keep them straight.

But what choice did I have?

That devil was rampaging right before my eyes, so I had to beat it down quickly.

-GRIP.

I tightened my hold on the hilt and stared at the Death Knight.

This time, I intended to swing with such force that blocking it would not even be an option.

“Y-Your Grace! We must withdraw!”

Then, the second Lord Gertman, pale as death as he watched the duel, shouted.

“Withdraw? What do you mean?”

“That being is surely the Great Warrior of Belluam. We cannot handle it alone. Even now, we must preserve our strength and request support from the main castle at once.”

“What? The Great Warrior of Belluam?”

At the second Lord Gertman’s words, I frowned.

The Great Warrior of Belluam.

It was a name I had heard somewhere before.

Mistaking my reaction as a question, the second Lord Gertman hurried on.

“Yes. They are a cult that worships an evil ancient god—cultists who pursue eternal life by absorbing life, sacrificing people. Human sacrifice cultists.”

“Hmm, so they are the typical sort of cultists. But how do you know this?”

“It is recorded in old books passed down through my family. The Great Sage told us that we must be vigilant and prevent the rise of such cultists in our territory, but… I never imagined it would be here—ah….”

“Mm.”

As I listened, I finally remembered where I had heard the name.

It was a cultist event that often occurred when playing the Duchy of Bourgogne. And at the same time, I understood why the second Lord Gertman was shouting in despair.

“Endless vitality, befitting cultists who pursue eternal life… right?”

Slash and slash.

Kill and kill, and yet it would rise again to attack the living to the end.

That was the Death Knight.

And the arms protected by vile mystery were so durable that they would not shatter even under siege weapons.

I even remembered, back when I played [Pangea Universalise], leading an army nearly the size of a county’s force just to subjugate it—barely, with great difficulty.

“Damn it! No wonder it endured your strike so well. To think it is the Great Warrior of Belluam!”

“Do you know it as well, Magician Agpiel?”

Just in case, I asked Magician Agpiel carefully.

Magician Agpiel nodded.

“Yes. They are beings with tenacious vitality and excellent defense, empowered by vile mystery. I thought they had been subjugated and wiped out at least several hundred years ago….”

With a sickened expression, Magician Agpiel looked toward the Death Knight rampaging in the distance.

The knights, protected by the forest’s blessing, were managing to withstand it for now—but only barely. They looked as though they would soon tire and collapse.

If we left it as it was, there would surely be heavy casualties.

“We should withdraw, as Lord Gertman says. To face that thing, we need more certain preparations. We were too hasty.”

“But if we leave it alone, will it not grow even stronger? Would it not be better to deal with it now? Magician Agpiel.”

Magician Agpiel shook his head at my words.

It was a warning.

“Did it not block even your strike? That insane strength of yours.”

“…Insane strength?”

“Good grief. In any case, this is the first time we have seen something that could stop that absurd brute force, is it not? It is certainly different from the Death Knight last time. Then, it vanished in a single blow.”

“??”

The second Lord Gertman, listening beside us, could not understand what the magician was saying.

He understood that we had fought a Death Knight before, but that it had been erased in a single strike?

“He is laying it on rather thick.”

Thinking that, the second Lord Gertman hurriedly spoke up. If the Margrave insisted on fighting that monstrous Death Knight out of pride, it would be a catastrophe.

“Your Grace. I recognize your outstanding valor, but the situation is not favorable. That vile Great Warrior of Belluam is not something we can resolve ourselves. As the Great Sage says, our attacks simply do not work, do they? And according to the old books, even if we destroy its arms, it rises again with endless vitality. A true knight must know when to withdraw—”

He was desperately trying to persuade me with as much evidence as he could muster.

But I—

“Mm….”

I thought differently.

“I believe… we can face it.”

“What?”

“That shield. I think I can break it.”

“????”

“??”

---

It was not a joke.

In that clash a moment ago, I had felt it clearly. My strike had been stopped by vile mystery, but it had not been ineffective.

“If I put more momentum into it and truly commit my strength, I can break it.”

And I could not have been the only one to sense that. There was a reason the Death Knight had hurriedly pulled away from me to prey on lesser knights.

Because if it had held out any longer, its defenses would have split and its neck would have flown.

“I can do it. Magician Agpiel. Help me again!”

“N-no! Your Grace, you must not. Great Sage, please stop His Grace!”

The second Lord Gertman screamed at my advance, but neither Magician Agpiel nor I was inclined to listen.

“Tch. You truly do work me like a mule! One day, I will make you pay interest on all of this!”

“Ha-ha-ha. Understood. Then let us finish this matter first, Great Sage!”

Once again I felt the magic—the mystery of the forest’s protection—fill me, and I bolted forward.

“Guh—!”

-Great Belluam. For Him, life! Give me your life!

-That is the full measure of mercy I can grant you! Khyakakakak!

-BANG! CRASH!

My target was the Death Knight, the Great Warrior of Belluam, still rampaging among the knights.

“You bastard! You ran from me only to torment the weak?!”

I drew my sword and leveled it at him, as though I would crush the Death Knight’s body on the spot.

-FWOOOSH!

Then, as if the world itself answered my choice, bright light began to pour down between the trees of the forest where darkness had fallen.

-KIIIIK!

The ground, which had been rippling with vile mystery, screamed as it began to be purified. At the same time, the blade struck by that light began to shine in dazzling, many-colored hues.

-Grrrrr! Spawn of a false god! You dare—do you know what place this is?!

“Hm?”

I did not know why, but at least judging by the Death Knight’s convulsing fit, it seemed to be a good thing.

I set my stance and focused all my strength into the hilt.

As though to ensure that what had happened in the earlier clash would never happen again.

-Kiiiiik.

As I forced that monstrous power into it, the Holy sword screamed. Yet it endured, taking my strength in full.

-You monstrous bastard! Fine, then. Come. Let us see how much your false god can protect—?!

But before the Death Knight could finish, thrashing with vile mystery—

-FLASH!

A lightning-like arc of sword-light flared, and with a thunderous roar the Death Knight’s body split apart.

-THUD!

Shield, and the cursed sword that had been spewing vile mystery, went with it.

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