Episode 98
“I’m going to eat… I must chew and swallow… I can no longer be satisfied with just souls. I, the Archbishop, have fled before some mere human…! Helion, I will turn your body into jerky and chew on you…!”
Ami, riding atop the deep crimson Altife, muttered in a fit of rage.
The Altife carrying him was a robust, muscular horse-like *Special Entity* that could navigate rough terrain without any problem.
The *Special Entity* caught Ami’s attention, reminding him of the pressing situation.
As he put his anger aside for a moment and raised his head to look ahead, he could see the outline of Dortmund in the distance.
Beside him, a large, cyclopean Bishop approached and spoke. He looked unwell, as if he were suffering from some ailment.
“Ami, are you really fine with charging forward like this?”
“What are you talking about right now?”
The cyclopean Bishop swallowed hard.
He knew how prideful beings like the Archbishops were, making it difficult to voice his thoughts.
However, considering the current situation, it was undeniable that there were better alternatives, so he finally mustered the courage to speak.
“…We have a lot of information about Dortmund from Hero Craine. We know when it’s most vulnerable, even the layout of the guards.”
Of course, Craine’s actions would have necessitated some strengthening and changes, but he skipped over that detail.
His primary goal was to retreat.
Even if they fortified later, it would be better than charging in now.
Ami pressed him to continue.
He gritted his teeth and confirmed, “To put it bluntly, now is not a good time.”
“Not a good time? Time… Time…”
Muttering to himself, Ami asked, “Why?”
The Bishop was taken aback. Ami’s eyes were so cruel and clouded that it was hard to believe he was looking at one of his own kind.
The pitch-black void lost its center and seemed to freeze as it watched him.
The Bishop sensed clear *Intent to Kill* radiating from him.
He felt it.
If things went wrong, he could die here before the war even began.
Fighting back the fear, he said, “He… Helion… is currently at Dortmund because Helion is here.”
“…….”
Ami did not answer and silently looked down at him.
The Bishop struggled under that weight, wishing for death rather than bearing it without understanding.
As he awaited the moment of judgment, Ami spoke up, “You’re right. Helion now is a completely different being than he was 15 years ago.”
“Ami…”
I looked up and saw Ami again, and I could tell he accepted my advice. His eyes, which seemed to blaze with rage, were now calm.
He assessed the situation, accepted it, and continued with a clear analysis.
“If it weren’t for Helion and his crew, wiping out Dortmund with our current strength would be a piece of cake. I know that too. But…”
Ami asked, “When will that be?”
How much time would pass before we could pay back this humiliation?
When Helion left Dortmund for another mission?
Or would we only be able to invade when we were too old and frail to fight back?
The calmness in Ami’s eyes wasn’t due to a stable peace; it was an ominous stillness before a storm.
“So, I guess I have to wait, panting like a defeated dog from a distance, until that time comes? Because the stick-wielding owner is scary?”
“Ah, Ami… please hold on…!”
“Groven. It seems like you fear Helion, but you don’t fear me?”
The trembling eyes of the cyclops Bishop, Groven, reflected Ami.
Ami’s appearance wasn’t some casual outfit he always wore. He was dressed in brilliant armor, like a general stepping onto the battlefield.
His skin appeared whole and solid, enveloping him in white, his helmet firmly in place. The scythe he carried was almost an extension of his body, trailing behind him like a tail.
This was his true form after completing “Liberation.”
For hundreds of years, Ami had slaughtered and manipulated countless heroes in this guise. Whenever he looked like this, the scent of blood would pervade the air.
“You seem to have forgotten. I’m the Archbishop of the Goddess Church. An Archbishop…! Heroes? I’ve devoured ones ranked in the top 10. Their sweet souls are still trapped inside me!”
Those who fell victim to Ami’s power could not die.
Their bodies perished, but their souls were bound to live forever with him.
Helion’s left arm was in such a predicament too.
“Do you want me to pretend not to notice that my long-saved prey has gotten a bit stronger and go after someone else…? Ha, haha! Groven, you’re completely insane?!”
“I’m, I’m sorry. That was a statement made in honor of your infinite glory, Ami, but it may have come off as suspicious… *cough*!”
Ami pressed the deadly scythe against his neck. Groven’s head snapped up straight.
“You were quite strong among the Bishops, weren’t you?”
Ami’s imposing gaze scrutinized Groven.
Groven was a well-built man, reinforced by Altife’s unique abundant mana, crushing his opponents.
Among the Bishops, the skill levels varied widely, and Groven was above average. He was the strongest among the Bishops Ami traveled with.
As annoying as he was, it would be a shame to just kill him.
How could I use this kid?
…Ah.
A long smile crept onto Ami’s lips.
His eyes smiled too, but it wasn’t friendly at all.
“I heard Helion has taken a liking to a little brat lately.”
Ami recalled someone.
He was a prospective hero whose name was often spoken in the Goddess Church, the man who had severed the neck of Ami’s younger sister, Zagan.
They said he resisted Cardinal Beled’s power or something; that just sounded like nonsense to me. But the scent of Zagan lingering on him was bothersome.
“I’m going to confront Helion in this war.”
Ami’s goal was singular.
In reality, Dortmund was just a side note.
“Kill that kid Schugenharz Troa Vargan, the student of Helion. He’s got the scent of Zagan, so you won’t have any trouble finding him.”
I had caught a glimpse of him when I stepped into the graveyard to hunt Frikkanrisk last time, but I had left him be.
I had been neglecting it since I got so wrapped up with Helion, but now it seemed like a chance.
“Bring me his head. I’ll make a spectacle of it right in front of Helion.”
Helion taking him in as a student meant he held some value.
Seeing the death of his student would either make Helion go into a frenzy or show off his full power.
Ami wanted to hunt Helion, channeling all her strength into it. She thought it was the best way to repay her humiliation.
⎯KWAHACK!
Ami’s tail pierced Groven’s heart.
Not long later, it slipped out, and the torn wound quickly healed up.
Ami used her powers to put a time limit on him.
“There’s no time to waste, Groven.”
Ami wouldn’t stop the war.
Groven’s statement only fueled his fighting spirit.
“Hurry up.”
*
The ground shook with the approach of a group.
I could see the red wave coming toward us.
A vast number of Altife’s army was charging towards the castle walls, ready to break through.
It was my first time seeing this many live.
Compared to the war that would unfold after this, its scale was smaller, but it certainly revealed how much Ami had devoured the village all this time.
You could say it was the game that Craine had set up.
“Oh, are they dividing into formations?”
I unconsciously blurted it out.
Around 3,500 priest-level mindless entities moved in unison, looking like a well-trained army.
In an instant, they split into three formations.
There was a difference in their marching speed.
One frontline formation had 1,500.
The two rear formations each had 1,000.
They separated assault and follow-up units. The frontline troops would engage first while the rest would look for openings.
Five Special Entities, towering over 20 meters, were set in the follow-up units, while there were ten in the frontline.
No need for rams to break down the gates.
Those guys could break through walls, not just gates.
It was fascinating to see them employing their tactics instead of just rushing in thoughtlessly.
“Well, if their true objective was a proper invasion, given the current timing, I wouldn’t even think about sieging.”
If it were me, I would’ve cut off supply lines and started a blockade, even having activities inside the city… but that was just idle thought.
Ami’s goal now wasn’t to focus on Dortmund, and she seemed to have forgotten that her anger was messing with her normally poor decision-making. Keeping formation seemed to be the best she could do.
As I pondered, Helion approached.
Finn, who was beside me, instinctively lowered his head.
Despite the impending war, he seemed unfazed.
“Students Vargan and Finn really don’t have to participate in this war. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
Seeing Helion’s expression left me dumbfounded. He didn’t seem worried at all while his words sounded so polished.
“Helion, you once mentioned that I have a strange tendency to pretend I don’t know things even when I do.”
“Are you referring to when I suggested mentoring?”
“It seems you’re not too different from me, Helion.”
Hearing that, Helion let out a small smile.
Heilion smiled softly as he listened.
He even made a sound with his mouth like ‘ha ha.’
“It still feels awkward to laugh.”
“Did it feel that way again? I thought I did it quite naturally.”
Then a brief silence fell over their conversation.
Heilion turned his gaze towards the approaching red army.
Was he really looking at a calm sea? It felt almost surreal how serene it was.
He asked, “Do you think Vargan can win this war?”
It wouldn’t be accurate to say he lacked confidence.
He genuinely seemed curious about my judgment.
“How can a mere student in broad daylight read the tides of a fierce battlefield? But if I dare to predict…”
I met Heilion’s gaze as he turned his head.
“Victory is certain.”
“You sound very confident? The opponent is an Archbishop who has undergone Liberation and their army, you know.”
Well, that’s true.
But since I had read the plot already…
“I trust you, Heilion, and your team members.”
As I said that, Heilion chuckled, trying to stifle his laughter. That was a genuine smile.
Though I conveyed it in a pretentious manner, the essence of my words was sincere.
“I never expected to hear such words from you, Vargan.”
Instead of continuing with a follow-up statement, he expressed his thanks and left.
“However, since it’s the fortune teller’s words, it’s reassuring above all else.”
No, saying he left is strange.
He jumped down from the castle wall.
And then, in front of the heroes trying to protect Dortmund.
He flew before dozens of heroes, beginning to cast his magic.
It seemed as if the flow of all mana around him was being moved by him. If mana were wind, then he was the eye of the storm.
In that moment, he recited a prayer.
It had nothing to do with spells.
It was purely a prayer concerning the lives that would soon turn to ash.
“Finn, how many enemies do you see coming up ahead right now?”
I asked Finn, who was gazing into the battlefield, seemingly entranced and without a word.
Finn snapped out of it and narrowed his eyes to assess the numbers.
“There are four bishops… and about 1,500 priest-level Altife, including special entities.”
“No, you’re wrong.”
“Huh? The specific numbers might differ, but the rough estimate should be correct?”
I smiled as I looked at the massive army.
Though he couldn’t see my expression, I imagined he must have a look of naive wonder, like a child encountering something new.
“The enemy’s vanguard is only four.”
As soon as my words ended, Heilion’s magic was complete.
It was the pivotal starting point for why Heilion would be called a hero. A large-scale spell that saved Dortmund.
Heilion’s ‘First Unique Spell.’
⎯A great hole was opened in the sky.
From there, the light of glory poured down like a waterfall, illuminating the world. The warmth that caressed all living things lifted the righteous and scorched the wicked with Holy Light.
Even those without faith would instinctively bow their heads and feel compelled to praise such amazing wonders.
Thank goodness the war didn’t start at night.
All the beings of this realm would be startled by the sudden arrival of day.
The divine light that descended from above fell upon the approaching enemies in the front lines.
In the wake of their praise-filled screams, the result was merely…
Four.
The 1,500 priest-level Altife disappeared from the world.
It was the dramatic opening scene of war.
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