**Chapter 28: The King of虚Shadow③**
Well, what should I do…?
It seems that preparations for an Evil ritual were steadily advancing in the depths of the dark castle of the Demon King. When it comes to a Demon King, rituals are to be expected. In the books I had read, those who are called demons quietly accumulate power. So, I can understand the Lord’s words, but being confronted with such a situation suddenly is quite troubling.
I am in a position of being pursued. I cannot seek help from anyone. There is even a possibility that the Order of the Final Knights is the mastermind behind this. While Senri could report anonymously to them, the Order of the Final Knights cannot be underestimated. Razar and the others would also be a source of anxiety. If I were alone, I would have fled by now, but with Senri here, that option is off the table.
Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario. If the King of虚Shadow were to resurrect, would I be able to win? I had come close to defeating Rainer, who was also called a Demon King, but I survived only because Seーブル intervened.
The skeletal Lord responds to my thoughts.
‘…It would be a disadvantageous victory. The power of a Dead person’s King, who has accumulated strength over many long years, is among the most Nuisance types of all Demon Kings.’
That was an unexpected answer.
A disadvantageous victory, huh… It doesn’t mean defeat is certain. Is it possible to win against such an opponent?
Having only been an Immortal for about a year, could I truly defeat an Immortal who has lived for decades, or even centuries? The living have their strengths, and the Dead have theirs. If the opponent is also an Immortal King, they would likely possess a similar level of Regeneration ability. It seems that I have no chance of winning unless I can endure a prolonged battle…
The Lord does not speak much. As I gaze at the remnants of the Lord floating in the darkness, I ponder to distract myself from the pain. And then, I quickly arrive at an answer.
No… wait!
At that moment, Senri, who had been deep in thought after hearing my information, raised her face.
“End, let’s blow the castle away along with the magic circle. If we use ‘Annihilation,’ the accumulated power of death won’t be a problem.”
…As expected, Senri and I are a perfect match.
The remnants of the Lord turn their empty eye sockets toward Senri, but she continues with a serious expression that is both dignified and beautiful, to the point where my heart trembles.
“I want to avoid my own Destruction as much as possible. However, if the King of the Dead were to resurrect, it would be far too dangerous. We should thoroughly destroy it before the ritual activates.”
‘You foolish girl who does not understand wisdom… N/A! What a simplistic thought! You, a disciple of ‘Annihilation,’ who knows nothing of the arcane arts, N/A! End, I am utterly exasperated that you would fall for such a brainless girl!’
“That’s something I was also considering. But Senri, is the effective range of ‘Annihilation’ really that wide?”
‘End, stop it, N/A! You idiot!’
How annoying. If I had to choose between listening to the Lord or Senri, it’s obviously Senri.
I know better than to heed the words of an Evil being. There’s nothing good that can come from it. I’m not playing a puzzle, and if there’s a simple solution, I’ll take that route.
‘Annihilation’ is the ultimate technique that converts vast amounts of Blessing power to obliterate all. According to Senri, it has been effective against powerful Deceased beings and has obliterated many formidable adversaries, but it is also a technique that consumes a great deal of energy.
Just how exhausting is it? It’s so demanding that even counting Senri among its users, there are only a handful of people capable of wielding it.
Moreover, Blessing is the energy of Life. Releasing it must have a significant impact on the wielder. Senri was able to unleash it freely during the battle against the Lord, but that was only because she is Special.
I wish I had a grand technique that could destroy the castle from afar. Is there nothing like that?
‘…………’
“If we rest afterward, it won’t be a problem. However, since we need to narrow the range, I will need you to direct the release.”
If we’re going to rest afterward, that means I’ll have to hold off on Blood for a while… It can’t be helped. Recently, I’ve been relying too much on Senri, so I should show some patience here. Just holding me would be enough.
As I was nearing a conclusion, the Lord spoke in a flustered tone.
‘Wait, End! The ritual is not yet complete. Now there is no need to break it. It’s an ancient technique; if you use the proper procedures, the formation can be dismantled!’
…Is that so? If that’s the case, you should have said so earlier. Mages tend to be overly dramatic.
‘Look, End, look! The accumulated power of death is here. Generally, even with ‘Annihilation,’ if you recklessly destroy the core, the power of death may spread uncontrollably!’
Is that so? I want to show Senri a cool side of myself, but that doesn’t mean I want to show her an uncool side either. At this point, I’ve already been helped by Senri countless times.
‘Feel it. If the power of death accumulates, the formation will activate. If the formation has not activated, it means the power of death is insufficient—’
The Lord, unusually talkative, seems to be quite averse to preventing the ritual. Perhaps there’s a trauma associated with it. After all, the Order of the Final Knights seems to be filled with muscle-headed individuals…
…It can’t be helped. Recently, I’ve been putting too much pressure on Senri. It would be best not to use ‘Annihilation’ if possible.
But if I get deceived… then I’ll have Senri kill me.
As if reading my thoughts, the Lord stared at me intently. It’s a shame that I can’t read expressions due to the lack of flesh and skin.
“—Senri, ‘Annihilation’ is good, but I have an idea.”
—
“Hey, what should we do, Razar? This looks bad, doesn’t it?”
Before the strange door in the ground, which had shut with a loud sound, Razar and the others stood in stunned silence.
It was clearly not a normal situation. The expressions on their companions’ faces were grim. Razar himself likely wore a similar expression.
The castle of the Demon King, where the Annihilation beings attacked nightly. They had been told there was nothing there, yet this door existed.
Razar and his companions were not adventurers. They were stingy mercenaries who avoided fighting on the front lines in this war-torn era, making a meager living instead.
They had no desire to enter the door. For one, it was already closed, and they certainly did not possess the ridiculous strength of a Balro.
“Should we report back to the Order of the Final Knights?”
“…Think calmly. They’ve hidden something from us. Damn it!”
They had let their guard down. That town was not to be trusted. The employment of mercenaries is built on Trust. By hiding the existence of the door and the reason the Annihilation beings were approaching, the Order of the Final Knights could no longer be considered a good employer.
Besides, they had not even heard about the Golem that was supposed to be in the sanctum where the Annihilation beings gathered. There was no way the Order of the Final Knights, who possessed the key to the door, could be unaware of the existence of such raiders. If the Balro had gone in first and Razar and the others had followed, they would have lost their lives.
“Hey, let’s just run away.”
“Nah… but Ruu and Balro are still inside.”
The Order of the Final Knights had concealed the danger. At this rate, the story that no Dead persons had emerged from the mercenaries they had hired was likely a Lie. Originally, they would have abandoned the request and fled.
However, those two were the ones who had saved Razar and his companions’ lives. They had been told to run when the time came, but a mercenary cannot abandon their duty.
“The wall in front of the door won’t remain like this forever. The Order of the Final Knights must have begun an investigation.”
The wall in front of the door was completely sealed due to movement. However, it was hard to believe it would remain this way indefinitely. There had to be a way to return to Yuan.
The interior of the door seemed to have a height that was quite significant. Someone would need to secure an escape route for the Balro and the others to return. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Razar made a resolute decision and spoke to his companions.
“Let’s prepare explosives and a rope ladder. We’re going to blow open the door.”
“Are you serious… explosives down here?”
“There’s no choice; we’ll do what we can.”
The underground passage might collapse, but that would be better than being trapped underground alive.
They had prepared just in case. Razar’s companions began to move slowly, seemingly reluctant.
At that moment, a sound of footsteps echoed from behind them.
They exchanged glances and turned around. What appeared were two figures clad in striking silver armor. The stifling air of the underground was instantly transformed into something pure.
“This is a dreary place…”
“Don’t let your guard down, Nebira. There was a mark of Senri here. She is definitely here.”
“Tch. I know that. We’ve finally found a lead. Let’s hurry and bring her back—then finish this.”
At the words of the gentle-looking man, a man with a harsh face broke into a fierce grin.