Chapter 117: Giant Slayer (2)

Tok, tu du duk –

The giant’s coarse flesh trembled as blood and tears streamed down, soaking into the earth.

So much so that the tears, having fully drenched the ground, began to flow, reminiscent of a mighty river.

This accursed land, now brimming with the gurgling current of a blood river.

“Form the ranks and hold the formation!”

“Draw your bows!”

Sensing an ominous premonition from the scene, the men braced themselves in tense silence.

And then.

Phu-wak –

“Kieeeek—!”

Thousands of monsters sprang up at once, filling the space before Kalgos in an instant.

They were not even the Legion Commander’s vassals, but mere bacteria born from the blood of Kalgos himself.

Yet, both Baren’s forces and the Magic Alliance knew all too well the brutality of these creatures.

And there was no time to be surprised by this horrific spectacle.

The commander shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

“Fire—!”

The taut bowstrings snapped as arrows were loosed.

Hundreds of arrows soared, trailing long shafts of light behind them.

Cannons, loaded with gunpowder, belched flame and smoke; elves etched magic circles upon the ground.

Even the Magic Alliance, stationed behind Kalgos, bombarded the plague monsters with relentless spells.

『 Is this truly the strength of those who follow you?』

『 I cannot even glimpse the valor of that former age any longer.』

Kalgos’s muttering echoed all around.

He gazed with disinterest at the lights probing his surroundings.

Arrows, cannonballs, even desperate spells.

He looked down at these futile struggles as if watching the last resistance of insignificant insects.

Then, the plague monsters began to move toward the lines strung between the trees on either side.

Despite the ceaseless bombardment, they charged forward with grotesque aggression.

“Raise your shields!”

“Strengthen the barrier!”

On one side, the knights stepped forward.

On the other, the magicians reinforced the fortress.

The true battle had begun.

As he observed the shifting tides of war, Sig climbed up a tree.

At the very top stood Richard.

Starting with Sig, Moritz, Aaron, and Gide soon gathered together.

They were the elite, carefully chosen to slay Kalgos.

They exchanged silent glances with Richard.

A mix of curiosity and concern in their eyes.

Unable to hold back, Sig asked quietly.

“Richard. What exactly is your relationship with that monster? Did you say… father?”

“…That’s not what matters right now.”

Richard replied, stroking his star.

Yet, his gaze never left the crimson giant.

The giant, too, watched only Richard with crescent-shaped eyes.

Sig’s expression grew even more complicated.

Kwa kwa kwang—!

A blast erupted from Kalgos’s body.

It wasn’t just a single strike; it was an all-out attack from the Magic Alliance.

Thick clouds of dust veiled the giant’s form.

“Saint! We’ll handle the plague monsters and join you soon!”

At that moment, Lord Ord, who was holding off the monsters, shouted toward Richard.

“Let’s get started as well.”

Richard nodded, then mounted his star.

Sig summoned his Wyvern and readied for battle.

***

At the very top of the tree, Allan clicked his tongue.

Even the mages of the Marks Family, gathered around him, could not hide their shock.

As the dust cleared, Kalgos appeared once more.

Despite the barrage of high-level magic from the best of the best, there wasn’t a scratch on Kalgos’s body.

No, he didn’t even bother to look their way.

He didn’t even glance at the magicians who had attacked him.

『 I have been waiting for this day, Father—!』

He welcomed only Richard, who soared toward him atop his star.

That attitude made Allan’s mood even worse.

Allan furrowed his brow deeply, raising his staff.

This time, his magic was aimed at Richard.

Kiiiiing—

Five green magic circles surrounded Richard.

Each one was a high-grade buff spell.

“Young master! They are of the Bartenberg Bloodline…”

“Now is not the time for that. Exterminating this heretic comes first.”

At Allan’s resolute command, the magicians pressed their lips together in silence.

Soon, his staff wove together the green magic circles with a rough flourish.

He, too, had realized it.

That the magical resistance of this crimson giant was beyond imagination.

To inflict real damage, the knights’ physical strength was needed.

If anything went wrong, everyone here could die—pride was a luxury they could not afford.

Meanwhile, Richard drew close to Kalgos.

Aaron, Gide, and Sig also dismounted from their Wyverns.

“I, too, have waited for this day, Kalgos.”

Richard growled ferociously.

A massive red hand came crashing down.

Like a child trying to catch an insect, there was no malice at all in the movement.

The knights kicked off the ground, dodging swiftly.

As he brushed past Kalgos’s hand, Richard slashed with White Ghost.

Ka-kak—

Aura, forged by faith, drew a sharp line across the coarse flesh.

At the same time, two stars shot straight at Kalgos’s eyes.

“Aaron, Gide!”

At Richard’s call, the two spear knights nodded and dashed forward.

Climbing up Kalgos’s left hand and along his arm.

As the two spear knights dashed over the Plague Lord’s body, Hor’s light blazed from their forms.

『 Pathetic…』

Kalgos blocked the stars with his right arm, then swept his hand toward them.

Just then, something dropped in front of his eyes.

It was Moritz, who had been biding his time atop his Wyvern.

“You shouldn’t let your guard down.”

Moritz stabbed at the giant’s eye with his dagger, brimming with faith.

『 Grrrraah—』

The giant’s movements halted.

The spear knights, who had been deliberately drawing the giant’s attention, withdrew.

Moritz, too, readied his stance atop Richard’s star.

Kwa kwa kwang—!

Right then, another top-tier spell shook the giant’s body.

Yet, the giant showed little reaction.

Blood streamed from his ruined eye.

He simply clenched his throat, blood gushing, but did nothing more.

“There’s no real reaction.”

Richard gripped White Ghost and Dragon Tooth tightly.

It was as expected; losing an eye wouldn’t make Kalgos lose his fighting spirit.

He was a ferocious berserker.

The more wounded he became, the more savage and venomous he would grow.

A fallen king’s fallen Legion Commander.

『 Kuheh…』

As expected, the corners of Kalgos’s mouth curled upward.

Contrary to his twisted smile, a murderous aura now began to boil from his massive frame.

『…This is entertaining.』

Phuuk—

He plunged his fingers into his blinded eye.

With a sickening crunch, the enormous eyeball was torn free.

Kalgos stared at the blood-soaked eye in his hand.

『 Entertaining…』

Kwachik!

He crushed the eyeball, nerves still attached, without mercy.

“What a truly disgusting creature.”

Sig muttered in a sickened voice as he witnessed the act.

But it was only for a moment.

A sinister energy gathered at Kalgos’s right hand, which had just crushed the eye.

It soon took on the form of a sword.

“Now it’s the real thing. Don’t let your guard…”

Richard barely got out his warning before—

The plague-forged greatsword came crashing down.

Kwaaaang—!

Richard and Sig had to roll aside to avoid the monstrous speed of the strike.

“Ugh, what the—”

There was no time to be surprised.

Where the blade struck, the earth split, and a massive plague monster began to writhe up from the ground.

“…Just brushing against that would be the end of me.”

Sig muttered in a pale voice.

Fierce aura flickered along his sword.

Richard once again wove his faith-infused aura around White Ghost and Dragon Tooth.

Kwaaang!

As the plague sword swept down again, the two brothers unleashed their sword energy.

Once, twice, three times…

It was excruciatingly difficult to block the giant’s sword dozens of times over.

The berserk joy of the giant shook the sky, while the greatsword and sword energy clashed in a storm upon the battlefield.

Plague monsters, born from the greatsword’s strikes, howled hideously.

“Aaron, Gide! You handle the monsters!”

At Richard’s desperate shout, the two spear knights leapt into the fray.

『 Is this all it takes to exhaust you?』

『 Please, make this unfilial son even more delighted!』

『 How can the battlefield you once graced be so lacking now!』

As he roared in wild delight, Kalgos gripped the sword with both hands.

Raising it as if to pierce the sky, he brought it crashing down with brutal force.

The sword rent the air, stirring up a storm.

“Richard! I’ll block this one!”

Sig shoved Richard away with his whole body and poured every ounce of strength into his counterattack.

Kwaaang—

It was truly earth-shaking.

For a brief instant, all the noise of battle was devoured by a single thunderous roar.

“Urgh… ngh…”

Ka-du-duk, Sig’s arms trembled violently as he blocked the giant’s sword.

A master-forged blade, now split with deep cracks.

***

“Damn! Brother…”

Moritz let out a silent scream.

What he saw in Sig’s condition was truly tragic.

Scarlet blood poured from his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth.

His pupils seemed unfocused.

It was hard to believe this was the same Sig, always brimming with vitality.

“Damn it! Damn it all!”

Moritz’s insides boiled with fury.

But his aura grew only colder.

“Stealth… I must maintain stealth…”

Slowly, ever so slowly, he crawled up the filthy flesh.

“I’ll gouge out that last remaining eye, too…”

Moritz’s bulging eyes blazed with venom.

That venom burned within him, even though his whole body was blackened and infected by the plague.

Thus, as he climbed Kalgos’s flesh with his dying body—

Dozens of spells battered Kalgos.

All cast so as not to affect Moritz.

At the same time, vigor surged through Moritz’s body.

There was only one group of mages who could coordinate so perfectly.

“Hmph. Not bad, you’ve got some sense.”

Twisting his lips into a crooked grin, he moved again.

Kalgos’s body convulsed, pulsing without rest.

Climbing that filthy mass, Moritz finally reached the shoulder.

『 Tch…』

『 You stinking brat…』

As if he’d been waiting, Kalgos seized him.

“Da—”

A bloodshot, gleaming eyeball shoved right in front of his face.

Moritz didn’t even have time to feel doubt.

Like snatching up a snack, Kalgos stuffed him into his mouth in one gulp.

He soared through the air for just a moment; then, as he faced the giant’s fangs, countless memories flashed through Moritz’s mind.

When Richard broke his nose with a punch.

When he shed his trauma through Hor’s light.

Laughing and crying with his comrades at Riot Castle.

“Hor…”

He murmured weakly.

And then.

“Yes. Hor will save you.”

A familiar voice rang in his ears.

Ka-du-duk!

A familiar sword desperately blocked the giant’s fangs.

“Why is our first Saint Knight trying to die in a place like this?”

Moritz blinked in a daze.

“Richard…? Why are you…”

Why are you here?

Richard did not answer his question.

With one arm, he blocked the giant’s fangs, and with the other, he lifted Moritz onto his star.

As if he could hold out no longer, one knee slowly buckled.

“What are you doing—”

“Hey, Richard!”

“Sorry.”

The star slipped out from between the giant’s teeth.

And then, fang met fang.

Kkak!

Crimson blood flowed from between the clenched teeth.

It was holy blood.