Chapter 71: End of War (2)

“Go.”

A brief word.

Immediately, the purple star tore through the void like a sharp arrow, leaving a long trail, just like a Meteor Shower.

Zzzeeoohhh—!

Soon, the red Barrier surrounding the fortress clashed with the star.

A brutal and enormous explosion echoed.

The intense shockwave overturned the entire battlefield.

Deuk-deuk, the star continued pushing against the Barrier.

However, the Barrier only trembled violently, not leaving even the slightest trace of damage.

“Leon!”

“Haah—!”

Leon, having heard Richard’s invasion, swung his sword.

The swordlight shooting from the blade struck behind the star.

Kwah-ang!

One explosion.

Kwah-ang!

A second explosion.

The knights who had been watching the terrifying hammer blows dropped their jaws in disbelief.

Each time Leon swung his sword, the distant fortress’s Barrier trembled as if shaking its very body.

“Richard the Saint!”

“Commander Leon! Stay strong!”

The knights’ cheers lifted their spirits.

The star that had been pressing straight against the Barrier suddenly began to rotate at a single point.

The swordlight Leon released grew bigger and brighter.

“Haah, haah!”

Zzjeok—jjeoong!

The sound of cracking rang out, then the bright red Barrier shattered into pieces.

“Waaaah!”

It was just a single Barrier, but the knights leapt with joy.

But it was only momentary.

Once again, screams of encouragement rang out.

“Completely destroy the fortress!”

“Magic, use magic!”

In response, magical arrays were drawn all over the sky.

Countless miracles arose from the arrays, mercilessly striking the naked fortress.

“Huff, huff…!”

Richard, gasping from his overexertion, gazed at the fortress.

Even as it collapsed in an instant, magic still raged violently.

‘They’re desperate to complete the ritual.’

His eyes wide open, he summoned the star once more.

“I won’t stop now. It’s almost over.”

One star flew back behind the swirling frost.

The goal was the fortress’s highest point, where magic surged and roared.

Kwah-ang!

A roar erupted from the fortress, covered in disgusting blood stains.

The magic, which had been surging as if about to explode, melted away like ice.

A heavy silence settled over the battlefield.

Is this the end?

Are the Liches dead?

All eyes filled with tense anticipation swept across the shattered fortress.

Kkeeeoooohhh—!

A scream that shook even souls echoed.

It was the cry of the Liches, whose plans had instantly collapsed.

***

“How dare they, how dare they!”

The fortress’s remains crumbled into dust.

From beneath, three Liches floated in the void.

Their empty eye sockets burned with bright red gleams.

The instigators of all this disaster.

“How dare you, vermin!”

Their forms glared fiercely as if ready to slaughter the Union.

The fearful and mighty king’s arrival was blocked by the vermin.

It was impossible to believe the truth.

It was almost done.

If only they had a little more time…!

The once-quiet magic burst from them again, and the air grew heavy once more.

The power of the high-ranking demons consumed by rage was both magnificent and terrifying.

In an instant, ominous magical arrays embroidered the sky.

From there, black magic emerged and fell toward the Union.

Kwah-ang, kwaaang—!

They were creatures who deserved to be buried deep in the Demon Realm’s abyss.

Rage, rage, rage…

Raw and brutal anger roared through the magic, shaking the ground.

“I will kill and kill again, defiling even your souls!”

One Lich cast a spell.

The curse that had swallowed Polin Castle and its surroundings spread once more.

The Union’s Tree Trunk began to rot and decay.

Another Lich chanted magic.

“Kruwaaah—!”

From the dead earth, the dead crawled.

The corpses of beasts with broken necks moved again, and even knights who had lost their throats became Undead, gripping swords once more.

Undead climbed up the rotten roots and pressed forward.

Kwang! Kwaaang!

Another Lich poured powerful magic into the heart of the Union.

Suddenly, calamity struck violently.

The Union screamed.

A catastrophe created by only three demons.

But perhaps even that was not enough.

“I will open the breach.”

One Lich stepped forward.

The other two’s eyes gleamed ominously.

“For the Demon King!”

“For those ignorant of hell, divine punishment!”

“For the unworthy, judgment!”

Magic from the two gathered around the Lich who had stepped forward.

The ritual had clearly failed.

But this was a breach big and perfect enough for the Demon King to descend.

If the price is paid, a breach of a certain scale can surely be created.

Jjeojeojeok—!

The Lich who absorbed unbearable magic began to have their bones crumble.

Runes appeared over the cracked bones.

Self-sacrifice.

The space distorted as a price for the ritual.

“Feel this well. The terror of the Demon Realm!”

Peurseok— The Lich crumbled into dust.

***

Breeze

I sighed.

The hall filled with screams.

Even the once-holy choir was silent.

When I turned my head toward the choir, I saw those singing with eyes tightly shut.

They were struggling.

The sound was drowned out, but it was there.

“Fight, fight! Do not be afraid!”

“Elves, use your magic!”

A shout of orders mixed with the cries of the Undead echoed loudly.

Amidst them, screams and sounds of flesh tearing never ceased.

“Uwaaah! Hor!”

Moritz, his face turning pale, swung the Sacred Sword.

Because he held a sword imbued with faith in the pitch-black place, the Undead’s eyes were fixed on him.

“Chwi-ik, comrade! Don’t overdo it alone!”

Huger moved to support Moritz.

The others would survive on their own.

“Protect the choir and the elves!”

“Fight behind the trunk!”

“Hey, if you’re just scared and trembling, get back!”

Even in chaos, the Union organized their ranks.

Covered in blood and fear, determination blazed in their eyes.

“This is the last! This is the final battle! We cannot lose!”

Leon’s battle cry, filled with mana, burst forth.

Then the knights brandished their swords.

With trembling hands, no less.

“What do you have at your side?”

“The light!”

“What is before you?”

“Darkness!”

They shouted their battle chants.

Their chests pounded hard enough to crack their armor.

Soon, it was over.

I shouted the last rallying cry.

The call quickly became faith, helping to lift some of their fear.

“The Saint is with us! Fight bravely!”

“Waaah!”

The battle intensified again.

Dragon Tooth, soaked with fresh blood, felt especially heavy.

But no one could lower their sword.

I wrapped myself in faith and charged through the Undead.

Cutting down monsters that lunged at me with jaws wide open.

Among the blood splattered through the void, a fallen knight’s sword flew.

Kwang—

In an instant, the star I formed swept it aside.

“Rest in peace.”

I plunged Dragon Tooth into the knight’s wide-open chest and sliced upward.

The familiar face of the man was clear.

He was a knight from the Third Knight Division.

“Kke-ehk!”

There was no time to grieve.

The corpses were everywhere.

Cutting, cutting, cutting again.

The fierce chill of the Ice King burst out all at once, freezing the corpses.

The unpleasant sensation of slicing through flesh and bone sideways was accompanied by three corpses collapsing.

Stars flew freely in the void, supporting the knights in danger.

“Young master! Look at the sky!”

It was then.

Aaron, who cast piercing aura magic, pointed to the sky.

“….”

I silently raised my sword.

Why was a breach opening there?

Had the ritual not failed?

“Shit!”

It was a change in command.

I shouted at the knights who had their eyes on the sky to focus, glaring at the Liches.

For some reason, one Lich had decreased, leaving two remaining.

They looked exhausted, their energy weak.

Jjeojeojeok—

A black hole opened in the cracked sky.

From it, a red, huge left hand suddenly shot out.

“No way…”

My eyes widened.

I felt as if I knew who the owner of that red, giant hand was.

“Even the simplest… breach couldn’t open properly?”

A voice slipped from the hole, pressing down on the battlefield.

Though filled with scorn and hatred aimed at the Liches, it felt suffocating to us.

“What is that thing, really?”

Clang.

Moritz’s dropped Sacred Sword cried out pitifully.

Dropping one’s sword mid-battle was suicide.

But it didn’t matter now.

Humans and Undead alike all turned to look at the crimson demon.

Soon, a massive upper body, including two arms and a head, was revealed.

Grand Army Commander Kalgos…

A formidable foe who couldn’t be compared to just three Liches.

He was already stepping forward, cracking his knuckles.

“Ho. You know me.”

Had he heard my murmur?

The red giant’s gaze turned toward me.

But his harsh voice suddenly stopped.

“Keu heuh, keu heuh heuh…”

Was that a sigh or a laugh?

His eyes curved like half-moons at me, clearly smiling.

“Father… Father! Damn you, father!”

A mad laughter echoed through the valley.

He shouted something at me, his voice distorted with a mixture of sorrow and joy that was impossible to decipher.

“What are you saying, you red demon spawn?”

A hateful demon raised his faith in rebellion.

For the Union, Kalgos was a terrible disaster.

But there was nothing to fear.

We also had changes.

“That one is truly dangerous.”

Vallach stepped forward.

Though he said he wouldn’t get involved, the Union was about to be utterly shattered.

“Pfft, I don’t like repeating myself.”

Vallach showed a faint smirk.

Around him, a dozen stars sharpened like needles.

***

“What is this, what is this?!”

“Why that guy…”

The Liches were also confused by the sudden turn of events.

Kalgos bursting out from the breach they risked everything to open was not their intention.

But what happened next was even more unexpected.

An old man who manipulated stars suddenly appeared and attacked Kalgos.

That old man was well known to the Liches.

A human who had been given a mission by the Demon King and pushed them to the brink of death when he first arrived here.

Even when facing them, he had always remained calm.

“I was so careful not to bring in such a strong enemy.”

“Kruwaaah—!”

The Grand Army Commander roared with fury.

Yet the dozen stars ignored him and began to corrode Kalgos’s body, tougher than steel.

Crack—

The white jawbone of a Lich was ground away mercilessly.

I couldn’t just watch.

“We have to open the breach bigger.”

“I agree.”

As they swelled their magic, another star flew in and struck the barrier.

I turned my head.

Krombel, the other Lich, tensed his body.

Suddenly, he was surrounded by dozens of knights.

“Stop scheming from behind, you mangy dogs.”

Richard, standing at the front, spoke directly.

Beneath his calm tone, the anger he held back boiled fiercely.