Karnak, Monarch of Death

Standing atop the ruined fortress wall, a blonde woman extended her staff. Her clear voice carried softly through the air. ”Weep, thunder of silence, you who shine with the tongue of flame!”

The Platinum Queen, an artifact passed down through generations of imperial court mages, spewed forth a massive torrent of lightning and flame. The fierce magical force twisted like twin dragons, writhing as it shot forward.

Diogres, too, aimed his wand and responded. ”Whispering currents, you who shimmer with the dancing breeze!”

Blue currents whipped up into a vortex and collided with the twin dragons. A deafening roar filled the vast cavern of the dungeon. It felt as though the world itself was tearing apart.

The result was a stalemate. Neither side yielded an inch, their forces dissipating and vanishing against each other as they stood firm in place.

From a short distance away, Dreltein, watching calmly, spoke. ”Need a hand?”

Elezar shook her head. ”No need.”

If their only goal was to defeat Diogres, the best course would have been to immediately attack him together and erase him without leaving even a corpse behind. But was that truly their goal?

He was the precious vessel in which their future comrade would descend. They had to subdue him while leaving his body completely intact.

In the past, it had been advantageous for Dreltein to join forces with her since their goal was to seize an opportunity and place a magical seal by surprise. But now, the situation was different.

There’s no way someone like Diogres would fall for the same trick twice, thought Elezar.

Without the ability to use a mana seal, they needed to gradually chip away at Diogres’s mana to incapacitate him. In this case, fighting alone made damage control easier.

”Just make sure the others don’t get in the way.”

”Of course.” Dreltein stepped back without argument, turning his gaze to the opposite side. ”Now then...”

He spoke leisurely as he looked over the chaotic mix of aura users and mages. ”Is there no one here worthy enough to face me?”

A sharp cry rang out from across the cavern. ”I will face you!”

At the same moment, dozens of silver aura chains shot toward Dreltein, surrounding him from every direction.

”Desteran, is it?” Dreltein did not move.

No, it wasn’t just that he didn’t move. He didn’t respond at all. And yet, the dozens of aura chains failed to even graze a single strand of his hair.

Another voice rang out, sweeping away all the silver chains with its wave of power. ”You are not worthy, Desteran!”

It was Magnus, the vice commander of the Kretas Order and Dreltein’s loyal subordinate. Like Desteran, he was also a silver knight.

Magnus shouted, ”Did you truly think a wretch like you could face His Excellency’s sword?”

After sweeping away Desteran’s attack, Magnus kicked off the ground, unleashing his aura once more. Blades of fighting spirit drove Desteran back, tearing through the earth.

Even as he was pushed back dozens of meters, Desteran did not fall. Instead, he skillfully let the force flow around him, scattering the incoming aura blades in every direction. Countless shards of aura struck the old fortress and buildings, thundering as they smashed into stone.

Cursing, Desteran adjusted his grip on his sword and lunged forward. ”Damn it!”

Two silver streaks clashed in midair, releasing shockwaves that began to ripple outward.

***

The high-ranking mages of the Tower of Dawn, who followed Diogres Kolon, and the mages of the empire’s magic tower, who followed Elezar, had little difference in overall power. Their numbers and skill levels were nearly identical.

As a result, the mages’ battle remained in a tense deadlock. In contrast, there was a noticeable difference in the forces of aura users between the Kretas Order and Search Black. The squad captains and Desteran’s trusted subordinates were of similar skill levels, and many had fought each other before, making them well acquainted with their opponents.

However, Search Black simply did not have enough aura users. The Kretas Order had over thirty aura users, while Search Black had barely twenty at most. By all accounts, Search Black should have been completely overwhelmed. Yet, surprisingly, they were maintaining a stalemate.

It was because of the presence of a single girl, who had been rampaging like a beast, wielding a purple aura blade since earlier.

With a sharp battle cry, a gray-haired girl leaped into the ranks of the knights, purple flashes shooting out in every direction.

Tascal swordsmanship, Rapid Thrusts!

Of course, the knights of Kretas did not simply allow themselves to be cut down. They summoned their aura to respond to her attacks, defending themselves as best they could. Even so, they were sent flying like leaves before the oncoming purple aura.

The knights wore expressions as shock as they barely managed to steady themselves.

What is that girl...?

Who is she really?

No matter how they looked, she was just an ordinary girl. Her body hadn’t even fully matured yet, as if she had only just entered adolescence. Yet the sword she wielded had surpassed mastery and reached the level of the ultimate.

—Tascal Swordsmanship, Lateral Slashes!

The gray-haired girl unleashed another flurry of strikes. At a glance, it looked like nothing more than a series of diagonal cuts. But the purple aura within them was anything but ordinary. It rose like mist, struck like lightning, surged like a tidal wave, and scattered like falling snow!

Though the opposing knights barely avoided a direct hit, their bodies were instantly covered in blood. The knights clenched their teeth while panting heavily.

They always said to embrace nature within your blade, but I thought that was just talk...

I didn’t know that was actually possible!

Everyone here was an aura user. They were all people who had reached the realm that sword wielders could only dream of. And yet, a mere teenage girl was displaying a swordsmanship that even these aura users considered a fantasy.

For those who had devoted decades to the sword, it was nothing short of a nightmare. The shock was even greater for those who were over forty.

How can someone so young have such aura?

She’s far too young!

My own eldest daughter is her age!

One middle-aged knight trembled with rage, shouting out in despair.

”Why is that little girl wielding purple aura at her age when my daughter can’t even—!”

***

Serati let out a faint laugh. These old men really get excited over the strangest things.

Then she brought her sword down on the knight before her. Tascal swordsmanship’s overhead strike was accompanied by a surge of blue aura.

Compared to the dazzling swordplay of Lapicel, it was an unremarkable strike, nothing special at all. Yet the knights of Kretas who blocked it kept groaning with each clash.

The reason was simple. Why is a blue knight’s sword this strong?

She wasn’t displaying any shocking movements or aura manipulation. She simply swung, dodged, countered, and struck with earnest focus. Yet the power infused into her aura was far too overwhelming.

It was to the point where even a purple knight, let alone a fellow blue knight, found it difficult to withstand. And it wasn’t merely a feeling. Even Sir Etiel, the captain of the Second Squad of the Kretas Order and a purple knight, was unable to best Serati’s blade.

With an explosive sound, the blue and purple aura blades collided in the air, forcing Serati’s entire body to slide backward.

Serati groaned. ”A purple knight really is on another level...”

Seeing her click her tongue in awe, Sir Etiel looked at her in disbelief. ”You blocked my aura with a blue blade?”

She was undoubtedly a blue knight. It was clear by the color of her aura. Then how could she remain unscathed after colliding directly with a purple aura blade? It was simply impossible. And there was only one explanation for the impossible.

”You’re using the power of darkness!” shouted Etiel.

He firmly believed that Diogres Kolon was colluding with evil cultists, so it was only natural for him to think this way.

Wow, it’s unfair, but I can’t exactly deny it, either, thought Serati.

Regardless, even if not to the extent of Lapicel, those facing Serati were thoroughly flustered. Thanks to this, despite being at a relative disadvantage, the situation remained at a stalemate. Even so, Serati couldn’t let her guard down.

No matter how hard they fought, even if luck allowed them to seize the advantage, it was ultimately meaningless. They were facing the martial king of Kretas, Dreltein Thelix, as well as the martial king of Cyphers, Beltia Crotium.

With those two monsters still standing, what meaning could there be in gaining the upper hand here? Yet there was nothing she could do about them just by worrying.

All I can do is trust in Lord Karnak.

And she could only give her all in the battle before her. Swinging her blue aura blade, Serati stomped the ground once more.

***

Dozens of aura users and mages were tangled together in combat. There was no talk of formations or tactics. Everyone simply fought according to their own skills, while simultaneously keeping an eye on their surroundings, forcing themselves to focus on the enemies before them.

Dreltein surveyed the situation before letting out a wry smile. ”What a mess.”

It was indeed a mess, but not a particularly bad one. At this rate, the outcome was obvious. For now, it might look like an even match, but as time went on, Diogres’s forces would inevitably be the one to falter. There was a decisive difference between the two sides.

”Alium, bestow your blessing upon us!”

”Become the sword that will strike my enemies!”

Dozens of high-ranking priests were scattered throughout the chaotic battlefield, supporting the Kretas Order and the empire’s magic tower. This alone was enough to determine victory and defeat. One side could recover even when exhausted or injured, while the other could not.

No matter what they tried, the losing side was clear. Of course, there was no way Diogres didn’t account for this, which meant he must have some hidden plan.

Arms crossed, Dreltein looked at the two men standing before him. ”Is that plan of yours even working out? Because right now, it doesn’t look like it’s making any difference.”

They had stepped forward, insisting on facing him themselves in place of Desteran, who was now engaged with Magnus.

”We don’t know. Only Master Diogres would know something like that.” The young man with rough blond hair, Varos, drew his sword. Brilliant silver aura climbed along the blade.

”All we have to do is fight as hard as we can, just as we were told.” Leven, too, took up his battle stance. A purple fighting aura was aimed at Dreltein.

”A silver knight and a purple knight, huh...” Dreltein let out a faint laugh. ”It’s true you’ve reached a remarkable level for your age, but do you really think that’s enough to face me?”

Varos remained calm as ever. ”You won’t know until you actually fight, will you?”

”This isn’t the kind of fight where you get to find out so easily.” Dreltein scoffed and drew his sword.

”Well, leaving that aside.” A gentle golden aura flowed along the blade. ”Then, who will face the other martial king?”

It was at that moment. Another golden flash shot up and illuminated the surroundings. It came from a woman in her forties who had been silently holding her sword until now. The aura users of Search Black and the mages of the Tower of Dawn opened their eyes wide in shock.

”What the!”

”What is that? Golden sword aura?”

”There was another martial king here all along?”

The smile at the corner of Dreltein’s lips deepened. ”So, did you see this coming too, huh?”

And then, he was slightly taken aback. For Varos and Leven didn’t look surprised in the slightest. Their expressions were calm, as if they had already expected this.

At that same moment, a man appeared beyond the crumbled fortress wall and shouted, ”Beltia Crotium!”

He was a young man with black hair, wearing a dark robe. Beltia’s face twisted viciously when she saw him. ”You!”

The young man swiftly disappeared beneath the fortress wall.

Beltia immediately kicked off the ground, soaring after him. ”Karnak Zestrad!”

In an instant, the dozens of meters between them vanished, leaving a long trail of golden light across the cavern. ”Did you think I’d let you get away?!”

There wasn’t even time to stop her. In a flash, the two of them vanished to the other side of the cavern. Dreltein was left speechless.

He had prepared this entrance with great ambition, hoping to break their spirits, and yet it had ended so anticlimactically.

Varos let out a sly smile. ”Looks like our young master will be the one to face your other martial king.”

Clicking his tongue, Dreltein shook his head. ”Really... I warned her to be cautious of diversions.”

Well, it was true he had been briefly thrown off, but it wasn’t particularly problematic. It was clear they intended to lure Beltia away and buy time by forcing her to chase them around.

”You truly have no idea what those called martial kings are capable of.” Otherwise, these little whelps would never have come up with such a foolish plan. ”Well, fine then.”

A golden brilliance began to overflow from Dreltein’s entire body. ”I’ll take this chance to show you exactly what that means.”