Against the World II: Transgression
Chapter 12: Loyalty, Part 1
IN THE DISTANCE, Crow looked silently as the Knight Templar and Mary's undead attacked each other.
Despite their overwhelming numbers, the Knights Templar easily destroyed the undead. Of course, such a large number of them put up a tight resistance for the Knights Templar, but only to that extent. The quality of the Knights Templar members was completely unquestionable. One to fifteen doesn't mean much. The undead fell down quickly without being able to kill a single member of the Knights Templar.
Crow expected Mary to issue a stronger undead. However, to his surprise, until the Knight Templar confronted the 400 Eternity members that Shiftor and Miera led, not a single other undead had risen. Crow did not see Mary. Shiftor and Miera were also unseen leading their forces.
“What happened?” Crow could not ask. “Did they leave this place? Have they betrayed Neix?”
Crow spontaneously ordered the remaining three hundred Eternity members to help their comrades.
With Shiftor and Miera each leading two hundred members plus Mary with her undead, Crow was confident they would be able to destroy tens of thousands of Knight Templars without any problems. However, with the sudden disappearance of the three people, 400 Eternity members would not be enough. Moreover, Saint Marcus had absolutely no restraint from helping his members.
“They should all be enough to defeat the Knights Templar, but the presence of Saint Marcus.
Crow sighed softly, his right hand moving holding his black mask. “It seems like there is no other option; I have to intervene directly if I do not want Saint Marcus to ravage them.”
Sparks of blackish-red lightning enveloped Crow's body, and a second later he disappeared in a sharp glint, the blue crystal on which he stood broke into pieces and scattered into ashes.
...———...
Marcus had to admit that these black-robed people were superior to the Knights Templar. He had already heard about the imperial terelite army (Chiron Army), but Marcus was sure these people were superior to them. It was true that he could finish them off easily, but not with his soldiers. Even with their superior numbers, the soldiers fell like leaves that had reached mid-autumn.
At the very least I should halve their numbers before heading towards the crystal-mixed ice palace, Marcus' inner being as he drew his greatsword. However, before the sword was perfect he pulled, Marcus' instincts screamed loudly—which then spontaneously made him jump away.
Right after, a bolt of blackish-red lightning struck the place with a thunderous voice accompanied by a debuman. As the dust and smoke caused by the lightning dissipated, a black-robed man in a perfect black mask had stood there.
“...I feel great power in you,” said Marcus as he flicked his greatsword—the flutter made the air shock darted over the masker, but the masker just silently accepted the effect as if it was nothing. “Are you a senior of Eternity?”
“Crow. And I will be the angel of death to you, Saint Marcus Vehelmi Vandiesell.”
“Bold statement, Crow,” Marcus said as he stuck his greatsword just a step ahead of his feet. “However, can you back those words up with strength?” Marcus' body immediately pulled out a large and thick mana, the ground where it rested until it cracked.
“How much is an impressive mana, as can be expected from one of the strongest Saints.” Crow's body also releases what is not inferior to Marcus. “Alright, let's see if you'll stay alive after this fight or vanish unnoticed.”
“Hmph, go, Crow! Your perdition will reduce a little dirt in the air of Islan!”
Crow isn't the only one asking for the whereabouts of Mary, Miera, and Shiftor. Neix was busy sharpening his views and perceptions looking for the three people. However, the result is nil. Even from his place sitting on the highest peak of his artificial palace though, Neix did not discover their existence. They were no longer in this valley. They had abandoned him and the Eternity he formed.
“Heh, Mary left Eternity not at all surprising, but Miera and Shiftor..
Neix had no other assumptions than the theory that Mary had made them both her puppets, and that might have been true for Hebranest. And that begs one question: has Mary taken control of Elmira, or has Elmira used Mary with her manipulation magic?
“Whichever it is, it doesn't matter at all. What is clear, they have chosen to be my enemy.”
And Neix would not let a fellow become an enemy without severe punishment. No, he's not gonna kill them. Not at all. After the Knights Templar perished, and after he utilized their deaths to activate the opening ritual of the gates of hell, Neix would head to Etharna and make the city flat on the ground. Then he would crush both Mary's hands and feet. As for Elmira, she would torture the girl as she tortured people.
…It was the perfect punishment for both of them.
Neix let his lips curl and focused his gaze onto the battleground, precisely in the direction where the two mana sources were gushing sharply. Crow and Saint Marcus, the battle between them would obviously be interesting. Although not the strongest among the saints, but Marcus was on the same level as Crow. Their fight would be a consolation for him before he turned off everything here.
“Take out all your ability to comfort me,” Neix muttered as he placed his right foot on his left foot, his eyes looking with interest towards it.
...—Edenia’s Cave—...
Back when the Heavenly Crystal City was alive, there was a consecrated cave. Edenia’s Cave's. It is an underground cave located on the north side of the city. That place was only allowed to enter by the Heavenly Crystal City residents who were born in this land. And it was also not free to enter just like that; everyone who entered there had to first wash their faces with the silver-colored Ethereal Water—air that used to fill Lake Deus.
The rule is not without reason.
According to the legend of the origin of Lake Deus, the god first set foot in the cave before creating and blessing Lake Deus. It is said that Edenia spent seven days and seven nights in the cave. Based on other rumors, Edenia made the cave as her resting place while in the world. Regardless of whether or not the legend is true, the beauty of the cave itself has been able to make all residents of the city purify Edenia’s Cave.
That was. Now, the place was well hidden by the rubble of the building and the blue crystal. The place had not changed until now, but no one could find access to its entry unless they were allowed. Because, Edenia’s Cave which was once very sanctified and glorified, since a few hundred years after the disappearance of Ethereal Water has been transformed into the secret residence of Hernandez the Legend of Blacksmith.
Even today, as the two camps of mortal beings shed blood for control of the land left by this god, Hernandez still rules the cave. Even though it was only a complex system [Rune Magic] that held his memories perfectly, he was still Hernandez. And now, Hernandez (more precisely Hernandez's memory system) has prepared a special summoning magic circle—a last task he had before this complex system vanished.
“Sataniciela..” Hernandez muttered the name as it dripped the blood Vermyna had already given him into the intricate magic circle formation. Right after, the magic circle widened and covered the entire area of Ed's Forbidden Valley. Due to the location of Hernandez below the ground level, which was lower than the bottom of the deus lake, no one was aware of the magic circle.
...Neix did not understand what he was doing in this god-abandoned land. And when he understood, it would be too late.