Cataclysm #2

 

The aftertaste of defeat is bitter.

This is especially true for vampires, who enjoy several, or even dozens, times more time than ordinary humans.

The ruler of the North, the vampire queen Kamula, still remembered the painful defeat of old.

The one who gave Camula her first defeat was Estelle, the ‘Immortal Lich’.

Estelle and Camula were destined to one day clash. The title of the continent’s strongest necromancer is reserved for only one person under heaven.

And, Camula lost beautifully.

Estelle was stronger than expected. Her fighting prowess, as well as her ability as a shaman to command her subordinates, were on a different level from Camula’s.

In the end, Kamula swore revenge, lost all the power he had built in the center of the continent, and was forced to flee to the blizzard-swept northern polar regions.

But Camula wasn’t discouraged. As I said, vampires have a long lifespan. It’s difficult to think like humans, who live less than a hundred years at best.

Winning and losing once or twice are just fleeting events in her long, long life.

Camula was in no hurry.

I was planning to broaden my horizons, draw a big picture of the future, and gather strength in a polar region where others were not paying attention, to challenge Estelle again.

And then, time flew by.

Camula had been taking control of the Snowfield Orcs and other large and small indigenous forces scattered throughout the north, and had built an immortal army from scratch.

Meanwhile, when he heard the news that Estelle had been defeated by Michael and that her whereabouts were unknown, Camula was also a little surprised.

Camula felt confused as to whether he should be happy or disappointed, but he soon came to a conclusion.

Estelle, like Camula, is also immortal.

We’ve been defeated by the human warriors for now, but we’ll return someday. So, while we wait for that time, let’s gather our strength as we have been doing.

So, the plan was going smoothly in its own way…

***

“It’s good to have something to do to relieve boredom.”

An immortal army that doesn’t feel even a hint of warmth from the living.

On a throne supported by rotting undead, Camula sits haughtily, her small body buried deep within her.

Camula lifted her chin high and looked out at the rocky valley in the distance.

There was a small rocky valley lurking.

Like Camula’s army, this is an army of rotten, decaying corpses. Reconnaissance revealed its leader to be Alice, the “Monster of the Laboratory.”

“Huh. The ghosts of the past still run wild.”

Camula gave a cold laugh.

Clearly, Alice is a nemesis. No, she was a nemesis. Of course, this was over ten years ago.

Camula and Camula’s army have changed beyond comparison since then.

Now, they weren’t struggling against a single Bone Dragon. Camula had no doubt about that.

“What are you doing, you idiots? Go. Advance.”

Camula gave orders to his troops, suddenly annoyed.

The immortal army advanced step by step, following the young master’s instructions without complaint.

Push—!

As we approached the entrance to the valley, Alice’s skeleton soldiers poked their heads out from between the crevices in the cliffs and fired arrows.

Although each of their archery skills were poor, Kamula’s soldiers fell down one after another after being hit by blinding arrows.

But no one screams or trembles in fear.

The undead soldiers, who had already been dead for a long time, simply walked forward silently, not caring whether their comrades next to them died again or not.

Neither the one shooting the arrow nor the one being shot have their eyes focused. Their eyes are dull and cloudy, devoid of life.

The battlefield was filled with a strange atmosphere, one rarely seen in the fights of the living.

slap—

Although Camula’s soldiers at the forefront fell, the soldiers in the rear ranks stepped over the corpses of their comrades without hesitation and advanced into the valley.

“Oh my, is this all you have?”

Camula sighed with a relieved expression.

I was hoping it would be a little fun, but this isn’t even killing my boredom.

The enemy force consisted of only one or two hundred skeleton soldiers.

At this point, there was no need to mobilize soldiers. Camula’s power alone could wipe them out in an instant.

“Butler, you’re just making a fuss. You won’t leave me alone when I get back.”

Camula took out a huge scythe, vowing to punish the butler who remained in the realm.

The ultimate in necromancy, the artifact weapon “Life Harvester”.

The Life Harvester is not actually Camula’s original.

Although he was the favorite of the Immortal Rich Estelle, after being defeated by Michael, the Life Harvester ended up in Michael’s hands.

Of course, the necromancy artifact was useless to Michael, who was a paladin, so the Life Harvester was put up for sale on the black market, and Kamula bought it for a high price, which is how it is now.

Goooo—

A black cloud flowed out from the scythe in Kamula’s hand. The cloud enveloped Kamula’s body, forming a pitch-black figure, as if shrouded in shadow.

“Huh huh.”

In the pitch-black body, only the eyes shine blue.

The hidden ability of the Life Harvester, “Shape of the Grim Reaper,” can only be properly used by those who have reached the pinnacle of necromancy.

The shadow armor that covers her entire body absorbs enemy attacks, while Camula’s scythe swing ignores any defense.

There was no way that any enemy could stand against the extreme power of the magic that had reached the pinnacle of all martial arts.

“How dare you think I am. Alice, look carefully. I am far stronger now than your former master.”

Camula lifted the scythe with both hands.

Whoosh—

With one careless swipe of the sickle, Alice’s soldiers lurking in the valley were cut in half.

Distance from Camula meant nothing. It was a devastating blow that cut across space without direct contact.

It was no use trying to avoid it or block it.

By the time Camula caught sight of them, their target had already been locked. Alice’s army was simply cut down like harvest sheaves.

Another slash followed. The necks and waists of the remaining soldiers who barely survived were mercilessly cut in two.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve exerted myself, so it’s kind of fun. Considering it’s dealing with scarecrows.”

Camula, shrouded in black shadows, let out a sinister laugh.

Bam!

From deep within the valley, a bond dragon emerged. Alice, the monster of the laboratory.

Alice opened her mouth wide, took a deep breath, and then fired Unholy Breath repeatedly.

“I told you it’s useless.”

Camula held out her palm. The breaths that flew in succession were blocked by Camula’s hand and scattered in vain.

The current Camula is a living death itself, a god of death.

No matter how much Alice shoots the Breath of Weakness, it is impossible to age the incarnation of death.

Alice must have realized that this was overkill, so she spread her wings and flew far into the sky.

Camula laughed out loud as she watched the back of the Bone Dragon running away with its tail falling off.

“Where are you running off to? Kids, chase me! Run, run! This is the chance to teach that bone dragon a lesson.”

Camula’s forces moved into pursuit. Camula’s men pursued Alice, cutting a straight line through the completely collapsed enemy lines.

Camula, riding on the skeleton horse, was very excited.

The enemy is a rabble. Even if you dared to underestimate Camula, you underestimated him too much. He charged at you without even knowing his place, only to run away.

“Catch Alice no matter what! Get a little closer and I’ll cut you down.”

Camula shouted in a shrill voice.

The distance between them and Alice remained precariously close, seemingly on the verge of closing. It seemed as though she could catch up with him if she wanted, but it wasn’t easy, and Camula was growing increasingly anxious.

As Camula’s army pursued Alice, their formation disintegrated and they formed a long line.

If the butler had been by Camula’s side, he would have told them to stop the pursuit for a moment and reorganize their camp.

However, the butler was now left in his original state, and the only commander on the battlefield was an excited Camula.

That too, Camula, whose mental age had reverted to that of a child due to the secret of youth.

Camula didn’t know.

Alice, who was being chased, occasionally looked back to check if Camula was chasing her.

The game of tag didn’t end easily.

***

Okay, we’re ready to go.

Eight hundred well-trained orc warriors. Add to this a carefully trained army of three thousand undead.

Before me stands an army of orcs and undead, gathered under the banner of the subjugation of Kamula.

“Estelle. The messenger has arrived.”

Jonathan approached me with a crow resting on his wrist.

I untied the note tied to the crow’s ankle and examined it. It was a note from Alice.

The message was short and clear.

—To the master.

I’ve lured Kamula away. Everything is going smoothly as planned.

“Okay.”

It’s time to move the military here too.

Camula must be preoccupied with chasing Alice right now.

When you throw a handful of skeleton soldiers that you don’t care about losing, you get so drunk on that small victory that you can’t make a cool-headed judgment.

Meanwhile, my main force directly attacks Camula’s castle.

A strategy of giving flesh and taking bones.

“Then shall we go?”

From now on, it’s a race against time. If I can capture Kamula before she returns to her original form, I win.

The source of the magical power that powers Kamula’s undead army is tightly guarded within the castle. The moment this source is seized, Kamula’s thousands of troops will be instantly rendered powerless.

Of course, Camula is strong. She’s already excellent as a necromancer, but with her precious artifact weapon, she’s a fearsome presence.

That weapon was originally mine.

“Kamula, you’ve been using my artifact well, haven’t you? Now I’ll have to pay you back with interest.”

I looked up at the distant sky from the rear ranks of the advancing army.

Before I knew it, Camula’s castle came into view.