Ch.1124Unexpected Encounter

# Extrashafel

【 W҉̧̰̠̲҇͆̓hy…no, h҉͖͓͗̈́͜͝ow҉̬͖̈̐͢͞ are you still҈̡̛̪̬̑̿̀̈ enduring…! 】

Invidius groaned in agony.

【 That d҈̡͚̰̎͗̐͋͂͝ivinity҈̗͓̪̗҇́̋̂̚͜, that power. You’ve r҈̛͓̥̥̓͌̀̀͢eached your limit long҈̨̫̩̓͗͆͗̅̕ ago…. 】

His labored voice suggested he didn’t have even a fragment of strength left to counterattack.

With his divine core destroyed, the tentacles across his body were melting like clay, and the halo behind his head was twisting as it broke strand by strand.

“Kahahk, kugh… who knows…? Find—huff, find out after you’re dead.”

I spat out the taunt while gasping for breath, my words mixed with blood.

With that final remark, I twisted my wrist, kicked him away, and roughly pulled out Durandal.

Even that simple motion caused my weakened legs to buckle, making me stagger like a puppet with cut strings before collapsing to the ground.

– Splash!

The wounds I’d received earlier all spurted blood from the impact. Blood gushed out forcefully, making my head spin as my vision momentarily turned pitch black.

“Kuheu…!”

As he said, I had long surpassed my limits. I was in a state where it wouldn’t be strange to collapse at any moment—no, it was a miracle I hadn’t collapsed yet, given how weakened I was.

With my fading consciousness, I had barely managed to achieve victory by whipping up the thread-thin strength squeezed out from burning my divinity, along with my stubborn determination to win even if it killed me…

‘Ha… did I push too hard? I can’t move anymore…’

That miraculous—no, that struggle which was a miracle itself—had reached its end.

The heat that had briefly pushed me beyond my limits had faded like burnt ashes along with victory, and now I truly couldn’t move even a finger.

…Well, since Invidius was in the same condition, it wasn’t an immediate problem.

His body was in tatters—cut, burned, and with his divine core destroyed, his physical form was collapsing.

【 W҉̧̲̱̥͛͆̕hy, why҈͍͉͋̿̕͜ won’t you die…. The d҈̧̦̗̬҇̈́́̌̈́̐eadly p҈̡̤̭́͐͆̕oison that seeped into your w҉̧̛̥͔̳̀̈́̉́ounds should have e҈͇̗̲̈́̄̈́̕͢xceed҈̯̦̳͊͛̓̌͢͝ed a l҉̳͍̔̓̕͜ethal d҉̧͇̲̀̄͋̀͆͞ose…! 】

The dying Invidius asked as if expressing his grievance. How had I endured the deadly poison he had injected through his tentacles?

“Poison…? Ah, that… of course I… burned it away inside my body…!”

You should have planted a curse instead. Curses can’t be burned away, so I would have had no choice but to endure them physically.

On the other hand, most poisons lose their effectiveness once they’re burned and transformed. Thanks to that, it was quite easy to deal with.

【 That’s… p҈̡̱̘͓̳͚͒͛͊̾͆͠ossible…? You should have b҉͕͎͉͆̆͜͝urned to death…! 】

Invidius lamented in disbelief even as he was dying.

Indeed, this method was like setting fire to one’s own internal organs and blood vessels. Without flame immunity, I would have died at least ten times over from such a crazy act.

But I happen to have flame immunity.

“Ha, you’re the one who’s burning to death…”

I tried to smirk but ended up coughing blood as I answered.

Thanks to Durandal, my strength was slowly being replenished, but it was like adding a few drops of water to a parched wasteland.

My breathing had become a little easier, but that was all. Regenerating wounds or getting up was still impossible.

Therefore…

“—Hmm, I thought things might be troublesome given the distance from the transfer gate… but perhaps fortune has smiled upon me instead.”

When a third person’s voice echoed from across the underground cavern, I could only grit my teeth at the rising dismay.

The owner of this voice in my memory was someone I absolutely should not have encountered in this state—someone who could easily be counted among the worst possible people to meet.

Step, step.

Someone was slowly walking toward us through the gaps in the collapsed rocks from the aftermath of the fierce battle.

“The Goddess of Death still watches over us, I see.”

A man in black armor who invoked Belliona, the Goddess of Death.

His face was hidden by a helmet and hood, and in his right hand, he held a sword with small lightning bolts flickering around it.

…Damn it, I had my suspicions, but they were confirmed.

Unfortunately, truly unfortunately, it was someone I had met before.

Someone unmistakable.

“To be granted both divinity so close to death… and a vessel to contain it, all at once. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for this destiny.”

“Arthur…!”

The Death Legion Commander Arthur, closest confidant of Garmerlic, the Demigod of Death.

“You remember me? I’m honored.”

Though not comparable to Garmerlic, he was a formidable opponent that I, in my current weakened state, couldn’t even lift a finger against.

—-

“If you remember me, you must also remember our purpose. I won’t waste words. Come quietly. I’ll at least leave your limbs intact if you do.”

Arthur, who had walked into the underground cavern, offered me what amounted to a threat in a confident tone.

“Bullshit… would you… do that in my place…?”

“Well, probably not.”

“And you know that… yet you still say such things…”

A proposal I could never accept.

“Because it’s more enjoyable that way. Offering choices to someone who has none. What greater entertainment could there be?”

“Ah, is that so…? As expected of someone who died and came back… your personality is… truly garbage.”

I glared at him with flickering eyes and snapped back fiercely.

“Touching bravado. Despite being unable to even stand properly.”

Of course, Arthur merely sneered with a mocking tone, pointing his sword at me as if saying “come at me if you dare,” his attitude overflowing with confidence.

“You half-rotten corpse…! If I were in better shape, someone like you…!”

“My, what a shame. But this too is the guidance of fate. Your destiny points to death.”

“Kuk…! Damn it…!”

I tried to move my body while gritting my teeth… but with my trembling body, I could barely manage to stab Durandal into the ground.

I couldn’t even use the sword as a cane to lift myself up as I normally would.

“Well, enough worthless chatter.”

Arthur, who had been looking down at me with contempt, raised his right-hand sword and declared like a judge pronouncing a death sentence:

“His Grace the Duke awaits my return, so I cannot waste any more time on personal amusements.”

The time-wasting ends here. Accept your fate and embrace your end.

“That sword—you don’t seem willing to let it go… then leave it with your arm.”

The next moment, his lightning-infused sword literally became lightning as it plunged toward my arm—

“—I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

– KZZZZZZZZZT!

A sudden burst of white radiance exploded before my eyes, colliding with the lightning and spraying fragments of light like a fountain.

“A divine barrier…?!”

“—Not just that.”

The moment Arthur turned with a start toward the direction of the voice, pure white holy light covered the ground and erupted into a fountain-like pillar of light.

– KWAOOOOO!

The underground cavern instantly became as bright as day. Arthur hurriedly covered his face and retreated.

Yet he couldn’t completely avoid it, as the edge of the worn surcoat covering his armor caught fire when touched by the light.

“Kuk…!”

Arthur swung his sword to cut away his burning garment with a groan of displeasure and frustration.

The fire on the cut piece of cloth suddenly died down, then exploded the next moment in a cross-shaped flash.

Arthur extended his left arm forward to create a black barrier to block it, but…

– KWACHAAAAANG!

Perhaps his response was a bit late.

The barrier he created shattered like glass with a thunderous sound, and Arthur was thrown back all the way to the wall of the cavern.

Though limited in range, it was truly impressive power.

“This power…! Who are you, to wield the Miracle of Xanten…!”

“Your enemy, I’d say.”

A rough, dry elderly voice. From near the wall opposite to Arthur, quiet footsteps gradually approached.

Simultaneously, dozens, hundreds of divine characters unfolded in the air, connected by pure white lines to form a large and complex array of light.

“The Radiance of Zarem…?! Could it be—no, first…!”

Though shocked at the sight, Arthur reflexively swung his sword. The ancient rune sword Caliburn flashed with lightning runes and unleashed a thunderous roar.

“Roar, Caliburn-!”

The next moment.

– KWRRRRRR!

Pure white spear-swords filled the sky and rained down like a downpour, colliding with the lightning streams unleashed by the thunder sword, scattering on impact.

The roaring sound, shockwaves, shattered lightning, and fragments of light shook and swept through the underground cavern.

Thanks to the divine barrier that had been newly placed around me, I could safely observe the spectacle without suffering any damage.

‘…Who is it?’

A power similar to Elpinel’s holy light but subtly different. The divine miracle called “Radiance of Zarem” itself was something I had never heard of before.

And I was hearing that voice for the first time in my life today.

“This miracle, this power. It’s hard to believe, but… there’s no mistake. I never thought you would still be alive.”

Meanwhile, Arthur, who let out a hollow laugh as he lowered his sword, seemed to have immediately identified the intruder based on the miracle they had cast.

“…Lord Heirek.”

Heirek. Another name I didn’t recognize.

Well, that’s to be expected. Judging by Arthur’s familiarity, this Heirek was probably, like Arthur, a figure from thousands of years ago.

Likely an ancient powerhouse about whom little is known.