Ch.127Chapter 127: The Fierce Battle at Year’s End (2)

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It does not stain.

The darkness that originates from the great divinity they worship and revere.

It fails to stain the skies above the iron fortress built by humans—the fortress they must either occupy or destroy.

Even though everywhere else has already been stained with a pitch-black darkness where time itself becomes indistinguishable.

Why can’t the darkness stain the skies above the iron fortress?

Because against that black, viscous darkness they love—the darkness that began beyond those mountains and spread outward—

A pillar of dazzling golden light stands firm, radiating with such intensity that it could scatter everything dwelling within the bodies of beings from the demon realm, including sanguin, with just a touch.

It was steadfastly resisting the encroaching darkness while maintaining its own color.

…No, that’s not it.

Rather, that pillar of dazzling golden light was trying to drive away the darkness covering the sky.

For those focused on protecting Night Haven, preparing to block the inevitable assault from the demon realm that would surely come after the snowstorm subsided…

Woooong-!!

This pillar of light, rising with a regular, warm resonance, would feel like a sacred blessing protecting them.

But there was someone outside the fortress watching this scene with an anxious expression, someone who found this miracle anything but welcome.

“Oh no…”

It was Pale Sanguin, letting out a low groan that was almost a lament.

Originally, after dispatching his shadows to the fortress, Sanguin had no other plan than to stand with his arms crossed, silently observing their exploits.

This was because he firmly believed in the power of the “shadows” he had created through his ability to manipulate darkness—a skill he prided himself on second only to his blood magic.

No matter if a hero who had performed the miracle of cleaving the sky with a single sword resided in that fortress.

With the skill of the shadows he had created by infusing them with his power, conquering the fortress might be difficult…

But they should at least be able to inflict significant damage on the iron fortress built by humans.

As he watched the backs of the shadows marching toward the fortress after giving brief responses to his commands, Sanguin’s thoughts gradually solidified into conviction.

But as he saw the humans’ iron fortress—which was supposed to be his shadows’ stage—transform into an environment too vulnerable for their activities, his conviction crumpled like a piece of paper.

How could it not?

His shadows, which could only demonstrate their full abilities when operating in darkness, would hardly be able to perform properly in the fortress environment now illuminated by that golden pillar.

Far from secretly approaching the fortress and carrying out their primary mission…

They would be lucky if they were merely prevented from entering by the humans who were now vigilantly focused on defense after the snowstorm had subsided. If unlucky, they might suffer a massacre, only diminishing his power.

Having reached that conclusion, Sanguin’s course of action was simple and…

“This is no time to hesitate.”

Also swift.

As soon as he uncrossed his arms, he moved with such speed that saying “his eyebrows fluttered” would be an understatement, demonstrating momentum that would reach the fortress even before the shadows moving far ahead of him.

“I was trying to conserve my power, but given how things have turned out, I have no choice.”

Sanguin’s steps suddenly halted as he muttered something close to grumbling.

Despite starting much later than his shadows…

After displaying overwhelming movement that could only be described as miraculous…

He had reached the walls of Night Haven, his destination.

Since he moved alone, concealing his presence wasn’t difficult.

Despite approaching this close, there was no sign that anyone inside the fortress had noticed Sanguin’s presence yet.

“Phew… It seems they haven’t noticed me yet.”

Although he had concealed his presence, he had moved in such haste that he worried about being detected by soldiers or knights with sharp senses inside the fortress.

But now that he had reached this point, his excellent perception of the various presences beyond the wall eased his concerns.

He could hear the almost screaming voices of inexperienced soldiers who were panicking and didn’t know what to do, and…

The footsteps of veteran soldiers who, having experienced such situations many times before, were quietly focusing on their duties while maintaining their positions.

But among all those human presences, none seemed to have detected Sanguin’s presence.

“If I were to be detected by human senses while acting alone, despite my weakened state, it would be a problem for my dignity…”

*Ahem* *Ahem*

After clearing his throat lightly to shake off the stray thoughts that had momentarily risen in his mind, in order to take his next action…

*Tap tap tap-tap tap*

With his right hand lightly clenched into a fist, he gently tapped various corners of the fortress wall within his sight.

Woong-!! Woooong-!!

As if responding to the darkness dwelling within him, the anti-demon barrier cast on the wall emitted a rather clear resonance to repel Sanguin, delivering a light shock through his right arm.

“These humans have improved their barrier-making skills. In the old days, they couldn’t even deliver such a shock.”

As the saying goes, even a rotten croaker is still a croaker…

Even though Sanguin had not yet fully recovered his power…

“But!!”

Unless it was a weapon or barrier with holy power like a sacred sword, it couldn’t even hinder his actions, let alone stop him.

“Hyaaah!!”

Boom-!!

As his fist, extended toward the wall with a battle cry, made contact with its target…

Crumble-!!

The wall was destined to be shattered as if crushed.

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Crumble-!!

Part of the iron fortress collapsed with a thunderous noise from a single punch delivered by Sanguin.

A cloud of dusty smoke naturally arising from the partial collapse of the structure enveloped his vision, but Sanguin stared straight ahead without avoiding it.

“It was quite sturdy, but…”

His expression, as he lightly dusted off the right hand that had demonstrated overwhelming martial prowess by destroying part of the iron fortress, remained coldly tense.

“Not sturdy enough to require blood magic to destroy it, I suppose.”

He didn’t forget to make a cold assessment of the wall, matching his expression.

At that moment, the shadows created by Sanguin’s power, which had demonstrated such coordinated movement, reached the spot right behind him without a single straggler.

Even though he hadn’t given any special instructions, the shadows had reached behind him with orderly movements as if they had been waiting for this moment. Feeling their presence, Sanguin’s lips curled up slightly without him realizing it.

He felt something akin to pride seeping into his heart at the majesty of these shadows, each one a work of art created from the power infused in his body.

It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

For Sanguin, who had spent his time sleeping in a coffin whenever possible to heal the wounds inflicted by the sacred sword…

The tension of this precarious situation gave him a sense of being alive—a natural reaction.

“This should be enough to push the shadows inside through the confusion without any problems.”

His grand plan to use the power of darkness covering the sky after the snowstorm to infiltrate his shadow army into the fortress without bloodshed had gone slightly awry, but…

Thinking this was still within acceptable parameters, Sanguin raised his right hand above his head to give the shadows instructions to infiltrate the fortress.

Sssss

As he raised his right hand, he could feel the energy behind him surging like a torrent, ready to burst forth at any moment.

Now, if he lowered his raised hand, that power would shoot forth like an arrow leaving a bowstring, squeezing through the crack he had created to throw the fortress into chaos while fulfilling the role of vanguard.

“Now then…”

Feeling that his plan was proceeding smoothly despite the changes, a satisfied smile was about to bloom on his lips.

But at that moment.

From beyond the dust cloud that had not yet cleared…

“Haaaah!!”

Along with a youthful yet resolute battle cry…

Whoosh-!!

The sound of something cutting through the fierce wind struck Sanguin’s ears.

“…!!”

Hastily turning his body due to the sudden sense of danger, Sanguin’s vision captured the afterglow of a golden energy wave that had completely enveloped the spot where he had been just moments before.

“…”

Forgetting even to take a breath, he turned his head toward where his shadows should have been.

But nearly half of Sanguin’s shadows, which had been gathered in an unnatural yet powerful form in a space without any physical subjects, had disappeared due to the golden flash just now.

While it would be natural for anger to rise upon seeing, hearing, and feeling the disappearance of shadows that were like extensions of himself…

From Sanguin’s mouth came only:

“Sacred sword…”

A voice revealing intense tension rather than anger.

And why wouldn’t it be so?

How could he not be tense when the very person responsible for taking away the power of an Elder Vampire who had prided himself as the right arm of the Demon God Desire during his prime was generating that golden energy?

In his heart, he wanted nothing more than to retrieve his shadows and flee, mission be damned.

But Sanguin had no justification for that, and he realized it was already too late even if he considered retreating after taking everything into account.

*Step step*

The sound of footsteps cutting through the hazy smoke struck his ears.

It was a calm sound, so calm that it seemed out of place in this tense situation.

But he could sense it.

That these small, calm footsteps were indeed coming from the person who had generated the light that had taken away nearly half of his shadows.

Whoosh-!!

A sound like a blade cutting through the wind broke the calm silence filled only with footsteps, clearing away the hazy smoke.

Sanguin finally had the opportunity to observe the figure who had maintained a commanding presence even in the dust cloud where one couldn’t see an inch ahead.

Golden hair, cleaner and brighter than the golden energy that had blown away his shadows.

Blue eyes clearly revealing anger for some unknown reason.

And…

“Hyah!”

The sight of elegantly swinging the sacred sword in the right hand without hesitation upon discovering him, despite being consumed by passion.

No doubt about it. This was the sacred swordsman he had briefly encountered a few days ago while using his time-stopping power.

Whoosh-!!

A brilliant sword path combining a fierce cutting sound and golden light descended upon Sanguin.

“…!!”

Barely avoiding it, Sanguin could only lament inwardly.

Ah, if I make a mistake here, not only will I fail to conquer this fortress and rescue the kindred trapped inside…

Whoosh-!!

Fear naturally arose that he might fall into another long sleep after being struck by the sacred sword now approaching with a brilliant trajectory before his eyes.

Of course, to retreat out of instinctive fear of the sacred sword…

Sanguin was well aware of the weight of the position he held.

Shhhk-!!

Avoiding the sword path of the sacred swordsman that had reached right in front of his nose with a cutting sound, Sanguin pierced his left palm with his right index finger.

Drip drip

His bright red blood fell onto the ground where the snow had completely melted and evaporated due to the heat emitted by the sacred sword and its wielder.

This sudden self-harm might seem puzzling to those unfamiliar with it.

Whoosh-!!

But as the droplets of blood that touched the ground instantly transformed into blood-red arrows flying toward the blonde sacred swordsman, it became clear that this was not self-harm but merely Sanguin’s means of attack.

It was an attack utilizing blood magic, the skill he considered his greatest strength as the third-in-command of the Obsidian Palace and the leader of the vampire clan who loved night and darkness.

Of course…

“Out of my way!!”

For the sacred swordsman, whose frost-like anger still hadn’t subsided…

Whoosh-!!

It was Sanguin’s misfortune that this was merely a feeble attack that could be dispersed like smoke with a single swing of the sacred sword.

“Tch!!”

Seeing the blood-red arrows he had fired as a test so easily blocked, Sanguin felt not just frustration but bewilderment rising in his heart, but now was not the time to be merely bewildered.

“Was it you? Who took the sword?”

The golden energy radiating from the body of the sacred swordsman, who was rapidly approaching while muttering words that seemed understandable yet difficult to verify, was constantly pressuring him.

This crazy woman! I begged her to take the lead, but she pushed me to the front because she didn’t want her divinity to be diminished!

As he faced the sacred swordsman, whose youthful face belied the explosive power felt in the sword path being drawn…

-Sanguin. This mission is important. I believe you won’t repeat the failure we experienced recently.

In his mind, anger toward his superior and nemesis—the quasi-deity who would be watching and giggling at this fortress assault from the Obsidian Palace—was predominant.

Clang-!!

“Sigh. Sanguin, you always disappoint this girl.”

If not for the sudden appearance of his nemesis’s childish voice right in front of him, casually blocking the sacred sword’s path with her bare body…

Sanguin would surely have continued to vent his anger toward her, Adorator.