Ch.451Mortal World

# Field of Mortality

The ultimate technique of Hersella who led the Empire to destruction, a heroic tale called not the power of humans but the calamity of gods.

The proof of the sea of blood and corpses she has accumulated and will continue to accumulate.

It was, literally, a tsunami of death.

========[ Underground Chamber ]========

The world turns crimson black.

The abyss of unconsciousness where even the floor cannot be seen.

From beyond it, something ominous and immeasurable takes form and rises like a wave.

The crimson black mist that surges endlessly covers the ruined underground chamber densely.

Blood-red mist so thick it can be felt, so ominous it sends chills down one’s spine.

Everything visible becomes tinted red as the mist envelops it. Rocks, metal, sky, and holy light—nothing is spared.

“W-what is this…?!”

“The world, the world is turning blood-red…!”

The priests of Grimnir stopped their spellcasting and looked around in shock.

Their priestly intuition, their rational minds as mages whispered to them. Something indescribable and terrifying was approaching them.

In a world turning monochrome,

Only Hersella retained her color, her blue eyes flashing like ghost fire.

“Hmph, I thought there might be something impressive with all that shouting… but in the end, it’s just the power of murder Karma again? I thought you would have learned how meaningless it is. Fear is merely the agitation of a weak mind. It’s nothing before the wisdom of magic!”

But Lübitz merely let out a scornful laugh.

It was a technique he already knew.

The intimidation of murder Karma that Haschal Median Aishan-Gioro had used at the Battle of Zeren Plains to subdue thousands of enemy soldiers when he earned the name of the Empire’s First Sword.

Hadn’t there been red mist rising then as well?

It was a power closer to magic than a warrior’s technique.

A thousand mages pouring all their mana into a fear spell might produce a similar effect.

‘An efficient and powerful technique, but ultimately just a method of emotional manipulation. It’s not difficult to counter.’

Just moments ago, hadn’t she manifested a similar technique, albeit on a smaller scale?

He just needed to respond the same way as before.

“Serénus potéstas!”

Lübitz diverted some of the mana he had been gathering to cast another calming spell.

The next strike would be delayed a bit… but it was just a delay of about ten seconds. No problem at all.

Or so it seemed.

“…You think it’s meaningless?”

Hersella bared her fangs and smiled like a beast as she glared at Lübitz.

“Still?”

Eyes filled with murderous intent. Lips split to the ears.

Though wearing human skin, that was no longer a human face.

Even Lübitz felt a chill in his heart from the illusion brought on by the intense killing intent.

‘…Did I just feel fear?’

An incomprehensible emotional disturbance. Doubt filled his mind.

It was impossible. The effect of the calming spell, ‘Clear Reason,’ should still be active.

Despite casting a spell that forcibly suppressed emotions to maintain pure rationality, fear?

‘That’s impossible. It can’t be…!’

Lübitz denied the dark emotion filling his chest and drew forth more mana.

“What are you doing! Don’t stop attacking!”

Lübitz ordered the priests who were staring blankly from the railings to attack.

The mages, half out of their minds, hurriedly began to construct magical formulas.

But it was already too late.

“I can see your fear. Foolish and arrogant western sorcerer.”

Hersella smiled at him.

Since this was her first time using it in actual combat, it took longer than expected, but now all preparations were complete.

All that remained was to release the power she had been holding back.

“Fear, you say…? Don’t spout nonsense…! As long as we have the protection of Grimnir, the god of magic, your fear will never reach us!”

“It won’t reach you? Hehehehe. Ahahaha! What a grave misunderstanding. Yes, that’s always how sorcerers are. They speak as if they hold the truth of the world in their hands, but when you look beneath the surface, they’re not much different from ordinary people! Just as I’ve heard!”

With her right hand gripping the sword hilt, Hersella covered her face with her left hand and laughed.

The power drawn beyond its limits was giving her boundless ecstasy.

‘…What is this? Her manner and presence have completely changed… Like a completely different person… No, is she even human?’

Cold sweat ran down Lübitz’s cheek.

Perhaps this was how a husband felt upon discovering his wife’s infidelity.

The shock of seeing someone you thought you knew perfectly suddenly transform into something incomprehensible.

It was a transformation he could not possibly understand.

“The essence of this power, murder Karma, is not to instill fear. Those who glimpse the source of the power simply fall into fear of their own accord. Your fear stems from the instinct to cling to life. Even if you suppress your emotions, can you escape your instincts?”

“What… does that mean…?”

Lübitz, not understanding Hersella’s explanation, asked blankly, but she had no intention of explaining further.

She had no time to spare either.

“All living beings fear death. Now, behold the end of mortality!”

With her joyful declaration, she released the reins of Karma she had been holding.

殺業

The Karma of death.

Its essence overflowed.

—-

It was a phenomenon beyond Lübitz’s understanding.

A calamity that could not be countered with the magical wisdom he had studied.

The mist of murder Karma covering the entire underground prayer hall.

It writhed as if possessing a will, then suddenly contracted.

Like a violently clenched fist.

Targeting only the living.

“Huh, huhk…!”

“What is this now! What are you doing…!”

All the priests standing in the prayer hall were suddenly enveloped by the contracting mist and turned red.

They screamed, looking like blood-covered figures.

And then.

– SPLURCH!

The bodies of the priests enveloped in murder Karma exploded like firecrackers without even a scream.

The sound of rupture was like hundreds of water-filled leather pouches being struck simultaneously.

The bodies of over a hundred priests became pieces of flesh scattered in all directions.

Blood splashed like waves, staining the walls completely.

========[ Haschal ]========

‘……’

I was speechless.

The two hundred magic priests who had given me so much trouble.

They were all annihilated in an instant by Hersella’s heroic tale, which even I hadn’t anticipated.

Only nine priests survived.

The high priests who had suffered crushing injuries to their entire skeletal structure and couldn’t even stand up in the sea of blood, and Lübitz, who was staring at his blown-off left arm with his mouth agape.

Yes. It was to be expected.

The heroic tale of the maddened Hersella, Field of Mortality.

It was a technique that bestowed inescapable death upon all living beings within its range, regardless of friend or foe.

Once unleashed, it could neither be avoided nor blocked by physical means; one could only resist with their own power.

Among all the heroic tales that appeared in the original work, none were as specialized in mass slaughter as this.

To withstand the Field of Mortality unleashed by Hersella in her prime, one needed to be at least at the hero level.

[ Hmm. As expected, this is my limit for now. ]

As Hersella let out a regretful sigh, the red world that had been spread out vanished like a mirage.

Indeed, compared to Hersella in her prime, this heroic tale was still quite crude.

The preparation time was excessively long, and it was properly manifested for only about ten seconds.

Even that was enough to completely deplete the remaining power of murder Karma.

After stealing my body… no, wait. It was her body to begin with.

Anyway, perhaps because moving her own body also required the power of murder Karma, my consciousness, which had been submerged, began to overlay on the physical body like rising to the surface.

After blinking three times, I was back at the forefront of consciousness.

“Ughh…”

The exhaustion was so terrible that a groan escaped involuntarily.

The power of good Karma remained intact, but not even the smallest remnant of murder Karma’s energy remained.

…I didn’t realize it when facing her as an enemy, but this technique really consumes an enormous amount of power.

“AAAAARGH!”

With Lübitz’s belated scream as background noise, I addressed Hersella, who had staged this shocking reversal.

I had more than a few things to question her about.

—-

‘…What happened?’

[ What do you mean? What are you asking about? ]

Well, in just one minute, I’ve accumulated a mountain of questions.

But I should start with this one first.

‘You were able to push me aside and move the body. How is that possible? No, why didn’t you tell me you could do that in the first place?’

[ It’s thanks to the nature of the murder Karma we possess. I’ll explain the details, and why I didn’t tell you… next time. We don’t seem to have much time. ]

‘We don’t have time?’

[ My consciousness… is growing dimmer. It’s probably because I exhausted all the murder Karma to forcibly manifest the heroic tale. ]

Perhaps it was the backlash from pouring out all the murder Karma. Hersella’s voice gradually grew fainter.

Like a child overcome by sleep.

It seemed I would have to postpone hearing her reasons.

…It wasn’t really the situation to be listening to all that anyway.

[ …I’m tired. I need to sleep for a while. ]

‘No, wait, hold on. What am I supposed to do now?!’

Thanks to Hersella, all the ordinary priests had been taken down, but…

‘That bastard is still fine!’

I pointed at Lübitz, who was floating in the air and dripping blood, as I shouted.

He was still gathering mana while restoring his blown-off left arm with holy light.

– KUOOOOOOO!

The dark cloud, now filled with sufficient mana, was spinning almost like a blender.

Meanwhile, my condition… a body exhausted from depleted murder Karma, with only the power of good Karma remaining.

[ …If you have any conscience, you should handle this yourself. I’ve eliminated all the troublesome subordinates for you… I’m going to sleep for a while, so don’t disturb me… ]

‘Hey, hey, come on!’

[ ….. ]

Hersella didn’t answer.

Wait, she stepped up so confidently like she would solve everything, and then after just one minute, she uses one technique and falls asleep…!