Ch.5858. The Boy King (4)

“Alone? You plan to do this alone?”

Just before the alchemy erupted, that question flew from Valkarsus.

He must be saying this because even to him, the difference in combat power between us is like that of an ant and an elephant.

“That wouldn’t make any sense.”

Of course, even I can’t do something like that without having the proper means at my disposal.

So, I’ve called in some people, timed to arrive right about now.

They should be here any moment.

“AAAAAAHHH—!”

“KYAAAAAAHHH—!”

[UWAAAAAAHHH—!]

“…”

What a colorful variety of screams.

As two voices and one text mixed together, a cluster of people flew in from below toward the balcony of the clock tower’s top floor.

[Using ‘Skill: Sacred Stigma’.]

With a crash-bang-thud, I apply a protective barrier through Ultima’s built-in skill to those flying in.

Compared to the holy shield I used before, a noticeably thicker holy power barrier envelops them as they bounce around, hitting walls and floors everywhere.

“Never again, NEVER AGAIN! Being experienced so I should lead? Bull-crap! Is there anyone in this world who could possibly get used to THIS?”

As soon as the barrier dissipates, Elia rushes out first from inside, wailing with indignation.

Certainly, being in a physical profession, she seems to have good stamina.

Lucien and Yuria are crawling around with pale faces, barely able to move.

“You’re exaggerating. It wasn’t that bad.”

[Yes, this level was quite managea…]

Yuria, trying to agree with me by floating text in the air, couldn’t even finish her sentence before covering her mouth.

She seems to be holding back nausea.

“…”

Yeah, I admit I did discard all safety protocols.

What I used was that “catapult” that this guy and I used before when entering the Otherworld.

Maybe I should name it later. I’m starting to get attached to it.

“…You just specified the trajectory, with NO safety measures, and told us to fly up HUNDREDS of meters in under FIVE minutes. Exaggerating? EXAGGERATING?”

“…”

Seeing her grinding her teeth, honestly, I don’t have much to say.

I just told them to hug each other tightly, stay bundled together, and “fly up here” as one unit.

I should actually be grateful they followed such insane instructions without complaint.

“It couldn’t be helped.”

I turn around with a slight smile.

“I had to call you guys quickly because we’re facing an opponent we can’t handle otherwise.”

If I’d been even a few minutes later, it would have been game over for sure.

We only have 10 minutes total.

“…”

I glance sideways to check the “Starlight Circlet” Yuria is wearing.

Professor Vulcan from the Production Department must have put in some effort. There wasn’t any danger signal even while these guys were flying up here all bundled together.

While that is “worn” and “operating,” the curse of severance applied to Yuria is extremely weakened. It’s almost as if it’s temporarily lifted.

The effect is simple.

While wearing it, Yuria can apply her curse only to “what she intends to cut.”

It’s like using the curse of severance as an offensive buff.

“Lucien.”

“…Valkarsus.”

While I was pondering this, the Boy King chuckled as he noticed Lucien getting to his feet.

“Didn’t you once say you’d cooperate with me? I’m disappointed.”

“…”

“Well, I’m joking. I’m glad to see your sister looks healthy, at least.”

Lucien closed his eyes briefly and bowed his head.

He seems to feel guilty.

Probably because he also knows why Valkarsus desires death.

The soul of one who burns their life to turn themselves into alchemy is bound to the one who engraved that alchemy on their body.

Valkarsus seeks death to free the souls of his people that are bound within him.

“…Your kingdom will be saved.”

Then, the Holy Maiden spoke up.

“Because this man will make it so.”

“…”

Valkarsus slowly nodded.

“Yes.”

But his voice that followed was anything but agreeable.

As the sun completely disappeared beyond the ridge and darkness spread everywhere,

Valkarsus’s true form was revealed.

A bizarre appearance, as if his shape was melting and flowing without clear outlines. Like he had completely merged with the darkness covering the entire world.

In a way, he looked like he ruled over all of it.

“…”

Elia, who was staring at him, let out a shallow groan and gripped her sword handle.

Her hand trembled slightly. She couldn’t help but know what kind of monstrous being she was facing.

“Can we win against that?”

Elia asked that, but.

“If you all just listen to me.”

I answer simply.

More precisely.

“Nobody but me can beat that thing.”

After all.

Among the Sera veterans, I’m the first human to successfully clear the “combat” route with Valkarsus.

Everyone around me said it was insane, but I did it in the end.

‘No, because…’

This person, for a boss, is quite likable.

When I thought about how to effectively “use” Valkarsus, this was the only way.

Remember what I promised before?

To use him as a “subordinate.”

“This guy would float even if he fell in water, seriously.”

While Elia chuckled and said that.

“Well, that’s enough conversation.”

Venom rises from Valkarsus’s breath.

In other words, it’s the attack signal.

[Crisis situation detected.]

[Judged to be a direct threat to life.]

[Applying Skill: Desperate Situation at EX rank.]

“Let’s begin.”

“Here it comes!”

With Lucien’s voice.

Alchemy poured from all directions.

●

Throughout the thousands of years that flowed by, Valkarsus had traversed countless battlefields.

Partly because he sought environments with the highest probability of achieving his only wish—death.

The curse placed by the serpent-tongued one who brought the “demonic calamity” to his kingdom was extremely malicious.

He must die in a “fair one-on-one situation,” through “combat with full effort.”

Otherwise, he would never die under any circumstances. That kind of curse.

-Being a king, shouldn’t you die in a more special way?

That hateful voice of the one who cursed the kingdom—he had never forgotten it. Valkarsus gave a bitter smile.

Nevertheless.

As a king, one must think of the people first. Revenge is a secondary concern. Right now, all that matters is freeing those bound to his body.

‘But it’s nonsensical.’

How could it be possible?

The very premise of fighting someone with hundreds of thousands of alchemical formulas embedded in their body is absurd.

Even the army of the dead currently covering the entire academy is merely a formula that hasn’t drawn out even half of his power.

So where in the world could there be someone who could face him one-on-one?

That’s why he had cooperated with the Luminary. He thought that human was the only one with any possibility.

The leader of the Cultists of the Demon. A monster armed with unfathomable cunning.

Even he couldn’t see the “bottom” of that one.

But now.

For the first time.

“…Ha.”

He was finding such possibility in someone else.

Someone with the capacity to kill him.

And in a youngster who hadn’t even lived half his life, at that.

-!

He closed his eyes where he stood and activated several formations sequentially.

Alchemy is an art that creates phenomena based on formulas already embedded in the body. Unlike other abilities, it requires no visualization, incantation, or medium.

And what appeared instantly were several spheres that seemed to spray darkness that rotted and crumbled around them.

Each one, all of them.

High-level formulas that would fry the brain of an ordinary practitioner who attempted something similar.

Considering the level of these humans facing him, it’s not like using a cow-slaughtering knife to kill a chicken—it’s more like dropping a meteor.

It’s not even a question of countering. With this single strike, the opponent will surely fall. The experience of thousands of years of combat affirms this with near certainty.

But.

The Holy Maiden’s blessing interferes with the path of the incoming alchemy, disrupting its course. The blessing generated by a woman with such immense holy power that the Holy Empire declared her “chosen by God” collides with the spheres of darkness.

Of course, even that is no match. He’s a monster who couldn’t die for thousands of years because he was “too strong.” No matter how powerful, a single human cannot face him.

However, that alone was enough to clearly slow the “speed” of the spheres. It creates an opening to respond.

And with just that momentary gap created, the girl wearing the Starlight Circlet suddenly stands before the sphere and draws her sword.

‘That sword…’

He remembers seeing it somewhere.

Probably a sword as ancient as he is.

The Severer. A sword imbued with the oldest curse in human history.

That means it can sufficiently “cut through” those spheres he created.

Indeed, as the woman swings her sword with a short battle cry, all the spheres within range are bisected and split apart.

The counterattack that followed was razor-sharp.

“Hup!”

From outside his field of vision, the orange-haired girl approached him with light movements. He’s heard of her too. A candidate for hero of the age. Originally, even the Luminary was most wary of her.

When activating and releasing a formula, there’s always a gap for the practitioner. Even abilities like alchemy, which have extremely reduced such weaknesses, are the same.

Of course, it’s just a fleeting moment that applies for less than a second, but the girl’s sword struck precisely at that moment.

-!

“Tch!”

But it’s rendered ineffective by the “automatic defense” alchemy laid nearby.

Nevertheless, her timing was terrifyingly accurate. Enough to make even Valkarsus’s spine tingle.

Once again, the opponent did not fall.

Not simply refusing to fall, but establishing a proper “exchange” of offense and defense.

‘…They’ve calculated this.’

Perfect personnel selection.

The Holy Maiden who weakens his attacks to buy time to react, the cursed girl who demonstrates absolute defense against all alchemy based on her ability to cut anything that enters her range, and the hero candidate with the lightest movements to handle attacks against him.

The Luminary had ordered the operation to be carried out a day earlier than scheduled to interfere with that man’s plans.

Yet, even in this situation.

He had assembled the “optimal” combination to face him.

In such a short time.

“Truly remarkable!”

He exclaimed in admiration.

A battle is taking place. Properly established.

Humans who normally wouldn’t even be allowed to stand straight before him!

‘This is all…!’

And at the center of it is one human controlling this entire situation.

His gaze turned to Darwood Campbell, who had retreated to the rear.

At a glance, he seems to have withdrawn to a safe position and is doing nothing.

But every instruction he gives from that position is balancing this battle.

Accuracy, swiftness, and even brilliant ingenuity. Not a single flaw in any of them.

‘No, no. It’s not just that.’

Valkarsus thought with a fierce smile.

The divine skill that side is wielding now is not something that can be dismissed with such obvious adjectives.

That man is the core of this battle.

Not the Holy Maiden, not the girl carrying the oldest curse in human history, not the hero candidate, not even Valkarsus himself.

None of them are the master of this battle. None of them are demonstrating the most intense influence.

That man, single-handedly.

Was bridging the “gap” of thousands of years and hundreds of thousands of formulas between these rookies and himself!

“Take this too!”

Again, the attack continues.

Much more powerful than the alchemy that flew before. Unlike the previous attacks that flew in sphere form, this is decay alchemy covering the entire space.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding-!”

The hero candidate screamed such words.

At the same time, green rays like concentrated poison were emitted in all directions.

-!

The ceiling above the clock tower collapsed, and intense light covered everything.

It’s one of the largest-scale items among the alchemy he possesses. He released a formula concentrated within this space that could normally demolish even solidly built castle walls in one go.

But.

This time too.

“Seriously, teacher, you’re going to pay for making us work this hard-!”

The hero candidate who shot up from the collapsed debris swung her sword at him again.

A hot sensation grazed his cheek.

It was the first effective hit on him during the battle.

“…”

Valkarsus touched his cheek with a blank expression.

There was blood on it.

Red liquid that he couldn’t even remember when he last saw.

“…Ha.”

A short exhale escaped his lips.

Because he suddenly realized.

Even if he increased his speed.

No matter how much more power he poured in.

“Haha…”

They keep up. They don’t break.

They can match him.

No, rather.

He’s starting to be pushed back.

If it continues to the end, surely.

It could end in his defeat.

“Ha, hahahahahaha-!”

Valkarsus burst into laughter.

“This isn’t the end. You can show me more, can’t you!”

Yes. He knew it for certain.

That he wasn’t just all talk!

“Come on, try to kill me!”

Despite the content.

It was a voice filled with joy.

●

The area under my eyes feels hot from my brain overheating to its limit.

‘…Really, this, crazy…!’

It’s been a while since I’ve had to think this hard. I feel like I’m going to die.

I’m responding by squeezing out non-existent gaps, maximizing reflexes through a swordsman’s concentration at each moment.

Calculating the movements of four people simultaneously according to the boss battle pattern is more labor-intensive than I anticipated.

If I hadn’t put the Starlight Circlet on Yuria to remove her “restriction” in advance, even I would have failed long ago.

“…”

I look ahead while catching my breath. Another pattern. Several formations bound by alchemy emit light again.

Just by looking at the shape and generation time, I immediately calculate and determine what kind of attack it is.

Dark slashes sweeping across the horizontal distance. At least 3 or more.

“Lucien. 37th hierarchy, 112th prayer. Draw 4 and scatter them in each direction. Yuria. Follow the prayer trajectory and stand by. Elia. Duck for 3 seconds, then stand up and take 3 steps forward.”

This is the formation that has continued until now.

Lucien weakens the attack, Yuria defends it, and Elia uses that opening to slowly accumulate damage on the opponent.

Pattern ends at 4 seconds.

Prepare for the next exchange.

“…It’s good that we’re holding up well!”

Elia screamed.

“But does that thing actually die? How many times have I cut it already!”

“You can’t kill it.”

“…”

I smile at Elia who glares at me and continue.

“I mean you can’t kill it the way we’re doing it now.”

What we’re doing is like trying to carve down a mountain with a single pickaxe.

It does chip away, but it takes endlessly long. It’s not practical.

This is more like a build-up.

“What do you mean?”

“People are more easily deceived than you think.”

Especially if something keeps happening repeatedly.

Even without explicitly agreeing to it, they start to accept it as “natural.”

So.

This exchange too, I’m deliberately keeping it “simple.”

“…”

I check the time.

While Elia makes a face asking what I mean, I continue with the next instruction without time to explain.

“Here it comes!”

2 minutes left. By now, what I’ve been waiting for should appear.

I set the time at “10 minutes” because within that time, we’d definitely get to see this pattern at least once.

Dark thorns forming and undulating from all directions.

‘That’s right.’

This is the pattern I’ve been waiting for all along.

This is the most important phase in the strategy for this boss battle.

Unlike other patterns, this one also blocks the opponent’s “vision.”

“…”

So. I prepare my trick here.

Lucien sees it and immediately generates prayer text. So far, it’s the same.

But.

[Using ‘Skill: Proof of Faith’.]

[All additional stats are converted to ‘Endurance’ and ‘Holy Power’.]

[Using ‘Skill: Sacred Stigma’.]

This time I add a slightly “different element.”

I activate two of Ultima’s built-in skills simultaneously to put much more power into defending against the alchemy.

“Wake up, you!”

[…You’re not even calling me by name anymore?]

I wake up Calivan, who’s mumbling in a sleepy voice, and activate another skill.

[Activating ‘Skill: Mental World’!]

[Sharing ‘Skill: Proof of Faith’ with targets in range.]

Then comes the defense against the incoming alchemy. Followed by an immediate counterattack.

Valkarsus isn’t stupid, so he was raising various defensive formulas anticipating a counter.

That defense, as it has been so far, was originally prepared for “Elia’s attack.”

But.

-!

-!!!

Unlike before, the attacker doesn’t retreat from such alchemy. Instead, they “slice through” everything and approach.

“…!”

Valkarsus, surprised, instinctively looked at the side that defended against the alchemy.

It was a completely different situation from what had been established so far.

But there.

“…Wow, this, really, teacher, later, be prepared…”

“Elia” was muttering such sentences with an exhausted look, having barely defended after receiving all the buffs.

Then, the remaining personnel.

“Surprise appearance.”

Through the darkness.

Yuria, whom I grabbed by the collar and threw, emerged.

All for this one strike.

I’ve simplified the pattern this much to “teach” that person.

The landing point is just one step away from Valkarsus.

And the distance inside is, as I said before.

Firepower that can one-shot ALL characters in the scenario.

The Starlight Circlet flashes. Unlike before, it means Yuria has recognized the target in front of her as “something to be cut.”

“Oh no…!”

As Valkarsus uttered those bewildered words.

The Severer, darting out like lightning, pierced through Valkarsus’s heart.