episode_0035

The knights of the Phibron Empire expressed their anger without restraint. They wielded their swords, used magic, and chased those who fled while craving for life.

To some, it was a tragedy, but to others, it was the realization of justice.

Opinions may differ, but one thing is certain: the knights of the Phibron Empire did not feel ashamed of their actions. It was resistance for life, an action for the crumbling empire and the invaded families.

The screams of the Kareldean Empire’s officials filled the battlefield. Macderas simply watched their appearance. Until the anger of the invaded was fully released, or until he could find solace in protecting his homeland with his own hands.

Phlimia once again took Macderas’s hand. But she was no longer trembling, nor was she avoiding eye contact on the battlefield. She spoke.

“Thanks to what you’ve shown by coming here, Macderas, I’ve come to realize. Hoping for salvation with only hopeful thoughts will yield nothing. No matter how hard you try, things that won’t change will never change. So, you need strength to protect. And the courage to enforce it… You’ve been showing various things, even the annoying actions that you didn’t have to deliberately do…”

“It’s a difference of opinion. However one thinks, it’s different for each person. If you think so, then that’s how it is.”

I didn’t particularly reinforce her opinion. My role was already over. I had created countless justifications for war, shown the true nature of cruel individuals, and at least showed mercy to the innocent.

Some will call this enough justification, and yet others will remember us as eternal slaughterers. It depends on the receiver.

So, she had to ponder and overcome this growth pain alone. To prevent further wounds and bloodshed, she had to heal her scars herself. What she truly believes in is the right answer.

“I don’t think I can just stand by. I’ll go and help.”

Phlimia ran to treat the people who had fallen on the battlefield. However, this time, it was the knights of the Phibron Empire who received her grace. For those in pain, suffering, and falling, she did her best to bestow the grace given to her by God. That was the only thing she could do.

Checking the battlefield, it seemed that the bureaucrats who appeared to have not even received proper combat training were overwhelmingly overwhelmed by the knights. Even the guards they had were insufficient to deal with this unreasonable force. The tide had completely turned. It was then that Macderas relaxed and looked at the red sphere.

After a moment, when he reached out his hand, countless enemy blades flew into the sky. Those blades soon disappeared from view.

“What have you done?”

When Princess Blainey asked, Macderas replied indifferently, “I killed the fleeing ones.”

“An amazing ability… We may not have needed our help after all.”

In fact, slaughter magic uses people’s corpses, blood, vitality, etc., as an energy source, so once activated, it can be kept active until all enemies are killed. However, there is one fatal penalty: after use, the use of slaughter magic is restricted for a certain period of time. Therefore, once activated, you must unconditionally massacre the enemies. You must constantly infuse the vitality of the enemies until the sphere is completely extinguished before the end of the battle. This can be considered a disadvantage, but anyway, the battlefield is widely filled with people’s corpses. The more you absorb, the stronger your power becomes, and the universality of this ability makes slaughter magic more efficient than any other magic as a killing tool.

As long as you give up being human.

Macderas looked at Princess Blainey of the Phibron Empire and said, “If it weren’t for the knights of the Phibron Empire, my battle would have been nothing but unjust slaughter. There was a reason for Phlimia, but that was just a personal matter.”

“Reason… In the end, what we did for you was in an abstract sense. If it weren’t for you, we would have overwhelmingly lost the battle. Frankly, if someone like you, not me, had ascended to the emperor’s position, the people wouldn’t have suffered so much.”

After a while, the man pointed to those fighting in front of him and spoke.

“Do you see? His knights are fighting to defend the country. They advance without fear of death to end this meaningless war. They fought the same way before I intervened, and they would have fought the same even if I hadn’t. So don’t entertain useless thoughts. What His Majesty should consider is being a guide to lead these people in the right direction. Don’t worry if strength is lacking. If the direction is right, we will eventually reach our destination.”

Flamia asks a question. Her tone was a bit more friendly.

“Can you tell me where you came from? If there were people like you in neighboring empires or kingdoms, I would have surely heard of them.”

Macderas hesitated, about to lie, but stopped. After all, Princess Brainy was someone who could easily discern the truth of words, just like Choi Yebin.

“There is a place called Earth. I’ll leave it at that.”

“No way…”

Princess Brainy began to frantically look around. Then, after staring into space for a moment, she quietly took my hand and spoke.

“A gallery of destruction in a novel… I saw something just like your magic there. It was a research journal of a real wizard uploaded by someone called the Administrator. There was something similar to your magic there. Do you know about it?”

He wasn’t lying. Using interdimensional warp magic is something only I can do. This is almost certain information gained through experience. So, there’s no need to hide my identity in other novels.

“I know. I’m also part of the community.”

‘Princess Brainy was also a possessor.’

When using the warp magic, I thought that the nicknames of the possessed individuals would be displayed above their heads, but it seems that’s not the case. It seems more rational to consider it a function that only displays those linked to the warp target.

“It’s not particularly surprising. From the start, she seemed confident that I was a possessor and asked as if she knew.”

In novels, hundreds of people can be possessed, or just one person. That was the conclusion I reached after finding several cases. In the end, she was just one of the many people living as a possessor.

Princess Brainy stopped her solemn tone and spoke to me.

“I didn’t think you might be someone from the same community. Please speak comfortably. I’m 20 years old.”

“Please do so.”

“Is your manner of speaking originally like this?”

“It’s because I’m used to it.”

“It seems like quite a long time has passed since the possession…”

Princess Brainy nodded and then approached me, expressing one worrisome thing.

“Magister Mac, if you’ve seen the community, you’ll know that someone is leaking your massacre magic journal on the Annihilation Gallery. At first, I didn’t think much of it… but seeing it in front of my eyes, this is an extremely dangerous magic. I think it’s dangerous for someone strange to have that kind of magic research journal. Do you know who the administrator is?”

The practical diary of the accomplished sorcerer uploaded by the Annihilation Gallery administrator.

Princess Brainy also thought that the administrator had luckily obtained and leaked it. To dispel misunderstandings, Magister Mac spoke.

“I am the administrator. There are reasons for uploading it, and I guarantee that there’s no one capable of imitating it even if they see that information, so don’t worry.”

“Just a moment… You’re saying that you’re the administrator, Magister Mac…? That can’t be true…”

In Princess Brainy’s mind, numerous exploits of the Annihilation Gallery administrator began to emerge. Mac seemed to realize her confusion and briefly spoke for himself.

“You can’t survive unless you’re crazy.”

Princess Brainy looked at Mac with a pitiful expression and spoke.

“…That’s right. With this much power, I must have endured and overcome a lot on my own.”

The Brainy Princess nodded as if she understood and added, “Let’s save the rest of the story for after the war ends. It seems like everyone around has been taken care of by now.”

“As you wish.”

As she said, there were no longer any living beings around the imperial family of the Kael’thas Empire. The knights shouted about their victory and reveled in their triumph. Macduras walked silently towards the palace.

“Did you kill the Emperor?”

He asked Te’kelrom, and he replied, “We couldn’t find him. It seems like he escaped.”

“I see.”

Macduras did not agree with Te’kelrom’s opinion. If this were not a world where magic existed, abandoning his stronghold and fleeing would be unthinkable.

Given enough time, he could create an impregnable fortress by layering countless magical barriers.

Emperor Lecan prioritized his own safety, considered himself to be godlike, and believed that his prideful nature, having conquered numerous empires, would never have considered “fleeing” from here.

So, there was only one place the Emperor could be.

“The palace… the palace door won’t open!”

Sure enough, those attempting to enter the palace were blocked by mysterious magic and couldn’t get inside. Even worse…

“Aaaargh!”

A man’s body was instantly consumed by flames. Probably one of the defensive magic barriers created by the Emperor through his palace mages.

Macduras continued forward. Countless magic barriers surged wildly, but he paid them no mind. All incoming attacks were repelled, and the endless defense magic barriers vanished at his touch.

“I think I’ve grasped the layout well enough.”

As Macduras placed his hand on the red sphere, it began to surge and soon unleashed a massive lightning storm within the palace.

A red lightning bolt that captivated the gaze struck dozens of times in an instant, and the closed doors of the royal palace opened.

Kiiieik

The door opened, and Maekderas walked slowly. He moved straight to where he could feel the vitality of living beings. As if intending to use them as prey, dozens of maidens were trembling inside the room.

“Get out.”

Upon Maekderas’s command, the maidens hesitated, but soon shouted again and began to flee outside. Eventually, Maekderas swung his sword into the air.

Swish!

With the sound of the clash of swords, two concealed figures revealed themselves.

Briphen, the commander of the Imperial Knights of the Kaorelden Empire. And behind him, the Emperor Lecan.

Even while facing Briphen and pointing his sword, Maekderas looked into the eyes of the staggering Emperor Lecan behind him.

Maekderas spoke to him.

“Do you want to live?”

Of course, the Emperor did not respond. Instead, Maekderas poured out a sinister mana onto his sword and said.

“If you kill me, I’ll spare you.”

Following them, knights from the Plemia and Pibron Empires, and Princess Breini also entered the room. Maekderas reaffirmed.

“If you or your knights can kill me in a duel, I will spare you, and those behind will keep their promise.”

Emperor Lecan narrowed his eyes and said.

“How can I believe that…?”

“Do you have a choice?”

Emperor Lecan began to laugh mockingly.

“You despicable man. You dare to defy me to the end. Even if I die, make sure to kill him. Do you think you can win against him in a duel, as Briphen standing before you is a master swordsman?”

Emperor Lecan ordered Briphen, the commander of the Imperial Knights.

“Kill him!”

Instantly, Briphen, the commander of the Imperial Knights of the Kaorelden Empire, shouted and swung his sword at Maekderas. However, it was Tekeloman who blocked it.

“…?”

As Maekderas looked on with doubt, Commander Tekeloman trembled and clenched his fists as he spoke.

A helpless person died. I had to lose my cherished comrades, and the knights who believed in me had to suffer meaningless deaths. I had to go to the families who lost their fathers and kneel down to apologize… I had to watch their tears in front of my eyes.

Tecelomane, gripping his sword with both hands due to exhaustion, spoke to Macladus until the end.

“I want to take revenge for them with my own hands.”

Looking at him, Macladus said, “The difference in skill between you and the author is extreme. You won’t be able to compete and will die.”

“I know…”

“If you step back, I can kill both of you within seconds.”

“That too… I know.”

“Is honor or avenging your comrades more important than your life? Why are you doing something so inefficient?”

Macladus questioned sincerely as if he couldn’t understand the reason, and Tecelomane, with blood dripping from his tightly clenched hand holding the sword, answered.

“Because I am a knight.”

Macladus stepped back without a word. At the same time, the final battle of this war began.