“Come out, Demon King Chrono! This time, I, Norz, will be sure to take your head, which I let escape in Alsace!!”
So you were here, Norz.
In Alsace, you gave the impression of being a simple-minded commander who fell easily for our strategies, but now you are secretly communicating with the Clan of Great Horns and have set a trap to isolate me.
Your pursuit in the jungle has been relentless and precise. You have kept pursuing us and have chased us here without letting us escape.
And at the very end, you predicted where I would attempt to break through and positioned yourself there.
If this is not coincidence and all of this is due to Norz’s command, then that is quite the skill.
I experienced humiliation in Alsace that I will bear for a lifetime. However, at the same time, Norz, who struggled against merely a hundred adventurers, must also bear a significant responsibility as a commander.
The feeling of enmity is mutual, huh?
To initiate such a high-stakes gamble shows incredible determination.
“This is bad; because he has stepped forward, the opening has closed.”
At the base of the bridge on the other side, I can see the imposing figure of a bald giant standing tall and proud in the center.
Since he is also a priest, the sacred light magic is second nature to him. Raising a large, white mace like a pillar, he seems to be deploying a wide-ranging barrier that covers the entire width of the bridge.
It is likely a purification barrier effective against the undead. While just humans may pass through, it will mercilessly burn the undead monsters that move with dark magical power.
If my zombie army charges into the enemy and a chaotic battle ensues before this barrier is properly addressed, the desired effect will be lost. If things go poorly, my precious zombie army could be annihilated.
“Should I initiate the fight here…”
I thought the real battle would start once I charged into the enemy’s main camp with the zombie army, but this is the critical point to open the breakthrough.
Norz stepped forward to quickly restore order to the chaos, but at the same time, he is taking the risk of the commander standing on the front line. While it may sound hypocritical coming from me, who is always on the front lines, I do not admire a commander who can step out in front of the enemy so easily.
He must be confident in his own power. Then, more than anything, he has a strong motivation to take me down personally, since I am his bitter enemy.
Still, you should believe in the strategy that has accurately cornered me thus far and realize that remaining committed to command is the best decision until the end.
If the final challenge is a battle of strength, then I do not feel like I will lose.
“Let’s go, Merry.”
Understanding my decision, Merry starts to charge toward the bridge.
Most of the surroundings have turned into zombies, but there are still soldiers who have either escaped too late or are engaging in futile resistance.
I push them aside and head straight for the bridge.
“Norz! The Demon King is right here; come at me!!”
I respond to his provocation with one of my own. I raise the “Gatekeeper Key Engraved Doom” high and make it clear that I am here.
The surroundings are a chaotic scene of zombies and delayed soldiers, but with me riding on the already large horse, Merry, and being large in my own armor, I can be seen clearly.
“Here, divine decree has been issued! Here and now, the White God desires us to annihilate the Demon King!”
Raising both arms high, Norz begins to advance.
His declaration sends the forces of the main camp into a frenzy. Even while steering the momentum towards a one-on-one duel, he does not forget to rally the troops, which is quite shrewd of him.
At the very least, it seems he is not allowing the presence of his bitter enemy me to make him lose his focus in anger.
“Today, on this day, we shall defeat the Demon King and become heroes! Please grant us the power of holy protection that vanquishes evil!”
“God’s protection!”
“God’s protection!!”
As if propelled by this grand chorus of blessings, Norz advances steadily across the bridge, finally making contact with the leading group of zombies.
As expected, a strong barrier is deployed, and the moment they step into the glowing sphere, the zombie bodies decay to ash and collapse.
“Alright, let me show you, Demon King Chrono. This is the miraculous power granted to take you down—’Stigmata’ release!!”
In the center of the bridge, while shouting as the zombies return to nothing beneath the shining barrier, Norz radiates an aura of thick white magical power, akin to that of an apostle.
Wow, seriously? Is this guy really granted power by the White God? This is undoubtedly a more formidable stigmata than the holy knights who have been tracking us.
As if to prove my prediction, Norz is enveloped in a dazzling light, and all the power he possesses is unleashed.
“Eightfold Stigmata.”
Even clad in heavy silver mechanized armor, the pale glowing stigmata can be seen arising.
Two on each hand and foot, and one on the abdomen and chest. That makes six.
However, I had heard that the “Eightfold Stigmata” usually manifests as wings on the shoulders of angels… But the seventh and eighth stigmata are manifested on either side of the skinhead’s head, overlapping and shining at the crown.
From toe to head, wrapped in a dazzling light, Norz’s silhouette suddenly enlarges.
“I shall become the guardian of the sanctum—’Temple Giant of Roselia Island.'”
That figure is truly that of a giant. A towering stature likely over twenty meters tall, glowing like silver in a way reminiscent of a Greek sculpture.
The robust physique of a muscular man resembles that of a true giant, but the metallic sheen gives it no semblance of biological life. However, its smooth movements, as if it were alive, are profoundly unsettling.
It resembles the Deus statue, the final boss of the Karamala Great Maze, which has now become a rare training opponent. They probably operate on similar principles. Though the properties of black and white differ, both must build their giant forms on an immense amount of ether.
“Truly, to bestow such power on one who is not even an apostle…”
Is this the result of distorting the divine order?
The White God grants a power to believers that rivals the blessings given by all the Dark Gods combined. It’s abnormal enough with just twelve apostles, and on top of that, countless priests are bestowed with various light magics, while elite holy knights, who have mastered faith and training, receive the universal enhancement known as “Stigmata.”
The effects of granting such power to this world are known only to the Dark Gods, but it’s unbearable for us who confront it in reality.
“Whoa, what the hell is that giant of light!?”
“What a miracle… A miracle of God has occurred…”
Witnessing Norz demonstrate such visible power, the enthusiasm of the Great Expedition Army reaches a peak. Indeed, that massive figure is no mere façade.
A miracle of God. It certainly seems to reference the giant-formation ability depicted in scripture.
The Temple Giant of Roselia Island.
I recall seeing this legend while receiving scripture teachings from Sariel back when I was pretending to be a false priest in the pioneer village.
There is a small island called Roselia Island, located in an old territorial domain of the Sinclair Republic.
It is a peaceful and tranquil island with nothing notable, but its location lies along the maritime invasion route of the ferocious barbarian Barbatos from across the sea. When they invade, this island is the first to be attacked, much like Tsushima.
The island has been exposed to war multiple times, and the inhabitants have been massacred more than once.
However, at one time, a certain saint erected a giant statue on the island.
And when the barbaric Barbatos fleet attacked like Vikings, the miraculous giant moved and fought to protect the island—so the tale goes.
Even now, there stands an enormous statue on Roselia Island as a tourist attraction, and they have fortified it so well that it is no longer reliant on miracles. In fact, thanks to the hero Abel, the very threat of Barbatos has been eliminated.
Regardless, it is a well-known episode that even I, who learned the scriptures through broad but shallow forced education, remember.
Even if the real Temple Giant is gone, I can still attain a power reminiscent of that legend.
And that is Norz’s “Temple Giant of Roselia Island.”
“Hmph, just a hollow figure that appears grand. Do you think such a wooden puppet can defeat this Demon King?”
“Of course, this is the power of the miracle given by God.”
Norz looked down at me from twenty meters above, responding to my cheap provocation aimed at drawing attention.
“Ah, I can hear it, I can hear it. God says—to crush the Demon King with this power!!”
With a roar, a massive, shining fist is raised.
It seems my time for banter is coming to an end.
Then, I must brace myself and bet everything.
“Very well, fair and square, I, the Demon King Chrono, will take you on! Know that the legend of the giant defending Roselia Island is powerless before the Demon King!!”
I accelerate Merry and set off.
In my right hand, I grip the “Gatekeeper Key Engraved Doom,” while my left hand lets go of the reins.
My empty left hand holds nothing. However, that doesn’t mean it’s unoccupied. In this hand, a finished ultimate technique already exists.
“—’Void Cannon.'”
A pitch-black sphere floats in my palm.
This is my black magic’s ultimate move, which erases everything as it gouges through matter.
Through numerous battles in training against the Deus statue, I realized that using this “Void Cannon” effectively was key to defeating it effortlessly.
The hulking figure is tough, just as it appears. A lackluster power won’t faze it, and even if I leave significant wounds, it will keep moving unfazed.
Moreover, there are no obvious external weak points exposed like in the eye of a cyclops. Usually, the vital organs are deep within a robust physique.
The “Void Cannon” is the most suitable technique for directly targeting their weak point through their giant body acting as a shield.
The Deus statue has cores located in its head and chest. It’s simple enough to identify, yet it’s the most solidly defended configuration. If it were at the ends of its limbs, cutting them off would easily suffice.
From what I can see, Norz’s original position, now transformed into the “Temple Giant of Roselia Island,” is… the chest, then.
If I can hit Norz, positioned like a cockpit deep in the chest, directly, I can likely pierce through the thick, hard chest plate and take him down in one blow.
“Whoa!!”
With a battle cry, the enormous fist descends.
Although I’m riding, the bridge may be big, maneuvering is difficult.
“Merry, let’s leap in one go—’Demon King of the Storm.'”
With a blessing, Merry accelerates and leaps high.
The giant’s iron fist grazes past me. It’s a situation where I’m thrusting myself into an overwhelmingly heavy punch at super speed. A direct collision would turn me into dust in an instant. Just getting touched could throw me off balance and destroy me.
Playing it safe, I pass by slightly cautiously, but I still felt the intense pressure up close.
In that moment of passing, a massive arm like that of a great tree stands before me, completely blocking my sight to the fatal weak point—his chest.
If I shoot here, I would only carve into the arm without reaching the chest.
As the giant moves past in an instant, I find myself behind the giant. However, I had no intention of shooting him in the back.
No, I’m not aiming at Norz with the “Void Cannon” at all.
“I will open the breakthrough. So—”
I aim the “Void Cannon” straight ahead.
The pitch-black sphere flies in a straight line, rushing across the bridge until it collides with the last barrier of the Great Expedition Army… the multi-layered light barrier they are defending.
Upon impact, a dark sphere spreads silently.
Fortunately, the “Sanctum Barrier” has not been erected. Even if it had been, I should be able to create a hole just large enough for me to pass through.
I can create a hole, but not shatter it. I genuinely wonder how Nel does it. How can a single punch break it?
Regardless, the breakthrough has been opened.
Before me is a beautifully gouged, circular hole in the layered light barrier, and I can see the bewildered soldiers standing just beyond.
If the zombie army has been stopped, I will summon a new host of zombies right in the heart of the enemy camp. If I can take out the priests or magician squad deploying the barrier, they won’t be able to contain the subsequent zombies, and I can create ample confusion.
But for that to happen, I need to keep Norz in check. If I cannot hold him, I cannot rampage in the enemy’s midst.
In other words, from the beginning, I had no intention of engaging Norz.
“—The rest is up to you, Sariel.”
“Whoa, what is that big thing!?”
“That is the Temple Giant of Roselia Island.”
Having seen Chrono charging ahead alone, not long after the battle started.
Upon witnessing the giant of light that had appeared on the bridge, the liaison fairy Neneka was astonished as Sariel answered meticulously.
Unlike Chrono’s superficial knowledge, Sariel is well-versed in the accurate and detailed legend of the giant from Roselia Island. During the apostle era, he even visited the site and saw the real… or so they say, giant statue.
“Are you okay…?”
“No problem.”
In fact, having such a large and noticeable target appearing is much easier for me.
This power is not meant for annihilating a large number of enemies at once, like Lily or Fiona.
“Mmm! Ah, the Demon King has left the big one to me!”
“Understood.”
I thought Chrono would surely entrust it to me.
Hearing Neneka’s slightly anxious report, Sariel nods unemotionally as usual. For Sariel, both maid duties and knight combat are equally akin to the same labor. He merely does what he must. That alone does not stir his emotions.
However, at this moment, he felt a little excited.
He was not giddy because of the new blessing’s power.
Even Sariel, who had never regained any truly human emotions, understood. The strength of this power is proof.
Proof of Chrono’s love.
Not a love that is an invisible emotion, but a tangible proof named strength that he can clearly feel gives Sariel a sense of pride.
“Beginning ballistic calculations.”
Orders are given. The preparations have long been in place.
Sariel, like Chrono, boldly presents himself on the main road. However, since Chrono charged ahead with a rampage alongside zombies, most people would not notice Sariel, and even if they did, they could not respond.
Thus, he can leisurely inscribe and set up his spell on the street.
The basic structure is not significantly different from the one he favored during the apostle era. To throw faster, further, and more accurately, it is a supportive throwing technique.
The familiar power gathers grandly, strongly, and delicately into the “Rebellious Cross Spear” gripped tightly.
“Launch preparation complete—’Heavenly Thunder Spear.'”
The launched spear soars, slicing through the air with a black lightning trail.
At this distance, with such a massive target. There is no way I would miss. The moment the spear leaves Sariel’s hand, it is already hitting its mark.
Boom!!
A sound reminiscent of a church bell resounds.
Is that sound blessing the love between master and servant? Or is it a funeral for a single priest who will soon die?
Right after Sariel felt the impact of the hit, he moved on to the next action.
“Checking spatial coordinates—’Reverse Summon.'”
This is a function incorporated into the armed scripture “Holy Cross Spear,” allowing him to call himself back to the spear. It is a power Sariel used when he instantaneously teleported from the distant Alsace Fortress to Gallahad during the Gallahad War.
Though he could summon the spear, teleporting the living bearer was a more advanced ability that must have been beyond him after losing the apostolic power. However, now that summoning capability has functionally returned.
In a flash of black lightning, Sariel disappears and is instantly called back to his thrown spear.
As his vision switches, he sees the lifeless eyes of the giant of light looking up at him.
“Ugh… you are…”
I have no recollection of meeting him. However, he is likely aware of my face.
I can easily imagine that Norz, deep within the giant’s chest, is glaring at me with resentment.
Then let him engrave this form in his memory.
“I am no longer an apostle.”
I clearly reveal this to the pitiful servant of the gods.
“Yet, I have received the same power as the apostles—”
Clad not in pure white robes but in deep black military garb.
And once heralded as an angel, atop the back of the former Seventh Apostle, there are no white wings fluttering. Instead, she bears black wings.
These are ominous, dark wings that scatter red-black lightning, heavy and foreboding, made of black iron.
That form is indeed that of a fallen angel.
“Until eternity, I swear my loyalty to the black spear—’Dark Knight, Freesia.'”
Following the invocation of the divine name and decree, Sariel spoke of the evolved power of blessing.
“Black Magic Armor.”