#95
The Abyss opened (2)
The being that crawled out of the hole in the ground was emanating black flames of black magic from its entire body, spreading an overwhelming presence that felt suffocating just to look at.
[Oho! Magnificent! Absolutely splendid! Kah hah hah—!]
Hans burst into a satisfied laugh, impressed by the overwhelming sight.
A skeleton dragon engulfed in flames? Now that’s truly the dream of a necromancer!
[Grh—?]
Just then, as if reacting to his voice, the Bone Dragon, writhing as it exited the hole, turned its head to face Hans.
Two pairs of blazing eyes locked fiercely.
As Hans exchanged glances with the creature, he whispered its name infused with black magic.
[Entrasio—]
Wooom—
His call, as if it rose from hell, spread with intent…
The resonating wave filled with that strange echo penetrated deep into the body of the Bone Dragon Entrasio.
According to the ancient pact that had descended through generations, the connection that started from the Heart of the Undead King began to link with the creature.
Thus, the contract passed down from ancestors was newly forged at this moment.
[Kwooo—!]
With a roar that shook the space around, the Bone Dragon’s violet eyes blazed brightly.
Having awakened from its long slumber, it expressed its joy at welcoming its new master.
‘Looks like I have a well-behaved pet now. It seems kind of cute in its own way?’
From its sleek, shiny bones to the wide range of motion in its joints and those pretty violet eyes—the monstrous creature began to appear adorable because of Hans’ twisted sensibilities.
As he stared at the creature emerging from the pit with a contented heart, he suddenly felt a new presence.
[Grhrrrrr——!]
A little later, it seemed Entrasio had sensed the same energy, growling lowly as it turned its gaze to one side.
That feeling was incredibly stimulating yet oddly familiar to Hans.
[The Holy Church Order, huh.]
Even from a considerable distance, he felt the prickling sensation of holy power.
The cream of the crop of the Order, including numerous paladins and an archbishop, had come directly to this distant place.
‘Well, it’s probably only natural.’
They would have certainly sensed such a large-scale ritual; thus, it was inevitable that they came here to grasp the detailed situation.
‘What to do now…’
Confronting them head-on right now wasn’t a good time.
A direct clash with the Order should occur at a more dramatic moment, and given the numerous variables present now, the scenario needed a little tweaking.
‘But if I handle this opportunity well, it might create a favorable situation.’
Isn’t that what’s happening now?
Suddenly witnessing something abnormal, the Abyss opened after a thousand years.
It was the members of the Holy Church Order, dispatched to the site where consciousness had commenced with the mission to protect the continent.
Yet what they confronted was none other than the wicked Undead King seeking to darken the continent with death!
The clash of light and darkness, good and evil.
As the continent teetered on the edge of doom, how would the fate of the world unfold?
‘Hmm… this might make for an excellent preview. The circumstances are nice, and the staging is good.’
Hans turned his gaze to the Bone Dragon that had completely extricated itself from the Abyss.
Perhaps due to the creature’s emergence, the size of the Abyss was quickly shrinking more than before.
‘Is there really no one else who can make it out of this hole? This creature must’ve been a considerable burden.’
In reality, the main culprit could be the ‘madness’ extracted from the Abyss due to the Oath of Reversal.
If that madness had fragmented enough to not fully escape, then the burden placed on the door of the Abyss would have been no small matter.
It could be argued that the fact that the Bone Dragon was able to emerge in such a state was sheer luck.
[Entrasio.]
[Grhrrr——?]
The Bone Dragon, which had been lowly growling while looking in the direction where the holy power was felt, tilted its head.
Hans gently moved in the air and climbed atop the huge skull.
He then caressed the dragon’s horn beside him and whispered softly.
[You must have been bored all this time. You’ve been through a lot; now it’s time for you to fly freely. Show them what kind of being you are.]
Upon Hans’s words, the light in Entrasio’s eyes flickered.
The memories of the time spent floating aimlessly in the timeless ordeal surfaced, sparking an explosive desire.
[Kraaah——!]
Flap—! Flap—!
The sound of wings beginning to beat, filled with black magic, whipped up a whirlwind around them.
Though the wings had become ragged from the undead transformation, every flap breathed life into the surrounding black magic, weaving the marvel of ‘flight’ itself.
And finally…
Kwhaang—!
The massive form of the Bone Dragon burst through the hole in the ceiling, soaring slowly into the dawn sky.
The sky and horizon where light and darkness coexist, the wild gusts of wind, and the vast wasteland unrolled below.
‘…This is quite a different feeling.’
While he could always fly alone in the sky, looking down at the world while standing on a skeleton dragon’s head had an unmatchable sensation.
[Kwoooor——!]
Not surprising, this was clearly the Demon King in the flesh.
And as the Demon King descended, the members of the Holy Church Order gathered below looked up, each with tense expressions.
*
The priests of the Order, who quickly crossed the wasteland in just a few hours thanks to the Blessing of Teleportation.
What they first heard was…
[Kwoooor—!]
A roar filled with immense black magic.
“What is that…?”
“It seems the creatures are still here. Let’s prepare for battle.”
Despite being quite exhausted from the long trek, they were the best of the Holy Church.
Except for those who had been exhausted from using teleportation continuously, everyone else raised their holy power, maintaining peak condition in an instant.
As they cautiously approached the site of the ceremony…
Kwhaang—!
A black something shot up into the sky as the top of a hill exploded.
That enormous form soared rapidly, its flight seemingly at odds with its size—
[Kwoooor——!]
Once again, emanating black flames like the roaring black magic, the creature howled.
“…The Bone Dragon.”
“I’ve only seen it in the texts…”
The priests wore expressions of caution at the overwhelming sight, yet they had another enemy they truly needed to worry about.
The being gazing down at them from atop the huge skull of the Bone Dragon.
The calamity of the continent and the avatar of death, the resurrected terror—
“Undead King, Hans…!”
He looked down upon the ground majestically.
[Kuh-heh— Look, aren’t they the Order’s lackeys? What brings you all the way out here?]
Despite being high up in the sky, his voice penetrated their ears clearly.
It was a sound that instinctively triggered a feeling of fear, yet none in attendance were weak enough to be shaken by it.
“Surely, you don’t ask that without knowing?”
“The fallen black magician, Hans! I shall take your head!”
Paladins and knights stepped forward, drawing their weapons, while the priests naturally moved back, raising their holy power.
As they prepared for battle, Archbishop Latinus secretly transmitted the current situation to Rosellia Temple via holy law.
With the return of the Undead King, their safety was now uncertain, so he left information hoping it might help in case of an emergency.
After all that, Archbishop Latinus infused his voice with holy power and shouted to Hans.
“O Undead King! We have come to seek you upon learning that the Abyss has been opened here.”
[Hooh— And then?]
“And because of that, countless sacrificial rituals have been conducted across the continent. Many lives have been sacrificed for this single ritual. Moreover, due to the influence of the Abyss, the damage to the continent that is yet to come is beyond measure.”
The archbishop spat through gritted teeth, eyes glimmering with rage as he glared at Hans.
“Is all of this your doing?”
His words ended with a firm expression steeped in certainty.
It was merely a perfunctory question meant to boost his companions’ morale, not one genuinely expecting a true answer.
Wasn’t the Undead King intending to engulf this continent in death from the start?
Yet Hans earnestly replied to his question.
[Kuh-heh— That’s a statement that really doesn’t require clarification! Who else besides me could accomplish such a thing? Kah hah hah!]
While it seemed he was cheerfully acknowledging it, it wasn’t a lie.
Saying “it doesn’t require clarification” was genuine, and asking “who else could do it if not me?” was literally the question.
‘In fact, I’m curious too.’
Hans wasn’t aware of anything besides the fact that he had stirred things up in the Oath of Reversal, so he genuinely wanted to know who had done it.
‘Based on the spells inscribed at the ritual site, it’s clear they possess genius-level skills.’
Just looking at those traces indicated foundational research and realization elevated to a sublime level.
He would need to investigate thoroughly about that person while tracing the Oath of Reversal.
With that level of skill, it wouldn’t be insufficient to entrust one of the Four Demon Kings!
As Hans had such thoughts, the Order’s reactions sharpened further.
“Just as expected…!”
“Calm down. We anticipated this, didn’t we?”
The priests, with ferocious determination, brandished their weapons, while the paladins gathered their holy power, reciting their prayers.
They prepared for battle with their lives on the line.
They understood that fighting the Undead King now would yield no chances of victory, but they had no other choice.
There was no way they could escape from him in this wasteland, nor did they wish to in the first place.
Their convictions did not waver even an inch, even in the face of death.
As the atmosphere gradually escalated…
[Ah— Everyone calm down. I have no intentions of fighting right now. Today, I simply came to announce my return and convey a warning.]
“What…? What nonsense!”
In response to their heated reactions, Hans continued calmly from atop Entrasio’s head.
[Yes, how is the knight who pierced a hole in my heart… Heinrich Landguard?]
“Sir Landguard?”
That was the moment Hans shifted the subject, which would have been inconvenient if the battle broke out.
To Heinrich, the enemy of the Undead King.
‘Just in case someone has forgotten, I’ll subtly remind them of that name again.’
Everyone here was a high-ranking member of the Order, so it wouldn’t harm to mention it.
[I’ve had quite a bit of trouble because of him ruining my plans. I had prepared a lovely surprise as a reward, but it’s unfortunate that the person in question isn’t here.]
Effortlessly overselling Heinrich’s accomplishments, he made it clear that he cared about him, showing off his own deeds.
Upon a stage set by others.
‘That aside, I should wrap things up nicely. What’s a good way to leave a lasting impression… Ah! That’s it!’
As the Undead King, it was essential to end with a bang to leave a deep impression.
[I wanted to see his face once again, but since it has come to this, there’s nothing to be done. When next we meet Heinrich Landguard, tell him there won’t be any luck like last time.]
As Hans spoke, he commanded the connected Bone Dragon to gradually gain altitude.
“Where are you going, Undead King…?”
[Kuh-heh… The existing order shall be destroyed, and a new era shall dawn; remember this, dogs of the Order.]
As dawn broke and enveloped the dark sky, black energy emanated from him.
[I, Hannibal Strauss, am the end of this continent!]
Just as he casually promoted his dramatic name to conclude this unexpected meeting…
[I’m feeling a bit of regret leaving this way, so let me gift you with one last present.]
The overwhelming black magic that poured from the tainted heart of the Bone Dragon, Entrasio, accumulated near his mouth in an instant.
Hooowww—
The ultimate attack that the Bone Dragon could unleash, Death Breath.
“Breath! It can’t be avoided! Prepare yourselves!”
“…The Holy One said, any threat that crosses this line…”
With the continuous flow of energy, the accumulated black magic gathered and gathered, repeating the cycle until…
It finally assumed the shape of destruction.
[Koooon——!]
Puhwaah—!
The immense essence of death that erupted from the Bone Dragon swept across the vast land.
The pressure unleashed in an instant caused tremors, flipping the ground and scattering debris in every direction.
The black currents, reminiscent of flames, liquids, and smoke, made the already desolate wasteland an uninhabitable land of death.
Though it was an excessive show of aggression for a farewell, it was genuinely just a light greeting.
‘After all, with such powerhouse beings gathered, there’s no way they would perish from just one attack.’
It was merely a light performance meant to leave a strong impression.
‘Hehe… Indeed, the Bone Dragon is splendid.’
There was a little selfishness involved, but still.
