Chapter 20

★★★ The Red Gate Frontline of the Lev Mage Empire ★★★

"Fire!"

As the archers of the Keithsgran Federation released their arrows in unison, they rained down on the Endfang like a storm. However, each and every one of them was deflected by the magical barrier the Endfang had deployed. Not a single arrow could even cut a strand of hair.

The captain of the archers stared in shock at the result. Even the outer walls of a castle would have been damaged to some extent.

"What do we do, Vice-General—Vice-General!?"

When the general, who had arrived immediately after the Endfang's descent, was asked, he, being the deputy commander of the entire Federation army and a true soldier, replied,

"It's obvious. Swords are stronger than arrows."

He drew his sword with a swift motion. The blade shimmered with beautiful magic, a weapon that was a magical artifact—a kind of "treasure sword."

"Let's go! Follow me!!"

As the general charged forward, the Keithsgran Federation soldiers let out a roar and rushed towards the Endfang.

Even in his heavy full plate armor, he ran with ease, wielding a massive sword that would be mistaken for a steel beam in modern Japan as if it were a mere stick. With each step, Friedrich, the supreme commander of the Light Heaven Knights Kingdom, cracked the stone pavement, gouged the earth, and sent dirt flying as if from an explosion. His long cloak billowed in the wind as he ran, but his body creaked with the strain of his muscles. Each step covered several meters, and only a select few horses could keep up with his speed. The knights who followed fell further and further behind.

"Raaaaaah—"

Friedrich paid no attention to his lead; this was how he always fought on the battlefield. Using a unique breathing technique to take in oxygen, he reached the back of the fallen Endfang. His raised sword struck the magical barrier on the Endfang's body, slicing through it effortlessly. The cut parts shattered like ice, scattering fragments. The fur that entangled the blade was also severed. The sword reached the flesh—

"!"

There, the sword stopped, meeting a solid resistance like striking a rock. This was not because the greatsword was heavy and dull; it was a custom-made weapon that combined size, weight, and sharpness. It had cut through many monsters, humans in armor, and even trees.

*Roar*

The sword did not fail to cut the flesh; it was stopped midway, caught and absorbed by the muscle fibers. Naturally, the cut caused blood to flow, and the Endfang thrashed in pain.

"Ughh"

Friedrich's muscles bulged as he poured strength into the greatsword he held with both hands. The sword, which seemed immobile, suddenly pulled free with a wet sound, spraying the Endfang's red blood.

The Endfang, with its back turned, had its legs on the opposite side. The thrashing caused many of the Keithsgran Federation soldiers to be injured.

"512 seconds, he said."

Muttering calmly, Friedrich swung his greatsword down, again and again, like a miner digging a hole. The Endfang's back became blood-soaked, and its white spine began to show—

.

The former Holy King Grunjeed narrowly avoided falling from the sky after the initial attack—thanks to the timely arrival of the Holy King Knights. They helped him up, and as he tried to charge again, they held him back, forcing him to retreat.

After being doused with water and told to "calm down!" about fifty times, Grunjeed finally regained his composure. The fact that they doused him with water, despite his status as the former top of the Holy Kingdom, indicated how much he had lost his cool—indeed, he had.

In the midst of this, the Endfang fell.

"Let's go."

"But, Your Majesty, your weapon—"

The Holy King Knight advised the unarmed Grunjeed.

"It's over there."

He pointed to the spear entangled in the body hair, hanging near the ground at the base of the left front leg.

"Trying to mock me... First, I'll retrieve my weapon. Then, I'll kill it."

He spoke with a ferocity that belied his recent status as a king, but the Holy King Knights nodded respectfully.

"Understood. Let's go."

"Right, the 5th and 6th squads of the Holy King Knights, follow me. The 7th squad, gather the remaining soldiers and attack."

"Ha!"

Grunjeed then ran forward. Without a weapon, he was faster, and the rear legs of the thrashing Endfang loomed before him. The left rear leg was bound by a black rope-like substance and immobile, while the right rear leg thrashed about.

"Too close, Your Majesty, it's dangerous!"

"No problem!"

Grunjeed leaped onto the immobile left rear leg, using it as a platform to run. The leg moved radially from the base, so running along the belly avoided contact.

"Ughh"

Behind him, a Holy King Knight was kicked away by the right rear leg.

"Don't overdo it! Crush the left rear leg!"

Grunjeed ran towards his spear.

He would retrieve it and strike this monster again—nothing else mattered.

"Is that thing also one of those 'Heroic Armaments'!?"

As Lark ran, he asked Dantes.

"Yes. 'Dainehaut' increases the mass of an object while keeping its volume the same... or something like that?"

"What the hell is that..."

"Don't ask me... Mimon seemed to understand the explanation, so I left it to her..."

"Alright..."

Neither Lark nor Dantes understood the scientific aspects.

"Dainehaut" worked as Dantes described, but Mimon had used amplified vines from her [Flower Magic] to bind the Endfang like a rope before activating it. What appeared to be just black vines now were actually super-heavy material, heavy enough to unbalance and immobilize the massive creature. The exact principle was unknown, but it was known to be an effect of "Dainehaut."

"However, it only lasts 512 seconds."

"!? You should have said that important information sooner!"

Lark and Dantes approached the head—more accurately, the back of the head—of the Endfang. It thrashed and struggled to stand, but its neck was exposed.

"—But, it's enough."

A black shadow rose from Lark's body like steam—Dantes watched in amazement. He recognized this.

In the city they had passed through, the capital of the Achenbach Duchy, they encountered a dragon and the S-Class adventurer Crista La Crista. Dantes, caught in the explosion, did not see it, but the dragon's head was severed by a massive black sword. He had suspected it might be the same person.

This "Black Pirate" fighting in the empire and the one who finished off the dragon in the capital were the same.

"Damn... this is incredible."

Before him was a massive blade—whether it could be called a blade was another matter. It was a towering black blade, like a tower. With this, he could easily kill a dragon.

"I'll knock off that head."

A thin stream of blood trickled from Lark's mouth as he spoke.