Chapter 22

★★★ Red Gate Frontline of the Red Magic Empire ★★★

Dantes couldn't help but shout, "Go—"

The "Black Sky Pirate" who wielded the massive black blade, something Dantes could never do. Before he could feel envious or jealous, his strongest desire was for the giant beast before him, which defied the laws of the world, to be defeated as quickly as possible.

The towering blade, capable of severing the thick and sturdy neck of the End Fang, trembled in Lark's hand.

At the moment the blade was about to be swung down at the defenseless neck, the End Fang's body reacted as if it had been struck by electricity.

"Tch"

A hiss escaped Lark's mouth, stained with blood. He intuitively understood that the End Fang's restraints had been broken.

Lark swung down the black blade.

The blade, which had far less mass than metal, was easily swung down at the End Fang's neck—

‘Guruaa!!’

The End Fang, turning its body to face them, caught the blade with its mouth.

Lark was surprised by the hardness of the teeth that withstood the sharpness of the [Shadow King Sword Technique], but—

"Uaaaaaah!"

He strained every muscle in his body to bring the blade down, but it wouldn't move.

"Try harder, try harder...!"

Beside him, Dantes, feeling frustrated that he could only cheer, raised his voice.

However, the stalemate lasted only a few seconds.

Pakiiiiii—

The blade, the strongest sword created by the [Shadow King Sword Technique], shattered like glass. The fragments immediately turned to smoke and disappeared into the air.

"—Hah, hah, hah...hah..."

"Are you okay!?"

Dantes placed his hand on Lark's shoulder, who had collapsed to the ground, hands on the earth, but—

"...R-run...!"

"!"

The End Fang's massive body stood up and began stomping the ground, likely to crush the soldiers attacking it.

The shockwaves spread like an earthquake, and Dantes supported Lark, who was about to fall, helping him to stand.

"If you're running, you should too."

"..."

Lark, whose face had turned from blue to white, stared vacantly at the ground, seemingly unable to speak.

"Damn it!"

Dantes, holding Lark with one hand and a large shield in the other, started running.

Retreat. They had to retreat.

There was no doubt that the "Black Sky Pirate" Lark's sword was the greatest fighting force on the scene, and Lark couldn't move.

However,

"Dad!!"

Nan, who had been hiding behind a building in their path, shouted.

"Wha—?"

Dantes felt his vision darken.

He immediately realized that the sunlight had been blocked.

"What!?"

The End Fang flew over Dantes' head and landed in front of him.

The impact shook the ground, and Dantes came to an abrupt stop.

"Nan, run!"

"But Dad!?"

"I have no choice but to run too!"

"O-okay!"

Nan, who must be protected at all costs, ran away. The End Fang seemed to pay no attention to Nan, so that wasn't a problem.

The problem was—

"...This way, huh?"

One of the End Fang's eyes, which had been destroyed, glared fiercely at Dantes and Lark. The End Fang was likely wary of Dantes' [Kimiutsusukagami] attack reflection, but it was even more wary of Lark, recognizing him as the greatest threat.

"This... I have to protect them."

Dantes, holding his large shield, thought about escape methods while considering the remaining activation time of [Kimiutsusukagami]—but,

"Huh?"

The ground in front of him suddenly bulged, and gravel projectiles shot out. Dantes barely managed to block them with his large shield, but the next moment, the End Fang was right in front of him.

(Activate, activate, activate, activate)

The left front leg, which hadn't been injured by the attack reflection, was swung down—Dantes activated [Kimiutsusukagami]. A magical barrier enveloped his body—just in time.

"What!?"

But the front leg stopped abruptly just before Dantes.

The sound of the catalyst being consumed, ziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziziz