Arc 7, Chapter 108 "The Forthcoming Great Calamity"
--Chisha Gold's last act as a fake emperor was outside of comprehension.
"----"
After being forced from his throne, Vincent Vollachia took the name Abel and, with the help of the "People of Shudrak" in the Great Forest of the East, led his own rebellion and disturbed the empire.
It was not a desirable thing to do in the future, but it was Chisha's intention to get rid of him from the capital, even going to the trouble of committing a treasonous act. It would not be easy for him to change his mind.
So, he took steps to make them divide their actions and speculations as futile.
The inevitable end brought about by the "Stargazers" was something that Abel had prepared for long ago, from the time he became aware of his status as a prince of Vollachia.
The emperor of Vollachia, who would sit on the imperial throne, would die at the time of his natural fate, and this would be the beginning of the "Great Calamity" that would bring about his downfall.
He was not the one being named.
But at the time he was forewarned, he was convinced that he was the one in the throne of the emperor.
He was convinced that only he could save the Vollachia Empire.
No other brothers and sisters can be trusted to play that major role.
With all of his abilities and potential, Vincent Abellux will take his place as emperor and leave the empire as Vincent Vollachia.
That was Vincent Vollachia's plan for Abel's life.
In the Vollachia Empire, where the strong are revered, the system of the "Nine Divine Generals", the object of everyone's faith, has been restored, and the undeniable strongest has been placed at the top of the system.
It also twisted the nature of the empire, which was rife with senseless disorder, and induced people to lose their resistance to orderly violence.
It was also to preserve as much as possible the possibility of maintaining the Vollachia Empire after his death.
Everything was planned for life.
"----"
The body collapses helplessly and continues to spill a large amount of blood from the chest, which has been pierced through the heart.
With black hair and black eyes, his face, angry with the frustration of his lack of strength and knowledge every time he looked in the mirror, lost its blood, and his expression, which was nowhere to be seen, was soaked in blood.
The physical body by his "ability", which he advocated that he obtained when he was dying and had lost his color, did not return to his original form even after his life was over.
Never again will he see that figure, never again will a diminished mouth hit his eardrums.
Never.
"Why?"
The question that should not be asked spilled from his lips.
Whatever answered that question will never open their mouth again. Still, the lips that should have avoided what they knew to be pointless spilled it out.
Knowing the prophecy of the "Great Calamity" and its conditions, he could only imagine what they would try to overturn.
He should have sought a way to do so beforehand and convinced them by telling them that there was no way to beat them. He was still not convinced, but he still confronted the rebellion as futile.
Thus, facing each other in the throne room, they should have proved that there is no way to avoid the "Great Calamity".
He trained Chisha to take charge of the empire after his death. He trained Chisha to think like him, to come to the same conclusions as he did, and to represent Vincent Vollachia.
So, Vincent Vollachia would have accepted defeat gracefully.
He should have accepted defeat, lowered the contraption, put an end to this futile battle, returned the throne to Abel who returned to accept his death, and defied the "Great Calamity" of destruction.
It didn't. It was a ridiculous gamble.
Dying as Vincent Vollachia instead of Abel was a ridiculous gamble that would end up as a mere dog's death if the "Great Calamity" did not approve of it.
That is the kind of death that Abel spits on, the ultimate inefficiency.
Chisha Gold should have known that.
"Why?"
Endless doubt and bewilderment, reddened red by the blood that flows.
Asking a series of questions only results in a series of unanswered silences. That, too, is the height of inefficiency that Abel hates, and--,
"--That would be a bad idea."
Immediately after, the white light of the second shot that was released was sucked straight into Abel, who was standing on a stick.
△▼△▼△▼△
True to the expression of light, the death-dealing blow aimed at Abel faster than an arrow.
Originally, Abel was not a martial artist.
Without the shock of the previous incident, it would have been impossible for him to react to the white light that briefly flashed across the edge of his vision.
Therefore, it was not Abel's own decision that saved his life at this moment.
"----"
Abel is pierced by the light and is on the verge of having his heart destroyed from the front.
A roar and a tremor violently shook the throne room - or rather, the entire Crystal Palace, and the solid walls were destroyed by the tremendous impact. The cause of the shock did not stop even after the wall was destroyed, and it intervened between Abel, who was standing on a stick, and a white light that jumped into the room.
There was a sound like the popping of water, and the white light was shattered by the disturbance. And in the nick of time, Abel's life was saved by--,
"--A huge arm, Mogro Hagane?!"
"Man of the Throne, protect. Your Excellency, command me."
In front of Abel's eyes, suddenly appearing like a wall, was the right arm of Mogro Hagane, who had twisted his way into the throne room.
Mogro, who is the "Metia" itself, the Crystal Palace, would have taken the walls of the imperial city of Lupgana as his own body and waged fierce battles on the battlefield.
But--,
"Chisha.......?"
Mogro's earlier statement is proof that he was instructed and protected Abel.
And the person who could have given the order to return to the distant Mogro was none other than Chisha Gold, who was sitting on the throne with the ability to work on the "Metia".
He read that right after he was shot, Abel was also going to be killed.
"--! Mogro Hagane! Get me out!"
"Who are you. I, The Emperor, am the priority--"
"The Emperor is dead! If I die, it will have been in vain!"
"----"
After Abel's strong words, Mogro looks into the throne room and notices a fallen shadow.
Mogro is in a state where it is difficult to tell which part corresponds to the eye, but when the green treasure blinks as it floats on the city walls, he too recognizes the fallen emperor's death.
"The body--"
"There's no need! Leave the dead alone!"
Yelling at Mogro, who was trying to retrieve the emperor's corpse, Abel jumped to the giant right arm in front of him. Clinging to one of the fingers in the shape of a hand, Mogro pulled the arm out of the throne room and Abel was sucked out into the sky where he was bathed in a fierce wind.
"----"
Mogro became one with the castle walls and changed its structure to make it easier for him to move.
The figure of Mogro, in the form of a giant humanoid, is more than fifty meters high, and the height of Abel on his lifted arm is roughly the same.
The cityscape of the imperial capital, visible from that height, is littered with buildings and streets that have been trampled down from the third apex that Mogro was guarding, and you can see that he ran straight up without a second thought.
Other battles at the top are still going on, and those who have already lost the reason to fight and must prepare for the next battle are spending their lives in vain.
Life, for nothing--.
"--"
Disturbed in his thoughts, Abel strains his arms to cling to the huge stone block.
This is not the time to get caught up in the past and scatter our thoughts into a thousand pieces. Things have already happened. It is as he told Mogro. --If he dies now, he will die a dog's death.
At the very least, we need to find out if the death was meaningful.
"I can't die."
Letting out a squeezed voice, Abel bit his back teeth and stared down below.
Even if he raises his voice here, it will not reach those who are fighting for their lives on the battlefield. However, they must do whatever they can to convey the message that the meaning of this battle has been destroyed.
"That's dangerous."
Abel's eardrums were struck by Mogro's voice, which sounded like a gale.
The difference in size is so great that every one of Mogro's actions is that of a human against an ant. But Mogro did not shake his eardrums senselessly.
He twisted his huge body and turned his back to the crystal palace to protect the right hand that encircled Abel. Abel's cheeks contorted as a series of impact sounds echoed outward from the right hand that encased him.
The continuous attacks come down not from one direction, but from all directions.
That's how many enemies there are. --No, it is difficult on this soil of Vollachia to have magic users who can target the enemy with this accuracy.
In other words, this was not a matter of having the right number, but of having a single great skill.
Abel looked up as the memory of the earlier, when he had stopped thinking due to the numbness of his brain, came back to him - a man of such ability that it gave the illusion that he was attacked from all sides and by many people at the same time.
He remembered it in the way it fought, and it was not the answer or the voice he sought.
It is--,
"----"
Mogro ducks down, shielding Abel from the downpour of bullets.
The shadow of an aftershadow passed by at a blinding speed in the sky that he looked up at from inside his encased fist. It is a very rare sight, but one that one would see in the Vollachia Empire.
The flight by the flying dragon and the acrobatic flight of the flying dragon rider who controls it - no, there is no rider in the empire today who can glide through the air at such high speed.
The skill of this "extreme flight" is truly the sole domain of the empire's most powerful flying dragon riders.
A moment later, a white light scattered, the sound of impact and Mogro giant being crushed echoed through the air, and a wallop of some sort snatched his cheek. Abel looked on, his expression undistorted by the pain.
The flying dragon rider passes through the sight of his black eyes wearing a demon mask - his grayish-brown hair, the cracks on his colorless face, and the golden light in his eyes as black as the dark night.
He looks so different, but you can't miss him.
"--Balleroy Temeglyph! Why are you alive?"
"I will not talk to you, you devil-may-care man."
A beautiful voice with an elegant impression was spun, and while refusing to answer, the presence was affirmed.
The enemy who disappears from sight again and manipulates a flying dragon to cut through the sky - Balleroy Temeglyph - is the underling who aimed at the throne room through the walls of the Crystal Palace and shot the false emperor in the heart.
Known as the "Magic Bullet Shooter," he reigned at the top of all flying dragon riders.
He was once the Number "Nine" of the "Nine Divine Generals", and during a civil war in the past in the empire--,
"Balleroy, he's dead. You're a fake."
Following the same recognition as Abel, the hulking Mogro launches a counterattack.
With Abel wrapped in his right hand, Mogro swings his massive left arm and literally cleaves the sky to launch an attack on the flying dragon.
People tend to think that large objects move more slowly, but this is an illusion caused by viewing them from a distance.
In addition to protecting Abel from the magic sniper, he has prevented all enemy attacks up to this point. Mogro's movements were agile and precise.
"That's fast. Careful."
But even with his agility, it was difficult for Mogro to hold off Balleroy, who flew around the entire sky as his domain.
The characteristics of the flying dragon rider, which can move in all directions, up, down, left, right, front and back, as well as at high speed, are its greatest advantage that cannot be taken away except by dropping it to the ground.
Besides, Balleroy is not just a flying dragon rider, he is the pinnacle of flying dragon riders.
"You've got the wind in your sails......!"
Magic makes sniping while moving a specialty of Balleroy's fighting style, but his strength as a magic user, which is rare in the empire, is not only utilized in his attacks.
He makes the flying dragon he manipulates wear wind to add or subtract speed, soften the impact, and achieve maneuvers that other flying dragon riders cannot achieve, and never let it catch him.
However, the presence of a breathing flying dragon is essential for this to happen.
"The flying dragon has returned from beyond death!"
The biggest drawback of a flying dragon rider with immense fighting power is that it takes time to train him or her and that a flying dragon will not carry on its back anyone other than the partner it has chosen as its partner.
To kill a flying dragon rider, you have to start with a flying dragon. Balleroy's death was no exception to this rule.
But Balleroy soared back. Literally, he flew in the sky with his beloved dragon.
"The 'Great Calamity.'--"
No clearly identifiable damage has occurred.
However, since Chisha as Vincent Vollachia scattered his life, one cannot help but suspect a connection to the "Great Calamity" in the subsequent events that transcend human knowledge.
Even so, it didn't make sense that Balleroy Temeglyph would be responsible for the "Great Calamity".
Indeed, Balleroy was the pinnacle of flying dragon riders and one of the most powerful and capable men in the empire.
If he wanted to, he could easily pluck the life out of Abel.
But--,
"Sway. Patience."
"Do it!"
An inorganic voice is released like a gale, and Abel's voice rises in response.
The next moment, the Mogro, which had been aiming at the enemy, thrust its arm down to its own feet. Even though it was under his feet, it was equivalent to one of the streets if you look at Mogro's huge body now.
Its left arm piercing the streets of the empire made a creaking sound as it threw the city, which was pulled out after a beat of resistance, boldly into the sky.
"----"
Abel had seen the scene of a part of the city being tossed about in a chaos frame some time ago. It was a ridiculous scene at that time as well, but that was just the residents of the city working together to throw demolished buildings.
But Mogro's was a feat of strength without tricks, an unmistakable outburst.
A sight that is out of standard and reveals that Mogro Hagane is one of the "Nine Divine Generals".
It is true that Balleroy is one of the outliers, but the conditions are the same for Mogro and the other "Nine Divine Generals". Therefore, it is not possible for Balleroy to be responsible for the "Great Calamity".
Of course, simply throwing a pulled-out city would end up with the agile Balleroy ducking and dodging.
Therefore, Mogro threw that one cannonball called the city--,
"Pulverized."
He slams his left arm, turning it into countless scattered bullets to block the escape route of the empty Balleroy.
Each of the scattering bullets that scattered in four pieces was a chunk of rock or soil larger than the size of a human being. The scattering of these bullets by Mogro's blow could be fatal to an ordinary person just by snatching them away.
Naturally, even if the Balleroy has mastered the Ryuuhou, it will show a fatal gap in the air if it hits. In order to avoid this,
"Carillon!"
A sharp voice passed through the storm, and a flying dragon flew through the rain of rocky scatter.
The flying dragon, its wings flapping as it cuts through the sky, heads for a corner of the world where the rain of rocks is pouring down and the rainfall is barely light--,
"It's a trap, of course."
Mogro dared to prepare a corner where the rain was weak, but even though Balleroy and the others knew it was a trap, they had no choice but to jump in as long as they could not be hit by the scattering bullets.
Now it was just a matter of whether or not Balleroy, driving his beloved dragon, would be able to avoid the oncoming Mogro's blow.
The flying dragon, wind-wrapped in a valloy, accelerates and flies through the air, shattering the scattered bullets that get in its way with light.
Mogro rotates his left arm, which he draws back, and a world-shredding blow cleaves the sky of the Imperial City.
The "Nine Divine Generals", all of whom had never been able to achieve this before Balleroy's death, were about to meet in the sky and decide who would be the victor.
--At the moment, the explosion and shockwave blew away the clouds of the imperial city faster than the original clash.
"--"
While the direct damage of its bomb-like power was spared, the aftermath alone nearly tore Abel's body to shreds as he clung to the Mogro.
However, no matter how harsh the situation became on his slender body, Abel never closed both eyes. Therefore, the events of this moment were also firmly caught in his eyes.
"Mogro's, arm--"
The left arm of Mogro, which was supposed to spin and chew up Balleroy, was speared just before it was about to show its power and was crushed by the second arm of the human arm.
With a tremendous spin, the arms of Mogro as long as a castle soared through the air. Leisurely passing right under the damage, Balleroy survived - or rather, escaped unbroken - from the hail of spray.
And the one who destroyed Mogro's arm and saved Balleroy from a tight spot is--,
The impact hit furiously to the side with a low voice that rumbled through the atmosphere. Mogro, who had been knocked out of his stance by the destruction of his arm, blinked his green treasure at it as it flew into him.
Abel, too, did not expect this lateral entry. But it was to be expected.
If the opponent is Balleroy Temeglyph, who has returned from the dead.
The dragon claws easily cut through the walled Mogro's body, and the tail strike with a roar destroys the Mogro's body parts in a single blow, and the Mogro's mass is quickly reduced.
It was a very unexpected but natural move. --The opponent is the strongest creature in the world.
"The 'Cloud Dragon' Mezoreia...... what's in it now, Madelyn Eschart?"
The howling dragon's whole body goes wild, and the impact shakes Mogro's huge body. With each blow, the castle walls crack and the shattered parts fall into the imperial city.
The gardens of the Crystal Palace, called the most beautiful castle in the world, are being trampled, and the disciplined and orderly streets of the Imperial City are dying every second.
Besides, the calamity that struck the Imperial City did not end there.
"----"
Mogro is exposed to the dragon's fury, and what reached Abel's ears amidst the roar of its body being destroyed was the sound of a crushing noise, as if the world were cracking, that occurred far away.
If you look, you can see Mogro's left arm, which had just been shredded, stuck in the back of the Crystal Palace - the reservoir that is the source of water for the entire Imperial City, and the barrier of the reservoir that utilizes spring water from the mountains.
A beat later, a crack widens from the point where the arm pierced, and water from the reservoir begins to seep through the crack and flow. It gradually gained momentum and eventually collapsed the entire barrier, becoming a muddy stream that would flow into the imperial capital.
Right now, they need to evacuate the residents of the Imperial City and the Imperial soldiers and rebels who will join the siege.
"--Fail."
Immediately after hearing this not-so-small murmur of Mogro, a feeling of levitation overtook Abel's body.
When he turned around at the sensation of the contents of his body emerging, he saw that Abel had not been thrown out, but that Mogro's arm, from its wrist to the end, which encased Abel, had been chewed up by the dragon.
It was not targeted, just part of a gung-ho attack.
However--,
"--oh"
Swallowed by the momentum of free fall, Abel's body flips in midair.
The hand clinging to the Mogro's arm is pulled away, but even if it could stay clinging, it would only be a cause of death, not a buffer in what used to be a castle wall.
But even if the Mogro's arm is not the cause of death, any of the similarities will only bring the same fate to Abel.
"Something just--"
Abel's eyes are drawn to one spot as he looks around to find it.
However, it was not as a helping hand.
What Abel saw was a large hole in the crystal palace drawn out of the Mogro.
The hole connected to the throne room, and although we could not look into it, our consciousness was drawn to it.
What had told him to leave the dead alone was as good as drinking the same poison.
"----"
He doesn't know if he could have found a way to break the ice with that one second.
But the fact that he could not spend that one second was a testament to the whole spirit that Abel could not devote himself to, a scar that would forever mark his soul with an indelible scar.
However, if he had fallen to his death right here, there would be no soul damage worth discussing.
"Pull--!"
"--?!"
Lost in his tactics, Abel tries to dissipate the impact by putting his arms and legs in order, but a soft touch catches him faster and more forcefully than he can do.
Abel's body bounced as he gasped for air and fell back onto the touch. After repeating it briefly several times, Abel realized it was the bouncing of the unfolded cloth.
Someone spread a stack of cloth under the falling Abel and caught it.
Chewing over the fact that he had nine lives, Abel quickly rolled over the cloth and put his feet on the ground from the edge. Kneeling on one knee, he looked up to see who had done it--,
"--Weeell, here it is, the time of heavenly destiny!"
"----"
"Either His Excellency, or His Excellency. Either way, the 'Great Calamity' is coming. Let's resist it together with me!"
Is he that happy when the prophecy is fulfilled?
The man - Ubilk - laughs as he spreads his hands out with a too-appropriately cheerful voice and attitude, with the crumbling city and the giant Mogro and the "cloud dragon" that are making it happen behind him.
They congratulate on the moment of the sure fulfillment of the destiny brought by the "Stargazers".
△▼△▼△▼△
When the roar of shattering walls rang out and the Crystal Palace was violently shaken, and it was certain that something decisive had happened, Berstetz Fondalfon rode into the Throne Room.
And then--,
"--Lord Chisha, is it?"
Amid the crumbling walls of the throne room and a fresh dust storm, Berstetz found the dark-haired emperor lying on the red carpet, the corners of his narrow eyes lowered somberly.
When he walked up to him, he found a hole in the chest of his prone body, and his heart, which should have been beating inside, was exploding and his pulse had been cut off.
He's not a military officer, but he can tell at a glance. He died instantly. He would have had no time to feel the pain.
"It is a merciful end, considering what we have done."
From the moment he rebelled and rebelled against the emperor, Vincent Vollachia, Berstetz was prepared for a death that was never going to be easy.
Chisha, as a co-conspirator, would have been similarly prepared.
But--,
"From what I've heard about the 'stargazers', it sounds like you've been seeing things differently than we have."
It was a clear act of betrayal, but Berstetz did not blame him for it.
Rather, he really means it in a laudatory way.
The Imperial style is to do everything in one's power to obtain what one wants.
Neither Berstetz nor Chisha had the military might to carry out the imperial style, but they were similar in that they used their wits to fill in the missing pieces.
It is also a new form of empire that Vincent Vollachia created as emperor, proving and acknowledging that it is also a form of strength.
Following that imperial approach, which even Berstetz admits, Chisha proved to be a great success.
His own power. --It is an honorable thing to do as a man of the Vollachia Empire.
"But it seems hard to take the time to offer words of praise."
Looking down at the corpse, Berstetz looked at the hole in the wall where the storm was blowing in and confirmed the presence of a huge, rock-colored body - Mogro Hagane - moving behind it.
Under the circumstances, it is strange that Mogro killed Chisha.
Mogro, in his position, should have been an ally of Chisha dressed as the emperor, and the cause of Chisha's death was a blow through the chest, but such a delicate attack should have been impossible on that Mogro's huge body.
If there is anything to be concerned about, it is the strange words left behind by Ubilk, the "stargazer", who passed by Berstetz on his way out of the Crystal Palace.
"The 'Great Calamity' and the destruction it will bring...... What on earth is going on in the empire that I don't know about?"
"--Ah, so you haven't been told? Well, I'll tell you."
"----"
Suddenly, Berstetz's cheeks hardened at the sound of the voice he heard, and he slowly returned his gaze.
The eyes, which had been fixed on the great pit, turned to the fallen corpse of the emperor. And then, lifting his gaze further from there, to the innermost part of the throne room - the throne.
The throne, still in its rock-solid position after the impact that shook the entire castle. The flag with a sword and wolf on it behind the throne is waving in the wind, and there is a shadow with a cheekbone.
Awe-struck, a figure sits on the throne where the Emperor's Excellency should sit, looking down at the Verstätz.
"--Wh..."
Originally, Berstetz had to stern his voice and condemn the impudence of the person who sat on that throne.
But he couldn't do it. It is true that he was too surprised to speak, but more than that, Berstetz was not qualified to blame.
The position of Prime Minister is the most prestigious in this Vollachia empire, next to the emperor and the royal family.
The "Nine Divine Generals" are of the same rank, but what is important is the fact that there is hardly anyone in the country whom Berstetz, in his position as Prime Minister, cannot utter a word of condemnation against.
Nevertheless, Berstetz could not blame the other party.
Because--,
"I'm surprised you're still alive, Berstetz. --Hey, who won the 'Election Ceremony'? Brother Vincent? Or Prisca?"
The beautiful face cracked with blood, and it was the imperial family of Vollachia who said so.
Lamia Godwin, the princess who was once the master whom Berstetz Fondalfon served and who was supposed to have died in the "Election Ceremony", was sitting cross-legged on her throne.
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--Chisha Gold's last act as a fake emperor was outside of comprehension.
"----"
After being forced from his throne, Vincent Vollachia took the name Abel and, with the help of the "People of Shudrak" in the Great Forest of the East, led his own rebellion and disturbed the empire.
It was not a desirable thing to do in the future, but it was Chisha's intention to get rid of him from the capital, even going to the trouble of committing a treasonous act. It would not be easy for him to change his mind.
So, he took steps to make them divide their actions and speculations as futile.
The inevitable end brought about by the "Stargazers" was something that Abel had prepared for long ago, from the time he became aware of his status as a prince of Vollachia.
The emperor of Vollachia, who would sit on the imperial throne, would die at the time of his natural fate, and this would be the beginning of the "Great Calamity" that would bring about his downfall.
He was not the one being named.
But at the time he was forewarned, he was convinced that he was the one in the throne of the emperor.
He was convinced that only he could save the Vollachia Empire.
No other brothers and sisters can be trusted to play that major role.
With all of his abilities and potential, Vincent Abellux will take his place as emperor and leave the empire as Vincent Vollachia.
That was Vincent Vollachia's plan for Abel's life.
In the Vollachia Empire, where the strong are revered, the system of the "Nine Divine Generals", the object of everyone's faith, has been restored, and the undeniable strongest has been placed at the top of the system.
It also twisted the nature of the empire, which was rife with senseless disorder, and induced people to lose their resistance to orderly violence.
It was also to preserve as much as possible the possibility of maintaining the Vollachia Empire after his death.
Everything was planned for life.
"----"
The body collapses helplessly and continues to spill a large amount of blood from the chest, which has been pierced through the heart.
With black hair and black eyes, his face, angry with the frustration of his lack of strength and knowledge every time he looked in the mirror, lost its blood, and his expression, which was nowhere to be seen, was soaked in blood.
The physical body by his "ability", which he advocated that he obtained when he was dying and had lost his color, did not return to his original form even after his life was over.
Never again will he see that figure, never again will a diminished mouth hit his eardrums.
Never.
"Why?"
The question that should not be asked spilled from his lips.
Whatever answered that question will never open their mouth again. Still, the lips that should have avoided what they knew to be pointless spilled it out.
Knowing the prophecy of the "Great Calamity" and its conditions, he could only imagine what they would try to overturn.
He should have sought a way to do so beforehand and convinced them by telling them that there was no way to beat them. He was still not convinced, but he still confronted the rebellion as futile.
Thus, facing each other in the throne room, they should have proved that there is no way to avoid the "Great Calamity".
He trained Chisha to take charge of the empire after his death. He trained Chisha to think like him, to come to the same conclusions as he did, and to represent Vincent Vollachia.
So, Vincent Vollachia would have accepted defeat gracefully.
He should have accepted defeat, lowered the contraption, put an end to this futile battle, returned the throne to Abel who returned to accept his death, and defied the "Great Calamity" of destruction.
It didn't. It was a ridiculous gamble.
Dying as Vincent Vollachia instead of Abel was a ridiculous gamble that would end up as a mere dog's death if the "Great Calamity" did not approve of it.
That is the kind of death that Abel spits on, the ultimate inefficiency.
Chisha Gold should have known that.
"Why?"
Endless doubt and bewilderment, reddened red by the blood that flows.
Asking a series of questions only results in a series of unanswered silences. That, too, is the height of inefficiency that Abel hates, and--,
"--That would be a bad idea."
Immediately after, the white light of the second shot that was released was sucked straight into Abel, who was standing on a stick.
△▼△▼△▼△
True to the expression of light, the death-dealing blow aimed at Abel faster than an arrow.
Originally, Abel was not a martial artist.
Without the shock of the previous incident, it would have been impossible for him to react to the white light that briefly flashed across the edge of his vision.
Therefore, it was not Abel's own decision that saved his life at this moment.
"----"
Abel is pierced by the light and is on the verge of having his heart destroyed from the front.
A roar and a tremor violently shook the throne room - or rather, the entire Crystal Palace, and the solid walls were destroyed by the tremendous impact. The cause of the shock did not stop even after the wall was destroyed, and it intervened between Abel, who was standing on a stick, and a white light that jumped into the room.
There was a sound like the popping of water, and the white light was shattered by the disturbance. And in the nick of time, Abel's life was saved by--,
"--A huge arm, Mogro Hagane?!"
"Man of the Throne, protect. Your Excellency, command me."
In front of Abel's eyes, suddenly appearing like a wall, was the right arm of Mogro Hagane, who had twisted his way into the throne room.
Mogro, who is the "Metia" itself, the Crystal Palace, would have taken the walls of the imperial city of Lupgana as his own body and waged fierce battles on the battlefield.
But--,
"Chisha.......?"
Mogro's earlier statement is proof that he was instructed and protected Abel.
And the person who could have given the order to return to the distant Mogro was none other than Chisha Gold, who was sitting on the throne with the ability to work on the "Metia".
He read that right after he was shot, Abel was also going to be killed.
"--! Mogro Hagane! Get me out!"
"Who are you. I, The Emperor, am the priority--"
"The Emperor is dead! If I die, it will have been in vain!"
"----"
After Abel's strong words, Mogro looks into the throne room and notices a fallen shadow.
Mogro is in a state where it is difficult to tell which part corresponds to the eye, but when the green treasure blinks as it floats on the city walls, he too recognizes the fallen emperor's death.
"The body--"
"There's no need! Leave the dead alone!"
Yelling at Mogro, who was trying to retrieve the emperor's corpse, Abel jumped to the giant right arm in front of him. Clinging to one of the fingers in the shape of a hand, Mogro pulled the arm out of the throne room and Abel was sucked out into the sky where he was bathed in a fierce wind.
"----"
Mogro became one with the castle walls and changed its structure to make it easier for him to move.
The figure of Mogro, in the form of a giant humanoid, is more than fifty meters high, and the height of Abel on his lifted arm is roughly the same.
The cityscape of the imperial capital, visible from that height, is littered with buildings and streets that have been trampled down from the third apex that Mogro was guarding, and you can see that he ran straight up without a second thought.
Other battles at the top are still going on, and those who have already lost the reason to fight and must prepare for the next battle are spending their lives in vain.
Life, for nothing--.
"--"
Disturbed in his thoughts, Abel strains his arms to cling to the huge stone block.
This is not the time to get caught up in the past and scatter our thoughts into a thousand pieces. Things have already happened. It is as he told Mogro. --If he dies now, he will die a dog's death.
At the very least, we need to find out if the death was meaningful.
"I can't die."
Letting out a squeezed voice, Abel bit his back teeth and stared down below.
Even if he raises his voice here, it will not reach those who are fighting for their lives on the battlefield. However, they must do whatever they can to convey the message that the meaning of this battle has been destroyed.
"That's dangerous."
Abel's eardrums were struck by Mogro's voice, which sounded like a gale.
The difference in size is so great that every one of Mogro's actions is that of a human against an ant. But Mogro did not shake his eardrums senselessly.
He twisted his huge body and turned his back to the crystal palace to protect the right hand that encircled Abel. Abel's cheeks contorted as a series of impact sounds echoed outward from the right hand that encased him.
The continuous attacks come down not from one direction, but from all directions.
That's how many enemies there are. --No, it is difficult on this soil of Vollachia to have magic users who can target the enemy with this accuracy.
In other words, this was not a matter of having the right number, but of having a single great skill.
Abel looked up as the memory of the earlier, when he had stopped thinking due to the numbness of his brain, came back to him - a man of such ability that it gave the illusion that he was attacked from all sides and by many people at the same time.
He remembered it in the way it fought, and it was not the answer or the voice he sought.
It is--,
"----"
Mogro ducks down, shielding Abel from the downpour of bullets.
The shadow of an aftershadow passed by at a blinding speed in the sky that he looked up at from inside his encased fist. It is a very rare sight, but one that one would see in the Vollachia Empire.
The flight by the flying dragon and the acrobatic flight of the flying dragon rider who controls it - no, there is no rider in the empire today who can glide through the air at such high speed.
The skill of this "extreme flight" is truly the sole domain of the empire's most powerful flying dragon riders.
A moment later, a white light scattered, the sound of impact and Mogro giant being crushed echoed through the air, and a wallop of some sort snatched his cheek. Abel looked on, his expression undistorted by the pain.
The flying dragon rider passes through the sight of his black eyes wearing a demon mask - his grayish-brown hair, the cracks on his colorless face, and the golden light in his eyes as black as the dark night.
He looks so different, but you can't miss him.
"--Balleroy Temeglyph! Why are you alive?"
"I will not talk to you, you devil-may-care man."
A beautiful voice with an elegant impression was spun, and while refusing to answer, the presence was affirmed.
The enemy who disappears from sight again and manipulates a flying dragon to cut through the sky - Balleroy Temeglyph - is the underling who aimed at the throne room through the walls of the Crystal Palace and shot the false emperor in the heart.
Known as the "Magic Bullet Shooter," he reigned at the top of all flying dragon riders.
He was once the Number "Nine" of the "Nine Divine Generals", and during a civil war in the past in the empire--,
"Balleroy, he's dead. You're a fake."
Following the same recognition as Abel, the hulking Mogro launches a counterattack.
With Abel wrapped in his right hand, Mogro swings his massive left arm and literally cleaves the sky to launch an attack on the flying dragon.
People tend to think that large objects move more slowly, but this is an illusion caused by viewing them from a distance.
In addition to protecting Abel from the magic sniper, he has prevented all enemy attacks up to this point. Mogro's movements were agile and precise.
"That's fast. Careful."
But even with his agility, it was difficult for Mogro to hold off Balleroy, who flew around the entire sky as his domain.
The characteristics of the flying dragon rider, which can move in all directions, up, down, left, right, front and back, as well as at high speed, are its greatest advantage that cannot be taken away except by dropping it to the ground.
Besides, Balleroy is not just a flying dragon rider, he is the pinnacle of flying dragon riders.
"You've got the wind in your sails......!"
Magic makes sniping while moving a specialty of Balleroy's fighting style, but his strength as a magic user, which is rare in the empire, is not only utilized in his attacks.
He makes the flying dragon he manipulates wear wind to add or subtract speed, soften the impact, and achieve maneuvers that other flying dragon riders cannot achieve, and never let it catch him.
However, the presence of a breathing flying dragon is essential for this to happen.
"The flying dragon has returned from beyond death!"
The biggest drawback of a flying dragon rider with immense fighting power is that it takes time to train him or her and that a flying dragon will not carry on its back anyone other than the partner it has chosen as its partner.
To kill a flying dragon rider, you have to start with a flying dragon. Balleroy's death was no exception to this rule.
But Balleroy soared back. Literally, he flew in the sky with his beloved dragon.
"The 'Great Calamity.'--"
No clearly identifiable damage has occurred.
However, since Chisha as Vincent Vollachia scattered his life, one cannot help but suspect a connection to the "Great Calamity" in the subsequent events that transcend human knowledge.
Even so, it didn't make sense that Balleroy Temeglyph would be responsible for the "Great Calamity".
Indeed, Balleroy was the pinnacle of flying dragon riders and one of the most powerful and capable men in the empire.
If he wanted to, he could easily pluck the life out of Abel.
But--,
"Sway. Patience."
"Do it!"
An inorganic voice is released like a gale, and Abel's voice rises in response.
The next moment, the Mogro, which had been aiming at the enemy, thrust its arm down to its own feet. Even though it was under his feet, it was equivalent to one of the streets if you look at Mogro's huge body now.
Its left arm piercing the streets of the empire made a creaking sound as it threw the city, which was pulled out after a beat of resistance, boldly into the sky.
"----"
Abel had seen the scene of a part of the city being tossed about in a chaos frame some time ago. It was a ridiculous scene at that time as well, but that was just the residents of the city working together to throw demolished buildings.
But Mogro's was a feat of strength without tricks, an unmistakable outburst.
A sight that is out of standard and reveals that Mogro Hagane is one of the "Nine Divine Generals".
It is true that Balleroy is one of the outliers, but the conditions are the same for Mogro and the other "Nine Divine Generals". Therefore, it is not possible for Balleroy to be responsible for the "Great Calamity".
Of course, simply throwing a pulled-out city would end up with the agile Balleroy ducking and dodging.
Therefore, Mogro threw that one cannonball called the city--,
"Pulverized."
He slams his left arm, turning it into countless scattered bullets to block the escape route of the empty Balleroy.
Each of the scattering bullets that scattered in four pieces was a chunk of rock or soil larger than the size of a human being. The scattering of these bullets by Mogro's blow could be fatal to an ordinary person just by snatching them away.
Naturally, even if the Balleroy has mastered the Ryuuhou, it will show a fatal gap in the air if it hits. In order to avoid this,
"Carillon!"
A sharp voice passed through the storm, and a flying dragon flew through the rain of rocky scatter.
The flying dragon, its wings flapping as it cuts through the sky, heads for a corner of the world where the rain of rocks is pouring down and the rainfall is barely light--,
"It's a trap, of course."
Mogro dared to prepare a corner where the rain was weak, but even though Balleroy and the others knew it was a trap, they had no choice but to jump in as long as they could not be hit by the scattering bullets.
Now it was just a matter of whether or not Balleroy, driving his beloved dragon, would be able to avoid the oncoming Mogro's blow.
The flying dragon, wind-wrapped in a valloy, accelerates and flies through the air, shattering the scattered bullets that get in its way with light.
Mogro rotates his left arm, which he draws back, and a world-shredding blow cleaves the sky of the Imperial City.
The "Nine Divine Generals", all of whom had never been able to achieve this before Balleroy's death, were about to meet in the sky and decide who would be the victor.
--At the moment, the explosion and shockwave blew away the clouds of the imperial city faster than the original clash.
"--"
While the direct damage of its bomb-like power was spared, the aftermath alone nearly tore Abel's body to shreds as he clung to the Mogro.
However, no matter how harsh the situation became on his slender body, Abel never closed both eyes. Therefore, the events of this moment were also firmly caught in his eyes.
"Mogro's, arm--"
The left arm of Mogro, which was supposed to spin and chew up Balleroy, was speared just before it was about to show its power and was crushed by the second arm of the human arm.
With a tremendous spin, the arms of Mogro as long as a castle soared through the air. Leisurely passing right under the damage, Balleroy survived - or rather, escaped unbroken - from the hail of spray.
And the one who destroyed Mogro's arm and saved Balleroy from a tight spot is--,
Oh, ohhhhh--!!The impact hit furiously to the side with a low voice that rumbled through the atmosphere. Mogro, who had been knocked out of his stance by the destruction of his arm, blinked his green treasure at it as it flew into him.
Abel, too, did not expect this lateral entry. But it was to be expected.
If the opponent is Balleroy Temeglyph, who has returned from the dead.
You! Get away from the good people of the dragoooooon--!!The dragon claws easily cut through the walled Mogro's body, and the tail strike with a roar destroys the Mogro's body parts in a single blow, and the Mogro's mass is quickly reduced.
It was a very unexpected but natural move. --The opponent is the strongest creature in the world.
"The 'Cloud Dragon' Mezoreia...... what's in it now, Madelyn Eschart?"
AAAHHHH--!The howling dragon's whole body goes wild, and the impact shakes Mogro's huge body. With each blow, the castle walls crack and the shattered parts fall into the imperial city.
The gardens of the Crystal Palace, called the most beautiful castle in the world, are being trampled, and the disciplined and orderly streets of the Imperial City are dying every second.
Besides, the calamity that struck the Imperial City did not end there.
"----"
Mogro is exposed to the dragon's fury, and what reached Abel's ears amidst the roar of its body being destroyed was the sound of a crushing noise, as if the world were cracking, that occurred far away.
If you look, you can see Mogro's left arm, which had just been shredded, stuck in the back of the Crystal Palace - the reservoir that is the source of water for the entire Imperial City, and the barrier of the reservoir that utilizes spring water from the mountains.
A beat later, a crack widens from the point where the arm pierced, and water from the reservoir begins to seep through the crack and flow. It gradually gained momentum and eventually collapsed the entire barrier, becoming a muddy stream that would flow into the imperial capital.
Right now, they need to evacuate the residents of the Imperial City and the Imperial soldiers and rebels who will join the siege.
"--Fail."
Immediately after hearing this not-so-small murmur of Mogro, a feeling of levitation overtook Abel's body.
When he turned around at the sensation of the contents of his body emerging, he saw that Abel had not been thrown out, but that Mogro's arm, from its wrist to the end, which encased Abel, had been chewed up by the dragon.
It was not targeted, just part of a gung-ho attack.
However--,
"--oh"
Swallowed by the momentum of free fall, Abel's body flips in midair.
The hand clinging to the Mogro's arm is pulled away, but even if it could stay clinging, it would only be a cause of death, not a buffer in what used to be a castle wall.
But even if the Mogro's arm is not the cause of death, any of the similarities will only bring the same fate to Abel.
"Something just--"
Abel's eyes are drawn to one spot as he looks around to find it.
However, it was not as a helping hand.
What Abel saw was a large hole in the crystal palace drawn out of the Mogro.
The hole connected to the throne room, and although we could not look into it, our consciousness was drawn to it.
What had told him to leave the dead alone was as good as drinking the same poison.
"----"
He doesn't know if he could have found a way to break the ice with that one second.
But the fact that he could not spend that one second was a testament to the whole spirit that Abel could not devote himself to, a scar that would forever mark his soul with an indelible scar.
However, if he had fallen to his death right here, there would be no soul damage worth discussing.
"Pull--!"
"--?!"
Lost in his tactics, Abel tries to dissipate the impact by putting his arms and legs in order, but a soft touch catches him faster and more forcefully than he can do.
Abel's body bounced as he gasped for air and fell back onto the touch. After repeating it briefly several times, Abel realized it was the bouncing of the unfolded cloth.
Someone spread a stack of cloth under the falling Abel and caught it.
Chewing over the fact that he had nine lives, Abel quickly rolled over the cloth and put his feet on the ground from the edge. Kneeling on one knee, he looked up to see who had done it--,
"--Weeell, here it is, the time of heavenly destiny!"
"----"
"Either His Excellency, or His Excellency. Either way, the 'Great Calamity' is coming. Let's resist it together with me!"
Is he that happy when the prophecy is fulfilled?
The man - Ubilk - laughs as he spreads his hands out with a too-appropriately cheerful voice and attitude, with the crumbling city and the giant Mogro and the "cloud dragon" that are making it happen behind him.
They congratulate on the moment of the sure fulfillment of the destiny brought by the "Stargazers".
△▼△▼△▼△
When the roar of shattering walls rang out and the Crystal Palace was violently shaken, and it was certain that something decisive had happened, Berstetz Fondalfon rode into the Throne Room.
And then--,
"--Lord Chisha, is it?"
Amid the crumbling walls of the throne room and a fresh dust storm, Berstetz found the dark-haired emperor lying on the red carpet, the corners of his narrow eyes lowered somberly.
When he walked up to him, he found a hole in the chest of his prone body, and his heart, which should have been beating inside, was exploding and his pulse had been cut off.
He's not a military officer, but he can tell at a glance. He died instantly. He would have had no time to feel the pain.
"It is a merciful end, considering what we have done."
From the moment he rebelled and rebelled against the emperor, Vincent Vollachia, Berstetz was prepared for a death that was never going to be easy.
Chisha, as a co-conspirator, would have been similarly prepared.
But--,
"From what I've heard about the 'stargazers', it sounds like you've been seeing things differently than we have."
It was a clear act of betrayal, but Berstetz did not blame him for it.
Rather, he really means it in a laudatory way.
The Imperial style is to do everything in one's power to obtain what one wants.
Neither Berstetz nor Chisha had the military might to carry out the imperial style, but they were similar in that they used their wits to fill in the missing pieces.
It is also a new form of empire that Vincent Vollachia created as emperor, proving and acknowledging that it is also a form of strength.
Following that imperial approach, which even Berstetz admits, Chisha proved to be a great success.
His own power. --It is an honorable thing to do as a man of the Vollachia Empire.
"But it seems hard to take the time to offer words of praise."
Looking down at the corpse, Berstetz looked at the hole in the wall where the storm was blowing in and confirmed the presence of a huge, rock-colored body - Mogro Hagane - moving behind it.
Under the circumstances, it is strange that Mogro killed Chisha.
Mogro, in his position, should have been an ally of Chisha dressed as the emperor, and the cause of Chisha's death was a blow through the chest, but such a delicate attack should have been impossible on that Mogro's huge body.
If there is anything to be concerned about, it is the strange words left behind by Ubilk, the "stargazer", who passed by Berstetz on his way out of the Crystal Palace.
"The 'Great Calamity' and the destruction it will bring...... What on earth is going on in the empire that I don't know about?"
"--Ah, so you haven't been told? Well, I'll tell you."
"----"
Suddenly, Berstetz's cheeks hardened at the sound of the voice he heard, and he slowly returned his gaze.
The eyes, which had been fixed on the great pit, turned to the fallen corpse of the emperor. And then, lifting his gaze further from there, to the innermost part of the throne room - the throne.
The throne, still in its rock-solid position after the impact that shook the entire castle. The flag with a sword and wolf on it behind the throne is waving in the wind, and there is a shadow with a cheekbone.
Awe-struck, a figure sits on the throne where the Emperor's Excellency should sit, looking down at the Verstätz.
"--Wh..."
Originally, Berstetz had to stern his voice and condemn the impudence of the person who sat on that throne.
But he couldn't do it. It is true that he was too surprised to speak, but more than that, Berstetz was not qualified to blame.
The position of Prime Minister is the most prestigious in this Vollachia empire, next to the emperor and the royal family.
The "Nine Divine Generals" are of the same rank, but what is important is the fact that there is hardly anyone in the country whom Berstetz, in his position as Prime Minister, cannot utter a word of condemnation against.
Nevertheless, Berstetz could not blame the other party.
Because--,
"I'm surprised you're still alive, Berstetz. --Hey, who won the 'Election Ceremony'? Brother Vincent? Or Prisca?"
The beautiful face cracked with blood, and it was the imperial family of Vollachia who said so.
Lamia Godwin, the princess who was once the master whom Berstetz Fondalfon served and who was supposed to have died in the "Election Ceremony", was sitting cross-legged on her throne.