85[Fanfiction] Volume 14: The City-State
Once again thank you, nobetteridea, for proofreading this chapter and helping me present it in a better light !
Chapter 1 — Falling legends
Part 3
"Boorriing !~~ To think that I worked so hard just to be met with that nonsense… It's just tiresome now."
In response to the complaint, the pale blue insectoid exhaled and froze his surroundings in the process .
"By experience, I would recommend you to double your efforts. Even if the task seems easy, you can always get surprised by an unexpected turn of events."
Aura turned to Cocytus with a complaining face as she puffed her cheeks.
"It's not my fault, that there is nothing to do… Fuuu~~ I'm bored ! The humans literally ran into us without a plan ! It will all be over without any difficulty."
"There's always something to do in battle, Aura-sama. Knowing the Supreme One, there's probably more to this human's mistake."
Cocytus paused for a moment.
"...However. It is true that you led the army with skill beyond the level of a beginner. Your use of maneuvering strategy was particularly impressive — I am sure Ainz-sama will be pleased."
But the dark elf seemed disinterested in the counseling words of the Floor Guardian — in fact, she was genuinely pissed at their situation.
According to Ainz-sama, a human called the 'Miracle Knight' should have come alongside the small battalion of humans they were facing. He had asked Aura and Cocytus to be careful about the unique ability of this individual and to kill him, if there ever was an occasion. But, despite the words of the Supreme One, their target was nowhere to be seen. Why would Ainz-sama insist on this particular human, if he wouldn't come ? It was rather odd…
For this reason, the simple fact that she could have missed something, Aura was more annoyed than ever.
It was impossible that the Supreme One could have made a mistake. No. The fault must be lying in his subordinates — meaning Aura herself. She must have forgotten an essential part of the plan, and for this reason, she couldn't get to calm herself. That was why all of her attention was fixed on the battlefield, hoping to unravel even the tiniest piece of information regarding the location of the Miracle Knight.
"...Mhh~~ ? The humans are acting differently. They stopped doing stupid things."
Listening carefully to the sounds of the battle, the dark elf suddenly stood up with sparkling eyes — stirring up the curiosity of Cocytus.
— A lot of humans seemed to be regrouping around an individual, and their cries of joy could be heard up to the top of the wall.
**The Bringer of Storm is with us !**
**Hoorray !**
**The tides have turned !**
Aura's face turned into a big smile.
"He's here ! I shouldn't have doubted it. I'm relieved !~~ Now, we can finish this !"
The reaction from Cocytus, however, completely differed from the dark elf`s anticipation.
"Do not rush. The Supreme One told us to evaluate the potential of this enemy before trying anything. If you look closely — the humans regained their morale and reformed their formation. The appearance of their hero must be the reason for this."
After a slight moment of doubt, Aura took a quick glance at the fields before releasing a shocked expression — the morale of the humans had gone through the rooftop, and it seemed like they were slowly regaining the upper hand.
"Ohh !— Incredible ! They were in a desperate situation just a minute ago."
She thought for a moment, letting slip out a sound of excitement in the process.
"Hehe~~ I should send the two Death Knights that Ainz-sama gave me, right ?"
Cocytus made a clacking noise of satisfaction — in approval of the plan.
"Indeed. If we crush the spirit of their troops, the humans will definitely flee, and victory will be ours. Furthermore, if this newcomer really is that strong, he won't have trouble getting rid of them — allowing us to judge if he really is a threat for Nazarick."
"Then. Let's do this !"
Happy with herself, Aura clapped her hands and relayed her orders to the two death knights waiting at the bottom of the wall. Two pairs of demonic horns lifted up at the sound and listened to her voice in silence. They waited for Aura to finish her explanation, and began running past the other undead up to the front line, covering dozens of meters with each step.
It didn't take long before they joined in the battle and started reaping the ranks of the humans — killing everyone as if it was a massive game of "Whac-A-Mole". In no time, the undead's champions had instated a reign of terror over the whole battlefield. Like shadows of death they came to bring slaughter to all mankind — collecting the souls of their dispersed enemies who struggled against the everlasting troops of undead. No humans pretended to fight the two mountains that rampaged among their brothers — or the fools who thought so were quickly reminded of their weakness.
"What in the name of the Four Great Gods is this ?!"
It was the General Mirkah who asked this question. He had just finished greeting and reorganizing his troops, when he found himself faced with this situation.
"H—How can we fight this ?" responded one of his soldiers.
The general painfully witnessed the Death Knights rampage from afar, shocked by the power of the two individuals and sickened by the spectacle. They were probably the enemy's champions, he thought. Monsters of legend if his eyes weren't deceiving him — and of the kind which only appeared every other century to top it all. It wasn't hard to see that his men would get slaughtered, if those beasts kept their advance without finding an equal.
He had to stop them before the morale of his troops would drop —
Panicked, he glanced at Halona who returned his worries. She instinctively understood what she had to do and rushed to face one of the two Death Knights with a grin on her face.
**This mad woman. She understood without me talking.**
It made Mirkah happy nonetheless, and even more determined to bring forth some semblance of a plan. With a now severe face, he turned to his commanders and cleared his throat.
"Retreat toward the hill and lure one of their champions to me ! I want all casters to follow. We will show those abominations that we can still fight."
Upon finishing the sentence, a cry in honor of the Miracle Knight resounded throughout the fields — making Mirkah blush instantly. For a moment, he had forgotten that he had disguised himself as the Miracle Knight.
**Fuck that's embarrassing. Ahhh— Me and my stupid ideas... At least, it is working out well.**
It was a decision he had made before joining his troops.
Mirkah had concluded that hiding his friend's true identity would be more beneficial, than openly revealing her. She was his primary asset after all. It was essential to use her wisely and protect her like a kingdom's treasure. Thus, it was only natural to lead your enemy onto a false track — making them waste their resources on pursuing an illusion. He just had to regroup his Magic Casters around him to lay a trap and wait for them to get hooked on it. Furthermore, it would have been a shame to not make use of this knowledge, when he had all the tools to make the deceit believable.
Because— who would you believe to be the legend of the sixth City-State ?
— A mounted man in magic armour, or a weird woman without weapons ?
Be it an ally or an enemy, they would be prompt to pick a side — knowing that only one armor of its kind existed in the entire kingdom and that it had been awarded to the Miracle Knight alone. What they did not know, however, was that Halona would never wear it. She thought about it as a decoration more than a tool for battle and hated the attention that it brought her. So much that, in the end, she had entrusted it to her friends, telling them anyone could wear it, if they wanted.
**I could really get used to wearing this armor. It's difficult not to get drunk on its power...**
"A report for you, Bringer of Storm. The undead casters used magic on our horses — who are now refusing to carry our soldiers and are deliberately running toward the undead lines in an attempt to kill themselves."
Mirkah`s gaze turned toward his scout while biting his lower lip — he was furious about the news. He had planned to use the horses as a backup plan, in case something went wrong — but it seemed like his enemy would not let them flee.
"*kss* The Sorcerer King is mocking us. If he thinks that I will be outmaneuvered by a mere child, he is greatly underestimating me. Does he think that I will make the same mistake my lieutenant made? In that case, let's make him pay the price for his arrogance."
Since fleeing wasn't an option against tireless opponents, he had no choice but to win this battle, if he wanted his men to live.
He turned to his commanders and began explaining his strategy. It was mostly small unit tactics and a global concentration of his forces to counter the undead's advances. In fact, Mirkah had remarked that his opponent barely used any Magic Casters among his ranks, and he could definitely take advantage of this slight imbalance. If he could eliminate the skeleton mages and concentrate his troops into a single spear, his soldiers would efficiently destroy their opponents without any strong resistance. A bit of luck, and it would work for long enough to take down the two Death Knights — then anticipate the answer of the dark elf.
"You're going to fight those two monsters ?!"
"Only one, my friend. A woman I trust will take care of the second. She's more skilled than me in combat."
"S—Stronger than you ? *gasp* Is it the Rhapsodist Goddess or the Dark Knight ?! But I thought those eccentrics who would not take part in combat !"
The general grimaced once again as he remembered that he was supposed to be the Miracle Knight — a role which forbade him to make such a statement lightly.
"Erm… There is no time to lose. Get back to your duty."
The executive commander nodded and walked back to his troops, relaying the various orders to the others. An inevitable cry of joy ensued as the name of the Rhapsodist Goddess popped into the conversation — making Mirkah cover his face in shame. He could have found a better explanation, than drowning this extravagance in a lie, but now was not the time to think about that —
They had to take care of the mythical undead before anything else.
With a loud sigh, the general lifted his head back up and watched the soldiers regroup around him. When everyone was in place, he took a deep breath and started his speech.
"Listen ! Our target is that legendary undead who's killing our brothers. This abomination was sent to kill every last one of us — and the duty to stop him lies in our hands. Fail this task, and we will all die. Succeed, and you will see yourself covered in glory and alive tomorrow. Your comrades need you, soldiers ! Onwards ! Help me unleash your fury on this enemy !"
The soldiers yelled in unison.
It was how the humans were taught the way of war in the second City-State. Each one of them had gone through difficult training for an opportunity like this one, and nothing would be enough to distract them from their goal now that it was in their reach. It was a promise of land and wealth which ignited their will.
However, when they found themselves facing the beast after a pompous walk — the sight paralyzed the battalion.
The sudden killing intent stopped them dead in place, and horror slowly filled their minds. Upon seeing Mirkah, the Death Knight had released a vicious aura which had immediately grown to an unbearable intensity for the soldiers. It felt like being under a mountain of rubble — barely able to move or think while a predator crept upon you. A shock which made the spirit of the small contingent crumbled down into oblivion.
"We can do this ! Be courageous !"
Mirkah talked without conviction — he was afraid too. The legendary undead triggered his inner instincts like nothing else before, and he knew that if it weren't for the duty he carried, it would have been impossible for him to face the Death Knight.
**What the hell is this feeling ?! My soldiers can't fight this monster !**
Watching his opponents shivering from fear, the undead made a noise resembling a peal of laughter before taking the glaring opportunity that they gave him — rushing toward the humans in an indefectible charge.
Anguish overwhelmed the rationality of the general, and he instinctively grabbed a strange crystal from his bag. Thinking rationally, it was a joker which should have been used as a last resort, but the terror had already taken control, and Mirkah cracked it without thinking — as if to reassure himself and his men that they had no reason to be afraid. His country had bestowed this item of exceptional power onto him for situations like this one — a relic of the Thirteen Heroes that had been passed through the generations. If he did not use it now, after all there would be no other situation where it would be worth to consider using it...
"We're not afraid, monster ! B—Behold the power of the ancient heroes !"
A pillar of flames engulfed the charging Death Knight as the crystal vanished into nothingness. You could hear the muffled scream of the undead during the chaos — resembling the lamentation of a tortured soul. It lasted for a few seconds, the spell producing a heat so intense that the soldiers had to fall back from the sources of the impact — unsure of what was happening before their eyes. All eyes were fixed on the unrelenting force with fear and admiration, awaiting the outcome of the highest tiered magic they could ever hope to witness — evaluated to be seventh tier spell by the Magic Guild.
The intense light faded away — leaving nothing behind but a small pile of ashes.
Upon this realization, the battalion cheered up with smiles replacing the gloomy looks on their faces. The monster had been defeated so easily, the pent up tension was suddenly released and gave way to resounding laughter.
"...Ah ! Ah ah ! That's the Bringer of Storm for you !"
"Eh— Eh eh ! Even the strongest undead are no match for him ! To think that we were afraid."
— However, little did they know about the special skill of the Death Knight, which permitted him to survive one lethal attack.
Before the soldiers could even celebrate properly, the bones of their enemy slowly began reforming. His ashes flew in the air, rebuilding the structure of his skeleton, and reconstituting the dark mantle that he formerly carried. His skeletal hands grabbed the insane shield and the peculiar sword which went with it, and soon, the Death Knight stood once again before the soldiers — his scream of pure hatred being a perfect demonstration of his recovered strength
"~OOOOOOAAAAAHHHH!~"
"*gasp* N—No ! It's impossible !"
The killing intent of the Death Knight resurfaced in an instant — stronger than before — making Mirkah and his men to almost choke in fear, as they watched their enemy brandish his sword with a roar. Their hopes had been shattered in an instant, like a pan of glass smashed by a shock wave. What could remain of their confidence, if even a seventh tier spell couldn't kill this monster ?
Nevertheless, there was something odd about his aura.
Without a doubt the pressure was stronger and more stifling than before, yet it felt weaker at the same time — as if the legendary undead was panting of exhaustion. The general noticed the slight difference and stopped shivering to observe in silence.
"[...]"
Yes !
This thing had taken damage after all. It had trouble lifting its shield, and his movements were slower than before.
"Do not give in to fear — we can kill it ! It is just a trick, to make us think it's unharmed !"
Easier said than done. The Death Knight did not wait for the General to finish his speech and rushed toward the closest Magic Casters in anger, reaping three of them in a single sword slash. Mirkah cursed the gods for his negligence, and charged into the clash to block the second attack with his massive shield.
"Urghh… Quick ! Purge him with Holy Magic !"
Confused about the situation, only a few men actually listened to the order and began casting spells known to be effective against undead. The dead corpses of their friends were already returning from death to turn against them — a surprise, which made some of the Casters hesitate for a second. This allowed the Death Knight to sense the danger and propel his opponent to take a defensive stance.
Mirkah landed a few meters away letting out a *ouch* of pain with a confused face.
He watched his opponent for a few seconds — trying to understand. Why would the undead take risks to defend himself against these weak spells ? It unflinchingly withstood the power of a kingdom's treasure but cared about being hit by those lesser abilities ? There was probably something more to his behavior...
Or could it be that it took a lot more damage than it was letting them know ?
[...!]
"Press on the attack ! He must not flee from his inevitable end !"
Still unsure about their advantage, the soldiers hesitated to advance against the Death Knight, as they already struggled against the undead corpses of their brothers. It seemed to be unaffected by their assaults, so why would they risk their lives in a battle of exhaustion — knowing that if they died, they would turn into zombies ? They would just feed reinforcements to the undead who could probably endure their assaults for hours before letting go…
**[Heart of Valor]**
— However, how could they be called men, if they allowed their hero to go into the fray alone ?
First one, then two and finally four men subsequently ran side by side with their hero to put an end to the frightful opponent. They circled the creature and attacked its flanks with a firm determination — standing as one to surpass their fear. The soldiers wanted to be like this man and face the monster that froze them in place. They wanted, if only for a second, to stand with him in battle and die like heroes. One could not explain the weird feeling they had at this moment — it simply felt like a natural instinct to follow Mirkah in his charge.
However, this resistance was a futile attempt against a trapped beast — and it made it go full berserk.
The anger could be felt in every single blow of the Death Knight, who killed a soldier every time he swung his sword — and summoned another zombie to help him. The frustration and fury of the monster were passed to his surroundings like rain on the mountain — making him stronger every time he faced a new opponent and recovering a bit of his force every moment he survived an assault.
Yet— it remained unscathed. Not a single soldier could get past his defense.
It painfully showcased the difference in power between the Death Knight and the weaklings facing him. As expected of such a legendary undead… But it made the truth unbearable for the soldiers. What would happen to their country if they couldn't kill a single one of those beasts ? Hopefully, Mirkah had finished incapacitating the zombies blocking him and finally engaged the undead — using martial arts to find a way to his spine.
"[Flow Acceleration] !"
**crackle**
A harsh blow that enraged the Death Knight even further. His wrath turned to Mirkah who barely found the time to defend himself against the lightning speed of his opponent's attack. Protecting himself with all he could, his large shield withstood the assault of the undead and fell into pieces — the serrated sword shattering it like a mirror.
As fast as he could, the dumbfounded general threw away the remainings and grabbed his sword with both hands to parry the next attack.
**clung**
"Urgghh !"
With its ridiculous strength, the creature cut through the sword as if it was butter — the blade lodging in the general's shoulder who couldn't believe what was happening. The cold sensation of the sword was the only truth Mirkah could feel now, and he knew instinctively that his friend's armor had saved his life.
— But there was no time to think about his injury.
His fearsome foe was already preparing to behead him.
"*u—uh* K—Kill it, now !"
The Magic Casters released their spells at the command, striking the Death Knight with full force.
The serrated sword stopped mid-air — and Mirkah could clearly see the waves of terrifying red and black fog which agitated the surrounding like a constant heartbeat. It looked like the assault had succeeded — the monster had not dodged — and everyone was pausing to watch the outcome in a minute of troubled silence.
— The Death Knight fell down.
It had collapsed before being able to give the decisive blow, leaving the general wounded but alive. Along with his fall, the murderous aura quickly disappeared along with the zombies he had summoned and a wave of relief flowed through the soldiers.
They finally managed to slay the titan in black armor.
"YYIIIIIHHHAAAA !"
"We did it !"
It was a victory. And even more considering the strength of their opponent. The fight would probably get recounted in some stories as a harsh battle that ended up in a human's win — yet, the time was not of celebration.
The army of undead was close by and — even if their champion had fallen — it was far from over.
"*hun* You will rejoice later. We still have an enemy to defeat ! *uh* Get back to the fight — in formation !"
"Y—Yes sir !"
The small battalion regrouped to a tight unit, to join their allies, while two soldiers stayed behind to help their panting general get back on his legs.
"Don't look at me like that and let me fight ! *pant* I'll die a glorious death on the battlefield, and not lying in a bed like an old man !"
"But—"
"It's an order ! Execution !"
Mirkah had taken a mortal blow, and the soldiers shivered at the gruesome sight. It was clear, that even the best healers in the City-States would have trouble keeping him alive with all the blood that was spurting out of his shoulder — he would die in about an hour at best. But — the general did not say that his death was ultimately desired, not as Mirkah a general of the city of Korte, but as the hero of the new City-State — the Miracle Knight.
He was far from stupid.
As a genius strategist, he had brilliantly conjectured that everything was part of a conspiracy to get rid of him and his friend Halona. The rancor of Mayor Clavo had been growing time and time again, so it was only natural that he would try to kill them one day or the other — and it seemed self-evident that this expedition would have been part of their arranged murder. At first, he had thought that the nobles would have used Ijaniya and fake their assassinations by telling the masses it was a monster ambush — however — they had managed to get the help of the Sorcerer Kingdom in the matter.
How, and why were his men also targeted ? It was a mystery.
But now, he was confident that the Sorcerer Kingdom was no joke in term of brute power. Deep inside, he understood that the Death Knights weren't the champions of the Sorcerer King — because, otherwise, they would not have disappeared like mere summonings.
But even if he could guess this, those thoughts terrorized him.
If a kingdom's treasure couldn't kill a lesser servant, what could they do against a real champion of the Sorcerer Kingdom ? Even if Halona equipped every treasure the City-States possessed, she wouldn't be able to put a scratch on such an opponent — should he exist. So, when he had understood, his first thought had been to sacrifice himself for her. If he could fake her death upon the field of battle and free her from the influence of the many powerful enemies who despised her — it would be enough for him. Her life was more important than his own in this dark plot.
**Off you go Halona, and may you understand my intentions. I'll make sure that your name stays in the legends and give you the freedom you wanted. This is your chance — take it. And for god's sake, do not reveal who you are… **
Resolved to face his last moments with glory, eyes laid upon the little girl who commanded the army of the dead.
What the hell was she doing ?
She did not send any reinforcements to help her champion, and it was as if her troops had avoided interrupting the fight between Mirkah and the Death Knight. Besides, there had been no reaction to his counter-strategy, and his soldiers had taken back the advantage — as though the dark elf did not care the least about the outcome of the battle.
He gulped out of bitterness, slowly understanding what was happening.
So that was the goal of the Sorcerer King ? To judge their strength and do the dirty job of the First Mayor — thus gaining influence within the City-States ? Putting it like this, Mirkah and his soldiers seemed to be no more than steps for him to climb… Just how far would those nobles go, to get rid of their political enemies ? And what did they pay to get the help of the Sorcerer King ?
"*tsk* Unforgivable..."
There was no way he would keep on playing the game of those prideful bastards. He knew that it was already too late to withdraw from the fight, but there was still something he could do.
Quite a simple task actually.
If only he could kill the dark elf before his death, he would honor the name of his friend and show the world that they should not have underestimated the two of them.
His decision taken, he turned his cold gaze toward his enemy, wishing upon the gods that he would be able to land a decisive blow.