Chapter 700

Gelud fixed his gaze on Akihatara for a moment. Its four wings were spread wide as it cut through the darkness, descending through the snowstorm like an angel of death.

The comparison was not far from the truth. Each time the grotesquely enlarged harpy swept past, countless lives were erased.

That was as far as Gelud’s thoughts went.

"You heard what the Agent of the Saint said, right?"

Turning to Harald’s adjutant, who had been staring past the wall in a daze, Gelud raised his voice.

"Go down at once and relay the message to the commanders of the Crimson Legion!"

"Yes—y-yes! Understood!" The adjutant shouted as if jolted awake.

His shoulders trembled as he spun around and sprinted off without hesitation, likely heading for the bridge that led into the inner spire of the fortress.

"So that is the Demigod of the North..."

A low murmur slipped out from beside Gelud. Harald stared ahead, his lips barely moving, as if the words had escaped without conscious thought. His eyes remained fixed on the demigod’s retreating figure.

"It is, Your Excellency," Gelud replied, turning his gaze in the same direction.

The white horse bearing the demigod, unmistakably a holy steed, thundered along the battlements. It leaped effortlessly over deep gouges in the stone and even a massive ballista. With red divinity flaring from Ian’s billowing cloak, the sight resembled a rider of fire racing across the ramparts.

"Will you believe me now when I said none of the rumors about him were exaggerated?" Gelud asked calmly

"But... is he truly going to face an archdemon alone?" Harald asked. His voice faltered before trailing off.

Gelud hooked an arm around Harald’s shoulder once more, steadying him.

Meeting his gaze, Gelud lightly said, "If you are not going inside, please do not refuse my help."

"Very well," Harald replied awkwardly.

As Gelud looked toward the distant fireballs streaking through the air, he continued, "He is a man who once walked alone toward dragons in the midst of battle. Even then, I thought he was reckless. And yet, in the end, he drove his sword straight into the heart of a corrupted dragon."

Harald widened his eyes at that.

Gelud glanced at him, then turned forward again. "He is a man who makes the impossible possible."

Harald had no reply. He only swallowed dryly and continued to stare into the distance.

Of course, they were not the only ones watching.

"

Oh

, Karha..."

Aside from those fleeing in haste, most stood frozen in place, staring blankly at the approaching archdemon and the charging Demigod of the North. Even mages in the midst of casting spells had gone still.

Such a sight was possible only because the monsters in the sky had scattered in every direction the moment Akihatara revealed itself.

Whoosh—

A gale heavy with snow swept across the battlements. Beyond it, Akihatara drew closer, its wings spread wide. Like a hawk diving on its prey, it extended its four long legs toward the wall, each one ending in razor-sharp talons.

The crimson streak racing along the battlements had not yet reached it.

Boom—

At that instant, Ian sprang upward, pushing off the saddle of the white horse. To Gelud’s narrowed eyes, it looked as though a storm wind tinged with crimson light had burst forth behind him.

"

Oh

, Lu Solar..."

It must have looked much the same to Harald. The red streak tore through the gale like a meteor, while the white horse leaped down precariously beneath the battlements.

Screech—

Akihatara twisted sharply in midair as it descended toward the wall. It had clearly sensed Ian Hope closing in at tremendous speed.

Beating one wing violently, the archdemon unleashed a blast of purple-tinged wind.

Ian neither slowed nor altered his course. From the start, that had never been an option.

Boom!

Almost simultaneously, a whirlwind infused with crimson divinity erupted around him, crashing head-on into the onrushing gale. Divinity and chaos tangled together, then exploded apart in the next instant.

Rumble—

From the heart of the collision, Ian burst forth, his cloak snapping wildly behind him. On his outstretched left arm gleamed a golden shield, its surface formed of hexagonal plates like a dragon’s scales.

When did he—

Gelud’s eyes widened as Ian, leading with the golden shield, slammed straight into the center of the archdemon’s torso.

Crunch—

The archdemon buckled. Its four fully spread wings snapped inward, folding tightly around itself as if to shield itself.

Rumble—

Almost at the same moment, fireballs of every color flew toward it from all directions.

Boom, crash!

A blinding explosion swallowed the sky. Nearly every spell had struck true, no doubt because the archdemon’s speed had dropped for that fleeting instant.

"Those lunatics!" Gelud spat the words as he instinctively raised an arm to shield his face. Even the demigod had been caught in the blast.

Then again, those mad spellcasters would hardly care.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

As Harald squeezed his eyes shut, Gelud flung his arm aside and looked up once more.

Rumble—

Through the billowing smoke, a massive shape slid diagonally past the battlements and into view. It was Akihatara, its wings still wrapped tightly around itself, flames clinging to them in scattered patches. As the wings slowly spread once more, a blazing crimson glow spilled out from between them.

Gelud’s eyes widened until they nearly tore.

Ian Hope was there, his golden shield driven deep into the archdemon’s body.

That the demon’s wings and the cloak enveloping Ian had absorbed much of the blast was something Gelud could not have known. Nor did he dwell on it.

Swoosh—

The only important thing was that Ian Hope had finally reached the archdemon.

Just as Akihatara spread its wings, as if trying to smother the remaining flames, Ian swung his right arm with all his might. A red arc extended from his hand, slashing toward the pair of wings covering the archdemon’s face.

Crunch!

The blade, jutting out like a fang at the tip, embedded itself deep into the center of the archdemon’s ashen wing.

Screech— Aaaaaah—

A scream filled with pain and rage burst forth. The archdemon folded its wings back in and passed completely over the wall.

A purple trail mixed with smoke stretched away into the distance.

"All— all troops—!" Gelud raised his voice instinctively as he turned toward the purple tide beginning to surge back. "Raise your weapons! The demigod is engaging the Archdemon!"

Keeping his left arm braced around Harald’s back, he thrust his clenched right fist high into the air. "We will wipe out every remaining vassal of the Archdemon!"

"Raise your weapons!"

"They’re coming back! Prepare for battle!"

The commanders’ shouts rang out in answer. The battlements, which had seemed frozen only moments before, burst back into motion.

"Prepare for battle—"

The soldiers who had retreated earlier, their lives spared by the Demigod of the North, returned to their positions once more.

"Your words were correct."

Amid the clamor, Harald’s low voice reached Gelud’s ears as he watched the white horse standing amid drifting sparks.

"In the end, ‘impossible’ was just a mortal way of thinking."

"At least you’ve come to realize that."

Though he noticed Harald’s complexion growing steadily paler, he gave no sign of it as he turned away.

"Let’s move. The soldiers are waiting," said Gelud, glancing once more toward the sky above the fortress.

The archdemon’s retreating form, scattering smoke as it fled, was slipping behind the battlements.

"So that’s why he rushed ahead."

Of course, it had not vanished from everyone’s sight. There were those who could see the archdemon more clearly than ever.

"So that was why," Thesaya murmured, her head tilted upward.

She was one of them.

Beside her, Mev was also staring up at the massive trajectory cutting across the sky. Lucas and Edith, riding on either side, did the same.

"Our— Demigod—"

"Did you see? The demigod is flying with the archdemon!"

Behind them, the legionnaires marching through the fortress city were no exception.

"Bring it down, Great Warrior!"

"Tear its wings apart! Harpies are weak in the wings!"

Unlike the defensive forces, who stood frozen in shock, the barbarian warriors and mercenaries shouted with barely restrained excitement. Their expressions held less tension than awe, as though they were witnessing a spectacle that would never be repeated.

And in truth, they were.

Screech!

Ian clung to the flying archdemon, swinging his greatsword again and again without pause.

Moments later, Akihatara spread its wings wide and surged upward, screeching as it thrashed violently in an attempt to shake him off.

Whoosh—

The intertwined trail of purple and red curved sharply away, spiraling toward the dense, roiling storm clouds above.

"They’re gone," said Thesaya, who had been craning her neck back as far as it would go.

Akihatara’s erratic, acrobatic flight had carried both itself and Ian straight into the clouds.

Behind them, cheers and astonished cries erupted from the legion. Mev, her visor pulled fully down, continued staring at the sky before letting out a quiet sigh.

"That high up... how on earth does he plan to come down?"

As Thesaya turned to look at Mev, a gruff voice came from behind them. "This brings back bad memories."

It was Miguel, sitting in the driver’s seat of the brazier wagon, following the commanders. This was also the reason Moro, carrying Thesaya, was puffing out displeased breaths.

"Last time he went flying like that, he disappeared for years—" Miguel cut himself off mid-sentence as he finally noticed the looks Mev and Thesaya were giving him.

"

Ah

—n-no, I mean, of course that won’t happen this time. There’s no Black Wall anymore...

haha...

," he added hastily.

The forced smile plastered across his face was no doubt prompted by Thesaya’s narrowed eyes and by the worry plainly written across Mev’s expression.

As Thesaya clicked her tongue, another voice rose behind them.

"So this is the true figure of the Agent of the Saint that everyone talks about. Truly, to face an archdemon alone...."

It was Cherwyn, sitting sideways and warming herself in the heat of the sacred flame.

Without taking her eyes off the storm clouds growing ever more turbulent, she added, "But even so, he can’t fly, can he?"

"He must have something in mind," Thesaya replied casually, glancing at Mev. "It’s not the first time the Agent of the Saint has done something this reckless. And every time, he’s succeeded and comes back alive. He even crossed the Black Wall."

Miguel, receiving her gaze last, cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away.

"True. Then it’s needless worry," Cherwyn said with a nod, shifting her attention to the long procession of legionnaires stretching behind them. "Everyone seems remarkably calm."

The barbarian warriors were still shouting and chanting the demigod’s name as they raised their weapons. Most of them hadn’t taken their eyes off the sky. They clearly believed the archdemon and the demigod would reveal themselves again soon.

"Someone is coming," said Lucas.

Thesaya and Mev, who had been looking at the legionnaires, turned forward almost simultaneously.

The towering wall blocking their view came into sight, along with the inner fortress rising beyond it and the soldiers moving busily about. Between them, a figure that looked to be a knight was sprinting frantically toward them.

"Looks like the guy who was standing behind that supreme commander fellow," Thesaya said, narrowing her eyes.

Mev nodded and lowered her visor. Lucas and Edith followed suit, covering their faces as well.

Sliding to a halt a short distance away, the adjutant shouted, "I-I will relay Margrave's orders!"

The commanders fixed their attention on him instead of answering, all without breaking their march.

A scream bursting from beyond the clouds swallowed his words. As he froze, thunder followed immediately after.

Rumble— Boom!

With a roar that sounded like the sky itself collapsing, the churning clouds flashed with violent streaks of purple and red. Each time, the massive shadow of the archdemon shimmered briefly within the sea of clouds, thrashing wildly.

However, that was not what made Mev and Thesaya’s eyes widen.

Beside the archdemon’s shadow, they caught sight of another shape. It was far smaller, yet it shimmered with a brilliant golden light.

Thesaya blinked once before finally whispering, "Platinum... Dragon?"