Chapter 402: Nephilim War (2)

“You’re going to take the Celestial Fortress?” Judex scoffed at Karyl. “There’s no point in talking to a madman like you. Our god has commanded us to destroy the Tarak alongside mankind, but it’s clear you won’t be among those chosen.”

Karyl scratched the inside of his ear, looking at Judex.

“Alongside mankind? Either there’s something wrong with my ears or your tongue’s just twisted, but we need to clear this up.”

“...What?”

“Did you really think you’d be fighting

with

us? You claim to be Yula’s servants, yet you lie through your teeth. Even if that’s just a projection, it’s incredible that you can stand before your god and be dishonest about your intentions.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of Judex’s mouth.

“Consider it an honor to fight alongside us. We shall emerge victorious in this war against Tarak.”

Crack!

That was when Karyl lifted his hand and slammed it against Judex’s throat.

“Don’t you dare say ‘alongside’ again. You

blessed

bastards see humans as nothing more than vermin. You don’t want us as comrades, but as weapons to use in this war!”

“How dare you...!” Judex snapped, sensing Karyl’s murderous aura. “You know nothing of what is to come! Once the Oracle is delivered and the Tarak swarm from the Tower of Pharel, your world will be reshaped by terror and destruction! If you want to avoid extinction, you humans have no choice but to obey our command!”

“Make us,” Karyl said flatly, not even flinching against Judex’s outburst.

“It takes about one second for Yula’s grace to reach you. I’d say it would take around four seconds for her power to spread across the continent and reach all Nephilim. Isn’t that right?”

“...”

Judex stared at Karyl in disbelief. This human had calculated precisely how long it took for Yula’s power to manifest in a Nephilim—a secret no other species should know.

“Let’s see if you get those five seconds.” Karyl raised Polsetia’s blade to his neck, pretending to slit his throat.

“If you wish to die, go ahead. Your head will hit the ground before Yula’s power reaches you. I’ll leave your rotting corpse in the gutter.”

“You are indeed strong. I admit, human potential has surprised me.”

A mist-like aura rose from Judex’s shoulders.

“But you cannot do everything alone. Foolish king of mortals, your ignorance shall be your undoing.”

His body began to swell, emanating a dark power.

“Hear me, Nephilim brethren! Scatter your legions and deliver punishment to the humans! Let this be their sentence for defying Yula!” Judex shouted to the skies.

“You cannot possibly protect all of humanity by yourself!” he went on shouting at Karyl. “Know this: your arrogance is the reason your people will perish.”

“Oh, is that so?”

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

To Judex’s surprise, his warning drew a smile from Karyl, as though he had been waiting for this very moment.

“Someone I used to know once said something like that, too. That war isn’t something you fight alone. But in the end, he died by my hand. Judex, how long do you plan to keep wagging that tongue of yours? Hostages? You think that’ll work on me?”

“Are you really a king if you don’t protect your people?”

“And who might that be?” Karyl lifted his sword. "Watch closely. You Nephilim might be able to move freely with your wings, but my voice will reach them faster.”

Swoosh...!

In that instant, a storm of black mana swirled around Israphil, and Original Magic manifested above his head.

Superior Vision—dozens of magical projections appeared, multiplying rapidly until they blotted out the sky. Each one displayed scenes of cities and villages from across the continent.

Sensing something was off, Judex shouted, “Stop him...! Stop that bastard!”

“Hmph.”

Watching the scene, Allen Javius waved his hand, summoning a bunch of giants around Israphil.

Original Magic - Dark Giant

“I do hate resorting to the spell of that bastard Gustav... but I suppose they’ll make for good meat shields.”

When Israphil first learned the spell, the entities he summoned were so small they barely qualified as dolls. Now, however, the five dark figures towered over two meters tall.

These were proper giants.

“Now they’re finally worth something.”

Although Allen had formed a soul contract with Karyl, he had also made one with Israphil through Duaat, granting him access to Israphil’s mana and magic as well.

Out of pride, Allen had refused to use the Original Magic of Gustav—one of the Seven Elders. But this time, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to test out Israphil’s capabilities.

“Urghh...!”

The Dark Giants groaned ominously as they intercepted the Nephilim charging toward Israphil.

Boom! Crash!! KABOOM...!!

Amidst the thunderous clash, Allen turned to Kadin Luer.

“Hey you, what was that barrier of yours? Crimson Radiance or something? Deploy it right away. It’s one of your spells that’s somewhat useful. No matter what happens, protect this brat. If a single hair on his head gets hurt... That precious kid of yours? I’ll grind his corpse into dust.”

“...Understood.” Kadin nodded, gripping his staff.

“νωϪοκ υφχϪφχωγ ﬆφ.”

At his signal, the Academy sorcerers began chanting in Runic Language.

A faint veil spread around Karyl, like a crimson curtain being drawn. It extended further, layering over Israphil as well.

“Focus on amplifying Karyl’s voice so it reaches across the continent. His message must travel from this land all the way to the heavens.”

Allen extended his hand, and dark smoke condensed into a long staff in his grasp.

Thud!

He struck the ground with the staff and declared, “This is the king’s proclamation.”

***

“All Wyvern Squadron units have reached the southern coastline.”

Each rider lowered the visor of their helmet and tightened their grip on the reins of their wyvern.

“Krrrrrk...! Kaaagh!!”

The wyverns’ piercing cries echoed through the air as they swooped down on the Nephilim.

“Nephilim spotted in the air!”

“Got here fast, didn’t they?” the commander snorted. “Prepare for battle! Only corpses will reach the ground!”

As soon as he spoke, all units thrust their spears toward the Nephilim.

Thwack!

The sharp spearheads tore through the wind and pierced the Nephilim’s torsos.

“Graaagh...! Kaaaagh!!”

“Die!!”

The wyverns sank their teeth into the angels’ flesh, the aerial clash becoming a violent flurry of blood and feathers.

“Interception, commence.”

“HAAAAA...!!”

A thunderous clash resounded in the sky, with blood and feathers flying everywhere.

***

Tap-tap-tap...!

Not long ago, the underground vaults of the Gnome Kingdom’s caves had been packed with armed golems, engineers, and gnomes. Now, not a single soul remained. Only the clacking of keys echoed through the vast, empty space.

“This is going to be interesting.”

Surrounded by a sea of buttons, Wingel Hart typed away without even glancing down, as if he had memorized every key.

Countless figures and codes flickered across his goggles as he shifted screens with each keystroke. The visuals changed in real time, as if directly linked to the Superior Vision.

[Meister, golem system link complete.]

[Visual feed from all units synchronized.]

[Full stat integration available. Reporting unit formation status.]

“Good.”

[Mana charge: 85%.]

[Power levels stable.]

[Revol control system: main core is operational.]

[Increasing core output across all units.]

Reports came flooding in from every direction, but Wingel managed to keep up with the torrent of data.

Swoooosh—!!

The images on the screens shifted rapidly, giving Wingel the sensation of soaring through the air. It was as if he were piloting each golem himself.

The projections confirmed that his commands had reached every last one.

Boom...!!

Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!!

Dozens of golems emerged from the Mana Battleship that had crossed the Fonein, launching into their charge.

Clank! Zzzzz—

A low mechanical hum rang out as they moved forward. Although the screens flickered wildly, Wingel skillfully maneuvered dozens of golems at once.

“Phew...”

The seat he lay on felt familiar—it was Revol’s repurposed cockpit. Rather than repairing Revol after its clash with the Platinum Dragon, Wingel had decided to use it differently. He had linked Revol’s system to every golem in the battalion.

In other words, he had transformed Revol into a massive command center to control other golems from.

“I bet not even Lord Karyl would’ve thought of this.”

With a smirk on his face, Wingel resumed pressing the buttons in quick succession, promptly sending the golems scattering.

Clank! Vrrrrrrrmmm...!!

As a blinding light burst from the cores mounted on their backs, the golems accelerated to full-speed.

“Let’s see who’s faster, your wings or my golems,” Wingel murmured, a satisfied grin on his face.

As he pulled his goggles off, he gave the command.

“Mana Knights, commence full assault.”

***

“Ghraaa...!”

“Grrrr... Kreek...!”

In the vast expanse of land, skeletal arms shot up from the ground, writhing as if gasping for air. Dark, tattered bandages were wrapped around the bones.

“Grr...”

The reanimated corpses growled, resembling creatures starved for blood.

“What a magnificent sight,” Nain Darhon muttered, nodding in satisfaction as he observed the necromantic summoning.

“If someone must die, let the dead do it. Nephilim... I’ll offer the stale blood of these corpses in exchange for your fresh, warm blood.”

He chuckled to himself. The entire history of the empire was drenched in blood, the outskirts of the capital serving as a graveyard for the millions who had died in battle.

“Hmph....”

Standing beside him was Kay Rothschild. While Nain Darhon had raised the dead and infused them with Tarak, Kay used her puppetry to bind their joints, making them faster and more resilient.

“Kraaa...! Kyaaah...!!”

“Graaaah...!!”

The undead dashed forward with unbelievable speed—far too fast for reanimated corpses—and leapt into the air, sinking their teeth and claws into the wings of their enemies.

“Skreeeeee...!!”

The lingering undead formed a perimeter around the battlefield, seemingly to guard the fortress.

***

KABOOM...!!!

Israphil’s magic projections depicted fierce clashes.

“What is this...?” Judex muttered in disbelief as he watched the Nephilim forces pushed back by the relentless resistance. He had expected a swift victory, but the human forces turned out to be fierce and unyielding.

“You’re right, war isn’t fought alone,” Karyl sneered. “Or rather, I can fight alone because my people have set the stage for me.”

Shiiing

—

“There’s only one thing I need to focus on—cutting your head off. War can be surprisingly simple, don’t you think?”

“Tsk!”

Rattled by Karyl’s defiant confidence, Judex lunged at him and threw a heavy punch.

Clang!

But Karyl was ready, deflecting his blow with Polsetia’s blade.

“To all battlefields, leave nothing standing. Erase them all.”

Israphil’s Superior Vision carried Karyl’s command all across the continent.