Chapter 137: The Giant Destroyer (5) |
TL/Editor: Rungir
Schedule: none
Illustrations: none
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In the light's church branch within Agnes's royal capital, Serkia knelt before the statue of the god of light, hands joined as if in prayer, just like any other day.
However, she wasn't truly praying to the god of light. After all, there was no benefit in doing so, and she might even incur divine punishment.
Still, there was a reason she prayed before the statue: to avoid the watchers' suspicion and to organize her thoughts.
For some reason, Serkia found that her thoughts became clearer when she assumed a praying posture before the god of light.
After praying motionlessly for a while, a small sigh escaped her lips. The cause of her concern was Utekan, who had recently left for the giant's territory.
The last time she saw Utekan, he was brimming with confidence and certainty. To Serkia, such confidence seemed well-placed, as Utekan's plan appeared flawless.
The operation was to take place in the giant's territory, essentially Utekan's domain, where their forces were overwhelmingly superior, and thorough prior research had eliminated any potential variables.
'But still...'
The unease remained. They had always been confident in their attempts to kill Zion Agnes, yet every attempt had ended in disaster.
It wasn't that their preparations or attempts to block variables were insufficient. They were perfect. It was just that Zion Agnes had always far surpassed their expectations and preparations.
'I shouldn't doubt.'
Serkia shook her head to dispel her unease. After all, worrying now wouldn't change anything.
Then, she heard a voice in her mind.
-Lady Serkia.
It belonged to one of her subordinates, who had recently taken on the role of an informant.
-A message has arrived from the future sight.
The demon, keeping out of sight possibly due to the presence of others, spoke directly into Serkia's mind.
Of course, the demon was disguised as a human, but since they were unrelated to the church's branch, appearing in their true form could raise suspicions.
Serkia nodded slightly as if to say, "Go on."
After about a minute,
'Huh?'
Doubt began to cloud Serkia's eyes after she received the entire message.
'Why is there no mention of Utekan?'
Normally, messages from the future sight describe upcoming events and instruct each demon on what they should do. However, there was not a single mention of Utekan in this message, as if it was deliberately omitted.
'Could it be...!'
A sinister feeling suddenly overwhelmed her. There had been only one reason in the past for the future sight not to mention someone: could it mean that Utekan, or rather, Tarahal, is going to die?
"Who's going to die?"
Suddenly, a voice came from beside her. It wasn't the voice of her demon subordinate or the priests she lived with.
"!"
Startled, Serkia turned towards the source of the voice and saw a man with brilliant blond hair and a sculpted appearance. It was Prince Rubrious Agnes.
"Tell me again. Who is supposed to die? Did you receive some kind of oracle?"
The prince asked with his usual gentle smile.
"That is..."
Just as Serkia felt an indescribable sense of dread and was about to make an excuse,
"Ah, and..."
Before she could, Rubrious spoke again and simultaneously,
Snap!
He grasped the air beside him.
"Argh!"
A man appeared out of thin air, choked by the prince's hand. It was Serkia's demon subordinate who had been hiding.
"What relation do you have with this rat?"
Rubrious's eyes, now shining with the bright light of six stars, were fixed on her.
---
'What?'
Utekan was baffled.
Why were the monster legion charging at them now, and why were his forces rushing to meet them?
'The monster legion is a separate force. They're thinking of turning this into a chaotic three-way battle to stand a chance? They're really struggling. But how did they know the monster legion would appear here?'
One question led to another.
"Prince Utekan!"
These questions were interrupted by a giant urgently calling him from the side. The giant's name was Bayarma, chieftain of the Red Horn tribe and Utekan's uncle. His eyes sought an answer on how to act in this situation.
"Well, it doesn't matter."
After pondering for a moment, Utekan smirked and spoke.
"Ten tribes on the left will defend against the monster legion, and the rest will smash the enemies coming from the front."
This would spread their forces thin, but the enemies would have to face the monster legion just the same.
"Kill them all!"
"Ha-ha! Crush their heads completely!"
With those shouts, the clash with the opposing giants began first.
Then, as the monster legion stormed into the battlefield,
"…!"
Utekan’s predictions went completely wrong once again.
His eyes shifted from confusion to dismay. The reason was that the monsters were attacking only his side, specifically targeting Utekan's allied giants.
"Why are the monsters attacking only us… Ahhh!"
"Block them! Just block… Ahhh!"
Despite Utekan's orders for some giant tribes on the left to hold the line, the full force of the monster legion was not something that could be withstood by them alone.
The Seven Calamities, among which the monster legion was considered formidable even by the empire's elite legions, who, even with fortress support, struggled to hold them back due to sheer force.
Moreover, as they crossed into the large territory, their numbers grew, concentrating all their power in one place, making it impossible to defend against.
"Why is this happening…"
As the left flank quickly crumbled under the monster legion, Utekan mumbled blankly, watching the situation unfold.
What was happening? The one variable that could turn the tide, which he had deemed impossible and ignored, was unfolding before his eyes.
'A force surpassing the empire's elite legions.'
And in a way, he hadn't anticipated at all.
"Now is the time! Push through to the end! Don’t give the enemy a chance to breathe, even if it breaks our bodies!"
Seizing what seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Vatar leading the Blue Claw tribe and the opposing giants were desperately pushing forward.
A strand of anxiety that had lingered in his mind.
As that anxiety turned into reality, Utekan's face began to contort.
'Could all of this have been a trap set by Zion Agnes?'
A single word came to mind: defeat.
'No, that can't be. It can't be.'
As he shook his head in denial, Utekan caught sight of Zion advancing towards them at an incredible speed, cutting through the giants with the masked swordsmen.
Behind them stretched a long trail of blood.
"Zion Agnes!"
A roar-like shout erupted from Utekan's mouth.
With that, his eyes began to blaze with rage.
Zion Agnes.
The root of all this chaos, and the biggest barrier in the way of both the demonic forces and Utekan himself.
'Yes, if I just kill that guy…!'
With that thought, Utekan’s form burst forward with a sonic boom, moving at a speed invisible to the eye, shooting straight across the battlefield towards Zion.
The shockwave trailing long behind him and the earth shattering beneath its force.
The power felt from this was beyond imagination, momentarily stopping the surrounding battles as all eyes focused on it.
To an ordinary person, just witnessing it would turn their face pale with the immense pressure, but Zion smiled slightly at the approaching Utekan.
"I'm grateful you came out to meet me."
With that, Zion, who had sheathed his dragon-slaying spear, extended his right hand and grasped the air.
Swish!
The Eclipse Blade was caught as if it had been waiting.
Then, the blade of the Eclipse Sword grew instantly, starting to emit ominous darkness in all directions.
The atmosphere around it trembled as if weeping.
'A frontal clash would be proper for our first encounter.'
Zion knew that the power erupting from Utekan, with his giant blood and the power of the celestial sea combined, had long surpassed human limits.
To take Utekan's strike head-on might seem foolish, but Zion saw it as an opportunity to test something new.
Creak!
With the sound of a heavily rusted door opening, the darkness began to amplify endlessly.
Using 'Eclipse' for the first time since reaching the fourth rank boasted an effect incomparable to before.
The darkness grew denser, engulfing everything around it.
The overwhelming pressure made the nearby Twilight Swordsmen unknowingly step back.
In the space created, Zion took a stance with one foot back, ready to draw his sword.
Keen!
As the Eclipse Sword was tilted back, all the energy around it was drawn in, forming another blade.
The Eclipse Blade, unable to withstand the power, trembled, and the air screamed as if in agony.
"I'll smash you to pieces, leaving nothing behind!"
Utekan, who had closed the distance, extended his fist, filled with the condensed light of the celestial sea, towards Zion.
And at that moment,
Zion also swung the newly completed blade.
Moon Cut.
The sword technique Zion used to split the sun of Prince Enoch.
The technique, once aided by 'Chronos's Five Questions,' was now displayed again with Zion's own power, fully manifesting in the world.
As the recreated Moon Cut, amplified by a partial eclipse, collided with Utekan's fist.
The entire battlefield blazed with intensity.
It's said that a sound too loud can end up being unheard.
In a silence like a mute world, the view turned stark white.
Simultaneously, the clash's wave that engulfed and burst through the surrounding space began to shatter everything within its range.
Was it surprise at Zion's unexpected power?
In a world yet to regain sound, Utekan, with a twisted face, shouted something and immediately launched into his next attack.
Utekan's fist, shot like a cannonball towards Zion, failed to reach its target.
Thud!
As if caught by something, it stopped right in front of Zion and could not advance further.
Wrapped around his wrist was a chain, glowing with a dark blue hue.
Utekan's eyes filled with confusion.
No matter how much strength he applied, his hand bound by the chain wouldn't budge.
He, who had established himself in a realm unmatched in strength by anyone, couldn't break a mere chain?
Moreover, starting from his bound hand, strength rapidly drained from his entire body.
It felt like sinking deep into the sea.
"What the hell did you…!"
"It's working better than I thought."
Zion interrupted Utekan's astonished outcry with a low voice.
As Zion's eyes curved gracefully,
Swirl!
The Giant Destroyer, fully released from Zion's arm, moved as if alive, wrapping around Utekan's entire body.