Chapter 91: Another Necromancer (2)
A fierce dragons fury shot through their gazes!
Even though it was markedly different from a complete dragon, the one before them was indeed a dragon.
Its tremendous magical energy, fitting for its majesty, could certainly be called the cause of an eras destruction.
Zik and Pia instantly stiffened.
We must run away
A real dragon what on earth is this
Could it be that another era was disappearing like this?
Under the dragons fury, many soldiers lost their senses.
Their swords were now turned not against the rebels, but against their own allies.
Swish-
Aaaargh!
Die! To die and be reborn, thats it! Hahaha!
They had already been consumed by the endlessly surging magical energy. Iriel gnashed her teeth at this sight, then gathered her holy power once more.
Holy Protect!
Whoosh-
Immense holy energy swirled around, spreading far from her.
But it had no special effect.
Because the amount of magic spewing forth was overwhelming Iriels holy power.
Instead, that holy power caught the eye of the real dragon.
Grrrr-
With a low growl, the real dragon fixed its gaze on Iriel.
The fear peculiar to dragons.
Even The Saintess Iriel trembled as she faced it head-on.
Shiver shiver shiver-
Then Zik firmly pressed his lips together and stood in front of Iriel.
Urgh
The fear seemed slightly less oppressive as it was now divided between the two of them.
Then Pia joined in.
Ugh living to face a dragons fear Its an honor in a way, isnt it? Sniff!
Despite sweating profusely, there was a smile on his face - truly an oddball.
Iriel felt grateful to these two people.
The thought of sharing the fear wasnt something one could simply consider.
Perhaps even the fear alone could cost them their lives.
Such an act without hesitation could only come from significant trust.
Pia belonged to a family that served Iriel, but wasnt Zik from a ducal house serving The Saint?
Her gratitude was beyond words.
However, they were hardly in a position to take any action.
Merely enduring the fear was already their limit.
Then the banshees began their attack.
Kiiiyaaaaaah!
Aaaaaahhhhh!
Sssslash-!
With a piercing scream, Ziks quick movements shielded the two from the swiftly swooping claws of the banshee.
Thanks to him, his body was torn like a piece of paper.
Aaaargh!
Lord Zik!
You fool! What were you doing!
They were already bound by the dragons fear, unable to move - what kind of action was that!
Blood gushed from Ziks mouth.
The recent attack could only have been endured because his body had been enhanced after reaching the level of a Sword Master.
A banshee was a higher-level undead monster, akin to a Death Knight.
In terms of annihilation rather than single-target combat, it was an undead that exerted greater power than a Death Knight.
How formidable would such an undead be if it attacked an immobile target?
He had wrapped holy power around his skin, repelling most attacks, but now even his body seemed to be tearing apart.
Perhaps someone like Pia would die after a few attacks.
Cough! Ptui!
Zik coughed and spat out blood.
We must buy time until the arrival of the Holy One. To claim to be his servant, one must at least be able to do that
He forcibly moved his stiff body and drew his sword.
How many times would he be able to swing this sword?
If only he hadnt been bound by the chains!
Zik glared at the surrounding undead with sharp eyes.
Soon, the undead would swarm towards the scent of blood.
As expected, not only the banshee but also the undead soldiers began to gather around them one by one.
Clack-clack-
Aaaaaaaaaah!
The sound of clashing skeletons and the banshees wailing served as a signal, and they all pounced on Pia, who appeared to be the most vulnerable among the three.
Aaaaah!
Slish-
The banshee attacking her was sliced in an instant.
However, because of her slow movement, she couldnt stop the undead soldiers.
An undead knights blade pierced through Ziks side.
Burning pain erupted, and a groan slipped from Ziks mouth.
Ugh
He moved quickly and decapitated the undead knight.
Im fine, so take care of yourself first! You fool!
Pia cried out in a trembling voice.
Youve got no strength, but your mouth sure is alive Cough!
Zik continued to swing his sword at the undead.
Upon seeing him, Iriel raised a surge of holy power, but she couldnt escape the chains.
Please! O God!
She sought divine help desperately.
But no response came.
After all, she was not a Sword Master.
She had merely received an abundance of holy power from the god and had a bit more freedom in using it than others, which allowed her to demonstrate power close to that of a Sword Master.
On the contrary, Zik had attained the position of a Sword Master purely through swordsmanship and enlightenment.
His physical and mental capacities, pushed to the limits of humanity, allowed him to move slightly despite being suppressed by the chains.
It was natural that Pia and Iriel, unlike Zik, couldnt move an inch before the might of the dragon they faced.
Even in the magical era, hadnt it been due to such elemental compatibility that the saint died?
The ability to do nothing but watch Zik fight was frustrating.
Despite being a holy woman who seemed capable of doing anything, Iriel felt helpless.
Zik glanced at Iriel and Pia and gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.
The weakest among us is Pia. They will probably target her next again.
His prediction was accurate.
Excluding the banshee lurking in the air, the undead were drawn to Pia and charged at her.
With that, Zik exhaled and drew his sword once more.
Gasp!
With a swift motion, Zik unleashed a thin slice of divine power in front of him, instantly cleaving through nearly a hundred undead in a single stroke.
Observing this, the undead, who had deemed Zik to be the greatest threat, previously swarming around Feya, began to converge towards him.
Zik exhaled once again and swung his sword through the air.
Clash-!
Numerous undead were slashed apart once again.
However, the power of his blows had noticeably diminished from before.
Drenched in a mix of sweat and rain, Zik gritted his teeth.
My divine power is starting to run out!
Having continuously battled the rebel forces, his divine power showed signs of depletion.
He glanced around, seeking reinforcements.
But he soon shook his head in resignation.
Knights of the holy kingdom, being devoured by the undead, laughed demonically as they cut down each other there was no help to be sought from them.
How had the knights of the holy kingdom come to such a state?
They were no longer the proud knights he knew, those who had once shared hardships with him, now laughing hysterically as they drank the blood of their comrades.
As Zik continued to fend off the relentless assault of the undead, his sword movements slowed.
No! Im losing strength!
Squeak-!
In that moment of weakness, the undead knights swords plunged into Zik.
Arghhh!
His chest was instantly shredded, blood spurted out.
A pool of blood formed around him, soaked by the rain.
The amount of blood flowing was a clear indicator of a life-threatening situation.
Kyaahhh!
Feya screamed at the sight.
Ah, I thought it was a banshee So noisy Cough!
Zik, staggering, managed to cut down an undead knight.
Blood incessantly poured from Ziks mouth, who was barely standing, his sword planted in the ground.
Heugh Heugh
Breathing was a struggle. Never since becoming a Swordmaster had he felt so exhausted.
Was it a lack of training?
Zik managed a bitter smile.
Not all Swordmasters were the same.
Even Duke Jahad was an opponent he knew he could not defeat.
If Duke Jahad had been there in his place, protecting them perhaps he would have held out longer.
Somehow, he felt grateful that the true dragon had remained passive, merely emitting its aura.
The banshee, seizing the opportunity as Zik weakened, swooped down from the sky.
Kiiiyaaahhhhh!
Clang-
Zik quickly raised his sword to block the banshees claws and, with a smooth motion, severed its hand.
Kyaahhhhhhhh!
Zik, gasping for breath, gave a wry grin at the banshees even louder shrieks.
Heugh Does it hurt? Heugh
Grrraaagh!
With a pained cry, the banshee lunged at him again.
The undead knights, seemingly tireless, joined the assault.
The banshee aimed for his throat, while the undead knights targeted his chest and abdomen.
I cant block this.
Zik barely managed to parry the banshees strike aimed at his throat.
Kaang-!
The cold touch of a sword was felt on the chest and abdomen that he couldnt defend in time.
Pook- Pook-
The undeads thrust had pierced holes through his chest and abdomen.
Ziks body was reduced to tatters by the wounds.
Peiah cried out in despair.
No waaaaay!!!
Iriel, too, choked up with tears as she screamed.
What are you doing! Hurry up and come here, you foolish saint!!!
The banshee attacked again, targeting the neck this time.
Zik watched with incredible speed as the banshees claws swooped towards him.
If hit, death would have been inevitable.
He tried to lift his sword, but his body wouldnt move.
Perhaps even a Swordmaster had limits, after all.
Zik let out a dry laugh.
Dying on the battlefield isnt the worst way to go.
Just as he was about to close his eyes accepting his fate.
He saw the back of someone blocking his view, faster than the banshee.
Extensive cure.
Hwaaak-!
With those words, the surrounding undead began to disintegrate into heaps of ash.
The Bone Dragons demonic energy, which even Iriels holy power couldnt withstand, was devoured and eroded by Rays mana.
The dark energy around them swept away, replaced by a blue light of mana.
Kraaaak!
Kagagagak!
Along with the undeads screams, not a single one remained in the vicinity.
The Bone Dragon flapped its wings, howling.
Kraaaaaaaaa!
Despite the wind that rivaled a storm and its overwhelming presence, Ray remained expressionless as he observed the Bone Dragon.
So, a necromancer still existed.
Ray began gathering a massive amount of mana from the atmosphere as he spoke.
The amount was incomparable to the mana he had drawn when healing Aira.
The atmosphere seemed to be sucked into Rays left hand.
The swirling mana shredded the nearby trees as if they were paper.
Soon, a terrifyingly dense and enormous amount of mana gathered around Rays left hand.
Feeling threatened by this sight, the Bone Dragon gathered its magic power and took a deep breath.
Kaang-
Zik and Iriel watched in alarm and shouted desperately.
To use a breath attack in a place like this!
A Dragon Breath! Holy one! Quickly dodge
Before they could finish their cries, the Bone Dragon unleashed its breath.
Phwaaak-
A dense, acidic breath poured out, seeming to melt everything in its path.
Trees dissolved, rocks melted.
Even the cliff that had stood in Selonia for over a thousand years was reduced to what resembled a mere hill.
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