Meanwhile, Azadin was confirming Doneor's gang through the Emperor's Voice.
The Emperor's Voice willingly acted as a scouting unit, surveying the surroundings and reporting that information back to Azadin.
It was not as though their sight was literally linked through magic like a reconnaissance team, but even the explanations from the Emperor's Voice were more than helpful enough.
This had not been the case before.
The Emperor's Voice was an artificial spirit. A masterless artificial spirit would normally seek to conserve mana as much as possible to maintain itself.
And yet, seeing how it had become so cooperative toward Azadin—whether because he had been promoted to the 2nd rank, or because of his many contributions—it mattered not. Its cooperation was in no way a bad thing.
[Be cautious, Azadin. A group of about 8 armed men is heading this way.]
"About 8 armed men? Are they the ones? The murderous monster the roadside bandits were looking for?"
[I cannot be certain, but it is true that I sense nether mana. Moreover, near them lie the corpses of ogres and goblins. Remarkable, almost the remains of an entire company are piled up.]
"Eight people took on a whole company?"
If that were true, then surely they were the murderers, the monsters the bandits were searching for.
"Hey, could you convey my voice to the bandits we passed earlier? If you explain it well enough not to frighten them, we could gain their cooperation."
If an artificial spirit suddenly spoke to them, the bandit gang might panic and flee. Yet, the Emperor's Voice put forth an unexpected proposal.
[What if I mimic the voices of their slain comrades? If I explain the situation in a ghastly tone, would they not come on their own?]
"The dignified Emperor's Voice, suggesting something like that…."
[Should I not, then?]
"No, I like it, I like it a lot, but it's just surprising to see you so proactive. Is this because of my promotion?"
[Many heralds, by choice or by force, have ceased to serve. Since mana remains, I merely protect the few heralds who are left.]
"What?"
Azadin was startled by the words of the Emperor's Voice.
That some had ceased to be heralds, whether by choice or otherwise, was unthinkable.
Of course, the herald clan was not invincible. They could suffer injuries, and sometimes permanent damage, making it impossible to fulfill their duties.
Or, as they aged and their skills waned, they would hand down their role to a successor and retire.
But if it were merely such retirements or succession, the Emperor's Voice would not speak of having surplus mana.
A vacant seat left by a herald meant annihilation.
Killed, or dismissed—that was the true meaning behind those words.
To think they had perished on duty… but then again, there had just recently been the rebellion of the Arael faction.
"Could it be that the elder council killed those heralds who sided with the rebellious Arael faction?"
[That is not something I can speak of, Azadin. I have already conveyed the message to them, as though it were the voice of their fallen comrades, asking them to avenge their deaths, or else be cursed.]
"Ah, even threatening with a curse? Then they'll come running, sweating."
[Indeed, they are. Even in fear, they do not flee. To free themselves from the curse, and to avenge their comrades, they rush with all their might.]
Just as the Emperor's Voice had said, the bandit gang had taken up their weapons from the camp and were now moving toward them.
"You plan to make the bandits fight. Not a bad temperament."
Shati was astonished at Azadin's scheme of using even the Emperor's Voice to drag the bandits into the fight.
"But it is reasonable. The bandits desire vengeance, and it is not as if we can simply leave them be, can we?"
Zebeck defended Azadin, drawing his sword, inspecting its blade, and wiping it clean with a strip of leather.
"Enough idle talk! Let's get the people to safety and join forces with those bandits!"
While protecting the commoners, Azadin withdrew and joined up with the oncoming bandits.
And almost at the same time, Doneor's gang descended from the hill and arrived before Azadin's group.
***
"That one, he's of the herald clan, isn't he?"
Bandit King Doneor spotted Azadin's group and was instead delighted.
Inquisitor Zekt had ordered the Bandit King Doneor to track down Azadin and Zebeck. And to think he would see them here.
'That Zekt bastard is a master, a true master. How did he know the herald clan would cross the border? Or was it mere coincidence?'
Doneor felt his body itching with excitement.
In the past, he had tasted bitter defeat at the hands of Azadin's group.
But now, he was no longer the man he used to be. How would it be this time? Even if they were herald clan, called Divine King Slayers, soulless heretics, had he and his men not grown stronger, accustomed to monsters?
Then he saw Azadin draw his bow.
—Shaaak!
An arrow flew.
It was unbelievably fast, but there was distance, and he had fired while they were watching, so they could see the arrow's flight.
"I can see it plain as day! You bastard!"
One of Doneor's subordinates tried to deflect it with a shield.
But….
—Thud!
The arrow pierced through the head of the one holding the shield. He had clearly seen its trajectory and swung his shield to bat it aside, yet mid-flight the arrow twisted, shifting its course, and struck his head.
"Kahaha! Fool! The arrows of the herald clan change trajectory! Didn't you know that?"
Even though their comrade's head had been skewered, they all laughed carelessly.
Even the one who had his head pierced sheepishly pulled out the arrow. For an ordinary man, it was a mortal wound. Yet, astonishingly, as he removed the arrow, dark red worms squirmed out from the wound and sealed it shut.
The soldiers of the Blue Sky Order were horrified at the sight.
"Hiik?!"
"W-what is that?!"
"A monster!"
"Ah, that must be…."
In everyone's mind, the shattered tree by the roadside came to mind.
A monster with brute strength enough to hurl a man and snap a giant tree. These were the very beasts that had been killing and devouring people.
They came running in human form, but in those humans the shadow of monsters was seen, and the people trembled in fear.
'Funny thing is, you're vassals too.'
Though neutralized by Arael's medicine, they themselves had been monsters dealing death only the day before.
"Shall I split a few apart?"
Azadin loosed arrows in succession, arrows tipped with cheap iron coinheads.
Dual Immortal Bow, the herald clan's art of firing several arrows one after another, yet having them strike simultaneously upon the target. Three arrows landed at once upon a single man.
The foe tried to deflect with a shield but was struck by the other arrows, crying out in pain, yet soon his wounds healed.
"Arrows cannot kill them, it seems."
The Blue Sky Order taoist, Jiswa, was dismayed, but Azadin continued firing, slowing their feet and dividing the eight foes so they could not all charge at once.
Then the bandits moved.
Having lost comrades, and furious that their territory had been invaded, the bandits charged willingly. They fired arrows, swung polearms, and struck the monstrous vanguard.
Blood sprayed, a storm of gore rose.
Well-armed, the bandits also proved skilled in combat. Their fighting was so fierce that the youths of the Blue Sky Order shuddered. These must have been mercenaries of some renown.
"Wow, these bastards fight too well, Doneor!"
"In human form, there are limits!"
"Do it!"
The monsters revealed their true selves.
They had been watching the bandits' swordsmanship with amusement, but like cats toying with cornered rats, they believed that once they unleashed their full power, killing them would be trivial, reveling in their superiority.
The bandits, who had been fighting well just moments before, were suddenly driven into disadvantage.
"I understand your intention, but I cannot just watch."
Zebeck, unable to bear the sight, stepped forward.
He knew Azadin was deliberately using the bandits against Doneor's gang to weaken them, yet he could not stand idly by while they died before his eyes.
"That one…."
"Isn't he that holy knight?!"
Doneor's gang recognized Zebeck and charged. When Zekt had given them orders, he had told them to capture Zebeck as well.
But Zebeck calmly met their assault.
"Sir Brand sends his regards."
At that moment, the rusted mace dropped from Zebeck's hand and struck the ground. The holy magic of the king's church ignited, smiting the newly transformed foes with the divine punishment of the king's virtue.
"Kwaaak!"
And as he rushed in, Zebeck swung his longsword, severing an arm from Doneor's gang, then angling right, slashing through the back of the knee and hamstring.
Though the bandits were practiced swordsmen, their skill seemed like children's play compared to Zebeck's refined swordsmanship.
In an instant, Zebeck cut limbs, forced his foes to kneel, then swung horizontally, beheading Doneor's men like an executioner taking a prisoner's life.
Not letting down his guard, he recited an invocation, casting the spell of purification, burning with white flame the black worms that poured endlessly from the severed bodies.
"Uuugh!"
"The light of the king's virtue!"
Doneor's gang could not bear to look upon the brilliance of the king's virtue radiating from Zebeck.
Though they had become monsters and gained great power, that very change made them more vulnerable to the king's virtue. Facing a true holy knight like Zebeck, they were unable to withstand him.
"…What is this? Was that man such a skilled warrior?"
As Doneor faltered, Azadin now rushed at him.
***
"Stop him!"
"You bastard!"
Doneor's subordinates spewed worms from their bodies, enlarging their frames, swinging their limbs. The massive weapons they held, and even their swollen arms themselves, carried terrifying weight as they came crashing toward Azadin.
But Azadin slipped into dusk light, slipping beneath their assault, ignoring the others, and stood right before Doneor's face.
"Been well, Doneor? Why are you here?"
"Ugh… You! You're the herald clan from that time!"
Doneor tried to counterattack, but Azadin's hand pierced his left eye first.
Curling his fingers, thrusting lightly, he gouged out the left eye and shredded the entire orbit.
"Kraaaak!"
For the present Doneor, losing an eye was not such a grievous wound.
But from the wound inflicted by Azadin, burning pain spread through his whole body. With the copy of the Book of the Divine King filling Azadin's body with the king's virtue, his attack brought agony to Doneor.
"Aaaaaaagh!"
Unable to endure, Doneor writhed on the ground. Azadin kicked him away.
"Guhhh!"
"You're making too much of a fuss. For Sir Brand's sake I cannot kill you so easily, but if you make such a fuss, how troublesome."
"You bastard, that old man's…."
"You must die in agony."
"Don't make me laugh!"
Doneor swung his weapon reflexively, but Azadin evaded and drove a kick into Doneor's torso.