No one could escape old age.
Except maybe those blood-sucking mosquito bastards who leech others dry, or the mysterious southern heteromorphic tribes that the rumors whispered about.
But even Jaihin knew this: lifespan was always the chain around a warrior's ankle.
"…Your feet are heavy."
In the Eveldun Empire, where civil war was a constant, among the Revine who settled disputes by brawling over rank, senescence was a shackle.
"Old man Brutaltus, you lost again?"
"Your little tricks keep improving. That swamp you made a moment ago—most warriors would find that fatal. Clever to come up with such parlor tricks."
"Heh. For an old man to talk so much. Maybe it's time you hide away in some backroom? You're pathetic."
Jealousy gnawed.
Once he had shone like that himself.
While former underlings grew stronger one by one, he'd slid down the slope.
'Damn it, I can still run! While I still breathe, I can still aim higher!'
But reality was cruel.
"Brutaltus, you're out of date. Even if you stay under my roof, choose Parsil who's got a bright future…"
Pushed by other Revine, he'd been reduced to a back-room old man in his high castle. For a Revine who measured himself by might and pride, that stung.
As a dark, bitter feeling rose inside him, a visitor came.
"Come under me, Brutaltus. I'll give you strength greater than youth."
"…You are—"
The man who showed himself in the heart of Brutaltus's keep—where guards should have been posted—answered not with overwhelming roar but a casual voice that contrasted with the pressure he exuded.
"You are in the presence of your king, True Dragon. As a noble, Brutaltus, you must obey the king's orders."
Though the phrasing was mild, Jaihin sensed something.
'…Am I trembling?'
The murderous intent that had made a lifetime veteran of battle like him feel fear—if he disobeyed, death would not be unlikely.
"…I gladly swear fealty."
The fruit of submission was sweet.
A new power came with the oath.
[Boss]
[Tyron Disaster]
[Warning]
[Difficulty far exceeds your level.]
[Grow more before attempting…]
Gazing at the words floating in the void, Jaihin muttered blankly.
"This is…?"
"I can't return you your youth, but if you obey my orders, I can bestow a power of this type."
To show him even a fragment of the opponent's domain, to grant the ability to avoid the strong and trample the weak—what reward would be more useful to a Revine, whose life was nothing but battle?
'…This is an opportunity.'
The original strength was steadily wearing away with age. But with True Dragon's power, this decline could be patched over; he could still live on as a warrior.
"…You actually plan to march into the human Empire? Aren't you afraid of dying?"
Human flesh was soft, their muscles weak, and many couldn't even properly wield magic. So many Revine sneered that humans weren't worth their time.
Still, everyone knew the truth: hidden among those fragile people were swordmasters who'd kept Revine from ever breaching their strongholds. Going to the Empire's heart was practically suicidal—sympathy for the choice was not unreasonable.
"Have mercy for old times? Ask the True Dragon to cancel this? Not a chance, Parsil."
A jibe from a fellow Revine noble—an upstart Four Heavenly Kings—made Jaihin grin bitterly.
"I choose this path to advance as one Revine. If I perform deeds in this campaign, perhaps the True Dragon will grant even greater strength."
The stigma of being the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, the humiliation of being labeled a relic—True Dragon's favor might overturn all that.
"So tell me where the Queen is, you worthless thing!"
He hurled aura into his fist, reaching for anyone who knew the Queen's whereabouts.
One problem, however—
"—Krrk!"
Why was the human barely parrying his blow? Why did the display show the same kind of status as the True Dragon?
[Boss]
[Hans Byron]
[Warning]
[Difficulty far exceeds your level.]
[Grow more before attempting…]
Why was he—Hans Byron—presented with a 'boss' marker like True Dragon?
'…It's just a glitch, probably.'
If True Dragon's power were granted, such petty errors wouldn't happen, he told himself.
'Hesitation is poison. Find the Queen and return to Eveldun—make that your top priority.'
To get that, he'd have to force open that sealed mouth.
"Still won't speak? Before I do something worse…"
"Pardon? What did you say? Ah—the Queen. My memory's a little fuzzy. Please wait a bit."
A clear taunt. Jaihin's fist clenched at the human who seemed in no mood to reveal anything.
"Tsk. If you can't remember, I'll help you."
There are many ways to prove one's strength.
Crushing a stronger foe by the skin of your teeth is one. But for a withered old man, impossible.
Yet trampling the weak was something old age still allowed.
Experience taught him: even the stiffest of men would spill everything if you cracked their face with a fist enough times.
"Let's see how long you last."
Planted his feet, braced his legs, and filled his arm with aura. He swung.
'He won't die. He's labeled a "boss." He must have a trump card.'
He put his all into the blow.
"Whew, that was close… I nearly made an appointment with the reaper."
"…What the—"
Predictably, the human remained fine.
The problem wasn't that—the problem was who'd blocked the strike.
"Thank you."
"What the hell…! How dare you charge at a high-ranking Revine like that—over some damn woman!"
"…I told you, it's a misunderstanding."
The one who'd stopped the attack was not human.
[Boss]
[Batory Erzebet]
Batory erupted from the shadow: another high-ranking demon.
"Why is a vampire cooperating with humans…?"
Jaihin barely had time to finish that question before cold shivers ran down his spine and he leapt back.
A field of pure white aura ripped up the ground where he had stood.
"That's…!"
Jaihin remembered.
Hundreds of years ago, that blade had swept across battlefields.
—Get out of our lands!
An instrument that had driven many demons out; its name was spoken among demons with both fear and reverence: the Great Warrior's sword.
He recognized at once the blade the warrior had always carried.
And its wielder was none other than—
[Boss]
[Luciana Speda]
The boss title fit her perfectly.
But—
"…For once, I must agree with this demon. Hans, what are you thinking with your head?"
"It's a misunderstanding, Lady Luciana. I only tried to rescue the Saint who's allied with us."
"Don't forget your safety. You are an important asset of House Speda and my attendant."
By now, Jaihin had to suspect something.
'…Are these "boss" tags being attached because so many bosses are being summoned?'
"…Fine. Whatever. If you can push us aside, do it."
One of them was a vampire—an approachable target if they could get close. The legendary blade wielder was still only a human sapling.
…Count the boss-makers as non-existent. This looked like a winnable fight.
"A fine, burning battle at last. I'll bring the Queen back along with your heads."
"Heh. Do you think it will go that way? You Revine whose brain's made of muscle—let me show you a lesson."
"…I don't know how the Queen reached the academy. But this is another lapse of the north. I'll handle it personally."
'This is not good.'
I couldn't help the sigh that escaped me.
"Ugh… this useless protagonist. How did you even attract a Four Heavenly Kings? And pass out so nicely?"
For now, I'd managed to tear René free from his grip and move her to safety.
"Get back!"
"Don't lump me with idiots who'd give the vampire that space. We are not the same."
He knew exactly who was the most dangerous opponent.
Another high-ranking demon: Batory Erzebet. If he let her move freely, the situation would worsen, so he clung to her tightly and refused to release her.
"Lady Luciana! Can you hold him in check?"
"…Impossible. He's too fast. He's been guiding Batory's escape route far away from us on purpose."
Luciana, a classic warrior, couldn't track the fighter's movements. The Revine had taken the initiative through agility and cunning.
'For now, Batory's efforts buy time—'
If Batory fell, the balance of the fight would collapse. Batory is bound by a pact; if she fell, so would I. Luciana alone couldn't handle a Four Heavenly Kings. It would lead straight to a bad ending.
"Hans, any clever trick? Maybe we should reform our lines without Batory."
"I'd like that as well, but…"
Right now, the initiative was in the Four Heavenly Kings' hands. Even if we wanted to attack, he wouldn't allow annoying interferences.
'We came here looking for the Queen—why attack the academy first? Why now?'
At that moment, something fallen near René caught my eye.
"…The Queen's charm orb."
A diamond-like jewel of the Diamond—like the one I had. A treasure only the Succubus Queen could use.
"…That damned little sister. When did she steal that from the Queen?"
Blood tells. I brokered the forced pact; I had no right to complain.
Still, it wasn't hard to infer this was why the Four Heavenly Kings had come.
"Really… we'll settle this later."
Still, that gave me a way to change his mind.
—Batory! Leave the battlefield now and focus on evacuating the students—Saint included!
—…Hans? I can't! How could I leave you…?
—Trust me. I will bring his neck along with a gift.
Batory hesitated. If I died, the pactbound Batory would also be fatally harmed.
No—more than that, she might take a deep wound to the heart.
—…It's not that I don't trust you. It's that I worry about your frost mane.
—If you're worried, step back. If we continue to be maneuvered by his intent, we'll lose a winnable fight.
Batory, a mage, was strong, but she matched poorly against a brawler. Better for Luciana and I to press frontally.
—Still worried you are, Hans. You'll do something reckless.
—Please. I ask it of you.
—But I don't think it will go as planned. He won't leave my side, it seems.
We'd take care of the rest.
"Ah! Hey, Jaihin Brutaltus! Can you hear me?!"
I shouted until my throat hurt.
Even while Batory was being chased, I felt a glance in our direction.
"You want the Queen? If you want, I'll give her!"
To catch a big fish, you need an expensive bait.
[Calamity Cult Member List]
[…]
[Summon believers to this place.]
[Lilith Arcadia]
[Y / N]
The Queen, though not a combatant herself, was the perfect lure to draw that rugged fighter.
"Huh? What's this—?"
The Queen, busy under Wulbaek's wing, held the scroll and—
"KYAAAH!"
She tossed the scroll aside and fled at lightning speed, escaping the oncoming brawler.
"Whew, finally you answered my call!"
"Se—!"
"…"
"Cough! Hans Byron, what on earth is happening? Why is a Four Heavenly Kings here…?"
Anyway, we'd succeeded in pulling him off Batory.
"Lady Luciana, are you ready?"
"…I wanted to ask about that woman you called, but there's no time. We can't miss this chance."
Luciana's sword and my dagger pointed to the same target.
"…I planned to clear out annoying mosquitoes first. But if the main target is right here, we strike now."
"You don't think we'll just let you take her?"
"Ha! Merely underdeveloped human children. I'll teach you the difference in rank."
Now both sides could give everything.
Batory would handle the rescue. Luciana and I would uproot the source of the problem.
"I'll kill them all! The Queen is mine!"
"Hans, move!"
"Yes! Leave it to me!"
I surged toward the oncoming fists and slashed with my dagger.
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