Chapter 268: Defense Game (2)

The outskirts of Tarak Castle, transformed into a battlefield.

Kwaaang—!

Splash!

Loud explosions erupted throughout the battlefield as various energies—dark magic and holy power, aura and blood magic—clashed and intertwined.

Clatter— Clatter!

[Kreeek—!]

Like an unending tide, the Undead Army, led by their officers, marched in an orderly yet ferocious manner towards the walls of Tarak Castle.

Those who had come to fight the giant joined the defenders on the walls, desperately struggling to protect the city.

"In the name of the Lord, I shall purify these unholy beings!"

"Eternal rest for the deceased!"

Cardinal Donovan, radiating blazing holy power, led the Church of the Lord's support unit, which included a paladin and two archbishops.

"Move quickly!"

"Don't overdo it! Prioritize minimizing casualties!"

A Master-class knight dispatched from the royal palace and the elite knights he commanded were busy encouraging and directing the defenders on the walls.

"As expected, fighting undead is inefficient since they don't bleed."

"…But even considering the giant, isn't it unnecessary for us to intervene in the city's defense? This isn't our land."

"The High Lord must have his reasons. Perhaps he's trying to increase his influence over the neighboring kingdoms."

Moreover, even the vampires of the Hybrid Clan—the strongest small elite force, which included Heinz II, a member of the Royal Bloodline, Briki, and five other Purebloods—were present.

Although each of these reinforcements was formidable, directly confronting an undead army exceeding ten thousand was foolish.

That was why those who were outside only briefly stemmed the tide of the invasion before immediately joining the defenders on the walls.

It was a strategy to fight the prolonged battle as efficiently as possible.

And naturally.

Among those defending the walls, the vampires from the Talia Kingdom stood out.

In reality, they had been a hostile race until recently.

["Are you sure about this? Siding with the humans and actively opposing the Undead King?"]

Amidst the chaotic activity, Briki, while casually dealing with the undead, stealthily approached Heinz and spoke through telepathy, while subtle glances were directed their way.

Although she had reverted back to informal speech after briefly using honorifics, that was all he had expected from her in the first place.

He nodded calmly in response, effortlessly obliterating a cluster of approaching undead with a casual swipe of his hand.

["Yes, the Undead King and we are incompatible. Moreover, now that we have participated in the summit and emerged onto the world stage, a passive stance like before has its limits if we want to expand our influence on the continent."]

Additionally, by doing this favor for the Tulke Kingdom, they could prevent them from allying with other kingdoms, making it a beneficial strategy in many ways.

In the process, they could also subtly support Hubert's Trading Company.

And above all, the most crucial point was—.

'Hmm, at this level… we can barely manage to hold them off.'

Of course, he had no intention of truly letting Tarak fall.

Considering how much effort he had put into minimizing damage to the city during the fight with the giant, there was no way he would now destroy the base with his own hands.

The reason he was creating this crisis was to heighten the continental tension as the scenario progressed.

'Lately, the effects have been wearing off, and the karma I'm earning has decreased.'

Of course, the damage attributed to the Undead King was still undeniably significant.

This was only natural, as not only were there direct undead invasions, but also the overflowing monsters and the appearance of the giant.

The problem was that people had become too accustomed to the recurring situation.

'Because of that, even when the Hero's party and Heinrich achieve something, people are starting to take it for granted. A definite change is needed at this point.'

It didn't matter what form it took.

As long as he could create an atmosphere where everyone joined forces to overcome the crisis.

And the climax of this story, planned in advance, was for humanity, united as one, to witness the decisive battle between the Undead King and the Hero. It was the climax of this home theatre.

'By eliminating the Revolutionary, I've also removed the variable that has been a constant nuisance, so there shouldn't be any major problems in proceeding with things. Of course, even if I speed things up, it won't end quickly.'

Even if he started the final preparations now, it would still take a considerable amount of time to reach the ending.

Even if he started to escalate the sense of crisis from now on, he couldn't wrap things up sloppily, considering this was the climax of the story.

'Gradually building up the tension, uniting everyone's strength, opening the path to the north where the Undead Castle is located, and confronting Hans… Will it take about half a year?'

If he really put his mind to it, he could drag out this chaos longer and fully capitalize on it, but he was starting to feel wary of running rampant without limits and ruining the world.

Those above.

To his sponsors, who had supported him in various ways so far.

["You're right. Then I should be more proactive as well."]

As Heinz was organizing his thoughts.

Briki, who was beside him, nodded firmly as if in agreement, and then took a few steps away from him.

And immediately after.

The moment he sensed her telepathic message move.

Wooo—

As her figure disappeared, a massive crimson whirlwind swept across the front where the undead were swarming.

Ssccrrraakk—!

It swept through the enemy forces, instantly pulverizing hundreds of them.

A path opened up through the ranks of the undead army.

Although Briki, as a vampire, wasn't a good match against the undead, such a trivial matter didn't pose much of a problem for a being of Royal Blood.

"Whoa! Wh-what is this?"

"Hmm, I didn't expect this level of power."

The other defenders on the wall, who had been responding to the undead, were startled by her divine power and their nervous gazes turned towards her.

It was unavoidable, considering the deep-rooted prejudices that had existed for a long time, even if they were now allies.

Moreover, wasn't there another Royal Blood present?

"Hoho, indeed."

However, not everyone reacted the same way.

Some showed a burning fighting spirit in response to the vampires' actions—

"It's a joyous occasion that the vampires have repented and chosen to cooperate, but as a representative of the Church of the Lord, we cannot afford to fall behind."

"You're right. Besides, our opponents are the undead, aren't they?"

"We can't just stand idly by. I'll prepare the altar."

The members of the Church, who had been at odds with the vampires for a long time until the mediation of Saint Heinrich.

They were the elites who had come from the Picaol Grand Temple along with Cardinal Donovan.

They instantly agreed and gathered in one place to construct a makeshift altar for holy spells.

And as they began reciting prayers in unison, led by the cardinal.

Wooong— Kwaaa—!

A miracle unfolded in the middle of the battlefield.

A brilliant pillar of light descended, obliterating the undead in the area and its aftershocks spread out, halting the death aura that had been eroding the space.

A successive display of overwhelming spectacle.

"Waaaa—!"

"We're… We're saved! We can win!"

The morale of the soldiers, who had been frozen in fear with pale faces, began to rise.

They had been terrified by the march of the gruesome corpses, but now they could see hope for survival.

'But it won't be that easy.'

The momentarily dispersed death aura quickly spread again, fueled by the soaring morale of the undead army.

High-ranking undead such as Death Knights and Liches stationed throughout the battlefield, as well as the officers in the rear, began to take action.

'Besides…'

Heinz II, who was keenly assessing the situation while diligently eliminating the approaching enemies, turned his gaze towards the depths of the undead army.

It was where the crimson whirlwind, which had been rampaging through the enemy ranks, had come to a halt.

'If I leave my position now, the walls could be in danger. …Let's observe for a bit.'

Naturally, the Undead Army wasn't just taking the beating.

Even if the forces present were only a small fraction, they were still the strongest and most vicious military force in the world, fighting against the entire world.

[A vampire.]

[My, how bold of them to crawl out instead of hiding like they did three hundred years ago.]

[Kehihi— A Royal Blood vampire! What a valuable material has come our way!]

Furthermore, a considerable number of high-ranking officers, who had been keeping a low profile, were mobilized for this operation.

Officers like Doom Knight Drexler, General Spartoi Trev, and Archlich Kelripa surrounded Briki, who had penetrated the army, and raised their momentum.

The intensified death aura, amplified by their subservience to the Undead King, resonated and strongly connected with the surrounding energy.

As undead, their dark magic amplified explosively, with each serving as a conduit for the others.

"…Hmm, did I overdo it?"

Briki, who had confidently plunged into the enemy lines relying on the power enhanced by the 「Refined Blood Crystal」, only to be blocked, gave an awkward smile.

In a one-on-one fight, she was confident she could defeat anyone present, but judging by their momentum, they had no intention of allowing that.

Kwaaang—!

Thus, in the midst of the Undead Army, the officers and the Royal Blood vampire clashed.

On another front, the holy power of the Church of the Lord and the death aura constantly clashed back and forth, and the fight on the barely holding walls began to intensify.

Explosions, shouts, screams, spells, roars…

All sorts of noises mixed together as the battlefield descended into chaos.

And Heinz II, who was watching all of this in real time while desperately trying to maintain the defense of the walls.

'I think it's about time to end this.'

He nodded seriously, satisfied with the situation unfolding exactly as he had envisioned.

It was perfect chaos, as if painted in a picture.

Far from the battlefield formed near Tarak.

Another battle was taking place even further away from where the colossal giant had fallen.

Wooo—

A dense death aura, incomparable to that of other undead, enveloped the surroundings.

"Heave-ho—!"

A giant hand, filled with power that seemed capable of crushing anything, tore through space.

"Haa!"

A massive blade of light, like a pillar, pierced through the gap.

Rumble—!

And in sync with it, various magic spells, spirits, and holy magic poured out continuously.

The clash between the suddenly appearing Undead King and the Hero's party.

Thanks to Harley, who had recently obtained new powers, the fight was even fiercer than before, but those who had just fought the giant instinctively realized.

That they couldn't possibly win in their current state.

But as they gritted their teeth and squeezed out their last remaining strength, unable to simply give up.

The end came unexpectedly.

[Oh dear, I originally planned to just exchange greetings. I got carried away and stayed longer than I intended.]

The Undead King, who had been relentlessly pushing them back with overwhelming force, retreated first.

Even then, the Hero's party remained vigilant, but as if he had meant what he said, he simply let out a low sneer and made no further moves.

[Kukuku— Let's stop here for today. It would be a waste to finish you off here when you're not at your best.]

"…Ha, are you saying you'll retreat just like that? Undead King!"

[There's no need to rush. My adversary, Heinrich. I've just started a new game, and I can't end it before it's properly enjoyed.]

The Undead King, with a sinister laugh, haughtily declared that there was still plenty of time left, and slowly ascended into the air.

The Hero's party, exhausted from the continuous battles, couldn't take any action even as they watched him.

[I'm looking forward to it. I wonder how long you can hold out. And when and how you'll reach my castle!]

"…Ah, just you wait, Undead King! When that time comes, I'll definitely cast you into the abyss."

[Khahaha! That will be enjoyable entertainment as well!]

Snap—

Then, a finger filled with dark magic snapped, and a strange wave spread out in all directions once again.

Immediately after, the officers, who had received the return signal from the direction of the castle, began to quickly withdraw from the battlefield.

Since today was merely a demonstration of force and a preview, there was no need to push until the very end.

[Then I shall wait with joyful anticipation. Hero, Heinrich Saint Landgard.]

Thus, the Undead King, who had appeared so suddenly, vanished just as abruptly.

Leaving behind only the Undead Army that had threatened Tarak.

And that was also.

A presentation, successfully concluded in front of numerous people.