Skeleton Knight, in Another World (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Arc, the Paladin 

Brahniey, once a part of the Nohzan Kingdom to the east of the Wiel River, now formed the eastern border of the Salma Kingdom. 

The Brahniey family had been entrusted by the Salma Kingdom with overseeing this region. 

Two generations back, nearly seventy years ago, the man named Brahniey was head of the royal cavalry and had been granted the title of margrave by the king of Salma as a show of appreciation for his incredible military victories. 

Many of the nobles back at the capital balked at the idea of a mere commoner taking this title, even if he was a captain of the knights. They ultimately pushed him out to oversee a land torn asunder by war, at risk of being taken back by the Nohzan Kingdom at any moment. 

Despite these obstacles, the land itself was quite fertile. The only real dangers it faced were from the monsters that occasionally came down from the Sobir Mountains. The retired captain went to work at once improving the land’s defenses and making it a safer place to live, ultimately bringing more prestige to the region. 

The Brahnieys were now considered one of the more influential noble families in the Salma Kingdom, causing even more frustration among those who’d objected to their rise in the first place. 

The Brahniey family lived in the rebuilt manor of the Nohzan lord who’d once wielded power over this frontier land. 

The building’s decorative architecture had been left as is, and it stood in stark contrast to the newly constructed walls and towers surrounding the manor. The two rulers’ tastes in design couldn’t have been any more different. 

An older gentleman sat at a large desk in one of the manor’s many spacious rooms, doing what looked to be administrative work. However, there was nothing about the man’s appearance to suggest his true age. He wore perfectly tailored clothing that suggested he was a man of high status and showed off his muscular figure underneath. The man glared down at the paperwork in front of him. 

A head of thinning white hair and a white mustache were the only indications of how old Margrave Wendly du Brahniey actually was. 

He was the current lord of Brahniey, a title inherited through the generations from his father’s father, and he’d spent much of his life holding off constant encroachments from the Nohzan Kingdom. 

The room was quiet, save for the scratch of his pen rasping across paper, until a knock at the door broke the silence. Margrave Brahniey looked up. 

He spoke in a low, clear voice that resonated throughout the room. “Come.” 

A young woman bowed before entering the room and walked straight to the margrave’s desk with a cool confidence rarely seen in this world of nobility, pomp, and circumstance. 

Generally, the only women who would come before him were either drab servants or the impeccably dressed wives of fellow nobility. The woman before him looked more like a secretary. 

After acknowledging her, Margrave Brahniey set his pen down and nodded at the woman to speak. 

“One of our patrols just came in with an interesting report.” 

“Oh?” The margrave stroked his well-groomed mustache as he watched the woman across from him with great interest. 

“Some villagers to the southwest witnessed a mysterious creature attack a military force escorting a carriage.” 

Brahniey raised an eyebrow. Since these lands had once belonged to the Nohzan Kingdom, they were constantly under attack, as their original owners had tried to take them back. However, this sounded like something entirely different. 

“We couldn’t get an exact figure on the size of the force, but it consisted of a carriage and several mounted knights. Likely an important person and their complement of guards. The witnesses didn’t get a clear look, but they said the group carried no flags or markings of any kind.” 

Brahniey scratched at his chin. “Off to the southwest? I suppose they could be messengers dispatched from the capital in Larisa. Where did the carriage go? And what’s this about a monster?” 

“The reports state that the group was traveling east. We sent a party out to investigate and found the remains of the carriage and several corpses outfitted in elaborate armor. However, we couldn’t find anyone who looked like they would have been in the carriage, so we can only assume that they escaped. As for the monster, we’ve created a sketch based on witness statements.” 

The woman pulled a piece of parchment out of the stack in her arms and handed it to Margrave Brahniey. He furrowed his brow as he looked down at the bizarre figure sketched on the page. 

“Legs of a spider and…what’s this up top? Two humans stitched together? Four arms? This is either some new monster or…” 

His eyes darted up to focus on the woman standing across from him. 

“Have you learned the identities of any of the bodies?” 

“No, we haven’t. Judging by the quality of the gear, we can assume they were guarding someone important, but they carried no identification.” 

“No identification is suspicious in its own right. Maybe one of those damn nobles from the central provinces is trying to learn how things are going out here on the frontier?” 

Brahniey mumbled to himself, feverishly rubbing at the spot where his forehead met his receding hairline. 

“No, it couldn’t be…could it? Someone from the Nohzan court visiting Count Dimo? But why? They could just take a boat down to the port of Clyde, so there’s no reason for them to risk traveling by land.” 

He stroked his mustache once again and turned his attention back to his secretary. 

“Assemble a task force to find these intruders and slay these monsters. I want you to send six platoons to the south and have each of them perform a thorough search of the surrounding area, keeping a close watch on one another.” 

The woman nodded. “As you wish. I will speak with the captain of the knights at once.” 

She bowed and left the room. 

Margrave Brahniey stood from his chair and looked out the large window next to his desk. 

“Just what exactly is going on in the Nohzan Kingdom?” 

His question echoed throughout the empty room as he gazed down at the garden below. 

*** 

“How’s this?” 

Princess Riel sat in a comically large chair in front of an even larger desk in a room we’d commandeered in the lord’s mansion. In front of her sat a piece of parchment, on which was a contract that outlined the terms of my payment for helping save the capital. 

She slid the parchment toward me. 

After giving it a quick read, I nodded in satisfaction and slid it back. 

“It hits all the major terms we agreed on.” 

Ariane whispered in my ear. “Do you actually think a promise between you and a little kid is going to carry any weight?” She eyed Riel’s two bodyguards with suspicion. 

“You’re not wrong,” I whispered back, “but I don’t actually expect all of the terms to be met right away.” 

Ariane looked back at me, confused. 

I couldn’t deny that a country so fully under the influence of the Holy Hilk Kingdom and its discriminatory teachings against non-humans probably wouldn’t follow such an agreement to the letter. 

Ariane furrowed her eyebrows and scowled. “Then what’s the point of signing a contract?” 

Having a written contract signed by the princess herself could come in handy in the future when pushing for them to comply with the terms. And if they didn’t agree, I had another card I could play. 

“All we need to do is show this to the Holy Hilk Kingdom if we want it enforced.” 

Chiyome’s ears perked up at this. Ponta wagged its ears about, too, as if to show its agreement. 

Unlike our other two companions, however, Ariane still looked confused. 

“We can just do what the Holy Hilk Kingdom does with its own templars. If we show them what for, they’ll realize we’re a force to be reckoned with.” 

The scowl on her face only grew more intense. “You’re not putting together some sort of stupid plot again, are you?” 

Before she could push the issue further, Princess Riel slid the contract back over to me. “All right, I signed it. After you sign it, the contract will be valid.” 

I glanced at Ariane. She looked puzzled. 

“Actually, I think it would be better if Ariane signs this.” 

Riel and the other representatives of the Nohzan Kingdom turned to look at her. She scowled and glared at me. Even in her hushed voice, I could feel the force behind her words. 

“What the hell, Arc! Why me?” 

My reasoning was simple. “I’m still a newcomer to the village. I have no status. Ariane is in a better position to be signing these kinds of things.” 

All eyes were on Ariane. Most of the humans had probably assumed that I served as a representative of the elves. But, as I’d just told Ariane, my time in Lalatoya was still relatively short. The contract would hold a lot more weight if she signed it. 

There was also another, bigger reason: I couldn’t actually write in this world. 

If I stopped and stared long and hard at words, the meaning would eventually come to me. But writing in a language with unfamiliar letters and grammar was another thing entirely. 

I’d probably need to deal with that at some point. 

With all eyes on her, Ariane let out a dramatic sigh and took the pen, signing the contract in front of her. 

“Fine. How’s that?” 

The princess gave the contract a final read and nodded. “Perfect. The contract is now complete! Can I assume this means you three will assist us in saving our kingdom?” 

A look of uncertainty washed over Riel’s face. Ariane averted her gaze and shrugged her shoulders. 

I took the contract and nodded firmly, in an attempt to put the young princess at ease. 

“You have nothing to worry about, Princess Riel. We will give our all to rescue the Nohzan capital from the armies of the undead.” 

The young girl let out a breath, as if a heavy burden had just been removed from her shoulders. 

Niena, who’d been watching quietly from the sidelines, motioned for me to come closer. When she opened her mouth, she spoke in a clear, decisive tone. 

“If we come across casualties at the capital, do you think you would be able to use your healing magic on them like you did for me?” She rubbed at her right arm unconsciously as she spoke. 

I wanted to avoid using any type of spectacular magic, out of fear of causing more problems in the future, to say nothing of the effort it would take to heal a city full of people. Even though I had ample reserves of magic, trying to heal such a large number… 

“I promise I’ll do what I can, as long as it’s within my abilities.” 

She let out a breath and nodded in thanks. 

This wasn’t an entirely selfless promise. 

If I showed off my abilities to heal people in the middle of a tragedy, even the most ardent of Hilk believers would have to admit the good behind the act, even if it was performed by a non-human. 

Though removing the stigma on non-humans might be hoping for a bit too much, at the very least, I figured it would help build good will among some people. 

A servant walked into the room to deliver a message to the princess. “Princess Riel, the count has assembled his cavalry.” 

“Tell him we will be out shortly.” Riel hopped down from her oversized chair and strode over to her awaiting bodyguards. “You don’t look too good, Niena. Maybe you should stay back?” 

Just as she’d said, Niena looked pale, probably due to all the blood she’d lost when the man-spider lopped off her arm. I’d already confirmed through previous attempts that my magic couldn’t restore lost blood. 

Niena shook her head and dropped to one knee. “I could never allow myself to sit here in luxury while you head off to the capital alone, even with your blessing.” 

I wondered if the young princess truly grasped the determination behind Niena’s words. She seemed to hesitate, as if thinking over what the older woman had just said. 

“You’re a stubborn one, Niena.” Riel smiled. “Ah, well, I guess we better get ready to go!” 

The young girl grabbed an elaborately decorated piece of leather armor and pulled it over her dress. Apparently, this was the style preferred by the royal family. 

Unlike the heavy armor worn by her guards, this elegant leather armor didn’t seem like it would offer any real protection. But I supposed it was better than nothing. 

Riel led her guards out of the study, leaving Ariane, Chiyome, and me alone in the room. 

Ariane was the first to speak. She sounded exhausted. “Well, this is turning out to be yet another strange and unexpected situation.” 

Ponta cocked its head. “Kyii?” 

Chiyome looked apologetically at Ariane. “I’m sorry, this only happened because of my original request…” 

Ariane shook her head. “Oh, no, no… I didn’t mean to sound like I was blaming you, Chiyome. Just that I’m not really a representative of my village. I don’t know if it’s okay for me to be entering into agreements with humans like this, you know?” 

Her look of concern morphed into a glare as she turned her attention to me. 

“This is merely a personal contract between us and the Nohzan Kingdom. There’s no need to get the people of Canada involved. Besides, the contract simply outlines payment for our services, so it all comes down to whether or not they’ll uphold their end of the bargain. If we don’t succeed, then there’s nothing lost.” 

“I guess you’re right…” 

Ariane still didn’t look satisfied, but my explanation seemed to at least put her at ease. She let out a breath. 

“But if we don’t succeed, we won’t be able to get inside the vault.” 

Chiyome frowned. She was still trying to figure out what had happened to Sasuke. 

“Well then, I guess we best get going.” 

With that, the three of us left the study to join Princess Riel. 

*** 

We stepped out into the spacious grounds in front of the mansion to find a hundred mounted knights in formation. They were all outfitted in full plate armor and sat upon massive horses. The harsh, reflected light of the midday sun made them glow. 

Princess Riel looked out across the gallant knights and nodded in satisfaction. 

For my part, however, I couldn’t help but think about how they were going to be eaten alive by the 10,000 undead soldiers waiting for us. 

Judging by the determined looks on all the knights’ faces, I guessed that Count Dimo hadn’t told them what they were actually facing or why they’d been assembled. 

That was probably a smart call. After all, if they did know what was waiting for them, the whole cavalry platoon might just turn tail and run, embarrassing the count and forcing Princess Riel’s bodyguards to refuse to let her leave. Their ignorance probably worked out to our advantage. 

The whole courtyard went silent at the sight of the princess, save for the nervous pawing of the horses’ feet. 

Count Dimo stepped up beside Riel. “All right, soldiers! You have all been granted the great honor of escorting Her Royal Highness, Princess Riel, back to the capital! Take this order to heart and protect her with your lives!” 

The assembled knights sat up even straighter. 

Zahar, who would be leading the escort, spoke next. 

“I’m sure many of you have already heard a brief summary of our mission, but we will be taking the shortest route back to the capital, which means we will have to cross through the Salma Kingdom. We will arrive at Fort Hill before sundown, and then, first thing tomorrow morning, make our way through Brahniey. We have a long, hard route ahead of us, so any stragglers will be left behind! I’m counting on you to do your best!” 

Murmurs ran through the assembled knights, but Zahar quickly put an end to them by ordering the formation to depart. 

“Dimo’s calvary, you will head to Fort Hill! Take this letter from the count to the commander of the fortress.” 

Zahar pulled out an envelope sealed with wax and handed it to one of the knights, who gave a salute. Then the whole formation took off at a gallop. 

The princess’s guards pulled into a tight formation around Niena’s horse, which Riel was also riding, to form a protective barrier. 

After seeing off the cavalry, Zahar turned toward me. “Arc, I’d like you to take up the rear.” 

“Understood.” 

Zahar returned to the princess. 

I looked around the courtyard until I spotted a familiar reddish-brown beast relaxing in a far-off corner. As I drew close, I saw that it was busily munching away at the grass, leaving nothing but bare dirt. 

Shiden glanced up at me as I approached, chewing on its afternoon snack. 

The greenery wasn’t looking so good, but I’d just have to rely on the kindness of Count Dimo’s heart to overlook this. 

“Let’s get going, Shiden.” 

I patted its back, just behind the saddle. 

“Grweeeeeeeen!” 

Shiden let out a growl and brought its massive body up to its full height. 

The count’s staff let out gasps of surprise at the sight of the large beast and put more distance between us. 

It was a fair response. Driftpus looked rather dangerous to the untrained eye, though they were generally docile in the company of the person they considered their master. 

I hopped up onto the saddle, followed by Ariane behind me and Chiyome in front. Ponta took up its now-favorite perch atop Shiden’s head, buried deep in the driftpus’s white mane. After making sure we had everyone, I took hold of the reins. 

We followed Princess Riel’s entourage through the gate and down the road leading out of Keen. 

Glancing up at the sun, I thought back over the distance between here and Fort Hill and mumbled to myself while keeping an eye on the bobbing figures ahead. 

“I wonder if we’ll actually make it by nightfall.” 

Chiyome turned to look back at me. She didn’t say anything, but I knew what she was thinking and replied with a nod. 

“All in due time.” 

Even though guards had been dispatched to keep the roads clear, the whole town had a lively air to it as the townsfolk gathered around to get a look at the princess. 

We kept our eyes straight ahead as we followed the procession through the town. 

While Count Dimo’s cavalry had been sent out at top speed, the princess’s procession moved rather slowly. In fact, I had to be careful that the driftpus didn’t get out ahead and leave everyone else behind. I couldn’t help but wonder if having six legs really helped you run all that much faster. The same thought had crossed my mind when I fought the giant basilisk. 

Vast, fertile fields stretched off into the distance on both sides of the road. Every time we passed a farmer working the soil, they would look up at us with interest. 

At last, we spotted the towering walls of Fort Hill in the distance. 

Though it hadn’t even been twelve hours since we’d left this place, it still felt somewhat nostalgic to be here again. 

The cavalry held the count’s flag aloft, and the gate slowly opened. 

Ariane let out a heavy sigh and muttered to herself. “We’re done for today, right? At least we can finally relax for a bit.” 

I glanced down and spied Ponta sleeping peacefully in Shiden’s mane. 

Come to think of it, we’d skipped lunch. 

The cavalry disappeared through the gate, followed by the princess and her guards. Once we crossed the threshold, the gate closed behind us. 

One of the knights approached the commander of Fort Hill and handed over the count’s letter. 

All of a sudden, panic erupted among Riel’s guards. I heard the young girl call out. 

“Hang in there, Niena!” 

I looked over to find Niena slumped atop her horse. She didn’t look well. 

Zahar called out, trying to take control of the situation. 

“Get her someplace where she can rest! Hurry!” 

Two nearby guards quickly helped Niena off her horse and carried her away while Riel watched, worry etched on her face. As soon as she noticed my gaze, she came running over toward me. 

“Arc, can you go check on her?” 

I hopped off Shiden and looked down at the young girl. “I can, but I suspect Niena is simply suffering from anemia. She needs to rest and eat properly.” 

Tears pricked the corners of Riel’s eyes. 

“I’ll do what I can for her. After that, we’ll just have to wait and see.” 

This seemed to bring some relief to the young girl, a faint smile gracing her lips. 

Ariane called out to me teasingly. “You really can’t stand to see a little girl cry, can you, Arc?” 

“You’re hardly one to talk.” 

But Ariane turned to look at the setting sun, pretending she hadn’t heard me. 

Under different circumstances, we’d let Niena rest for two or three days, but I doubted she’d agree to put aside her role as Riel’s bodyguard. 

For a moment, I considered knocking her out with a karate chop to the neck as soon as she woke. But if I did it wrong, I might accidentally kill her. 

In terms of restorative magic, I had Rejuvenation and Reanimation at my disposal, but they each only worked some of the time, so I wasn’t sure I could count on them. It seemed unwise to test their limits when someone’s life hung in the balance. 

I looked up to see the setting sun cast its golden glow across Fort Hill. I had to squint to see the giant ball dipping lower and lower in the sky. It looked like the entire sky was ablaze. 

It would take about two days to pass through the Salma Kingdom. I could only hope that we’d make it through without any major trouble. 

I shook my head to clear it. It’d do me no good thinking about things I couldn’t control. 

*** 

Brahniey was located in the southeast of the Salma Kingdom. 

The region was surrounded by the monster-infested Ildbah Forest to the northeast, the human-hating elves in the Ruanne Forest to the southwest, and the massive Fort Hill to the south, which protected Count Dimo’s lands. 

To the southeast ran the Wiel River. There were relatively few human settlements in the area, but it was full of vast, fertile farmlands, rolling hills, and endless plains. 

A group of thirty heavily armed and armored soldiers marched in a column across the hills. They surrounded two carts, which bore the mark of Margrave Brahniey. The carts were filled to the brim with rations, weapons, shields, and more. 

This was one of the platoons the margrave had dispatched to look for the intruders who’d crossed into Brahniey’s territory, and to hunt down the mysterious monster that had been sighted earlier. 

An older man, the commander of the platoon, led the formation from atop a horse. He let out a sigh, muttering to himself as he scanned their surroundings. 

“I heard that the force that passed through here might have been related to the Nohzan Kingdom, so I figured we’d at least find something in this region, but we keep coming up empty-handed.” 

A young man walking alongside the commander’s horse nodded in agreement. 

“I wonder if the platoon south of here is having any luck. We haven’t found anything even remotely like the monster…” 

The younger man, the platoon’s deputy commander, carried a shield to protect the commander as he walked beside the horse. 

“While I’d certainly love to get the accolades that came along with it, I’m not exactly fixing for a fight with a monster we know nothing about.” 

The commander muttered to himself as he pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket. He frowned as he looked down at the sketch of the monster. 

“I wonder, though, if something this atrocious really exists.” 

His deputy commander let out a hollow laugh and glanced over his shoulder at the cart filled with massive shields. 

“What were they thinking, throwing equipment at us and telling us to go find something no one has ever seen before?” 

This elicited a laugh from the older man. “That’s why there’s another squad following us. Once we’re killed, they can go back and report our deaths to the margrave. See? No worries.” He ended his joke with another hearty laugh, though the younger soldier could only shake his head. 

One of the soldiers on the perimeter of the procession called out. 

“There’s a figure approaching from the north!” 

All of the soldiers immediately turned. 

Looking north, the commander caught sight of someone running downhill straight toward them. The figure was moving as fast as a galloping horse. 

Just like the sketch on the parchment, the monster had large, spider-like legs and two human torsos, each with its own pair of arms. However, there was one thing the notes had neglected to mention, something that caused all the soldiers to go silent. 

This strange monster was wearing metal armor and wielded two large shields and two massive scimitars. 

Across his career, the commander had fought all manner of humanoid monsters—from goblins to orcs and even the feared minotaur. Some of them had been armed, either with weapons of their own making or those looted from human corpses, but time and again they’d proved to be less intelligent than their human counterparts, unable to use even the finest of weapons with the same finesse. 

However, the man-spider bearing down on them clearly knew how to use the weapons it wielded. It was like watching a nightmare come to life. 

“Wh-what the hell is that?! It has the same weapons we do!” 

The deputy’s cries brought the commander back to reality. 

“Get ahold of yourself! Soldiers, diamond formation! And get the shield bearers out here now!” 

The commander’s voice boomed as he issued commands. The soldiers pulled the large shields out of the carts and began forming into a diamond to face the oncoming monster. 

“Spear bearers, form up behind the shields and prepare yourselves for the clash. Archers, bracket the monster in so it can’t change direction!” 

“Aaaand…fire!” On the deputy commander’s mark, the archers lined up behind the wall of shields and let loose a volley of arrows. 

Every single one of the arrows missed its mark, thudding uselessly into the ground on either side of the monster. As soon as it was within striking distance, the deputy commander shouted his next order. 

“Strike!” 

The spear bearers launched their weapons in unison. 

Dull, metallic clangs rang out as the monster used its shields to deflect the onslaught. Panic began overtaking the soldiers. 

The monster didn’t escape entirely unscathed, however. With only two shields to bring to bear and a body the size of a minotaur, it couldn’t block the entire volley. Several spears scored direct hits on its thick, spider-like legs. One even tore straight through, eliciting a pained howl from the creature. 

“Nnngraaaaawwl!!! You’re finished, scum!” 

The monster’s eerie voice sent a chill up the soldiers’ spines. The commander himself even tensed up. 

Never before had he encountered a monster that could speak. It was beginning to feel as if they were facing a demon that had crawled out of hell itself. The very thought caused the soldiers to tremble with fear. 

However, this was no time to let their emotions take hold. Even after the hard blow the monster had taken from the spears, it still managed to close the distance to the formation and throw its body straight into shield bearers. 

The heavy crash was followed by loud screams, the crack of bones breaking, and the metallic scent of freshly spilled blood. A cloud of dirt engulfed the platoon as it descended into chaos. 

“Hold the line! Shield bearers, push back against the monster! Spear bearers, aim for its legs!” 

Realizing how well protected its upper body was, the commander instructed his soldiers to attack the monster’s weak points. 

The shield bearers put all their strength into pushing the man-spider back, all the while taking heavy blows as the monsters slammed its own shields into them. 

The spear bearers thrust their weapons into the man-spider’s lower body. Thick, black liquid sprayed into the air as the soldiers stabbed over and over, their own bodies quickly becoming stained. 

The monster was a lot more powerful than the commander could have guessed, and they were taking casualties at an alarming rate. Still, if the battle continued like this, it seemed likely they would win. The commander squeezed his fist, silently willing his soldiers on. 

Just then, one of them called out a terrified report: “There’s another one to the northwest!” 

The commander turned. 

A second man-spider stood atop a nearby knoll, its eyes locked on the battle. The monster let out an ear-splitting cry and charged. 

Nearly half of the soldiers had already been killed or injured fighting the first monster. If another joined the fray, they’d be done for. 

“Dammit!” 

The man-spider raced down the hill as fast as its spidery legs would carry it. The joke the commander had made to his deputy earlier might very well come true. 

He clenched his jaw and thought of his family back in the capital, thankfully a long distance from here. 

Another soldier shouted above the fray. “Clouds of dust spotted to the south, cavalry of unknown origin, about a hundred strong!” 

“What?!” 

The commander and his deputy turned in unison. 

Sure enough, a force of nearly one hundred mounted knights rushed toward them at high speed. They steered their horses in a wide arc, attempting to skirt around the battlefield. 

Judging by their movement, it was clear they weren’t reinforcements, but the commander had no idea who these knights could be. Something in his gut told him this was the force he’d been sent to find. 

The invaders spotted before had consisted of a handful of knights and a carriage, yet the group rushing past them now was ten times that size. 

The only logical explanation was that these soldiers belonged to Count Dimo. But why would he send troops straight through the middle of Brahniey? Only one possible answer came to mind: Could this all be the work of the Nohzan Kingdom? 

But the very idea that the people in Nohzan had learned some sort of ancient, dark magic was laughable. 

The commander tried to remain calm as he focused his attention back on the battle. His soldiers’ time was running out. 

“One of the knights is approaching!” 

The commander turned to look at the unidentified soldier speeding toward his lines. His eyes went wide, his throat growing tight. 

“What in the holy hell…” 

*** 

Saureah, capital of Nohzan, sat at the center of the country. 

The jewel of the kingdom was under siege from an army of undead that had appeared out of nowhere—an army numbering 100,000 strong. 

The undead relentlessly attacked the double walls surrounding the city, some trying to tear it down stone by stone, others attempting to heft their undead comrades up and over it. The battle had raged on for days at this point. 

Since undead tended to grow stronger after sunset, the royal forces had originally doubled down on their defensive positions at night. However, when night fell, these particular undead would abandon the wall and start roaming the countryside as if in a daze. At daybreak, they would resume their attack. 

The military commanders initially suspected this was some kind of ruse, but after two or three days of the same routine, they began guessing there was something more sinister at work. 

This didn’t mean they could just take it easy at night, however, since the undead could come rushing back at any moment. 

Among the nigh uncountable enemies were dozens of bizarre half-spider, half-human creatures, many of which were observed tending to the wandering undead soldiers once night fell, even going so far as killing some of them. 

Despite being few in number, these man-spiders were incredibly powerful, far more than the rank-and-file undead. Thanks to the immense strength afforded to them by their massive legs, they presented a great threat to the city both day and night. 

Once these man-spiders made it past the outer wall and through the town beyond, they would find themselves confronted with yet another wall. This inner wall marked the original boundaries of Saureah before it had undergone an expansion. Due to the constant conflicts in the region’s past, the inner wall was formidable in its own right, and served as a sturdy defense against any attempted invasion. The old town district, within the confines of the inner wall, was guarded at each corner by immense stone turrets. 

Asparuh Nohzan Saureah, ruler of the Nohzan Kingdom, along with several of his top advisors, sat in a cramped room looking down at a map of the city. Their expressions were anything but pleased. 

A somber atmosphere hung over the room, with no one willing to break the silence. Finally, King Asparuh spoke up, his voice tense. 

“How many days has it been since we sent out for reinforcements?” He was beginning to lose track of time. 

“Today marks the seventh, I believe,” his prime minister replied. 

The king let out a heavy sigh and rubbed at his forehead. “Seven whole days… Even if my sons were able to secure reinforcements, it will still be at least another seven before they arrive. Cardinal Liberalitas also sent a request for assistance to the Holy Hilk Kingdom, but that, too, will take time.” 

Deep lines etched the prime minister’s forehead. Words could not do his feelings justice. 

The king could take no more of the oppressive silence. He shook his head, changing the subject. 

“How is the demolition of the houses near the inner wall coming along?” 

“Almost ninety percent complete.” The prime minister scanned the map in front of him, focusing on the inner wall. 

They’d briefly considered drawing the line of defense all the way back to the inner wall, should the outer wall fall, but that raised the issue of what to do with all the residences between the two. There were very real fears that the man-spiders might use the houses near the wall as platforms to bound over the inner wall, so the king had decided to demolish all of them. 

The residents of these houses weren’t pleased with this decision, but given that this could very well determine the survival of the kingdom, they had little choice but to agree to it. 

“The slaves have demolished the buildings and smashed the bridges much faster than planned. Their physical prowess is simply unmatched.” 

King Asparuh nodded. “Putting them out there was a risk, but I imagine they don’t want to die at the hands of an undead horde either.” 

“True. Though, if and when we prevail, the Hilk church will certainly have words for us. With the cardinal here in the capital, the higher-ups will certainly hear of it.” 

The king had chosen to purchase all of the independently held slaves to demolish the houses. Putting them out in public was a risky move, but they needed a strong labor force, and they needed it now. 

Of course, there were concerns that putting the beast people out there on their own might lead to a revolt, but just as the king had said, the slaves were invested in protecting their own lives. 

However, if the cardinal were to report the existence of the beast people to the Hilk leaders, the church would almost certainly demand that the slaves be surrendered to them. 

King Asparuh let out a heavy sigh. “So long as the country is still standing, it’ll all be worth it.” 

His prime minister nodded in agreement. 

“This will likely be of little comfort, Your Highness, but we should consider ourselves lucky that we’re facing off against the undead.” 

The king looked back at his prime minister with great interest. “Oh? And why is that?” 

“We’re fighting against an enemy without any reason or logic, something that all of the residents here in the capital can unite against. If we were fighting another kingdom, or a proper army, it’s entirely possible we might find turncoats in our midst.” 

The king laughed darkly. 

Stories like this were hardly uncommon. Countries splitting, coming together, and splitting again were a common occurrence. The annals of history were full of cities falling at the hands of traitors. 

He cracked a knowing grin. “I suppose you’re right. The whole populace is focused on survival. Few people even objected to the slave issue. I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky.” 

A messenger came crashing through the door and tumbled to the floor. 

The prime minister was generally not a man to allow such impudent behavior in front of the king, but he sensed that now was neither the time nor place for correction. 

“What is it?” 

The messenger managed to rise to his hands and knees before blurting out his report. “The outer wall, it’s fallen! They broke through near the southern gate!” 

The king bolted up from his chair, sending it clattering to the ground. “Assemble all forces and have them drive the undead off at once! Order them to hold the lines until all citizens have retreated to the inner wall. Go!” 

The messenger and the advisors rushed from the room. 

The king and his prime minister looked down at the map on the table, their eyes fixed on the buildings near the inner wall that still remained standing. 

Could they finish in time? 

King Asparuh clenched his jaw so tight his teeth began aching. 

*** 

The horses’ breaths came out as white puffs in the crisp night air. From the dim moonlight and twinkling stars, it was hard to believe the sun would be rising soon. 

Despite the early hour, Count Dimo’s cavalry sat in full armor atop their horses, assembled in neat columns in Fort Hill’s courtyard. 

The faint sounds of clanking armor and creaking reins gave voice to the tension that the soldiers must have been feeling. Hooves clopped impatiently on the ground and knights whispered among themselves, filling the air with apprehension. 

At long last, Fort Hill’s gate—the one facing the Salma Kingdom—began opening, exposing plains for all to see. 

“Hyaah!” 

The knights drove their spurs into their mounts as one. The horses whinnied loudly before galloping out of the gate. 

Princess Riel and her bodyguard Niena hurried after the knights, followed by their smaller contingent of guards. From what I could see in the torchlight, Niena’s complexion seemed to be improving. 

The healing magic I’d used on her last night almost certainly hadn’t done anything, but she’d finally gotten some food in her, which was probably what had done the trick. I remembered watching Niena ravenously tear into her food. The thought sent chills up my spine, even though it wasn’t all that cold. 

Ponta looked at me curiously. “Kyii?” 

Even a grown man would have had a hard time holding down that much food. I glanced down at little Chiyome sitting in front of me and at Ariane behind, the latter fighting back a yawn, and thought about all the tough women there were in this world. 

“Arc, what idiotic thing are you thinking about this time?” 

I was met with a golden glare from the elven woman behind me. Somehow, she could always read me. 

I took Shiden’s reins and directed it to follow the princess. “And we’re off.” 

“Grweeeeeeeeeeeeen!” 

“Kyiiiiiiii!” 

Shiden hefted its massive body forward. Ponta cried out excitedly and held tight to Shiden’s neck. 

Chiyome reached down and picked Ponta up by the scruff of its neck, pulling it close to her chest. Ponta wagged its tail as it burrowed in close. 

*** 

We moved along the unlit path in a silent procession toward the Nohzan Kingdom. The horses’ hooves stomped through the wild grass as it swayed gently in the breeze. 

Fort Hill fizzled into the inky blackness behind us, fading away among the endless plains. 

Soon, the sun began rising to our right, the dark blues and purples of night giving way to bright greens that spread out all around us. 

We’d just passed through the middle of the Salma Kingdom, the trip going rather smoothly so far, even with frequent stops to let the horses rest. 

The sun was high in the sky as we turned north after eating a simple lunch of preserves. 

“It’s been pretty smooth sailing so far.” 

Ariane stifled a yawn as her eyes gazed out at the unending countryside. 

“Unending” probably wasn’t the right word for it. The flatlands we’d left that morning had slowly given way to hills that looked like deep wrinkles in the earth. 

I stared up at a bird flying high above, wondering where we were exactly. 

Panicked whispers rippled through the cavalry ahead like a wave. 

“What’s going on?” 

Ariane pointed straight ahead. “Over there. It’s another one of those undead monsters!” 

Chiyome’s ears perked up. She squinted her eyes. “There’s a second one even farther off. Are they coming for the princess?” 

I looked around, desperately trying to spot the monsters the two women had so easily spotted. My eyes settled on a group of soldiers marked by a crest I’d never seen before. They were battling one of the 

man-spiders. 

“Do you think those soldiers are from the Salma Kingdom?” 

We had a great view of the whole battlefield, though this also meant that the soldiers had likely spotted us as well. Fortunately, they were too preoccupied with the man-spider to send any soldiers to confront us. 

Count Dimo’s cavalry picked up on this and gave the soldiers a wide berth. Apparently, they just planned to pass the battle by. 

This was the obvious choice, considering we were technically an invading army. 

However… 

“Those men are doomed if no one steps in.” 

It looked like at least half of the Salma Kingdom’s soldiers were wounded. The other half was doing their best to hold the line against the attacking man-spider. However, the second monster was quickly closing in. 

They were pretty much done for. 

Niena, with Princess Riel in front of her, slowed her horse to pull up next to Shiden. 

“What is it?” I yelled to be heard above the horse’s galloping hooves. 

Niena looked over at me. “The princess has a request!” 

The young girl yelled as loud as she could. “Arc, I’d like you to help the Brahniey soldiers and kill the monster they’re fighting!” 

The women riding with me looked at the young girl as if she’d just sprouted a second head. 

I said what my companions were thinking. “Those are the enemy, Princess!” 

“I know that! But I can’t just stand by and let them die!” The princess realized what she was asking of me, but still wanted to offer her assistance. 

Ariane, who’d been listening to the exchange, spoke up. “We don’t have time to talk this over!” 

I nodded to the princess and grabbed the hilt of my sword. “Understood! Let’s give them a hand!” 

With that, I tugged Shiden’s reins and turned the beast toward the man-spider racing downhill. 

“Grweeeeeeeeeeeeen!” 

Shiden let out a mighty roar as it ran straight into the monster. 

I drew my sword and stood up on the saddle, holding the reins in one hand and my mighty blade in the 

other. 

“Chiyome, keep your head down!” 

Chiyome ducked, lying flat against Shiden’s muscular body. 

“Wyvern Slash!” 

I sliced my blade through the air, sending an arc of energy straight toward the man-spider, chopping clean through its front legs. 

“Gggraaaaaaaaaaaaugh!!!” 

The monster collapsed with a heavy thud, tumbling end over end as its human mouths cried out. 

Shiden rushed forward on its six muscular legs, impaling the man-spider with its two massive horns. 

The creature’s armor and weapons went flying from the force of the blow, pieces of its body scattering in all directions as Shiden dragged it along the ground. I could hear bones snapping and muscle tearing. At last, the man-spider slumped to the ground, motionless. 

Even so, my cohorts offered the monster no quarter. 

“Stones of the earth, I call upon you to crush my foe!” 

Using her spirit magic, Ariane brought forth multiple boulders and dropped them onto the man-spider. 

“Kyii! Kyii!” 

Ponta summoned up gusts of wind, sending them shooting toward the man-spider like mini razor blades, leaving shallow cuts in its skin. 

“Body to water, aqua lance slash!” 

Chiyome made several gestures, and a lance made of water appeared in her hand. She threw it with all her might, impaling the monster. 

The man-spider’s body fizzled into black bubbles as its body dissolved, leaving nothing but a dark stain on the ground. 

“Kyii!” 

Ponta waved its tail about triumphantly. Chiyome reached down to pat our little companion on the head. 

After confirming that the man-spider was indeed gone, I slid my sword into its sheath and lowered myself back onto the saddle. 

I glanced over at the Salma Kingdom’s soldiers to find them staring in awe at a black, fizzling mass in front of them. Apparently, they’d also taken down their opponent. 

I led Shiden around the battlefield to catch up with Princess Riel’s group. As we rode past the Brahniey forces, I locked eyes with a man who looked to be their commander. He seemed at a loss as to what had just happened, which was just as well. We needed to put some distance between them and us before they realized who we were. That was, assuming they could even pursue us, given the heavy losses they’d endured. 

“That pretty much does it, eh?” I turned my attention forward as we left the Brahniey forces behind. 

“What were they doing out here anyway?” Chiyome tugged at Ponta’s fur. 

“Kyiiiiiii! Kyi!”” 

Ponta cried out angrily at her rough handling, though I was sure she wasn’t doing it on purpose. 

Shiden increased its speed to catch up with the princess, and we reached her in no time, thanks to its muscular legs. 

Considering how bad my sense of direction was, I’d been a little worried about finding Riel and the others after our confrontation with the man-spider, but Shiden seemed to have picked up the scent and was able to take us straight to them. Who knew that driftpus came equipped with auto-pilot? Shiden was proving more and more useful by the day. 

Once we caught up, Niena dropped back once again to ride beside us. Apparently, the young princess wanted to talk to me. 

“How’d it go? Did you save the Brahniey forces?” 

I nodded. “I know I already asked this, but are you sure that’s what you wanted back there?” 

Niena looked at me in agreement. 

Princess Riel frowned. “They say that Margrave Brahniey is not only a genius on the battlefield, but also an intellectual.” 

“Oh?” 

“If anyone from the Brahniey forces reported back that we’d left them to die, he would most likely have come to the conclusion that the undead had something to do with us, possibly even that they were serving the Nohzan Kingdom.” 

The young girl fixed me with an intense gaze as she spoke. Niena and I exchanged glances. 

“Would he truly have come to suspect our involvement?” 

If the margrave was as smart as the young girl gave him credit for, then even if a survivor had witnessed the princess riding past, it seemed like quite a leap in logic to tie the undead to the Nohzan Kingdom. 

Niena seemed to agree with me on this point. “I don’t mean to refute what you’re saying, Your Highness, but Margrave Brahniey stole our country’s lands. I don’t think it’s necessary to feel bad for our enem—” 

“Those undead are clearly following someone’s orders.” The princess puffed out her cheeks and adamantly shook her head. “We don’t know who is controlling them, but we at least know that they are not working for the margrave.” 

This caught Niena and the rest of us by surprise. Ariane and Chiyome both looked at the young girl with great interest. 

“That’s true… The fact that the margrave’s own soldiers were being attacked pretty much rules out his involvement.” 

“So, if the margrave isn’t involved, that means he’ll want to do something about them the moment he receives the report. Hopefully his soldiers will mention our presence.” 

Chiyome’s ears remained perked up as she took in the conversation. Once the princess finished speaking, she looked back at me. Her eyes spoke volumes. 

I shook my head in response to her unspoken question. 

Based on Sasuke’s last words, we had reason to believe that the undead were being controlled by the Holy Hilk Kingdom, but we still didn’t have definitive proof. Not only was the Hilk the primary religion among the humans here, but we were in the middle of a country bordering the kingdom, where their influence was strongest. It would do us little good to voice our suspicions about the Hilk, especially considering that Ariane, Chiyome, and I were non-humans. 

If we had some real information to work with, it was possible the princess might listen to us, but the rest of her envoy would likely dismiss our complaints outright, as non-human slander against the church. 

As with any religion, there were ardent believers everywhere, and you couldn’t easily spot them in a crowd. Given that, it had probably been a poor choice to so carelessly reveal our true identities. Neither Riel’s guards nor the accompanying cavalry seemed to show any sort of negative opinion about us, but that was likely because they knew we were powerful allies on the field of battle. 

I was starting to feel as though the chance of Princess Riel actually making good on her end of the bargain was getting smaller and smaller. But maybe I was just being pessimistic. 

Somewhere ahead of us lay a massive army of 100,000 undead, and the citizens of a capital fighting desperately for their lives. How would they react when they were saved by people who weren’t even human? 

“You’ll never know till you try…” 

“Huh?” Riel looked over at me, confused at my sudden comment. 

But I simply shook my head. 

*** 

Several more hours, and nearly as many breaks, later, the setting sun began casting a deep scarlet glow across the cavalry leading the way. 

The land around us was transitioning again, the endless hills replaced with an expansive forest. 

Unlike the massive, ancient trees that made up the Great Canada Forest, this looked like a standard, textbook forest. 

After days of nothing but sloping hills, grasslands, and the occasional farm, the familiar sight of dense trees was a comfort. 

I wondered if this was my elven side finally coming out. Or perhaps I’d just gotten used to living among the trees. The cavalry rode straight into the forest, weaving between the trees. 

Ariane watched the action over my shoulder. “I guess we’re going straight in?” 

After we’d all entered the forest, the soldiers dismounted, tied their horses to nearby trees, and began setting up camp. It seemed like we were going to stay the night here. 

Ariane, Chiyome, and I hopped down from Shiden’s back. Zahar came over and explained our next move. 

Apparently we were in the Ildbah Forest, which marked the border between the Nohzan and Salma kingdoms. Tomorrow, we’d follow the perimeter of the forest to the Nohzan Kingdom, but tonight, we’d camp among the trees. 

Camping wasn’t the best description, exactly, since we couldn’t light any fires out of fear of attracting attention to ourselves. Instead, we all propped up our canvas bags and used them as coverings. 

After eating some dried beans and limited provisions, the soldiers settled in for a night of light sleep. 

*** 

Early the next morning, we left the pitch-black woods behind and began our journey around the perimeter. As before, the cavalry led the way, followed by Princess Riel and her guard. Ariane, Chiyome, and I brought up the rear. 

Today marked the sixth day since the princess had left the capital. 

Riel continued encouraging Count Dimo’s soldiers, as well as her own, but her façade broke from time to time, and I could see the unease on her face. 

It wasn’t unreasonable. She was just an eleven-year-old child watching the fate of her country teeter in the balance. 

As I watched this young girl do everything in her power to save her father, I hazarded a guess that he was much the same, and would do whatever he could to protect his people. 

For Riel, losing the country was tantamount to losing her father. 

*** 

As we rode on, the hope of finally catching sight of Saureah was on everyone’s minds. 

In this world, all settlements had at least some sort of defensive perimeter to keep the monsters out. In most cases, even with an army of 100,000 undead, breaking through was no small feat. 

The biggest problem the people of Saureah were likely facing, then, was running out of food. 

I didn’t know how the capital treated their non-human slaves, but I was sure they wouldn’t last long once the supplies ran out. 

We could have sped the journey up considerably if I were to take Princess Riel with me using Dimensional Step, but my ability to teleport was seriously hampered during twilight hours and when visibility was poor. While I certainly could have waited until the sun rose a little higher in the sky, I was also trying to avoid exposing my teleportation abilities to the humans. 

I didn’t feel the same hesitation about using my abilities with Ariane and Chiyome. It was kind of curious, now that I thought about it. 

Maybe it had something to do with the sense of solidarity I felt with them…some sort of connection we non-humans all shared? 

While my mind wandered, the sun continued its slow ascent. 

Around noon, we finally started spotting our first signs of civilization in the form of properly maintained roads, a convenience we’d been denied along much of our trip. Shortly after, the cavalry spied a decent-sized town ahead and immediately began flying the flags of the Nohzan Kingdom. 

A trumpet sounded as we approached. The cavalry led their horses toward a stable in the middle of a pasture just outside the gate. 

People entering and leaving the town looked at my driftpus with great interest. Two of Riel’s guards fell back to ride alongside Shiden and shield us from unwanted attention as we made our way to the stable as well. 

Once inside, I saw knights and guards scrambling to remove their gear from the horses’ saddles. Zahar stood in the middle of the bustling soldiers, barking out commands. 

“We’re trading horses! Be sure to check your new mount before we depart!” 

Zahar walked over to me and gave Shiden a look over. 

“Arc, is your…mount going to be okay? We can switch you over to a horse if you want.” 

I rubbed Shiden’s neck, eliciting a light growl from the beast as it pawed the ground with its front hooves. It seemed eager to get going again. 

“I’ll be all right, thanks.” 

“All right then. Once we’ve gotten everything sorted, we’ll head back out.” 

Zahar turned back to supervising the soldiers. I sat in the corner and watched with great interest. 

In all, it took about thirty minutes for the knights to get the gear off their old horses and onto new ones. We left the town in a hurry. 

As we proceeded toward our objective, I noticed something peculiar. It looked like we’d picked up a few additional cavalry at the last stop. This new group bore an unfamiliar crest. 

After asking around, I learned that these were knights of the lord whose town we’d just left. It wasn’t an impressive number of soldiers, but they were far better rested than we were. 

We spent the remaining daylight hours running our steeds hard. 

That evening, we camped outside a small village. This time, the mayor supplied us with freshly cooked food. Ah, the joys of being on your home turf. 

Niena said that we would arrive at Saureah sometime tomorrow. 

Count Dimo’s soldiers were happy to hear that we were almost at our destination, though Princess Riel’s guards were considerably more somber. 

Niena brought Riel a bowl of piping hot soup. The young girl looked rather melancholic as she sipped at it. 

At my feet, Ponta lapped hungrily at a plate of stewed vegetables, its fluffy tail wagging back and forth cheerfully. 

“Kyi kyiiiii!” 

“You live in your own little world, don’t you, buddy?” 

After it had licked the plate clean, I scratched under Ponta’s chin as it went about grooming itself. Once that task was out of the way, the fox smiled contentedly and let out a yawn. A full belly and a long day were enough to lull anyone to sleep. 

Chiyome watched Ponta as it settled in for the night and mumbled to herself. “I just hope the capital’s still standing by the time we get there.” 

Ariane’s ears perked at this, but only God knew what we would find in the morning. 

*** 

We left early the next day, before the sun had even peeked above the horizon. 

The cavalry, now around 150 strong, led the way north. The horses thundered down the road through the early morning mist, kicking leaves high into the air. The earth itself groaned. 

We didn’t run across any merchants or other travelers. Aside from the galloping horses, the world was silent. 

I could sense that something about all this troubled Ariane. She pulled back her charcoal hood, exposing her pointed ears. She closed her eyes and propped herself up on the saddle. 

I glanced over my shoulder at her. “Did you hear something?” 

She put a finger to her lips. “Shh!” 

I glanced around. There were stands of trees here and there, but nothing remarkable that I could see. 

A moment later, Ariane opened her eyes and shouted. “There’s something out there!” 

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a shadowy figure leaped from the underbrush toward the cavalry’s lead element. 

“Waaaaaugh!” 

“Wh-what is that?!” 

Several of the soldiers panicked and tried steering out of the way. However, they were too late to react and were knocked to the ground, horses and all. This caused a domino effect that sent several more knights tumbling. 

More figures appeared from the trees lining the road, as if they’d been waiting to ambush us. 

They were humanoid in shape, but there was something about them that wasn’t exactly human. 

The creatures had multi-jointed arms, though the exact number differed from one to the next; some had three, others just one. 

Most noteworthy, however, was the thing sticking out of each of their necks—a pulsating organ, like a giant worm, or an exposed intestine. At the tip of this organ was a glistening mouth, reminiscent of a sea anemone’s. 

They opened their mouths wide and began feasting on the fallen knights and defenseless horses. 

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaugh!!!” 

One of the soldiers let out a bloodcurdling scream and stumbled off into the trees. The right half of his body had been gnawed away. 

Those horsemen who’d managed to avoid the earlier pile up charged into the forest, only to be met with more of the worm-like creatures, lunging out of the bushes to take bites out of the horses’ exposed stomachs. 

“What the hell are those things?!” Zahar shook with rage as he watched the anarchy unfolding in front of him. 

Fortunately, Princess Riel and her guards had stopped in time to avoid the ambush, but all they could do was watch the carnage. 

The leader of the cavalry barked out orders as she tried desperately to get her soldiers back in order, but they were all too busy trying to fend off the new menace. 

“Do you know what those things are, Ariane?” 

She shook her head, narrowing her eyes in a fierce look of disgust. “I’ve never seen them before. I can definitely tell you that they’re undead though.” 

Chiyome pinched her nose and scowled. “I can smell the rotten stench of death from here.” 

Apparently, this was a new type of undead. 

Assuming these creatures were working with the man-spiders, that meant they’d probably been placed here to prevent anyone from reaching the capital. 

“Ready your spears to protect our comrades! They’re the only weapons that can combat their long reach!” Zahar’s voice bellowed above the clamor as he called out orders to Riel’s guards. Each of them pulled two rods from their saddlebags and screwed them together, forming a long staff with a wicked-looking blade—some sort of portable spear by the looks of it. 

In no time, the soldiers had their spears at the ready, waiting for Zahar to give the signal. 

On his mark, they thrust their weapons forward as they charged into the fray. 

I tugged on Shiden’s reins, unsure what I should be doing. 

Zahar looked over at me. “Protect the princess at all costs!” 

With that, he lifted his own spear aloft and joined the fray. 

I brought Shiden up alongside Niena and the princess. The young girl trembled slightly, her face a ghostly white as she watched. 

The worm-men opened their gaping maws, revealing bits of flesh clinging to their teeth. It was enough to make my blood run cold. 

“Ariane, Chiyome…” 

Without me needing to say anything further, my two compatriots hopped off Shiden and unsheathed their blades. 

“We’ve got this, but we’re leaving the enemies around the capital to you, Arc.” Ariane couldn’t resist getting a jibe in. 

She held up her sword, its delicate blade engraved with lions, and chanted. The words came out of her mouth like poetry. “Holy flame, heed my call! Devour thine enemy and burn it to ash!” 

Flames generated by the spirits grew along the gleaming blade before sparking out of the tip like fireworks. 

Ariane took off in a mad dash, her hood back and her white hair whipping behind her. She closed the distance to one of the worm creatures and slashed straight into it. Flames leaped from her sword like a burning snake, engulfing her opponent. 

“Body to water, aqua shuriken!” 

Chiyome moved her fingers deftly through the air as she summoned up blobs of water. With a final gesture, they came together to form spinning stars. The water shuriken cut through the air, embedding one after another into the worm creatures closing in around Ariane. 

From where I stood, it almost looked like she was shooting some sort of high-intensity water laser as she carved her way through several enemies at once. 

“Kyii!” 

Ponta seemed to be enjoying the battle a little too much. It summoned up a gust of wind and, using the membrane that stretched between its limbs, Ponta caught the updraft and floated into the air. 

I reached up and grabbed the scruff of Ponta’s neck. 

“Let’s sit this one out, huh? It’s too dangerous for you, little buddy.” 

The worm-like appendages sticking out of these monsters could shoot out at incredible speeds, and I was worried about Ponta getting swallowed whole. 

“Kyiiiii…” 

Ignoring my angry little partner for a minute as it kicked its legs about pathetically, I swung my blade through the air toward a worm creature, summoning my Sword of Judgment technique. A magical rune appeared at the worm creature’s feet. It gave off a faint blue glow as a blade of light shot up out of the ground and speared the creature clean through. 

Much like the man-spiders, these monsters fizzled away into a dark sludge as soon as they were killed. 

The anemone-like protrusions sticking out of their necks whipped about with great speed, but the rest of their bodies moved quite slowly. 

They really weren’t all that tough if you could attack at range. 

Riel’s guards were using their spears to great effect, stabbing the creatures through their stomachs and pinning them to the ground while others used their swords to finish the job. They were slowly regaining control of the battlefield. 

Ariane and Chiyome were largely to thank for that. 

While I sat atop Shiden, watching the battle rage on, one of the worm creatures managed to sneak up behind me and tried taking a bit out of my mount. Unfortunately for it, the driftpus’s scales were far too tough for its teeth to penetrate, and it was left gnawing uselessly at Shiden’s tough hide. 

Shiden looked annoyed at the whole thing and, with a mighty swish of its tail, batted the worm creature away. 

It was like a giant slapping away a flea. Unrecognizable chunks of meat covered the area where the monster had stood. 

“Wow, that packed a wallop.” 

Niena and Riel looked at Shiden in disbelief. He really was like a walking tank. 

I gained a newfound respect for the fear the people of Tangent must have felt toward the tiger clan. 

Turning my attention back to the battlefield, I discovered that the soldiers had nearly killed all of the worm creatures. 

Ariane extinguished the flames on her blade and looked around at the carnage. 

“Those things weren’t much to write home about.” She gave an unimpressed shrug. 

Chiyome readjusted her oversized hat. “They were pretty fleshy, which made them easier to deal with. We’d have had a bit more of a challenge if they were armored like the undead back in Tagent.” 

“Well, I guess I should see if anyone needs healing.” 

Now that I knew Riel was safe, I made my way over to the wounded to see what I could do for them. I figured I’d earn as many favors as I could while I had the chance. 

Everyone watched in awe as I cast healing spells on the downed soldiers, mending those who’d normally be left for dead. 

Last night when we camped, I’d drunk some of the mystical hot spring water to restore my body to its elven form and taken off my helmet, which meant everyone here almost certainly knew that I wasn’t human. 

So, which would they ultimately side with? The elves who’d saved their lives, or the church’s teachings? 

I chuckled to myself. I could be pretty crafty when I wanted to be. 

I made my way toward the stand of trees, where I found the remains of some of Count Dimo’s soldiers. My magic wasn’t strong enough to do anything for them. 

With missing limbs, a quick spell would at least stop the bleeding, even if regenerating the limb was impossible. Restoring flesh that had been ripped away was also easy enough. However, many soldiers were simply beyond saving, some with missing heads, and others with just too much of their bodies eaten. 

In total, we lost ten soldiers in the ambush. Another ten had been injured. 

“Do you think those weird monsters have anything to do with the undead attacking the capital?” Riel called out to me as I returned from healing. 

She seemed to be thinking aloud, so I decided not to answer. However, I suspected she was right. 

Chiyome popped out of a bush. She was holding something in her hand. 

“Hey, Arc, look at this.” 

It was a blood-covered rack meant for carrying a heavy load on one’s back. A bundle of twigs had been tied to it, but the shoulder straps had been ripped to shreds. Probably all that was left of someone who’d wandered this way. 

Some of the other soldiers had found similar artifacts. 

“Someone making their way to the capital found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.” 

A horrified look washed over Princess Riel’s face. “We need to get moving!” 

Niena nodded and shot Zahar a look. The burly man nodded back and began issuing orders. 

“Anyone who can’t fight will have to stay here! Everyone else, mount up and prepare to head out!” 

“Hooah!” 

We left a small number of knights behind to escort the wounded back to town. The rest of us took off at a fast clip toward the capital. 

The confidence had drained from the soldiers’ faces. Tension was thick in the air as we moved through the woods, the sound of thundering hooves reverberating off the trees. 

Once we broke out of the forest, the road curved gently upward, forcing the cavalry to slow down. 

Once they reached the top of the hill, they dropped their speed to a slow trot. I supposed they wanted to take a look at our surroundings while we still had the high ground. 

The princess’s guards also slowed as they approached the hilltop. Once Riel realized what they were doing, she urged her bodyguard on. 

“Niena, we need to hurry! We should be able to see the capital from the top of the hill!” 

Niena took their horse up to where Zahar was waiting with the rest of his troops, pushing her way through to the front. Everyone was standing stock-still, staring straight ahead. 

I urged Shiden after them. 

“My god…” The words slipped out as soon as the capital came into view. 

Down the gentle slope, off in the distance, I could see an undulating mass surrounding the city. 

It looked like a swarm of ants that had discovered a piece of candy. 

I couldn’t help but think about how wide the gap was between the 150 soldiers we had with us and the distant swarm. The midday sun glinted off the undead soldiers’ armor, casting an eerie glow on Saureah’s walls. 

I could just make out a few small figures moving about atop the walls—the defenders, doing their best to repel the onslaught. 

The young princess’s throat seemed to seize up at the sight. 

Niena offered up some support. “They’re nothing more than a mob. The castle’s guards can certainly handle mindless undead, no matter how many there may be.” 

This seemed to have a positive effect on the young girl. “You’re right. We’ve gotta do whatever we can to hold the line until my brothers get back with their reinforcements!” 

The princess’s energetic speech managed to break the soldiers from their stupor. They turned to look at her, their faces registering shock. 

Riel nodded in satisfaction. “All right, Zahar, what’s next?” 

Zahar saluted her. “Assuming the bizarre things we just fought were part of the same force, that means it’s highly probable that the other routes to the capital are crawling with enemies. Clearing out the access points for the reinforcements should be our first order of business.” 

Riel nodded in agreement. “All right then! We’ll split up and have my guards guide the cavalry through some of the major routes in and out of the capital.” 

Zahar unfolded a large map and went over the assigned sectors with the cavalry commanders. 

The commanders hurried back to their units and joined their soldiers in a loud battle cry. 

Chiyome let out a faint gasp. Her head rocked back and forth, her ears twitching. “I sense a change in the winds…” 

Before I had a chance to ask what she meant, a loud, hideous crash came from the direction of the capital. 

We all turned to find that a massive hole had been punched in the wall near one of the gates. Countless undead soldiers flooded through the gap. 

One soldier broke the stunned silence. “The south gate, it’s been breached…” 

“This is bad. Really bad,” Zahar muttered under his breath. 

I looked over to see Riel trembling. “No, it can’t be… My brothers haven’t even gotten back yet…” Her voice was hoarse, her gray eyes wide with fear. Niena hugged the young girl from behind. 

Chiyome spoke in a low, steady voice. “If we don’t act fast, this will be an even worse tragedy than Tagent.” 

Undead soldiers flooded the hole in the wall, but there were simply too many to fit through. They began climbing over one another in their haste to attack. Still, it was only a matter of time before they all made it inside. 

I didn’t know much about what lay beyond the wall, but I figured we still had some time, so long as the town had some sort of defenses to impede the intruders. Otherwise, the citizens would have little choice but to hole up in the castle. Or, if they didn’t have enough rations, try to escape out the other side. 

Zahar’s voice broke through the murmurs of the terrified soldiers. “Calm yourselves! They’ve only breached the outer wall. The inner wall still stands!” 

The soldiers seemed to take heart at this, though their eyes were still filled with worry. 

Apparently, the capital had another defensive wall farther inside. At least that would buy us a little more time. 

“Welp, I guess we should help.” 

Ponta looked at me curiously. “Kyii?” 

“Are you really going to do this?” Ariane called out from behind me. 

I twisted around to face her. “It’d be a complete waste of time if we came all the way out here just to stand by and watch the capital fall. Things might get a bit hairy, but it’ll work out one way or another.” 

“Grweeeeeeeen!” Shiden let out an immense roar. Apparently, it was also ready to put up a fight. 

“Ariane, Chiyome, I’d like to leave Princess Riel with you while I head off to the capital. I’d like to try to clear the way first. Besides, you two should be more than enough to keep her safe.” 

Ariane hopped off Shiden without a word, followed shortly after by Chiyome. 

“You’re not going out there alone, are you?” 

Riel’s voice jumped an octave as she stared at me in astonishment. Though I understood what she was asking, I decided it best to dodge the question. 

“There’s no need to worry, Princess. Ariane and Chiyome will protect you. You have nothing to fret over.” 

Ariane allowed herself a sigh of annoyance. 

I plucked Ponta from Shiden’s mane and handed it down to Chiyome. 

“Kyiiii?” Ponta shot me a curious look. 

“Sorry, buddy. Things are going to get a little wild. I want you to stay here with Chiyome, okay?” 

“Kyii!” 

I wasn’t completely sure if Ponta actually understood what I was saying, but I decided to take its mew as affirmation. The cottontail fox curled up in Chiyome’s arms. 

Ariane looked conflicted, as if she didn’t want to let me go alone. 

“All right, I’m off!” 

I tugged at Shiden’s reins and we took off toward Saureah—or, more specifically, toward the horde of undead trying to force their way in. 

“Grweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!” Shiden let out a thunderous roar as its six muscular legs carried us toward our objective at tremendous speed. My Twilight Cloak whipped noisily behind me. 

Even now, I was still taken aback at just how fast Shiden could move. Within a matter of minutes the sprawling capital filled my entire field of view. 

I let go of the reins, taking my Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg in one hand and my Holy Shield of Teutates in the other. 

I locked my feet in the stirrups and rode straight toward the hole in the wall. 

The horde of undead finally took notice of the massive lizard bearing down on them. 

“Bwahahahaha!” Without thinking, I let out a loud laugh from deep within my belly. There was something about the feeling of impending battle that excited a primal part of me. 

Among the swarm, I caught sight of several man-spiders. 

Shiden used its horns to toss some undead warriors out of the way, trampling others. The driftpus was just too massive to be slowed. I used my sword to chop through even more of the undead, but we didn’t seem to be making any real progress in reducing their numbers. 

At last, Shiden couldn’t progress any farther as the sheer mass of bodies between us and the wall became too dense even for the mighty beast. I gave it a slap on the back. 

“Time to go, Shiden!” 

Shiden bellowed in reply, tracing a tight arc through the crowd and back down the route we’d taken in. 

A large number of undead were closing in on us. 

I hopped to the ground with a heavy thud and gave Shiden another powerful slap on the back. 

“Get back to Ariane!” 

“Grweeeeeeeen!” 

Shiden took off, its heavy footfalls thundering in the distance. I chuckled to myself. 

“All right, guys, the kiddie gloves are off now.” 

The undead soldiers surrounded me, their weapons held high. This was the chance they’d been waiting for. 

I swung my Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg toward the horde. 

“Wyvern Slash!” 

A wave of energy chopped clean through the group, sending body parts flying. 

However, more undead soldiers flooded in almost immediately, stepping on top of their mutilated comrades. 

“Wyvern Slash!” 

I swung the sword once more, sending another blade of energy into the oncoming undead. 

“Wyvern Slaaaaaaaaaaaash!” 

Tiny pieces of flesh rained down around me. 

My attacks had managed to whip up a rather significant cloud of dust, reducing my visibility. This moment of calm, however, was interrupted by a looming shadow lunging straight at me with dual shields and dual scimitars. 

The man-spider let out a manic laugh as it brought its blades down. I caught one with my shield and barely deflected the other with my sword. 

I was suddenly very aware of just how insufficient my skills with a blade were. 

“Shield Bash!” 

My shield emitted a faint glow as I slammed it straight into the section where the human torsos met the man-spider’s lower half. I caught a brief glimpse of the agony on its face before it went flying off into the distance. 

“Sorry, but I don’t have a lot of time to play with you guys right now.” 

Some of the undead soldiers’ severed torsos had begun crawling toward me. 

“Flame Viper!” 

A circle of flames started smoldering at my feet before a large column of fire erupted into the air, in the shape of a snake. The viper lashed out in all directions, incinerating everything in its path. 

I turned to find another man-spider coming toward me, but it was engulfed by the flaming snake, leaving nothing but a smoking pile of ash. 

I inspected my surroundings, and discovered that a large circle of barren wasteland separated me from the nearest enemies. I must’ve killed a ton of them, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. 

I needed to buy more time. 

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, fixing my gaze straight ahead. 

Having no concept of fear, the undead soldiers trudged toward me, with no concern for their own safety. 

“Well, I never figured I’d have a chance to use this attack, but I guess now’s as good a time as any.” 

I stabbed my sword into the earth and summoned up a spell. 

“Angel of death, hear my call! The Holy Knight calls you forth!” 

I could feel the magic coursing through my bones as I used up all my power. This was nothing like any of the spells I’d summoned before. 

A massive rune of light appeared at my feet. 

“Open the doors of heaven and send the Archangel Executioner Michael down to me!” 

Scarlet and gold flames erupted out of the rune, scorching an arcane symbol into the ground as a beam of light shot into the sky. 

Slowly but surely, the column of light grew to cover a vast swath of the plains surrounding Saureah. 

When the light faded, the giant rune was now floating above me, along with the scarlet and gold flames. A distant choir singing hymns could be heard emanating from the rune. 

The flames began burning even more vividly as the shadow of a figure emerged from deep within. The shadow stood around five meters tall, around the same size as my demon Sutekh. 

As the figure came into view, I could see that she was wearing scarlet and gold armor decorated with intricate symbols. In her left hand, she held a shield designed to look like a wing, while in her right, she sported an elegant crimson blade. 

Her helmet only covered the top of her head, revealing a pair of lustrous lips curved into a smile. Her hair ran down to her shoulders, flames dancing at the tips. Waves of heat radiated off her body. 

But the most noticeable thing about the figure standing before me were the six massive wings behind her. As she stretched them out to their full span, feathers dropped to the ground, turning any undead they touched into balls of light. 

This was one of the Holy Knight’s four special skills, Archangel Executioner Michael. 

“Whoa…” 

I could hardly believe my eyes. 

A being whose body was entirely made of flames… This was a story ripped from the Bible itself. I couldn’t help but stare as a shiver ran up my spine. 

The version of the angel I was used to in the game didn’t wear such elegant armor, nor was her face covered. She was more of an ephemeral goddess type. Something told me that the being floating in front of me was in a whole different league from what I’d been expecting. 

Just what was this thing? 

The angel opened her mouth and let out a sound that could best be described as music, but I couldn’t understand the words. There was so much power behind that small burst that it sent a shockwave spreading out in a circle around us, destroying any undead in its path. 

I now stood in the middle of a circle, 300 meters or so in diameter, devoid of any enemies. 

As I watched in amazement, the angel began trembling. Slowly but surely, she shrank, bit by bit, as she flew toward me. If this were anything like the game, I knew exactly what would happen next. 

“Gyraaaaaaaaaaaugh!!!” 

However, it was nothing like the game at all. It crashed into me with immense force, and I could feel something massive burrowing deep into me. No words could describe the feeling—the closest I could come was that it was unpleasant, but that hardly did it justice. It felt like my whole body was under attack, like something was scraping away my insides. 

The Holy Knight had four unique skills. They were all quite similar, but each of the angels you could summon had a different elemental affinity. They were like a cross between fighting and summoning techniques, in that you possessed the skills of the angel you summoned once they bonded with you. 

Even though I’d completely maxed out my character, this technique still took up a whole third of my magical power…and only lasted for five minutes. With its half-day recharge before it could be used again, the cost to the player was incredibly high. 

I hadn’t fully appreciated the severity of my actions until I could feel the impressive power coursing through me. 

I knew one thing for certain, however: the spell itself wasn’t capped at five minutes. But humans couldn’t survive becoming one in body and spirit with a fallen angel for anything longer than that. 

I honestly couldn’t imagine casting this spell ever again. 

I could barely contain the immense power of the mighty Archangel Michael in my two-meter frame. The spirit hung close to my back, unwilling to let go. 

“Nnnnngrauuugh!” 

I used my sword like a cane, slowing pushing myself back to my feet. 

By the time I was in a standing position, I was completely out of breath, exhausted by the effort. I focused my eyes on the route ahead. 

When a Holy Knight entered this state, they could only use the abilities of the summoned angel. They were all pretty much overkill, practically breaking the game. 

Looking ahead, I saw the undead once again begin massing in front of me. I unleashed one of the angel’s attacks. 

“Four Flame Rondo!” 

My body went through the motions without me even needing to think as the Archangel Michael took over my body. 

I spun lightly, as if performing a dance, my feet tracing flames into the ground. The design erupted into scarlet fire all around me. As I twirled at the center of the column, it grew, engulfing everything around me. 

Waves of flame rippled across the ground, incinerating the undead, leaving nothing but dust in its wake. 

It was an elegant dance. If I’d been watching as the archangel performed these steps, I’m sure I would have found it quite beautiful. Unfortunately, since I was the one dancing—a massive hulk completely decked out in armor—I couldn’t even begin to imagine how silly I looked. 

The dance continued for a short while, until all the enemies in the area were completely wiped out. Looking into the distance, I could see that the number of undead had dropped significantly. 

If I had to guess, I’d say the attack wiped out at least a couple thousand. 

But I didn’t have time to gloat. My mind was beginning to lose touch with reality, and there were still hordes of undead rushing the capital. 

I’d nearly reached the massive hole in the wall. This was probably my one chance to do something about the majority of the undead. 

“Kaelm Phoenix Pirouette!” 

My voice mingled with one more feminine than mine as I unleashed another attack. It must have been the voice of the Archangel Michael. 

I didn’t have much time to think about this, however, since I began floating as soon as I heard the soothing, melodic tones. 

My body moved of its own accord, my arms spread wide as I looked up at the sky, back arched. Massive wings of fire burst from my back, shooting flaming feathers through the air. 

The wings carried me easily into the sky, feathers raining down and bursting into flames as soon as they made contact. Everything the feathers touched—be it an undead soldier or a field of crops—turned to ash. It filled the air like a black snow. 

This attack lasted longer than the last, and managed to kill at least half of the undead surrounding the capital. 

I figured about half my time was already up. Even if I wanted to kill the remaining enemies, I was reaching my physical and mental limits. 

If I could just hold on… 

“Ruby Flamma!” 

I launched into the next attack the moment my feet touched the ground, this time using my sword to cut huge, flaming swaths through the air. The ability was reminiscent of Ariane’s spirit magic, but the sheer power behind it was something else entirely. 

With every fiery slash, the flames surrounding the blade grew larger and more out of control, until it looked like I was wielding some kind of whip. Any undead soldier struck by the thing was thrown back through the air. 

Once the flaming whip reached its full length, I began swinging it around and around, lighting up the entire region. 

With each flick of my wrist, undead soldiers were blasted out of existence, the whole landscape turning into a literal inferno. 

Unfortunately, I was a little too careless with my movements and lost control of the whip, sending it through the hole in the city’s wall and tearing a gash through the gate. 

Luckily, I took out all of the undead swarming the area at the same time. 

Once the attack came to an end, I let out a heavy breath and took a quick tally of the undead. Their ranks had dwindled enough that I could actually comprehend the numbers now. 

I’d messed up a bit on that last attack, but all that was left for me to do now was some cleanup work. 

I couldn’t be sure exactly how many undead had already made their way into the capital, but I could say with absolute certainty that if I entered the city like this, everyone in it would be wiped off the map. 

With a heavy sigh, I looked back over my shoulder at the long route I’d taken here. 

I could feel the archangel leaving my body as I hit the limit of my abilities. A rune appeared above my head, sucking it up before fading away again. I stabbed my sword into the ground to keep myself upright as I slumped to my knees. 

“Well, I don’t think I’ll be using that again. That was rough…” 

Looking out across the now-clear entrance to the capital, I let out a heavy sigh. 

*** 

The king of the Nohzan Kingdom had his own contingent of soldiers, whose sole job was to protect the capital and other important regions. 

Those assigned to protect the capital were known as the Saureah Guard. 

The soldiers were usually assigned with keeping watch, walking the outer wall, and, when necessary, resolving minor disturbances that took place in their area of operation. 

That was, until one fateful day. 

It was still in the early twilight hours, that mystical time just before the sun crests the horizon to wash away the night’s shadows, when the world is blanketed in mist. 

The guards on patrol looked out across the plains; there was something amiss beyond the wall. 

A horde of heavily armored soldiers lurched out of the dark, wave after unending wave, to bear down on the city’s walls. 

The guards immediately sounded the alarm, warning bells clanging in the still night air. 

Initially, they’d thought this was a surprise attack by the Salma Kingdom. 

However, there were bizarre creatures among the soldiers. Though their upper halves initially appeared to be human, upon closer inspection, it became clear that they each had two torsos—with two arms each—connected to a set of massive spider legs. They were heavily armed, a weapon in each of their hands. 

Initially the Saureah Guard split into two battalions, leaving the confines of the wall to kill or capture the invaders, but during the opening moments of the melee, it became clear that the soldiers weren’t human at all…or at least, not anymore. Underneath their helmets, they were nothing but skeletons. 

One entire battalion was wiped out in no time at all, and half of the remaining battalion was brutally murdered as they attempted to flee. The guards dispatched a messenger to the palace, but the undead army kept growing and growing. In the span of only a few hours, Saureah was completely surrounded. 

For six days straight, the commander of the Saureah Guard spent day and night at the wall, directing the defenses. He was absolutely drained, a shadow of his former self. 

Even if there had been more soldiers available for him to trade off with, the commander was far too busy gathering information, meeting with the troops who came to reinforce their lines, or otherwise planning the city’s defense. 

The soldiers atop the wall were constantly using their spears and stones to drive back the undead that tried breaking through or climbing over the wall. However, each fallen undead soldier simply became a platform for its comrades to stand on, and the platform kept growing. After a while, the risk this presented grew too great to ignore, and they were left with no choice but to pour oil down the side of the wall and light the pile of bodies ablaze. But even then, the undead kept coming. 

The guards did their best to defend the wall and city within, but their casualties were mounting by the day. 

Their salvation came in the form of the enslaved beastmen who volunteered to join the defense. Not only did they bolster the guard’s dwindling numbers, but they were also incredibly strong, each one able to replace two or more of the human soldiers. 

Even with their support, however, the sheer number of undead was astounding. The mood in the capital darkened. 

On the seventh day of the siege, the south gate fell. The undead came flooding in like a river through a leaky dam. The commander steeled himself for the end of his beloved kingdom. 

That’s when the battle took an unexpected turn. 

A figure, wearing gleaming armor and wielding an impressive sword and shield rode in from the south on a lizard-like creature, kicking up a massive trail of dust. The hordes of undead seemed to matter little to him as he hopped off and began fighting, taking down wave upon wave with each attack. 

One of the powerful man-spider creatures attempted to stop the oncoming knight, but even it was easily dispatched with little effort. 

To the soldiers who’d been fighting night and day to defend the city, watching this lone knight stand up against the vast forces of the undead was like a gift from God. 

Using what appeared to be some kind of magic, the silver knight summoned a large, glowing rune around him. A column of light burst up out of the center. When the light faded, a large human-shaped figure stood in its place. 

The figure was outfitted in elegant armor and sported six massive wings. Flames licked at its body. 

It was a messenger of God—an angel. 

To those who’d been praying for salvation, the silver knight and this supernatural figure seemed like a godsend. That meant they were here to perform God’s work. 

After clearing some space around himself, the mysterious knight performed what could best be described as miracles. 

Every time he summoned the power of the angel, another large swath of the undead army was turned to dust. He moved gracefully through the air, performing one miracle after the next as he blasted the undead away. 

The soldiers watching felt as if they’d just woken from a nightmare. 

The knight’s last act as an instrument of God was to summon a heavenly sword and utterly purge the lands beyond the outer wall of the undead. 

He also destroyed half of the gate with his almighty strength. 

Still, the whole thing felt like a miracle to the guards who’d spent the past week atop the wall in a desperate bid to defend the city. They watched, completely dumbfounded, until the sound of screams erupting from the space between the outer and inner walls brought them back to their senses. 

The battle wasn’t over yet. They still had to deal with the undead that had managed to breach the gate. 

The commander ordered the reinvigorated soldiers to destroy the remaining enemies. They couldn’t let this blessing go to waste. 

Victory was almost theirs. 

*** 

Princess Riel and her contingent of guards stood at the outskirts of Saureah, stunned speechless as they witnessed a miracle take place in front of them. 

Arc, facing off against over 100,000 undead soldiers, laid waste to the opposing army all on his own. 

As soon as she saw the column of light, Ariane knew what Arc had planned. He was going to summon forth one of his demons to do the fighting for him. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen him do something like this—the first was in the battle against the hydra in the Holy East Revlon Empire town of Leibnizche, when he summoned forth Ifrit, and again when he summoned the demon Sutekh to fight the Dragon Lord. 

All the spirit energy running through the air had a rather charged feeling to it, and one Ariane wouldn’t easily forget. After all, this “summon magic,” as Arc called it, was similar to the spirit magic used by elves. 

In a way, it was like reaching out and letting the forces of the world work on your behalf. Put simply, spirit magic was a method of asking the spirits to offer you their assistance. 

The creatures Arc summoned forth, however, were nothing like the simple spirits Ariane was used to. 

These beings could barely contain all of the spirit energy that flowed through them. Actual encounters with these “spirit kings” or “spirit deities” were rare. 

And yet, Arc was able to summon forth a force more powerful than anything Ariane could imagine. The air vibrated with the intensity of the power brought to bear. 

Scarlet-gold armor, six beautiful wings, and hair of flames… Ariane distantly remembered reading about something like this in the past. This being was one of a very select group of special spirit deities. 

The power on display was unlike any other spirit. The very act of summoning forth such a thing was a feat in its own right. Ariane couldn’t even begin to imagine the sheer burden calling forth such a powerful spirit would place on the body and mind. 

And yet, Arc was able to easily control it. 

Were this any other spirit that Arc was summoning forth, his attacks wouldn’t be anywhere near as strong as they were now. But with this massive force behind him, he was clearing the land with ease, quite literally wiping his enemies out of existence. 

Chiyome trembled and squeezed Ponta a little closer as she watched. Maybe it was the spirit within her reacting to the energy. All of Ponta’s green fur was standing on end as well. 

Ariane turned her attention back to the capital…and Arc. 

Arc had previously mentioned that he intended to show off a little bit, since he’d made sure the humans around them knew he was an elf. But she worried he might be overdoing it. By demonstrating this kind of raw power, he might actually increase the humans’ fear of elves. 

Princess Riel looked up at Ariane and swallowed hard. “I hear you’re even more talented than him, Ariane. Is that true?” 

Her look conveyed fear and awe. 

Ariane paused, unsure how best to answer. She smiled at the young girl. 

“I’m better with a sword, if that’s what you’re asking. But he’s a bit unique, even among us elves.” 

She decided that it probably wouldn’t be to their advantage for someone as influential as Princess Riel to believe that all elves were as powerful as Arc. 

While she hated the awful treatment the humans subjected her comrades to, being feared by all humankind would do the elves no favors. 

Ariane’s father had always told her that humans’ lifespans were much shorter than those of elves, so their experiences faded as one generation gave way to the next. 

The Rhoden Kingdom, for example, had attacked the elves’ home in Canada, only to be beaten back nearly to the point of extinction, a mere 600 years ago. And yet, they were now using elves as their playthings, having entirely forgotten the awesome might of the Dragon Lord and the fighting prowess of the elves. 

In that same way, Ariane felt an odd sense of relief that they would also likely forget the sense of awe they felt toward the power Arc wielded in a relatively short period of time. 

It was now only a matter of time until the capital was free once again. After that would come the post-battle negotiations. 

Ariane let out a heavy sigh at the thought of all the work awaiting them.