The night sky turned somber, and amidst it, the faint glow of the moon illuminated a red heat that shimmered in the air.
A torrent of blood flowed like churning waves. It was neither a lake, nor a river, much less a sea.
It was something with form.
A despair shaped by devouring the blood and life of humanity.
A giant of blood.
The corpses floating inside it, along with boiling, churning bubbles, made it even more grotesque and nauseating.
It was a catastrophe. There was no other way to describe it.
“…Ah.”
How could something like that exist in the world?
The soldiers were left speechless.
The horses collapsed, halting the knights’ charge, while the monsters, soaked in blood and demonic energy, roared more ferociously.
The giant shook the battlefield just by existing.
Amidst the chaos, a cold, low voice rang out.
“Your time has come, Your Highness.”
The traitor of Alprosen, Viscount Lorencios Sidis, mocked them all with the moon as his backdrop.
At his command, the giant moved. It seemed slow, but in a blink, it was already in front of them.
The fist—too enormous to simply be called a fist—descended straight toward the crown prince’s head.
────!
It was a simple strike, but the result was not.
The sheer mass of the body, its weight, and the density of the demonic energy made it pure calamity.
The soldiers were thrown without even being able to scream. The mages reacted too late.
But the prince still stood.
A wall of steel protected him.
“Who said I’d let things go your way?”
Fernan, who had erected the barrier, roared at the viscount.
“Damn corrupt, you’ll get nothing you desire today. Here, now, you’ll be consumed.”
“…Well, so you were there. Fernan Pellenberg.”
The viscount stared at him. Despite the height and distance between them, their eyes locked, both brimming with hostility.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. Apparently, you’ve ruined quite a few of our plans.”
“I didn’t ruin anything. I only did what had to be done. Do you eat when worms infest your food, without brushing them away?”
“…Worms, you say?”
“What difference is there between worms that feed on filth and vermin that scorn gold? To you, filth and gold are the same.”
Lorencios’s face twisted at the harsh accusation.
Then he burst into laughter.
“¡Hahahahahaha! Yes, your tongue is sharp, as they say. But do you know why it doesn’t bother me now? Because soon, you’ll be a corpse.”
────!
The blood fist fell again on Fernan and the prince.
Once, twice, three, four, five times.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled, debris flew with every impact.
“Hold the line!”
“Protect the prince!”
The Knights of the Black Whale finally responded, charging at the giant.
─!
The creature’s ankle burst under their assault.
But it was useless—blood immediately restored it.
“¡Hahahaha! Come on, come! Your prince is already dea—…what?”
Lorencios cut off his mockery.
Amid the dust stood a steel dome, unscathed.
“You…!”
The viscount growled at the sight of Fernan, soaked in blood, holding a healing potion in one hand, his staff in the other, and drinking a mana potion at the same time.
“I warned you, vermin. You’ll achieve nothing today.”
Fernan threw the empty bottle to the ground.
“…I admit it. I underestimated you. But I swear, today you’ll die here.”
“Filthy traitor! You’ll have to go through us first.”
The Knights of the Black Whale, having regrouped, once again clashed with the blood giant.
In the brief reprieve, the prince asked Fernan urgently.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. And you, Your Highness?”
“Thanks to you, I’m still standing.”
But his lips trembled; he had spent strength defending himself alongside Fernan.
“Damn it… I need your help.”
“What do you need?”
“I want to escape.”
There was no honor in it, but it was the logical choice.
Fernan calmly shook his head.
“That won’t be possible. Someone who used thousands of corpses to create this wouldn’t leave even a sliver of chance for escape.”
The prince clenched his teeth.
“Then there’s no way out?”
Fernan didn’t answer immediately. He observed.
The runes of the magic circle had vanished. All its power had been absorbed by the giant.
And there were still hundreds of monsters and demons, many stronger after feeding on blood.
The viscount himself still stood, with half his book intact.
‘If the prince escapes, the order dies.’
And that would be devastating.
No, what Fernan wanted was something else.
To see the faces of those corrupt twist in defeat.
‘I’ll block this. No, I’ll destroy it.’
His gaze swept over the tide of creatures.
The knights, elite soldiers, Hyde, Gismond, and Luina could handle the monsters.
The problem was the giant.
‘Then I’ll have to…’
Fernan clutched Wooden tightly, who struggled on his chest to break free.
“…Alright. I’ve kept this hidden long enough.”
It was too useful and powerful to keep hidden forever.
And now, the time had come to unleash it.
“Your Highness, would you trust me if I said there’s a way to win?”
“…Whatever it is, say it.”
“I just need one promise.”
Fernan looked at him with absolute seriousness.
“No matter what happens here, swear not to tell anyone.”
The prince raised his eyebrows. A strange request, but Fernan’s expression was solemn.
“…Can you really defeat it?”
“Yes. But I don’t want this revealed.”
“I understand.”
“Then, do you promise?”
“If you save us, how could I not promise?”
“And if the secret leaks, I’ll consider it a breach and demand compensation.”
“…What?”
The prince let out a disbelieving laugh. Even at that moment, Fernan was talking about money.
“Very well. Save us, and claim whatever you want.”
“Perfect.”
Luina, acting as a notary, raised her voice.
“I, daughter of Bercheff, bear witness to this agreement.”
With the deal sealed, Fernan passed through the protective formation of the soldiers and stepped forward.
“Go, Wooden.”
He tore off the pendant and hurled it ahead.
“It’s your time.”
Who was the real giant?
What even was a giant?
“Show them. And make that arrogant bastard kneel before me.”
— Kyuuu!
At the appearance of the false one, the real giant awoke.
***
“W-What… the hell is that?”
Crown Prince Alpion Alprosen had thought himself prepared.
He had already been stunned enough upon witnessing the monstrous blood giant.
Even though Fernan had shown confidence, what could he expect?
No matter how incredible the thing Fernan revealed was, he hadn’t thought it would be something even more colossal.
He believed it would be just some powerful magic capable of breaking through the current situation.
That’s what he thought—until Fernan tore something from his neck and threw it.
But when that “something” began to grow, reaching a size equal to the blood giant—
— Kuuung!
And when that giant let out a ridiculous whimper and started obeying Fernan’s commands, the prince’s confidence collapsed in an instant, all the way to the bottom.
“Ooooh…!”
“What the hell is that…!”
Seeing the soldiers’ dumbfounded expressions only scared him more.
“…This is a disaster.”
And after showing something like that, Fernan expected no one to talk about it?
Not even he, the Crown Prince himself, was sure he could keep this secret!
“…Your Majesty, forgive this unworthy son who gave his word too lightly, without being able to keep it.”
At this rate, he was truly about to lose the entire kingdom’s budget for the next three months.
____
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