The One Who Will Kill You (4)
Even as the Imperial Army surged forward, the Adversary didn’t spare them a single glance.
He simply faced the Transcendents before him, endlessly spewing darkness.
The battlefield had already been consumed by a black mist so thick that not even a speck of light could penetrate it. As the Adversary continued to release his energy, the darkness only deepened.
Now, the only remaining light was the divine power emitted by Deneb and the priests of the Imperial Army.
“…This should be enough.”
Muttering to himself, the Adversary suddenly unleashed a surge of power.
Kwaaaang!
The Transcendents fighting him were all blown backward. But the Adversary paid them no mind.
“…So this is how it was.”
He murmured something incomprehensible, then suddenly stretched out his hand to the side.
Gooooo…
Darkness began to gather there, intense and growing. It whirled and swelled.
Crack! Crackcrackcrack!
Soon, like cracks forming on glass, the space itself split open and light burst forth. The fractures widened in the air, opening into a massive rift.
Inside, it was filled with a dark violet hue—an endless void that crushed the hearts of those who saw it with despair.
Ironically, from within that void, shimmering particles of radiant light slowly trickled out.
And then—
Grrrrrrr…
A beast’s guttural growl echoed from within.
People didn’t realize what it was right away. Those of the current era had never fought directly against the Demonic Abyss.
But Ghislain knew what the Adversary had summoned. He had fought against the priests of the Salvation Church more than anyone else here.
‘A Rift…’
Ghislain could hardly believe his eyes.
In the future, the Salvation Church had opened a Rift only by sacrificing countless lives—and even that had taken a long time to prepare.
But the Adversary had opened one in mere moments, using nothing but his own power.
And it wasn’t just one.
Flaaash!
No less than five Rifts opened all around.
The Adversary looked around and muttered,
“This is still my limit for now.”
It was a power he had suppressed for far too long. For now, he couldn’t wield it perfectly.
But he could feel the unprecedented power dwelling within him. If only he could master it completely—
“I could become the true savior of this world.”
The Adversary stretched out both hands. Another tremendous wave of energy radiated from his body.
Gooooooo…
The very battlefield seemed like it would collapse under the sheer pressure of it.
The Adversary spoke with a voice tinged with delight.
“Go. From here, let the false world learn what true fear is.”
KAAAAAAANG!
A massive beast, Equidema, burst from the Rift.
The beasts emerging from the five Rifts let out thunderous roars and charged in all directions.
Their targets were the armies gathered on this field.
And behind those beasts—
KAAAAAAA!
Like a dam breaking, a flood of Riftspawn began pouring out of the Rifts.
There were too many to count—an unstoppable deluge.
Ghislain exhaled sharply as he witnessed it.
“…So the vision from the dream was real.”
In the future, the Riftspawn could only move within their domain. That limitation gave humanity time to prepare for battle as the domains formed.
But now, even though Equidema hadn’t fully formed a domain, the Riftspawn were already moving.
It was easy to guess why—the Adversary’s energy saturating the surroundings.
Ghislain involuntarily chuckled as his shoulders shook.
‘How in the world did we ever stop that thing?’
The Adversary was a monster that defied logic by his very existence. He sought to destroy everything with an absolute power that refused even comprehension.
With weary eyes, Ghislain turned his head.
‘Deneb.’
Deneb was praying silently with her eyes closed. Without her divine power, this place would’ve already been swallowed by endless darkness.
Ghislain slowly turned the other way.
‘Julien.’
“Waaaaaah! Stop the monsters!”
The Imperial Army surged toward the Riftspawn with all their might. At the very front was Julien.
The Transcendents of the Imperial Army followed behind, their blue aura blazing. The priests pushed back the darkness with divine power.
Ghislain turned his gaze again.
Flaaash!
Countless spirits floated into the air. Spirits of every color and beauty appeared alongside the elves.
As the elves drew their bowstrings, a storm of arrows blotted out the sky and rained down on the Riftspawn.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dwarves charged atop their Barkrocks, crashing toward the Riftspawn. The ground shook as if struck by an earthquake with every step they took.
At last, a true United Human Army—humans, elves, and dwarves standing shoulder to shoulder—had formed.
And finally, that vast force clashed with the Riftspawn.
KWAHHHHHH!
“Wipe them all out!”
“Never back down!”
“If this place falls, it’s over!”
“Waaaaaaaah!”
Countless voices shouted, shaking the battlefield like a storm.
KRAAAAH!
The Riftspawn shrieked in response, spreading outward. They poured endlessly from the Rifts, growing their numbers into a monstrous army.
KWAHHHHHH!
Spears and shields clashed, fire and lightning split the sky.
The songs of spirits rang out, and the dwarves trampled over the beasts, pushing forward.
“Keep pressing!”
“Hold the line!”
Shouts from commanders echoed all around.
The soldiers clenched their teeth and advanced, refusing to lose spirit.
GRAAAAAAH!
Equidema roared and swept across the battlefield. Dozens of warriors were sent flying with each strike of the beast’s limbs.
But the cries of humans, elves, and dwarves didn’t stop.
Knights led the charge, mages rained down light and frost.
The elves’ arrows filled the skies, and the dwarves’ axes mercilessly tore through monster flesh.
The battlefield, soaked in blood and flame, cries and screams, quickly descended into madness.
The Adversary had already risen into the sky, watching the scene unfold.
“You’re holding out better than expected… yes… that’s how it should be…”
This time, his gaze turned to Deneb.
Her divine power still shone strong. Though darkness tried endlessly to consume her, it was burned away the moment it touched her light.
Divine power was the natural enemy of the Demon God’s energy.
Even though the Adversary was now far stronger than he had been as The Pope, he still couldn’t easily pierce that light.
However, the domain of light had stopped expanding. That was proof of just how dense the surrounding darkness had become.
“You’re truly impressive… but you won’t last much longer…”
Divine power wasn’t infinite. No matter how powerful the Saintess was, she had her limits.
The fact that her light could grow no further was the evidence.
“I want to see your face twisted in despair.”
He wanted to shatter that unwavering faith and hope.
That was what the darkness burning within the Adversary desired.
Rumble…
The darkness swirling around the Adversary’s body grew even thicker. As the Rifts widened, even more Riftspawn poured out.
KRAAAAAH!
The grotesquely overflowing Riftspawn were nothing short of a natural disaster.
Ghislain’s expression hardened as he witnessed it.
“…Damn it…”
Rifts spewed out tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of Riftspawn. These monsters surged forth without the limitation of a domain.
The army gathered here was not the full might of the United Human Army. Only a portion of the elves and dwarves had come, and the Imperial Army was merely a collection of nearby forces hastily assembled.
Among the lords, only the armies of Larks and Nodehill—mercenary-supported forces—had arrived.
If this were a normal Rift, there would be plenty of capable warriors to hold the line. But here stood the Adversary.
As long as he existed, the Riftspawn would pour out endlessly. A force of this size couldn’t possibly stop them.
As Ghislain had feared, the United Human Army began to falter.
“The line is breaking! Hold them off!”
“Give it everything you’ve got! If we fall, it’s over!”
“Uwaaaaagh!”
Elven arrows still rained down, filling the sky, but more Riftspawn were emerging than falling to the volleys.
The dwarves’ charge had already been stopped by a veritable wall of Riftspawn.
The tight formations of knights were swallowed up. Soldiers stabbed desperately with their spears, but it was all too feeble against the onrushing tide of Riftspawn.
Even the divine power of the priests couldn’t protect them. Though the Riftspawn burned in divine light, they still grabbed and devoured the soldiers.
Thanks to the Transcendents and mages, the line hadn’t completely collapsed, but they couldn’t even touch the Adversary who had opened the Rifts.
Soon… just a bit more time, and the battlefield would collapse entirely.
Ghislain looked back at Deneb.
She was the only one who could resolve this situation. A miracle had to happen, and she was the one who had to make it happen.
He wasn’t one to rely on hope, but this time there was no choice. The Adversary’s appearance had been too sudden. No one could have predicted it.
Humanity wasn’t ready yet. Only by surviving this crisis could they come to understand the Adversary’s power and prepare properly.
Deneb knew this too. That’s why she kept trying to channel the divine.
Only a miracle that could drive away the darkness could resolve this situation.
‘Oh Goddess… please…’
Tears streamed from Deneb’s eyes. The anguished screams of the people pierced her ears and tormented her.
But no matter how fervently she prayed, no answer from the divine came.
And at last, she realized—
This place had already become another world.
Deneb slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head.
Even the sun was no longer visible. The surroundings were no different.
The world was filled with darkness. People fought by relying on the light she emitted.
In this world drowned in darkness, the Adversary was like a god.
He would summon endless monsters and eventually kill everyone here.
“Ah…”
Deneb grieved over her own lack of power.
Though she could wield the Sacred Stone, the amount of power she could actually use was extremely limited.
She wasn’t yet capable of piercing through this darkness. Even before her desperate plea could reach the heavens, the overwhelming darkness had already blocked everything.
‘Adversary…’
Deneb looked at him. He was looking at her, too.
The one who had once tried so desperately to kill the Saintess was now simply watching her with leisure.
And Deneb understood why.
He was waiting. Waiting for the divine emissary to fall into despair and fear.
By feeding on that emotion, the Adversary would grow even stronger.
‘Don’t be afraid. I have to endure.’
Deneb wiped away her tears. Her spirit must not break.
Here, now, the only force that could stand against the darkness was her divine power. So she had to hold on, no matter what, and pierce through the darkness.
If even the slightest opening appeared, she might be able to draw the power needed to banish it.
She tried to steel herself—but it wasn’t easy.
“Uaaagh!”
“Oh Goddess!”
“Hold the line! Don’t fall!”
The tortured screams of the people kept tearing at her heart.
No matter how desperately she prayed, no miracle occurred. The Adversary’s darkness had turned this place into an entirely different realm.
And the more it continued, the more her heart trembled. As her heart faltered, so did the light that protected this place.
Ssshhhhk…
At last, the light began to be consumed by darkness. The flames of darkness crept in, little by little, overtaking the light.
And so the light began to fade.
The Adversary watched this closely, as if savoring a delicious meal.
Ghislain, too, could guess what was happening. The darkness that filled the surroundings was not natural.
He knew of such a place. In fact, everyone on the continent knew it.
‘The Demonic Abyss.’
The Adversary had turned this place into a miniature version of it.
He was said to have inherited the Demon God’s power, and now it seemed true. To perform such a miracle…
It seemed Deneb still didn’t have the strength to break through that darkness.
A way had to be found. If only the slightest gap could be created, Deneb could surely do it.
“Uaaaagh!”
The screams of the faltering United Human Army rang out.
Ghislain clenched his teeth and began crawling somewhere.
‘Damn it…’
There was one thing he could try.
The problem was, the Adversary was still watching this place.
He was surely observing even Ghislain’s current movements. If he left the area protected by divine power, the Adversary could erase him with a single gesture.
‘If only someone could buy a little time…’
But that was too much to hope for.
Right now, Ilaniel, Grondal, and all the other Transcendents were busy holding back the Riftspawn.
A single Transcendent—or even two—wouldn’t be enough to draw the Adversary’s attention. It would take many working together, and that was impossible in the current situation.
So Ghislain gave up on that part. He resolved to try his plan anyway and kept crawling forward.
But then—
KUUOOOOOOOO!
A roar that shook the heavens split the sky.
The sound was so powerful that even the darkness filling this place trembled.
The Adversary flinched and looked up.
Soon, pushing through the black mist, a massive presence spread its wings and revealed itself.
An overwhelming presence that crushed the world beneath it.
Black scales glistening like obsidian, a body as solid as steel.
A darkness different from the one that filled this place.
A Black Dragon.
The being known as the strongest of all living creatures had appeared.
Ruuuuumble…
Each flap of the great wings that cut through the dark stirred the air and shook the battlefield.
A flash like lightning shot from the dragon’s eyes, and its gaze locked straight onto the Adversary.
KROAAAAAH!
When the dragon opened its jaws, primordial mana began to swirl within.
Heaven and earth trembled as space itself twisted and cracked.
An overwhelming force beyond description.
It was a power akin to a calamity that would destroy all.
KWAHHHHHHHHHH―――!
In the next instant, a breath attack that could tear the world apart exploded toward the Adversary.
