"Wu..."
An octopus-like tentacle crawled along, already reaching the giant wolf's neck.
Polo was very uneasy, his entire body trembling.
Meanwhile, the three people below the platform watched with varying expressions.
The tentacle lunged, but failed to achieve anything; the fur on the giant wolf's neck was too thick, and its hide too tough.
It continued to crawl, reaching Polo's face; the eyes or ears would be ideal targets.
Blood slowly dripped down.
What greeted the tentacle were fangs—the fangs of a wolf.
Polo bit down, crushing that section of the tentacle.
"You can't eat that!"
Seeing this, Herluth clutched his head in grief and shouted loudly.
"Quiet!"
A hoarse voice came from within the bandages, scolding Herluth for his recklessness. He then pointed at Polo and turned back to look at Linge.
"Such a transgressive act cannot be ignored by us. Since you have refused, we have no choice but to execute you... What do you think, Lord 'death'?"
"Naturally, I should be the one to take action."
At some point, Linge's sword had appeared in his palm. He held the blade horizontally with one hand, holding his breath and focusing his mind.
In that gap, Polo moved. With a swift and fluid motion, he suddenly unleashed his sharp edge, his target being the throne—the 'Core' bound by thousands of pieces of flesh.
However, things did not go as he wished. After only a few maneuvers, several thorns lunged out from the flickering floating fires. They were made of red and white matter and were incredibly agile; he could only dodge.
"Attack!"
Herluth's face turned pale as he shouted to the two people standing still.
Kebro formed a hand seal and muttered under his breath. From the surrounding piles of flesh, a swarm of skeleton soldiers crawled out.
Linge did not hold back. He pressed down on a skeleton's head and stepped up, jumping back and forth across their skulls. Without needing to touch the ground, he was as graceful as a startled swan!
He was already very close. He leaned forward and dove down, swinging his heavy sword, but it hit nothing. Polo had avoided it in an uncanny manner.
"Shunpo... was it?"
Linge murmured softly, not particularly surprised, but for some reason, his sword style gained a few more variations.
Things were starting to get interesting.
"Hmm, this wolf is truly remarkable. This Eagle of death is also quite extraordinary."
Kebro sucked on his finger, squeezing those hoarse words through his teeth.
"Eagle of death?"
Herluth was very confused by this statement.
Despite the intensity of the battle, the two of them couldn't find an opening to intervene for the moment. So, while searching for an opportunity, he asked.
"Herluth, you do have an eye for things, but your heart is too fragile. So much so that you cannot understand what a'soul' truly is..."
With a crunch, Kebro bit his finger until it bled. He smeared the blood on his face and continued.
"That man's soul is black. It's different from the blackness nurtured within Gaul; it is a mottled mess. Different colors have merged and clouded together, indistinguishable from one another, to the point where the soul appears pitch black..."
"Perhaps he is the product of those remnants constantly dying and finally merging together. He is 'redundancy,' a thing that shouldn't exist in this world. His soul constantly sheds feathers of death, and if one gets close to him, they will be ignited by misfortune, never to find release..."
"..."
Herluth was silent. After hearing this, he only felt that Kebro was being noisy. He had already prepared for battle and would no longer be distracted.
On the other side, Linge also noticed the situation here. He knew that this play could no longer continue.
He feigned struggle, retreating step after step.
"Woodworth, you're too impatient..."
Herluth appeared behind Linge and pushed against his shoulder.
Then, a long-handled axe with a grip like an old tree root appeared in his other hand. The axe blade was very long and seemed quite heavy, yet he swung it as easily as if it were an extension of his own arm.
"In battle, one should act only after planning. Success or failure is decided by meticulousness. To deal with such a beast, one naturally uses a heavy axe to crush its lowly bones!"
"..."
Hearing this, Linge merely glanced at his own sword, which was even longer than Herluth's, and remained silent.
Then, Herluth charged forward. His posture was wide and open, which should have been a great threat to a beast... but Polo was truly a bit too agile.
In his impatience, Herluth instead allowed Polo to find a weakness.
"Watch out!"
Linge lunged forward, taking a claw swipe from Polo with his back, leaving three vicious wounds.
The figures shifted, and their positions became distinct once more.
"You, how..."
Herluth's eyes widened as he looked at Linge. He then pulled Linge's shoulder and clearly saw the injury on his back. An anxious look crossed his face. "What should I do... what do I do?"
"The wolf escaped!"
To the side, Kebro roared through gritted teeth. Polo had performed a powered-up dash, actually managing to smash through the large doors and rush out.
"Damn it! Damn it!" He turned back to look at the two of them. "What are you two dazed for? Are you praying?"
Kebro gnashed his teeth, a glint of ferocity leaking out.
"If it escapes, a mere prayer won't be enough to explain it!"
"Cut the crap, you holy man!" Herluth glanced at him and questioned bluntly, "So what contribution have you made?"
"Hmph!" Kebro had no answer and quickly left the area.
"Heh..."
Herluth's gaze also turned cold. He grabbed Linge's arm and locked eyes with him. "Let's go. There is no path of retreat for you or me. We can only sacrifice ourselves for the Queen."
"I know."
Linge used the arm to stand up. To be honest, the injury he took this time wasn't small. But since the other party was using the Queen's name to force him to risk his life, he could only... comply.
After moving a bit, Linge touched his neck, where he could faintly feel the pulse of his blood vessels.
That thing... it wouldn't be hidden inside a blood vessel, would it?
That would be fatal; that's the carotid artery... Fortunately, that so-called 'Queen' hasn't made a move yet.
It seems the Queen's condition is quite suspicious... Linge looked back at the throne shrouded in a hazy blood-red light.
He clearly realized that this was an opportunity. The chance to end the darkness of this place might be right here.
But for Linge, this had no meaning.
Herluth wasn't important, Jaburo wasn't important, and the 'Queen' wasn't important. The only thing that mattered was... Hope!
"Let's go."
Linge loosened his muscles and shouldered his heavy sword with one hand, putting on a forced air of ease.
Meanwhile, in a certain corridor, the battle was currently at a stalemate.
Kebro wasn't idle. Under his secret technique, a large number of bone soldiers appeared, blocking the path.
One must know that even in a Musou game, small soldiers can block the way!
Polo charged into the bone soldiers. With a soaring wolf's rapid dance, he could easily smash those bones, but without a doubt, his speed slowed.
At this critical moment, Kebro's figure appeared. His bandages slowly unraveled, revealing a wrinkled face. Besides his face, his entire body was covered in blood-red tattoos.
Those were incantations or perhaps scriptures. At this moment, they were filled with red light, flashing continuously. "Aaaaaah—" Kebro's veins bulged as he howled in pain.
The red light followed the floor and walls, crawling toward Polo at a frantic speed like a snake.
Polo was forced to dodge, which played right into Kebro's hands. The light spread rapidly and soon connected.
Contact would cause harm; avoiding contact would lead to being trapped.
This was a cage for a trapped beast, or rather, this was a 'Domain'.
But Jaburo knew that as a mortal, if he wanted to maintain a Domain, he had to use his soul as fuel. So he either had to end the fight quickly or... die here.
But even with such a price, his Domain was very weak. Aside from trapping people, it had only one function.
To torture the soul!
"Stupid thing, you want to die so soon?!"
Herluth's voice carried in.
"If you want to live, open the door now!"
Then, a small opening was pulled apart. He leaned in, and Linge followed. Once they were fully inside, the opening closed like a zipper, leaving no trace.
Oppression, heavy as a tide—this was Linge's sensation upon entering this place.
Even steel, which possesses both hardness and toughness, has a concept called 'metal fatigue'.
And the soul—the more rigid it is, the easier it is to be pushed by the tide and tossed back and forth.
Linge gripped his sword and looked at Jaburo's figure.
It's not time yet... He had to understand the opponent better. Whether it was their abilities or hidden trump cards, everything had to be tested. Only then would it be possible to get the antidote.
Trapped in the mire-like Domain, his actions were restricted and his energy was being drained. At this moment, Polo understood that Kebro was the key, and his pursuit followed immediately.
Kebro leaned back, and his body was strangely pulled back more than a dozen steps. This distance was much safer. He panted continuously, clearly exhausted, and shouted nervously: "Hurry up and act, or there won't be another chance!"
Before his voice could fade, Linge's figure darted out from his side. Kebro, whose nerves were already strained, was naturally startled, but he found that Linge had no interest in him and instead went to meet the giant wolf.
At that moment, he clearly saw the traces of that black greatsword swinging—
It was like an eagle flapping its wings.
Within the already narrow hallway, now further isolated by Kebro's Domain, the tall wolf's fur stood on end. Facing it was the ash-clad swordsman. No one could escape; in this battle, someone's life must be left behind.
"There's no room for me to intervene."
Herluth stood beside Kebro, weighing his axe. He wasn't wrong; if he and Linge went in together, given their combat styles, it would be hard to achieve a one-plus-one-is-greater-than-two effect in such a narrow place. Instead, they would get in each other's way, which would be more trouble than it was worth.
So, it was better to conserve energy. If the battle didn't go well, he could just go in as backup.
"Heh."
Kebro looked up at him, a hint of mockery appearing on his tattoo-covered face.
"Live until the end, Herluth. Whether vegetarian or carnivore, hunter or prey, only the one who lives until the end is the winner!"
"Are you insulting me?"
Herluth tasted something unusual in those words.
"Hmph, I didn't say that."
Kebro naturally denied it. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder as a powerful surge of magic flowed over, and within that magic was wrapped... a soul.
"Just use it, you bastard."
Herluth was at his side, acting as if he didn't care.
"After all, if even a guy like you dies, then I'll be the only one left who was loyal to the Queen from the beginning. If that's the case, even if I see that so-called 'New World,' wouldn't it be more loss than gain?"
"I really didn't think a guy like you would have a flash of brilliance in your soul."
Kebro shook his head slightly. "It seems I misjudged you."
"That's normal. After all, how can someone who's always acting crazy have a clear head?"
After saying this, Herluth grinned, looking quite happy.
But just at that moment, a loud bang echoed against the barrier. Linge, covered in wounds, floated down to the ground from above, silently staring at the two of them.
Seeing this, Herluth looked at Kebro and scratched his head under the other's gaze as if looking at an idiot.
"Um... that, we are working... right?"
"..."
At this point, Herluth felt like he was in the wrong no matter what. He gritted his teeth, shouldered his axe, and charged forward.
"Heh, it seems my life really is coming to an end."
Kebro murmured softly. Once Herluth left, his soul could no longer stop its dissipation. Eventually, all those colors would be drained away, leaving only an empty shell.
"Prayer... I have always been praying, and even now I still hold hope... but God does not look upon the world with favor... so this is a Revelation: the path ahead for the world is only to forge forward through thorns and brambles, even if it means filling the way with thousands of blood sins... and I, too, shall be one of them."
At this moment, Linge was right behind him, watching him quietly and remaining silent.
Before long, Linge also followed in Herluth's footsteps.
"Die, you beast!"
Facing the giant wolf Polo, Herluth's face was distorted and fierce. His movements were wide and powerful, his axe swinging faster and faster, yet he only had those same few tricks.
It seemed the so-called 'four horsemen' were only worth so much in combat, as if they were appointed through connections. Can that Queen really achieve anything with such an incompetent duo?
Despite his internal criticism, Linge knew clearly that he must not treat Herluth as a fool. He had to be cautious and careful, like a wolf entering the night.
Herluth unleashed his limited techniques over and over, but it was all in vain. Although Polo was large, he was extremely agile; Herluth could neither catch him nor keep up, and all his attacks missed.
Linge stayed to the side, occasionally blocking attacks for him, but even with the limited space, he found no opportunity to touch Polo.
Linge didn't mind, though. After all, he was just a hired hand, not a founding shareholder; there was no need to risk his life.
"I've really had enough!"
Kebro was vexed. He felt he shouldn't have trusted Herluth at all. The situation was pathetic; while he was exhausting himself just to maintain the domain, the two of them hadn't achieved a single result.
At such a moment, Kebro began to pray. He prayed and prayed again... then he drew a small knife, his face contorted, and stabbed it directly through his own palm.
Prayer, as expected, was useless.
Dark green blood flowed down the tip of the knife, symbolizing his non-human status. But what kind of god did such a monster believe in, and why, exactly, was he so utterly disappointed in them?
"Since that's the case..."
He slowly advanced, and the blood-colored domain continued to retract, making the space narrower and narrower. Polo sensed an opportunity and lunged violently against the barrier.
Bang!!
With a violent boom, Kebro staggered and nearly fell to the ground, but the barrier remained intact.
Herluth and Linge shared a glance and decided to take this chance to bring Polo down, yet Linge was a step slower than him.
With an inadvertent turn, Linge stared at what was accumulating in Kebro's palm—that dark green liquid, which made Linge's soul restless.
Not yet.
Linge withdrew his gaze without a trace, gripped Black Slash with both hands, exerted force with his feet, and returned to the battlefield.
"You really have become a Wolf King, Polo. Truly impressive."
During the fight, Herluth praised his opponent, reminiscing about the past.
"I remember when you were just a little thing. You were wonderful back then, so very human-like..."
While he was speaking, Linge noticed Kebro, who had somehow moved into the shadows, his hands clasped together as if in prayer.
Turning his head, Linge gave Polo a deep look.
The time has come.
"It was I who took you in and freed you from the fate of becoming food, so why... did you betray me?"
Herluth gripped the axe handle with both hands, raised it high, and charged forward with a violent swing. Immediately after, Linge moved as well.
Under the pressure from the two of them, Polo gradually lost the last of his space.
"Now!"
Herluth shouted. Linge swung his heavy sword to block Polo's path, while Herluth threw his heavy axe, successfully cutting one of Polo's hind legs.
He immediately lunged forward and grabbed one of Polo's legs.
"What are you waiting for? Now is the time!"
As the words fell, the dark green blood arrow arrived as scheduled.
It's time.
Correct.
Linge's sword had already slashed out, but Polo caught the blade in his mouth. Blood seeped from his jaws and his teeth were forced to snap, but he used this as leverage. His body twisted with extreme flexibility, and Herluth, who was death-gripping him, could only be flipped over by this force.
That dark green blood fell entirely onto Herluth, who was then slammed hard onto the ground.
Seeing this, Linge did not linger in the fight. Instead, with a tense face, he rushed over with great urgency.
"Are you alright!" Linge shook Herluth forcefully, finally waking him.
"No... don't touch me... quickly..."
Herluth looked up, his eyes darting around searching for something.
"Kebro..."
"What a fool!"
Because the two had withdrawn from the fight, Polo quickly targeted Kebro. Kebro showed frequent signs of defeat during the melee; after all, he was a mage, and not all mages invest points in close combat.
At the critical moment, a heavy piece of iron smashed down in front of him, blocking Polo's thrust and saving him.
As the dust settled, it became clear that it was a sword—broad, heavy, a Dragon-Slaying Sword!
It was also a black sword.
At this moment, a grey-cloaked figure gripped the sword and reached out, like a Greedy Wolf.
"Quick! Give me the antidote! Quick!"
"You..."
Kebro swallowed his words. The feeling of being coerced was never pleasant, but he couldn't say no right now. If the situation worsened any further, all the sacrifices they had made would go to waste.
For victory, this was a necessary measure... "Yes, Kebro... quick... save me..."
Herluth's voice rang in his ears, while Polo watched like a tiger from the shadows.
"Hmph!"
He slowly took a small crystal vial from his robe and threw it to Linge.
"This is processed spinal fluid; it can cure him. Go, quickly!"
Kebro urged him, yet after Linge caught the object, he simply stood there motionless.
"Well? Is there a problem?"
He was puzzled, but Linge was staring at the bottle, lost in thought.
"So beautiful."
Linge seemed infatuated. Then he clenched his hand and leaned it against his forehead, as if in penance.
"To protect what one cherishes, one must take away what others cherish. Perhaps the fault lies in the fact that there is no way to have both in this world; for someone to achieve their dream, someone else's long-held wish must go unfulfilled."
"What... are you talking about?"
Jaburo was confused by Linge's sudden change in demeanor, and a trace of unease surfaced in his heart.
"Quick... Woodworth... save me..."
The only response Herluth received was a gaze—like a Greedy Wolf looking back, like an eagle looking down with disdain, a gaze piercing with a bone-chilling cold.
"I see..."
Before he could finish, Kebro clearly saw his own body, which had become emaciated after years of asceticism.
The more devout the faith, the more one questions the gods.
No matter how one tries to explain it, His evil deeds cannot be justified.
Famines, disasters, constant wars, rampant plagues, fields of corpses... prayers, prayers... everyone is praying, but... God does not love the world.
This is the Apocalypse, meaning the constant proliferation of mundane things has exceeded the limits of the gods' tolerance. But what did the people do wrong? Everyone just wants to live... Therefore, the world owes the gods nothing, and the gods' tyranny shall surely be judged. That world belonging to humans is precisely the so-called 'New World'!
So God, watch me... watch me... watch me... Looking at the head that had rolled in front of his eyes, Herluth found that Kebro's eyes had lost their luster.
"I am a hypocritical person; what I think inside is never exposed on the surface."
In the quieted air, only Linge's voice echoed. He had his eyes closed, as if mourning something.
That was his youth; coming out of the ivory tower, he was quickly beaten down by society and began to learn to hide his thoughts, not hesitating to twist his own will to adapt to society... "I am a sentimental person, often wasting my mental energy on obscure and vague matters."
Perhaps it was his childhood; back then, he always had unrealistic fantasies but could never summon the courage to act on them, so that in the end, they all came to nothing.
"I am a stupid person, always failing at this or being slightly short on that..."
In childhood, some children are precocious while others are introverted. At some point, perhaps very early on, he grew up accompanied by inferiority, as if he could only survive by begging for the mercy of others.
"I am an ordinary person; I don't ask for much, just to live a peaceful life."
Then, Linge opened his eyes. Black feathers seemed to fall from the sky, naturally woven and manifested from magic, like a funeral.
He lowered his head and said slowly... "I am no longer human."
Incredulity, trembling, and despair filled his heart at this moment, covered by a blanket of pitch black.
Yes, this was the Eagle of death that Kebro spoke of, the one that spreads misfortune—greedy, merciless, and fearless, patrolling the land and striking from the sky.
Herluth's eyes widened, his mouth mumbling, but he could no longer speak.
He was going to die... he was going to die... not dying as a pleasure-seeker, but dying as food... how could he accept such an ending?
Could you, for the sake of my impending death, spare me?
Please! For the sake of our friendship, forgive me?
Herluth was shaking all over, with unidentifiable fluids flowing from his eyes and the corners of his mouth.
Linge did not look at him, but instead tightened his grip on what he held. The giant wolf named Polo appeared behind him.
Nothing was over; there was still one more thing.
Linge took out a small knife and sliced open the skin on his neck. He peeled back the flesh and reached his hand inside, his fingertips constantly groping.
It was attached to the cervical spine, the hub between above and below.
Blood flowed, flowing continuously, staining the grey robe red drop by drop, pool by pool.
With this amount of blood loss, even if Linge stopped his movements, he would surely die from hemorrhaging.
So Linge sang in a low voice... the Requiem—
Take me into the underworld; perhaps that is where I belong.
But not now. At this moment, I still have an unfulfilled mission.
Black flames ignited in Linge's eyes, an absolute will that would never let go until its goal was achieved.
Blood lines throbbed as a mesh-like red and white matter was torn out, falling to the ground and shrinking into a ball.
Then a ball of fire was thrown over. Before long, only a pile of ashes remained, and when the wind blew, it all turned to nothing.
Next, Black Slash swung, a cold light flashed across the wall, then a second strike, a third strike... a layer of the wall was cut open and fell away. In the cut, wriggling white flesh was sandwiched in the middle of the wall, leaking faint blood.
And outside was a stretch of darkness, and only darkness.
"Wait..."
Herluth's desperate voice rang out, but Linge didn't even bother to spare him a glance.
One man and one wolf jumped out from the window.
Leaving only the broken... "..."
Aaaaaah—
How can this be!
Herluth crawled.
I... must have been tainted by such vile blood. He could no longer say a single word; he didn't even have that much ability left.
So weak... so small... He suddenly rolled over and bumped into a head.
That head covered in runes... Herluth wept, stuck out his tongue, and greedily licked beneath that head.