In the outskirts of the Border Town.
Armed to the teeth, knights clad in light chainmail stood in battle formation and prepared themselves to meet the enemy.
Researchers responsible for tallying post-battle statistics gathered in twos and threes with tweezers at the ready. They collected samples of monsters, while meticulously writing and drawing on their clipboards.
Under the strict protection of the knights, those white-coats whose only pastime was to silently immerse themselves in research could satisfy their desire for knowledge as much as they desired.
“A big thanks to Sire Chairman for assisting us. I’ll remember your saving grace for the rest of my life.” Rameau deferentially saluted, as his gaze cautiously met the lofty knight clad in precious metal armor before him.
The knight slightly nodded but didn’t make any excessive indication.
Rameau leaned down and secretly stole a peek at the exquisitely crafted, fully enclosed helmet.
An inquisitive heart was something everyone possessed. As the current president of the temple association, the Immortal Knight held a lofty position. He was a person of few words whose everyday whereabouts were unknown; Like the late [Radiant] knight king, he had never exposed his face to the public. Neither did anyone heard him speak a word before, nor were his rumors or private pictures leaked.
He had never revealed any hints about himself and was a man of mystery. It was almost as if he had no need to eat and metabolize.
His curiosity unsatisfied, Rameau silently heaved a sigh.
“Due to certain reasons, Milord is unable to speak through his mouth. May I ask your excellency Rameau for your understanding… Since your wounds aren’t light, Sire should return quickly and tend to them. It would be troublesome if they develop an infection.” The immortal knight’s aide-de-camp seemed to hint at something else with his words. While the other profound undertones in his words were not seriously picked up by Rameau, they had thoroughly revealed ‘his desire for him to end his attempt of chatting up to the immortal knight’.
“A big thanks for your concerns. This humble self had been rescued by your highness the Chairman and would hate to tarry any longer.” As someone who hated trouble and would put his own safety above principles, Rameau would naturally not dare continue down this topic and stopped himself.
“W-What is that…?!” A knight pointed at the nearby sky above the Border town with a shivering finger.
They could see a long, drawn-out silhouette towering over the entire Border Town that was enveloped in darkness. Its massive illusory figure was clad in a black mantle, while in its embrace laid a scythe so massive it resembled a divine pillar supporting the skies.
From their angle, they could only see its back.
“T-…This??”
“Did an foreign being invade our world??”
“Is this another demon or a monster?” A flurry of spirited discussion ensued in an instant, outright breaking the worldview of the grim chivalric group apart.
Matters that extended beyond one’s understanding often became a source of fear. Even seasoned veterans were not exempted from that.
“Milord, this…” The aide-de-camp forced himself to calm down and asked the immortal knight about this phenomenon.
The knight fixed his gaze on the massive dark silhouette towering above the town before extending his finger.
His aide-de-camp intuitively understood his action and handed over a paperboard and quill pen he had readied beforehand.
“Scribble, scribble, scribble…” The sound of a pen tip scribbling against paper momentarily resounded before the immortal knight shoved the paper board and quill pen back into his embrace.
The aide-de-camp fixed his gaze on the paperboard in his hands.
The handwriting was exquisite and pleasant looking, a complete mismatch from the tall, sturdy and burly figure standing before him.
They mostly consisted of keywords like “Royalty”, “Demons” and “Primordial Vein”.
…………
“What sort of damned thing is that?” Lan Yu dazedly stared at the black silhouette whose height was as tall as a pagoda. He had the nagging feeling that the two deep cavities of the skull were constantly looking at him.
“The Primordial God, a nameless deity.” Bai Ji wrapped her arms around her chest and drew back the corners of her mouth to reveal her sharp fangs.
“God…?! The Gods really do exist!? Did you summon them??” Lan Yu was in disbelief, yet the truth before his eyes left him no choice but to accept it.
The pressure assaulting his senses suffocated him and made him realize that this situation wasn’t a laughing matter. As long as the person before him was willing to give it the go-ahead, the dark humanoid skeleton would pinch him into dust the next second.
“Ah~? A deity? You’re overestimating me too much. This is merely a projection with no sentience that I’ve summoned by utilizing certain similar characteristics between this [realm] and the [Primordial God’s Realm]~.”
“Ahh??” Lan Yu didn’t understand a single word as he listened to Bai Ji’s thesis in a stupefied manner.
“As for its strength… It should amount to one percent of the real being.” Bai Ji lightly placed a finger on her lips and said in a ruminative manner.
“D-Does God really exist in this world?” Lan Yu murmured, looking like his worldview had been completely shattered.
“No~ At least, not in this realm…” Bai Ji waved her hands. Like a spirit that could comprehend human’s thoughts, her massive white scythe bored its way out of ruins and flew back into her hands.
“Tch. Have you made your peace now? Mr. Lan Yu~” With a coquettish voice so sweet it could melt one’s heart, Bai Ji raised her scythe as her complexion slowly turned ice-cold.
The massive projection standing behind her followed her movements and raised the giant scythe in its hands as well.
“Swoosh…” A frantic gale stirred up thoroughly-shattered roof tiles and other debris. It was as if the entire air of the world had congealed in an instant.
“No…This…”
Bai Ji gradually raised her scythe and the Primordial God projection followed her movements.
“If there’s anything you wish to say, do so in hell~”
“Boom…!!” The pitch-black sky was seemingly torn apart, revealing an enormous gash. Trembling noises, accompanied by the sound of concrete exploding and shattering, rang out in a deafening volume.
This was… the wail of the Earth.
The entire city was incessantly trembling and collapsing, as if it was on the verge of complete annihilation.
“Crack, crack, crack…!!” Like heavens and earth torn apart, enormous cracks ferociously carved themselves on the ground.
Only then did Lan Yu realize that using this strength to kill him was basically no different than using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. It was clear — this was a power meant for destroying a demon’s fort.
“Boooom!…” Tinnitus incessantly reverberated in his ears as the entire city was seemingly split into two.
…………
“What’s going on!? An earthquake??”
“T-That black silhouette has moved!?”
“Aaaaaah…!” Under the severe shaking of the earth, the knights that had been in battle formation were in a pitiful state, as they collapsed on the ground in disorder.
Rameau felt like he had truly stepped on dog poop today. Just when he was done taking a stroll at the gate of hell, an earthquake caught up to him. Could today carry some sort of special significance that he was not aware of?
Amidst the crowd lying haphazardly on the ground, there was still someone standing at his spot in a steady and unshaken manner.
“Milord Immortal Knight?” The aide-de-camp dazedly stared at the lofty figure near him. In this disastrous situation, he looked as if he was out on a stroll.
Before the aide-de-camp had the opportunity to say anything, a paper slip was pasted on his face.
“Demon royalty. I will take a look.”
………………
“…Whoosh…” The aftermath enveloped the entire city in smog.
Buried deep in the earth, Lan Yu’s weak and blurry consciousness awoke.
He hadn’t come into direct contact with the scythe in the attack.
At the last moment, a strong desire to live had compelled him to draw out all the remaining magic reserves he possessed to save himself. All sorts of dodging and protective magic he could cast on himself, he desperately did. With his speed increasing past what his body could handle, he narrowly evaded the scythe’s trajectory at the last second.
However, only his upper body was left now…
That said, his constitution, which ranked at the peak of the second tier species, ensured he could speedily recover.
“Oh dear~ Mr. Lan Yu’s luck is much better than I expected~”
Lan Yu’s body froze, his neck resembling a wind-up spring as it slowly turned around.
From within the coiling smoke, a pair of scarlet irises gradually approached. Behind them, a black silhouette as tall as a metal tower shrouded itself in endless despair like a god of death.
“However, you can’t escape this time~ Be obedient and let me squish you in my palm~!” Bai Ji revealed her fangs and raised her scythe once more.
The emotionless god of death behind her mirrored her movements.
“No… S-Stop…” Lan Yu continuously moved backwards, as his jaws clattered and clashed against each other incessantly.
“Die~”
“Growl…” And it was at this moment that an awkward sound resounded.
The silhouette of the god of death and its raised scythe behind Bai Ji disappeared.