21st Century Archmage

As Altakas looked towards the border fort wall, he felt displeasure at the sight of Aidal raising a hand towards him and making some kind of gesture. He didn’t know what it meant, but he could tell that it was an insult.

He slowly raised his right hand.

“Attack. Do not spare a single soul there.”

“Ohh! By the will of the Master of Darkness!”

The black mages and priests of Kerma had an instinctive thirst for blood, and they had waited a long time for this moment. When they were finally given the order to attack, their bodies trembled with ecstasy.

“Attack! Begin the advance of the monster army!”

Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

Instead of marching drums, a sharp whistle echoed through the air.

Kugaaaaaaaaa! Karuooooooo!

The black mages telepathically gave the demon beasts the order to advance, which the demon beasts relayed to the monsters.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Ruuuuuuummmmbbble!

The footsteps of the giant monsters beat an earth-shaking rhythm, and monsters like orcs, gnolls, and lizardmen ran in time alongside them.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

After hundreds of thousands of monsters began their procession, 100,000 Dark Empire soldiers marched in perfect order behind them. They had no souls, but the elite soldier education they had received when they were alive was engraved in their bodies.

Kaoooooooooooo! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The Death Wyverns hovering in the sky flapped their wings, flying towards the frontline,their eyes fixed on the thousands of living wyverns in the air above the fort.

“Barrage them with 7th Circle spells.”

Once the Dark Empire soldiers were on the move, Altakas quietly gave an order to the half-liches. The 10 half-liches, who were gathered around Altakas, cast Fly, spreading out so their spells would not interfere with one another. Once they were sufficiently isolated, the half-liches began to utter incantations with flat, lifeless voices.

“Eruption Quake!”

“Flare!”

“Blizzard…”

And with a flash, the absolutely undiscriminating characteristic of mana was demonstrated. The colorful lights of various kinds of magic manifested in the sky, then shot like the claws of a hungry hawk towards the walls of the proudly standing fort.

* * *

Flaaaaaaaaaash.

Ten enormous balls of magic flew towards the fort.

Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

The moment the spells approached, the defensive magic array automatically activated. The design was that of an 8th Circle defensive array, but the magic crystals being used were only Grade 2. Thankfully, quantity won over quality, and the ten 7th Circle spells faded like comet tails, canceled before they could reach the walls.

“Here they come!!!!”

Clustered on the walls were 10,000 Nerman soldiers, the 20,000 soldiers sent as reinforcements from Havis, as well as mages and thousands of knights. As the mana net was steadily withdrawn, the men and women on the wall began to see the enemy ahead. Hundreds of thousands of unarmed monsters were running towards them. It was obvious at a glance that the fate of the monsters was to become cannon fodder for arrows.

“Fire your arrows!”

The hastily assembled 10,000 archers standing at the ready drew their bowstrings.

Fwip fwip fwip fwip fwip fwip fwip!

The rain of arrows whistled forward, illuminated by the permanent Light magic arrays on the wall. Like a sudden summer downpour, they plunged into the running horde.

Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-bam. SQUEAAAAAAAAAL. Kyaaaaaaaaa!

Countless monsters fell over with dying screams, but the horde continued to charge. They were being controlled by the demon beasts, but they were also infected by the corrupted yin-attribute mana exuded by Altakas and the black mages.

Thud thud thud thud thud.

The monsters charged heedlessly onwards, faithfully fulfilling their fate as cannon fodder.

* * *

“Mm… what tenacious bastards.”

Aidal had never waged large-scale war using magic before. He had experienced every world war on Earth, but he had witnessed no battle as fierce as the one raging now. Be it the attacking monsters or the defending humans, they were all suppressing their emotions and doing what they needed to do. The fully resolved Nerman soldiers were mechanically firing arrow after arrow, and the monsters continued to charge despite being struck by arrows like they had a lifelong grudge to settle.

“Ah!”

That wasn’t all. Behind the monsters were rows after rows of Dark Empire soldiers advancing slowly with shields and spears. Over their bodies shimmered a black aura.

‘Evil God’s… Empowerment…”

It was the ultimate spell Kerma’s priests could invoke on warriors. Not only the soldiers, but the already powerful Death Wyverns and Skyknights were coated with the Empowerment.

Aidal, who had been activating his mana core and preparing for battle, scowled.

He had a strong feeling… that today’s battle would yield more losses than gains.

* * *

“Giga Raiden!”

“Great Wind Storm!”

“Fire Storm!”

The Royal City of the Defort Kingdom stood forlornly, devoid of all humans after being conquered by the monsters, black mages, and Death Wyverns that had surged out of the Bertz Mountains. Now, it was merely a nest for monsters, monsters that hardly even had a chance to scream before the spells suddenly shot down onto their heads.

CRAAAAAAAAAASH! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! SQUEAAAAAAAAAAL!

The 7th Circle spells that appeared suddenly without warning granted a valiant death to the monsters.

“All-out attack! Don’t leave a single one alive!”

The offensive didn’t end there. Over a thousand wyverns blotted out the sky, approaching the city above which one hundred Death Wyverns at most were flying. They formed a triangular battle formation, and at their head, came the ringing, mana-charged shout of the Opern Empire’s Crown Prince Ryker.

Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

“YEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”

The Skyknights and wyverns answered the Blade Master Crown Prince’s shout with spirited cries of their own.

Flaaaaaaash!

A thousand spears sliced through the darkness, plunging directly into the Death Skyknights and Wyverns that were still stunned from the sudden magic attack.

Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam.

There was no place to run. It was a whopping one thousand spears.

Kauuuuuuuuuuu!

Struck by three or four spears, the Death Wyverns screamed in rage, looking at their enemies with crimson eyes. But there was more to come.

“Who do you think you’re glaring at! I’ll pluck out those insolent eyes!”

Ryker’s personality was shaped by his rough mercenary days and the Nerman Lord who had treated him with an iron hand. Spittle flew in his helmet as he hurled his spear.

He had to quickly settle things here and Warp to Nerman. There, the woman he loved was fighting, as were the comrades in arms with whom he shared a steadfast friendship. The friends he could never, ever forget, friends he had spoken to from the heart, were in danger.

* * *

Reaper Scans

* * *

“Kukuku. Perfect. I am very pleased.”

Intoxicated by dark energy, the monsters charged madly towards the fort. They couldn’t do anything to the walls, but they were more than sufficient for exhausting the human soldiers. In fact, because of their unexpected fervor, several thousand monsters had made it to the walls and were clambering up.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

Behind the monsters, the Empowered Dark Empire soldiers slowly closed in on the fort, dragging siege ladders, hammers, and even mobile watchtowers. They were accompanied by Death Knights, who had absorbed the Evil God’s Empowerment fully, unlike the soldiers. Their bodies oozed a pitch black glow as they commanded the soldiers.

They numbered 10,000. The knights that had once devoted their loyalty to the Laviter Empire had become his faithful knights.

“Spells will be fired soon. Prepare defensive magic to protect the soldiers and knights.”

“As you command!” barked Shining Tower Master Galuaice.

“My children… You may now revel in the intoxication of blood to your heart’s content. Go and show the world the destructive power you possess.”

The Death Wyverns and Skyknights in the sky were given the order to attack.

Kugaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Kyeaaaaaaaaah!

Upon receiving Altakas’ will, the Death Wyverns uttered bloodthirsty screams.

Swoooooooooosh.

And then, they charged… Towards the living creatures with warm blood in the sky above the fort.

* * *

“Fire the ballistas!”

“Mages, unleash your spells!”

Once the enemy’s main force began moving in earnest, huge bolts hurtled through the sky from the ballistas standing by.

“Flame Cannon!”

“Lightning Rain!”

“Fire Field!”

“Wind Tornado!”

The Kallian Continent Magic Tower mages waiting on the walls fired a thousand spells.

Flaaaaaaaaaaaaaaash.

It was truly a spectacle to behold. This was the first large-scale magic offensive in the last few centuries. A staggering one thousand spells sucked in all the nearby mana and plummeted to the ground like a field of stars shining all at once.

“Dark Shield!”

Hundreds of Dark Shields were deployed over the heads of the Dark Empire soldiers and knights, completely forsaking the monsters. The Evil God Kerma’s Empowerment buffed the black mages, and they were addicted to the dark aura Altakas exuded. They were able to make Dark Shields created with pure yin-attribute mana.

Swooooooooooosh. Sch-sch-sch-sch-sch-schwip.

The one thousand spells hurtled towards the Dark Shields.

BOOOOOOOOM! CRAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

A rain of diverse spells ranging from the 4th to the 6th Circle crashed and exploded onto the Dark Shields that had unfurled like umbrellas.

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

The Dark Shield that took the brunt of the spellfire cracked.

Boooooom! Fwoooooooooooosh.

And then, the spells broke through on that spot. Fire Field exploded, setting the advancing Dark Empire soldiers alight with magic flames, after which Lightning Field ran along the soldiers’ armor, blitzing through dozens of meters with extremely potent electricity.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

But the Dark Empire soldiers did not falter for a moment. They were not living beings, so even when their legs were severed and their abdomens ruptured, causing rotten intestines to spill out, they continued their forward march. Even though the magic flames melted their bodies along with their armor, exposing white bone, they did not scream in pain.

They marched, following their orders of their master like the faithful hunting dogs of hell that they were.

* * *

‘Here they come!’

The leader of the reinforcements dispatched by the Bajran Empire was Countess—no, Marquess—Irene. For her contributions to the stabilization of the Empire, she was appointed as the first marquess in Empire history. Additionally, she was so trusted by the Imperial Family that she was appointed as the leader of the Imperial Guard Skyknights. Such a distinguished woman was watching the battlefield with tense eyes.

Because their bodies were lifeless, they weren’t as nimble as they had been in life, but in exchange, the Death Wyverns and their riders, Death Skyknights, were able to fly even after being hit by several spears. To make things worse, their bodies were cloaked with a pitch black aura even darker than night, a sure sign that they had been blessed by Kerma priests. They numbered about 1,500.

In comparison, the Coalition had amassed nearly 3,000 wyverns above the fort. However, victory could not be guaranteed. It was estimated that the Death Wyverns and Skyknights were four times as potent in battle as their living counterparts.

It was defeat rather than victory that loomed dark in their future.

‘If only the paladins would more…’

She felt a surge of regret. There was no better match against the Evil God Kerma’s priests and black mages than paladins and priests. But they did not come. They were dispatched here with the knowledge that the current situation was dire, but their fundamentally rotten mentalities had made them hesitate.

‘I won’t back down. This… is Kyre’s land.’

From the moment she became a Skyknight, Marquess Irene had never worried about something as insignificant as death. She was willing to die for the man who had dedicated his heart to the Bajran Empire… to her. Her life was the biggest gift she could offer right now.

‘Heh. Is this… love?’

Even with the threat of death approaching like a coming storm, the moment she thought of Kyre, Irene wondered if this was love.

“All forces, prepare for battle!”

At the moment in which she embraced her death for the one she loved, a smile appeared on her lips. Then, she filled her lungs with mana and gave a command to the 500 Bajran Empire Skyknights behind her. 

Soon, a battle of life and death would unfurl in the sky.

Her heart was burning red hot.

* * *

“Soak the arrows in holy water and fire!”

“They’re putting up ladders. Burn them with magic!!”

“Hold your positions!”

The battlefield had become utter mayhem. After using the monsters as body shields, the Dark Empire soldiers made it through the arrows and magic and reached the walls, signaling the beginning of a brutal siege. Most of the monsters had lost their lives to the concentrated onslaught. Only one group of giant monsters survived and was now smashing the walls and castle gate.

Flash!

As the fierce siege continued below, a Dark Arrow cut through the darkness and shot towards Aidal. He was ready for it, and an incantation spilled from his lips.

“Shield!”

Boom!

His Shield reflected the Dark Arrow.

‘Fucking bastard, you just can’t wait to kill me, can you?’

Altakas had issued him a challenge. The white-haired archmage rapped the ground with his mana staff, which he had summoned from his pocket dimension. It was encrusted with a blue, fist-sized magic crystal that was nearly special grade and could even be used for dimensional teleportation. 

‘Very well then, let’s see whose life line is longer.’

The moment he resolved himself to fight, Aidal’s body automatically lifted into the air.

“HEY! YOU POOP SUCKING BLACK FLY! COME AND FACE ME!”

He bravely used mana amplification magic to call out Altakas.

Right on cue, mass of writhing darkness lifted into the night sky on the far side of the battlefield.

Gulp.

Aidal, who had blustered with bravado because all the mages and soldiers were watching, was the only one who could hear the sound of his nervous swallow.

‘Where the hell is that brat? Is he getting revenge on me right now?’

His opponent was an 8th Circle black magic swordsman, and he wasn’t alone. With him were also ten 7th Circle half-liches.

In such a situation, it was obviously utter foolishness for Aidal to charge in alone. Knowing that the enemies would be difficult for him to handle on his own, petty thoughts about his absent disciple Kang Hyuk arose in Aidal’s head.

He had serious suspicions that the boy was using this opportunity to get revenge for the suffering Aidal put him through on Earth.

* * *

“Fire!”

Scwhiiip! Sch-sch-schwip!

‘My liege, when are you coming?!’

Other than the 4th Flight assigned with the defense of the cities near the Kovilan Mountains, all of Nerman’s Skyknights were assembled at the border fort. They were bolstered by many reinforcements, but because no one would throw themselves into battle with as much resolve to die, the knights of Nerman were flying at the front, firing their Nerman-made Blessed Spears at the Death Wyverns that had come within firing range.

A single volley wouldn’t do anything to the enemies. As soon as the spears left their hands, the knights reached for another.

As the aerial battle began, the leader of the 2nd Flight, Sir Shailt, sought his liege. He didn’t fear death, but he could not even bear to think of Nerman disappearing. As soon as he fired his second spear, the enemies would come into direct range, and then, a fierce battle no one could predict would begin. Only God knew which of the thousands of star-illuminated wyverns flying in the skies of Nerman would survive.

‘Tenacious bastards!’

Shailt was unsurprised to see that even after the first volley of spears, the Death Wyverns were still flying as vigorously as ever. He saw through the mana scope in his helmet that the Death Skyknights on their backs had spears glowing with black light in their hands.

Flash!

At exactly that moment, a sudden flash of light burst out over Sir Shailt’s head, and his head whipped up in puzzlement.

KWEHHHHHHH! KAUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

The cries of wyverns rang out.

‘Those are—!’

To his shock, in the center of the battlefield, and directly above everyone, appeared the paladin Skyknights of the temples, who had been loafing about in Nerman Castle Covert when the sortie order came.

Flash! Flash!

With every flash of light, another ten temple wyverns appeared with a spray of wings and claws over the battlefield.

‘Wh-What in the world is happening?!’

What he was witnessing would be impossible if someone wasn’t casting large-scale Warp magic. The enemies were approaching before their eyes, but the Nerman Skyknights at the front were watching in shock, all thoughts of attacking temporarily frozen.

Flaaaaaaaaaash.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light burst in the sky. Allies and foes alike closed their eyes.

Kweeeeeeeeeeeeek. Kauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

In their ears rang the cries of shocked wyverns.

Once the afterimages faded from their retinas, the Skyknights wordlessly raised their eyes towards the direction of the wyvern cries.

They breathed in sharply, shocked.

In the sky above that had been empty just moments ago, were hundreds of wyverns.

And then, the cry of a wyvern very familiar to every Nerman Skyknight, a cry that dominated all others, rippled through the sky.

GUOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

“Well done, my knights… I have come.”

The heavy and familiar voice of one man rang in Shailt’s helmet.

“M-My liege…”

As he called his liege, tears flowed unbidden down his cheeks. 

The Master of Nerman, the lord who had always braved heaven and hell with them, for them.

Kyre de Nerman.

The hero of Nerman who had crushed every enemy that had invaded Nerman so far. The person who would never forgive the Dark Empire army that had encroached on Nerman’s land.

The Lord of Nerman none could defeat had ridden into the battlefield on a wave of magic.

—-

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