Kuro No Maou

Chapter 563 – To the Stage of the Finals

“What, what is happening…”

As the dazzling light subsides, I open my eyes, feeling fortunate to still be alive, and scan my surroundings.

The first thing that catches my eye is the line of destruction stretching far into the distance. The vegetation has evaporated completely, and the earth is deeply gouged. From the middle of the mountain, a band of reddish-brown earth about ten meters wide extends outward.

This scene was all created by the magical cannon fired from the Great Lighthouse of Selene.

“That was an incredible power.”

Fiona remarks, almost as if it were someone else’s business. Indeed, that’s true. My Charged Particle Dragon Cannon Plasma Breath seems like a mere firecracker in comparison. The beam was dozens of times thicker and had a range that reached the horizon.

Just borrowing a tiny bit of nature’s magical power can unleash such devastating force; it truly makes one feel the insignificance of human existence.

“Well, I’m just glad everyone is okay.”

“The point of impact of the magical cannon was exactly where the Avalon army was deploying its barrier. We, who are positioned around the lighthouse, are unharmed.”

With a level of calm surpassing Fiona’s, Sariel speaks.

It was fortunate that we were close enough to the Great Lighthouse to enter at any moment. The beam’s launch point was the very top of the lighthouse, about a hundred meters above the ground. Naturally, it wasn’t constructed to fire directly from right beneath us.

“However, the barrier was completely breached.”

I can’t believe it was just by chance. The Chaotic Rim, which reactivated the ancient cannon, must have aimed carefully to create an escape route.

The wide-area barrier that enveloped the lighthouse, along with the massive magical circle at its core and the ceremonial altar where the mage battalion gathered, was swept away by the thick plasma beam, leaving no trace behind. The damage to the Avalon army is severe; they lost not only their excellent mage battalion but also expensive ritual devices and catalysts that were entirely evaporated.

However, now is not the time to lament the magnitude of what has been lost.

Aaaaarrrrroooooo!!!

With a roar so immense it shakes the mountains, a gigantic black shadow bursts forth from the lighthouse. The Chaotic Rim descends to the ground, ready to break through the encirclement of the knights.

“—Tch, I can’t aim from here.”

Both Fiona and I quickly ready our weapons—guns and wands—but the spot where Chaotic Rim lands is precisely under the shadow of the Great Lighthouse.

Already, I can see the sporadic bursts of magical attacks and the flashes of light, but such feeble attempts won’t halt its advance.

“We need to hurry after it!”

We cannot let it escape here. My sense of urgency is driven more by the danger it poses to the city of Selene than by the desire to stop it.

Chaotic Rim fired its cannon for a last-ditch effort, but it must be suffering from a severe hunger after the siege. A city where hundreds of thousands, or even over a million people gather, is merely a buffet of helpless prey.

How many will it devour before the elite forces of Avalon can return to Selene? The horrific thought makes me feel faint.

“Come on! Merry!!”

With a soul-stirring low growl, the pitch-black undead horse Nightmare appears as if emerging from the depths of hell.

Time is of the essence. Without slowing her pace, I grab the reins as we pass each other and leap onto her back. The timing is perfect, thanks to her slight deceleration the moment I mount. What an incredible horse.

“Haah!”

I urge Merry onward, chasing the back of Chaotic Rim as it barrels straight through the path of destruction, racing down the mountain trail.

“…Damn, that thing is fast.”

Merry charges forward, easily trampling over and leaping past any obstacles, yet the distance between us and Chaotic Rim hardly closes.

Thinking back, even during the Raspoon incident, it had appeared out of nowhere without a sound and, despite suffering a severe injury from having its right arm severed, it managed to escape with just a moment’s opportunity. It boasted a considerable speed that belied its massive size. If that body is its base, then its astonishing agility remains intact.

Moving like a beast on four legs, Chaotic Rim continues to run with the swiftness of a cheetah. No matter how boundless the stamina of an undead horse like Merry is, it feels impossible to catch up.

“—That’s as far as you go! The cursed beast king of chaos, Chaotic Rim, resurrected from hell!!”

A bold proclamation echoes out, reminiscent of someone I know well.

Here stands a figure capable of keeping pace with Chaotic Rim’s incredible speed with such ease.

“It’s Chris’s dragon knight squad! So he really was the vice-captain after all.”

Soaring majestically above us is the silhouette of a robust wyvern, a symbol of the rulers of the sky. Leading the charge is Chris’s companion, who stubbornly insists.

“My Selinuntius is a black dragon!!”

Despite clearly having brown scales. She heads a formation of dragon knights spreading out like an arrow, rapidly closing in on Chaotic Rim as it races across the ground.

No matter how fast its legs are, running on the ground means it is affected by the terrain. Even if it runs in a straight line, the undulations increase the distance it must cover. And while Chaotic Rim may boast a monstrous physique, it still must avoid significant obstacles like steep cliffs.

But, naturally, there are no obstacles in the sky. The wyverns can fly straight along the shortest path, and with their already high flying speed, they should easily be able to catch up. Just as Chris had mentioned, the dragon knight squad was stationed here for such a situation. Now is their time to shine.

In addition to Chris’s squad, I can see multiple formations of dragon knights. They quickly surround Chaotic Rim from above, ensuring it can no longer flee.

Alright, if we bombard it with magic attacks from directly overhead, its movement will be halted. Then, we can continue firing or charge in for a decisive strike; we can do as we please.

Wait, if this continues, I won’t get my chance, and Chris will steal all the glory—just as that sweet thought crosses my mind, suddenly, black wings sprout from Chaotic Rim’s back.

“What?! It can fly!?”

But indeed, it could.

The black wings that sprouted were powerful enough to rival a dragon’s, allowing it to take off from the ground. Chaotic Rim itself remained on the ground, but its wings transformed it—no, it was a bird. A massive bird, more accurately, an eagle.

I felt a profound sense of nostalgia from that silhouette. I had seen that form only once before.

“The Garudan clone… the one I encountered on the plains of Partia.”

The Garudan it had conjured was composed of black iron sand, and from the joints of its wings and legs, a faint azure shimmer peeked through.

It seems my worst predictions were coming true.

Chaotic Rim had truly absorbed the ability after consuming the core of the Pride Gem that it had stolen from me. The original Garudan was composed of a slime-like liquid, reinforced by its own iron sand coating. Moreover, while the copy created from the Pride Gem had been rather crude, Chaotic Rim’s copy of the Garudan was exceptionally well-crafted. It bore an almost indistinguishable resemblance to the original.

The flapping dark eagle crackled with sparks of purple lightning, instead of emitting its characteristic cry.

A massive clone with flying capabilities, armored in iron sand and equipped with lightning attributes.

Even worse, Chaotic Rim was producing these creatures one after another from its back.

“Damn it?! All knights, disperse! Do not approach that thing!”

The dragon knights unleashed fire-based spells to distract it, fleeing to the sides to escape the dangerous electric aura emanating from the Garudan clone. The concentrated bombardment scattered in all directions, lacking the firepower needed to impede Chaotic Rim’s charge.

The sky was now a chaotic battleground filled with dozens of Garudan clones and dragon knights. While it was unlikely that the dragon knight squad would be annihilated, they were still temporarily immobilized.

In the end, it seemed I was the only one left pursuing Chaotic Rim.

However, there was a clear speed difference between me and Chaotic Rim. If things continued like this, I would be completely outpaced, and I was sure it knew that too.

Yet, whether it was determined to eliminate any obstacles or just being spiteful, it glanced back at me with a mocking grin and unleashed another clone.

“Now it’s the bow cavalry from Partia!”

Just as I created tentacles, a translucent blue jelly-like mass twisted and squirmed out from Chaotic Rim’s back. It separated and fell to the ground, rolling with force. As it spun, it rapidly swelled and took on a distinct shape.

Before I knew it, it had transformed into a centaur, with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. Conveniently, it wielded a short bow in its left hand, and its armor was intricately decorated down to the last detail. Finally, the iron sand that Chaotic Rim had scattered enveloped the clone centaur like a storm, forming a protective armor of black iron.

It created nearly twenty of these clones. The false bow cavalry lined up in formation, standing in my way.

“Magic Bullet Arts!”

If it came to a ranged confrontation, I had no choice. I quickly pulled The Greed from my shadow space, Shadow Gate, and pulled the trigger.

The centaur clones, in response, nocked arrows made of solidified iron sand and released a barrage from their tightly drawn bows.

Black bullets and black arrows intersected.

Even with the numerical disadvantage of one against twenty, the difference in firing speed was more than a hundredfold.

Unleashing The Greed at full power, I shattered the clone directly in front of me. While dodging the rapid-fire arrows of iron sand, I charged through the center—but then realized what awaited me ahead was Chaotic Rim’s main threat.

A wall of black shields stood before me. A row of large round shields arranged neatly, with sharp spears protruding through the gaps. They shielded each other, forming a formidable phalanx to meet my cavalry charge head-on with their numbers and bravery.

“Heavy infantry of Spada?!”

If it weren’t for the fact that they were dyed black with iron sand, the appearance of these soldiers resembled that of the first squad “Braveheart” I had seen during the Garahad War. They were the heavy infantry regarded as the finest elite knights in Spada.

Both the bow cavalry from Partia and the heavy infantry from Spada indicated that Chaotic Rim could accurately remember and replicate human armies while understanding their characteristics. That sly bastard… I couldn’t help but wonder if someone was inside it. But instead of cursing its cunning, I needed to focus on how to break through this vicious phalanx.

Fortunately, they were life-sized. With a good jump, Merry and I could potentially clear them. Just as I thought this, long spears began to sprout from behind the front row of soldiers, making a clanking sound as they emerged one after another. The spearheads were raised at intervals, eventually becoming vertical, creating a literal forest of spears.

It seemed that Chaotic Rim had made sure to create multiple rows behind the first.

“Damn it!”

With such a wide barrier of spears, charging in was impossible.

I quickly pulled on the reins to stop. Merry skidded to a halt, her hooves scraping the ground as she nearly threw me off. I barely managed to stop just before crashing into the spear wall.

Now that I’d avoided the disaster of leaping into countless spears, I had to figure out how to deal with these clone Spada soldiers. They weren’t just stationary objects; without a command from their captain, they all stepped forward in unison.

Just when I resolved to face them despite knowing they would slow me down, it came.

“—Lightning Spear Geiborg!”

Though it was called a spear, it was essentially lightning. Just like genuine natural lightning, a streak of lightning fell to the ground, and then dozens, hundreds followed, all descending simultaneously. The scene of countless bolts crashing against the bright blue sky was a literal manifestation of a bolt from the blue.

“Sariel!”

Looking up, I saw the silhouette of a Pegasus backlit by the sun.

With a steep dive, Sariel, riding the white Pegasus, charged straight into the heart of the phalanx.

Whether it was the impact of landing or some kind of martial technique, a massive cloud of dust erupted, and the false heavy infantry was sent flying, scattering iron sand and slime-like flesh as they rolled away.

“Master, leave this to me and chase after Chaotic Rim!”

As the dust cleared, Sariel stood boldly, wielding a pitch-black cross spear, urging me forward. Just as she said, all the soldiers in my direct path were being knocked aside.

“Are you sure? There are plenty of copies lurking around.”

Shadows of what seemed to be the copy army scattered in all directions, with not just centaurs and heavy infantry, but various figures equipped with different gear.

“No problem. The Avalon army and other adventurers will soon start fighting here as well.”

“Let them handle the delays; we need to hurry. Chaotic Rim is our target.”

Fiona, mounted on Mary, caught up from behind.

Indeed, there was no time to hesitate. We had a chance to move ahead of the others, and we needed to make the most of that advantage. It would be troublesome if they wreaked havoc in the city, but it would be even worse if Chaotic Rim got away.

“I’m counting on you, Sariel. Let’s go, Fiona!”

“Yes, Kurono!”

As Sariel clashed with the advancing clones, her black cross spear crackling with dark red lightning, I spurred Merry on, charging forward with all my might.

New enemies quickly emerged in front of us, but the lightning strikes from behind created openings. Sariel’s support was exceptional; I didn’t have to worry about the centaurs pursuing us as long as she was covering our back.

We pushed forward without pausing, scattering the knight clones from various nations with my bullets and Fiona’s fireballs.

“Finally, I can see Selene!”

“Kurono, isn’t the castle wall crumbling?”

As Fiona said, the castle wall was indeed spectacularly crumbled—or rather, gouged away. A ten-meter-wide section had been completely blown apart, and the ground bore deep scars from the destruction.

It seemed that the beam fired from the Great Lighthouse of Selene had reached the city, cutting through it.

“…What a terrible sight.”

We jumped into the city through the broken wall, galloping along the neatly paved stone road.

The sudden assault from a mysterious bombardment had thrown the city into chaos, as if a war had just begun and enemy soldiers were flooding in. The nearby residents had apparently fled at the first sign of danger, leaving us with no issue riding through.

However, the loud voices coming from the next alleyway hinted at just how chaotic Selene truly was. The soldiers tasked with defending the city had likely been caught off guard, as a large elite force had gone to confront Chaotic Rim. It was uncertain whether this commotion could be quelled anytime soon.

“Where’s Chaotic Rim?”

“He’s… probably in that direction.”

While not as acute as Sariel’s, my sixth sense was still reliable. A powerful monster like him would emit a detectable presence, even from a distance.

“I just caught a glimpse with my eye. There’s no doubt.”

As if confirming my intuition, a glimmering red dot shone in my left eye. It flashed once and disappeared, but I could never mistake it.

“Over there… I see, it’s the arena.”

Emerging onto the broad street, I spotted his location clearly. At the end of the straight road loomed a massive circular building—the Selene Colosseum.

“He went straight to the place with the most people.”

This was the worst-case scenario. The knight selection was an extremely popular event, and the arena would be packed. Tens of thousands of people would be gathered there, a feast for any ravenous monster.

“We need to hurry. I can’t even imagine how much damage has already been done.”

Facing Chaotic Rim without Sariel was certainly unsettling, but there were too many lives at stake to turn back now. Even if it meant taking some risks, I couldn’t just abandon those people.

“…No, the only one who can make it in time is you, Kurono. Look, the roof is starting to close.”

That was something I, as a modern Japanese person, found hard to believe.

With a rumbling sound, the half-open roof of the Selene Colosseum began to close slowly. Huge panels of the roof slid smoothly, gradually sealing off the open space.

Gasps of surprise rose from the residents around us, who, like us, noticed the arena’s strange occurrence. I was surprised too, but more than that, I realized and understood that it was a retractable dome structure.

Japan also has domes that can open and close. I think there’s one in Fukuoka.

It was astonishing to think that ancient architects had the same idea. Humans do seem to think alike.

“That arena is ancient, so once it closes, it won’t be easy to destroy. Chaotic Rim will consume all the spectators without anyone being able to interfere or escape.”

Fiona’s words pulled my thoughts back to the grim reality. It was the worst-case scenario. A single monster could lead to the sacrifice of tens of thousands of people. And I would just be standing outside, powerless to do anything. It sent chills down my spine.

“Please don’t go, Kurono.”

“…I thought you’d try to stop me, Fiona.”

Facing Chaotic Rim alone was far too dangerous. I had already lost once.

I should wait for Sariel’s arrival, and also for the support from the Avalon army that had turned back. We needed to be fully prepared by the time he finished his meal and emerged from the arena.

Fiona had made the most sensible and safe suggestion—a perfect plan with no flaws.

“But I’m sorry. I have to go.”

I couldn’t abandon them. There was no way I could leave them behind.

Over a thousand lives.

And more than anything, I knew that Nell and Kai, my friends, were surely among them.

“I expected you’d say that, Kurono.”

“You saw right through me.”

“Of course. It’s you.”

I felt an undeniable respect for her insight.

“Go on, then.”

“Thanks, Fiona—engaging High-Speed Mode: Afterburner Set.”

As I dismounted from Merry, the Maximilian the Tyrant’s Armor sprang into action at my command. It absorbed my magic power rapidly, igniting the chaotic engine Omega Drive, while the elemental booster hummed in response.

Looking up, I saw that the arena’s roof had only about ten meters left open. I had roughly thirty seconds before it completely closed.

But I could make it. If I took off from here, I could slip inside.

Activating the Fifth Blessing.

“—Over-Sky, Demon King of Storms!”