< 118. The Crumbling City, Ptaha (1) >
*
The city was screaming. The howling of the city, torn apart by the eerie cries of wraiths flowing through the cracks of the shattered Soul Realm, echoed through the night sky of the Great Wilderness.
-Huu…
Fernandez glared at Angela through his sweat-soaked hair. She was trembling violently, clutching onto a Beastman. Even amidst his rage and excitement, his mind remained as cold and analytical as ever, dissecting her magic.
‘Imperial-style explosion magic.’
A magic designed to extract maximum efficiency with simple Beastmen and basic incantations. It’s a magic that anyone can learn, regardless of talent, and guarantees a certain level of effectiveness for beginners.
-Kwaaaang!
The magic struck Fernandez near his shoulder. The impact, precisely as he had predicted, shook his body.
-How uncouth.
‘Indeed. Their magic lacks etiquette and beauty.’
It’s a magic crafted solely for war, refined to prioritize efficiency above all else. Their magic is no different from bows and crossbows, devoid of any mystique.
But magic should always be mysterious. It should always be noble and dignified. Despite her attacks, Fernandez took another step forward.
“Die, die, dieee!!”
-Kwaaaang!
Once again, the explosion hit his shoulder. Even as the ground shook from the tremors, she didn’t miss a single shot. Her frantic gestures were almost laughable—
‘This makes it easy.’
He could have easily countered her magic or triggered a backlash by disrupting her incantation. That would have been the simpler route. But that would have been too easy. She deserved a far more terrifying despair.
Dying from a backlash due to a failed incantation would have been too merciful. Fernandez took the incoming magic head-on.
Their magic only brings physical destruction, nothing more. And physical destruction alone isn’t enough to harm Diemonica’s body.
Fernandez sensed the numerous mages aiming at him within the crumbling mansion. Half of them were already suffering from backlash due to the shocks they received mid-casting. As for the remaining mages…
-Thud! Gah!
Diemonica’s sharp ears caught the sound of them collapsing. The Shaksisi, who had been lying in ambush nearby, were already prepared for the earthquake. They had infiltrated the mansion through the collapsing defenses, assassinating Iron Side’s elite agents.
-Clack.
Thus, only one person remained to stand in Fernandez’s way. Not the feeble struggle of the fallen Angela, but…
The spectral noble, watching him with amusement.
[Enough. Mortal. I was merely enjoying a banquet at the invitation of that woman.]
“Seems like the show’s over, huh?”
That tone, which distinguishes the living from the dead, was something a wraith would never use. The wraith chuckled and looked around.
[The mood is ruined. Even if I wanted to continue the act, the stage has collapsed, and the audience is gone. What value is there now, other than deceiving myself?]
The wraith’s glowing blue eyes fixed on him.
[Was it your doing?]
“I won’t deny it.”
[This seems excessive just to deal with one woman. Do you have another motive?]
Meremre slowly drew his sword as he spoke. Despite the screams and explosions echoing through the streets and the entire city, he remained calm.
-Impressive.
Yes, impressive. Angela, trembling, looked at Meremre with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. It was almost comical.
[There’s a traitor among us. How foolish. Our infighting serves no purpose…]
“What meaning do the dead seek in the time of the living?”
[Well said. Haha.]
Meremre laughed heartily and shrugged. Soon, he sheathed his curved sword and slowly walked away from the scene.
“Wait, Your Highness!!”
Angela screamed in desperation. Prince Meremre was her only hope. How could he leave her in the presence of the assassin who had slaughtered all her guards!
[Settle your own grudges, foolish woman. We are not your proxies.]
“Your Highness!!”
[And you. Mortal of unknown origin.]
Meremre turned his head, his burning eyes briefly locking onto Fernandez.
[It was a foolish act. Whoever dares to commit treason in this great city will face retribution. And you… you won’t survive either.]
Fernandez shrugged at his words. Meremre clicked his tongue and left without another word. Now, only Angela and Fernandez remained in the mansion’s courtyard. Fernandez took another step toward her.
-He’s sharper than I thought.
‘Neferka’s rebellion won’t be easy.’
-True. Not without us.
That meant time was running out. Fernandez smirked as he looked at the trembling Angela. She glared at him, spewing curses.
-Krrrrrrumble!!
Once again, the city was engulfed in tremors. Buildings crumbled…
It was a falling sound. Fernandez slowly aimed his sword and approached Angela.
‘When did we ever have enough time?’
Even when he was being chased by someone, even when he held hands with demons and manifested hell in the world, he always lacked time.
-Wham!
Angela’s magic hit his shoulder and then faded. It was a simple spell, just throwing magic power. A physical attack with no mystery.
And even with physical blows, it wasn’t enough to stop Diemonica.
“Damn it. Damn it! You, you’re going to die miserably. Your plan will fail! Look at what you’ve done! All the wraiths will chase you, they’ll aim for your life!”
Angela screamed hysterically and sobbed. Fernandez took another step forward. Now, there were only about ten steps between them.
“Yeah! Betraying the Empire? I admit it was wrong. Seeking asylum with the wraiths? Yes, that’s right! But why? It was to survive. To live!”
“Selina Kaselhof.”
Angela trembled and steadied herself. Not to attack, but now she was outright begging him. She was completely terrified by his relentless approach.
To her, it wasn’t just about survival. It was her ambition and greed that caused it, or reviving wraiths to incite war, which was a grave sin under religious law, or the countless victims still suffering in this Great Wilderness because of her actions.
But instead, Fernandez slowly raised his sword and said,
“You have no more chances to argue.”
-Crack!
So, don’t pray. Not to God, nor to me. Fernandez swung his greatsword and thrust it into her.
Angela let out a short scream and fell backward. She soon realized she was still alive and looked up at him with a stunned expression. A mix of hope and confusion.
‘Too easy.’
Swinging the greatsword to take her head would be too easy. Fernandez put his empty hand into his pocket and drew a dagger. It was the Dagger of the Necropolis, flowing with a dark green curse.
“The only sentence for you is death. But as an Inquisition Officer, I will suspend your sentence using my personal authority.”
“What, what?”
-Snap.
Fernandez grabbed Angela’s head with his left hand. He felt her body trembling. He slowly placed the dagger on her head—
-Slice.
He cut his own hand. Blood soon flowed down his hand and soaked Angela’s head. Like a baptism, he held her kneeling head and looked down at her.
“What are you doing…?”
“There will be no judgment in the future prepared for you. You won’t even be allowed to reach the Temple of the Gods to face the judgment of the gods.”
The curse seeped through his wounded hand and began to carve his soul. At the same time, Faijashi’s soul settled into the gaps of his broken soul. It was a method they had practiced countless times over the past month.
The magic circuit of the Bronze Throne aligned and activated, and a black halo burned behind his head. Angela, covering her face, stared blankly at the sight, unable to even think of wiping away Fernandez’s blood flowing down.
“All deaths in the Great Wilderness belong to Mumto’s Soul Realm. Therefore, I won’t kill you here. You won’t be allowed to contribute to his power in Mumto’s Soul Realm either.”
“Y-you’re sparing me? Yes, yes! I, I…!”
“Enough.”
-Crack!
Fernandez’s hand gripping Angela’s head tightened. It was the grip strength to crush a tree trunk. Angela let out a tearing scream. Amidst the screams, Fernandez spoke in a low voice.
“Thus, I will suspend your execution. But you will no longer be allowed to breathe, act, laugh, or cry… any such actions in the Material World. Therefore, I banish you.”
“What…?”
-Snap.
Fernandez’s right hand pressed on the beastman. [Construction].
Feeling Angela’s terrified gaze.
-Long time no see.
Faijashi smiled stickily. It was one of the basic spells.
[Creation], [Sacrifice], [Banishment], [Prison].
-Whoosh!
A red magical formation began to appear before Fernandez’s eyes. The halo burned more fiercely, causing a strange distortion in the atmosphere.
-Whoosh…
A sticky wind flowed over their bodies. The last beastman formed at his fingertips.
[Hell.]
-Rumble…!!
A crack appeared in the air. Through the gap, yellow eyes could be seen staring at them. Purple hellish magic seeped out, beginning to pollute the atmosphere.
The ground twisted, and plants transformed. A toxic gas replaced the air, beginning to consume this Material World.
The crack to hell opened. Fernandez felt countless eyes pouring towards him. Doubt, hatred, anger, pleasure. The emotions in those gazes brushed past them.
And then, a black hand appeared, reaching out towards them.
“A saint doing such a thing…?”
“I will delegate your punishment.”
“Please…”
Angela looked up at Fernandez with tearful eyes. That was her last. Fernandez lightly shook his hand and pushed Angela.
-Swish!
“Kyaaaah!!”
The arm reaching out from the crack of hell wrapped around Angela’s body and pulled her back in. Angela’s hands clawed at the air, thrashing.
And soon, silence fell. The crack to hell closed again. Fernandez felt a tingling sensation from the hellish magic contamination that had briefly penetrated his body and shook his hand.
-Can’t just kill her easily.
Faijashi’s giggling voice was heard. Yes. With this, the trial is over. Fernandez looked at the greatsword embedded in the ground with tired eyes.
The hellish magic was burning the surroundings. As if hinting at the future of this city, ominously.