Episode 137 The Immortal King's Uprising (1)
As Crown Prince Simon had pointed out during the recent meeting, the Main God Church had already experienced an intrusion by the Immortal King.
Naturally, they had strengthened their security afterward.
Moreover, this Continental Summit was an even more important event, so they had mobilized all available means.
But…
The Main God Church, having already been burned once, couldn't help but prepare for any contingency.
'That place where the last Immortal King's Fragment was sealed was already the best the Church could do.'
The sealed location, where they thoroughly controlled outsiders and even distorted space, hadn't allowed any intrusion for hundreds of years.
But now that the Immortal King, who had breached that place even in an incomplete state, was fully resurrected, what kind of preparations could stop him?
'Of course, it wasn't like the Main God Church was just doing nothing.'
They considered Hans's 'power to ignore all defenses and transcend space' as a kind of divine ability and assumed that it would be impossible to completely block his intrusion.
So what the Church focused on preparing for was the situation afterward.
Crackle—!
Wooong—
Just like now.
[…This is quite thrilling. As expected of the Main God Church, my nemesis.]
Golden prayers, densely inscribed, spread across the walls in an instant, multiple layers of holy barriers activated simultaneously, and the surroundings were brightly illuminated.
The sinisterly spreading dark magic power was suppressed, and the deadly aura of death weakened.
The holy energy, overflowing in the surroundings, fiercely resisted the Immortal King's presence, which had been consuming the space as if to rule the world.
And in the midst of that clash between light and darkness…
"Hannibal Strauss. You will pay the price for your arrogance today."
Heinrich, standing at the forefront as if representing the light, confidently declared, aiming his holy sword, imbued with "Blessing: Holy Blade", at Hans.
He had somehow managed to break through the defensive barrier and enter, but this space, filled with hostile energy, was the worst place for a being of evil.
And it wasn't just the hero Heinrich he had to face in this situation.
"This is our chance, now that Immortal King Hans is here alone! If we can just inflict some damage on him now!"
"I didn't believe it, but he really appeared here. Hurry!"
Saintess Liesta, who retreated to the rear, her halo shining even brighter, and Archbishop Pion, who had joined them with three Paladins.
Cardinal Cordelia retreated to the barrier where the envoys were taking shelter to protect them in case of emergency, but her absence didn't significantly affect their forces.
It wasn't just the Main God Church's strong individuals who were here.
"Khahat! I thought this trip would be boring, just talking, but to think the Immortal King would appear! This is interesting!"
A lion's mane, a massive physique, sharp claws.
Lionel, the beastman representative from Wild Land, who had been silent and expressionless throughout the meeting, bared his beast-like fangs and stood next to Heinrich.
"Indeed, the energy is on a different level from what I felt from the fragment. But if we have the help of the holy barrier…"
Rapori Granwood, the representative of the Elven Kingdom, summoned spirits around him and took his position in the rear.
Of course, that wasn't all.
"To think they allowed an outsider to intrude twice, even though this generation's Immortal King is unique. Isn't the cathedral's security too lax?"
"Hmm, but I didn't feel any magic power fluctuations either. He just appeared in that space, as if he was suddenly overlaid there. To be honest, I don't know how to defend against it."
A master-level knight from the imperial family, who had accompanied Crown Prince Simon as a bodyguard, and the leader of the Magic Tower Alliance.
"Kkuk, kkuk… No wonder the omens have been bad lately…"
"Damn it, I don't want to work for free. Can I bill the Main God Church later?"
The high shaman of the Calcos Tribal Federation and the current Mercenary King of the Mercenary Guild…
Strong individuals capable of fighting immediately joined the Church's side one after another.
They had all stepped forward despite feeling the Immortal King's terrifying aura, so they were at a level where they could at least withstand his attacks for a while.
After all, those who couldn't even assess their own abilities wouldn't have been able to attend this meeting in the first place.
But despite facing the hero, the Saintess, and the world's strong individuals in such a disadvantageous environment,
[Hehehe… The insects are putting on a good show.]
The Immortal King's attitude was no different from before.
[Ah— I came here with high expectations, hearing that a summit was being held to oppose me. Is this really the best you can do? Are these the ones who have reached the top of this world?]
Gooo—
As soon as he finished speaking, a thick darkness, as if it would devour even light, started to rise and engulf the surroundings.
It was definitely being suppressed by the cathedral's holy barrier, but his overwhelming presence was expanding endlessly, as if it was immeasurable.
"…Don't tell me, this is the abyss's energy? He's handling it directly?"
"Hmm…"
"Kuh, this is chilling!"
Everyone frowned, feeling the instinctive pressure.
The tail of Lionel, the beastman representative, had already curled up unconsciously.
Thump— Thump—
But they didn't back down.
No, they couldn't back down.
How could they even think of doing anything else while looking at his broad back, which was slowly approaching, taking the brunt of that terrifying presence to lessen the burden on others…
"You're mistaken about a few things, Immortal King."
[Oh? What is it, Hero?]
The conversation between the two sides continued amidst everyone's attention.
The strong individuals standing behind Heinrich, as well as those hiding in the safe zone and watching, held their breath and looked at them.
"First, our strength isn't limited to this."
It was called a summit, but most of those present were just working-level staff or those with authority, there for discussion.
Of course, there was a high proportion of strong individuals, but not many of them were still active.
"Second."
The blade of light on his holy sword grew larger with the power of "Blessing: Capacity Increase", and a burning aura emanated from his entire body.
"Even with just us here, we're more than enough to handle a weakened you!"
Whoosh—
A brilliant light suddenly erupted from him.
And it clashed violently with the Immortal King's black energy, which had been slowly expanding.
Their gazes met sharply amidst the violently fluctuating energy, like a storm.
And the clear contrast between light and darkness, good and evil, was vividly imprinted in the minds of those watching.
[…Hehehe! Well then, I should also correct one of your misunderstandings.]
Perhaps he felt that Heinrich wasn't an easy opponent, judging by their exchange.
The Immortal King finally changed his attitude and slowly extended both arms to the sides.
The floor around him was already covered in sticky, black darkness…
[Who said I was alone?]
Clatter!
Swoosh—
Undead, shrouded in dark energy, started to rise from the darkness one by one.
Of course, their abilities weren't at their usual level because they were enveloped in the abyss's energy to minimize the holy barrier's influence.
But…
If they were high-ranking undead like Death Knights,
[Karam, at your service, my lord.]
[Glory to the Immortal King—! Eternal fear to the world—!]
[…Orders…]
And if there were a few executives to support them,
They could become a force to be reckoned with.
[I have consumed the death of the abyss, overcome it, dominated it, and transcended. I am the ruler of death, and—]
Even if this was the heart of the cathedral.
[—I am death itself.]
____________________
Rumble—!
A thick beam of light, shot by the Saintess, struck the Immortal King's barrier.
The attack, strengthened by the holy barrier, showed an effect beyond expectations, shaking the structure of the dark magic power.
"Haa—!"
The hero's holy sword, not missing the opportunity, split the black barrier with a flash of light.
The sword rotated once more, extending a long blade of light and swinging it…
[Hehehe! You're quite something!]
A black hand, emerging from a dark magic circle that was instantly created, took the attack instead and pushed Heinrich back.
The black hand was torn to shreds as a result, but he couldn't help but miss the opportunity he had finally seized.
But he didn't show any signs of panic or disappointment and calmly released a wave of light from his back to cancel out the momentum and charged forward again.
His chillingly calm swordsmanship, unwavering in any situation, was directed at the Immortal King with an enlarged holy blade.
Boom—!
The sword of light clashed with the barrier that had regenerated in an instant.
Sparks flew as the opposing energies collided, and a powerful shockwave spread in all directions.
And so, their meticulously coordinated exchange of blows began again, as if it had been planned.
High-level dark magic and holy magic that appeared without a moment's respite, and combat techniques based on refined martial arts.
It was dazzlingly beautiful, captivatingly mesmerizing…
And overwhelmingly powerful, to the point where they felt a sense of despair.
"······."
"…Ha."
Those who couldn't participate in that fierce battle because their skills were lacking just stared blankly from inside the protective barrier.
The surroundings shook from the impact of the ongoing battle.
Fortunately, the damage to the building wasn't that great compared to the scale of the clash, thanks to the densely inscribed holy barriers and the divine protection inherent in the cathedral.
If it hadn't been for that, even with their efforts, the surroundings would have already been flattened just by the aftereffects.
'Even if the Main God is tacitly allowing it, it's not good to completely destroy the temple. But at this level… it'll be fine if we just focus on remodeling…'
Of course, there was also someone's unseen intervention, who had coordinated everything beforehand.
He had visited the site several times, selecting the most suitable stage, deciding on the angles and how to direct the fight, and even preparing countermeasures for the aftereffects that would spread to the surroundings.
It wasn't that difficult, considering he was the head of security.
Harris, inside the barrier in a prime spot in the corner of the conference hall, watched the battlefield with a sharp gaze, like a movie director.
'It seems like the forces are too concentrated on that side, so let's adjust the balance. Hmm, that guy seems too excited. I need to calm him down.'
A group of troops moved towards where the beastman Lionel and Ghoul Lord Fiona were clashing, and the formation was rearranged to make the battle look more intense and fierce.
The operation, carried out subtly so that those participating in the battle wouldn't notice, was centered on the clash between the Immortal King and the hero.
Rumble!
Heinrich, receiving support from the Saintess and the Cardinal, clashed with Hans again, and the shock spread in all directions.
Wooong—!
The barrier protecting the envoys vibrated.
It wouldn't be destroyed by the aftereffects because it was created using holy relics, but the impact was so powerful that even those inside could feel the presence contained in it.
It was just a tiny fragment of the aftereffects…
But that chilling energy was enough to make them understand why the Immortal King was called 'the terror of the continent'.
"Shouldn't we get out of here?"
"Where are we supposed to go when it's a mess outside? If it hadn't been for this barrier, we would have already been swept away by the aftereffects and couldn't even find our bodies!"
Some were terrified by the intensifying battle, while others calmly assessed the situation and observed the situation outside.
"Ha! To think they allowed an outsider to intrude twice. I misjudged the Main God Church. And at such an important event!"
And Crown Prince Simon, who was trying to take advantage of the situation to engage in political maneuvering.
It seemed like he had successfully created an impressive scene.
'Then it's time to prepare for the finale. …Should I have Harris participate too?'
Well, Harris wasn't a main character yet, but…
It might be a good idea to have him make a brief, impressive appearance as a scene-stealer.