Chapter 1198: Military Parade (12)
BOOOOM!!!
[ROOOOAR!!]
Behind Townsend, a house-sized rhinoceros appeared and charged at incredible speed. Each time it roared, its red eyes glowing, the ground of the training arena crumbled and shook.
Just as it tilted its body, striking Lennok with its curved horn, the air exploded with a thunderous roar.
BWHOOOM!!!!
Stone pillars around the training arena collapsed, and fragments of stone slabs scattered and fell.
Lennok, who had dodged sideways using Flicker, stumbled as he landed on the shaking training arena.
The ground beneath Lennok’s feet cracked open, and a giant centipede burst forth, letting out a monstrous shriek.
[KIEEEEEK!!]
The creature, wriggling its dozens of legs, widened the crack and bared its fangs at Lennok. A giant manta ray flapped its fins, sending down cutting winds. Dodging them by ducking his head, Lennok snapped his fingers.
Just as flames swirled in the air to draw a magic circle, Townsend, who had landed in front of Lennok, threw a punch with incredible speed.
CRACK!
Lennok and Townsend’s forearms collided, their elbows rotating as they closed the distance. In the center of the training arena, the hands of the two superhumans, spinning their bodies, tangled complexly, scattering dull tearing sounds.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!!!
Even in the fleeting moments when their joints collided and grazed, the air was pushed back, releasing small shockwaves.
Lennok’s Jeongryun Barrier, a technique he only used under his Cheonbeon alias, supported his body, allowing for hand-to-hand combat. Overflowing mana automatically constructed barriers, reinforcing his body and rotating with complex spell formations.
THWACK!!
Lennok, who had seized Townsend’s wrist as he tried to grasp his neck, stared at him with an indifferent expression.
“I thought your mana felt unique. So you’re a Multi-Summoner, capable of controlling multiple summoned beasts at once.”
“A good commander must also be skilled at commanding subordinates.”
Townsend snorted.
“This commander is practically a legion unto himself. Don’t you think a Legion Commander should possess at least this much aptitude?”
Lennok didn’t agree with the statement, but Townsend’s abilities, displayed during their brief exchange, were impressive.
Not only was specializing in Summoning unique, but he was also a Multi-Summoner capable of controlling three or more summoned beasts simultaneously.
And he possessed such excellent pugilism that he could engage in hand-to-hand combat?
‘A style where the summoner and summoned beasts fight simultaneously is unique, but it’s not unbeatable.’
Lennok subtly raised his gaze.
‘What worries me is that phoenix.’
[PEEEEOOOO-!!!]
A Phantom Beast species, the Water God Phoenix, that Townsend had summoned at the start of the battle.
The colossal Phantom Beast, its entire body formed from flowing water, looked down at Lennok, scattering blue light from the sky.
Its form clearly indicated that it possessed powerful water-current type abilities or spellcraft.
Yet, the Water God Phoenix itself had not participated in the battle after its summoning, merely observing.
The very act of observing the battlefield was proof that Townsend had intended this movement.
“You won’t have time to be lost in thought.”
Seeing Lennok absorbed in thought, Townsend twisted his restrained wrist and snapped his fingers.
“Summoning.”
WHOOSH!!!
Behind Townsend, a gigantic bell shot up, vibrating with a strange, resonant sound.
The summoned beasts rampaging in all directions immediately turned their heads toward them upon hearing the bell.
They eagerly rushed toward where Lennok and Townsend stood.
CRASH!!
On the dirt-floored training arena, the summoned beasts tangled and collided.
The rhinoceros, centipede, and manta ray rolled over each other, and Lennok and Townsend raised their mana.
Above the bodies of the colossal summoned beasts, Lennok’s flames and Townsend’s pugilistic attacks crossed and exploded at immense speed.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!!!!
Townsend narrowed the distance, batting away the scattering flames at incredible speed.
He moved at full speed, perfectly balanced even atop the incessantly swaying bodies of the summoned beasts.
He continuously closed the distance, hindering the activation of fire-heat magic, while simultaneously chanting Summoning spells.
Summoning is a spellcraft extremely dependent on external variables, activating with a simple trigger that reproduces the contract with the summoned beast.
If agreed upon with the summoned beast beforehand, many complex processes can be omitted, allowing its use even in urgent combat.
However, utilizing that advantage in high-speed combat like this was by no means easy.
In any case, it was clear that Townsend was trying to buy time.
THWACK!!
Lennok, deflecting a wolf summon’s claws by scattering a circular curtain of flames, twisted sharply in mid-air.
Evading the charges of the summoned beasts rushing toward the clash, he aimed his index finger at Townsend’s solar plexus.
[Flame Arrow]
THWACK!!!
Two streams of fire, sliding from his index finger, converged at one point, using their repulsion for acceleration.
Immediately after preheating, the fire arrow shot out at maximum speed, embedding itself in Townsend’s chest with supersonic velocity.
A red ripple exploded, and Townsend’s body was thrown backward.
WHHOOOSH!!!
“……”
The Legion Commander’s body slid across the centipede summon’s back, staggering as if about to fall.
Yet, Lennok’s expression, as he watched, held no particular emotion.
Those watching also realized what had happened belatedly, their faces contorted in shock.
“That’s—”
“Impossible. He blocked it!”
CHIIIIK!!!
A turtle, summoned to Townsend’s chest, was now taking the Flame Arrow instead.
The fire arrow had pierced the turtle’s shell but stopped, unable to penetrate Townsend.
“He used Summoning to shield himself with a turtle before he could even visually confirm the arrow?”
Lennok slowly lowered his hand and murmured.
“The Summoning activation speed is fast, but his judgment isn’t bad. So there was a reason he could fight on the front lines while wielding Summoning.”
“If commanding subordinates well is a commander’s aptitude, then managing subordinates well is a commander’s duty.”
Townsend, tearing off the charred turtle still impaled by the fire arrow, spoke.
“But I didn’t expect even the shell of a Sea Turtle to fail to block it completely. I had originally planned to counterattack after taking your hit.”
“……”
“Well, never mind. Since it’s come to this, there’s no need for further troublesome exchanges.”
Townsend, pressing his hands together in front of Lennok, declared.
“Summon. True Body Fusion.”
BOOOOM!!!!
At that moment, the Water God Phoenix, which had been flying in the sky without interfering in the battle, descended to the ground.
Spreading its wings, made of flowing water, to both sides, it embraced Townsend’s form.
The Legion Commander’s body melted into the phoenix’s interior on the spot, simultaneously shooting up into the sky.
A shockwave of blue light exploded, clouds covered the sky, and torrents of water burst forth in all directions.
“He wasn’t unable to control the Water God Phoenix after all, despite summoning it.”
WHOOSHING!!!!
Lennok, looking up at the sky amidst the pouring rain, murmured.
“He was buying time to fuse his body with the Phantom Beast species.”
[The Water God Phoenix is a legendary Spiritual Beast said to feed on wildfires and bring rain clouds with its mere presence.]
Townsend, now one with the phoenix that soared using water currents as wings, roared with a strangely resonant voice.
[This is a gift I, your commander, prepared to suppress your flames. Go on, face it with your boasted fire-heat magic—!!]
[Water Confluence]
KUOOOOH!!!!
Each time the colossal Water God Phoenix flew across the training arena, an immense amount of water cascaded onto the ground like a waterfall.
Following the Phantom Beast’s wing beats, the water surged as if it possessed a will of its own, creating a colossal tidal wave before Lennok’s eyes.
“Are you insane…… Lieutenant General Townsend!!!”
“Stop this instant! Are you trying to turn the command headquarters into a lake?!”
“Even if you’re angry about your aide’s death, how dare you, in the presence of the Marshal…!!!!”
The envoys watching were not only flustered, but even the other Legion Commanders expressed displeasure at the extreme scale of the spellcraft.
At this rate, not only the training arena but also the legions and facilities stationed near the command headquarters would be swept away.
“Not bad.”
But Lennok closed his eyes, gazing at the colossal tidal wave looming above his head.
“At this scale, even if I increase my firepower, the aftermath won’t spread outside.”
The reason he hadn’t used powerful techniques against Townsend was that fire-heat magic increased its power and scale through preheating.
Even a slight miscalculation risked sweeping away not only the training arena but also the spectators.
However, since the opponent had first escalated the spellcraft’s output and scale to commit to a decisive battle, Lennok’s options had also expanded.
Lennok, watching Townsend, spread his hand as if grasping something and began chanting.
“This time, I’ll show you the spellcraft I’ve newly mastered.”
WHOOOOSH……!!!!
As he closed his eyes and raised his clenched fist, the heat radiating from Lennok expanded and contracted repeatedly.
Something imbued with immense heat, as if breathing through Lennok as a conduit, instantly engulfed and spread throughout spacetime.
Thump, thump……!!!
The hot breath resonated regularly like a heartbeat, expanding its range around Lennok.
The heat surged past the training arena into the sky, beginning to incinerate all atmosphere and moisture.
“Th-this is…?!”
“Impossible. Just with heat, without igniting flames…?”
RUMMMMMBLE!!!
Above the astonished spectators, the sky began to darken.
The sun, floating in the rainy sky, was obscured by ‘something’, recreating a total solar eclipse.
“Mind Imprint Compressed Combustion. Ignition Engine Activate.”
Lennok stretched his hand towards the sky, whispering in a faint voice.
“Summon.”
WHOOSH……!!!
The tidal wave pouring over Lennok’s head vanished on the spot.
The torrents of water overflowing the training arena instantly dissipated, replaced by a scorching heat that dried one’s mouth.
RUMMMMMBLE-RUMMMMMBLE!!!!!
Something that blackened the sky, whirling as if sucked into Lennok’s hand from an immense distance.
In an instant, it depicted the form of a black sun swirling in Lennok’s hand.
The Water God Phoenix Townsend was riding ‘evaporated.’
[-!!!!!!]
WHHOOOSH!!!
The colossal body of the Phantom Beast species was forcibly unsummoned, its flesh evaporated without even a single scream.
Townsend’s body, which had been fused with the Water God Phoenix, was violently ejected as if exploding, plummeting to the ground.
“Wh-wait…!!!”
CRASH!!
Townsend, who had fallen onto the ruined training arena, convulsing yet still trying to draw out mana, soon stiffened his expression and knelt.
The spellcraft fusing him with the body of his summoned Phantom Beast species had been forcibly canceled by an external force. Even the most skilled summoner could not avoid the backlash.
“You bastard, this is… Ugh…!!!”
Townsend, kneeling and slumped in front of Lennok, bowed his head and vomited.
Thousands of people watched, unable to tear their eyes away, as Lennok approached the Legion Commander with an expressionless face.
KUOOOOH!!!!
Each time the black sun gripped in Lennok’s hand rotated, all moisture in the surroundings dried up, and the ground transformed into a desert.
A miniature fire-heat attribute domain that instantly turned the surrounding spacetime into complete ash, centered around Lennok.
“Compressed Manifestation.”
Lennok, grasping the black sun in one hand, slowly wrapped it around his arm and unfurled it before Townsend.
“Sky-Lotus Drill—”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
At that moment, a young man in a pristine white coat walked out from behind Lennok.
Abundant white hair, carelessly grown long. A colossal longsword swayed at his waist.
But Lennok hadn’t sensed his presence until the young man appeared.
The young man glanced at Lennok, then scratched his cheek with a troubled expression.
“I have something to say. It’s pretty much over now, right?”
“……You are.”
“Oh, it’s not? Should I continue, then?”
No answer came.
The moment the young man, standing casually before Lennok, placed his hand on the longsword at his waist.
Townsend’s kneeling body was impaled and pinned to the opposite wall of the training arena, as if run through by a skewer.
SWISH!!
“Guh…!!”
Townsend, impaled through the shoulder and suspended on the training arena wall, let out a pained groan.
Shaking violently, the Legion Commander still lifted his gaze, straining to maintain consciousness.
A speed invisible to Lennok’s eyes. An eerie tearing sound, as if all his bones had been crushed.
A pathetic sight, nearly paralyzed by the sudden intervention of the young man’s attack. His methods were so brutal that even Lennok, watching, frowned.
Yet, no hostility or killing intent toward the young man could be felt from Townsend.
He merely stammered, trembling, trying somehow to bow his head to the young man and show respect.
“S-Song…”
“Alright, that’s enough.”
The young man ignored Townsend and only then removed his hand from the sword.
“I avenged him for you. Want me to do more if that’s not enough?”
“……”
Instead of replying, Lennok silently gazed at the young man’s face before him.
Carelessly tangled white hair. A somewhat vacant expression. A very thin build, though not as much as Lennok.
But the sword intent emanating from his body had reached an overwhelming level, surpassing any swordsman Lennok had ever encountered.
There was no need to ask his name. Lennok knew this man.
An 8-level swordsman and a psychic with duplication abilities.
A fool who, instead of dividing his clones into three, divided his intelligence into three as well.
The eccentric who wandered Yorta searching for the papyrus containing Ethan’s memories.
A monster called one of the most brilliant prodigies during the Vulcan Civil War decades ago.
One of the three ultimate individual powers reigning at the apex of Deadrise.
“Commander Song-ha…!!!”
The Legion Commanders, who had been observing the situation from the podium, uniformly rose and knelt.
“You’ve returned, sir!!”
“The Marshal is waiting. Please, allow the command staff to guide you…!!”
“Ah, it’s fine. Everyone relax.”
Song-ha, ignoring the gazes pouring from all directions and waving his hand dismissively, said casually.
“I just met Ethan right after arriving. He’s doing perfectly fine, isn’t he?”
“……That’s.”
“It’s been a long time, so I thought something might have changed, but I can’t really tell. Maybe he’s different, maybe not… He’s probably with the guests from the Ability Awakening Warband I brought…”
Song-ha, murmuring to himself, ignoring the Legion Commanders, tilted his head with a vacant expression.
“Oh, was I not supposed to talk about this outside? Please just pretend you didn’t hear it.”
“……”
Just like when Lennok met him as Victor in Yorta, his peculiar way of speaking, which made one feel dumber just listening to it, remained unchanged.
The other Legion Commanders, evidently aware of Song-ha’s personality and abilities, were clearly struggling to maintain their composure.
“Oh, right. I had something to tell you.”
Song-ha, tapping his scabbard with a satisfied expression, finally turned back to Lennok.
“So you’re Evan Martinez. You look much more normal than I expected, don’t you?”
“……”
“I know you’re angry at Townsend, but you should restrain those kinds of techniques.”
Song-ha pointed at the sky, slowly shaking his head from side to side.
“If you used that in a place like this, everyone would die. Those who didn’t know wouldn’t even be able to dodge.”
“Do you know what I was trying to do?”
“Of course. Roughly, anyway.”
Song-ha said with a smile.
“Wasn’t that one of the things Ethan was looking for a long time ago?”
“……”
Leaving Lennok, who gave no reply, Song-ha unhesitatingly turned and walked away.
“Anyway, I’ll punish Townsend more, so you can go now. I’ll just put some holes in his arms and legs, okay?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Where am I supposed to go right now?”
“Oh, right. I keep forgetting what I’m saying because I’m so dumb.”
Song-ha scratched his cheek.
“The command staff received a report about this situation. Due to what you did, the higher-ups’ policy has changed. You understand what I mean, right?”
“……”
“Before the inauguration ceremony, Ethan removed your name from the Legion Commander position. You’re no longer the appointed candidate for the 5th Legion.”
“……Is that so?”
Since he had caused this much commotion, the command staff must have realized that Lennok had no intention of joining the legion.
It wouldn’t be strange if a report went up to the higher-ups and Ethan made a decision at that point.
However, in that case, he would have to find another way to have a private audience with Ethan.
If he used the ‘gift’ the Director gave him, there were other methods, not necessarily joining the legion.
The moment Lennok, lost in thought, turned to leave, Song-ha, with a bewildered expression, grabbed his shoulder.
“Where are you going? The command headquarters isn’t that way.”
“If I’ve lost the qualifications of a Legion Commander, there’s no longer any reason for me to attend the inauguration ceremony.”
Lennok turned to Song-ha with a cold gaze.
“Or, now that I’m out of the running for the appointment, are you planning to fight me directly?”
“No, that’s not why you lost the qualification for the 5th Legion Commander.”
Song-ha tilted his head.
“Only Lieutenant Generals can lead legions in Deadrise. Those above that rank don’t command legions in the first place.”
“……What?”
Lennok paused on the spot, and Song-ha spoke in an even tone.
“Ethan gave a direct order to the command staff.”
“You’ve been appointed to the position of the Fourth Captain, which never existed in Deadrise. Ethan will now arrive to attend the inauguration ceremony.”
“……”
Amidst the astonished Legion Commanders, Song-ha grinned.
“It seems Ethan really took a liking to you.”