Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Chapter 76

A golden flash advanced with impetus, moving at a speed that seemed the very embodiment of the speed of light. It was the first occasion since his previous existence that he faced the maximum expression of a knight’s prowess, an authentic manifestation of absolute power.

However, this scenario corresponded to the “world of Dale.” A domain of desolation that evoked in an identical manner that somber and snowy winter evening, characterized by its icy wind and its shadows. A territory of sand that held both contenders captive.

For any practitioner of the mystical arts, shaping the plane of thoughts into the physical plane was equivalent to building a “magic fortress.”

For common sorcerers belonging to the sixth circle, who perhaps did not fully assimilate this precept, such an action only implied perfecting the invocations, intensifying the mental representations, strengthening the axioms, and purifying the nature of their internal energy. However, Dale’s approach was totally different.

He assimilated the true background of the mental domain —the “wizard’s fortress”— and understood perfectly the way to manifest his supremacy.

Scholars of the mystical arts do not receive training focused on armed conflict. Even though their capacity may be enormous and regardless of the elevation of their circle, they do not orient their cognitive processes toward combat.

Unlike those veterans of the sixth circle who perished under Dale’s yoke in his previous incarnation, such individuals were merely “intellectuals” endowed with vigor slightly superior to the average.

No matter how terrifying or ruthless the foundations of their investigations might be, or how enormous the strength they manifested might result, an intellectual would never manage to subjugate a born combatant.

Despite this, Dale kept in his memory the “cosmos” that the most excellent combat mages who at some moment succumbed to the blade of a paladin had exhibited to him. They were wizards who did not hesitate to adopt the path of warriors, reaching the heights of the sixth circle and horizons even further away.

He recalled the configuration of an environment built with the sole purpose of confrontation, the legitimate splendor of a wizard’s citadel.

An environment of absolute hostility, a defensive structure insuperable in itself.

And there existed a combatant who advanced at full speed with the firm intention of demolishing such a structure.

The Holy Maiden Aurelia, the golden warrior.

The confrontation between a paladin and a mystic of such magnitude constituted an authentic military siege in every movement.

The icy gusts and the darkness whirled with violence, hindering the advance of the holy maiden Aurelia as she struck with determination.

At that precise moment…

Zap!

— Hahaha!

A branch as dark as the shadows launched abruptly in her direction.

To Dale’s ears, that sound evoked the genuine laughter of a small infant.

“■■■■──!”

However, to the Holy Maiden Aurelia, that represented only the horrific scream of an aberration foreign to this plane.

“…!”

The golden warrior described a parabola with her steel. A resplendent glow emanated from the blade, dissipating the deformity, tearing the darkness, and simulating the arrival of dawn.

Her weapon cut the extremities of “Shub,” causing a dense and dark fluid to splash in front of her position.

Despite this, the Holy Maiden Aurelia defied the fundamental principles of movement, interrupting her march suddenly and taking a jump in retreat to increase the space between both.

She managed to avoid in this way the emanation of rot and perversion that not even her golden armor would have been capable of resisting.

“This territory belongs to me.”

Immediately after, the “cloak of shadows” that replicated Dale’s dark attire began to stir turbulently.

From the deepest part of that night tinted with white, a liquid extension of total darkness began to expand. Simultaneously, the 《Shadow Stalkers》 hidden among the dark folds projected their sharp extremities.

Near Dale, a young girl wearing black goat horns raised the edge of her attire. The extremities impacted in a coordinated manner.

A maelstrom of dark branches.

An environment filled with hostility, which unleashed its malevolence without any type of restraint. Despite everything, the Holy Maiden Aurelia remained unalterable.

Ignoring the disturbing perception of contemplating the origin of the perversion in the infant who was before her, she handled her resplendent steel with a silent persistence.

It was not a blessed weapon, but the common steel of an anonymous combatant. Despite this, facing the golden glow that covered said steel, even the shine of a legitimate mystical weapon would have seemed opaque.

Similar to the morning clarity that opens its way in the midst of the somber twilight.

The golden warrior, the lady of battle, stood up to the assault of the extremities through a vortex of light.

“…!”

Absolutely nothing remained.

A total eradication.

Not even the liquid extension of shadows managed to save itself. It was as if a water flow had evaporated completely, exhibiting its parched surface.

“This will represent an authentic challenge.”

A rival against whom victory was doubtful, even using the totality of his resources. Therefore, the “third circle sorcerer” increased the revolutions of the core in his chest once more. Three spheres and the filaments of shadow that linked them to each other… 『The Book of the Black Goat』.

The energy coming from both dark focuses propagated through the entirety of Dale’s domain.

With the purpose of reconverting the physiognomy of that winter evening, white and somber, into his personal bastion.

Combatants sharpen their weapons and clean their protections with the sole goal of remaining standing in the conflict area. Due to this, what they project onto their war implements is the “doctrine of combat” that they have structured internally. Although the faculty they manifest derives from the manifestation of a deity, the nature of the act is identical.

A combatant.

A simple scholar will never manage to impose himself before a combatant. However, Dale was very far from being a simple scholar.

“…!”

For a brief instant, a grimace of suspicion was drawn on the features of the Holy Maiden Aurelia. She pivoted quickly and the golden warrior discharged a slash with her steel.

Clang!

The anonymous steel of the Holy Maiden impacted with force. Against what element?

A Dark Steel.

The weapon imbued with an aura of jet-black tonality that represents the emblem of the House of Saxony. The weapon of a warrior of desolation, covered with the dark protections of the raven knight, possessor of a skill appropriate to contain the assault of the holy maiden.

That identical combatant of shadow blade assaulted immediately, inflicting an impact on the Holy Maiden.

It was not a human rest returned to life through the components of the Raven Knight. In this environment, such restrictions lacked validity.

This constituted a domain where mystics manifested their mental processes, and Dale stood as the supreme deity of this space.

He possessed the faculty to transform it into reality.

A level that was located very far above the aspirations of common veterans of the sixth circle.

──A winter evening, white and somber.

The particles of snow descended suspended and, in the midst of the icy atmosphere and the darkness, the army of spectral combatants began to materialize in a successive manner.

Warriors of desolation holding the dark blades of Sachsen, guarding their leader and the “regent of this domain.”

Spectral combatants originated through the faculty of conceptual thought. Each of them manifested the skill of a paladin who at some moment carried such a distinction.

After materializing the warriors of desolation, Dale had collected an immeasurable volume of practical knowledge in his role as leader of the Black Armor Faction. The quintessence of steel handling, purified through countless trials and corrections together with the sword virtuoso, Charlotte.

The “axiom” that imbued said quintessence coupled perfectly over the warriors of desolation.

“Automated axiom.”

Despite finding itself still in an experimental period, it demonstrated to constitute a respectable opponent for its initial evaluation in a real combat situation.

“What is the limit of their capabilities?”

When measuring himself for the first time with a rival of extraordinary conditions using all his potential, Dale put into play more than the totality of his energy without saving anything.

In the condition of maximum acceleration of the cores of his chest, each sphere increased its rotation surpassing the thousands of revolutions per minute. The extremities of the shadow, taking possession of another “dark focus,” injected vitality into his chest and his spheres.

In this instant, Dale was the regent and the deity of this space.

Despite this, he did not enjoy omniscience or absolute omnipotence. To manifest his domain, he required consuming the amount of mystical energy equivalent.

Materializing warriors of desolation in such proportion and transferring the skill of the paladin to each unit through an automated axiom demanded a high cost.

He perceived an intense sting that threatened to shatter his chest. However, remaining firm, Dale raised his gaze.

At that precise moment…

— Ah, my lord…

The young girl endowed with black goat horns clung to the area of Dale’s shoulder, evidencing a total inability to restrain her devotion.

Her whitish and stylized extremities grazed Dale’s face.

“…!”

However, before the gaze of the Holy Maiden Aurelia, the scene was perceived as if an aberrant concentration of dark branches was imprisoning Dale.

An intolerable monstrosity from another dimension, which poured a viscous and dark substance similar to tar, imprisoning him with its extremities.

Ignoring the grotesque scene, she grasped her weapon with extreme firmness.

“──It seems that is how it is.”

Before the combatants of dark blades that approached from all flanks, Aurelia pronounced some words, while her weapon emitted a golden glow.

“It will result complex to continue treating you with ‘benevolence’, my lord.”

“That question does not worry me.”

“It is not my intention to underestimate the benefit that you granted me by making the spear my property.”

expressed the golden warrior.

“If I deploy the total of my capabilities, I will not have a way to ensure your survival.”

“I was counting on that possibility from the very first instant.”

replied Dale.

“However, previous to that happening, I require formulating an interrogation.”

“I hear you, proceed.”

“Do you maintain the certainty that the individual who assumes the control of the Kingdom of New Britannia will exercise a worthy mandate?”

“…!”

“When contemplating the effort so fervent that you put to transfer the crown to Carlos VII.”

inquired Dale in a serene manner.

“It must treat itself, without a doubt, of a virtuous monarch and free of faults.”

“……”

“Someone concerned for the citizens who suffer the rigors of the oppression of the regime, knowledgeable of equity and truly afflicted by the destiny of the nation.”

added Dale.

“Does he really possess so much value?”

Aurelia, the Holy Maiden, deciphered the intention hidden behind the interrogation. In the background, it did not constitute a real doubt. The young successor of the Saxon lineage possessed beforehand the certainty of the situation.

The authentic nature of the individual denominated Carlos VII.

“Only for the fact of possessing monarchical lineage in his being…”

As if no other factor had relevance.

“Is it your purpose to deliver to him the totality of this territory, Holy Maiden?”

“Analyzing the circumstances does not form part of my attributions.”

“You are mistaken, Lady Aurelia, it corresponds to you to reflect about it.”

Again the dilemma emerged.

“About the real background when the blood relative of Sistina expresses her longing to ‘redeem the Kingdom of Britannia’.”

“Just as I manifested previously.”

Despite everything, Aurelia, the Holy Maiden, did not show the least hesitation.

“My only purpose here is to execute the designs of the deity.”

With the purpose of liberating the nation from the oppression of the regime and granting the crown to the individual with greater merits. And Carlos VII possessed such prerogative. The sacred principle of monarchical lineage.

“Are you opting to behave as an instrument of the heights?”

An instrument of the heights.

Despite the fact that her features remained protected behind a golden cranial protection, the surrounding environment seemed to turn rigid, even in this domain already dominated by a piercing cold.

“Our future is not found under our control,” enunciated Aurelia.

“Certainly, you express a reality,” agreed Dale. It constituted a thought that he had previously shared with Sir Yones.

There does not exist a future that we possess the capacity to modify through our own effort.

“However, in the same way in which the future does not belong to us,” continued Dale, “neither is it the property of the heights.”

Giving to understand in a forceful manner that he would never accept transforming himself into an instrument of the heights.

“Is that your posture?”

Aurelia nodded in a reserved manner before his affirmations, strengthening the control over her anonymous weapon.

“Under that premise, our exchange of words concludes at this point.”

A golden swirl formed around her lower extremities and six winged extremities of pure clarity extended in an imposing manner.

She had ceased to be merely a golden warrior. She consolidated herself now as the executor of the sacred designs.

A seraph.

“■■■■■■■■──!”

In that same instant, the young girl provided with black goat horns emitted the most terrifying scream that could be conceived.

Chapter 76