Chapter 33: The Fools (III)

Humans are beings influenced by emotions, with the positive and negative aspects of their moods determining, to some extent, the goodness or evilness of their actions.
Sometimes, they may do astonishing things not for much gain, but merely for psychological comfort. Yet, such actions driven by non-material motives often cannot be stopped. Once the first step is taken, they must go to the end—even if that end is death…
Such people are called fools…
—Outside Sasson City, the Brim Plains—
The most massive civil war in centuries since the empire’s founding took place on these plains. Most of the empire’s forces, including those from Altak, Galik, and Operelles, gathered here. However, the battle situation was not optimistic.
Indeed, even the most elite soldiers remain humans at heart, while their enemies were Death Knights—beings that existed between undead and dark creatures. The allied forces struggled just to hold their ground, let alone win.
What was even more concerning was that the souls of those who died here would not return to the Land of Death but would instead be absorbed by the dark altar standing northwest of Sasson. Since the battle began, countless pure souls had been drawn into that endless darkness—human soldiers, black magicians, Death Knights, necromancers—any being with a soul was forcibly absorbed by that dark altar without distinction.
These souls would ultimately be used as a pass for the Ancient Will, Mammon, to enter this world. Why Agus would go to such lengths, Thos could not understand.
As an apostle, one could be seen as the Ancient Will’s eyes in this world, its voice, or even its slave. Once the contract was formed, the apostle could never escape the Ancient Will’s control. Take Thos, for example. Though Sloth seemed amiable, once angered, he would become a terrifying tyrant, wielding forces capable of destroying the world. Even Thos, who temporarily possessed such power, felt terrified.

Furthermore, the Apostles are not free; they can be seen as evil beings who sacrifice their souls for power, unable to find liberation even after death. Eventually, they will be devoured by the Ancient Will with whom they made a pact, becoming forever part of that boundless dark force. In a sense, the Apostles can be described as powerful yet pitiful creatures.

Yet precisely because of this, Thos couldn’t understand why Argus would willingly summon Mammon to this world. Even Thos himself merely wanted to use Slos’s power to defeat Argus and would never want Slos to come to this world. It’s easy to imagine the severe impact such a being with terrifying power would have on this world once it arrived. Unrestrained power only brings tragedy.

But after meeting Connel, Thos seemed to gradually understand Argus’s thoughts. Perhaps Argus didn’t want to do it either, but he was unable to stop himself. Over-reliant on Mammon’s power, Argus had gradually lost his humanity and become a puppet of darkness. From the moment the pact was made, this inevitable end was already destined.

This battle would be the last!

Unable to distinguish whether it was hatred, sympathy, pity, or reflection on Argus’s fate and his own, Argus walked toward the center of the battlefield with these mixed emotions. He knew well that Argus still maintained a human way of thinking, but this state wouldn’t last long—Argus might become Mammon’s puppet at any moment. Therefore, to end their past grudges, it had to be done while Argus was still human, not after he turned into a puppet, as that would be meaningless.

Subtly, Thos felt that Argus might also be looking forward to this battle. Gradually, Thos seemed to understand Argus’s actions…

Staring calmly, without any emotion, at the man sitting like an emperor at the back of the battlefield, Thos murmured, “Planning to use my hands to free yourself? How disgusting…” Though he said this, he felt an indescribable sorrow in his heart.

Once, Argus had been one of the few people Thos admired—not out of personal feelings, but simply for his courage to confront an entire empire alone, even though he had gained Mammon’s power.

It could be described as a feeling toward those of a similar kind. For a time, Thos didn’t want to be an enemy of Argus, as the latter was also an apostle. Even after they became adversaries, aside from hatred, Thos still harbored some inexplicable emotions toward Argus. Just as Argus saw Thos as a reflection of his past self, Thos saw Argus as a mirror reflecting his own future. To some extent, whatever fate befell Argus would be the same fate that would await him…

Because of this, Thos felt a sense of sorrow, toward Argus, and perhaps also toward himself… Even someone as powerful as Argus ultimately couldn’t fully control that immense force… Even someone as powerful as Argus ultimately chose the path of escape… With a sorrowful heart, he stepped onto the battlefield one by one.

It was the central battlefield. Without support from the north or south, the human army was suppressed by Argus’s dark forces, and human soldiers were engaged in a fierce battle against dark magic.

“Lizard-creatures! The lizard-creatures are coming!” Several human soldiers shouted in panic. Faced with those giant creatures, they were in a very disadvantaged position as humans.

“Retreat! ——Second squad, prepare your magic!” The black magicians who entered the battlefield gathered together, chanting spells loudly in preparation for an attack.

“Boom! Boom!” A series of explosions were heard as waves of magical attacks hit the giant lizard-creatures as expected, striking the massive monsters like cannonballs.

Unfortunately, even the combined attacks of dozens of black magicians could only force the lizard-creatures to retreat a few steps. After the smoke cleared, the lizard-creatures growled softly, their fangs dripping with blood as they scanned the humans below, seemingly searching for the most delicious prey.

“Damn it, it didn’t work? ——What a thick-skinned bastard! Damn!” One black magician cursed angrily. Just as he was about to say something to his companions, his gaze froze slightly, and he murmured, “What’s that guy doing?”

Following his line of sight, his companions and the other black magicians looked up and were surprised to see a young boy in a strange black-red uniform walking slowly at the feet of the lizard-creatures, as if unaware of the giant creature above him.

“That little brat named Thos?” one black magician said with a frown.

Among the group of dark magicians, there were still some who were dissatisfied with Thos taking command of the legion. After all, being ruled by a teenage kid wasn’t exactly something to be proud of—though it was said that the kid possessed immense power…
“Immensely powerful? How powerful can he possibly be?”
“Hmph, true!” A few dark magicians sharing the same thoughts whispered among themselves.
However, some more cautious dark magicians warned Thos.
“Lord Vormisley! Be careful! The horned lizard!”
“It’s Thos!—At the very least, it’s Klaest!” Thos, snapping back from his thoughts, spoke with fatigue. He regretted even more now having hastily ‘married’ Ravia, which was why everyone addressed him as ‘Lord Vormisley’—who was that?
After muttering a few complaints in dissatisfaction, Thos suddenly felt a fierce gust of wind pressing down on him. Looking up, he saw the horned lizard with its fang-filled maw, seemingly intent on devouring him.
Even if destruction was inevitable, it shouldn’t be by your hand…
Sighing slightly, Thos raised his right hand to block one of the lizard’s fangs. With human strength, he managed to withstand the impact from that massive creature, astonishing the nearby dark magicians.
“This… he actually blocked it?”
“He blocked it with just one hand? Is that guy really human?”
“He must be a monster.”
As the dark magicians stared in shock, a faint red glow emerged from Thos’s right palm. Then, with a whoosh, a blazing red beam sliced through the sky. The immense energy left everyone who witnessed it utterly stunned.
Looking at the horned lizard, its head—which had barely been damaged by the attacks of numerous dark magicians—disappeared completely in that massive red beam. Its upper body collapsed softly to the ground with a thunderous crash, causing an earthquake-like shockwave.
“Dismantled that lizard’s head into its most basic particles in an instant? What astonishing power…”
“That… that guy seems like the monster.”
“How could that kid have such immense power?” The dark magicians murmured in horror.
“What are you still standing around for?” Thos said sternly, frowning at them. “Those who still have strength, follow me to support Allen!”

“Yes… yes… yes! Lord Vormisley!” The black magicians replied in unison, as if waking from a deep sleep.
“Didn’t I say it’s Sos!” Sos frowned in displeasure, then glanced in Argus’s direction. He could faintly see that Argus was also looking his way, smiling at him with a hint of provocation.
Tch, just wait, you bastard! Sos thought to himself.
“Hey!” As if hearing Sos’s thoughts, Argus in the distance smirked and murmured, “What an incredible power… It’s been three years, and this brat has grown stronger again. Ugh, what a headache! — Hurry up, Sos. I’m waiting for you here, at the highest point of the world!” With that, he glanced at the battlefield and said mockingly, “Oh! Those guys from Pur are working hard—did they even summon the Immortal Kings?”
As Argus said, the necromancers, who had to cooperate with him for the survival of their race, seemed unaware of Argus’s true intentions. For the sake of victory, they even summoned the Immortal Kings.
The thirteen kings who ruled the power of the Land of Death—except for [Edmund Pankhes, the Bone Emperor], who had a grudge against Argus and refused the summons—actually had three emperors agree to the necromancers’ request…
[Utrede Baines, the Corpse Emperor]
[Cedric Kisal, the Void Emperor]
[Ainsel Kravts, the Skeleton Emperor]
The appearance of these three Immortal Kings made the already disadvantaged humans even more helpless.
“Roar! Kill! Kill! Keep killing!” [Utrede Baines, the Corpse Emperor], wielding a giant battle axe, laughed maniacally. His right hand was clenched into a fist as his monstrous head scanned the trembling humans below, shouting wildly, “More! I want more souls!”
[Cedric Kisal, the Void Emperor], holding two massive bone knives, spoke in a very low voice, “Death is the fate of all. Submit to my will, obey my commands, and return to the embrace of death, humans!”
“Stop fighting over them! These are all mine! Damn it!” [Ainsel Kravts, the Skeleton Emperor] glared angrily at the other two Immortal Kings. Then, with his skeletal right hand, he struck the ground, causing a faint green aura to spread out—deadly poison laced with intense necrotic energy. Even a slight inhalation by human warriors turned their skin green, causing them to fall ill and die.

The appearance of the Immortal King instantly turned the tide of the central battlefield in Argus’s favor. Even the bravest warriors could not withstand the power of the Immortal King!
“Damn it!” Gathering the remaining members of the Free Wind Knights around him, Allen glanced at the Death Knights surrounding them and then at the nearby Immortal King, murmuring, “Haven’t the pressures from both sides been resolved yet? Ravia? Scott? I’m starting to struggle!”
Just then, one of the Free Wind Knights shouted, “Be careful, Commander!”
Allen turned sharply and saw an Immortal King, [Utherd Baines, the Corpse Emperor], wielding a massive battle axe. He had somehow approached unnoticed and was laughing maniacally at Allen, saying, “Your soul looks delicious, little human!” With that, he raised his axe and swung down hard.
“Damn!” As Allen tried to dodge, a shadow rushed forward and used its huge hands to block the Corpse Emperor’s axe. When everyone looked up, it was Kanso, the castle golem that had defeated that horned lizard!
“Kanso?!” Allen wiped the cold sweat from his brow. He was about to praise his steady and introverted golem when he seemed to notice something and said softly, “Kanso?”
Seemingly understanding the deeper meaning in his master’s words, Kanso replied in a tone resembling a bitter smile, “This guy… is tricky!” As he spoke, his massive body slid backward step by step—yes, forced back by the power of [Utherd Baines, the Corpse Emperor].
Allen was stunned. In his memory, the castle golem Kanso had the strongest strength and endurance; almost no one could overpower him, just like an unshakable castle on the battlefield. But…
In Allen’s mind, his golem had a very honest personality. If Kanso said it was tricky, then it must indeed be a very tough enemy…
“Hm? No scent of a soul. Is it a puppet?” [Utherd Baines, the Corpse Emperor] frowned at the rock giant blocking his axe and said disdainfully, “I’m not interested in you. Get out of the way!” With that, he swung his axe, using brute force to force Kanso to slide back a little further.
“Retreating in battle is not an option!” Kanso, barely blocking the axe, whispered before turning to look at his master Allen and saying in a farewell-like tone, “Please rest assured and leave this place to me, master!”
Rest assured? How could he be assured?

Allen couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Ever since he obtained the puppet Kanso in Vandel, Kanso had been by his side—through happy times, angry moments, and complaints. This silent puppet had become an indispensable part of Allen’s life. How could he abandon it here?
Ah, absolutely not! That’s not the way Allen does things!
With a loud laugh, Allen jumped off his warhorse, removed his heavy armor, stretched his neck, and holding his knight’s sword, he said with a smile, “It wasn’t me who taught you to be stubborn, buddy!”
“Commander?” The members of the Free Wind Knights shouted.
Allen waved his arm, raised his knight’s sword high, and declared loudly, “Don’t stop! Keep moving forward, knights of Operelles! Clear a path for me! Victory ultimately belongs to us! As for this place, leave it to me!”
“C-Commander…”
“Hurry up!”
“Yes!”
Following Allen’s orders, the Free Wind Knights continued to advance toward Argus. It was their mission—to ensure that Thos could approach Argus without exhausting his strength, and also for the sake of victory in this war. But…
“It’s really tricky…” Allen, who had just been so confident, suddenly realized that the other two Immortal Kings had also turned their attention to him, leaving him in a mix of laughter and despair.
Just then, he heard a familiar sneer.
“You still act without thinking, Allen!” Along with that familiar sneer, Scott, riding atop a warhorse, led Galic’s army and appeared out of nowhere. Pushing up his glasses, he mocked him indifferently.
“…Hey!” Glancing in Scott’s direction, Allen, holding his knight’s sword in both hands, said with a grin, “You show up just in time, buddy! Don’t steal the show from me, you jerk!”
“Hmph. Is that what you have to say to me, who came to help?” Scott snorted coldly, but then a hint of warmth appeared in his eyes. Shrugging, he said nonchalantly, “Never mind. I didn’t expect you to say anything polite anyway. You’re still as rude as ever…”
“Hey! You bastard!” Allen shouted angrily, but his words were interrupted by a clear and powerful voice.
Ravia led Altak’s warriors through the Death Knights’ blockade and spoke calmly from afar to Allen and Scott, “Isn’t now the time for a ballroom tea party, gentlemen?”

“Indeed, my lord!—Those men simply can’t see the situation clearly!” Beside Ravia, the Queen Puppet Kunin held her delicate fan and giggled.

“Oh, Her Majesty, the Queen of Altak?” Allen shrugged with a smile before growing serious and saying, “This seems to be Argus’s last line of defense, but it’s not easy to deal with… What about Thos?”

Glancing back, Ravia frowned and said, “He should be on his way by now, if he’s following the plan!”

“Is that so?” Taking a slight breath, Allen moved the muscles in his hands and said in a deep voice, “In that case, we need to hurry. We must take care of these three big guys before he arrives and clear the path… Otherwise, if he loses the battle against Argus, he might blame us!”

“He won’t!” Ravia glared at Allen angrily and said confidently.

“You mean yourself, right, Allen?” Scott pushed up his glasses and sneered softly.

Ravia and Scott’s arrival meant they had abandoned the stalled battles in the north and south after realizing Allen was in danger on the central battlefield. After all, many of Argus’s forces were gathered there, and if that front was broken, defeat awaited the Allied forces.

When the situation was unfavorable, the most effective approach was to correctly assess the battlefield and concentrate all forces on attacking one point. Although continuing the stalemate and waiting for Thos from behind was also an option, Ravia, Allen, and Scott didn’t seem willing to rely on Thos’s power to suppress Argus’s dark army. After all, Argus, the main character of this game, hadn’t made any moves yet—he still had full strength and energy. As the only one who could rival him, Thos’s power couldn’t be wasted carelessly, as it determined the ultimate victory in this war.

“Oh? mere humans trying to confront the great Immortal King?” [Utreth Baines, the Corpse Emperor], wielding his massive axe, laughed heartily and said disdainfully with a flick of his finger, “Will anything interesting happen, humans?”

“Foolish!” [Cedric Kisel, the Void Emperor] summed up Allen and the others’ actions in the simplest terms.

“It’s truly worth looking forward to, humans!” [Einser Kravts, the Bone Emperor] watched the humans below with interest, smiling in a gentle yet somewhat terrifying tone. “As a reward for your courage, I will carefully collect your…”
“Tch! There’s no need for that!” Alan clenched his knight’s sword and shouted firmly, “Kanso!”
“Yes, master!” Kanso replied in a deep voice, slamming his rock-like fists together.
Frowning at the three Immortal Kings, Ravia said solemnly, “Quinn!”
“I understand, master. Hehehe…” Quinn, acting like a noble lady, covered half of her face with her fan and giggled.
“The Immortal Kings… such enemies are truly hard to face!” Scott shook his head with a bitter smile and whispered, “Knight, don’t die…”
“Yes!” The disciplined knight bowed slightly.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Ulric was leading Gallic vampire troops along with the black mages who kept arriving, clearing away the crows blocking the sky. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the thick aura of death filling the battlefield made him frown.
Looking up into the distance, Ulric noticed the three Immortal Kings from the Land of Death.
“There are three of those guys… Oh no!” Having experienced the Battle of Heliorox, Ulric knew well the power of those Immortal Kings. Although they had been completely overwhelmed by Argus, even Great Archmage Grete Kaines, who once stood at the pinnacle of magic, couldn’t deal with them.
And who was Argus? An Apostle, the strongest being in this world!
Yet the situation on the battlefield left Ulric hesitant. After Ravia and Scott withdrew large numbers of troops from the northern and southern fronts, the situation on both sides had become almost one-sided. If they lost both fronts, the human armies in the central battlefield would likely be surrounded and annihilated.
“What should I do? Oh, Almighty Gods, please guide me!”
Suddenly, he noticed two people moving at great speed through a large army of Death Knights below him.
“Jean Connel? And that demon god?” Ulric’s face showed doubt as he spread his wings and landed in front of the two of them.
At the same time…
—In the dense forests northeast of Sassen—

“Has it already begun?” Genevieve Dorby, the leader of the Theralanders, crossed her arms and leaned against a tree trunk, frowning as she gazed at the magical image of the Battle of the Brimme Fields. “The situation for the Alliance forces doesn’t look good at all… Even with military forces like Altak, Ghalik, and Operelles united, they’re still at a disadvantage. That guy, Argus…”

Tami Sampford, the Theralander warrior who had once suppressed Thos and Allen with her anger, sneered and said, “In my opinion, we have no reason to help those noble lords!”

“Indeed, we hate the empire’s rule, but I’m not happy at all to see such a powerful empire brought down in this way,” Genevieve Dorby said softly, sighing slightly. “Anyway, as the leader of my people, I hope to gain recognition and acceptance through peaceful means. War isn’t a way to resolve disputes!”

“So you want to do them a favor?” Tami Sampford shook her head. “I hope the sacrifices of our people won’t lead to unfounded promises…”

“I hope so!” Genevieve Dorby smiled faintly, then seemed to remember something. She turned to look at the girl standing nearby—the one dressed in a robe adorned with countless gemstone magic circuits—and said respectfully, “What do you think, esteemed Archmage, Lady Hastings?”

“I’m just a magic apprentice; you’re too kind…” The girl smiled slightly, then looked at the magical image of the Battle of the Brimme Fields, her face showing confusion as she said softly, “I don’t know why, but my heart keeps telling me to go there…”

As she spoke, many Theralander youths in the vicinity swallowed hard at the sight of her beautiful face.

“What a shame!” Seemingly noticing the gazes of the young people, Genevieve Dorby shook her head helplessly and said firmly, “Since Lady Hastings has spoken so, we can’t let you enter that dangerous battlefield alone. Tami, pass the order along!”

“Understood,” Tami said nonchalantly, shrugging. “If it’s Lady Hastings, there’s nothing we can do. I hope those noble lords will accept our favor!”

“Perhaps it’s time for us to repay the favor!” With a laugh, Leader Genevieve Dorby took out a gold coin from her pocket and said meaningfully, “I really didn’t expect it from those little brats… Set off, you fools! — If you dare be rude to Lord Hastings again, I’ll kill you!”
“Yes!” The young men from Theland nearby finally snapped out of their daydreams and replied in unison.
Meanwhile…
— Somewhere in southern Sassen —
“It’s finally starting…” On a hillside, an old man dressed in red papal cardinal robes frowned as he gazed northward, murmuring, “From what you say, I truly believe this is a tricky task, Lord Bon Hamsworth!”
Behind him, the newly appointed bishop, Lord Bon Hamsworth, spoke in a respectful tone, “You’re too kind, Archbishop Alma Bird. But I don’t think Lord Klerest would choose to go against the Church…”
“Oh?” One of the twelve red cardinals, Alma Bird, glanced at Father Bon in surprise and said oddly, “You’ve only been with that kid for a month or two, right? And you’re so sure?”
“Yes, I swear by my honor and life!” Father Bon said firmly.
“Ahh, that really surprises me. You know, the rumors about that kid aren’t exactly pleasant…”
“I trust my own eyes!”
“Is that so?” Glancing at Father Bon, Archbishop Alma Bird laughed and said, “Well, then I trust my eyes won’t deceive me either! — Go and do what you want!”
“Th-thank you very much, Archbishop Bird!” Father Bon said gratefully.
“No need to thank me,” the old man said with a smile as he looked at Father Bon. “Thank your perseverance and ideals. Don’t let them fade away in the long course of life. Once you lose those ideals, you’re no different from an old man like me… Remember what you taught me!”
“That’s not… Archbishop Bird…”
“Hehehe, just joking. Go! — I’ll leave the Crusade in your hands for now. I won’t report this to the Church either. Oh, and take those little brats with you. They’re quite skilled and might help you… Don’t disappoint me, Bon!”
“Yes!”
Meanwhile…
— The Sassen Dark Altar —

While everyone’s attention was focused on the unprecedented battle in the Brimme Fields, this dark altar, the source of all these troubles, attracted two unwelcome guests…
“Click!” With a sound, the blood-stained knight’s sword was pulled out of the guard’s chest. Cain, the kingdom’s armored puppet, spoke in a low voice, “The guards are indeed weak, master!”
“Hmph!” With a few cold snorts, Belial stepped onto the altar steps covered in the corpses of the guards, ascending to the top until he reached a giant black silver cup.
It seemed that this black silver cup was the real reason that had drawn so many souls—countless flickering ghosts crowded in that relatively small space, wailing in pain.
Staring at the cup with emotionless eyes, a cold smirk appeared on Belial’s lips.
“Hmph! — Found it!”