20 Chapter 20: The Spear Hero’s Spear (1/2)
”This feeling is…!”
”Oh!”
Outside the Temple of Lyia, the Knights of Blood realized that something had changed. The ominous presence of the demon had disappeared, and with the demise of the Guardian, the temple was crumbling.
”Amazing!”
”That kid really did it!”
”What happened inside the temple?”
”Oh no! Isn't he still inside the temple?”
The knights of Blood were panicking when they saw that the temple was demolishing itself even though I hadn't emerged. However, they couldn't get near because my zombies formed an impenetrable wall and barred their entry.
”Hey! Now isn't the time for this!”
”Don't you want to save your master?”
”Technically, they're supposed to be our comrades…”
”Everyone, calm down.”
It was Dante. The knight commander raised his voice and barked for everyone to remain calm. Stepping to the front, he turned to the Knights of Blood.
”The zombies are still here and reanimated…which means their summoner is still alive and well. He's okay.”
”Oh…!”
”That's right!”
”Yeah, somebody who killed a monster like that wouldn't die so easily!”
The simple-minded knights nodded and agreed with their commander's assessment. They cheerfully banged gauntlets and cheered.
”We should celebrate with him when he comes out.”
”Bring him to a tavern, and treat him to the best ale they have. That's the least we can do.”
”He doesn't seem old enough to drink ale, though.”
”You kidding? Age doesn't matter!”
While they chattered, Dante turned back toward the zombies, clenching his fists.
”You promised you'll set my men free.” The commander of the Order of Blood swept his unwavering gaze over the uncompromising line of undead. ”And I know you're not the type to go back on your word. I'll be waiting for you.”
Meanwhile, the second-in-command of the Lancer Dragoons Company, Mongeigh Monka, slowly shoved the broken off his body and clutched his head.
”Ugh…my head hurts…”
He blinked when a shrill shriek sounded from his pocket. Reaching inside his armor, he retrieved a magical device, which beamed incessantly.
”That's the communication scroll!”
Frustration welled up inside him, compounded by pain and rage. Clutching his face, he realized that the majority of his visor had shattered.
”Damn it! It hurts! He even broke my helm! Next time, I'll definitely kill that brat!”
While cursing, the shrill, incessant ringing of the communication scroll continued to badger him. Annoyed, he snatched it up.
”Hey…”
”Who is this?!” he snarled into the receiver.
”Fucking bastard!”
”You don't even recognize my voice?!”
A chill ran down Monka's spine and he immediately straightened up unconsciously.
”B…boss! Ah, sorry…I was fighting, and so my mind is in a fluster right now. I'm very sorry, boss! What do you need?”
”…I just sensed something. The demon in the area you were dispatched in has just vanished.”
Monka's eyes widened as he spun around to stare at the crumbling temple. Indeed, he could no longer sense the ominous presence of the defeated demon's head he had stepped on earlier. Not only that, the temple that the demon was guarding was also being razed to the ground by some sort of spell. And there was no sign of the kid.
”I just finished on this end.”
On the other side of the communication scroll, Suzuki Shirou was holding a magical device that resembled a smartphone that was from his original world. Leaning against his spear, he glanced with disgust at the horde of demons that he had just slain singlehandedly after pursuing them during their flight from the castle.
”And I'm sure neither you nor the Order of Blood possess the power to slay such a powerful demon. Did another hero arrive on scene to save you? No…I'm pretty sure they all went the other way. I'm the only hero in this area.”
”He…he wasn't a hero, boss.”
”Oh? So someone did come and slay the demon?”
Monka balked at that, but having come this far, there was no point denying it.
”Yes, sir. A strong kid came and killed the demon.”
”A…strong kid?”
Beneath his helm, Suzuki's mouth twitched into a sneer.
”Is he…human?”
”I doubt it, boss. He's a necromancer. He kept us at bay with his zombies, and then disappeared into the temple. The temple is self-destructing at the moment, and I don't see him anyway, but his skills are no joke. He took me out with one hit!”
”Ah…necromancer, huh…” Suzuki's lips curled into a sinister smile. Rising to his feet, he plucked his spear out of the gargantuan corpse of a three-headed monster and slowly strolled toward the direction where his subordinates had went ahead to. ”In other words, an enemy to Legnica. A heretic. Tell me, where is he right now?”
”Boss! Don't be reckless! Even if you want to fight him, you should get the help of the other heroes first!”
”Don't make me repeat myself.” Suzuki's fingers tightened around his smartphone. As powerful as the kid was, he was no hero or Demon Lord. There was no way Suzuki wouldn't be able to handle him by himself. ”Where is he?”
”Okay.” Monka turned around frantically. One of his subordinates had shown up and was urgently pointing toward the crumbling temple. ”That guy should be at the entrance of the Temple of Lyia. That was the last place where anyone saw him.”
”I see.”
Straightening, Suzuki pressed the red button on his smartphone. In his other hand, his spear glowed golden as he drew tremendous amounts of mana into it.
”Sounds like the boss hung up,” one of the lancers remarked, perspiration dripping down from his helm. More of the Dragoons were gathering around the pale-looking Monka, who stared at his communication scroll in defeat.
”Relax,” Monka assured them. ”Boss is a hero. There's no way that brat can beat him. And even in the event that the boss has trouble, as brothers, we'll fight together with him.”
At the far end of the forest, Suzuki came to a stop at the middle of the bloody carnage. Raising his spear, which flared brightly with golden flames, he snorted.
”Hmph…I have no idea what manner of a necromancer you are, to be able to defeat such a powerful demon that serves as a Guardian of a temple…but today, whoever you are…”
He leveled his spear, almost parallel to the ground. A blast of energy exploded and funneled into the blunt end of his spear, flaring like a rocket's engine.
”I'll use my God-slaying Strike to slay you.”
The flames converged into a single beam of energy that got ready to propel the spear forward like a missile.
”Die.”
Meanwhile, back at the Temple of Lyia, the Knights of Blood were growing restless. With the Lancers gone, the Swordsmen gathered around Dante impatiently.
”Captain, are you sure about this?”
”The temple is almost completely destroyed, yet there is completely no sign of the kid.”
”Is he really all right?”
”He should be emerging shortly.” Dante assured them. He had noticed a slight movement in the zombies. Like soldiers, they suddenly snapped up and broke apart, forming two neat rows on the steps, almost as if they were acting like a parade guard for a commander.
At that very moment, the doors blew open, falling onto the steps and shattering into chunks of concrete.
”Finally!”
”That took a while!”
The knights were about to cheer, but they suddenly spun around when they realized something was amiss.