“In the end, you still managed to get here.”
Luaneth looked down at from atop the King of Elental Spirits. Though he sighed, he was calm, as if he expected this to happen.
Judging by how thorough he had been while destroying the warp markers, he must have done his best to prevent my arrival.
“How did you know we’d gather here?”
The answer to his question was simple.
Because Dante’s final episode took place in this very forest.
I had asked the Zeronia Household and Bright Household to deploy their forces in the vicinity of the Rotiu Forest because I knew that they would eventually gather at this place.
But since I couldn’t say that I knew it because of a ga, I offered a more reasonable explanation.
“I only assud you would need the elental spirits to confirm the consequences of annihilating all the souls on the continent.”
“Right, of course. You’re a Necromancer as well.”
Luaneth and Dante had stated ti and ti again that to save the continent, all souls needed to be annihilated.
Getting rid of the old dead so that the new dead could find a place to rest on the continent again.
That was exactly how Luaneth’s approach worked, and in the ga, the only way to avoid the bad ending was to help him succeed.
Ultimately, Luaneth’s existence as a Necromancer was inevitable for the ga’s progression and ending.
However, was it really possible to annihilate only the souls of the continent and nothing else?
As soone who had spent a good amount of ti researching the sa field, I could say with certainty that it was impossible.
“To annihilate not just souls, but all spiritual beings on the continent. That, to be precise, must be your plan.”
Starting from the dead.
Then, the elental spirits in the Rotiu Forest and guardian deities like the Mountain Lord of the Norseweden Mountain Range
Luaneth’s thod was to eradicate all spiritual beings from this continent.
“I think it’s a fair exchange for the salvation of the continent.”
“Of course, that is one perspective to look at it.”
In response to my indifferent answer, Luaneth replied sourly.
“On the other hand, your thod is simply too hopeful.”
I wished to create a place.
An afterlife realm where the dead could rest anew.
“You’re talking about creating a place where gods from religions would welco them, aren’t you?”
The followers of God Velas were said to enter his palace after they died, where they indulged in lavish and hedonistic feasts.
The followers of Goddess Hearthia would beco beloved angels.
The followers of Goddess Justia would be welcod in her embrace, enjoying happiness and peace.
The followers of God Raizel would walk on clouds, turning into thunder to drive out evil.
The afterlife realm.
Its creation would have beco an issue that the religious community wouldn’t be able to overlook, but I had no intention of worrying about the gods’ opinions.
“Are you saying you want to beco a god by creating a world for the dead?”
Luaneth sneered rather awkwardly. It seed his mind still couldn’t keep up with it, as the thod was sothing he was beyond his understanding based on his own common sense.
“It is not about becoming like a god.”
Gods were beings that set standards, judge, and decide.
Rewards for the righteous, punishnt for the wicked.
Even in the most renowned afterlife realms, such as heaven and hell, one’s destination was determined by the presence or absence of sins committed during their lifeti.
And that standard of sin was solely based on the perspective of the scriptures.
“I do not judge.”
I neither punished or rewarded.
I would simply provide them with a place to rest.
Other than that, I would do nothing to them.
“Huff.”
Perhaps feeling he was getting caught up in the conversation, Luaneth took a deep breath and changed the subject after noticing the stares from the other Necromancers.
“Why do you go to such lengths? Simply annihilating them is the most rational and stable option. It’s all for the future of the continent, isn’t it?”
Now, he was trying to persuade .
Just like a student trying to convince others that their thod wasn’t wrong.
“And it’s not like the souls that have entered rest will awaken. That is not much different from annihilation anyway.”
“I must have told you before, they are the final remnants left by those who once lived as humans.”
“…”
“The traces left by those who lived fiercely. Proof that they had once walked on this continent.”
A record of the continent—That was what the souls who had died and closed their eyes were.
“Luaneth Luden Griffin.”
When I called out his full na, Gloria and Tyren, who were behind, were startled.
However, I didn’t pay them any heed and continued speaking.
“At least show the dead so respect.”
After all, they too were the people who once walked the path we were walking now.
However, despite my words, Luaneth still looked unconvinced.
“We are the sa Necromancers. We’ve seen the deaths of multiple humans and what cos after.”
Smoke began to emanate from Luaneth’s entire body and spread in all directions.
That was his soul.
It was a type of Necromancy where Luaneth, who had lived for hundreds of years, used his own soul.
“And yet we have such different views.”
“There are humans who, being closest to death, lose their attachnt to the weight of life.”
On the contrary.
“There are humans who, being closest to death, find life even more noble.”
Even though we saw the sa things, we felt differently.
In the end, neither of us could claim that the other was wrong, and there would be no conclusion unless one of us yielded.
Boom!
Luaneth, emitting smoke, flew straight at .
Before I could respond, Findenai had already intervened, swinging her Snow White.
Clanggg!
“I’ve disliked you since our last eting.”
Even though the white smoke had managed to block Snow White, Findenai did not waver because she was already familiar with Luaneth’s fighting style after seeing it back in Graypond.
She exerted even more strength to push Luaneth back.
Luaneth landed softly, wrapped in smoke. The other Necromancers behind him either gathered their mana or charged forward to assist.
“Can I just kill them all?”
At her arrogant question, I shook my head.
“Luaneth must not be killed. We need the mana stone in his possession.”
“…!”
On hearing my words, Luaneth’s eyes opened wide as it was the magic power he had gathered until now to annihilate all the souls on the continent.
From what I had seen in [Retry], he used a giant mana stone to unleash the spell, so he must have hidden it sowhere.
“So you even know about that.”
Gritting his lips, Luaneth glared at with eyes full of hatred.
“Alright, for now.”
Resting Snow White on her shoulder, Findenai turned her head toward , glaring with an annoyed expression.
“We need to talk later.”
Findenai grumbled, still holding a grudge over the kabedon incident.
However, before I could even give her an answer, a fist ca flying in, sending Findenai airborne and pushing her backwards.
“Tsk, a maid uniform and even her face, she is exactly my type. What a sha.”
Blood Mage Pelestan—the second strongest combatant in Dante after Luaneth.
Having seen Findenai flying with a single blow, he admired her as his type and chased after the airborne Findenai.
Saying he would make sure she would not get the chance to interfere in my fight with Luaneth.
“You bastard!”
Though she managed to block it by angling Snow White, the sudden strike still sent her flying back, and a slew of curses poured out her mouth.
If we were to consider the original work, Findenai would not have been a match for Pelestan.
But now, she is strong enough.
If it were the current Findenai, she would be able to stand up against the troubleso Blood Mage and even serve as a powerful counter.
“Tyren, take care of Erica.”
“Understood.”
My eyes kept darting to the insects that were trying to crawl towards Erica, who lay unconscious on the ground, breathing evenly.
Searching for Barctos, who was watching us with a wicked gaze, I saw that bastard smirk and raise his hand as soon as our eyes t.
“It’s been a while, Deus.”
However, my attention wasn’t directed solely on Barctos but at a woman next to him who seed to be preparing sothing.
Though she was wrapped in a robe that covered her entire body, I could still see the stitch marks peeking out from between her exposed skin.
A petite figure and the ominous atmosphere she carried.
Cadavermancer.
The woman I encountered in the Dream Demon Manor.
She was the one who had killed most of the guests in the Dream Demon Manor, starting from the young Luaneth.
Tyren took up a defensive stance.
The robe he wore was a full-body armor of magic. It could even distort the surrounding space, rendering any petty tricks from the Necromancers ineffective.
The ultimate counter against Mages.
With defense being the responsibility of the Mage Tribunal Judge, the attack naturally fell to the knight.
Whoosh!
A fla flickered from Gloria’s greatsword, as if it were alive. The fire, undulating like the breath of a phoenix, revealed its brutal presence through the heat it emanated.
“Just try to stay alive.”
Wearing her crimson armor and her flaming greatsword in hand, she rushed at the Necromancers.
“Then I’ll kill you all.”
Her speed made it hard to believe she was wearing armor. The woman, known as the King’s Sword, charged forward to eradicate all the Necromancers tainting this land.
Bang!
“Kugh!”
The first to block her path was Zhang Run, the only necromancer confident in close combat.
A yell, more of a scream.
His spear barely managed to deflect the heavy blow of the greatsword.
“The God of War’s technique?”
Gloria, who instantly recognized Zhang Run’s spear technique, murmured softly, but she did not stop.
The deflected sword had already returned to its place.
Zhang Run felt a searing heat in his left shoulder, either from the pain of the flesh being cut or the flas imbued in Gloria’s sword.
“Keugh…!”
Eventually, no longer able to withstand the unbearable heat, he dropped his spear and fell to his knees.
“You must be a disciple of the God of War.”
A disciple of Han So, the God of War.
Gloria instantly identified it as the secret spear technique taught only to Han So’s disciples.
“But your level is far too low.”
After all, having chosen the path of Dark Magic, he could no longer be called a spearman. Whatever magic he might use, Gloria knew Zhang Run was in no condition to fight.
Leaving him behind, Gloria imdiately charged towards the next Necromancers.
The way she fought could truly be called a fla.
Unstoppable and had a destructive power that turned everything it touched to ashes.
Thus, I felt I could focus on the white-haired man in front of without any worries.
“How did you find out about the mana stone? I thought I had hidden it in utmost secrecy.”
“You are still on about that.”
“It’s the power I’ve managed to accumulate over two hundred years. The main driving force of my plan.”
It was only natural that a vast amount of magic power would be needed to annihilate all the spiritual beings on the expansive continent.
Though it was also sothing ntioned in the ga, I would have easily inferred it even if it wasn’t.
“I can’t let that be taken from .”
Resolving himself, Luaneth spread his soul in all directions.
The white smoke enveloping Luaneth’s body began to take on a massive form—like so kind of monster or demon.
Sporting a large horn on its forehead, the head of a dragon, but a human-like body with thick hands touched the ground.
This form made it clear that Luaneth’s soul, after living for so long, was no longer human.
“It’s an unstable thod. The underworld you plan to create could just as easily beco a massive soul bomb if things go wrong.”
When that happened, there would be no turning back.
I, too, fully understood that aspect.
“There is no need to worry.”
I had already prepared enough counterasures to prevent that. However, he would be able to accept it as well anyway.
“I understand that you, as a Soul Whisperer, hold the dead in high regard. But think rationally. You already know which one is the easier and safer path.”
“…”
“I just don’t get it. You’re a rational person. You should know what the best choice is. The living should be prioritized over the dead!”
“…”
“So why do we co up with different solutions to the sa problem?”
Luaneth’s outcry was filled with frustration and resentnt.
He wanted to persuade , and his expression carried a hint of desperation.
“Deus Verdi, it is impossible to create a new world!”
“You should stop now. No matter how much you speak, my thoughts will not change.”
Hearing my firm response, Luaneth dropped his head.
Gritting his teeth, he glared at with eyes filled with hatred.
“I don’t know what’s making you go so far, but that’s enough.”
WHOOOSSSSH!
His soul, which had transford into a monster, raised his fist high.
“Though you are a Necromancer, you don’t use souls, so don’t even think that you can defeat .”
The massive fist sliced through the air and ca crashing down directly above , carrying a weight as if it possessed a physical body.
Shhhhhh!
Suddenly, the massive monster’s fist split apart and scattered, leaving not even a trace of its original form.
“Keugh!”
Since Luaneth was manipulating his own soul, he experienced a headache when injured.
At that mont, a woman stepped forward, a smile on her face as she challenged him.
[The one person I hate most in the world is Heralhazard.]
With her arms crossed, the Dark Spiritualist smirked as she glared at Luaneth.
[The title of the strongest Dark Mage already belonged to him, and I was not like I could fight soone from 200 years ago.]
“Dark… Spiritualist.”
Luaneth swept his hair back, glaring back at her. However, the Dark Spiritualist boldly accepted his hostility and responded.
[But I’m glad that I finally got the opportunity.]
The Dark Spiritualist, who descended before , gathered mana at her fingertips and declared.
[Just because you caused a massacre doesn’t an you’re the strongest.]
And so, the ti had co for the Necromancers to test the paths they each walked— a mont from which there was no turning back.
However, before that…
“Are you done playing evil spirits?”
[Senior, you’re so cool.]
When Stella and I spoke at the sa ti, the Dark Spiritualist blushed and got annoyed.
[You! How could you do that when I was just trying to look cool! And I am still an evil spirit! Deus, you should join too! Let’s make it a three-way battle!]
“Hmm.”
Perhaps because it had been a while since I spoke with the Dark Spiritualist, I maintained a neutral expression as I responded.
“Fighting in spirit form will be difficult, even for you, Jenny.”
[Kyaaa! I told you never to call by that na!]
The Dark Spiritualist imdiately floated into the air, her face buried in her hands.
One of the participants in this three-way battle was already down.
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