Volu 5, Chapter The Ninth Misdeed of an Undying Lich: “Giving Rise to Panic”
Translator: Nagihiko
My pace was not particularly fast. After all, I was doing three things at once. I had to keep track of Scarlet’s location, prevent her from using her psychic magic as a counterattack, and command the Twelve Holy Knights, all at the sa ti. If I walk too fast, I’m afraid I might make the sa mistake twice. Who knows what I’d walk into next ti.
It seed like Scarlet had discovered that the eastern gate had soone guarding it. However, I believed her sensing ability was probably not as good as mine. After finding the eastern gate guarded, she began running in the opposite direction, unaware that soone was also waiting where she was headed. Judging from her movents, it seed like she had yet to notice that she was being surrounded.
She’s riding a unicorn at the mont at high speed. Pay close attention to roofs and dark alleys. If she advances in a straight line, she will pass by Leaf’s side…
As I said this, the surrounding landscape was suddenly covered in layer after layer of fine yarn. Gradually, I felt my vision beco fuzzy, and I imdiately reduced my sensing scope. After doing so, I was able to see again. I really was too careless. If I had reduced the sensing range just a little bit later, I would’ve probably once again beco a blind person.
However, the encirclent had more or less already taken shape. I was filled with confidence in the abilities of the Twelve Holy Knights. Scarlet and Whitey were big targets. There was no way the knights would let them break through the encirclent.
Please listen to …
I stopped in my tracks and with widened eyes, looked left and right. However, there was no one in sight. The voice had not co from my surroundings. Rather, it had sounded directly in my mind. …I really have been too careless. Since I can perform ‘telepathy,’ it’s only natural that Scarlet is able to do it as well.
Please listen to what I have to say. You have been fooled. You have been deceived by “them”.
“Get out of my head!” After growling that sentence, I used psychic magic to counterattack. Originally, I had not wanted to use this kind of attack. After all, Aldrizzt had said that psychic magic attacks could very possibly turn people into idiots, and I still had many things I wanted to ask her.
However, I absolutely would not allow her to continue spouting rubbish. I had not forgotten how she had taken advantage of while I had lost my mory. Telling lie after lie, she had caused to believe that Ice and Blaze harbored strong ill will toward , to the point where I was tricked into injuring them.
After I growled, I seed to hear a muffled groan. However, it rely seed that way. I was not sure whether or not I had actually injured her. In any case, since I already knew how to defend, Scarlet would surely know how to as well. Thus, my attack may not necessarily have been effective. I really did not know whose psychic magic was stronger.
After my counterattack, Scarlet stopped talking. I was afraid of using my sensing abilities on a large scale and honestly did not know the current situation. All I could do was use the position where I had last sensed Scarlet to roughly estimate where she could have possibly moved to by this ti and strive to run there as quickly as I could.
Just as the distant sound of fighting was heard, I changed from striving to catch up to dashing with all my might. I did not know how much willpower I spent before finally resisting the urge to sense… If I sensed danger, but as a result of excessive overuse of my sensing ability beca blind and helpless, it would really be sothing I’d regret until my death.
Along the way, many people peeked out one after another from behind doors and windows, panic showing on their faces.
“Sun Knight…”
“May I ask exactly what has happened?”
“Please tell us!”
I could not stop and had no choice but to shout while moving forward, “It is nothing! I ask you not to go to the eastern gate. You do not need to worry about anything else, for the Twelve Holy Knights are here! You have us! Do not worry, it is nothing!” continuously the whole way.
“But… But…”
“Sun Knight…”
“Don’t go…”
I stopped in my steps and turned my head back, looking at the mass of people with worried expressions. I unexpectedly recalled the Twelve Holy Knights standing in front of my door with faces that showed worry. The feeling of being kept in the dark was truly awful… I could not resist revealing the situation to the people.
“There’s a lich within the city.”
The people stood shocked for a mont and then showed expressions of alarm, even though there were definitely no people here who had t a lich before, a kind of super-rare undead creature. However, legends and wandering bards have always been a part of the citizens’ lives.
“Well, now there’s nothing you need to worry about.” I showed a most splendid smile and said, “You will always have us Twelve Holy Knights.”
The people looked at , not really alard but also not reassured. They seed simply at their wits’ end.
At that mont, a horse galloped over and abruptly stopped by my side. The knight riding the horse proclaid, “There are also us royal knights!”
I raised my head to look and blurted out, “Elijah!”
Elijah was on the horse. He bowed his head to and extended his hand, “Co on, Sun Knight, I will take you over there, sir. After all, the Twelve Holy Knights must have twelve people, right?” he said in a joking manner.
I took a hold of his hand and laughed, “Perhaps thirteen wouldn’t be so bad. Six to my left and six to my right, how nice!”
After hearing that, Elijah was too stunned for words and, breaking into a smile, pulled up onto the horse’s back.
At that mont, a little child suddenly hollered, “Brother Sun, good luck!”
I turned back and answered loudly, “No problem! The God of Light in the sky is shining upon us!”
That child was clearly very enthusiastic and kept on shouting, “Brother Sun!”, “Defeat the bad guys!”, and things along that line. The child’s enthusiasm rubbed off on the crowd, and their helplessness ebbed. One by one, they started smiling. Many young people followed the child and began cheering, while the older people revealed happy and amused expressions toward the children.
I assud a knightly composure toward everyone, turned, and told Elijah, “Go.”
“Is this rrint really okay?” Elijah asked in a low voice, “The lich should be hard to deal with, right? I’ve heard that liches can’t die, so even if it’s defeated this ti, won’t it just co back to exact its vengeance next ti?”
“No matter how many tis it cos back, the result will be the sa!” I said fiercely, “Leaf Bud City is not a place where liches can just run amok!”
“Well said!” Elijah shouted. With a kick, the horse imdiately sprang into action.
Not too long afterward, the sound of an explosion ca from the distance. Moreover, it beca a chain of explosions. At once, I urged, “Faster, go faster!”
Elijah shouted a big “hya!” and the horse’s gallop beca even faster than before. Yet I still thought it was not fast enough and felt terrified inside.
Exactly what has happened?
“Careful!”
Elijah abruptly turned around to push down, and the two of us tumbled off the horse, falling to the ground.
Bam!
The ground beside and Elijah opened up into a big hole that had caved inward from the strike. At the center of the large hole was an arrow, and the arrow’s tail was still quivering. As we both looked at the arrow, our expressions turned particularly ugly. If that arrow had hit any of us, there would have long been a hole in our bodies.
Elijah got back up and spitefully said, “That lich! To think she’d use such underhanded thods!”
Noticing that the arrow’s tail end had an engraving that looked like a leaf, I felt a sense of familiarity. “Wait a second, this looks like…”
At that mont, a bellow ca from the neighboring street. “What have you done to Sun? Why won’t he say anything at all? You, you must have injured him!”
If this isn’t Leaf’s voice and his arrow, I will swallow this arrow whole!
Another three consecutive explosions sounded, and three arrows actually penetrated a wall and flew towards us. Elijah promptly drew his sword to deflect them. But by the ti he blocked the second arrow, his sword had already been knocked flying. I imdiately cast a bolt of ice and hit the third arrow off course.
The three arrows were either fired at the wall or the ground. However, they were identical in the way all of them made an indentation that was bigger than a man’s head.
Elijah looked on, dumbfounded at the arrows’ ability to make such holes, and said, “Exactly what wonderful thing did the lich do to you to make Leaf Knight this mad?”
“Nothing was done at all.” I might have even struck back at her a little.
“How innocent…”
At that mont, after another succession of explosions sounded, arrows passed through the wall once again and ca at us. Elijah and I began to run wildly all over the place, dodging Leaf’s terrifying arrows.
“Leaf Knight! Calm down!” I dodged while shouting tearfully, “I wasn’t hurt by the lich, but I’m about to be hurt by you… Wah!”
One arrow was headed for my chest, and I frantically cast an ice bolt, but this ti the ice bolt was the one that was sent flying. My face blanched, but there was nothing I could do to turn the situation around in ti…
Clang!
The arrow was sent flying, and a dark figure stood in front of . I nearly collapsed to the floor, as if my legs were jelly. Looking in front of , it appeared that though the holy knight gave off a serious and imposing air, yet I could not help but relax. “Judg… Judgnt…”
“Sun? Uhh!”
Leaf’s worried exclamation rang from the neighboring street. Yet a second later, it turned into a groan of pain… …Is he hurt?
“Judgnt!” I hollered.
Judgnt took a few steps on the wall and then just leaped over the roof. Soon after, Elijah followed and picked up his sword, also jumping over. I got up but did not jump over with them. Instead, I broadened and enlarged my perception range to the neighboring street. The street looked just like a cetery with undead creatures running amok. Besides skeletons, spirits, and a ton of shadows, there were even two death knights. When did these undead creatures spawn?
Scarlet was on Whitey’s back, protected by her surrounding walls of undead guards.
Fortunately, there were no longer any crowds on that street, and Leaf and Ice were there along with around ten holy knights. Leaf and Ice each faced a death knight while the rest of the holy knights fought against skeletons, ghosts, and other undead creatures of that sort.
After Judgnt and Elijah joined the fray, the situation completely turned in our favor. The undead creatures were slaughtered left and right and were slowly retreating.
Leaf’s hand was drenched in blood, but it seed to be just a flesh wound and not a major problem, so for the ti being, I decided not to go over there. If I went over, I might be attacked by undead creatures, and then I would be unable to concentrate and use psychic magic.
Those undead creatures, including the death knights, were not a particularly big problem. The biggest problem was still Scarlet. If she gained an opportunity to use her psychic magic to attack, it would be the biggest crisis.
While I maintained my vigilance, Scarlet suddenly turned her head my way. Her line of sight seed to be able to pierce through the wall, firmly fixed on .
Please listen to …
Okay, I’ll listen to you. I said this without batting an eye. There was no harm in listening to Scarlet’s nonsense, as long as it would distract her.
Have you forgotten about ? Ten years ago, it was I who requested for you to be brought out of the orphanage.
I stared blankly. Requested for to be brought out of the orphanage?
I imdiately had a flashback. Indeed, before I participated in the selection for the next Sun Knight, I had already been taken from the orphanage. The one who had adopted was a very beautiful woman. At the ti, the people at the orphanage were all congratulating . They thought the woman was a noble. Although her clothes gave the impression that she was not from high luxury, her skin was astonishingly white. One look at her and you could tell she was not a working woman.
As an orphan, to be adopted by a noble was to have the good fortune of having the protection of the God of Light.
I began to rember that, at that ti, beside the woman was a small girl. The woman said it was her little sister and let join her little sister in calling her big sister.
Big sister… I can’t even rember her na. And that little girl too, what were their nas?
“Sun!” Earth’s voice ca through, temporarily cutting off my train of thought. I was also a little annoyed. How dare I get caught up in a flashback? Everyone else is still bravely fighting nearby!
I turned my head and saw him short of breath. It was evident that running here had exhausted him. I commanded him, “They’re over there. You should also go over and help. Don’t let your comrades get hurt. I’ll be here blocking the lich’s psychic magic.” He nodded toward and then scaled the wall, jumping to the next street.
Ten years ago, you suddenly disappeared. I was very worried.”
I cald myself and listened to Scarlet speak. As long as it was able to distract her from using psychic magic to attack, listening to her talk was harmless.
Of course, I had not disappeared back then. It was just that, at that ti, big sister had taken the little girl out sowhere far. There was only one servant left at ho, and during that period of ti, I participated and won the selection for the next Sun Knight. That was all. Although I returned ho to check several tis, they never ca back. Afterward… Afterward, what exactly happened?
I actually can’t rember. Don’t tell I just stayed at the Holy Temple and never searched for them again?
Sun Knight stole you away! I demanded that he return you to , but nevertheless, he refused!
She even dared to ntion Teacher! She was the one that broke Teacher’s right hand! The right hand of the strongest Sun Knight in history!
“You’re the one who should return Teacher’s right hand!” I bellowed back.
Suddenly, soone covered my mouth from behind, while his other hand firmly grabbed . …I was truly too careless! Perhaps Scarlet’s reason for conversing with had been for the very sa objective– to distract the other party.
I repeatedly elbowed him in the face many tis, yet he had no reaction whatsoever. …That’s a death knight! I never expected there to be three death knights. Just exactly who is Scarlet? She’s actually able to command this many death knights!
However, this insignificant undead creature actually dares to ss with ? Even if you’re a death knight, as the spokesperson for the God of Light, as if I’d look you in the eye! At that mont, I produced a vast amount of holy light, but the death knight behind didn’t even make a sound. This made a little alard. Could it be that this is a death knight who’s not afraid of holy light?
However, in the next second, I quickly discovered that it had not been the holy light that had been ineffective. In fact, it had been so strong that the death knight’s body had even lted. Nevertheless, this death knight did not utter a single sound and rely kept a firm hold on while covering my mouth, forcing to use even stronger holy light to strike back.
In the end, the death knight’s body was destroyed completely. Despite that, there remained a large mass of human-shaped dark elent. There was a big lump of dark elent entangled around my back, and I could not shrug it off. I’ve never encountered this sort of situation before. Exactly what is going on?
I wanted to draw out the Divine Sun Sword hanging by my waist and use it to cut the elent, but the dark elent was practically the sa as glue. Even the sword’s scabbard was entangled in a big glob. No need to ntion drawing my sword, the whole sword is already stuck on !
Exactly what does Scarlet want to accomplish? I had just thought this, when the dark elent on my back started seeping into my body. Furthermore, it even started pushing out the holy elent in my body. The worst thing was how this process did not hurt at all. On the contrary, it was like… like a bound person having the ropes around them slowly untied… The feeling was just like the last ti I beca black-haired.
Stop! Stop!
I relentlessly gathered holy light with all my might, hoping to push out all of the dark elent within . This initially worked out very well, but Whitey suddenly appeared behind my back. Not only did he already possess an astonishing amount of dark elent, he even attracted dark elent, which started to gather around the area. This made it even harder for to attract the holy elent. Unbeknownst to , most of the dark elent on my back had already made its way into !
Judgnt, Leaf, Ice, Earth… Save !
I kept on using psychic magic to shout, but no one jumped back over to save . Just what has happened? The dark elent was so concentrated that I could not even sense what was happening in the neighboring street. Could they have encountered so kind of danger? What has Scarlet done to them?
After struggling for a while, I began to panic a little. Perhaps I should just let the dark elent corrupt my body. Then I’d have enough strength to save them…
“Sun!”
I was distracted for a mont. This voice is, is Cloud?
“Quickly, everyone co help!” Cloud was using his bare hands to try and pull away the dark elent on my back, while also yelling loudly.
However, his effort was to no avail. The dark elent was simply not sothing that could be pried off with one’s bare hands. With difficulty, I turned my head to face him, trying to communicate my thoughts to him.
Drive the horse away!
Cloud halted his movents and looked at . I barely recognized this action but couldn’t distinguish his expression because the surrounding dark elent was too strong. I could only barely see his silhouette.
Yet he did not chase Whitey away and evidently could not hear my psychic magic. Both my mouth and hands were glued by big globs of dark elent. I could neither open my mouth nor gesture.
“My god!”
“What’s going on?”
“How did it beco like this? What dense dark elent…”
Many voices sounded aloud. There was Leaf’s alard cry, Earth’s brazen yell, and even Storm’s voice. It seed everyone else was hurrying here, one after the other. If it’s like this, there shouldn’t be any major danger over there, then.
I relaxed a bit and put even more effort into driving out the dark elent within .
“Sun, Sun, are you alright?” Leaf was beside my ear, worriedly shouting again and again.
Drive the horse away!
“Drive the horse away!” Leaf shouted, “Drive that dark horse away!”
Great! Thank goodness Leaf heard clearly. It’s probably because he possesses a slight sensing ability, so he’s able to receive ssages better than the rest.
Many sounds followed. There was Whitey’s whinnying, the sound of clashing weapons, a roar, and many other loud, rambunctious noises. However, I could not see any of it. All I could see was Cloud and Leaf.
Cloud kept his sword raised beside , but he did not even have a chance to attack because Leaf stood behind my back, holding his bow and arrow. Whenever an undead creature ca near it was shot dead by a flurry of arrows. Nevertheless, Cloud did not leave his place beside .
Not long after that, in the middle of my struggle with the dark elent, I gradually gained the upper hand. As long as I had a little more ti, I could definitely drive all of the dark elent out … Suddenly, soone brutally pulled out the Divine Sun Sword at my waist and forcefully slamd the sword hilt into my palm. Instantly, intense holy elent ceaselessly flowed into , giving a massive amount of assistance. The speed at which the dark elent was being driven away abruptly and imnsely increased.
“He belongs to !” A shrill shriek sounded out. The sound was sharp, as if it could pierce through one’s skull.
At this ti, I saw Cloud and Leaf holding their heads, their bodies teetering and about to collapse … It’s psychic magic!
She dared to use psychic magic against the Twelve Holy Knights!
I suddenly burst into rage. Even the dark elent on my back could not stop from twisting my body around. I gripped the Divine Sun Sword, dispelling the dark elent on in one clean sweep. However, I could not see my surroundings, because the holy elent was too intense.
Then once again, in a single mont, I took all of the holy elent within and unleashed it all in one breath…
“You’re not allowed to raise a hand against my holy knights!”
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