Chapter 101
“Railgun!”
“Shadow Spear.”
“Kyahahaha!”
Lighting, shadow, and a screeching goblin atop a charging boar all collided with the metal body of Harkon one after the other.
“Hmph!”
The lightning bounced off his chest. The shadows and flame could not harm his flesh. And the boar was unable to push him back an inch.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bubblin, totally unperturbed by this, eagerly rained down blows upon Harkon's head with his mace.
“Gyeheh?”
Bubblin choked and fell silent when a massive metal hand seized him and lifted him upwards.
“Return to your place.”
Harkon's voice had become almost robotic in tone, but the passion of the knights within still leaked through just enough to remind me…
…This was a human.
He slammed Bubblin down into the same stone Bubblin himself had summoned, and began to rain down blows.
The intensity of each strike was such that both Harkon and Bubblin sank deeper into the ground.
“Damnit… I've never seen it manifest like this before.”
Axel grit his teeth and burst forward to drop-kick Harkon in his relatively tiny legs.
It was a sound choice, given how top-heavy Harkon appeared, it should have sent him tumbling down.
And yet, other than a loud ringing sound, there was no tangible effect.
“Begone.”
Harkon swept Axel away with one arm and resumed attacking Bubblin.
Axel did not stay down for long, but no matter how many angles he tried or how he leveraged his strength, Harkon remained unfazed.
“Snort! Snort!”
Soot tugged at my cloak frantically, but I only quietly held my hand up to silence him.
“I know. I'm thinking.”
An impenetrable hide. Slow, but unstoppable movements. Extreme weight. Heat had no effect. Electricity was repelled.
I shifted my focus from Harkon to the surroundings, taking note of Klaus and the army standing at the edge of the cliff in shock.
Numbers are irrelevant—no, a nuisance even. Klaus is right not to send the army in. Best to keep the number of combatants low. Poor footing. Water. Deep water.
I looked out towards the horizon over the ocean.
“Tia. We're gonna get a little wet.”
My fur bristled in discomfort, and I sprinted towards Harkon.
He took no notice of me, even when I placed my hand on his shoulder.
“Kehehe! Hi, boss!”
Bubblin seemed in good spirits despite being pounded upon by a multi-ton giant. In fact, he barely seemed injured.
But there was no time to think about Bubblin's apparent invulnerability.
“Hm!?”
Harkon looked around in bewilderment as I teleported us both into the air. I thought this tactic would be even easier than when I fought Axel, but I didn't expect Harkon to plummet back down to the ground so fast that I couldn't even chain a second Phase Leap.
“What was that trickery?”
I ignored Harkon's question and tried again, this time keeping us close to the surface of the water while teleporting.
Like a stone skipping across a lake, I carried Harkon as far as I could before dropping him above the deep water.
Plonk!
He fell and sank immediately. I had chained nine leaps together and was only capable of one more before my mana circuits would start to burst.
That last leap was used to move away from Harkon, so as to avoid being dragged to the depths with him.
However, that did mean I had to swim my way back to shore.
The way the water stuck to my sensitive fur was nauseating, and the fact that it was seawater only made it worse. I could feel every little foreign object I had picked up moving around with my every movement.
I quickly defused, taking all the water with me and leaving Tiara dry.
“S-sorry, baby.”
Through chattering teeth, I begged her forgiveness.
“Myeh!”
She turned her back to me and aggressively groomed herself.
“Hey, boss did it!”
Bubblin and Axel joined me, and we all gazed out towards the spot I dumped our adversary.
“Did it work?”
Axel asked, though neither of us was confident enough to say for sure.
Maybe we were paranoid, but we both refused to move for upwards of ten minutes. No matter how much Bubblin cheered me on and Klaus barked for us to return, we just couldn't shake the feeling that this was too easy.
Thud…
We both tensed up immediately.
Thud…
Bubblin stopped his antics and hopped onto Soot once more.
Thud…
Axel reactivated his Lightning Armour.
Thud…
The water began to ripple.
Thud!
Between the teleporting and the Shadow Spears, Tiara was all out of mana, and Soot wasn't strong enough to break through Harkon either.
Long-distance fusion was possible, but I didn't see how Kipper or Vek would be any use here, and I needed Vek to remain where he was anyway.
Thud!
What options remained? A spirit form would be effective, but I had no way to summon one. We could run for it and hope Alma was able to blast through his defence, but that would waste too much time, and Harkon might be able to spread this power to others while he waited for us.
Stolen novel; please report.
THUD!
The top of his metallic head poked out of the water as he walked slowly towards us, emerging to ruin an otherwise pleasant view of the ocean.
I looked at my axe. An ego weapon couldn't be broken by physical strength. Maybe I could leverage it in some way? Maybe I could fuse with the soul inside?
No. Even if that worked, I had no way of knowing what form we would achieve, or whether it would be helpful.
“Does the empire have none who can fight with honour?”
Harkon returned to dry land and looked down at us with disappointment.
He spat out a mouthful of water before continuing.
“This body will not break. Not to force. Not to magic. Not to trickery. But face me with conviction, and you may yet overcome me, just as Skori teaches us.”
“Haha… You're still preaching that crap?”
Axel responded mockingly.
"For all your strength, you should already know how worthless those sermons are."
"Lionheart. You once held great potential, but now you waste your god-given gifts to seek senseless brutality. You know nothing of how strength should be wielded."
"Yeah, yeah. I've heard it a thousand times already. Y'know, I shut all those others up real quick, but you were always off in some dark hole killing vermin when it came time to challenge me. Why was that?"
"I do not humour the childish delusions of those weaker than me. Had you a shred of honour, I would have gladly accepted."
While they exchanged verbal jabs, I continued to think.
Klaus was barking orders in the distance, and I could see spells being cast into Lily’s shadow orb. Would that be enough, though?
Bubblin was quietly casting spells on all of us, but I already knew the extent to which his support would empower me. That wouldn't help me against Harkon.
I looked at the spot where Harkon spat. The fact that he did that implied his lungs still functioned inside all that metal. In that case, internal damage should be effective, right?
I recalled the way Gaspard moved when he struck me bare-handed, and attempted it on the ground a few times.
“You ally yourself with these fools?”
Harkon looked at me in disdain while continuing to address Axel.
“They're way more fun than you uptight hypocrites.”
Axel responded, but was also eying me in confusion.
I ignored them. There was a twist in the wrist, right? Was it after the impact? Or during?
My palm continued to strike the sand quietly.
“Hmph. Enough of this.”
Harkon raised his arm.
“Hammer of Deliverance.”
Three hammers appeared over each of us. Remembering Axel's advice, I did not try to dodge. I instead fused with Soot and shielded my head.
Three explosive bangs. Three craters. Three geysers of sand.
The impact was heavier than Axel's full-body tackle, and I realised at that moment that this attack was conjured from Harkon's sheer aura. It was recognisable due to the distinct burn that accompanied the impact of any aura-infused attack.
We split in different directions and began striking wherever we could.
Thunder accompanied heavy metallic ringing. Lightning and divine light burst out from various directions. And I did my best to hold on and topple Harkon.
But even with my strength, he did not budge.
He swept his arms out and projected aura once more. The intense burst sent the other two sliding backward, but I held my ground.
Thwap. Thunk. Thud.
I attempted the palm strike a few times more.
“Fool.”
Harkon drove his elbow down. But despite his power, his speed had only worsened with his transformation. I was easily able to side-step the attack.
“Lance of Righteousness.”
But the movement was predicted, and I felt a massive object pierce through my ribs.
Thanks to Inner Forge, I was able to rearrange my organs and avoid serious damage, but I was still bleeding profusely.
Wasting no time, I linked with Vek, and the wound closed up.
“Abomination. You are an affront to the gods.”
Harkon punched the air, and a blast of aura sent me back as he turned to engage the others again.
As Vek's influence kicked in, I wondered. Could artificial mana organs be constructed? I already knew how it felt thanks to Tiara, and with Inner Forge, maybe I could make it happen.
I rejoined to assist my allies, but all the while, I was methodically altering my body piece by piece.
Expand the veins here. Rupture this passageway. Move the cells efficiently that way. It was an involved process.
Suddenly, a sharp pain gripped my chest, and I froze mid-attack. Seeing an opening, Harkon slammed me to the ground.
An error. Altering the heart was not yet feasible. Attempts to do so lead to a heart attack.
I undid everything, and my breath returned to me.
Another route existed. Always build additional tunnels. Construct the circuitry, but ignore the source.
I shifted gears, trying instead to formulate the pathways for mana to cycle within my body. Breaking and moving my internals so much had caused significant internal bleeding, but with Soot's endurance and Vek's regeneration, I could force my way through.
“Why? Why do none of you fall!?”
Harkon bellowed as he struck Bubblin down for the umpteenth time. Axel, bleeding and battered, continued to pummel away with violent delight.
Dents had started to form from his relentless attacks, but if it caused any discomfort, Harkon's movements did not reflect it.
He tossed Axel away and grabbed my tusks.
“You. You are the weakest.”
He spoke firmly, then he ripped his arms backwards, dislodging my natural weapons with ease.
Blood poured out, but my mind remained clear, and I stared back, unnerved.
“...Monster.”
Harkon threw the tusks down and clasped his hands together before raising them high.
“You are not fit to walk this world.”
Before he could strike, I struck his abdomen with my palm. This time, I felt some measure of success, as Harkon wobbled unsteadily and took a step back.
“Hmph. Is that all? Amateur, martial arts are not so easily replicate—”
I jammed my free hand into his mouth, cutting his words off prematurely.
“Urk!?”
He looked momentarily befuddled, but then I felt his iron jaws clamping down.
And so I wasted no time.
“Summon Spirit.”
I ripped my hand free, ignoring the tearing flesh, and defused.
Soot ran to safety as I stood calmly before the enemy.
My body was terribly damaged, but Vek was rapidly solving that problem. Meanwhile, Harkon was gasping for air and clutching his throat.
With each cough, blackened chunks of flesh emerged, and smoke billowed out of his mouth.
There was nothing more that needed doing. Harkon was being incinerated from the inside out, all thanks to a relatively weak fire spirit.
And so we stood and observed the knight as he died a painful death, which he could not defend against.
It was ignoble. Messy. And effective.
Finally, his struggle ceased, and he was left curled up on the ground, the scent of smoke and death radiating from him. To anyone who passed by, it would merely look as though a strange statue had washed ashore.
“...Damnit.”
Axel cursed.
“I really thought I could take him. Can't believe it ended like this.”
He shook his head and casually made his way back to the army.
Bubblin and I remained, and Lily soon joined us.
“What the hell was that? You just used magic on your own!”
“Hey boss, what wrong with your fingies?”
Bubblin grabbed my hand and cast a healing spell, but the greenish liquid would not stop dripping from beneath my fingernails.
“It's in your eyes too… What did you do?”
Lily expressed concern as well.
“...Rex?”
After I remained silent and motionless, Lily began to shake me with a little more urgency.
I opened my dry mouth, and a surge of burning thick liquid oozed out against my will.
“Hey! We need help here!”
Lily was yelling, and more people began fussing over me.
But I could not speak. I could not move. My eyes started to sting as I could not even blink.
My rigid body had to be carried back up the cliff by Klaus, and I was laid on a stretcher, left to stare into the sky as we continued on.
***
I rose abruptly one hour later thanks to the constant efforts of Vek's regeneration, much to the shock of those around me.
“Commander! The patient is up!”
I had no interest in being carried any further, and so I returned to my feet and walked to meet Klaus.
“Wh-what the? You're fine?”
He looked down at me in surprise, even grabbing me and roughly checking me over to make sure.
“Yes, sir. I have recovered.”
“You don't just recover from—ah, screw it. Go rejoin your team.”
He looked bewildered, but clearly this was outside his expertise, and so I quietly found Lily and Bubblin near the back of the group and fell in line with them.
“Hi.”
They looked at me with their mouths agape.
“What?”
“Boss!”
Bubblin's face suddenly lit up.
“I knew they were liars! Knights do not die so easy!”
He began happily running around, sneering at the others and pointing at me while saying, “See? Told you!”
“H-how? How the hell are you walking—or talking for that matter?”
I sighed.
Clearly, I was going to need to address what happened.
“I forcefully carved mana circuits into my body, compressed a lung and half my spleen to fill the pathways in place of mana, then had to wait while it all fixed itself.”
I shrugged. I was aware how insane it all sounded, but it was true.
“Oh, is that all, and here I was thinking you were insane!”
Lily was less than impressed by my blasé attitude.
“Why didn't you just use your blood?”
“I heard blood magic is ineffective. I figured using some organs would be closer in power to mana.”
“You're not wrong, but… Was that really necessary? I had a hell of a bomb waiting to go, you know?”
“I doubt it would have worked. What did you do with it?”
She nodded at her shadow. At least it wouldn't go to waste. Not that I knew when she would make use of it.
“But nevermind that. Do you even understand what you just did? The nation's greatest minds have been trying to figure out how to produce artificial circuitry in humans for decades!”
“I am aware. But don't get too excited, that would never work for anyone else. Also, that one spell was enough to fracture the entire created system. Hence why my lung goop came out of my fingers.”
I jokingly poked her cheek, but contrary to disgust, she instead bit my finger with a look of mischievous interest.
“Ow.”
“You have no right to complain.”
She punched my shoulder playfully.
“I thought you'd be a vegetable for life after that, you know?”
She continued in a softer tone.
“Don't worry. I'm too scared of death to do anything I can't handle.”
I responded honestly.
“Good. Don't die on m—”
Before she could finish, I was swarmed in fur.
“Meow!”
“Snort!”
“Reeex!”
Tiara was clinging to my face, Soot had bowled me over and lay atop me, and Felicia was clinging to my arm.
“Yes, yes. I missed you all, too.”
“I thought you were deeeaad!”
Felicia wailed as she dug her claws in.
“Hm. I see. Sorry.”
My muffled voice from beneath Tiara’s belly went ignored as more people appeared.
“You asshole! If you die, there's no point in me hanging out with these dumbasses!”
“Sorry, Axel.”
“I prepared some herbs to ease the pain. You can have some if you need.”
“Thanks, Leon.”
Leon, the voice of reason, helped to pull everyone off and get me to my feet.
“I don't need the herbs, but you don't happen to have any eyedrops, do you?”
He smiled and took a small vial from one of his bandolier pouches.
I took it gratefully and refreshed my horribly burning eyeballs.
“You woke up just in time.”
Leon said, pointing ahead.
I followed his direction, and there I saw a familiar sight.
Farrowgate was within sight.
