Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Iscalia (3)

TL: Potato-tan

Proofreader: Asianpotato

 

Evelyn and Jirach had to run at full pelt to try and catch up to Aellasis, who had suddenly shot off ahead of them.

 

They were also on horseback, the animals bolting from the stables in fright at the chaos, commotion, and screams that were echoing around the manor. They were all good steeds, and their increased mobility proved to be of great assistance as they rode to the aid of the knights, soldiers, and adventurers battling the vampires and monsters that were rampaging through the grounds.

 

But the horse that Aellasis was riding was so fast that even the two of them (one of whom was a vampire, admittedly, but still) were having difficulty keeping up.

 

The chase was soon over, though. Evelyn and Jirach found Aellasis on the high ground, looking down at a magnificent, jet-black stallion and at Aellasis herself, standing without a saddle so far upon its back.

 

Aellasis had displayed incredible riding skills, even without a saddle so far, but standing on the back of a horse was surely the height of recklessness.

 

Of course, Aellasis was a dragon, and her current form was merely a human guise. Even so, it was an alternative form of her own devising, and her physical prowess was far beyond that of a mere human.

 

But the others did not know this, and so a shocked Evelyn cried out,

 

“Aella! That’s dangerous!”

 

Aellasis looked back at Evelyn. A mature woman, devoid of all emotion save icy indifference, replaced the charming girl’s face.

 

“Only one person may refer to me as Aella. Call me Aellasis.”

 

Her cold voice held a power that was difficult to resist. Evelyn swallowed involuntarily and nodded cautiously.

 

“As you wish. Aellasis. What are you looking at?”

 

Aellasis pointed silently in one direction. Evelyn and Jirach followed her gaze’s direction. They both gasped in unison.

 

“That is.”

 

spherical orb, its surface shimmering incessantly. It was blood-red in color, and every now and then, it would seem to develop small, dark red spots that would then vanish again.

 

A sinister magical energy swirled and gathered. It was stirring up the wind. In one spot, the wind was converging on the state grounds.

 

The clouds in the sky were forming strange shapes, as if dancing to their tune. It was as if they were all part of a grand spectacle that would soon summon something unspeakable—something that would have an irreversible impact on the manor.

 

Evelyn couldn’t see it clearly, but Jirach, with his enhanced senses, could see blood flowing from all over the state and being sucked into the orb.

 

Jirach said.

 

“. . . . . .A powerful being who controls the blood of my origin has awakened.”

 

“What? Controls your blood?”

 

“. . .Yes.  I feel it—a powerful call from within it, urging me to go to it.”

 

Jirach’s red eyes flickered. As if that were not enough, his fangs grew in his gums and protruded from his lips. Jirach appeared to be on the verge of becoming like the monsters they had just killed, frozen, and shattered.

 

Evelyn took a step back in alarm and made a sign with her hand, ready to cast a spell at a moment’s notice.

 

But it was not necessary. Jirach managed to control himself.

 

His pupils, which had been shrinking, grew larger again, and his fangs receded. In the tug-of-war between instinct and reason, Jirach had overcome his instincts.

 

This was partly due to the few drops of blood that had brought Jirach back from the dead. Russell’s blood had seeped into the depths of his heart, and the purple eyes that he had met as soon as he had revived had taken hold of Jirach’s very soul.

 

It was a very special case, where the fate of a vampire, who could only be born of blood and live only by consuming blood, had intertwined with that of another race.

 

It would be difficult to expect the same effect on members of other races, unless they were vampires, even if they went through the same process.

 

Evelyn looked at Jirach, who seemed to have returned to normal, with suspicion.

 

“Are you all right?”

 

“Yes. I apologize for worrying you.”

 

“As long as you’re okay, Now, let’s think about how to deal with that strange thing.”

 

Evelyn quickly shook off her doubts and decided to face the problem in front of her. Even to a wizard’s eyes, it was difficult to guess the purpose of the red orb.

 

Next, they witnessed a sequence of spells directed towards the red orb. Evelyn recognized the familiar flow of magical energy in the spells as that of wizards from the same magic tower as her.

 

Despite their recognition, the wizards’ spells had no effect on the red orb. It was the first time that Aellasis had seen this, as well as the second time for Evelyn and Jirach.

 

“It’s no use.”

 

“Indeed. It seems to be more than useless; it seems to be strengthening it.”

 

Evelyn had no idea what to do with the red orb. Evelyn’s close-range attacks seemed to have been ineffective.

 

The orb sucked in the javelins thrown by the knights and the arrows fired by the soldiers, just as the spells had. Then, the orb returned them with terrifying force.

 

A horrible scream rang out, and human flesh and blood soared into the sky. The flesh and blood that had soared into the sky did not return to the ground.

 

The red orb had sucked it all up without leaving a trace. It resembled the attraction of iron filings to a potent magnet.

 

Aellasis watched as the knights, soldiers, wizards, mercenaries, and adventurers, who had belatedly rushed out and were standing by with their weapons drawn, fell back at the sight of those bizarre phenomena. Their confusion was evident in their expressions.

 

She looked at the orb, which was now larger than before, and made up her mind. The young dragon still needed help from its guardian. And now was the time for that guardian to get the young dragon’s help, Aellasis thought.

 

“Evelyn. Jirach.”

 

“What?”

 

“Did you call me, Milady?”

 

Evelyn and Aellasis’s eyes fell on Jirach. Jirach hunched his shoulders slightly.

 

“I called you that way because I thought that you were someone precious to my master. . . . . . .”

 

Aellasis nodded. A small smile played on her lips.

 

“That’s fine. I need your help.”

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

Russell looked at Iscalia. He had seen too much of her. Her flesh and the flow within it had become semi-transparent due to the poured magical energy into her eyes.

 

Her magical circuits extended into space. The earth and the sky released a torrent of magical energy.

 

For ordinary people, it would be streams of light that they could not even dream of or imagine.

 

The visual overload made Russell’s brain feel like it was on fire.

 

Here, her attacks were infinitely cyclical. Iscalia sent blood swords flying, blood thorns sprang up from the ground, and blood rain fell from the sky.

 

Everything in sight was red. Despite the overwhelming redness, her magical energy continued to flow unabated. Instead, it continuously replenished and grew stronger.

 

On the other hand, he was only depleting, not replenishing.

 

Russell could feel his body growing heavy. He had been fighting non-stop since early evening. It had been almost ten hours of combat.

 

The battle was not only against Jirach and the vampires who had attacked the Black Barley Inn, but also against Ramon Errandis’ son, Edmond, and the monsters under his command.

 

He had also fought various underground monsters, mercenaries, adventurers, and relic hunters who had lost their way and their lives inside the dungeon. He had also fought against the mysterious man in gray armor in the deep underground lake.

 

It had been a series of battles that would have taken their toll on his body, even if it had been made of steel that was tougher than iron.

 

But what does that matter?

 

He could fight.

 

Unlike his previous life’s weak and feeble body, His fragile body, thin and frail, took months to heal, even after mending his broken bones. He had not been able to fight and had surrendered during that period.

 

He could still fight.

 

It felt as if hot water was welling up in his lungs, and gravity seemed to be acting strangely on him, making his limbs feel heavy. His arms felt as if someone was constantly pulling on them, and his legs felt as if they were stuck in a swamp.

 

But he could still fight.

 

The blood sword, which had been bothering him until now, was in Iscalia’s hand.

 

The flexible sword blades, centered around a flexible axis, swam through the air, hissing like snakes.

 

However, the moment she poured magical energy into it, it straightened out as if it had never hissed. She thrust the bloody sword into the ground. The ground vibrated with a loud clang.

 

Russell kicked off the ground without a moment’s hesitation and jumped high into the air. As soon as he was in the air, the giant blood sword’s blades shot up, their red tongues flickering.

 

However, the blood sword’s crimson blades’ momentum was more menacing than before. Russell did not know it, but the red orb, which had absorbed the magical energy of the spells that the wizards outside had fired, had given Iscalia more power.

 

“Heh.”

 

Russell chuckled and brandished Nahilnir in the air. The collection of black lines filled not only the front, but the entire space. The lines became a plane and then a solid.

 

The dark veil, which wrapped around his body like a cocoon, deflected the blood swords. Not only did it deflect them, but crackling bolts of lightning shot out into the air, scorching the blades.

 

Whether he possessed it or not, every ounce of magical energy created the lightning. The fierce lightning bombardment also burned the curtain of blood that Iscalia had raised, filling the air with a foul smell. Eventually, the curtain of blood broke, and lightning struck Iscalia, sending her flying.

 

She stood up, using the blood sword as a cane. She could only think that he was amazing.

 

Iscalia’s swordsmanship and use of magical energy were such that she could manipulate dimensions and space and project his own fundamental image, could not help but be impressed. 

 

Russell, who had broken all the swords, dropped from the air as if he had weights attached to his feet. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he shot forward and swung Nahilnir.

 

The moonlight runes carved on the blade of the great dark sword did not glow. Or rather, they were close to not being able to.

 

This world was slightly out of alignment with the original dimension, with the twilight sky hovering over a field dotted with stakes upon which corpses were impaling.

 

Iscalia’s mind deeply imprinted the true nature of this space. It was probably the battlefield on which she had died. The battlefield was filled with her spirit.

 

Iscalia raised the blood sword again and struck. Nahilnir clashed with it. There was a loud, dull, low-pitched vibration. An impact occurred.

 

Under the two people standing with their swords against each other, the ground, unable to withstand the impact, caved in hemispherically. Nahilnir descended from the sky to the ground with a force that could cleave the world in two.

 

Iscalia dodged in an extraordinary way. She melted into the shadow of the great sword.

 

Unfortunately, the ground exploded, scattering soil. Hundreds of blood swords flashed in the shadows of the scattered soil.

 

Russell swung his sword once more. The sound was as loud as soybeans roasting in an iron pan. He simply used his armor to deflect the attacks that came from all sides.

 

Russell endured the onslaught with a fierce smile, despite the impact rattling his armor. Sweat drenched him, but even that invigorated him.

 

The battle with Iscalia was a constant struggle that required him to be on his toes at all times.

 

She was adept at hiding in the shadows and launching unexpected attacks. She did not use it often, but that was what made it even more threatening.

 

However, Russell, who was in a situation where he would lose his head and have his heart burst if he let his guard down for even a moment, was actually reaffirming his sense of being alive.

 

And Iscalia was feeling the same way.

 

She had already regenerated her body dozens of times. Even though she had experienced death, the constant shocks were hard to bear.

 

She couldn’t believe that the giant great sword was as thin as a needle, as flexible as a whip, and as powerful as a blunt instrument.

 

If she had not experienced it firsthand, she would not have believed it, even if she had seen it. In that sense, Iscalia felt a sense of fulfillment.

 

It was like a strange camaraderie that only those who had reached the same level could share.

 

They were like people who enjoyed the thrill of walking a tightrope high above a forest of trees, feeling alive even as they were threatened by death.

 

The madman and the madwoman smiled at each other. An unlikely camaraderie had formed, but there was no one to recognize it.

 

Iscalia looked forward to seeing what kind of sword the great sword would turn into next, and Russell always exceeded her expectations.

 

He exceeded her expectations, to the point where it was difficult to feel anything beyond that, as he shattered her body and tore it into tiny pieces.

 

In the midst of repeated deaths, Iscalia could no longer contain the impulses that were coming from her heart.

 

Someone had implanted the crystals into her body. They supplied her with magical energy, but at the same time, they were gradually eroding her sanity. The objects’ demand was simple.

 

Living things are subjugated. That was all they wanted. Despite facing complete destruction, Iscalia remained determined to fight the man and his sword.

 

Iscalia, the lady who had made a contract with the devil 800 years ago to protect her people and country, had a bitter taste in her mouth.

 

He was a great man. His tall stature, his broad shoulders, his legs and waist, the angles of his well-defined upper body, and his piercing eyes seemed to burn her. None of it was ordinary.

 

Not only was his swordsmanship superb, but he also knew how to use his body. If his sword was no good, his fists would do, followed by his kicks, and sometimes his shoulders, knees, and elbows. The man before her had the ability to turn his entire body into a weapon.

 

Of course, his handsome face was also a pleasing factor. He had black hair, thick, straight black eyebrows, and a high-bridged nose. His skin was slightly tanned, but it only made him look healthier.

 

But what stood out most were his bright purple eyes. She could not take her eyes off them. She wanted them. She felt like she wanted them.

 

Had this man been with her in the past, the United Kingdom’s offensive might not have destroyed her kingdom.

 

Her country, Isgard, had been a small but prosperous country, and under her wise rule, it had boasted a strong national defense. However, her intelligence, strength, and beauty could not help but irritate the kings of neighboring kingdoms.

 

Moreover, the various medicinal plants and the abundance of metals found in her country had only served to fuel the greed of the kings. The war was inevitable. She had also agreed to the contract to protect her kingdom.

 

Even so, her kingdom was destroyed. It was the inevitable outcome of her promise and contract with the devil.

 

Even though humans knew him, they could not give up their hopes. And they would taste despair that was as great as their hopes had been.

 

Another huge shock shook the field and the sky. But then it returned to its original state, a field of corpses impaled on stakes and a fixed twilight.

 

The two figures fell at the same time. The distance between them was only about forty or fifty meters, but that distance was as good as nothing for the two of them.

 

Unlike Russell, who could no longer hide his exhaustion, Iscalia, the master of space, was calm as her body regenerated and her magical energy recovered as quickly as possible.

 

Despite her calm appearance, the crystals attached to her heart urged her on with an irresistible desire.

 

When she won, she would sink her teeth into the back of his sweaty neck. She would make him her mate and conquer the world. All living things would bow down before them.

 

Iscalia, who had been growling like a wild beast, had just finished sharpening her magical energy and sword and was getting into position. A fierce magical energy swirled around her, and the blades of the blood sword swam freely through the air, tearing at it.

 

Russell also took a deep breath and gripped Nahilnir with both hands, raising his right arm. He was in a solid stance, with his left foot forward and his right foot back, his swordsmanship aimed at her. His sharp swordsmanship and glowing eyes gave Iscalia the impression that three blades were aiming at her.

 

That was when it happened.

 

Something caught her attention.

 

It was a different magical energy from the spells that had been pounding on her space from outside until now. And before she could even guess what it was, it pierced through the space and entered.

 

“Shhh!”

 

Iscalia gasped for the first time. Someone had punched a small hole in her mental space, one she had been confident would not collapse.

 

The hole was so small, measuring only about 10 centimeters in diameter. The white line that pierced the hole pierced Iscalia’s heart with perfect accuracy.

 

Russell’s eyes widened. He recognized the white line at a glance.

 

Dragon’s breath.

 

It was different from ordinary ones. It was a dragon attack filled with condensed, thin, but absolutely unignorable magical energy.

 

It had created a gap in Iscalia’s space and inflicted a fatal wound on her. Now irrevocably broken was the link between the red crystals that had been complementing each other.

 

The room shook.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

Evelyn and Jirach still could not close their mouths as they looked at the feat they had accomplished and at the one woman in turn.

 

The red orb, which had absorbed or deflected any spell or physical attack, was now pulsating. The being that had created the crack was standing right next to them.

 

She possessed two solid horns that protruded from her white hair. Vertically slit pupils. Her eyes were blue-gray, with a blue electricity coursing through them. Her mouth was wide open, and the remnants of the beam she had just fired were dispersing like dust of light.

 

Aellasis, who had transformed into a humanoid dragon, closed her mouth and grinned.

 

“I guess you’ll know what happens if you go around blabbing.”

 

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