Arc 8, Chapter 16 - 'The Undead Cataclysm”

Arc 8, Chapter 16 - “The Undead Cataclysm”

――Pale skin drained of complexion, and golden halos housed in the center of dark eyeballs.

With the sudden appearance of undead forces, both the Imperial Army and the Rebel Army had been doused with literal cold water as they fought a battle for the Imperial Capital of Lupugana.

Before anyone could notice, the battle between the living vying for control of the Empire had transformed into a struggle for existence between the living and the dead, and it was becoming increasingly severe.

???: [URAAAAAAH――!!]

Raising a loud voice, he brandished his two-handed sword and slammed it into the enemy in front of him.

In an attempt to block the strike, the enemy raised a battered sword that they had picked up from somewhere, but that blow smashed the brittle sword nevertheless, cleaving straight into the enemy’s skull.

Their cranium shattered, and yet what followed was not a spectacular scene of blood and brain matter spewing out, but a scene of fragments scattering about, as if a ceramic pot were smashed; an utterly unthinkable way for a human to die.

The things were not only inhuman in appearance, but even the way they died ran contrary to the path of humanity.

As somebody who lived in the Empire, there were opportunities to lay eyes upon races that possessed extravagant features in their appearance, but even if it was an opponent with a different number of arms or eyes, the way they died would remain constant.

It was only logical that those with life should experience their lives come to an end in a manner befitting that quality.

But, these undead did not have that. Perhaps that was why he still felt such a strong repugnance towards them.

Even in the Empire, where life was even said to be cheap compared to other countries, they did not trample upon life itself in the way these undead did.

General: [Keep the front lines at bay! Let His Excellency the Emperor and the civilians escape!]

Soldiers: [OHHHHHH――!!]

When one of the Generals shouted a command, the soldiers around him roared as if they were in a fever.

As a result of the undead forces, the rampage of the Cloud Dragon, and the bulwark of the reservoir in the northern part of the Imperial Capital approaching destruction, His Excellency the Emperor made the decision to abandon the Imperial Capital, and withdraw all troops.

The Imperial Army united all of its efforts to assist in the evacuation of the Emperor and the citizens of the Imperial Capital. Ironically, with the advent of this third faction, the battle against the Rebel Army had gone undecided. No distinction remained between the regular army and rebels, and with the living and the dead divided into friend and foe, the fierce battle raged on.

Just now, the Imperial Soldier who had just destroyed a single undead was one who held their ground. He and the soldiers around him were fighting with all their might to stop as many of the undead as possible, even if only one, and see if they could take them down to meet death together.

Soldier: [No idea what those things are. But...]

Soldier: [If it is His Excellency the Emperor!]

Soldier: [He will absolutely find a way to eradicate you lot!]

No matter who the enemy may be, their faith in the apex of the Empire, Vincent Vollachia, would never waver. That was the greatest reason why the soldiers were able to hold their ground without a hint of fear.

Vincent had continued to deliver results. The amount of spilled blood and piled up corpses of Vincent’s enemies was the foundation of the Imperial Soldiers’ faith in him.

Considering the absoluteness of his reign, his fighting spirit was of a different purity from that of those who so casually plotted insurrection.

And thus, his fighting spirit directed towards the undead shaking the Empire was precisely the same.

General: [――Hk! All troops, bring that one down!]

The General cried out once more in response to the onslaught of an undead with a massive body.

A bald undead of large build swung their arms about, and the Imperial Soldiers who stood in their path were blown away like scraps of paper. If they were to permit the large undead to do as it pleased, a hole would open in the front lines, and the defensive position they had gone through so much trouble to form would likely crumble.

In order to stop it, the soldiers obeyed the General’s order and leaped towards the huge body at once.

Soldier: [Uu, OOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!]

The soldier who leaped first was struck, crushing his head; evading that carcass as it flew towards him, one Imperial Soldier kept close to the ground as he slashed at the legs of the huge undead.

The attack connected, and his opponent’s stance collapsed. But, having perpetrated such an impudent act, the Imperial Soldier’s eyes met golden halos looking down on him, and witnessed the dim gleam of a sword that had been plucked off somebody else.

Just before he was impaled by its tip, the figure of a person wedged their way in front of the Imperial Soldier.

General: [Finishhhh... iiiit... hk]

Pierced through the chest, the General cried out as blood frothed at his mouth.

Shielded by the General, the Imperial Soldier gulped down, and immediately jumped out from behind the General’s back; swinging his sword with all his might, he smashed the gigantic undead’s head in.

The sword broke in half upon impact, but without any counterattack, the large undead’s whole body shattered.

And so, just as the General collapsed to the ground on his back, the large undead was struck down.

His chest pierced, the General had met his end, and as the Imperial Soldier admired that bravery, he borrowed a replacement for his broken sword from the General’s hand.

Then, twisting his head around, he tried to search for the next enemy――,

Imperial Soldier: [Fucking hell...]

The Imperial Soldier muttered, his cheeks contorting as he lowered the helmet he was wearing with his fingers.

Having just evaded death, the Imperial Soldier looked as the next undead entered his field of vision―― The General who had just died protecting him, his same equipment and face were worn by it.

The corpse of the General was lying beside him, and he himself was gripping the General’s sword.

And yet, standing in front of him with a pale face and golden eyes, was that very same General.

Imperial Soldier: [Fucking hell.]

A battlefield where even one’s comrades-in-arms could become undead, turning into enemies as soon as they died.

Upon these flooded lands which he wanted to curse, where death was near certain, the Imperial Soldier raised his sword, and continued to fight until his life no longer allowed.

△▼△▼△▼△

――The coupled dragon carriage retreated from the Imperial Capital of Lupugana and headed towards the Fortified City of Garkla.

The historical alliance formed between the Emilia camp and the Vollachian Empire’s leadership within that carriage had unexpectedly encountered interference in an unforeseen manner.

Although, as for the cause of that interference――,

Anastasia: [What’s wrong? Even tho’ we were so worried about Natsuki-kun... it’s distressin’ to see ya lookin’ at us like we’re uninvited guests.]

Subaru: [I’m not making such a face! I’m happy that we were able to meet properly. It goes without saying for Anastasia-san, but even if it’s Julius with his stern expression, I’m glad about both.]

Anastasia: [Well, it ain’t exactly a stern expression, but it’s all ‘cause of yer appearance.]

And so, the two people, Julius and Anastasia, who had suddenly boarded the interconnected dragon carriage, looked down at the shrunken Subaru from head to toe with keen interest.

Naturally, for Subaru, encountering the two of them there was like a bolt from the blue.

The level of surprise was comparable to when Priscilla had suddenly descended from the sky in the Fortress City.

However, why those two had ended up in the Vollachian Empire, Subaru did not consider himself so naive as to be unable to guess the reason.

Subaru: [Even so, I understand that Emilia-tan and the others were looking for us, but for Anastasia-san and Julius... to go out of your way through Kararagi just for me?]

Anastasia: [Yep, exactly. Was a grand adventure, traversin’ through three countries. Crossin’ the border to Vollachia ain’t somethin’ that can be done easily, and the journey was quite costly, to say the least.]

Subaru: [Urk.]

Anastasia: [I hate to come across as countin’ every penny, but I’d be happy if ya won’t forget about the costs we broke our backs for.]

Being sent to the Empire was beyond Subaru’s control, but when he heard about the concerns that were expressed for him, his heart felt heavy. Under Anastasia’s gaze and words, it seemed like Subaru was about to be burdened with a tremendous debt of gratitude.

However, at that moment, a voice calling her “Ana” could be heard near Anastasia’s neck,

Echidna: [You shouldn’t bully Natsuki-kun recklessly. Considering his current appearance, no matter how you look at it, Ana, you seem like the villain bullying a child.]

Subaru: [Ah...]

When Subaru raised his eyebrows at that voice, the other party responded by wagging a white tail.

It was the fox scarf that Anastasia, who was dressed in a kimono, had draped over her shoulders. In other words, it was Echidna, the Artificial Spirit, whom Anastasia was carrying with her.

Unlike the Witch with the same name, Subaru had a recognition of Echidna as a companion whom he had gone through the ordeal of the Pleiades Watchtower together with. Hearing her voice, Subaru also felt relieved and at ease.

With this, among the companions who had gotten separated in the Pleiades Watchtower, once Subaru showed his face to Patrasche, who was outside, only Meili would have yet to see that he was safe.

Anyway――,

Emilia: [Anastasia-san! Julius, too, you made it to Vollachia safely!]

Anastasia: [I’m relieved that Emilia-san ‘n the others are safe too. As for the hardships durin’ the journey... I couldn’t find Natsuki-kun before Emilia-san ‘n the others did, so it’s a bit embarrassin’.]

Emilia: [No, that thought makes me feel reaaally happy. Thank you.]

Emilia also welcomed Anastasia’s appearance with a relaxed smile on her face.

Indeed, the situation in the Vollachian Empire already tense, and on top of that, there was the undead disaster following the civil war. Inadvertently, she could say that she was very grateful that she did not cross paths with Anastasia and the others in the Imperial Capital.

And with the joy of such an unexpected reunion coming to a pause――,

Vincent: [Are you quite finished rekindling your old friendship? Whether you know it or not, the time for the military conference is limited.]

The one who dampened the mood with those words, with a cheeky attitude and arms crossed, was Abel.

With an unusually tolerant demeanor, he had been trying to gauge the atmosphere, but it seemed like he could not remain silent any longer. Making a sarcastic remark, Abel glanced sideways at Subaru and then said,

Vincent: [Another of your acquaintances. How unexpected, to think your influence has spread as far as Kararagi.]

Subaru: [As for that, it’s a bit complicated. Anastasia-san and the others are on the Kararagi side, but not exactly on the Kararagi side... So, what’s the deal with him?]

Subaru’s puzzled question stemmed from the presence of Halibel, who stood beside Anastasia and the others. Halibel, the wolfperson who was known as the strongest in the Kararagi City-States, demonstrated his existence while shaking the kiseru he held. Subaru wondered what position Anastasia and her group held, given Halibel’s title and affiliation.

Julius: [I will handle that explanation. I will give a firsthand account of the particulars that allowed us to get on that flying dragon ship.]

In response to Subaru’s question, Julius brushed the scar beneath his left eye with his finger and began to answer.

The new white scar on Julius’s profile, combined with his unfamiliar appearance in a traditional Japanese outfit, emphasized his dignified and handsome aura, giving Subaru a strange sensation.

It was not to say that the influence of “regression” had not affected Subaru’s perception, but it was probably more due to the changes on Julius’s side that caused this sensation.

Somehow, it felt like the current Julius had more composure than before.

While there was elegance in his previous demeanor as the “Finest of Knights”, it seemed to be different from his current composure. It might have even been considered something that stood in stark contrast to it.

His attitude, which seemed like he had discarded long-worn armor, was it a result of the experience in the Pleiades Watchtower, or was there some other reason behind it? That remained uncertain.

Julius: [――Your Excellency the Emperor Vincent Vollachia, I am relieved to see you safe and well. It is an unexpected honor to have the privilege of an audience with you once again.]

Ignoring Subaru’s impression, Julius, having taken a step forward, bowed as he elegantly spoke.

Abel, protected by Goz’s large build as he stood, raised his shapely eyebrows at Julius’s greeting. Subaru, too, harbored a sense of unease with Julius’s “once again” part.

Vincent: [“Once again” you say, hm. But, neither do I remember granting audience to a swordsman of the City-States, nor do I recognize your face. What prompted you to say “once again”?]

Julius: [With all due respect, I once received the opportunity to have a glimpse. However, at the time, I was not a swordsman of the City-States, but a knight of the Kingdom.]

Vincent: [The Kingdom――]

Upon hearing the response of Julius, who did not show fear even when addressing Abel, the Vollachian Emperor, Abel’s black eyes narrowed in deep thought, but he could not seem to find any memory of the occasion.

With such a dignified demeanor, there was no way that Julius could possibly be telling a lie. As such, even though the two were actually acquainted with each other, Abel had forgotten it.

In other words, it was evidence that the effects of Gluttony, which caused those around Julius to forget him, had yet to be undone――.

Vincent: [You are deceiving me, and thus I do not understand your behavior. ――Berstetz.]

Berstetz: [Yes. I, too, have no recollection of ever seeing this person.]

Halibel: [Righty. I done stopped it before that happened... tho’ even if I’m sayin’ that, seems like their goal wasn’t ta make a mess of Kararagi, but just ta warm up like what lil’ Ana said.]

Vincent: [What does that mean?]

Halibel: [Puttin’ it simply, the zombies I happened across had entirely replaced all the people in the city, ‘n were livin’ the same lifestyle as if they were still alive. Seemed like they didn’t want us ta know that they had swapped places.]

Subaru: [Wha...]

As Halibel revealed the truth, Subaru became lost for words.

And it was not only Subaru who was surprised. This group of wise people all had thoughtful expressions on their faces, and everyone who was surprised like Subaru was speechless.

That was probably to be expected. Just now, Halibel’s story was far too different from what had been assumed.

Goz: [You, you are saying that those undead are going as far as to disguise themselves as the living!? It is true that Her Excellency Lamia spoke in the same manner as she did then when she was alive...! But even so!]

Serena: [If you see them as the living, then that destroys the perception of them being an opponent who attacks indiscriminately. It’s already troublesome that some of them are intelligent, but if that happens, the way we deal with them as enemies will need to change quite a lot. This has become excessively amusing.]

Goz: [Just what is so amusing, High Countess Dracroy! Even your impudence ought to have its limits!!]

Goz and Serena’s views were pitted against each other as a shocking embodiment of that misconception.

However, that reaction from the two was natural. In fact, Subaru had the same opinion. These were not opponents which could just be fought, it had become a matter of exploiting their weakness.

Even still――,

Emilia: [Hey, Halibel-san, you said that everyone in the town was turned into “zombees”... But in that town, how many people were living there?]

It was a question that someone needed to ask.

Subaru regretted that instead of himself, he had let Emilia do it. That regret grew deeper and larger after hearing Halibel’s answer.

That was because――,

Halibel: [――Roughly, somewhere ‘round two thousand people.]

Emilia: [That many...]

Halibel’s answer clearly quantified the scale of the damage.

One could only imagine that drastic scale of damage; that made Emilia’s expression severely darken, and drove a cold, sharp thorn into Subaru’s chest.

However, there were not just people who were hurt by Halibel’s answer, there were also those who looked ahead.

Vincent: [If that many disguised themselves to be the living, I have no choice but to say that it is troublesome. What caused them to be exposed?]

Anastasia: [The reason they were discovered was the amount of supplies that were goin’ in n’ out of the city. They disguised themselves to some extent, but the numbers between the livin’ and dead people didn’t match up. The Hotoke-san don’t need food or drinkin’ water, so that’s where the discrepancy came from.]

Vincent: [The boundary between the living and the dead. ――It appears it can not be crossed.]

Unlike Subaru, whose emotions halted him, Abel and Anastasia did not stop.

While he felt frustrated by that difference, he also did not want to forget what he had told Abel, that it was necessary to not throw away this frustration.

Vincent: [Berstetz, you had an army stationed in the western part of the Empire, correct?]

Indifferent to Subaru gritting his teeth, Abel posed a question to Berstetz.

Berstetz nodded briefly with a “Yes” to the Emperor’s question, and,

Berstetz: [We have received reports of unrest along the national border with Kararagi in the west. It was before the signs of civil war had expanded, but we feared counter-moves and polarization of the rebel army, so we kept it maintained to keep them in check. ――You do not mean.]

Vincent: [The one entrusted with that army, it ought to have been Groovy Gumlet, was it not?]

His narrow thread-like eyes opening slightly, Berstetz laid bare his astonishment. As if agreeing with the Prime Minister’s realization, Abel let out a small sigh.

That which the sigh spoke of, was certainly one of the Nine Divine Generals―― he was supposed to be the First-Class General whom Subaru had never had a chance to meet face to face.

The reason why Abel narrowed his eyes languidly when he said that person’s name was――,

Goz: [Your Excellency! Surely not... Surely not! General First-Class Groovy is!]

Vincent: [Keeping the unrest on the national border with the City-States in check... If that is why they did not participate in the great battle of the Imperial Capital, and if it has reached a state that we are not even able to meet with them, then there is no other recourse but to assume the worst.]

Serena: [Assume the worst, hm? Even I would have a hard time calling that amusing.]

Goz’s face flushed red, and Serena erased the thin smile on her lips.

Giving a nod at these leading figure’s reactions, Abel spoke.

Vincent: [――Groovy Gumlet and his army have already fallen into the hands of the undead. If they fail to unite with us in the future, we ought to operate under that assumption.]

Goz: [――Hk!]

In response to Abel’s words, Goz’s entire body trembled and he gnashed his molars.

It was not a metaphor, he really ground his molars. As an immense amount of indignation ran through the body of the warrior named Goz Ralfon, the possibility of having lost his comrade was hitting him hard.

Even for Subaru and the others, who did not know him personally, it was a silent blow.

Berstetz: [Your Excellency, as per your speculation, if an undead can pretend to be alive, then...]

Vincent: [Indeed, the reports from various regions, on their own, have lost credibility. Without increasing the accuracy of the information, to engage in the battle for the recapture of the Imperial Capital will be next to impossible.]

Which of the delivered reports were from their living allies, and which ones were from the undead enemy, was not known.

Presented with such a frightening possibility, Subaru gasped.

Subaru: [In other words, that’s the reason why the League of Cities entrusted Anastasia-san with being their emissary...]

Anastasia: [The sense of crisis, y’all feel it too, don’t’cha? It absolutely mustn’t be allowed to spread. Therefore, we were allowed to go as jus’ a small group of reliable people.]

Anastasia spoke while nodding, to which both Julius and Halibel also expressed agreement.

Due to the commencement of the opposition against the undead, they were two trusted people chosen for their individual war potential.

Subaru: [What about Ricardo, Mimi, and the others?]

Anastasia: [They’re buildin’ a united front with the League of Cities at the border. Basically, they won’t be enterin’ the Empire. If it doesn’t stop with the Empire, Kararagi will have to be prepared.]

Halibel: [That ain’t a good omen, but gimme a break. Well, at this point it‘s too late ta do anythin’ ‘bout lil’ Ana’s sharp tongue.]

Anastasia: [Halibel.]

Anastasia, who had answered the whereabouts of the absent Iron Fang, looked at Halibel with a smile. She put her hand on her cheek in a soft gesture, and kept her gaze fixed on Halibel,

Anastasia: [I overlooked it the first time, but can ya stop callin’ me lil’ Ana? I ain’t a kid anymore, and I’m also a representative of Kararagi.]

Halibel: [Tho’ ya say yer not a child, ya don’t look any different from when ya were a wee lassie. Yer character hasn’t changed from the ol’ days when ya were such a rascal together with Ricardo...]

Anastasia: [Halibel.]

Halibel: [Alrighty alrighty, my bad.]

Waving his hand, Halibel raised the white flag to Anastasia.

The seemingly familiar relationship between the two was intriguing, but compared to the pressing issue at hand, it could only be considered a trivial matter.

Indeed, from the point of view of having to defend against the unprecedented undead cataclysm――.

Julius: [Once again, I would like to convey the intentions of Kararagi’s League of Cities. In order to contain the damage caused by the undead... the damage caused by the zombies, the City-States will extend as much support as possible to the Empire.]

Vincent: [――. Regarding the support, we can work out the details later. Do you people have any ideas of means to stop this situation?]

Halibel: [‘Bout that, it ain’t a natural phenomenon that the Hotoke-san wake up, right? No doubt, it’s the result of some fella’s gaudy intentions. In other words――]

Anastasia: [――The mastermind, the caster, the ringleader, or whatever you wanna call it, they gotta be subdued.]

A huge problem that could plunge the entire world into crisis, and the plan to overcome it.

Stopping the entity responsible for this problem, the unseen “enemy”, was the highest priority of the Kingdom of Lugunica, the Vollachian Empire, and Kararagi’s League of Cities――.

Subaru: [――The unidentified “enemy”.]

Thinking of the “enemy” whose true nature was unknown, Subaru murmured softly.

What did this “enemy” look like, and just what were they thinking when they made preparations to commit such terrible barbaric acts?

The mere thought of the hardships and obstacles that awaited them in their quest to defeat this yet-to-be-seen “enemy” sent cold sweat down his spine.

However――,

Subaru: [――With this many members gathered here.]

Subaru’s heart, seized by fear as it was, was nevertheless encouraged by the presence of those around him.

The Emilia camp, who had even come to the Empire in search of Subaru and the others, the leaders of the Empire, who hardened their resolve to unite for the sake of protecting it, and the reliable reinforcements from Kararagi.

Subaru: [No matter what the “enemy” is planning, there’s absolutely no way that we’re gonna lose――!]

That was Natsuki Subaru’s sincere declaration of war against the “enemy.”

△▼△▼△▼△

――Indeed, it was around the same time as Subaru’s surge of enthusiasm from within the coupled dragon carriages.

Ferociously, the reservoir’s water gushed forth from the destroyed bulwark, engulfing the Imperial Capital.

As the muddy torrent swept away buildings and tore people and trees asunder indiscriminately, the blue-haired boy, having escaped to a high vantage point, used his hand as a visor as he gazed over the view.

Boy: [Oh dear I tried to buy as much time as I could but I wonder if everyone was able to successfully escape. Hopefully Boss and the others didn’t let the blood rush to their heads and mess up the decision to retreat.]

Lightheartedly muttering so, clad in a kimono and wearing zori was Cecilus.

In this grand battle for the Imperial Capital, as the most difficult problem in all aspects concerning the complete change in the situation was identified by his natural intuition and drama-geek mindset, the leading actor of the world rushed to the scene.

In fact, if Cecilus had not taken such a selfish and arbitrary action, the Imperial Capital would have been engulfed by water much sooner, and many more people would have failed to escape, resulting in an enormous amount of casualties.

In that sense, Cecilus’s actions, beyond anyone’s expectations, coincidentally brought about a fortunate outcome for many.

However, that was not the case for Cecilus, as the person concerned.

With the sudden appearance of the undead forces, the state of the battle for the Imperial Capital had changed, and trying to surprise the third “enemy” who was attempting to snatch victory through a boorish intervention, Cecilus had leapt forth.

Undoubtedly, he was in a state where he could sing his own praises of it having been a performance meant to enchant the world.

And yet――,

Cecilus: [Even so, this was completely unexpected.]

Within the Imperial Capital engulfed by the muddy torrent, Cecilus murmured so, scratching his cheeks at the sight of undead who had all fled to higher ground like he had, still maintaining their fixation over those who yet lived.

There was no doubt that they existed outside the natural order, resurrected by a technique unknown even to Cecilus.

In fact, he had also encountered the being that had made them into such things.

Even though everything up to that point had proceeded in accordance with Cecilus’s intuition――,

Cecilus: [――Unbelievable, who could’ve imagined that the situation wouldn’t be settled even when the caster is defeated!]

Collapsed at the feet of Cecilus as he raised his voice, was the caster who had resurrected and commanded the undead.

With beautiful pink hair and long ears, the young girl appeared to be around the same age as Cecilus―― Having confronted the Blue Lightning, Cecilus, she was a Witch whose life had already met its end.

Notes:

[1] - In Japan, 仏 (hotoke) is a word used to refer to Buddah, but it is also commonly used to refer to the dead. Here, Halibel uses a Katakana version ホトケさん(Hotoke-san) of the term. It is a uniquely Japanese way of referring to the dead, and hence Subaru picks up on what it means, while the other Vollachians and Lugunicans are left in confusion.