Chapter 40. End of Part 1.

The black spear that had been hurtling toward me was engulfed in my violet mana, its speed drastically slowing.

By the time it reached me, the spear had completely turned violet. Instead of piercing through me, it circled around as if protecting me.

“So this is how it feels.”

Just like Roderon’s black mist, my violet mana swirled around me.

Without the need for complex spell formations, my mana moved solely by my will, naturally shielding me.

“How… How could you…?!”

“Well, I just did it, and it worked.”

Kiriya’s divine power, that black mist, and my violet mana—

Knowing that these three forces were not different at their core meant I could also understand how to use them.

I flicked my fingers lightly, sending the violet spear hurtling toward Roderon.

His black mist melted the moment it touched the violet spear, and then the spear impaled Roderon.

Power borrowed from another could never stand against true strength.

“Roderon. Who granted you that power?”

Pierced by the violet spear, Roderon lost all of his black mist, instead becoming surrounded by violet mana.

Bound by my mana, he could no longer act against me.

Realizing this instinctively, I completely lowered my guard and approached him, asking,

“…Damn it. I spent 300 years preparing. Three hundred years, solely to annihilate you Arhans, yet I still could not reach you.”

“Answer me.”

My command carried the weight of my golden words, strengthened by the power of violet mana.

Even a transcendent being could not resist speaking under these circumstances.

“…Death… Death aided me.”

“Death…?”

If he meant the God of Death, then that would be the deity who was defeated by the World Tree during the Great War.

“Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?”

“Hah! What a joke. Do you really believe something called ‘living death’ could ever die?”

“That… makes sense. Then, was it also Death who told you about the Beast King?”

“The beastmen were the ones who told me, but the power that unsealed him came from Death.

So it is only logical to assume that Death is behind them as well.”

Unsealed…?

“What do you mean by that?”

Even as he coughed up blood, Roderon answered obediently.

“Emperor, I have failed. But your empire will still fall. The wolf will awaken soon.”

“Where is the wolf? Speak.”

“Heh… At least one of the cursed Arhan bloodline will be erased from this world.”

“Speak!”

“…You will find out soon enough. A curse upon your empire.”

With those final words, having exhausted all his strength, Roderon collapsed and breathed his last.

And then—

Awooooooooooooooo!

A wolf’s howl echoed across the entire continent.

Grand Duke Artemia glared at Leo, the Lord of the Beastmen.

“Where is the Beast King?”

Instead of answering Artemia’s question, Leo bit down on his tongue.

Once the Command Word was spoken, he would be unable to resist.

Thus, he would sever his tongue before that could happen.

Realizing his intent, the Grand Duke tried to stop him, but Leo was also a master of the highest level.

Before Artemia could react, Leo had already cut off his tongue, spitting out the blood pooled in his mouth at the Grand Duke.

Tsk.

The blood that had been flying toward the Grand Duke froze mid-air and fell to the ground, but the mere fact that he couldn’t extract an answer from Leo was enough to irritate him.

“Tch, if I had known this would happen, I would have kept one more alive.”

Artemia glanced around, feeling a slight pang of regret.

It was hard to believe that just a short while ago, this land had been a thriving plain with vegetation.

Now, everywhere the eye could see was frozen solid.

The beastmen’s army was no exception.

Except for Leo, his closest aides, and the elite warriors among the beastmen, the rest had frozen solid the moment the battle began.

Even those who had managed to resist didn’t last much longer.

Only the Lord of the Beastmen had endured until the very end, throwing himself at Artemia. But in the end, all he managed to do was leave a single wound.

“How troublesome.”

Just because he couldn’t speak didn’t mean he couldn’t convey information.

As the Grand Duke considered alternative methods, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

Awooooooooooooooo!

“…It seems I won’t need to search after all. Freeze.”

With that command, the Grand Duke froze even the Beastmen Lord.

He was about to head toward the direction of the wolf’s howl when the communication link to the Emperor suddenly glowed, causing him to halt.

“We will hunt the Beast King.”

I spoke before the assembled warriors I had gathered.

“For years, the Empire has faced countless threats. From the Demon King’s invasion onward, many events have transpired. The betrayal of the vassal lords, the invasion of Daman and Triel , the secret maneuvers of Edelvine’s  descendants, and even the beastmen who allied with them to strike against the Empire.”

The Imperial Mage Corps.

The Imperial Shadow Knights.

The Imperial Order of Knights.

“But we did not fall. The Demon King was beheaded by Xian. Daman and Tamiel can no longer function as nations. The beastmen’s army was annihilated by the Grand Duke. And Edelvine’s  heir perished by my hand.”

Duke Fael.

Marquis Grepa.

And even the Grand Duke.

“Now, only one enemy remains. Only one stands between the Empire and its resurgence to greatness.”

They already knew who the enemy was and how powerful he was.

So instead of repeating his strength, I drew forth my violet mana and spread it widely.

“This…!”

The Grand Duke’s eyes widened in shock, and the others were equally startled.

Their bodies felt lighter, a sensation of fullness filling them.

It was similar to the empowerment one felt from divine blessings.

“I command you—hunt the wolf. For me.”

As soon as my words ended, a massive wolf appeared in the distance.

“I bestow my protection upon you. You shall not be defeated.”

Whether I was speaking to myself or to them, I did not know.

Slowly, I stepped forward toward the wolf.

Those enveloped in violet mana followed behind me.

The wolf was massive—larger than a mountain. It did not take long before we stood face to face.

“You damned descendant of the Black Dragon.”

The wolf recognized me and glared with its massive eye.

It had only one eye—on its right side. The left was nothing but a long, jagged scar.

Was it because Death’s power had broken its seal?

Traces of black mist clung to various parts of the wolf’s body.

“So the so-called King of Beasts has become Death’s hound?”

“I… am not Death’s hound.”

The wolf raised its head once more and howled.

Awooooooooooooooo!

As it did, the black mist covering its body melted away, vanishing into nothingness.

But it was merely a remnant. The wolf had not weakened in the slightest.

As the earth-shaking howl echoed through the skies, I once again spread my violet mana.

“Do not waver.”

I recalled the stories of the ancient battles that the Grand Duke had told me.

Back then, hadn’t the battle begun with the Giant King’s spear?

“Viola, step forward.”

I called upon the Vice Commander of the Imperial Order of Knights.

The Empire’s greatest spearman, the master who had been entrusted with the Giant King’s Spear.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Viola responded with a slight nod, stepping forward and gripping his spear.

“That is…”

Recognizing the weapon, the wolf let out a low growl.

Viola hurled the spear toward the wolf.

The spear, capable of shifting its size at will, expanded as it soared through the air.

Though Viola was not as skilled in magic as the Giant King, it was of little concern.

As the spear flew, hundreds of magic circles formed along its trajectory.

Enhance. Enhance. Accelerate. Accelerate. Infuse. Infuse.

The formations, drawn under Kraol’s  command, further strengthened the spear.

“Let the spear pierce the wolf.”

And finally, my golden command.

Wrapped in countless enhancement spells and infused with violet mana, the spear streaked toward the wolf.

The beast swung its forepaw in an attempt to deflect it.

Kwaaaaaang!

With a deafening crash, the spear was knocked away, but not without consequence—blood dripped from the wolf’s massive limb.

“Fael , Feltz, Giel. Cut down the wolf.”

At my order, the masters, their bodies wrapped in violet mana, surged forward.

Fael  was the first to strike.

His sword, capable of cutting through anything in sight, slashed toward the wolf’s remaining eye.

Though he failed to blind the beast completely, crimson veins burst within its gaze.

“You dare?!”

Enraged, the wolf lunged at Fael , but Giel and Feltz intercepted it.

“Not so fast!”

From the tip of Giel’s sword, shadows extended outward.

Unlike before, when they were merely dark silhouettes, these shadows were now infused with violet energy. They reached higher than the wolf’s front paws, blocking its charge.

Beside him, Feltz raised his shield, bracing himself.

The impact of the wolf’s charge sent both masters flying, but it, too, was forced to a halt.

“Shen, Kraol , provide cover.”

Arrows from the second division of the Imperial Order rained down on the wolf, while the Mage Corps’ formations lit up the sky.

“Grand Duke? I leave it to you.”

At my words, the Grand Duke  began preparing his spell.

Even as arrows and magic bombarded the wolf, the beast’s gaze remained locked on the Grand Duke.

“You… You’re that dragon from before!”

The masters, having recovered, charged once more, but the wolf ignored them, its focus solely on the Grand Duke.

Determined not to be interrupted this time, it prepared to leap into the sky.

“A beast should crawl upon the earth like the beast it is.”

But I would not allow it.

A tremendous force bore down upon the wolf, pressing it into the ground. The very land beneath it caved under the pressure.

“Damn you, cursed descendant of the Black Dragon!”

The wolf turned its glare toward me, but in that brief moment, the Grand Duke’s spell was completed.

Though winter had yet to arrive, the air turned frigid.

Mages conjured flames to resist the sudden chill, and even the masters shivered slightly.

A colossal spear of ice had formed in the sky, nearly matching the wolf in size.

Upon seeing it, the beast opened its massive maw.

It intended to swallow the spear—along with the Grand Duke himself.

“Close your mouth, beast.”

Was it incapable of learning, or was it merely underestimating me?

Whichever the case, it was pathetic.

I forced its jaws shut.

“Freeze.”

At that moment, the Grand Duke’s ice spear shot forward.

Everything behind the wolf turned to ice.

And the wolf itself did not escape unscathed.

Though it had not been completely frozen, vast portions of its body were now covered in thick frost, drastically slowing its movements.

Its left forepaw, which had taken the brunt of the attack, was entirely encased in ice.

“I will devour you all!”

Wounded and enraged, the wolf howled.

The entire battlefield trembled once more.

Raising its massive forepaw, it slammed it down onto the earth.

In that instant, the land itself seemed to lose its strength, and the wolf’s wounds began to heal.

“Beast, in this land, you will not recover from a single wound.”

At my words, violet mana seeped into the wolf’s injuries.

Its regeneration came to an abrupt halt, but now fully aware of the situation, the wolf glared at us with renewed focus.

“Grrrrrrr…”

The growling wolf shifted into a stance, ready to charge.

“Halt!”

But this time, instead of stopping completely, it only flinched for a brief moment.

Had it grown accustomed to my golden words?

“Kraol ! Prepare a shield! Feltz, Giel!”

There were still ways to block its charge.

Just as I was about to use another means to halt its advance—

Ssshhhaaaaaaaak!

A massive aura tore through the air, streaking toward the wolf.

For the first time, the beast, which had never been pushed back by any attack, recoiled.

“Apologies for my tardiness, Your Majesty.”

The protagonist of The Chronicles of Xian.

The Hero had finally arrived.

Xian’s expression was grim as he stepped onto the battlefield.

Instead of reprimanding him for his lateness, I welcomed him.

“Xian, you’ve come?”

“…Forgive me.”

“Save your apologies for later, Xian.”

I called his name briefly, then pointed at the wolf standing before us.

“Can you sever its head?”

Xian gazed at the beast for several seconds before answering.

“…Yes.”

Good.

“Xian Audas, I command you—bring me the head of that beast.”

At my decree, violet mana surged around Xian.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With my command, Xian slowly advanced toward the wolf.

“Grrrrr…”

Even the wolf found him threatening.

It turned its focus to Xian, swinging a massive forepaw at him.

“You will not back away.”

A deafening roar filled the battlefield as sword and claw clashed.

Once again, the wolf staggered backward.

“End it.”

Xian leapt high into the air, drawing his sword.

Sensing imminent danger, the wolf instinctively twisted its body to flee.

But—

“Where do you think you’re going, beast?”

The Grand Duke’s  ice shackled the wolf’s legs.

The Mage Corps’ magic churned the earth, binding its movement further.

“Ancient beast. The Guardian Dragon may have spared you, but I shall not. Die.”

I declared the wolf’s end.

At that moment, Xian’s sword cleaved the world in two.