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Chapter 300

Against the formidable army led by Galilius and Zandarza, Linosart and Asteria had covertly exchanged messengers and reached an agreement to a truce, limited only until the Demon King’s Army was defeated. This decision stemmed from the significant threat posed by the Demon King’s Army from the north, with its unknown elements creating an unpredictable danger. Additionally, they faced the southern rebel forces who were attempting to capitalize on the ensuing chaos.
Previously, Linosart and Asteria had been each other’s greatest adversaries. However, they concurred that it would be unacceptable for anyone outside the Romal Empire to control its lands if both were to fall, with Asteria being the only exception. Thus, they established a ceasefire.
By the time Gwandan and others contacted Asteria in Baroldi, the truce had already taken effect, resulting in no battles between Imperial forces, save for a few unfortunate misunderstandings.
Initially discontent with Linosart and Asteria’s decision, the Imperial nobles and soldiers, upon facing the Demon King’s Army, quickly realized the futility of internal conflict when confronted with such a technologically superior and inherently powerful enemy.
Soon after the hostilities with the Demon King’s Army began, the situation grew grimmer when two of the Twelve Wing Generals barely managed to hold their own against Marzamis, Zandarza’s daughter, even with magical support.
A silver lining emerged as the southern rebel forces displayed reluctance to engage, having realized through hearsay and spies that they would be the next to battle should the Romal Empire fall.
According to Amria’s later account to Yachiyo and others, Linosart and Asteria had strategically leaked information about the Demon King’s Army’s formidable combat capabilities to the rebels.
Despite their numbers, the rebel forces, which were comparable to the imperial factions of Linosart and Asteria, lacked unity, consisting of various ideologies and intentions.
Regardless of their attempts to capitalize on the situation, without a unifying leader capable of transcending racial and ideological barriers, they might remain manageable adversaries for Asteria and her allies.
Under these circumstances, Asteria and Linosart created a situation where they could focus their efforts on the northern invasion by the Demon King’s Army. Vigilance against the Arkrest Kingdom in the east continued.
The Arkrest Kingdom’s ongoing war with the Demon King’s Army provided a minor consolation.
For Linosart, the Demon King’s Army’s incursion undoubtedly compounded the challenge of quelling the Romal Empire’s internal strife.
Feeling the increasing burden of responsibilities, Linosart worked diligently in his office in the Romaldia palace. Aiza, with his Omniscient Sight, was his only company, with no aides for political affairs and guards stationed outside the room.
「Asteria’s actions seem unusually mild… Has she made contact with her sister?」

Linosart was aware of his niece’s deceptive facade. Underneath her pretense of a compassionate and wise princess lay a cold-blooded strategist, indifferent to race, ethnicity, species, or ideology, which even Linosart found unsettling.

Yet, Linosart still believed Asteria coveted the emperor’s throne, unaware of her switching places with her twin sister to relinquish her claim to power.

「Dealing with the Demon King’s Army requires mobilizing all Twelve Wing Generals. The rebels will be subdued by other forces. Monitoring Asteria, along with Amria’s movements, is unavoidable. We’re at a deadlock. A game-changing strategy or reinforcement is needed…」

While organizing information, Linosart was interrupted by a regular knock on the door. Unplanned, it could signal new intelligence.

「Grand Duke, General Hausen requests your audience.」

The name announced by the Kingsguard surprised Linosart. It was rare for Hausen, the red-armored general tasked solely with protecting the capital and emperor, to seek him personally.

Linosart permitted entry, and as Hausen entered silently, he thought, 「As always, like a red beetle.」

「Grand Duke, apologies for the intrusion during your busy time.」

Hausen’s emotionless voice carried little respect. Even when addressing former emperors, his tone remained neutral, neither respectful nor disdainful.

「Maybe even the Romal Emperor holds no real value to you.」

Ignoring Linosart’s unintentional remark, Hausen advanced and faced him across the desk. Hausen, one of Linosart’s strongest forces, glanced briefly at Aiza.

「Is General Aiza asleep?」

Aiza, having not spoken since Hausen’s arrival, seemed to have dozed off on the sofa.

「Aiza’s Omniscient Sight is useful, but not without cost. He’s been burdened since the civil strife began. Some misconduct should be forgiven. I have forgiven him, so you need not comment.」

「I will remain silent, then.」

「I’m aware you don’t swear allegiance to me, but please do.」

Linosart restrained himself from mentioning Hausen’s…
As the sun began its descent over the lands to the west, Hausen’s Kingsguard, deployed far above the outskirts of the imperial capital, prepared to intercept intruders. Like Hausen, the unit was clad in armor from head to toe, leaving not an inch of skin exposed. Rumors circulated that, just like Hausen, they might not be human.
The Kingsguard had only removed the horns from Hausen’s helmet and changed the armor color from red to green; otherwise, there were no notable differences.
As dusk merged with the night’s darkness, tinting the world in shades of purple for a brief moment, the soldiers in red and green armor uniformly focused their gaze in the direction of the approaching intruder.
Though they bore no weapons in their hands, their fists, encased in thick metal gauntlets, were weapons enough.
Hausen and five other Kingsguard members had spotted the intruders, still unseen by normal vision, and were ready to commence battle at any moment.
They had yet to start the fight, waiting for Linosart, their charge, to evacuate to the blockade area, which had just concluded.
「Begin interception. Armament usage authorized beyond 1700 meters. Equipments to be used are confined to within the atmosphere of the inhabited planet.」

Hausen and his men, soaring through the sky without wings, transformed into bullets, slicing through the imperial city’s sky at supersonic speeds that rivaled advanced flight magic.

Even without Aiza’s clairvoyance functioning, the imperial city during war was well-guarded with an impenetrable network of cavalry, multiple wizards with detection magic and familiars, and spirit users in communion with spirits, ensuring maximum vigilance.

The intruder had bypassed nearly all these defenses, only to be finally detected by Hausen, the last line of defense.

This alone confirmed the intruder’s extraordinary strength, prompting Hausen to conclude they were more formidable than the demonic tribe he had dominated in battle against Gallios.

「Are they mutants from the Dark Wilderness, transformed into sub-gods through ancestral return?」

Suddenly, Hausen looked up and questioned the sky. The starlit sky above the twilight offered no answer, but instead, an unseen elderly man’s voice cheerfully responded.

「It’s surprising to be called a mutant. I’m just an old man who’s lived a long time.」

It was as if moonlight cascaded down like a waterfall.

Before Hausen and his halted comrades, particles of moonlight converged in the distance, forming five humanoid shapes. These were not merely human in form, featuring multiple arms and heads, and lower bodies resembling lions.

Leading them with a mischievous smile across three heads was Zandarza, along with other powerful individuals who were roped into this playful visit to see the face of the Romal Empire’s ruler.

Marzamis, though powerful enough to join them, abstained due to unhealed wounds in his soul, inflicted by insects.

「Tired of the Dark Wilderness’s power struggle? Old descendants of the war god.」

「Hmm, so you know us well. Your attire, your knowledge, haha, it’s you? I thought you’d retreat until meddling with the Duke, but you emerged sooner than expected.」

Zandarza stroked his chin, contemplating. Hausen’s presence was expected, but this timely encounter was a pleasant surprise.

「So the first emperor’s contractor sided with the princess. You must be the guardian. Not human, then undoubtedly.」

Zandarza’s words would have undoubtedly astonished both Linosart and Asteria, regardless of their magnitude. The terms ‘contractor’ and ‘guardian’ he uttered held profound significance within the Romal royal family.

It was astonishing that Mundus Carnus, the Demon King’s Army, confined to the Dark Wilderness, knew so much about the Romal Empire’s secrets. Yet, for Linosart and Asteria, mere astonishment was not the end.

「Indeed, an impressive insight. Old and mighty demon tribe. You acted differently in the war against the celestials than those who hid in ancestral castles and suffered defeat.」

「Heh, well, some view it as cowardice, but I believe siege warfare is honorable. The celestials perished, but we demons live on. Shouldn’t those who survived be deemed victors? Were you part of the siege? If so, I might be a bit more eager to avenge past humiliations.」

「Regrettably, I was not manufactured during the demon wars.」

「That’s unfortunate. But it’s remarkable you’ve operated till now. Continuous operation without glitches is surprising.」

Hausen, with a strangely humane tone, responded to Zandarza, who expressed a mix of astonishment and admiration. The exchange was bizarrely polite, with neither the demons accompanying Zandarza nor Hausen’s Kingsguard objecting.

「I am not the only one operating.」

「If so, attacking the Imperial City was rash. No matter, since you’ve come forth. Perhaps you’ll indulge in some of my mischief.」

「My duty is to fulfill my role until it concludes or the contract is broken… and intercepting you is part of that role.」

「That’s right! Oh, my men, brace yourselves. Prioritize survival in battle. Don’t count on my assistance!」

「Commence interception!」

From a disciplined conversation, the battle spirit of both parties soared as if their previous discussion was a mere preamble. The sky above the Imperial City transformed into a battlefield, swirling with a fighting spirit that barred entry to any other creature.

In the twilight, when dusk turns to night, or the hour of demons in the eastern island nation, the guardian of the non-human empire and the old demon tribe, descendants of the God of War, scattered sparks of warlike zeal, adding color to the evening gloom.

「Let’s start with a playful move. Here, here, here!」

Zandarza’s six arms stretched towards Hausen, his palms gathering his magical power as reddish-black light, releasing spears of the same hue.

It wasn’t magic. It was raw magical power, unformed by magical conventions, gathered and unleashed through delicate manipulation. Primitive use of magic power by a being of Zandarza’s caliber could match high-tier offensive spells.

「Enemy entity Zandarza’s magical output: seven Megamagito. Engage with normal anti-magic barrier operations.」

Facing the approaching spear of magic, Hausen charged forward without a defensive stance or evading. The only change was a slight increase in the sound, like claws on glass, emanating from within him.

The spear, thrown at near-light speed, shattered into a hemisphere just before striking Hausen’s armor, then dissipated, streaming far behind.

「Such a tough defense. I’ll need to devise a formula to penetrate it.」

Following Zandarza’s release of six magic spears, the other demons dispersed in all directions, with the Kingsguard following suit.

The previously unarmed Kingsguard now carried gun-like tubes, swords too large for ordinary people, spears, and long, thin objects, shifting to interception mode.

「Dance, dance, fire, dance. If you dance, the world burns. Burn, burn, reduce everything to ashes!」

Zandarza’s six arms performed strange motions, and his thirty fingers interlocked in mysterious configurations.

Hausen deduced this was not magic but an intervention in physical and magical laws through his own divine power.

As red glowing characters appeared at the tips of the six arms, six massive, jellyfish-like, oddly quivering flame masses appeared between Zandarza and Hausen.

The flame jellies, which emitted no heat but contained enough to alter the surrounding terrain and temporarily shift the climate, pounced on Hausen with the agility of a blood-scented shark as he moved to avoid them.

「It’s a formidable opponent for a first battle in a long time, but I’m sufficiently warmed up. There’s no issue.」

A section of Hausen’s armor opened at the back, revealing six protrusions resembling blue crystals.

As the roar within the armor intensified, countless blue rays, like a spider’s web, shot out from the crystals, bending in mid-air and piercing the flame jellies.

The bizarre scene of flame jellies ensnared in a web of blue threads was abruptly torn apart by Zandarza’s next maneuver.

「An attack without magic? Then it’s scientific. Rare these days, but not unusual for a legacy!」

The magic spear Zandarza had casually released earlier paled in comparison to this sophisticated magic attack, densely woven with magic and designed with a clear intent.

A gigantic magic club, capable of toppling mountains if swung by a giant, was supported by Zandarza’s three left arms and swung with terrifying speed.

The single swing disrupted the atmosphere and magic, shattering the setting sun’s light and the stars’ emerging brightness. Both the dance of blue light and the flame sea moon were effortlessly crushed.

Facing the giant magic club intent on crushing him, Hausen flared his cloak and raised his right arm. Several lines of white light ran across his right arm, clad in red armor, and the armor disintegrated along these lines, reassembling in mid-air into a giant version of the right arm.

Some magic enlarges the user, but Hausen’s transformation was an armament change through technology, not magic.

「Vanish Pile!」

With his gigantic right arm, a fist many times larger than Hausen’s collided head-on with the magic cudgel, sending shockwaves that blew away the clouds hanging in the evening sky and caused the earth to quake like a tsunami, bringing a crisis to the land.

Where Hausen’s fist collided, cracks formed in an instant, and Zandarza laughed joyously, his red face bathed in the light of the magic cudgel as it was cruelly shattered.

「This is a delicacy, a rare flavor indeed. Just like those little ones the other day, this country is a truly delightful, exhilarating, and fun place!」 Zandarza declared.

In front of Zandarza, Hausen’s left arm transformed into a revolving gun with numerous barrels, and on his back, three barrels lined up on each side, resembling the armament of a hedgehog.

「The tentative calculation of the estimated strength of the target for elimination is complete. Updating selected armament. Let’s eliminate you without altering the terrain.」

Gradually, the battle between Hausen and Zandarza began to intensify.

And at the same time—at the Vastazi Hills…