Chapter 292 – INVIDIA (4)

“「 I speak to you, the god-king who has fallen asleep on the Mag Tuired Plains―」”

Simultaneously, the magic circle under Theodore’s feet emitted a gentle light and pulled in mana. However, it wasn’t actually necessary to provide the power needed for summoning magic. This was a type of osmotic pressure, a phenomenon that happened because the world’s mana concentration on this magic circle was too high for this material world.

“「 You have golden hair like the sun, and your red cloak flaps to guide you to victory. You, the honored king whose lost arm was replaced with silver, once wielded a sword that destroys wickedness. 」”

It was a story that didn’t exist in this day and age. This was a summoning spell based on the biography of the god-king of the god clan, Nuada Airgetlám. Theodore had to consume most of the Library’s remaining points in order to create this spell.

An ordinary person might not know this, but the value of a forgotten myth was literally endless. The spell that borrowed the power of a forgotten god was actually 9th circle magic.

Keraunos, a lightning god descended from Zeus.

Gungnir, a blessing destined to always hit the target.

The bow that could shoot down the sun with one arrow.

Now, Theodore was trying magic that went beyond those.

“「 You, who have welcomed the three women of destiny as wives, who once withdrew from your place and regained your throne… A warrior with more fairness and courage than anyone else, Lia Fail shouted at your coronation, and the noon sun was your crown. 」”

A forgotten god was still a god. Even a great magician who achieved the ultimate magic couldn’t arbitrarily call upon such a mighty existence. Normally, at least one million people and four dragon hearts were needed. This wasn’t a lower level god but the king, the most famous of them all.

Unlike black magic summoning, Theodore and any other summoner would have to pay a fair price.

‘…If I didn’t have Claimhb Solais…’

Funnily enough, the sword he’d taken from the empire’s Seven Swords was the key.

‘One of the four treasures of the Elin, a sword that symbolizes Nuada Airgetlám… A treasure that no one has escaped once it is pulled from its sheath, a treasure that they have to respond to.’

The god clan was a contradiction. They were part of the material world and disappeared after death, but remained behind in the world to respond to calls and prayers. However, it wasn’t easy to contact a god.

A divine message and calling a god down were national events, where only the wills of many people praying together would make it succeed.

“「 I swear, this is to fight against evil. 」”

Thus, this summoning was a foul.

“「 I swear, this is a just fight. 」”

A monster that had been gathering absolute power for 500 years was also a foul.

“「 I swear, this is a fight to save the world! 」”

The pressure from the magic circle became stronger as Theodore shouted to Nuada, who still showed no signs of coming. The promised time was three minutes. If Veronica was killed because he was a few seconds late, Theodore would swing his fist even if the god-king appeared next to him.

-…Hah.

Was Theodore’s desperate cry heard?

–Hahahaha! An excited laugh rang out in his head. It was clear, cheerful, and no evil could be felt from it. The happy and pleasant laughter soared into the sky.

The voice of God-King Nuada was truly great.

–Yes, that’s it! Rather than defeating evil or carrying out justice, a woman is more precious than saving the world! Well, yes. If you are a man, you should save a woman who loves you! That honest aspiration, Nuada Airgetlám admires it!

Theodore was puzzled and asked hesitantly, ‘Are you really the god-king?’

–Yes, you summoned me with my sword. There have been many who have tried to borrow my strength so far, but this is the first time there is a mage who wants to manifest my body directly.

‘That…’

Of course, it was natural. It was possible to obtain the blessing of a god or receive some of its power if he sacrificed Claimhb Solais. There wasn’t a lunatic like Theodore who used it directly to summon Nuada.

It wasn’t unreasonable for Nuada to wonder why.

‘The enemy has to be killed at any cost.’

That was enough. Summoning magic opened up Theodore’s soul, attracting the existence of another world. In the process, information about ‘Envy’ naturally flowed into the consciousness connected to him.

For this reason, Nuada fell silent for a while.

-…Invader, who was left behind in this world.

Theodore read the deep burning hatred and anger flowing from Nuada, and felt confused.

Did Nuada Airgetlám have an antagonistic relationship with the Seven Sins which stemmed back to the Age of Mythology?

Before Theodore could express his question, a hand emerged from the light of the summoning circle. It was white like marble but different from a statue, and its forearm was wrapped in silver armor.

Gripping Claimhb Solais with a divine hand, Nuada Airgetlám whispered in a low and cold voice, –Indeed, now I understand your words. Fighting evil, saving the world, fighting for justice. There is no stage more suitable for this Nuada.

The last step of the summoning magic… the other party’s consent! The God-King Nuada accepted the summoning to this material world.

Then at that moment…

* * *

Kwaaaaang!

The surface of the ground opened with a loud explosion. It came from several kilometers beneath the surface.

There was an elderly man wielding a sword and a white flame. Every time Veronica punched out, it would hit Invidia’s blade, and the ground would shake. The lava that could melt metal wasn’t much different from lukewarm water for both beings.

In this flow of magma, Veronica thought despairingly, ‘Dammit, this monster…! It seems to be getting stronger and stronger…?’

Veronica realized that she was becoming disadvantaged with every blow. The dragon scales on her body were covered with blood from the wounds all over her body.

“Your pre-motions are too much. Your breathing is simple. Do you have no experience learning martial arts?” Invidia remarked.

However, unlike her guess, Invidia wasn’t pulling out more power. He was simply using the battle experience taken from all the sword masters to move one step ahead of Veronica. If she tried to punch him, a sword would end up at her collarbone. Her speed and power were superior, but it was clear that her battle experience was lacking.

“You are on the defensive, but your strength has a limit.” Invidia narrowed the gap and stabbed his sword.

Roland’s Rapier Sword.

Penetration – Reverse Thrust.

The power of ‘Penetration’—the ability to half-neutralize physical strength—pierced Veronica’s shoulder. Her fist flew from the other side and Veronica opened up the distance, grunting nervously as she touched the wound. “Ouch! How many Aura Abilities are you capable of, you monster…!”

The ‘Rapid’ ability that made her speed look slow, the ‘Penetration’ that made it through defense magic and dragon scales, and the ‘Super Heavy Sword’ that matched the destructive power of magic… they were the best abilities of this age.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Invidia’s strength, which collected dozens of Aura Abilities and used them freely according to the circumstances, had reached the same level as a transcendent.

「 пламя нож (Flame Sword)! 」 She used Dragon Words to gather four scorching swords and merged them into one. It was an application of magic that would run wild, but it wasn’t impossible with the strength of Dragon Words. Four destructive 7th circle spells were compressed into a sword shape.

Veronica gathered her remaining power and released it in order to overturn the situation. “Turn to ashes!”

She unleashed a flaming storm that seemed to burn the sky and the earth!

“You want to rely on the advantage of your destructive power? It is a foolish judgment.” In response, Invidia swung his greatsword vertically.

Quadruple Compound Hidden Technique.

Heavy Sword – Style 0, World Break.

Severe Earthquake – Great Strike.

Storm Force – Decisive Storm Bringer.

Amplification – Transcendent Power.

One of them was from a sword master that symbolized the current Andras, while the others were from sword masters in the past. The four powers were combined, and their power amplified to a terrible degree.

The strong flames were cut in two and couldn’t even touch Invidia’s armor before collapsing. There was too much power for Veronica’s force to have an influence. Veronica and Invidia were already living natural disasters.

Shortly after that, a terrible explosion occurred.

―――――――――――――.

Once she regained consciousness, Veronica felt a sense of defeat. “…Ah, ahh…”

The red scales on her skin were all gone, and she could feel that her horns no longer remained. Her body had determined that it couldn’t maintain the draconic state anymore and released it.

Her heart, normally filled with magic power, was empty, and she couldn’t even move a finger, making her feel helpless. She wanted to lose consciousness, so she bit her tongue and barely regained her focus.

‘This place…?’

The wind that tickled her skin and the warm sunshine meant that she was above ground. They had been fighting several kilometers underground, but her body had been thrown out by that last explosion. She was freed from her draconic state shortly after that.

Otherwise, Veronica would’ve been destroyed without a trace.

“You’ve opened your eyes?” Invidia looked down at her, speaking with his sword at her neck. “It would’ve been more comfortable if you fell asleep.”

“…Don’t… make me… laugh!”

“What, don’t be so clueless. You did well. It is the first time I have consumed so much power since the founding of Andras. I praise you, Meltor’s Red Tower Master, Veronica.”

Veronica looked up at her approaching death that couldn’t be overturned by anything. Invidia acknowledged her strength in this short battle. He acknowledged that ‘Red Tower Master Veronica’ could become an obstacle and decided to kill her to remove this variable. In a sense, it could be called an acknowledgement.

‘…Ah, I am going to die here?’

Veronica wasn’t someone who would beg for her life. She looked up at the clouds in the distant sky and felt the blade getting increasingly closer to her neck. There were 15 seconds left in the three minutes she had promised to Theodore.

She felt uncomfortable and barely opened her trembling mouth. ‘The kid will somehow be able to do something. I did my best, so don’t be too disappointed.’

Veronica closed both eyes and felt a final regret, ‘Damn, if I knew it would be like this, I would’ve kissed him once.’

Then she prepared herself for it. Invidia didn’t say anything as a blue aura gathered on his blade. Then as he was about to cut Veronica’s neck―

Kuoooong-…

There was a divine light. A majestic pillar of light rose a few kilometers away from where the two beings were. Lairon’s strength was like a firefly compared to this light. The glory of the gods, which had vanished after the Age of Mythology, had returned to this material world.

Veronica’s weary body was fast regaining its vitality, while Invidia stared at the pillar of light.

“…This presence, this light! It is impossible. It can’t be! What are they trying to do?” The confused Invidia forgot about the presence of Veronica under his feet and walked away. If ‘he’ was being summoned, Invidia couldn’t delay for even a moment. There were few existences that could destroy a 6th stage Seven Sins, and the owner of this presence was one of them.

“Gluttony! Do you think I will let you do this?” Invidia expressed his nervousness, anger, and resentment as he jumped through space with all his might.

Zest’s Footwork Hidden Technique.

Kill Interval.

Invidia’s body traveled a few kilometers, appearing in the middle of five men standing before the summoning circle. It was just after Nuada agreed to Theodore’s summoning request.

“You dare to act so foolishly in front of me…?!” Invidia’s face distorted like a demon from hell as he headed toward Theodore who stood within the summoning circle.

It was truly a narrow difference. If Invidia had arrived even 10 seconds later, the summoning would’ve succeeded first. The owner of the hand holding Claimhb Solais was undoubtedly the God-King Nuada, someone who could destroy a 6th-stage Seven Sins.

Even so, the five masters didn’t feel despair. Only 10 seconds, they thought they could somehow block the way. Exactly 8 seconds after that easy judgment.

“Kuaaaak!”

Randolph was thrown out with both arms crushed.

“Kuoock, urgh… Avoid it!”

“Ashamed…”

As soon as Edwin grabbed the bow, his left arm was cut off, and he keeled over from a huge wound on his abdomen. Ellaim couldn’t even stab the spear as blood poured out from a cut on his neck. Orta had long since fainted.

They’d risk their lives to block Invidia? That they could do it somehow?

The masters regretted the stupid thoughts they had a few seconds ago. Once Invidia was serious, it wasn’t even a fight. Theodore, Blundell, and Veronica were the only ones who had known the truth from the beginning.

There were only 2 seconds left, 2 seconds until the summoning was completed. Invidia could strike Theodore more than a hundred times in those seconds.

“―Haha,” Blundell laughed bitterly.

“No?!” It was Time Stop. The sword aiming at Theodore’s neck got caught in a black and white space. Invidia’s power was great, but even he couldn’t ignore this ultimate magic. As Gluttony had said, the ‘standing’ was different, so the Time Stop could be released after a few seconds.

A few seconds later, it broke.

[The dedication that you showed at the end of your life, I will remember it.] ‘He’ walked out of the summoning circle and praised Blundell in a majestic voice. He had golden hair and a red cloak flapping behind him.

An existence that all people would feel awe toward praised the dying magician. However, the words just reached empty air. Even the ancient king, Nuada Airgetlám, didn’t have the power to revive a dead man.

“…Blundell.”

The moment that Blundell stopped Invidia with the last of his life, he greeted the grim reaper who had been waiting for a long time. Even so, there was no regret on his face.

In honor of the end of the great magician, Theodore’s eyes filled with a fierce anger. “This summoner, Theodore Miller, will dare to petition the king of the Tuatha Dé Danann.”

Filled with resentment of the reality that couldn’t be overcome with his power, Theodore shouted angrily, “Please destroy Invidia, Envy of the Seven Sins!”

[…The forgotten king, Nuada Airgetlám…] A righteous anger aimed a sword toward the source of evil. [From now on, I will punish this evil!]

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