TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 92
Under the Black Sky.
The Sky-Piercing Knight Order was running with tense expressions.
Agares was an opponent they had to fight, even if it meant risking death.
Although the primary objective was to buy time, they had to secure at least two full days, which naturally heightened their tension.
Of course, Kraush, who was at the very front, had no intention of merely buying time.
‘It’s about time.’
His mind was solely focused on taking Agares down.
“Kraush, what do you know about Agares?”
Kraush had confidently claimed that he could stand against Agares.
So when Lilish asked the question, Kraush opened his mouth to respond.
“I know that from the moment the Black Sky appears, it means he has started watching us.”
The Black Sky is the eye of Agares.
Furthermore, under the Black Sky, the Erosion Species possess powers unlike before.
This is because entering Agares’s domain causes their bodies to double in size, and their demonic traits to intensify.
“And I also know we must avoid direct eye contact with him. If we do, we’ll first lose our vision, and then fall victim to a Chain Curse.”
“You’re well informed.”
Lilish nodded lightly.
“Agares is a troublesome Erosion Species due to his inherent curse properties. That’s the main reason I brought you along.”
Lilish’s rational judgment was correct.
Had Kraush not gone out of his way to directly mention the curse, she would have dismissed him as reckless and not brought him along.
Kraush mentioned it precisely because he wasn’t unaware of Lilish’s disposition.
“Yes, I can break that curse.”
“…It’s not dangerous, is it?”
“Not at all.”
Though it felt strange to be the object of Lilish’s concern, Kraush simply shrugged.
To be honest, when it came to World Erosion, Kraush was more of an expert than Lilish at this point.
After all, the current state of World Erosion was still something humanity could resist.
“Then, if you break that curse, what are our odds of defeating Agares?”
“Fifty-fifty.”
When Kraush stated this unequivocally, a faint smile appeared on Lilish’s lips.
“That’s quite high.”
It certainly was.
Especially since the fifty-fifty odds assumed everyone survived and made it back alive.
But Kraush didn’t say that part out loud.
Lilish would likely scoff at it as unrealistic nonsense.
“Let me make it clear—we’re sticking to the plan of focusing on buying time.”
Kraush didn’t object to that.
He simply knew that, naturally, Lilish’s thoughts would eventually lean toward dealing with Agares as well.
“Lady Lilish.”
At that moment, Darbian, who had been running alongside them, spoke up.
This was because darkness had appeared ahead of them as they ran.
Darkness identical to the Black Sky overhead spread thickly before them.
Lilish came to a halt.
Running any farther would no longer serve any purpose.
“Prepare for battle, everyone.”
At Lilish’s command, the knights simultaneously drew their weapons.
They exhaled the breath they had been holding from running and steeled their expressions.
“They’re coming.”
The moment Lilish spoke.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
The ground began to tremble as if an earthquake had struck.
At the same time, countless presences began to emanate from the darkness all at once.
“Everyone, focus solely on reducing the number of Erosion Species under the Black Sky!”
With the resounding reply from the Knight Order, the Erosion Species poured out from the darkness.
Their appearances were all distinct from one another.
However, they shared a commonality: dozens of crimson eyes were attached in places where there shouldn’t have been any.
On top of that, their strength had increased beyond their original power.
So much so that only those at the peak of the Expert level or higher could hope to face them.
It was the unique ability of Agares—the Lord’s Command.
And dealing with these creatures was the most crucial task if they intended to take down Agares.
‘The more creatures with eyes, the stronger Agares becomes.’
Therefore, every one of Agares’s minions needed to be eliminated if possible.
This responsibility would fall to the Green Wave Knight Order once Agares began to manifest fully.
That was why they had been brought along in the first place.
For now, however, Agares had yet to appear.
Kraush steadied himself, rotating the Rain Thunder Prime at his waist.
As he took a short breath, World Erosion ignited within him, activating Annihilation Erosion.
His body naturally grew heated.
Scorching heat began to exhale slowly from his mouth.
At the same time, Kraush sprinkled Black Flame over the golden aura blade protruding from Rain Thunder Prime.
Lioner formed into a scabbard-like shape around it.
This was the opening strike.
If they were going to fight, he might as well land a heavy blow.
Crackle!
The Black Flame within the lightning-clad scabbard burned even fiercer.
Finally, as the Black Flame reached its limit and the lightning scabbard roared.
Kraush unleashed the suppressed Black Flame.
Annihilation Erosion.
First Form.
Sky Annihilating Draw.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
The unleashed Black Flame swept through the area.
The Erosion Species charging forward were incinerated and vanished.
Those in the rear were spared the brunt of the Sky Annihilating Draw’s radius, but they weren’t left unscathed.
The flames clinging to their bodies burned fiercely.
The Black Flame created by Ignis proved extraordinarily effective at eradicating World Erosion.
Thus, the surviving Erosion Species writhed and screamed as they rolled on the ground.
Before them, Kraush stood tall, causing the knights to momentarily gape in awe.
The high-output strike he had just unleashed was a technique none of them could replicate.
Knights prioritized stability, so a strike like Kraush’s, which burned his own body, was not something they would learn.
That reckless yet overwhelming attack was indelibly etched into their minds.
Kraush Balheim.
It was undeniable proof that he was of Balheim’s direct line.
“What are you doing? Snap out of it! More are coming!”
Lilish shouted sharply at them.
The knights had momentarily lost focus due to Kraush’s Sky Annihilating Draw.
They hurriedly reentered the fray.
Just as Lilish said, new Erosion Species were pouring out.
Despite the number they had just killed in the first wave.
It seemed impossible to kill all the Erosion Species to weaken Agares’s power entirely.
“Kraush, you go all out, don’t you.”
Watching Kraush, Lilish spoke with a face that didn’t seem particularly surprised.
She had seen Kraush take down Harphas.
Because of that, she had a rough understanding of Kraush’s combat style.
But understanding it and witnessing it firsthand were two different matters.
‘An extreme, high-output attack.’
It was a ridiculous technique that poured out power solely to kill the opponent, without considering the aftermath.
To be honest, Lilish wanted to stop Kraush.
No matter how she looked at it, Kraush’s techniques weren’t ones used with the future in mind.
As if he believed there would be no future if he didn’t give his all right now.
Each of his techniques was the best method he could execute without regard for his own body.
For now, it’s fine.
Kraush is still young, with many years ahead of him.
But someday, as time passes, the repercussions of his current actions will leave scratches on his future.
‘Does he know that?’
Swinging her sword to cleave through the head of an Erosion Species, Lilish glanced at Kraush.
To her, Kraush’s movements as he rampaged through the Erosion Species seemed precarious.
‘…Is this also the effect of being born into the Balheim Direct Line?’
Was it really just Balheim’s influence that made Kraush chase power so desperately?
For some reason, Lilish felt it wasn’t only that weighing down on Kraush’s shoulders.
‘When we return.’
I’ll ask him.
Though she had neglected him to the point where she couldn’t even call herself his sister until now.
Even now, as his sister.
She too had come to realize that nothing changes by staying silent.
＊ ＊ ＊
It had already been hours of fighting the Erosion Species.
Every time they thought they’d reduced their numbers, more appeared, and the cycle repeated.
Boom!
For the first time, the Darkness shook violently.
At the same time, the stagnating Darkness began to expand, surging toward the Knight Order.
“Green Wave Knight Commander! From now, retreat and only fight the Erosion Species emerging outside!”
At Lilish’s command, the Green Wave Knight Order hurriedly ceased combat and began running out of the Darkness’s domain.
The moment they stepped into the interior of the Darkness, there would be no chance of victory.
Agares’s Darkness was like Black Rainwater.
If one stayed inside, the curse within the Darkness would slowly seep into their body and destroy them.
“Kraush.”
Lilish looked back at Kraush.
Only those of at least Master rank could endure within the Darkness.
Kraush was at the peak of Expert rank.
That’s why Lilish asked him, just in case.
“I’m fine. You know what my skill is.”
As if to reassure her, Kraush spoke confidently.
Ignis burns away the World Erosion itself.
Before the curse could seep inside, it was simply burned away.
Of course, to do that, one would have to constantly burn their own body with Ignis.
But Kraush didn’t mind.
After all, he was already doing it.
‘If only Belorkin had done the same back then.’
She wouldn’t have succumbed to the curse of the Thousand-Face Demon.
Thinking of Belorkin, Kraush clicked his tongue briefly.
Too afraid of burning her own body, she ended up meeting that fate.
[This is as far as I go.]
At that moment, seeing the encroaching Darkness, Crimson Garden spoke up.
Kraush nodded, already aware of that fact.
Even the ravens of Crimson Garden couldn’t endure Agares’s Darkness.
“I’ll be out soon. Just enjoy the scenery around you for now.”
Kraush joked, and Crimson Garden let out a deep sigh.
[I should’ve made one of the knights my servant.]
“Are you worried about me?”
[Worried? No, I’m just curious about what kind of foolishness you’ll pull off next.]
Even though Crimson’s attitude toward him was growing harsher.
Kraush didn’t say anything, as he could sense the concern hidden in her words.
[Come back safely.]
As Crimson flew off, Kraush, along with the Sky-Piercing Knight Order, was engulfed by the Darkness.
In the pitch-black Darkness.
Kraush slowly surveyed his surroundings, his body ablaze with Annihilation Erosion.
Both light and sound had completely vanished.
The Darkness had swallowed everything.
In this Darkness, every sense was thrown into disarray.
And eventually, one began to question whether they were truly here, whether they were truly alive.
This was another curse of Agares’s Darkness—the effect of Oblivion.
Within the Oblivion of Darkness, people broke down.
They even forgot how to breathe or keep their heart beating.
Whoosh—
Of course, none of this mattered to Kraush.
He burned away all the curses attempting to seep into him.
The same went for the other Knight Members.
They used their aura to shield themselves from the curses within the Darkness.
Though their aura would gradually wear away.
Those of Master rank could move without issue, aside from the limited visibility.
[Mr. Kraush, can you hear me?]
Suddenly, a voice echoed in Kraush’s mind.
The voice belonged to none other than Darbian, the Vice Knight Commander of the Sky-Piercing Knight Order.
It was his skill, Wicalis.
A skill that allowed him to communicate his will to designated targets.
It also enabled sensory sharing, making it incredibly useful for Knight Order operations.
[I will share my senses with you.]
By sharing his senses, he could pinpoint the location of every Sky-Piercing Knight Order Member.
This was why the Sky-Piercing Knight Order dared to enter the Darkness without hesitation.
When Kraush waited quietly, he felt a brief tingling sensation in his head as the sensory sharing began.
He could now sense the positions of all the Sky-Piercing Knight Order Members without relying on his Sixth Sense.
In this regard, it was undeniably a useful skill.
‘As tempting as it is.’
It’s not something worth taking for himself.
Taking too many talents would reduce the pool of capable individuals, leaving gaps in defending against the World Erosion.
He had no interest in such a scenario.
“Kraush, can you hear me?”
“Yes, I can hear you clearly.”
Then, Lilish, who was ahead of him, called out to Kraush.
The Sky-Piercing Knight Order was accustomed to sharing senses, but since it was Kraush’s first time, they were considerate of him.
“Alright, in ten minutes from now, Agares will arrive here.”
That’s fast.
He didn’t know what purpose Agares had in continuing to advance.
It seemed inevitable that they would clash.
“Once we engage in battle, we must firmly hold Agares’ attention. Only then can we buy more time afterward. We don’t fully understand your capabilities. Can we leave all decisions to your judgment?”
It was the right decision.
Forcing Kraush to align with the Sky-Piercing Knight Order’s rhythm would only result in discord, as they hadn’t trained together.
“Yes.”
Thus, Lilish granted Kraush the authority to act independently.
Hearing Kraush’s response, Lilish raised her sword.
In that moment, the blue aura coursing through her blade flared so intensely that it seemed to drive away the darkness.
It served as a kind of beacon for the Sky-Piercing Knight Order.
“Prepare for battle, everyone.”
The moment Lilish called out again, crimson eyes began to appear one after another in the surrounding darkness.
Screeeeeeeech!
A grotesque sound, like metal being scraped, echoed at that moment.
Squish—
Along with the sound of something wet falling, someone began to walk out from the distant darkness.
Though their face was obscured by the pitch-black shadows, the horns protruding from their head marked them unmistakably as a demon.
Simultaneously, the two long arms dangling from a crimson cloak, like blood, were far from resembling a human form.
On the path where the creature walked, darkness dripped like ink, pooling heavily.
Shiver!
Just seeing it made Kraush’s arms break out in goosebumps as he stifled a trembling laugh.
In the midst of the creature’s jet-black body, crimson eyes emerged from the darkness.
That marked the beginning, as the surrounding darkness suddenly coalesced into countless blades and rained down.
An eight-star Erosion Species, Agares.
The appearance of the Dark Lord.