Vol 2. Chapter 461: Gray Shield (5)

Water was rising from the middle of the forest.

And not just any water.

Seawater.

In the places where it had already risen deep enough, it had reached the tops of the trees.

Craaack.

And those trees were all beginning to topple.

“Ku-ghk!”

Those swept up in the shattered trees felt terror as the seawater that had only come up to their knees a moment ago rose to their thighs.

And beyond the air growing heavier and heavier, breathing itself was becoming difficult.

There was even a salty taste in it.

It felt as though everything around them was turning into the sea.

“Hurry! Don’t stop moving!”

Terosa, a demon who was always composed, found herself raising her voice without meaning to.

“If you don’t want to die, run!”

The Demon King’s army scrambled out of the forest, fleeing in the direction opposite Moraka Castle.

“General Mol!”

She called out to General Mol, who had not moved.

He had come to Terosa in secret, told her about gray sickness, and urged her to withdraw.

“......”

Instead of answering Terosa’s call, General Mol looked down at the water that had risen to his waist and then turned his gaze behind him.

The seawater was not coming this way.

There was simply so much of it overflowing that it was flooding the forest.

The sea—

Cale Henituse.

It was heading toward Moraka Castle, where he was.

The third Emperor was not even sparing the fleeing Demon King’s army a glance, even as they ran this openly.

From the start, that bastard had not cared in the slightest whether the Demon King’s army lived or died.

“...Insane.”

Mol had never properly seen the strength of the Five Colored Blood hunters, much less the three called the Emperors.

But the “sea” before him now did not feel like the power of a single living being.

Demon King—

No, was it a god?

It felt like the power of the Demon King and the gods.

And the one who would have to face that power was Cale Henituse—

Isn’t he going to die?

Then what would happen to gray sickness?

Mol could not bring himself to flee in peace.

Bzzzz—

The divine relic in his arms reacted violently, but beyond that, strangely enough, he simply could not abandon Cale and run from this place.

Something—

A man who had committed so many betrayals had accumulated a certain instinct.

That instinct was telling him now—

There’s something there.

Cale Henituse.

That bastard’s eyes had not died.

“Sink.”

At the third Emperor’s words, a gigantic tidal wave surged toward Moraka Castle.

With the sea rising in an instant like that, even the sounds around them could no longer be heard properly.

All that could be heard was the roar of the raging surf.

All that could be seen was the tidal wave towering high enough to swallow the castle whole.

And all that could be felt was the vibration of it rushing toward Moraka Castle.

“General Mol! If you don’t want to be swept away and die, we have to go!”

Terosa’s shout reached him.

Thinking that, in the end, this was something the human called Cale Henituse could do nothing about, General Mol forced his feet to move.

Ears, eyes, senses.

Who could overcome a sea that had seized all of them?

Even so, Mol’s steps remained heavy.

Bzzzz—

Was it because the “last trace” of the “nameless god” was vibrating?

“!”

That was when it happened.

Thud—

Even though he was submerged in the sea, he felt something else.

He looked down.

The seawater had already risen past his waist, nearly to the pit of his stomach.

Below that water.

Yes.

Far deeper—

“Deep underground—”

Yes.

Something was moving from beneath the earth.

And that power—

Demon King—

For some reason, the Demon King came to mind.

The instant he felt that—

“Get behind me, all of you!”

Cale Henituse’s voice rang out.

Craaaack—

And General Mol—no, every living being here—heard the sound of the ground splitting apart.

“I-it’s all done......!”

Even Young Master Jimon, who had been moving the last demon in the castle toward the teleportation circle, stopped at that tremor.

Then a bright voice rang out.

“Our human moved!”

As soon as Raon shouted that, he cast teleportation magic.

The air soaked with seawater, and the ground that had been drenched in seawater except for the area of the magic circle, which had barely been avoided.

In all of it, the movement of mana under that encroachment had slowed.

But Raon did not despair.

“It’s stone!”

Raon shouted as he looked at the thing forcing its way up through the soaked earth of the rear garden.

Clotted with dirt, its shape was not fully visible yet.

But it was undoubtedly rock.

Beneath the soil.

Stones that had been buried deep in the earth were rising.

Ruuuumble—

Raon knew that this stone was stone summoned by our human.

When everyone in the Gorge of Death had been in danger from the power of the dragon half-blood—

when Raon had still been growing and had not even been able to properly come to his senses—

the thing that had appeared before them all back then had been this stone.

And when the White Star had tried to destroy the White Castle where Mother had been sleeping—

the thing that had protected that castle then, the final shield, had also been this stone.

Ruuuumble—

The castle trembled.

Starting from the walls of Moraka Castle, every building inside it began to shake.

“Aaagh!”

“W-what is this?!”

Standing atop the teleportation circle, panicking, afraid that yet another death was about to come for them, they heard Raon shout.

“Don’t worry!”

Raon looked at On and Hong running toward him, then at Sui Khan and Clopeh Sekka.

Then, over their shoulders, at Cale’s back standing alone atop the wall.

And Raon said,

“This is a shield!”

Ruuuumble—

The tidal wave came surging in.

And the blue dragon and the water snakes.

In front of them, the castle wall was slowly rising higher.

Ruuuumble—

No.

Stones were moving from deep beneath the earth and thrusting upward.

The ground.

East, west, south, north.

Stone rose, surrounding everything.

And at last that stone began to wrap around the castle like a dome.

Very quickly.

Before the oncoming tidal wave could engulf it.

Without pause, a massive dome, a gray shield, was formed.

“Huu.”

Cale let out a breath.

—...Damn it!

Heart’s Vitality, the crybaby old man, was sobbing as he spat out a curse.

—.......

The shield said nothing.

Cale only pressed harder with both hands against the wall and said,

“Come.”

At those words, Choi Han squeezed his eyes shut.

Tap.

Driven back by the approaching tidal wave, his body had already reached Moraka Castle.

And yet he did not feel he had the right to go inside those walls.

Again—

Cale-nim was overstraining himself again.

He knew it could not be helped, but—

“Hey.”

At that moment, Choi Han saw someone seize him by the nape and start climbing the wall.

It was Beacrox.

“Don’t make yourself something he has to worry about because of regret.”

Don’t let your regret—your desire to keep fighting, your desire to keep enduring—interfere with Cale-nim using his power.

Choi Han shut his eyes tight, because those words were right.

But then he opened them again, shook off Beacrox’s hand, and began climbing the wall himself.

They had to get inside before the dome was complete.

Fwoosh.

Then the sound of enormous wings beating filled the air.

“Mm!”

“!”

The two of them were seized by the scruffs of their necks in the ancient dragon’s claws.

Whoosh!

And the ancient dragon threw them inside the dome.

Tap.

Tap.

Landing lightly, the two of them saw Ron the servant already standing right beside Cale.

Ron only stared at Cale’s back with dark, sunken eyes.

And Cale, both hands pressed against the wall, dragged in rough breaths as he looked at Eruhaben.

The dome was almost complete now.

But—

The water is faster.

That the tidal wave was faster was, in a way, only natural.

And the ancient dragon knew it too.

“Don’t worry.”

The ancient dragon shouted that and stared straight ahead.

The oncoming tidal wave.

The blue dragon and the water snakes beyond it.

Even that bastard who had dared call himself the Dragon King.

“You are not to get hurt.”

At Cale’s stubborn voice, the ancient dragon laughed.

“Haha! The one who gets hurt the most says that so well!”

Both wings spread wide.

Once.

If he could make that tidal wave falter even once—

the rest would be Cale’s.

That unlucky bastard would have a hard time of it, but—

What can I do, when that is all I can do for him?

Looking at the blue dragon and the Dragon King smiling at him—

looking at them as they mocked his struggle—

Eruhaben opened his mouth.

Tap.

At that moment, someone kicked off the wall and dared to climb onto Eruhaben’s back.

“Haha!”

Eruhaben laughed and shouted.

“Good. Let’s do it!”

“My apologies.”

Choi Han raised his sword.

Woooo—

A violent black aura surged from that sword.

And the energy carried within that aura began to shape a black dragon.

The most violent power Choi Han possessed.

Woooooo—

And countless flecks of platinum gathered around Eruhaben.

“We’re going.”

The ancient dragon’s two wings beat powerfully.

Choi Han brought his sword down.

CRAAAAAAASH—

The black dragon shot toward the tidal wave.

Compared to that enormous tidal wave, it was far too small.

And yet platinum shimmered across that black dragon.

Countless sparkling specks made the shining black aura shine even more brightly.

As if a single black dragon, filled with light, were diving into the sea.

“Haha. And yet it’s useless.”

The Dragon King laughed and flicked his hand.

The tidal wave rushed toward the black dragon even faster.

The sea moved.

The black dragon would be devoured before nature.

“!”

But the third Emperor hesitated.

The black dragon—

it was not heading toward the tidal wave.

It shot upward.

Then, rising higher than the tidal wave itself, it passed over it and dove below.

Straight toward—

“How dare you!”

The dragon charged straight at the Dragon King, the third Emperor.

At the sight of a mere dragon daring to charge at him, the third Emperor swung his hand sharply.

The blue dragon opened its mouth and lunged for the black dragon.

KWA-AAAAAANG------

A tremendous roar exploded through the air.

—Cale.

At the Ancient Tree’s call, Cale let out a breath.

Even though Eruhaben and Choi Han had poured out absolutely everything, all they had bought him was that brief instant in which they drew the third Emperor’s attention.

Tap.

Tap.

“Cale. We’re behind you now.”

“Cale-nim.”

Cale heard Eruhaben’s and Choi Han’s voices behind him, closed his eyes once, then opened them.

Dark.

Not because it was night.

Cale raised his head.

The ceiling of the dome.

Moonlight and starlight poured in through the last portion still open.

But that too would soon close.

The moment the last slab of stone sealed the dome—

Shaaaaa—

He saw water.

The tidal wave.

At the moment the tidal wave came crashing down—

Boom!

The dome sealed completely.

Darkness swallowed everything.

And while Cale felt only the light of the teleportation circle behind his back—

—It’s here.

At the Ancient Tree’s words, Cale squeezed his eyes shut.

And with both hands pressed against the wall of the dome, he did not move.

KWA-AAAAAAAAAA—

The sea crashed into the dome.

The stone was certainly thick.

Thicker than ever before, he had made the shield out of stone.

It’s being worn away.

And yet he could feel that stone breaking down.

He could feel it being ground away, over and over.

And it shook.

As the tidal wave battered it from all directions, the entire dome swayed back and forth.

It was barely holding itself upright.

Like a rock standing alone on a narrow scrap of land above the sea.

The dome shook and shook.

Inside it was dark, and even with his eyes open Cale could see nothing.

—Cale! You have to endure!

It was the first time the Ancient Tree had ever told Cale to endure.

—You can’t lose consciousness!

He could feel the stone being rapidly worn away.

And Cale could feel his heart hammering wildly.

Even with his eyes open, all he could see was darkness.

All he could feel in his hands was the cold touch of stone.

And wrapped inside the tidal wave, he could hear no sound at all.

Damn it!

Was it because he had overdone it too much at the front?

The pain was growing worse.

Even now, Cale was still pulling up stone from all directions and continuously adding it to the dome.

Then it would be worn away again.

And yet he did not stop.

Goddamn it!

Most of all, both arms, corrupted by chaos, hurt so much.

At this rate, it felt like he was going to tear his hands off the dome.

No.

—Get it together!

Right. At the slightest mistake, it felt like he might faint.

—Khk, goddamn it!

Heart’s Vitality was crying while continuously spitting out curses.

—This is, this is a disaster. Water like this—

Just as the Water that Devours the Sky failed to hide its despair—

“!”

A strange light flashed in Cale’s eyes.

From the start—

he had never intended to faint.

He had never intended to run.

And he had never intended to defeat this water.

The third Emperor.

He had judged that bastard to be as strong as a god.

And for now, since he was strong—

Cale had decided to run.

That was why, even in pain, Cale kept his eyes open.

Because there was something he had to see in this darkness.

Behind him.

But the only light in the darkness was reflecting faintly against the wall of the dome.

Shaa—

Even through the roar of the raging waves outside the dome, that light could be seen soundlessly.

Fwaaash!

Teleportation magic.

Even black was light.

The instant that light entered his eyes—

“Human, now it’s our turn to go!”

The instant he heard Raon say that—

the final teleportation.

The instant he realized all that remained was for them to escape—

“Young master.”

He felt the hand of the person who had remained closest to him this whole time.

Ron’s hand touched his shoulder.

A man who laid his hand without hesitation even on a shoulder stained gray.

The moment Ron’s words reached him—

Cale opened his mouth.

“Kuh-lk!”

Blood came out first.

Damn it!

He could not even get his words out properly.

But Ron understood.

Because Ron was the closest one there, Ron’s voice came through clearly.

“I will carry you away at exactly the right moment.”

Cale nodded.

Only then did he realize that even that nod was all he could barely manage.

Ron wiped the blood from the corner of Cale’s mouth with a handkerchief.

In truth, there was already far too much blood for wiping it away to mean anything.

“10 seconds!”

A voice carrying mana rang out through the storm of the sea.

A spirited voice.

Cale felt Ron move.

—Cale. You have to go.

“Young master.”

Cale could not take his hands off the wall.

The instant he did, this dome would collapse.

It would crack.

That was how vicious and terrifying this tidal wave was.

Even a rock that endured for thousands of years would one day become sand.

That was the power of the sea.

And that power was being directed, concentrated, at the stone enveloping the dome.

That was why Cale had to endure.

But—

“5 seconds!”

Even so, there came a moment when he had to let go.

Now.

Right now.

The instant Cale’s two hands came away from the wall—

Tap!

Ron scooped Cale up and leaped down from the wall.

Then he ran straight toward the rear garden.

Choi Han and Eruhaben moved alongside him on either side.

Held in Ron’s arms, Cale stared up at the ceiling.

Craaack—

Cracks spread across the stone.

That insane sea!

The power of that bastard Dragon King was truly insane.

If there were a god of the sea, maybe it would be like that.

Drip.

Water seeped in through the cracks.

Soon that water would smash the dome and flood everything inside.

But Cale tore his eyes away from the ceiling.

Woooo—woooo—

Black light.

The teleportation circle.

He could see Raon above it, reaching out a forepaw toward him.

“3 seconds!”

2 seconds!

1 second!

At that moment, Raon grabbed the dirt- and stone-dust-covered hand that touched his forepaw.

Cale closed his eyes.

And before darkness took him and he lost consciousness, he heard three sounds.

Craaaack—

The stone finally broke.

KWA-AAAAAA—

And the sea came pouring inside.

And before that sea could swallow everything within the gray shield—

Fwaaash!

With a small sound, black light wrapped around Cale’s group.

Craaaack---

Soon the dome shattered completely.

The massive stone wall broke apart into tiny fragments.

It looked almost like a stone grave.

And yet in the place where those fragments had broken and fallen, there was nothing.

Not a single dead person remained there.

In the end, the gray shield had sacrificed its own body, but it had protected what it needed to protect.