Ankoku Kishi Monogatari (WN)

I felt cold sweat running down my back.

I've never felt this kind of danger up until now.

Then I recalled Heqat and Clown's remark.

Fighting against Zarxis in this region after he regained his full strength was suicidal.

They told me that I should avoid a fight against him in this region but showing my back to him was just as dangerous.

Zarxis wielded a curved sword in his right hand.

The sword's blade extended as if to cover the distance between us and approached me.

I blocked the incoming slash with my demon sword.

「Heavy!」

Though it was a whip-like sword, the impact felt like a blunt weapon.

My stance crumbled a bit.

「Hou, you can receive it head on huh, Dark Knight. But, don't think that you can defeat this Zarxis in this Modegal. Your power has already been weakened.」

I noticed that fact the moment he said so.

Which reminds me that I did feel a bit cold.

And that coldness dulled my movement.

Since when did I wonder? Did it start when I attacked Zasha?

I didn't feel like this in my previous confrontation against Zarxis in Rox Kingdom, or when facing the Superior Spirit of Darkness, Eclipse.

「O Dragons! Lend me your power!」

I tried to borrow the power of the dragon the moment I felt the crisis.

At that moment, I felt warmth return to my body. But, the Dragons reaction was slower than usual.

I don't think this was simply caused by Zarxis' power.

I mean, even when I tried to summon the spirit of darkness, they refused to come to this region.

In short, I was put in an extremely disadvantageous situation.

「You use the power of the dragon huh, Dark Knight. But, it's futile. Listen carefully, you can hear it, right? The voice filled with malice in Modegal.」

I strained my ears to listen carefully.

Thereupon, I noticed the bone-chilling voice.

「… Hate… Hate… I hate that woman…. It's that girl's fault… Destroy… Destroy everything.」

It was a really faint voice.

And yet, it was a sorrowful and terrifying voice which felt like it would freeze my soul.

「What… Is this?」

That's one heck of a scary voice!

When I strained my ears again, I heard the same voice speaking directly in my brain.

「How's that, Dark Knight!? Do you understand the power of our great mother! My mother's grudge is sealed in this land! And I'll use you to unseal it! Not even Modes can defeat me in this land!」

Zarxis sneered at me.

At that moment, I noticed the black shadow that was coiling on my body.

Though that shadow was formless, they were heavy, and they were weighing on my body.

The dragon in my body raised sorrowful cries.

「… Hate… Hate… I hate that thieving cat… How dare you to look down on me just because you're a bit more… BEAUTIFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL!!」

And I kept hearing that voice even if I didn't want to.

Damn! This is way too scary! The voice of a she-devil kept resounding in my head!!

That voice forced the Dragons to retreat.

「Now die, Dark Knight! Take this sword of sin!」

Zarxis brandished his curved sword.

The sword's blade extended like a whip again and rushed toward me.

「Kuh!」

I blocked the blow with my demon sword. This slash was heavier than the previous attack.

But, the reason was simply because I got weakened.

Zarxis kept brandishing his sword time and time again. I barely managed to block each blow.

I would be a sitting duck if I kept flying in the air, thus I lowered my altitude as I blocked the incoming sword of sin

「Hou! Trying to escape huh? How about this!? TRUE SPIRIT DECAYING WOUND BLUE FLASH!」

The huge mouth on Zarxis' abdomen opened up and fired a darkish blue ray toward me.

And when I tried to dodge that attack.

I felt something catch my feet.

Modegal was a city made from countless bones. A boney hand stretched out from there and caught my feet.

「Kuh! Dammit!」

I pushed the black flame and the demon sword before me to defend against that blue ray.

Alas, I failed to block the blue ray and it burned my jet-black armor.

When I looked around, the bone street was rotting and melting.

Though my armor protected me somehow, I felt as if my power was drained entirely.

「Hou! You even survived my strongest attack huh! I guess I really have to borrow my mother's power! O GREAT MOTHER OF DARKNESS, RELEASE THY GRUDGE, BECOME THE SHADOW OF DEATH!」

The moment Zarxis finished his aria.

The shadow coiling around me entered from the gap of my armor.

—Oh cra*p! I'm screwed!

I shouted in panic inside.

I tried to invoke the dragon's power till it's maximum limit and yet, the dragons were actually trembling in fear.

It seems I'm really screwed this time, I had never expected Nargol's power to be this terrifying.

Nargol's freezing power attacked both my body and mind.

Right now, it felt as if my body was torn apart.

「AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE!」

I clenched my teeth to endure the pain and invoked the dragon's power. I tried my best to resist the shadow of death.

Alas, the binding of the shadow of death was so powerful to the point that I fell on my knees.

「Hou, you managed to resist it, eh? But, this is the e—H?」

Zarxis suddenly raised a confused voice.

I also raised my face upon hearing his puzzled voice.

I saw Clown standing before me there, who should've been doing something else.

There was a blue gem in Clown's hand. The gem was floating in the air as it glowed in a pale blue light.

「Ufufufufu. The plan went without a hitch since Master attracted their attention.」

Clown was laughing happily.

The gem absorbed the black shadow that was coiling around my body.

Thanks to that my body could move easier than before.

「You?! How did you possess the Soul Orb?!」

Zarxis asked with disbelief on his face.

「Ahahahahaha. You let your guard down. Kyahahahahaha. We~ll then! Everyone~ it's party time~! Let the carnival sta~rt!」

Clown laughed as he raised his face to the sky.

The moment he spoke, countless people clad in various colorful attire appeared around us.

The dancers were appearing in the air. Clowns jumping around freely as if the land was made of trampolines. The musicians played their instruments.

It was as if a festival appeared out of nowhere.

I would’ve wanted to enjoy the carnival if everyone's face wasn't that of skeletons.

Since a lot of clowns suddenly appeared around us, even Zarxis was confused.

「Kuroki-sama.」

When I turned to the side, Tibel was already sitting on my shoulder.

「Tibel… Are you alright?」

「Ye~s. Their attention was completely focused on you, Kuroki-sama… That's why I could escape from them without a hitch. Rather, we have to escape from this place as soon as possible.」

Kuna's butterfly had already been dancing around Tibel.

It seems both Kuna and Tibel could use the butterfly.

Even if it was harder to activate long distance teleportation in this place due to the space seal, short distance teleportation should be possible.

We might be able to get away from this place if we use that.

「Please… Tibel… It seems I, can't move…」

It seems I underestimated the effect of the shadow of death, my current condition was so bad that I could barely lift my finger.

「Ye~s. Leave it to me~.」

Right after that, the butterflies covered my body.

「Well then! Everyone!！

Dance! Dance!

Let's fill Modegal with flowers tonight!

Dance if you're a rat! Dance even if you're a skeleton!

Let's begin the carniva~l!」

Thus, Tibel and I escaped from Modegal with the singing of Clown as the BGM.

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BGM:

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