novelEvan D. Sherden, End of the Play (5)
| ← Ch.366 | Ch.368 → |
"Everyone, step back! Enemy magic incoming!"
"They are flying up; suppress them! Spread out the strengthened net!"
"Master Evan is blocking the front! How can we call ourselves the Ironwall if we can't even handle the petty monsters that slipped past Master Evan!?"
The center of Sherden, where the temple of the dungeon entrance was located, was still chaotic. Evan was constantly bombarding his almost infinite mana to dissipate the monsters, but it couldn't be helped that the dungeon was creating monsters on a real-time basis.
"Whew...!"
―Run! It's the hand, the hand of the Devil!
―He has abandoned us...!
"To the west, protect the west! They are monsters that shoot poison arrows; lift your shields!"
As Evan was spreading his death grasp by stretching out both of his arms, the other forces, excluding Evan, had to do their best in holding off the monsters that ran away from him.
"What the hell happened in the dungeon? We can't destroy the dungeon instead?"
Maybe that was also a viable option, but it might destroy Sherden as well, so it wasn't possible. Evan realized the enemy's plan was to hold him in that place. Certainly, the Devil's malice intervened in the will of the dungeon here.
'So, you're trying to get serious, huh...'
Perhaps the malice came from Evan breaking its statue from the 5th floor to the 100th. That kind of sounded quite reasonable, so Evan was a bit nervous.
'The important thing is the last stage of the scenario and not this. Is Serena doing well? Well, she'll make it since Belois and Mirole are with her anyways. '
But who knows? Maybe something unexpected happened on their side just as Evan was dumbfounded today by this Great Backflow. There hadn't been any special report, so things seem to be fine, but...
"Master!"
It was that very moment. As Evan tried to calm his complicated mind and use his Annihilation skill, he heard Louise's voice. As he looked up, he saw Louise's party escaping from the monster mobs with all their might.
"Ha!"
Evan lightly waved his hand towards the monsters that were tailing Louise's party. The Annihilation powered by his will protected them from the enemies chasing them. The moment that Louise's party, who were busy escaping, felt a soft breeze, everything around them dissipated, so they suddenly came to a halt in shock. Evan sighed in relief as he utilized the wind he created with his mana to bring them into the safe zone.
"You've won. Good job."
"Huh, what? Ah, Master! Yes! These were those who attacked us in the dungeon and..."
Louise couldn't manage much more than gibberish at the overwhelming power that Evan showed, but he kind of understood her. Moreover, he recognized their faces. Elliot, the guild master of Sacred Guild, and one of his elite members, and the rest...were the rising stars that were all recruitable for the protagonist's party in Yo-Ma Great War 4.
"That's Name, right?"
"Yes."
Although Name had passed out, he didn't have any distinctive look aside from having black hair with age somewhat similar to Evan. Somehow, he looked similar to Default, the brother of Ctheasil and the protagonist of Yo-Ma Great War 5. But maybe due to the hardships he experienced during his youth that were harsher than Default's, he looked rather intimidating.
"..."
Evan looked at Name, who was passed out, and Save, who stood still behind Louise. Save's eyes were shaking as if he was bewildered when he looked at Evan, but he urgently bowed his head at him as Evan glanced over. The situation required words, so Evan spoke first.
"You've done well defending Sherden. Thank you."
"I, I just followed your advice, that's all."
The tremble in his voice didn't seem like an act at the very least. , but as he quietly followed Evan's advice, when was the last time he actually spoke to Save...this guy was surely a weird one. But it was certain that he wasn't a bad guy. Yeah, at least Evan felt guilty for using him till the end.
"I'll guard this place."
Evan finished with his talk and asked the captives to be put near him. And he spoke as he pointed at the outer castle wall where an immense aura of mana was gradually gathering.
"I'd appreciate it if you could go there and help my knights. We have to stop the Demons."
"Then Master is that the..."
"Yes, the last request."
'Come to think about it; there is one more I need to look after aside from Save. '
Evan smiled bitterly and put his hand on Louise's shoulder.
"That's why I need you to keep it together just a little more, Louise. Then let's find Merdin together afterward."
"Merdin...!"
Louise's eyes sparkled, emotions of joy and passion appearing in her obsidian eyes.
"I didn't expect you to look after me to such an extent. I'm incredibly happy, Master."
"Huh? Yeah, yes."
"Together, let's open, Merdin."
Louise, who was repeating what Evan said by murmuring, looked a bit scary. But at this timing, Evan couldn't possibly say, 'It will be easier for a foreigner like me to conquer Merdin by using your identity, ' so he decided to shut his mouth and smile instead.
"Understood, Master. Then we'll go ahead. Guys, let's go!"
"Huh, I didn't get the chance to speak with Mr. Evan...!"
"Commander, I'll take my leave!"
"Is Jhin there? Should I fight with Jhin now?"
"No, it would be a problem if you fight with Jhin right now. All you have to do now is cooperate together and kill the really bad ones."
"Alright!"
Louise departed with Save and Renail, with Lucid, Lin, and Lan hurriedly following them. Enoch, who stayed behind till the end, was at a loss for words for a moment before speaking up.
"I know it's a bit too late to complain now, but what kind of party did you put me into? The things that happened during the earlier battle...Ha."
"But you got the chance to hone your skills, right?"
"I'm afraid that my ideals might change. I lost confidence in my faith."
"As a priest of the nameless god, you act weak. Now, hurry before you're late. You might have your chance to shine to Lin and Lan."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I won't have followers just by building a temple. Just make sure to pay me upright!"
The young priest Enoch, who devoted his life to money and faith, smiled bitterly at his employer's words and followed his party members. Then he happened to look back, just to see Evan, who jumped into the air and clapped his hands, massacre the monsters.
'There are no creatures that can live with their heads high in front of the nameless god, for it just takes one clap to destroy an army of the evil creatures...'
Enoch suddenly thought of a verse from the nameless god's scripture, and he was shockingly scared. Thinking of how Louise, Save, and Renail acted in front of Evan, everything became more certain.
'No way, were they referring to Master Evan? No, no, so Save was really using the holy power of the nameless god...huh? Hmmmmph?'
To encounter a crisis in the faith at this unprecedented time! Then, as the members who were ahead of him told him to catch up with them, he put aside his concern for now and decided to run towards them.
"Master!"
"Maybell..."
It was just a few moments after Save's party disappeared that Maybell came to see Evan. She looked fine by her appearance, but that gave off a stronger sense of incongruity. Evan didn't bother asking about it.
"I'm glad that you are safe. But what happened on the other side?"
"I'm a party planner. My role ends as I prepare the stage and invite all the participants. The participants will handle the rest, I guess."
Well, considering the fact that there had been no traces of magic being activated, it could be said that those who were sent there were doing a good job. Evan let out a heavy sigh.
"Ah, these people."
At that moment, Maybell found Name's party and the survivors of the Sacred Guild who were tied up in one corner and partly neglected.
"They are responsible for this Great Backflow since Gradreka brainwashed them. It is just ridiculous. Although I knew such a method existed, I let my guard down..."
"I am at a loss for words from looking at you hold off the monsters all by yourself."
Since he already got used to this, he no longer had even to raise his arm but instead burst out his mana which exploded the monsters flowing out of the dungeon.
"Anyways, all of this will end if we kill these people, right?"
"Well, I'm skeptical about that. It feels like the Devil himself merged with the dungeon. Moreover, killing them now would be like just before the player enters the path for the true ending of a detective game, the case closes due to killing a false culprit by mistaking him for the real one. I don't like that."
Especially the uncomfortable feeling when a certain dark background message of a bad ending kicked in; it could never be bearable! Evan shivered as he recalled the memories of his past life. Maybell didn't understand even a bit of Evan's figure of speech, but she somewhat understood what he was trying to say. In other words, Evan wanted to give them a second chance.
"Then let's wake them up and let them work. They were the ones who made this mess, so it's unfair to have them sleep comfortably."
"But it's uncertain how they'll react after being woken up."
"Nothing bad will happen, Master."
Maybell denied Evan's words at such a timing.
"Rather, it's dangerous to leave them be. Before their bodies crumble due to the effect from their empty hearts, we need to give them new purposes in their lives."
"You, how did you..."
Evan narrowed his eyes and looked at Maybell; then, he let out a sigh followed by a nod.
"Alright, then may I leave them to you?"
"Yes, please."
Evan kept on stopping the backflow. Thanks to him eliminating most of the monsters, the knights were able to lead the soldiers to clear out the inner parts of the city and rescue the civilians, and as time passed by, Sherden's defense became stronger. Things were turning out in a completely different direction compared to the intention of the person who created the Great Backflow. Even more, the intensity of the backflow began to grow weaker.
The joke of saying 'stopping the Backflow until the source of mana is depleted" was happening for real!
"I, I..."
"Whew, now you wake up."
The prisoners soon realized what Maybell did. The charm cast on them was completely canceled through the Incubus King's death, and as a side effect of being under the charm for such a long period, their memories and personalities were on the brink of a breakdown.
"Good, so everyone gained their senses, right? Can you guys move?"
"...Yes."
"I...what should I do?"
But Maybell took care of them before they broke down. Which method she used on them where not even the recovery magic of the priest nor the music magic of the bard would work on them...Evan could deflect a charm but not cast it.
—Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
It was right at that moment. A pillar of light that shined so brightly in the outskirts of the city appeared. And beyond it was a giant pink dragon that flapped its wings...Evan smiled and murmured as he saw it.
"It's the final scene at last."
The procedure was a total mess, but looking at that, perhaps...the final scene seemed to break down according to his plan.
| ← Ch. 366 | Ch. 368 → |