Arthur and the Knight of Loyalty left the west district and went straight toward the palace. The streets were no longer empty as travelers left or arrived at the city.
A giant bridge separated the city from the palace grounds. Underneath the bridge was a river with a powerful stream strong enough to drag anyone away. The loud noise should have deafened whoever tried to cross, but the bridge was eerily quiet.
"There are no guards?" Arthur asked with confusion.
"The bridge itself is a guard," Loyalty answered. "I once saw a man try to cross. Skeleton arms rose from the bridge and threw him into the river. The mont soone tries to cross, they appear."
"I would like to see them try," Arthur said with a smile. He stepped forward, and his shoe landed on the pitch-black bridge. A sea of skeletal arms rose from the bridge, like a blooming field of white flowers.
Arthur advanced.
Spiritual energy leaked out from his body, radiating with such intensity that it thundered around him. It clashed with the world, and it overpowered it with ease.
Loyalty stared at the man, gulped, and then followed after him.
The mont that the spiritual energy touched the bones, the latter disintegrated like they never existed. They turned to dust, blown by the wind. The sphere of spiritual energy created a straight line in front of Arthur, creating a path for him.
The knight followed after him, but couldn't feel at peace because of the suffocating spiritual energy. It was raw, dense, and overbearing. It felt like he was swimming in an infinite ocean, and it was all pushing him back.
Arthur reached the end of the bridge without any difficulty, and what awaited him was a giant black door. It looked several ters tall, extending from one end of the bridge to the other, and had a few ters in depth.
"Opening the door is another challenge of strength," Loyalty said behind him. "You can use all of your strength here."
"Is that so?" Arthur asked while staring at the door. "Even if this Sovereign wants to test , I don't have ti for these gas. Let … send him a ssage."
Arthur took his stance. He pulled his fist backward and infused it with his spiritual energy. A multilayered sphere of energy coated his fist.
The knight took several steps back.
Arthur punched out.
Before his fist connected with the door, it was already creating explosions in the air. Once it connected, the tal bent inward with no resistance. As his arm fully extended, the door was flying away faster than anyone could see.
It rolled several tis on the ground, and then slamd into a giant tower. The tower began crumbling before their eyes as countless bats erged from within.
Arthur lowered his fist.
"I guess that was enough?" he addressed the knight.
"Uh, sure," Loyalty answered with a twitching smile.
Arthur walked inside.
On the other side was a sea of undead monsters.
An army that easily reached a hundred thousand monsters of various kinds: humanoid zombies, ghouls, giants, skeletons, knights, and even beasts.
The door had killed a good portion of them during its flight before slamming into one of the five towers behind the army. Arthur stopped to stare at them, and the knight followed.
"I doubt that they would let us through," Loyalty said. "But I can create a path for you, or a distraction. You don't need to waste your ti here."
"Have you ever fought against undead monsters before?" Arthur asked the knight while still gazing at the army.
"A few tis when I first arrived in this realm."
"How was it?"
"Tiring and pointless. They regrow and revive no matter what you do to them," the knight said. "A true immortal army."
"There is no true immortality," Arthur said. "Everything can be killed. For most undead monsters, a corpse is inhabited by an astral parasite. Soone who knows how to use spiritual energy can sever the link between body and parasite."
"I'm guessing this isn't the case here?"
"The Sovereign of Death can sohow link souls to bodies," Arthur said as he examined the monsters awaiting their attack. "Instead of astral parasites, he used actual souls. I assu that gives them so kind of immunity against spiritual attacks."
"How do we defeat them then?"
"We have to sever the link between their souls and corpses," Arthur said. "In this case, the link is the Sovereign. If we want to defeat the army, we have to kill its commander."
"But that's not what we ca here to do, right?"
"For the ti being, no," Arthur said. "I'm just telling you this so that we don't waste our ti on these troops. As long as the Sovereign is alive, they are immortal."
"How are we going to reach the other side then?" the knight asked. "I can't fly, and I'm assuming the sa case for you."
"This is where we part ways," Arthur said. "You can return through the sa bridge. The skeletal arms will pose no danger to you."
"My lord would kill if he knew I abandoned you."
"It's quite the opposite," Arthur said. "I can protect myself better if I'm alone."
The knight was silent and then he sighed. "I understand. My existence here will only be a liability against you."
"Your companionship so far has been anything but that," Arthur said with a smile. "Our conversations have taught a lot. In a way, our eting might be a part of the Path's plan."
"That would be my honor," the knight said as he bowed. "I will stay in this realm until I'm assured of your safety. Please take care, Seika of Living Beings."
"You too, Loyalty. I'm glad to see that you lived in this tiline."
The knight gave him a small chuckle before turning around and leaving. After he disappeared behind the giant door, Arthur turned back toward the undead army.
He jumped down.
Severis was standing on the balcony of the central tower when the giant door was flung open, crashing into Nyxiel's tower. He saw the door fly from one end of the cliff to the other in the blink of an eye.
He let out a long breath.
"I don't think I can do that," he said. "But the living always had stronger bodies than ours."
Once an undead is created, their bodies stop growing. They turn into immortal soldiers without the ability to evolve on their own. That's why Nyxiel, a Flesh Demon, was needed to help them grow stronger.
The tower was crumbling before his eyes. Severis knew that the towers were built from reinforced bones and could withstand several blows of his. However, the door destroyed it with ease.
"What's your purpose, my lord?" Severis asked. "Who is this man and how did he arrive in our realm?"
As Severis was growing concerned for the fate of their realm, a flash of red brought Nyxiel to his side. The small boy with red wings no longer looked as docile and innocent. Instead, his face had morphed into a demonic face that could leave the bravest n with nightmares.
"That man destroyed my tower!" Nyxiel said with rage, his voice as hoarse as steel wires grinding against each other. "Don't expect to show rcy to him!"
"Calm down," Severis said. "I never asked you to show rcy. I only said that he could beco our ally."
"He will only be a puppet once I'm done with him," Nyxiel said as he flapped his wings. "I want to use my masterpiece!"
Severis frowned.
Nyxiel was a genius, but he was too impulsive.
The masterpiece that Nyxiel spoke of was none other than an undead monster that lacked any critical thinking, but only destructive power. Severis had helped create the monster and could tell that while it was no match, it did give him so trouble.
"And if it perishes?" Severis asked. "We would only be weakening our army before the true battle is here, Nyxiel. Don't be blinded with rage."
"My lab is gone!" the fiend shouted. "How am I expected to serve our lord in the upcoming battle with my lab destroyed? It took years to create the magical circles, Severis!"
"And you think killing this man would fix your lab?"
"It will sate my anger."
As the two were still conversing, they heard explosions from a distance. They looked at each other before they both jumped toward the sky enough to see the fate of their army.
In the distance, the army of undead was flying away as if caught in a hurricane. Explosions echoed in succession as their enemy rushed toward their towers.
Severis and Nyxiel stared while hovering midair.
"You can bring it out," Severis said. "If this man defeats your strongest soldier, then we don't even need that soldier. He will be enough force to aid us."
"That's not going to happen," Nyxiel said while snorting and turning into a red flash. "I'll bring you his corpse!"
Severis looked at the battlefield, and sohow found that hard to believe.
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