Lich. I've heard that name before. But that was only in a fantasy game.
Oddly, even though I had been long transferred to this world of goblins and
ogres, it was only the first time I had heard such a name.
"I've never heard of a lich; does it have any weaknesses?"
As expected, Lucy, too, seems to not have heard of it, so she asked
Anastasia.
"They're basically immortal abominations because they're reanimated
corpses. Even if you crush their head, they can still move, and the only way
to defeat them is to burn their body in pieces, or at least that's what I
know."
"Easier said than done, especially when you're in the midst of an army this
large."
Even now, there are already a staggering number of monsters marching
beside us as we are detouring with our eyes on the lich. It would be insane
to run into the middle of all this and do the whole dismembering and
incineration thing and expect it won't be disturbed.
"Say what you want. But all I know is that if we don't get rid of them soon,
they will be the ones who will get rid of Krasland."
Tilda's words, akin to a reality check, made us ready to face the situation.
"We will soon reach the enemy rear guard where we believe the Lich is, so
get ready."
At Lucy's command, everyone drew their weapons in addition to their will
to fight that boiled over. No one is willing to turn around.
At the same time, it seemed that the lich had found us.
…though my only clue is that the wand they're wielding is now pointed at
us.
"I'll take care of the lich's attacks while you keep moving forward! As for
the other undead, aim for their heads!"
Anastasia lunged forward. The lich's wand glinted next.
"I won't let you!"
But as if to intercept, she also waved her arm to create a shield that covered
the front of the unit. If yo u a re abl e to rea d thi s mes s age, you are re adi
ng from an una uthori zed aggr egate sit e. Read at m y WordP res s at stab
bing with a syri nge. ho me. bl og to sup port me and my tra nslati ons.
Just as the defensive magic was completed, the bombing spell struck, and
we, who were protected by the magic, felt the sound of the explosion.
"Guhh. Don't stop. Just keep going!"
Lucy's dignified voice echoed across the battlefield, rousing the soldiers in
shock.
In the meantime, the lich's magic landed twice, then thrice, but Anastasia
managed to repel them off with her magic barrier.
Then, just before the shield magic reached its limit, Tilda, who had been
running the entire unit's battle, finally came in close contact and initiated a
side cleave in front.
"Haaaaaaaaah!"
Her quick sweep blew away several undead goblins in front of her, but that
was only the start of her continuous rampage.
The soldiers who were first in line followed her and wielded their weapons,
slaughtering the living dead as they came.
Using and wielding the weapons sharpened and strengthened by Anastasia,
they sliced and crushed the heads and bodies of the rotting undead,
gradually diminishing their numbers.
However, it was but a drop of a bucket. After all, numbers are still
enormous.
Also, they are the emotionless and tireless living dead, with no regard for
whether or not their comrades are killed.
Morale is nothing to them. As such, they won't run away.
Just as we are struggling, the group of monsters behind lich on the opposite
side of the road from us collapsed.
"What the hell is going on?"
I risked getting up on my horse and saw a cavalry charging at the enemy on
the far side.
The man in the lead is the now-familiar Count Luke Krall.
He, too, seems to have recognized us.
"Baron Finlay, you are here too? Wait… is that woman… Anastasia!?"
When I turned to look at the source of the voice, I saw that the hood
covering Anastasia's head had come off in the wind.
Count Luke's face was immediately tinged with rage.
"I see, you have joined forces with Anastasia! What a great fortune to have
my interlopers, demons, and monsters all gathered together at once. I will
bury you all together here!!"
He grabbed a short spear strapped to his horse and threw it toward us.
The spear pierced several undead goblins that were in between them,
heading straight for Anastasia.
"Damn it, this is no time to be fighting in between us here!"
Thankfully, she managed to defend herself with magic amidst the heavy
skirmish. But to think he was this powerful even though Anastasia's support
on him is now gone, this Count is really something.
Thankfully, or not thankfully, another surge of monsters had stopped us
before the infighting began.
This time, the lich themselves personally dropped in, along with what I
could call their bodyguards.
"It's the enemy general. Take him out!"
"Uooooooooooh!"
The soldiers on the front line attacked bravely, but I had a bad feeling.
This is not good.
"Don't overextend our advance! Go back!"
But by the time I said that, it was too late. The lich raised their staff and
hurled several fireballs at the charging soldiers.
They were out of Anastasia's defensive range, so they took the brunt of the
fire, with many of them falling to the ground after receiving direct hits.
The lich saw this and their bared teeth clenched. They looked like they were
smiling.
"He's laughing at us?"
"Don't be deceived, Yuushin. Let's calmly exterminate the enemy."
Lucy put her hand on my shoulder, but I couldn't take my eyes off them.
But that also made me realize something.
"Lucy, he's got fangs. That guy's not a human skeleton."
At first glance, he looked like a skeletal specimen moving in a tattered robe,
but with that "smile", I could see sharp fangs in their wide-open teeth.
If the original was human, there is no way the canine teeth would have
grown that far.
"Then that thing is…!!"
"A vampire. Or that's what they were. They're a race with many
weaknesses, but to cover up for that, they have a lot of magic power. I see
now. They were able to fire a barrage of bombing spells because they were
based on vampires."
Anastasia, next to us, spoke. She seems to have figured out the identity of
the enemy.
"The lich must have inherited the weaknesses of the original race as well.
Silver weapons would also be effective in defeating him."
I quickly looked for Tilda, but she was surrounded by five undead ogres.
It would have been over instantly if they were ordinary ogres, but because
they are undead now, Tilda's troops are having a hard time.
To sum it up, she is in a very bad situation. We have to deal with this as
soon as possible.
Furthermore, Count Luke is already getting close to the lich, taking
advantage of the cavalry's assault power. Th is cha pter trans la tion is mad
e pos sible by stabb ing w ith a s yri nge tra nsla tions. chec k only up- to-d
ate transl at ions on my Wo rdpre ss si te.
If we don't do something, he will beat us to it. And we will be next.
"Anastasia. I have a plan. But this will make you withstand a few more
shots. Can you still do it?"
"Just leave it to me."
"And Commander Finlay…Lucy…"
I tapped Lucy on the shoulder.
"Please leave that guy to me. Let's go, Anastasia."
"What!? Yuushin!?"
I rode off.
Behind me, I heard Lucy screaming and the voice of the old man, the chief
vassal, stopping her.
Then, two cavalrymen from the commander's escort followed me.
"We're anxious to leave this to Sanada alone. We will accompany you."
"Do as you please. But you won't get any bonuses from me even if you die,
you hear?"
Well, I am also the secretary of Lucy, so in a way, I also handle their salary.
Meanwhile, it seems that the lich has set their sights on us.
Anastasia's protective magic was able to repel the fireballs that kept coming
on us, but maybe because she was at her limits, the shield that was
withstanding all of it's attacks finally had a crack.
She is now only protecting us with the minimum necessary.
"Yuushin, we won't make it to recast the shield!"
"I know!"
I reached into my armor, took out the silver necklace Lucy had sent me, and
wrapped it tightly around the blade of my sword.
At that moment, the magic shield, which had reached its limit, shattered.
And at the same time, we rushed into the hordes of undead surrounding the
lich, our horses' hooves kicking them away.
"Leave that punk's entourage to us!"
"And make for the killing blow!"
One of them cut down the last few goblins standing, and the other slashed at
the lich with a big overhead slash.
The lich defends it with their staff, but their flank is now open because of it.
Even though I was slower than them, it was easy for me to close in on the
lich, thanks to the two providing me the opening.
I put all my strength into my grip and thrust my sword diagonally up at his
flank.
"Eat thissss!!!!!"
At that moment, my eyes met the lich's.
The red light shimmering in the skeleton's eye pits emitted an even stronger
light at my thrust as if wanting to engulf me with its light.
But in the next instant, the sword that had been thrust into them as if to
smash their body slid through their sternum and shattered their skull.
The lich tried to move while still in this state, but the bones turned to ashes
from where they made contact with the sword, or more specifically, the
parts where the necklace is strapped.
As Anastasia said, it seems that the vampire's weakness was also inherited
in their bones.
And just like that, the monster that had ravaged the city with its powerful
magic was gone after a few moments, all reduced to ashes