*Vroom* Mysterious malevolent atmosphere*
I gazed across the lifeless expanse before me.
A barren wasteland that continued to spread.
At its edges, one could still see the faded and slowly decaying skeletons of animals and even individuals.
I let my gaze slowly sweep over the field of death, and the longer I looked, the angrier I became.
I could feel my blood pressure noticeably rising, and certain veins on my head were probably becoming visible.
I wanted to take a few steps into the field of death when a soldier approached me.
"Your Majesty! We cannot allow you to enter the field of death..." the soldier said, kneeling.
"Quiet!" I said coldly.
"But..."
"Quiet!" I shouted at him.
I turned to face him.
"Tell me, who was responsible for evacuating the people from the area?"
The soldier trembled and answered, "W-we were."
"Then tell me, why do I see dead people there?"
He tried to justify himself.
"We didn't know that... AHHH!"
I cut off his arm.
"I know what you're going to say! But I also know that it's just an excuse, because we made everything perfectly clear!" I said, very angry.
His comrades looked at me with fearful expressions.
"You knew that after the completion of evolution, the field of death would double in an instant! What did you do with the money I provided to evacuate everyone, and I mean EVERYONE?"
"I'm sorry..."
*Zip*
With a single stroke, I decapitated each of the 30 soldiers.
"Too late!" I said. "Ragnar!"
"What can I do for you, Your Majesty?"
"Who were these people who died?" I asked him.
"They were commuters who had spent the night here."
I nodded and made it clear that such a thing should never happen again.
"Has anyone else died?"
"Not to my knowledge, Your Majesty! Our entire army seems to have penetrated the dungeon in time."
I nodded and signaled my 20 bodyguards to follow me.
We were on our way to the WestMont Kingdom to support my soldiers and to my satisfaction.
Of course, it's a secret mission, and only a select few are aware of it.
Meanwhile, Anja Stone is setting up this system. I'm genuinely surprised by how it will look!
We walked through the field of death from the Tower Dungeon, which we could already see in the distance.
After its evolution, it is now supposed to be 200 meters high, which is relatively unusual, I think.
Well, I realized that there aren't many records of evolved dungeons.
The closer we got, the more I felt my mana being drained.
When I checked my status, I saw that my mana was decreasing by 1 point every 6 minutes.
"These... TRAITORS Manaras!" I cursed.
We quickened our pace, and after about 10 minutes, we stood in front of the dungeon.
Before me stood a dark tower that seemed to reach into the sky, exuding an aura of suffocating power and impenetrable mystery.
Its outer shell was surrounded by pitch-black darkness and adorned with shimmering colors that distorted the brilliance of the starry sky.
This eerie darkness seemed almost alive, as if it were casting a sinister gaze into the depths of the starry heavens.
Twisted, swirling patterns adorned the tower in a destructive spiral.
These patterns shimmered in shades of blue, violet, and dark red, reflecting the malevolence of the dungeons.
The colors conveyed a menacing intensity, reminiscent of the destructive forces of the heavens, and fueled my anger and hatred for this place.
"These abominations from hell...!" I said with a trembling voice filled with rage.
Burning rays of light wound along the tower in tormenting paths, as if they were mocking me.
This radiant light was a painful deep blue, reminiscent of the infinite tears shed because of the dungeons.
And the thought that stars could be twinkling inside this unholy interior drove me to madness.
The grotesque patterns and lights were imperfect and asymmetrical, with each irregularity seeming to reflect my own hatred.
I approached this accursed tower and saw a wooden door in the midst of its repulsive facade.
As I got closer, my reality became more distorted, almost driving me to madness.
I looked up and down, and the tower seemed to rise in relentless mockery until it triggered a scream of destruction in my mind.
I couldn't stand this place; every second near it was like a stab in my soul and being.
Everything within me boiled with hatred and anger, and I longed to obliterate this damn place and cast it into oblivion.
"How I would love to destroy this monstrosity!" I said with cold anger.
I forced myself to keep going, as an equally great evil awaited me there.
But I knew that there, I could obliterate it finally.
I made a wide detour around the dungeon.
We crossed the gray lifeless ground and the black river that served as a boundary.
A stone bridge made it easier for us to cross.
I walked faster, and my bodyguards did the same.
Slowly, individual blades of grass began to reappear, gradually turning into a lush landscape.
As we were sure that we had left the field of death behind, I exhaled.
It was as if someone had been pressing on your shoulders the whole time, and you were unconsciously holding your breath.
"Finally, we've escaped from this cruel field of death!" Ragnar said in relief.
"Ragnar?"
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Did you do what I secretly instructed you to do at the very beginning?"
"Of course!"
"BUT WHY? WHY IS IT ALREADY SO STRONG?" I said with raging anger.
"I-I don't know! But I can assure you that suppressing the dungeon's name is a complete success!"
I gave him a piercing look.
When no other response came, I turned away and walked a few meters into the forest.
Thankfully, they knew better than to follow me.
Why, I wondered, because I didn't think I had sinned in any way.
I knelt down in front of a tree.
"Manara, our goddess, MY goddess, I beseech you," I spoke with a steady voice, my hands firmly gripping the tree trunk. "The world is plagued by the dark dungeons, badder than before, and I feel the burden of their evil on my shoulders. Please, show me the way to extinguish these sources of malevolence once and for all and enable your will to prevail. I sometimes ask myself, is this a challenge or a punishment?"
My words echoed in the silence of the forest, and I felt an invisible presence hearing my prayers.
However, the response from the goddess Manara remained hidden, and I patiently awaited a sign, a revelation that would guide me toward salvation.
I knelt for a while longer. Then, the leaves rustled, and a warm breeze embraced me. I relished it, feeling as if Manara was bestowing her attention upon me, confirming my determination to free the world from dungeons and the Scalaris.
I nodded, stood up, and returned to my bodyguards.
"What's this all about?" I asked.
"It's getting dark, and wandering through the forest at night can be dangerous," one of the bodyguards replied.
They had already set up a small camp for us to spend the night and depart for the Underground Dungeon in the morning.
"Besides, we'll have more energy in the morning!" another added.
I understood the purpose behind their decision, but I was still seething inside and would have preferred to keep traveling non-stop. To calm myself, I knelt down again and began to speak to Manara.
Meanwhile, the bodyguards prepared some food.
"Your Majesty, dinner is ready!"
I nodded and concluded my final prayer with, "So be it!"
I stood up and sat by the campfire, over which a pot of soup was hanging.
I sat on a log covered with a thin blanket.
Ten bodyguards kept watch while the others joined me and sat around the fire.
One of them handed me a bowl of soup.
I peered inside thoughtfully and saw, illuminated by the firelight, a clear broth with greasy dumplings. Good to quell hunger!
"Where is Ragnar, by the way?" I inquired.
The soldiers looked at each other thoughtfully, until one of them finally spoke up.
"I'm right here, Darian Fischer."
Silence.
*Whoosh*
A gust of wind passed by us, leaves rustled in the trees, the campfire flickered, and I locked eyes with Ragnar.
"You know that I left that name behind when I killed Ludwig, and you have NO right to call me by it!" I said with suppressed anger.
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!" he shouted back.
I stared at him with cold eyes, a little surprise, and he continued.
"You have NO right to the surname of our land! You have NO right to the title 'Your Majesty'! Above all, you have NO right to be called 'Centrum Terrae,' because there is only ONE who can bear that title!" he said, locking his gaze with mine.
"Ludwig is dead! And as the emperor, I have every right!" I retorted without breaking eye contact.
"Not really! And don't utter the true EMPEROR's name; that's blasphemy!" he said.
I let anger slowly radiate mana from my eyes, causing them to glow and exerting pressure on the surroundings.
Ragnar responded similarly, making the air visibly quiver.
"You were there, Ragnar! You came to me, begging to be part of the revolution! You were there when I plunged my sword into Ludwig's heart! It was you! It was you who led us into the palace!"
"Hahah!" he laughed maniacally. "You're naive, Darian! You're a child, and you don't even deserve to be in the throne room."
I intensified the pressure, but to no effect.
"Let me tell you, Darian! Centrum Terrae is NOT DEAD!"
"That's not possible!" I said to him.
I broke eye contact and looked around.
My soldiers had moved several meters back to stay out of the danger zone.
I stood up to be at eye level with him, but still a little bit short by few centimeters.
"It was you, you were one of those who wanted Ludwig to die the most! Ludwig did nothing for his people or Manara!"
He began to laugh crazily.
"Haha," he said out of breath, "As I said, you're a child! It was all a plan by Centrum Terrae! He knew people would revolt. That's why he controlled it from start to finish. And I was his puppet!"
"I knew it..." I muttered. How could I trust someone who had betrayed someone else for me? Now it was too late, and back then, I needed his strength.
At least I hadn't made it easy for him; as a bodyguard, I mostly kept an eye on him, because he was always close to me.
If Ludwig is truly still alive...
"Nevertheless, he deserved to die!" I said with a firm voice, "You've seen what our country has become!"
"And now it's supposed to be better? I can't help but laugh!" he replied.
"Yes!"
"And how, please? What I see is only chaos! Your so-called reforms. Where are they? The strengthening of the country, is this it? Centrum Terrae would never have acted on impulse!"
"Tsk," I clicked my tongue before Ragnar continued.
"You, Darian! You sent more than half of our army into a dungeon just because of your anger and hatred for dungeons! Even if they are evil, you must think about what you're doing! Your blind hatred will lead OUR country to ruin!"
"You weren't born to be the emperor!" He drew his sword and pointed it at me.
I drew my sword as well and said firmly, "You'll regret killing me! It won't be long, and our country will flourish!"
"Hahaha! I'll believe it when you defeat me! You naive child!"
I was seething inside, and I could finally release some of that pent-up anger.
"ATTACK!" Ragnar and I shouted simultaneously.
I had long noticed the hidden soldiers that Ragnar had brought with him back, to the campfire.
The soldiers let out a battle cry, and I heard the clash of steel.
I was immensely relieved that not all my bodyguards had turned against me, as I would never have been able to defeat them.
I watched as well-trained men did their best. They immediately formed a defensive formation, and I trusted them a bit more now.
My focus was solely on Ragnar now, and I felt my body growing tense.
We stood in the dark forest, the only source of light being the flickering campfire between us.
My breath was heavy, and the sounds of the nighttime forest were muffled in my ears.
In the distance, I could hear the sounds of battle between the two small armies - thundering, shouts, and the clash of steel on steel.
Ragnar stood before me.
His malicious smile and dark brown eyes gleamed in the fire's glow light red, his sword's grip firm in his hand.
I felt the tension in the air as we faced each other in this remote forest in the middle of the night.
Ragnar was an experienced warrior, and I knew this battle would be anything but easy. So, I let some mana flow once again, this time into my sword.
Ragnar did the same, causing our swords and eyes to emit a faint green light.
I slowly raised my sword into a combat stance, and the sharp blade gleamed in the pale light of the campfire. We both leaned in, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Tension filled the air.
Ragnar stepped into the campfire's glow, forcing me to evade slightly.
He seized this opportunity.
"Ah!" Ragnar lunged at me, and the sound of clashing steel filled the air.
Our swords clashed, sparks flew, and I felt the impact in my bones. Our swords danced around each other in a wild flurry of strikes and parries.
Ragnar swung his sword back at me, and I took a small step to the right, blocking it with a light impulse.
I aimed to counter immediately, but he leaped back, out of my reach.
Since he was beyond my reach, I chased after him.
"AHHHH!" I screamed with mana in my voice. The air quivered, and the ground shook.
However, Ragnar, being well-trained, remained unfazed. He threw his sword, and it flew straight toward me.
I bent, trying to evade it, taking a step to the right while attempting to sever the mana bond, in the same moment.
"Hmpf," I grunted as I felt a sharp pain in my left arm.
The sword had cut me and was now circling around me.
I did my best to avoid being hit.
My heart raced, sweat dripped down my forehead, and I dodged and parried.
Ragnar was a formidable opponent, skilled and deadly, but I didn't retreat even one centimeter.
I might even say he was slightly superior in swordsmanship, given his 60 years of experience and unique way of using it.
In the background, the war cries of the two distant armies, battling for supremacy, grew louder.
Ragnar pulled his sword back, providing me with a bit of relief.
Gasping for breath, with minor cuts on my body, I tried to buy some time.
"If it wasn't Ludwig, then who did I kill?" I shouted to Ragnar.
He didn't react and charged at me again.
I prepared myself and returned to a combat stance, effectively hiding behind my sword. I slightly curved my form to reduce the surface area for an attack.
Then, I initiated another clash. Our swords crossed again.
*Boom*
Our full strength, mana, and speed were invested in this strike, creating a shockwave that uprooted the surrounding trees.
I continued to press on.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" I started to scream as my hands began to burn.
Ragnar also started to grunt.
We locked eyes, and I saw his determination.
He smiled and muttered something.
*Zap!*
A lightning bolt surged through his sword into mine. I grunted in pain as I received the electric shock. I channeled more mana into my sword to block the lightning.
My hands grew increasingly tired, and neither of us wanted to give in.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" I screamed as loudly as I could, imbuing my voice with mana.
From this distance, it affected Ragnar, making him stagger slightly. I seized this opportunity and gave him a powerful push-kick to the stomach, propelling him into the air.
Without wasting time, I swung my sword with all my strength.
One, two.
And two mana blades separated from my sword. Ragnar parried one strike, but a flying blade severed his leading arm in mid-air.
I didn't let up and sprinted toward Ragnar, who landed hard.
He grunted and attempted to pick up his sword with his remaining arm.
My sword found its mark, his left arm now severed from his body.
Ragnar, breathing heavily, was defeated.
The campfire cast eerie shadows on his beaten face, and I stood there, heart pounding, sweat dripping, the victor in this duel.
"You've grown old," I said while trying to breathe calmly.
He shot me a sharp look.
"I would never have won if you were any younger."
I took a piece of log and sat down, nevertheless breathing heavily, without lowering my sword.
The sound of the battle in the distance reached us as I leaned back lightly, exhausted but triumphant, and focused my gaze on the man who had almost defeated me.
"Now, tell me, whom did I kill back then?"
He looked at me angrily. "Why should I tell you?"
"Because I won't have to kill your family then!" I replied sternly.
Of course, I wouldn't harm innocent civilians, but I needed to threaten Ragnar in some way, as I knew he wouldn't be moved by torture or any other means, and he will die nevertheless.
He gave me a hateful look.
He muttered something but stopped midway through a sentence.
"Seems like you're running out of mana!" I said tauntingly. "So, are you going to talk or not?"
I was relieved he had no mana left, as mine was almost depleted too.
To make sure I had some time, I briefly glanced at the army still engaged in combat.
Looking around, I saw that the border forest around us was destroyed.
I couldn't discern much, but what I saw hinted at devastation.
The campfire still served as our light source, albeit slightly damaged.
Ragnar attempted to use this moment of inattention to escape, but I immediately threw him to the ground and confronted him once more.
Annoyed and with no choice, he answered.
"You killed the twin of Centrum Terrae," he said defeated.
"The twin of Ludwig?"
"You, the son of the banished harlot and not raised in the castle, wouldn't know. But the emperor had a twin."
"She wasn't a harlot!" I shouted angrily, severing his foot.
"She was the emperor's first wife, the empress!"
"Until she cheated on him!" Ragnar replied.
"Having a disabled daughter as the firstborn is not cheating! She was not to blame! Banishing my pregnant mother to the hinterlands and stripping her of her name was excessive!"
He laughed and said, "Yes, it was."
Out of anger, I cut off his head.
In the nick of time, he smiled and said, "I said it..."
I stood up and staggered for a moment, probably due to blood loss.
After regaining my balance, I swung my sword to remove the blood.
Despite my wounds and low mana, I moved toward the still-battling army.
Dangerous as it was, I had to support my men.
---
Name: Darian Ironheart IV
Mana: 18/500
---
From a distance, I saw that my bodyguards were slightly outnumbered.
I suspected that Ragnar luckily had only a few followers with him to avoid attracting attention.
Upon arrival, an exhausted mage called out, "Your Majesty, it's dangerous here, we'll manage it ourselves!"
I ignored his comment and signaled for him to heal me, which he did.
He knelt, likely because he had no mana left, and I plunged back into the battle.
Even though the soldiers were not weak, I had a clear level advantage, making it relatively easy to defeat the enemies in one-on-one combat.
...
"Ha, ha," I sat, breathing heavily, by the campfire.
I was completely drained, the sun was rising slowly, and my last three bodyguards slept beside me on the ground.
"Hmpf," I muttered as I stretched. My muscles revolted and cramped simultaneously.
So, I lay down and closed my eyes.
"What a..." I mumbled before drifting off to sleep.
...
When I opened my eyes, it was almost evening again.
My body still felt sluggish, but with the mana restored, the healing process accelerated.
By concentrating my mana, I closed the worst wounds from the last battle.
Fortunately, nothing had attacked us during the night, and no adventurers had stumbled upon us.
We would have been quite defenseless, or my plan would have been exposed.
I stood up and slowly approached the three bodyguards on the ground.
"This can't be true!" I cursed.
The last three bodyguards had died from blood loss, and now I was left alone.
I chuckled lightly, because it felt ironic.
I began moving to find a suitable resting place.
Some time later, I arrived, once again exhausted, at my destination: a small cave.
I quickly concealed the entrance with ivy and lay down for another rest.
/////Author's Note/////
Yeah, this is the first battle I've written.
It would be really kind if you could mention a few things I could improve on so that the next fight will be better.
Thank you, and have a great day!