Chapter 100

Floria and Aroma stood before a million monsters. These were vampires and vampiric spirits, formidable creatures that even the strongest of the magicians would challenge.

However, as Awakened Magicians, they could easily destroy these foes.

"Huuuuu..."

Floria, imbuing her arrow with magic, prepared to counter with what could be called her trump card. An Awakened Magician is a transcendent being, surpassing the human race, possessing infinite lifespan and the authority to grow infinitely, thus acquiring the computational power and magic to activate forbidden spells. She began her incantation to release a forbidden spell as an arrow.

Meanwhile, Aroma further materialized her magic armor. Countless trees sprouted from the ground, instantly forming a sea of trees. Each tree absorbed magic and grew.

"Even I have never seen such a scale before."

Aroma created a belt of trees to encircle the million undead, aiming for complete annihilation through encirclement. The rapid growth of the trees, invading the earth, was bizarre. The trees grew into giants, feeding on the magic of the undead, and within moments, they had become massive. The undead were entangled and withered, their magic absorbed until they vanished.

Even if Aroma took time to form the sea of trees, she could potentially destroy the undead. However, Floria's follow-up attack was imminent.

"Go... Flame of the Fourteenth Tier, 'Inferno of Destruction,' as an arrow!"

The arrow on the bow was a blazing red, about to burst. Floria aimed it at the sky and released it. The arrow pierced the air, shot through the heavens, and exploded mid-air. The forbidden spell 'Inferno of Destruction' is a magic that rains burning sulfur from the sky, burning and killing everything on the ground with its flames and toxicity. As an arrow, the forbidden spell had an even wider range of destruction. If the normal 'Inferno of Destruction' were a meteor shower, the arrow version was a rain, leaving no room for evasion.

The undead were enveloped in flames. The spell, which normally burns for several kilometers, was made more extensive by being fine like rain, capable of burning over five kilometers. Approximately 700,000 undead were annihilated.

"Next."

A significant number were destroyed, but not all. Floria began to chant the Flame of the Tenth Tier, 'Dragon's Breath,' a strategic-level spell suitable for eliminating the remaining undead. The greatness of Awakened Magicians is evident in their ability to use strategic-level spells casually. Moreover, Floria had three arrows ready.

She formed 'Dragon's Breath' into three arrows, preparing to release them simultaneously.

"Aroma-san."

"I know."

When Aroma infused the ground with magic, the earth split in three places. Vast trees sprouted, entangling all the surrounding undead. Trapped between branches and roots, the undead were immobilized. Floria then released her 'Dragon's Breath' arrows. Three heat beams pierced the trees, destroying them. The trapped undead were simultaneously annihilated. The destruction of over 700,000 undead caused a significant dissipation of magic. The magic that composed the monsters dissipated upon death, and Aroma's magic armor, which absorbs magic, could further materialize its power by taking this magic.

"With this much magic!"

Aroma's 'Forest' is special as a magic armor. It grows from her magic as a seed and the external magic as nutrients. This ability was acquired through her transformation as an Awakened. Aroma creates plant seeds from her magic, a combination of domain and creation types. This means she can create things that do not exist in the world.

"I'll give you a special creation to defeat the 'King's' monsters!"

A fissure appeared in the center of the undead army where the Crimson King Sherry was. A monstrous creature, born from magic far surpassing divine and forbidden spells, emerged. It was a tree dragon, a creature that feeds on magic, different from a winged dragon, more akin to a snake. Vines extended from its body, absorbing magic from any surviving undead nearby. It even attacked Sherry, reacting to her dense magic.

◆◆◆

This is troublesome. Sherry felt a sense of crisis upon seeing the power of the tree dragon.

(Close proximity means losing magic...?)

The terrifying aspect of the tree dragon is that it grows by absorbing magic upon close contact. This is a crisis for monsters, as magic is both the source of their life and the material that composes their bodies. In other words, approaching it means being stripped of one's body. Sherry created blood arrows with blood magic and shot them at the tree dragon. While the arrows created numerous holes, the tree dragon instantly recovered by absorbing the magic contained in the blood magic. This suggests that attacks using magic are likely ineffective.

"Step back..."

Sherry made the most important man in her life, Ruvelt, step back. She had given him life as an undead through blood magic, and he would be destroyed by the tree dragon's magic absorption. She couldn't afford to lose Ruvelt.

In the face of this troublesome opponent, Sherry's blood magic was sealed.

"Servants!"

Many of her servants, who had been given much blood and magic, attacked the tree dragon. These True Ancestor Vampires, powerful undead with the strength to break metal weapons with their bare hands, should have easily torn the tree dragon apart. However, the tree dragon's magic absorption dried them out, and their magic-composed bodies were quickly stripped away, vanishing from the world. Even the True Ancestor Vampires, who are Catastrophe-level, were mere food for the tree dragon.

Of course, Sherry knew this. She only needed time to exercise her power as the Crimson King.

"I give you this blood... obey me!"

A new law created in the world. The power symbolized by blood magic is subjugation, a mark of obedience carved into the body, soul, and blood memory. Sherry's strongest magic, blood magic, entwined her arms. The magic branched out like veins, invading the space and piercing the tree dragon. The tree dragon was quickly covered in deep red veins. The dragon, given a law that did not exist in the world, was released from Aroma's control.

The tree dragon, which grew by consuming magic, was now under Sherry's control. The deep red tree dragon bowed as if it revered Sherry. Sherry and Ruvelt mounted the head of the tree dragon. The tree dragon was now completely under Sherry's control, and its ability to consume magic remained.

In other words, Sherry had hijacked part of Aroma's magic armor.

"You've done well to consume my servants. With this size, your magic capacity is greater than those foolish servants."

The tree dragon, marked with blood magic, received more magic from Sherry. Blood magic, which gives absolute subjugation by sharing blood, applies to both living and inorganic things. This power of blood contracts. Sherry's blood magic turned the tree dragon into a true servant. The new species of plant created by the 'King,' the Cursed Blood Tree Forbidden Dragon, produced golden fruits from absorbed magic. Sherry plucked a fruit and ate it, the condensed magic flowing into her, easily recovering the magic consumed by her blood magic.

"This servant is convenient... should I make the original magic armor mine?"

"..."

"Ruvelt, don't be jealous. You are my only true love."

"..."

"Hehe, you are dear to me."

Sherry, using her magic perception, discovered the magician who created the tree dragon. She knew another magician was there but was unafraid.

"Come, Ruvelt. Let's create an eternal paradise together."

Sherry, once human, had completely transformed into a monster. Her goal was to create a paradise where she and Ruvelt could live forever. Sherry's idea of paradise was a world where all life is subordinate to her. To achieve this, she flew to the Awakened Magician with Ruvelt, riding the Cursed Blood Tree Forbidden Dragon.

◆◆◆

"The magic armor... was hijacked...?"

The blood magic was unexpected even for Aroma. Though she is the oldest Holy Knight, this was her first time fighting the 'King's' monsters. She did not know about magic and its essence, magic power.

"I didn't know the 'King's' magic power was this strong."

"What happened? The magic armor was hijacked?"

"My tree dragon was taken over. It's coming this way."

"...I'll shoot it."

"Please."

Floria readied her magic bow. Even if the magic armor was hijacked, it was still made of trees. She thought she could destroy it with her magic arrows.

However, she had one concern.

(If the magic absorption ability is still intact...)

The Flame of the Tenth Tier, 'Dragon's Breath,' became a single arrow.

(My arrow...)

A crimson flash flew straight. It approached the tree dragon, a clear target from a distance. It was a concentrated attack capable of wiping out an army. The tree dragon should have been easily pierced.

However, as Floria had predicted, the heat ray created by magic was absorbed by the tree dragon... no, the Cursed Blood Tree Forbidden Dragon. Aroma's magic armor's power remained intact.

"This is the worst."

"Aroma's magic armor is a monster killer and a magician killer... I never thought I'd experience it like this."

"...I'm retreating. We've achieved the annihilation of the undead."

"What about the tree dragon?"

"If only Celstar was here."

The Holy Knight of 'Sealing,' killed by the Death God, could have sealed the magic absorption ability. However, it was pointless to complain. Aroma and Floria decided to retreat.

"Let's hear the prophecy of the Divine Princess."

The Divine Princess, a seer and one of the Sacred Grinia's trump cards, could find a way to counter the 'King's' monsters using the power of the Demon God. They decided to retreat for now, hoping to find a solution.

Being forced to retreat by monsters is a disgrace for the best Holy Knights. However, they are not foolish enough to recklessly charge and destroy themselves. They accepted defeat with patience, knowing it was a time to lie low.

"Let's contact the Holy City at the Adibara Cathedral."

"We are retreating."

The Cursed Blood Tree Forbidden Dragon was growing larger, absorbing surrounding magic. Sherry was riding it, approaching them. They needed to delay it to escape.

"I'll use all my magic to the limit, so carry me and run."

"You mean that?"

"We can't escape without it."

Awakened Magicians, who automatically recover magic, are beings outside the laws of nature. Aroma, using more magic than she could recover, could use her trump card. The power that gave her her nickname.

"Forest Divine Domain, Descend."

As a domain-creation-combined-type magic armor, it interfered with the domain. Aroma created plant seeds in the designated area and made them grow rapidly with magic. The trees grew quickly, absorbing magic and stripping away the enemy's power. Vast trees appeared, enveloping the approaching Cursed Blood Tree Forbidden Dragon and Sherry. The giant trees extended branches and leaves, automatically generating seeds, which became new giant trees. This was a near-sealing technique, capable of infinite generation of giant trees, limited only by magic.

The Cursed Blood Tree Forbidden Dragon, also capable of absorbing magic, engaged in a magic battle with the giant trees. If it let its guard down, even the Cursed Blood Tree Forbidden Dragon would be absorbed and become the giant trees' nutrients. The magic battle created a temporary stalemate, giving Aroma and Floria a chance to escape.

(While we can...)

Aroma, having exhausted her magic, could not move. Floria carried her and ran. With enhanced physical abilities from magic, Floria could easily carry Aroma while running. Thus, they successfully retreated.

However, Aroma made a mistake. Riding the Cursed Blood Tree Forbidden Dragon were not only Sherry but also her beloved Ruvelt. Though Ruvelt had become an undead, he was not very strong. He should not have survived being caught in the Awakened Magician's trump card. Sherry's anger would explode in thirteen days. Whether they could eliminate Sherry by then would determine the fate of Sacred Grinia. Now, the Slada continent faced a critical turning point.