Chapter 114: Gnaude vs. Gnaude
“I trusted you, Hake, and you betray me so quickly. How unfortunate.”
“…Leader.”
The Mountain Elder shifted his gaze from Hake, who was swiftly assuming a defensive stance.
“And it’s been a while, Zeraphe. My brother.”
“You…!!”
Zeraphe’s voice gradually turned into a beastly growl. His eyes, filled with killing intent, sharpened.
Whether aware of it or not, the Mountain Elder spoke with a faint smile.
“You’re alive. Surprising. Why didn’t you send word?”
“—Jerar!!!”
Zeraphe launched an attack with a furious roar, and the Mountain Elder… Jerar Gnaude, smiled.
“Tch. Calling me by a name I discarded long ago.”
BOOM!
Menacing tree roots erupted from deep underground, attacking fiercely.
Their thickness, speed, and power were incomparably stronger than before.
Moreover, the roots were covered in sharp, threatening thorns that secreted toxic venom.
“You’ve grown strong, brother.”
The Mountain Elder let out a quiet admiration. What had happened to make his once-weak brother this powerful?
Zeraphe shouted as if in defiance.
“Don’t you dare call me brother! My brother died long ago. A monster like you has no right to call me that!!”
“Monster…”
The Mountain Elder tilted his head blankly, as if he couldn’t comprehend the accusation.
“Why call me a monster? I don’t understand.”
Then, as if something clicked, his lifeless eyes shifted.
“Ah, I see. Because I deceived you? I’m sorry for that. I didn’t want to deceive or push my brother toward death. Truly.”
“Then why…!!”
“Isn’t it obvious? It was sad, but it had to be done. You, who came along, were the perfect candidate.”
The Mountain Elder spoke without a trace of emotion.
“Had I not said so, you’d still be chasing useless things. Trying to save that woman who underwent Sacrifice Devouring to the end.”
“Jerar, you bastard…!!”
“But your efforts and sacrifice greatly aided our glorious cause and the bright future of our tribe.”
“Stop spouting nonsense! I didn’t sacrifice for our damned tribe!”
The reason Zeraphe Gnaude committed the insane act of releasing an ancient monster from its seal wasn’t for the tribe.
—I’m fine, Young Master. Thanks to you being by my side, thanks to the days we spent together, I was truly happy. So… please, live happily too.
It was solely for love.
Others might scorn him, but he was willing to abandon everything and endure anything for one person.
“Hm? What do you mean? Sacrificing your life for the tribe… isn’t that the natural duty of a member of our tribe?”
The Mountain Elder seemed genuinely puzzled.
“Though you, foolish Zeraphe, never understood the noble purpose of our tribe and strayed, leaving us in your youth… isn’t the blood in your veins still that of the Gnaude? Dying for the tribe is the infinite honor bestowed upon you.”
“Haha! What a load of crap.”
Realizing further talk was pointless, Zeraphe muttered a curse. His old family was mad, thoroughly mad.
“Die, Jerar. Today, one of us ends this.”
“Such a pity. A life-or-death duel with my beloved brother. But if this is a trial I must endure for the cause… so be it.”
No more words were needed.
BOOM!
Roots surged from beneath the Gnaude brothers’ feet. Zeraphe’s roots, studded with sharp thorns and venom, and the Mountain Elder’s, far thicker and rock-solid.
Their roots clashed fiercely, each trying to consume the other.
CRUNCH!
The mere collision cracked the ground like a net. A massive crater formed around them.
Roots fought roots, and men fought men.
“Hah!”
Zeraphe exhaled cold mist, extending both hands. Two magic circles appeared before him.
From one, ice arrows sharp enough to pierce flesh shot out; from the other, a massive ice scythe emerged.
Grabbing the scythe, Zeraphe swung it wide.
CLANG!
Simultaneously, a pitch-black scythe collided with the ice scythe. The shockwave unleashed a fierce gust.
Remarkably, the two scythes were nearly identical, differing only in color and material.
SCREECH—!
The scythes clashed fiercely, emitting a sharp metallic sound.
Unlike the black scythe, clearly made of sturdy iron, the ice scythe, though made of ice, displayed formidable durability.
‘Back then, it would’ve shattered in one hit!’
Proof that Zeraphe’s magic had grown significantly stronger.
“For a mage, you’ve got quite the strength, brother.”
“All thanks to my dear brother—!”
CLANG—!
With veins bulging in his arms, Zeraphe succeeded in pushing back the Mountain Elder’s scythe.
WHOOSH!
Thanks to the enchanted ice arrows targeting the Mountain Elder’s position, Zeraphe seized the opening.
“I learned something the hard way as a kid.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“Even a mage who specializes in long-range needs at least one trump card for close combat.”
Having lost to his brother’s physical prowess as a child, Zeraphe never forgot that bitter lesson.
Thus, as a mage, he never neglected physical training.
‘My weapon skills may pale compared to Jerar’s, but I can compensate with magic.’
Though strengthened by absorbing the Manticore’s power, the Mountain Elder was a formidable foe.
The Mountain Elder’s scythe clung stickily to Zeraphe’s ice scythe, sending chills down his spine as if his obsession was palpable.
‘But… I can do this!’
With a glint in his eyes, Zeraphe swung his ice scythe wide, closing in on the Mountain Elder. The Mountain Elder moved to counter leisurely, but—
“…!!”
A sudden chilling sensation made him retreat quickly.
“Tch. So close.”
Zeraphe clicked his tongue. Venom bubbled from the tip of his ice scythe, dripping.
The venom corroded the ground it touched. Seeing the blackened, polluted soil, the Mountain Elder gave a bitter smile.
“You’ve really grown strong, brother.”
After leaving the tribe, Zeraphe devoted himself to researching how to restore Prie to her original state.
He hadn’t neglected magic or physical training in the meantime…
But the Mountain Elder had gone beyond honing himself, staking his life on training and growing stronger.
“Grah!!”
For a moment, the Mountain Elder’s movements were invisible to Zeraphe. His speed surpassed perception, too fast for Zeraphe’s eyes to track.
But what he did was obvious.
“Urgh…!!”
Before he knew it, the Mountain Elder’s roots had crushed Zeraphe’s, coiling around his body.
The Mountain Elder spoke in a soft voice.
“Yet you’re still lacking and foolish. No matter how you’ve suddenly grown strong, did you think you could make up for the time you spent in idleness?”
A massive black scythe rested against Zeraphe’s neck. With a slight increase in force, the Mountain Elder could sever it.
WHOOSH!
At that moment, hidden weapons flew toward the Mountain Elder from somewhere.
Not one, but from all directions—east, west, south, north—simultaneously!
The weapons shot out at terrifying speed, blocking his escape.
“Hm.”
The Mountain Elder knew who wielded such remarkable skill. He’d been facing him moments ago.
“Annihilation, huh.”
Rolling only his eyes, the Mountain Elder glanced at a spot nearby.
There, his subordinates who had come with him lay sprawled, likely subdued or killed by Hake.
CLANG, CLANG!
Hastily deflecting the weapons with his roots and scythe, the Mountain Elder’s lips curled into a cold smirk.
In that moment, Zeraphe broke free, widening the distance while sprouting roots from directly beneath the Mountain Elder’s feet.
“Urk!”
The Mountain Elder jumped to avoid them, disrupting his stance.
SHING—
Seizing the fleeting gap, Hake approached from behind, aiming a knife.
“Leader. Please die.”
The blade grazed the Mountain Elder’s nape, sinking shallowly into his skin.
SLASH!
‘Hm?’
Despite cutting the carotid artery, strangely, no blood spurted or flowed. Hake was puzzled.
But it wasn’t without effect; clutching his nape, the Mountain Elder staggered back.
“…Hah, to be cornered like this.”
“Surrender, Jerar. You’re no match for us anymore. Besides…”
Zeraphe spoke coldly, approaching the Mountain Elder, who had dropped to one knee.
“You’ve reached your limit, haven’t you!”
“…”
“I know it all! When our tribe reaches a state suitable for ‘Sacrifice Devouring,’ the body withers or hardens. And the hair turns stark white.”
Zeraphe grabbed the Mountain Elder’s hair and yanked.
What appeared as snow-white hair revealed a faint greenish tint upon closer inspection, and beneath his dark attire, his trained body was emaciated.
Evidence that Sacrifice Devouring had nearly run its course.
“Jerar! Did you intend to offer even yourself as a sacrificial lamb?!”
“…Yes. If necessary, that was my plan. The strongest Gnaude is the most suitable sacrifice.”
And later, the Black Moon would mentally recondition the White Moon, who would dedicate all her choices to Depicio, to handle the aftermath.
It was a perfect plan. Or so it should have been…
‘How did it come to this?’
The Mountain Elder couldn’t fathom where things had gone wrong.
“You mad bastard, Jerar…!! Do you really think sacrificing the present for a distant future is the right way?!”
Zeraphe’s face contorted as he was about to snap—
“…!!?”
“Gah!!”
“What?!”
But at that moment! Something chilling swept past the three.
It was a harbinger.
BOOOOM——!!!
The stone tower exploded spectacularly, and a violent wave of mana surged outward.
All three turned their heads in shock.
“…W-What is this?”
“An unbelievably sinister energy…!! Worse than the Manticore!!”
From the underground of the stone tower… something horrifically ominous and evil was felt.
The dangerous aura made their hair stand on end.
“…Gale?”
Hake muttered instinctively. In the fiercely swirling mana, he thought of the ash-haired man.
Though his usual behavior was deplorable, he was inherently kind and affectionate.
Even to Hake, who hadn’t been with him long, he’d quietly shared a piece of his heart.
—Hake. Why so tense? We’re on the same side now, aren’t we, buddy? …Wait, you’re not planning another betrayal, are you? Is becoming the icon of betrayal your dream?
—No way!!!
When Hake had joined them, pretending to be dead, Gale’s unchanged demeanor from their time in the labyrinth had offered small comfort to the inwardly shrinking Hake.
So why did he suddenly think of Gale, who should be on the airship?
“…No way?”
At that moment, the Mountain Elder, staring blankly at the source of the surging mana, muttered.
He felt it strongly. Something, something was going wrong.
“No, no! It can’t be!!”
Something had disrupted the Beastkin King’s revival. The Mountain Elder raced toward the stone tower like a madman.