CHAPTER 2
THE WORLD, ONE THOUSAND YEARS LATER
How many times had she seen this dream?
A burning city, the screams of fleeing people, monsters filling the sky. Six years ago, Riselia Crystalia’s family was slain by the Voids.
The commanding Void Lord went on a large-scale Stampede, attacking the Third Assault Garden, which happened to be near the city where her parents and older sister served as governors and Holy Swordsmen, commanding the knights. They’d gone to the front lines to halt the advance of the Voids and to protect the people. They’d all died in battle.
Riselia was nine years old at the time, and only she and her childhood friend Regina managed to evacuate to the shelter and survive.
Those days were truly hellish. But soon after, the two of them were secured by a search party dispatched by the Seventh Assault Garden that was looking for survivors. They were sent to Excalibur Academy to train as Holy Swordswomen.
Holy Swords—a power granted to humanity by the planet and the only one capable of opposing the Voids. They often took the forms of weapons, granting their wielders various abilities.
Riselia spent her days at Excalibur Academy training herself to the bone, hoping to develop the strength to use a Holy Sword and fight the Voids as a Holy Swordswoman… But even after all her efforts, her Holy Sword had never manifested…
What was worse…
I’m going to die here…aren’t I…?
The cold, creeping feeling of death washed over her body. As her consciousness faded, her thoughts wandered to the boy again. Was he able to meet up with Regina and escape? No… Even if she had bought him a few more seconds of life, he likely wouldn’t have been able to get away.
…I’m sorry…I couldn’t…protect you…
The girl’s thoughts faded into blackness…
“…No good. I don’t understand this thing at all.”
Frustrated, Leonis tossed the card-type terminal he’d found on Riselia into the rubble of the caved-in ruin. It seemed to contain a kind of magic circuitry, but even Leonis’s knowledge of the arcane didn’t allow him to make sense of how it worked.
“I never imagined mankind’s magic technology would develop this far.”
…That much, at least, he could understand. Things were more developed than they’d been a thousand years ago, at least as far as magical technology went.
What I really can’t wrap my mind around is that weapon they called a Holy Sword.
The girl named Regina had used it to fire an attack of breathtaking power. And the energy fueling it seemed to stem from principles that differed entirely from the magic Leonis knew.
Perhaps the weapon was unique in some way, or…?
The Dark Lord let out a sigh. The monsters that attacked the ruins, the Voids. Those didn’t exist one thousand years ago. Neither did this highly advanced magical technology or the Holy Swords. Would he really be able to find her in this world…?
—The Goddess of Rebellion’s prophecy: One thousand years into the future, the power of the reincarnated goddess will be reborn.
Leonis’s mission was to find the vessel into which she would reincarnate and then defend her until the time of her awakening. After that, he was to rebuild the Dark Lords’ Armies that once stood against the gods.
That was the sole promise Leonis, the Undead King, had ever given her.
“…Mmm, ugh, aah… Mm…”
Riselia’s brow furrowed gently as she lay at Leonis’s side.
…She’s waking up.
Leonis’s spell proved fruitful, successfully resuscitating the girl even as she was on the verge of death. Although the end result far exceeded Leonis’s expectations…
…He’d never imagined things would go as well as they had.
How unusual. Perhaps she is uniquely compatible?
He turned his gaze to Riselia, who was rubbing her eyes sleepily… The symptoms would likely surface later. She would probably grow angry when she learned the truth.
She may very well fall into despair…, Leonis thought, all the while wishing she wouldn’t come to hate him for it.
Riselia, however, took no notice of the child’s inner conflict…
“…Huh…? Huh? Huuuuh?!” She looked down at her body and exclaimed with shock.
“Good morning, Miss Selia,” Leonis said.
“Ah…” Riselia’s mouth and her ice-blue eyes were all wide with surprise, but after a few moments of stupefied silence…she snared Leonis in a hug.
“…Wait, what?!”
“…Thank goodness… You’re safe…,” she said softly in relief.
…I’d think she’d be more worried about herself.
Leonis sighed as she embraced him.
“Erm, it’s getting a bit difficult to breathe…”
“Oh, sorry… Wait, how am I…?”
Riselia let go of him and looked down at her chest. Her uniform had been torn by the Void’s talons and stained with blood. The fabric still bore horizontal cuts, but the wounds on her flesh had completely closed.
“…I can’t believe it… I thought I was dead for sure…”
“The injuries weren’t as bad as they seemed,” Leonis lied nonchalantly. “Because of that, I was able to heal you with holy sorcery.”
“Source-sery…?” Riselia gave a quizzical look, peering at Leonis’s face intently.
“Erm…” Leonis was taken aback by her unexpected response.
And after a moment of thought…
It dawned on him. …Could it be she doesn’t know what sorcery is?
Now that Leonis thought about it, he hadn’t seen anyone use sorcery during the battle with the Voids earlier. But Riselia did use some kind of tool made with advanced magic circuits. What did it all mean?
…No, that’s not it. Perhaps I’ve got it backward.
They couldn’t use sorcery, so they used special equipment with magic circuits that anyone could use without any training. All one would need was a bit of mana.
Shoot…
Leonis tried to find the words to smooth things over, but then…
“Do you mean the power of a Holy Sword?”
“…Um, yes, I suppose?” Leonis decided to go with it.
“I see. Excalibur Academy has confirmed the existence of Holy Swords with healing powers.” Riselia nodded. “So you’re a Holy Sword wielder. That might actually explain why the Voids abducted you…,” she muttered to herself, resting her chin on her hand.
“…Uh, I actually don’t really know much about how this power works. What are Holy Swords, exactly?” Leonis asked, deciding now would be a good time to inquire.
The term Holy Sword in this era likely meant something quite different from the holy swords the Undead King knew from his own time.
“Right, that makes sense. People from outside the Assault Gardens probably wouldn’t know.”
“Yes.” Leonis nodded.
“Holy Swords are a power mankind awakened to in order to fight the Voids.”
Riselia explained that sixty-four years ago, mankind came under attack by the Voids—distorted invaders from another world. Three-fourths of mankind was lost in the tragedy. A few years later, as despair was closing in, people discovered that some children had begun exhibiting unique powers.
“The children were given miraculous gifts. They could manipulate fire, control the movements of the winds, and many other abilities, all capable of defeating the Voids. Most of them took the form of weapons, so they came to be known as Holy Swords.”
“…So the weapon that blond lady used earlier was a Holy Sword, too?”
“Yes, that was her Holy Sword, Drag Howl. A manifestation of destructive power. The exact reason isn’t understood, but apparently, Holy Swords often reflect the personalities of their wielders.”
…A weapon that’s a manifestation of one’s soul. I see.
It was a bit hard to immediately believe, but if true, this was a power of a different category altogether from the death magic Leonis used…and from holy and spirit magics as well.
“Children who awaken to the power of a Holy Sword are sent to the Holy Swordsmen training institute—also known as Excalibur Academy—to hone and master their power.”
Leonis inferred that meant Riselia held the power of a Holy Sword, too. She hadn’t used it earlier, though…
…Regardless, that would mean the sorcery I use only exists as a faded legend in this age.
Yet another piece of new information regarding this world.
I should probably hide that I can use it…
Riselia brushed her fingers over the wounds on her chest.
“A Holy Sword with the power of healing… You must have a very kind heart, Leo.”
“………”
Riselia beamed, and Leonis couldn’t help but look away.
…What kind of expression would she make upon learning the truth?
“You saved my life.”
“No, Miss Selia, if you hadn’t protected me, that creature would’ve killed me…”
At his words, Riselia gasped and looked around as if remembering something.
“Th-that’s right, where did that Void go?”
“I, um, got scared and closed my eyes, but at some point, it just disappeared.” Leonis shook his head.
…Technically, it wasn’t a lie.
Leonis had stored the remains of the three Voids by having his shadow swallow them whole.
“…It disappeared?”
“Yes.”
“I see. The Voids do have a way of doing the incomprehensible…,” Riselia mused, placing a hand over her beautiful chin.
“Erm, just what are the Voids?” Leonis asked for the second time.
“…Honestly, we don’t really know.” She shook her head silently. “They’re a threat to mankind that appeared sixty-four years ago. They’re a completely unknown enemy. Their goals, where they might appear: It’s all a mystery. Them being invaders from another world is just one of the administration bureau’s theories. No one really knows. That’s why we call them Voids—they’re emptiness.”
Leonis couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. Was the world really infested with completely unknown monsters?
“You said some things earlier. ‘Ogre’ and ‘wyvern’…”
“Those are general classes of Voids. They’re named, based on their appearances, after legendary monsters that existed back in ancient times.”
“Legendary…” The word stuck in the back of Leonis’s throat.
So did the monsters that existed one thousand years ago exist no longer…?
Riselia rose to her feet.
“It might come back. We should hurry and get out of here.”
“…Right.”
Riselia touched one of her earrings.
“Regina, do you read?”
“Lady Selia, are you all right?!” The girl’s relieved voice echoed. “I was worried when I lost contact with you. Where are you now?”
“Still inside the ruins. What about that ogre class?”
“It took eight shots from the Drag Cannon but finally went down. Bulky bastard.”
“Roger… We’ll regroup at the entrance.”
With that, Riselia cut off the transmission.
“We shouldn’t dawdle in a place like this. Let’s go.”
…A place like this? Leonis thought, indignant.
“There’s the exit, Leo.”
“Haff, haff… Yes.”
A few hours of climbing up the ruin’s stratums later, the two finally reached the exit to the surface.
Ugh… I have to confess, I may have dug the mausoleum too deep…
Leonis couldn’t help but regret his former actions as he dragged his wobbling legs. Climbing seven levels was taxing on his ten-year-old body. He could have taken himself and his companion out straightaway using the teleportation circle, but explaining to Riselia how he knew about such a thing felt like it was more trouble than it was worth.
“You really gave it your all,” Riselia said, walking ahead of him. She reached out a hand to help the panting boy. Wordlessly, he extended his own as well, and she pulled him up.
…My dignity as the Undead King is tarnished.
They had exited a cave that led into the underground of the Ruin Mountains. A sandy gust of wind blew at them. Beyond the entrance to the ruins lay a vast wasteland. The sun was out but hidden behind a curtain of gray clouds, casting a gloomy dimness over the area.
…The ruins of Necrozoa are probably right beneath our feet.
The capital of the dead, which had flourished and prospered one thousand years ago, now lay buried without a trace beneath the sand. Even if it were to be excavated, it’d likely be nothing more than a dilapidated husk…
“Lady Selia—” The calm voice of a girl caught their ears.
Turning, the two saw a blond with pigtails, wearing a hood to shield her face from the sand. She was straddling a lump of metal that was likely some kind of vehicle. It was the girl who’d used that cannon earlier, Regina.
“I’m glad to see you’re fine… Wait, what’s with all this blood?!”
“Erm, well, aah…” Riselia nodded awkwardly. “We couldn’t find the hive, but we did confirm the appearance of several more Voids. We should report it to the academy’s administration bureau.”
“Several more? You fought off multiple Voids?!” Regina said, surprised.
“Yes, but they seem to have just disappeared.”
“…Huh.”
Regina turned her attention to Leonis, who stood behind Riselia.
“…And who’s the kid?”
“A refugee child I discovered and took under my protection in the ruin. Voids abducted him, and from the looks of it, his memories have been mixed up.”
“Voids took a child?”
“We can’t deny the possibility. There’s still a lot we don’t know about Void biology. If he can reclaim his memories, his testimony could be a source of valuable information.”
Regina nodded in agreement. “I wonder if there’s a refugee village nearby.”
“Who’s to say? We haven’t investigated this area at all, and for all we know, he could’ve been carried here from far off by a flying-type Void.”
Regina squatted next to Leonis, meeting his gaze at eye level. Her large chest bouncing as she did so.
“…?!”
“I’m Lady Selia’s maid, Regina Mercedes. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Y-yes, nice to meet you…”
…Leonis nodded, overwhelmed by the sight of her breasts bobbing in front of his eyes.
“Lady Selia, this boy is surprisingly pervy,” Regina whispered into Riselia’s ear.
“…Wh—?!”
“Geez. What do you think you’re saying?!”
Ignoring her maid’s nonsense, Riselia straddled the odd vehicle. It had three wheels and was reminiscent of a small carriage, but there were no horses in sight.
“What is this?”
“A military vehicle. Take a seat behind me, Leo.”
Riselia leaned forward, and Leonis wrapped his arms around her waist. The soft texture made his heart skip a beat.
“This thing can really fly, so hang on tight.”
Regina hopped onto the side seat.
“Feel free to enjoy the sensation of Lady Selia’s body to the fullest until we reach town, kid.”
“Stop that, Regina!” Riselia scolded as she kicked the pedal.
“Whoaaaaaa!”
The vehicle immediately took off at high speed.
The military transport kicked up a cloud of dust as it zoomed across the wasteland at a breathtaking pace.
…I-it goes this fast?! Leonis’s expression was strained as he clutched Riselia’s waist tightly.
Honestly speaking, it was far from a comfortable ride. A world of difference from the black wolf he’d once ridden into battle. Riselia’s silver hair trailed behind her, brushing Leonis’s face gently. The scent of her sweat filled his nostrils as he clung to her.
“I think I’ll hit the showers as soon as I return to the academy.”
“Yeah. Even my underwear’s full of sand.” Regina, who was sitting in the sidecar, tugged down the collar of her uniform toward her chest.
“…Hey there, kid, whatcha looking at?”
“I-I’m not looking at anything!” Leonis hurriedly buried his face in Riselia’s back.
“Hmm, reaaaaaally?” A teasing smile moved across Regina’s lips.
This lass dares treat the Undead King like this…!
Riselia held her ear down with one hand and began transmitting a report to someone.
“I’ve rescued a refugee child. We’re returning to the academy right now.”
“Roger that. I’ll have the gate open and submit an application to the bureau.”
“I know I’m your junior, but could you please prepare a uniform set, too?”
“A uniform?”
“Yes, I’ve already sent the size data for you.”
“…Understood. I’ll have it prepared.”
“…Um. There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask,” Leonis said to Regina.
“What is it, kid?”
“What exactly is a refugee?”
Regina’s face turned serious.
“Sixty-four years ago, the people of various countries who were attacked by Voids gathered in colonies that started popping up. That was before the empire began the Assault Garden project. People who had to flee their home nations are called refugees. The purposes of the Assault Gardens are to discover and stomp out the source of Voids and also to seek out and gather missing refugees.”
“Are there are a lot of refugees out there?”
“Even the Garden’s administration bureau doesn’t have a handle on the exact number. The Void invasion completely changed the world, after all.”
“…I see.”
“You really did lose your memories, huh?”
“…Erm, I’m sorry.” Leonis spoke with a flustered tone, worrying Regina might be suspicious.
“Don’t be. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m sorry.”
“………”
Regina gave the boy a meek sort of look.
…Perhaps she’d only teased him to help loosen him up a bit.
“Heh-heh, maybe a little shock will jog your memories?”
The girl flipped up her skirt, granting Leonis a glimpse of her thighs.
“…Th-that’s okay, I’m fine!”
…She wasn’t trying to help him at all. Regina was just taunting him for fun!
“Regina, what are you doing?!” Riselia demanded, having now finished her transmission.
“Why, absolutely nothing at all, Lady Selia.”
“What’ll you do if Leo becomes a perverted kid?!”
“If I may make an observation, Lady Selia, all boys already are pervs.” Regina shrugged.
…Leonis shook his head in adamant denial. The Undead King Leonis had nothing to do with this. The only reason his eyes wandered in that direction was due to a physiological reaction stemming from his adolescent body.
The vehicle continued running across the wasteland, until…
The gray clouds gave way to a vast blue sky.
“You can almost see it in the distance.”
“…?!”
He shielded his eyes from the dazzling sunlight. It was a light he hadn’t bathed in since becoming the Undead King. Trees dotted the landscape; vast plains spread out in all directions. And farther beyond…
He could see the ocean.
And…
“…Wh-what in the world?!” Leonis cried out in his natural voice despite himself.
A massive city sat on the ocean, illuminated by sunlight.
“This is a final bastion of mankind, built to oppose Voids. It’s one of the eight great city-states built around the capital of Camelot. It’s a castle for countless Holy Swordsmen and the instrument of our counterattack,” Riselia declared proudly.
“The Seventh Assault Garden.”
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