Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight

[Translator - Kie]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]

Chapter 346: The Hasken Family (2)

***

Dorugo closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"It reminds me of the old days."

Strictly speaking, it wasn't the old days.

The time of the event Dorugo was recalling was actually the distant future.

"I once ordered Damien to attack this kingdom. I wanted to see him kill his family with his own hands."

There wasn't any grand reason for it.

Dorugo had lived for nearly a thousand years. To endure such a long time, one needed a bit of spice in life.

The faces of Damien's family, crying out as they witnessed their deaths, were quite a stimulating seasoning.

"By the way, you've been much more successful than in your previous life. To think that unremarkable mansion has transformed into such a massive castle."

Dorugo made this assessment while looking down at Spring Castle.

"Theta, have you located Damien's family members?"

"......"

"Theta?"

Dorugo turned to Theta and asked again. Theta replied with a somewhat stiff expression.

"...Yes, Mother. They're on the second and fourth floors of Spring Castle."

"All the family members gathered in the castle. That makes our job easier."

Dorugo's eyes gleamed with cruelty as if she couldn't contain her excitement for what was about to unfold.

"Mother, please leave this to me. I'll make all of Damien's family kneel before you."

"No, let me do it! I want to!"

Epsilon and Iota eagerly said to Dorugo.

Damien cut their heads off, but Dorugo reattached them on the way here.

Thanks to that, their severed heads were now neatly reattached to their necks.

"No, I'd like to handle this personally."

As Dorugo said this, she turned her palm downward. The ground trembled, and skeletons rose up.

These weren't ordinary skeletons. Their bones were pitch black.

The aura emitted by the skeletons caused the weeds and trees to wither. This was a sign that they were no ordinary skeletons.

Usually, such powerful skeletons could only be summoned on battlefields strewn with corpses.

But that was irrelevant to Dorugo now. At present, she could summon even more powerful undead at will.

"Go and capture Damien Haksen's family members. You can kill the rest."

At Dorugo's command, the skeletons let out a unified cheer.

It was only natural for the dead to crave the living.

The skeletons, their eye sockets gleaming with greed, swarmed towards Spring Castle.

A black wave surrounded Spring Castle.

* * *

The castle was surrounded.

Veronica bit her lip.

Although hidden by the castle walls, she could sense it. The undead were closing in from all directions.

Escape was impossible. There was only one option left.

"Hey, are you there? Come out quickly."

"Veronica? What are you talking about...?"

"I was just about to come out anyway."

"Eek!"

Countess shrieked and stepped back.

A short man had suddenly appeared between the two women.

"A... dwarf?"

Countess looked at the dwarf with disbelief.

Although she had never seen one in her life, his distinctive appearance made him instantly recognizable.

"I'll take care of the madam. However, they know how to use dimensional portals. They might quickly catch up to our prepared escape route. So..."

The dwarf's voice trailed off. Veronica quickly grasped what he was implying.

"I'll hold those guys off. You just focus on the madam. If she gets even a scratch, I won't let you off easy."

"Don't worry. I'll evacuate the madam even at the cost of my life."

Veronica approached Countess, who was looking at her with trembling eyes.

"Veronica, what on earth is going on?"

"Mother, please don't ask anything right now."

There was no time for explanations. Veronica spoke with an earnest voice.

"For now, please follow his instructions. The others should be receiving guidance from dwarves as well."

Dwarves were scattered throughout the mansion, ready to assist family members in case of emergency.

"...I'll do as you say. But you must stay safe too."

"Don't worry about me. You know how strong I am."

Veronica said with a smile.

Countess left the mansion with the dwarf.

Veronica kept watching the door until Countess was gone.

"Are you done with your farewells?"

Dominico's voice came from behind. He was already standing at Veronica's back.

"Let's move. They're breaking through the castle walls."

"Alright."

Veronica picked up the twin swords she had leaned against the wall.

They were weapons made by the dwarf, tailored specifically for Veronica.

Despite holding such extraordinary weapons, she couldn't feel at ease.

"But where's Damien, and what is he doing?"

As if trying to forget her fear, Veronica complained in a deliberately cheerful tone.

***

"S-skeletons are coming!"

The soldiers guarding the castle walls cried out in terror.

There were fewer than 50 soldiers defending Spring Castle.

In contrast, the number of approaching skeletons easily exceeded several thousand.

It wasn't just their numbers. The ominous aura and intimidating presence emanating from the skeletons were overwhelming.

This was beyond what ordinary soldiers could handle. They were trembling while clutching their weapons.

"D-damn it! Everyone, grab your bows!"

"D-don't let them get close!"

A few soldiers who managed to maintain their composure fired arrows at the skeletons.

But a few arrows were not enough to stop the skeletal horde.

"Th-they're trying to break down the gate!"

The skeletons surrounding Spring Castle began pounding on the walls and gate with their weapons.

The castle shook as if hit by an earthquake. Soldiers screamed and clung to the walls.

"Aaaargh!"

"It's c-collapsing!"

The gate was the first to give way.

It shattered with a pitiful crunch and the skeletons rushed in.

The soldiers' faces turned pale. The fear of death paralyzed their minds.

That's when it happened.

Just as the skeletons were about to pass through the gate, an iron door fell.

The weight of the iron door crushed the skeletons. Those behind were baffled by the sudden appearance of this new gate.

"Kieeeek?"

"Krueeeek?"

The skeletons tried to break down the iron door too. But no matter how hard they pounded, it didn't budge.

"W-what's going on?"

"Was there a s-second gate?"

The soldiers were equally confused. They stared at the suddenly appeared iron door in bewilderment.

That's when it happened.

Suddenly, the entire castle wall began to glow red. Then, a shockwave erupted.

The shockwave obliterated all the skeletons. Black bones littered the ground.

The soldiers watched the scene with dazed expressions.

"Uahahahahahaha!"

Suddenly, laughter erupted. The soldiers were startled and looked up.

Short dwarves were now standing among them.

"How do you like that! The arcane magic of our Hammerfell city!"

"We call it the 'Boom Boom Wall'!"

"Chief Kilo... can we please change that name?"

The soldiers stared at the noisy dwarves with blank faces.

"W-who are you guys?"

"Us? We're your allies!"

"A-allies?"

"Yeah! The eldest son of your count asked for our help."

The leader of the dwarves Kilo said with a hearty laugh.

"Ah, this is no time for laughter."

Kilo looked up at Dorugo with a very serious expression.

Being undead himself, he could tell. He knew just how absurdly monstrous the being floating in the sky was.

Is this how an ant would feel facing a human?

Kilo unconsciously clenched and unclenched his fists due to the extreme tension.

He wanted to run away.

But he couldn't. A dwarf had to keep a promise once made. Especially a promise made to a benefactor.

And Kilo had promised Damien. He said he would protect his family.

"Boys!"

Kilo shouted, trying hard to suppress his fear.

"The day has finally come for us to use our inventions to our heart's content!"

"Yes, Chief!"

His subordinates shouted loudly.

They weren't unafraid either. But for the same reason as Kilo, they didn't run away.

"Good! Then activate the devices! Let's show those bastards all the secrets of our Hammerfell clan..."

At that moment, the monster floating in the sky raised its index finger.

A sphere the size of a marble floated above the finger. It looked unremarkable, but Kilo could sense it.

Even a volcano rumbling beneath the earth was but a candle flame compared to the power contained in that sphere.

"D-defend... No, run... Run away!"

The marble-sized sphere flew towards Kilo.

The next moment, the gate and walls of Spring Castle were completely obliterated.

* * *

"Dwarves? You were employing some unusual servants."

Dorugo muttered, looking down at the shattered Spring Castle.

"They're decent pawns, but such things can't stop me."

Dorugo descended with the Four Great Demon Kings. She walked in, stepping on the shattered debris.

She could have flown over the walls, but she wanted to enter on her own feet. It was the victor's right, after all.

Inside, she saw the corpses of soldiers. Of course, there were dwarves too.

"Ugh..."

"Urgh..."

Being undead, they hadn't died, but they seemed to have taken a severe shock.

Dorugo ignored the dwarves. They weren't even worth finishing off.

"Come forth."

At Dorugo's command, skeletons formed again. Dorugo pointed at the castle and said,

"Go and capture Damien's family."

Dorugo ordered the remaining skeletons. The skeletons rushed towards the inner castle.

That's when it happened.

A slashing attack came out of nowhere, cutting down all the skeletons.

"Hm?"

Dorugo looked with a puzzled expression at those who had cut down the skeletons.

A knight in black armor and a lightly dressed woman stood holding swords.

"How dare you invade our lord's castle."

"Why are these skeleton bastards so tough?"

A strange light flickered in Dorugo's eyes as she looked at the two.

They were no ordinary swordsmen. They were Master Class warriors.

"Hey! You bastard! I don't know where you came from, but stay right there! I'm going to separate your bones from your flesh!"

Veronica, shouted, pointing at Dorugo.

Dorugo smiled amusedly at Veronica, who wasn't intimidated despite sensing her aura.

"You've brought quite fierce dogs to guard your home."

She had thought Damien would have made separate preparations to protect his family, but she didn't expect him to prepare two Master class warriors.

"Let's see how skilled you are."

Dorugo gave orders to the skeletons. Hundreds of skeletons rushed at the two.

But the skeletons couldn't get close to them. Suddenly, weapons sprouted from the ground.

"Hm?"

White skeletons popped out. All had auras attached to their weapons.

"...Dozens of Middle class skeletons?"

It was too early to be surprised.

The shadows of the black skeletons wavered, and dozens of wolves leapt out.

The wolves tore apart and shattered the black skeletons. Then they merged into one entity.

Someone jumped from the roof of a building. An androgynous girl burned all the skeletons to ashes.

"Wooooo!"

"Yap!"

Munchi and Miya stood in front of Dominico and Veronica.

"Well, well..."

Dorugo looked at the undead with a surprised expression.

Two Master class warriors, two undead nearly as powerful.

And dozens of skeletons that had reached Middle-class.

Even among the Giant Evils of Pandemonium, none had such military strength.

"For someone who hates me, you've made good use of Dark magic."

Dorugo said as she twisted her lips.

"Mother! Let me! I'll destroy them all!"

"I told you to stay put."

Dorugo rejected Iota's plea with a single word and stepped forward.

"Damien Haksen's efforts are commendable... but I can't be held back by such insects."

Dorugo stretched out her hand towards the undead army.

"What's she doing now?"

Veronica said, looking at Dorugo as if she were an idiot.

Dorugo twisted one corner of her mouth at her mockery.

They couldn't even imagine.

That the space around them had become blades, aiming at them.

"Insects should be swept away in one go."

Dorugo clenched the hand she had stretched out.

Invisible teeth tore the undead army to shreds.

***

[Translator - Kie]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]