With his blessed sword, he cut down the undead bears that were attacking him with their huge, black, hairy arms.

　The army of the dead looked like an avalanche. They were probably the pitiful offspring of the magical beasts that had originally inhabited this forest.

　The abilities of each and every one of them had been over-enhanced.
　The flesh of its arms was chipped off as it swung its claws down, and drool mixed with blood spilled from its wide open jaws. The way it came at him, disintegrating his body, was just like a demon that had risen from hell.

　Senri knew.
　It was all the power of the abominable necromancy.

　But that's not enough to stop the Knights of the End.

　The light energy Senri and the others control, the power of blessing, keeps the darkness away.
　In a sword, it is the power to cut through the darkness. In armor, it is the barrier that keeps death at bay. When activated, it increases your physical abilities. Thus, the Knights of the End are able to oppose the Dark Ones who wield extrahuman power in human form.

Is there a necromancer?

No!　d*mn, you can't control the undead from a distance like this!

　My friends are out of breath, killing the Fleshwild that is constantly attacking us.
　Light and dark. Positive and negative. The chemistry is in our favor. So the necromancer fills the gap with numbers.

　The undead, strengthened by the necromancer at the cost of their soul's decay, are deepening the abyss.
　Even the Knights of the Apocalypse, who are accustomed to cleansing the undead, have trouble with them.

"Senri, should we back off?　These things will destroy themselves if they have enough time.

I'm not backing down.

No. I knew you'd say that!　That's why you're a first-class knight candidate!

　I'm a first class knight candidate!" Senri replies immediately, and Lefley smiles deeply as he sweats.
　There's still room for improvement, but the wear and tear is intense. I can see the blessings of my friends being drained away.

　The blessings of the Knights of the End are vast, but they are not infinite. When they are depleted, there is no way to protect oneself from the Dark Ones. Senri is not fatigued at all, but Lufry and the others have only a tenth of the blessings that Senri has.

　The undead that were attacking them now were lowly. Senri thought as he cleansed the wolf pack as if he were breathing.
　A second level necromancer is as close to the Dark Lord as you can get. I don't think they'll end up being just an army of flesh and blood.

　We need to preserve Lefley's power. At the very least, it was part of Senri's mission to bring them back alive.

I'll take care of it all at once.

"What?　No, no, no, Senri. These people are still out there.

That's what Master would do.

　He didn't hesitate.
　Grasping in both hands the weapon he had been given when he became a second-class knight, a sword made of precious holy silver, Senri prayed.
　He thrust the sword into the ground. He gathered the blessings that had filled his entire body into the tip of the sword and exploded it at once.

　The pure positive power that had not been converted into destructive energy became a wind of light that diffused around her.

"Soul Release".

　There was no destruction. The bodies of the bear undead who were about to swing their mighty arms down, and the pack of wolf undead who had been incessantly pouncing on their comrades without regard for their deaths, collapsed without a sound and turned to dust.
　The undead that had been attacking them without pause did not even have time to scream as they vanished as if they were just an illusion.
　Senri watched them go with an indescribably sad feeling.

Soul Release is the most basic purification spell. It is the power of the demise knight of the demise knight that fills the abyss of the undead with positive energy spread over a wide area and gives them rest.
　It is nearly impossible to defend against, and there is no more powerful technique than this for dealing with large numbers of low-ranking undead.

　The silence returns. The stagnant air is purified. Nevira whistles happily as she shoulders the mace she's been wielding.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I've been able to purify that many undead at once. ...... You're a second-rate knight.

I've decided it's better to be worn out.

　He pulled his sword out of the earth. He grasped the palm of his hand several times to check the condition of his body. He nodded his head without moving an eyebrow.

　I'm not sure what to make of that. That is why Demise Knights first learn the art of manipulating weapons in order to reduce the wear and tear on their limited blessings.

　However, the amount of blessings Senri possesses is the seal of approval of a first-class knight.

　He had released so much power at once that he felt a slight weariness, but it soon disappeared.
　I can still fight. I haven't lost even ten percent of my strength yet.
　Her purple eyes keep looking beyond the forest. There are still souls affected by the darkness. We have to save them.

It's okay. No problem. Horus didn't expect us to attack. We'll finish him before he can regroup.

　Senri's words were met with a serious nod from his companions.





§§


　The house was easy to find.

　We pried open the locked gate by force and went inside.
　Inside the fence. There was a thick scent of death in the large garden. But the only sign of the undead was inside the house.

　Perhaps this is where the Fleshwolves that attacked earlier have been roaming. Senri scowled as he thought for a moment of the dead wolves running around the garden.

　A powerful sorcerer has a strong presence due to the immense power he carries within him.
　The dark magic that pours out of the house. His strength is definitely one of the five strongest that Senri has ever fought.

　There it is. There's no doubt in my mind that Holos Kamen is in that house.
　Senri and the others are waiting arrogantly, knowing that their nemesis, the Knights of the End, are coming.

"d*mn. You know we're coming, and you don't choose to run away? You're a cowardly necromancer, but you're so confident that you're about to become a corpse.

　As usual, Nevilla smiles a deep, wild smile. But his face was a little paler than usual.
　She is about to be swallowed by the evil.

"Scared?

　The words came out involuntarily, and Nevira rolled her eyes for a moment, then quickly clenched her teeth.
　She waved her mace, the head of which was blessed with holy silver, and shouted in a raspy voice.

I'm a knight of the end. I'm a Knight of the End.　I've been doing this a lot longer than you, Senri. I've had plenty of run-ins with guys like this. You worry about yourself. It's your job to take care of the holos.

"...... Okay. I got it.

f*ck. I know you have a personality, but you lack respect for your seniors.

　At this rate, he won't be a problem in battle. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on. Even if they feel threatened by the power of the necromancer, they will not shrink from it.

　There is no sign of any other undead outside the house. That must have been the last of them.
　Horos is going to decide everything in this house.

　The door of the house was wide open, as if to provoke him.

　He focused his mind, activating and transforming the blessings that flowed through his body, improving his physical abilities.
　Lefley and the others were activating their powers in the same way, with an appearance that showed no signs of fatigue.

　Just as necromancers are strengthened by collecting death, those who belong to the light have the blessings of the light. There is nothing to fear.

　And so Senri and the Knights of the End infiltrated the house.



§ § § §




　It was a long road. It was an arduous path. But at last the end was in sight.
　It's been twenty years since I became a necromancer classified as second class.
　The longing of a necromancer-- the King of the Dead. With the birth of the King of the Dead, Horos Kamen will become one of the strongest beings in this world, a necromancer classified as first class.

　It was no coincidence that the Knights of the End attacked at the most opportune time.
　They feel it subconsciously. The birth of the Dark Lord. That's why they're trying to prevent it at all costs.

　We're very lucky to have End.
　The speed of his growth, the size of his capacity, is the pinnacle of Horos' long life as a necromancer.

　End, who had gone to get his equipment, hadn't returned yet. What's taking him so long? .......
　But its creator, Lord, knows that End is close by. The only thing that worries me is that he's a little too smart, but I've given him his orders. He'll come back when he's done what he has to do.

　Horos' focus should be on defeating the Order of the End.

　If he loses that end now, there's no telling how many decades it'll be before he gets another undead as good as that one.

　But don't worry. Once. We'll only have to fight them off once.
　Normally, I'd take precautions and wait for the next mutation, but with End's talent, his intelligence, even a ghoul could pull off the ritual.

　He would make a shallow cut in the palm of his hand and use his own blood to draw a magic circle.
　It would be too much for the human holos, but the undead that were out there have been wiped out in this short time.
　There should be no first-class knights, but the enemy is stronger than expected.

　We'll use everything Horus Kamen has got so far.

　So this is the final test.

　He glared at the slaves who had been following Horos' orders in fear. We're ready. No more slave hands needed.

"Lu, you're going to work for me, too. ......

"......?



　Luu paled and took a step back as Horos looked at him.
　Her limbs are thin, her body gaunt. His eyes are deeply sunken and his hair is unkempt. His clothes are tattered, and he is really a small being, no more than a skeleton.
　Above all, his eyes were already devoid of the will to live. It could be called a slave like a slave.

　For the first time, Horos smiles at the slave.

Even vulnerable beings have a use for ....... The source of their power is life itself-- prayer, pride. Defile it, and your power diminishes.

"What are you--

　Lou's voice is almost a whimper.
　Horos' eyebrows twitched, but he regained his composure and gave his orders.

"I don't remember allowing you to ask me a question, but ...... well. This is--this is the last one. Lou. I'm Lou Dolores. You and your skeleton knights will meet the Knights of the End.