Youngest 246

Episode 246

“Interfering, are you!”

A blue spell circle flared at the mage’s fingertips. The ground trembled faintly. It didn’t matter.

Liam advanced with deliberate steps, his gaze filled with nothing but that damned mage’s face.

The reason he always lost his way right at his destination was because too many excellent thoughts crossed his mind.

His thoughts chased one another endlessly, and before long he’d lose track of where he stood, wandering aimlessly.

But now, for once, Liam’s mind felt utterly clear.

I want to kill that man.

With these hands, I will kill him.

I’ll make you taste a hell worse than that which my sister and my parents endured.

His usual cold reason had vanished, his blood burning hot, surging through him like molten iron. The mage sensed the change and hastily moved his hand to cast a spell.

“Stay back—!”

A fountain of blood burst forth. Something that had been his arm dropped heavily to the ground.

“Aaagh! Y-you lunatic bastard…!”

“Don’t worry. It’s only your bones, flesh, muscle, blood vessels, vital nerves and such that have been separated from your body. There’s more to come.”

Chilled to the bone by the low, rasping voice, the mage clutched at his arm and stumbled back, step by frantic step.

Liam, mind lost to rage, raised his sword, and just as the mage hastily retreated, he stepped on something with a crunch.

“……!”

The earth, which had been trembling slightly, now shook so violently he could barely stay on his feet.

Liam knew all too well what this meant. He also knew exactly what the bastard had just stepped on.

‘He set up the beast stone in advance.’

The sealed magical beast awoke. A tremendous roar split the air, warping the very density of the atmosphere.

The monster before him was ten times his size, its body trailing black blood. Larger and more powerful than any typical beast—it had surely been successfully mutated.

“I can’t control it like a dark mage would, but I can certainly make it attack you.”

The mage panted out the words.

“Beasts released from seals awaken starving.”

With that, he conjured a ball of mana and hurled it toward Liam.

As befitted a monster that fed on mana and human blood, the beast’s eyes flared red and it charged at Liam.

He was a skilled swordsman, but not nearly skilled enough to defeat an upper-class beast of such size on his own.

“Ah…”

Liam pushed up his glasses.

I need to kill that bastard first.

Damn it.

“I should have brought the weapon Master Asha gave me…”

You really ought to listen to parents and mentors. Once again, the youngest fairy was right.

Liam took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

“Well…”

He had landed a crippling blow on that bastard. For now, that would have to suffice.

So thinking, he looked around the shadowed woods.

“Would you hurry up already.”

Just then—

Something heavy traced a long arc, slicing through the air with a shrill whistle.

Thunk!

A deep blue sword lodged itself right in the chest of the charging beast.

“Hah, hah. Seriously… Liam, I ran here as fast as I could, huph—”

“So embarrassing, Void. The enemy’s still right there.”

“Shit.”

Void’s face, catching his breath at Liam’s side.

Liam pushed up his glasses at the dumbfounded mage, once again with his middle finger.

In the end, Rubian had not been too late.

His dear fairy had saved him once more.

“Don’t tattle to Grandfather! Or to Ruby!”

Void snatched Liam’s sword, his round eyes curving with delight. Licking the blood from his lips with a face full of mischief, he dashed forward like a gale. At the same time, many footsteps approached swiftly from afar.

“Lord Liam! Are you finally dead?”

“Why’d you bring Allen? He’s just Khalid’s lackey.”

“Who knows. Maybe he’s grown fond of us!”

Void called out while cleaving through the staggering beast from crown to tail.

“I love sword fights the most!”

Boom! Thud, thud, thud! Boom, thud, thud, thud!

No poise whatsoever.

‘It really doesn’t suit me.’

“Right! I’ll save your favorite part, Liam!”

My little brother is the best.

Liam watched with satisfaction as his little brother carefully dismembered the magical beast, piece by piece, and then turned to face the First alongside the arriving knights.

“So, the portal… has finally been breached.”

Clutching the stump of his arm, the mage ground his teeth and quickly traced a spell circle at his feet.

“After him!”

Liam shouted. Allen and the knights surged toward the mage—

“Tch.”

—but the spell circle flared and vanished at once.

With a single sweep of Leviathan’s sword, hundreds of golems fell in pieces.

‘Too many of them.’

The fight wouldn’t end until every upper-class mage’s head was taken, but these slippery bastards darted and dodged, working their magic as they fled.

“Irritating…”

Was there no way to turn the table all at once?

At that moment, Leviathan spotted a mage hiding among the earthen dolls, pouring his mana into a spell. Focused as he was on supporting the ambush on Licht, his rear was wide open.

Leviathan did not miss his prey, like a beast of the hunt.

“Damn it!”

The mage, seeing him rush in, hurriedly tried to redirect his mana, but it was too late. The hero’s sword swung for his neck—

“……?”

What?

The mage, eyes squeezed shut, opened them.

Leviathan’s blade, inches from the mage’s face, had frozen in midair.

‘Is he wounded?’

The mage grinned, lips splitting wide, and began casting a spell at him.

Swoosh.

Suddenly Leviathan ducked.

Before the mage could even grasp what was happening—

Whoosh! Thwack!

An arrow buried itself precisely in the mage’s heart. All the dolls under his control slumped lifeless to the ground.

Leviathan crushed the red embroidery on the mage’s priestly robe beneath his heel, murmuring,

“I thought you’d kicked your habit of aiming for the back of my head.”

“Who knows. Old habits die hard.”

“And just where did you pick up a saying like that?”

“From our daughter, naturally.”

Rosetta answered brightly, and Leviathan couldn’t help but let slip a laugh.

As if on cue, triumphant shouts rang out and the knights came charging down from the temple hill—the Zevert Knights, bearing the family crest upon their chests.

Not many had emerged from the portal yet, but each was a seasoned elite.

They joined with Licht and Khalid, cutting down the monsters that swarmed them.

Off in the distance, Hazel darted about like a fish in water, leaving only afterimages in her wake.

“Let’s finish this.”

Rosetta’s gaze settled on another upper-class mage. Flashing an enchanting smile, she brushed her husband’s jaw.

“Let me teach you the basics of assassination.”

“Ha.”

Leviathan gripped his sword tight, his expression alight with genuine excitement.

“With such a reliable wife, it’s a wonder I have any heart left at all.”

With the reinforcements’ arrival, the battle was swiftly winding down.

He had always believed in victory, but speed had been the issue—now, with support at hand, it was all unfolding as if wind filled his sails.

The attack battering the temple’s barrier ceased, and Leviathan beheaded the last remaining upper-class mages.

Those who’d been watching from the temple cheered. At the same time, Rubian appeared, clinging to Balok for protection as she ran in.

Everyone was safe.

“Sir.”

A squire hurried up to him, handing over a Zevert-cloaked mantle. From the last supply troops through the portal, a black warhorse was brought, reins offered in salute.

He donned the cloak and swung onto the horse without hesitation. As if on cue, imperial banners rose among the knights.

A hero of legend, the duke cast his gaze toward the distant horizon.

It was the eve of the final advance.