I Became The Academy Necromancer-Chapter 276: A Test From The Souls
Qualification.
This was a test to qualify for wielding power, but conversely, it also required proving that one wouldn’t use that power.
In other words, it was about whether or not I could protect the souls from being exploited for malicious purposes while also resisting temptation.
That was the true meaning behind this test.
If that were the case, then the first thing to do was…
“Kraaaargh!”
…to take down Lanhardt, who was charging at us recklessly.
“Will you protect us?”
At the souls’ request, I nodded and passed through them. And before I knew it, the souls surrounding us ascended high into the sky, clearing the area.
It was a signal that they wouldn’t interfere in this battle.
It seems like I’ve taken on quite an unreasonable role.
Wasn’t it asking too much to demand that I, a Necromancer, refrain from using souls while also having to stop Lanhardt?
Still, fulfilling that was my current task.
“Move aside!”
Lanhardt leaped into the air, throwing a punch at me as I blocked his path.
It was an incredibly threatening attack, producing a dull, tearing wind sound as though it were ripping through space with just a single swing.
Despite all my experiences, I had yet to encounter a being that exuded such pressure with just a punch.
Boom!
The ground quaked as the wind between the two of us clashed, resonating and spreading in all directions.
The Protective magic created by the Dark Spiritualist held off the initial impact for now.
The only one who had ever broken through this since its creation was Luaneth after taking on the mantle of Heralhazard once more. Even Lanhardt was unable to shatter the Protective magic instantly.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Yet his relentless barrage of punches showed no signs of stopping, and no matter how sturdy the barrier was, there was no way it would last forever.
As his attacks continued, the magic began to crack, but I had no means of counterattacking.
At least, I didn’t.
“Hyaaaah!”
As the souls made way, Findenai, who could now charge forward unimpeded, leaped and swung Snow White directly at Lanhardt.
Drawing a large arc, Snow White struck Lanhardt squarely on the shoulder.
However, Lanhardt merely staggered back a few steps, snorting without sustaining any significant injury.
“Is that all?”
Mocking Findenai, Lanhardt taunted her. While Findenai would’ve normally furrowed her brows and charged again without hesitation…
She stood silently in front of me, determined not to leave an opening for Lanhardt to reach me.
“I get that things are getting complicated. But I’m guessing that it’ll all be over if we just kill that guy, right? Am I getting this right?”
Pointing her chin at Lanhardt, Findenai asked. I dispelled the Protective magic and replied.
“Think of it as facing a guardian deity like the Mountain Lord. He’s already surpassed the human realm.”
“Judging by his tail, that checks out.”
Lanhardt’s heavy tail, trailing along the ground, looked like that of a dragon, ready to lash out at any moment.
Quietly stepping past me, Darius also moved forward to stand beside Findenai.
“We were supposed to stop hunters targeting the guardian deity, and now we’ve ended up having to hunt something akin to a guardian deity ourselves.”
It was a rather neat summary, yet it didn’t really sound like something Darius would say.
Click.
Following Darius’ lead, Deia stood next to me, imbuing her shotgun with magic power.
While I briefly wished she wouldn’t get involved, I knew there was no point in saying anything—she wouldn’t listen anyway.
“The souls won’t help us, right?”
I gave Deia a small nod. Watching us like a judge from behind was Deus Verdi.
With dull, colorless eyes, he simply observed us in silence.
“Asking a Necromancer to fight without using souls is a bit much.”
Deia grumbled petulantly but knew well we had no other choice.
“Got a plan?”
Deia cast me a sidelong glance as she asked.
Findenai and Darius were forming a wall in front of us but were still listening intently to what I had to say.
“Guardian deities tend to weaken rapidly the moment they lose what they protect.”
Horua from the Great Marias Forest weakened the moment it surrendered its ownership of the forest, and even the Mountain Lord could be subdued by burning the Norseweden mountain range.
Guardian deities were surprisingly easy to take down compared to the power they possessed.
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“But that won’t work on him.”
It was the same silence, but after those words, the atmosphere seemed to grow heavier.
“He may have consumed the Ancient Dragon, but the only thing he is likely to protect is his own life. So ultimately, we have to defeat him with our strength alone.”
“Is that even possible?”
Deia’s expression turned dark as she recalled the Mountain Lord. I answered honestly.
“Of course, it’s impossible.”
Just taking our current capabilities into consideration, it was completely out of reach. That was the honest truth.
No matter how strong Findenai had grown and even with Darius and Deia assisting me, we couldn’t win.
The weight of a being carrying the title of a ‘deity’ wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
“Which is why we need reinforcements.”
“Reinforcements?”
“We should push him to the Norseweden mountain range.”
The three of them quickly grasped what I was trying to say. The strong presence emanating from the chaotic Norseweden mountain range, where the souls had retreated—
It was the Mountain Lord.
“We should take the fight to the mountain. Let’s drag that idle tiger, who thinks this has nothing to do with him, into the fray.”
“Ha!”
Hearing my words, Findenai stepped forward, looking satisfied.
“Even when you say it’s tough, solutions just pop out of your mouth. Now finally it feels like I’m fighting alongside Master Bastard again.”
Darius and Deia nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with her.
It appeared that the three had found common ground in their thoughts about me during my absence.
“Make all the other soldiers fall back. It’ll be a meaningless sacrifice if they get caught up in this.”
At my command, Darius waved his hand, and the soldiers quickly retreated.
“The condition for victory is simple. Push him out of the city.”
“You make it sound sooo easy.”
“Just making that monster take a few steps back would be pretty impressive, wouldn’t it?”
Findenai and Darius grumbled at my words, but their gazes remained fixed on Lanhardt.
Lanhardt seemed to be adjusting to his changing body, thumping his tail against the ground rhythmically.
His body, growing larger with creaks and cracks, gave the impression of clay being added to a sculpture.
“The plan is simple.”
Mana began swirling at my fingertips, spinning fiercely like a vortex. It felt like a revving engine, ready to launch.
“Protect me with everything you’ve got. Don’t let him touch me.”
Did they think that was out of nowhere?
All three turned their sharp gazes toward me at the same time.
Protecting me and pushing Lanhardt out of the city might have seemed like two different tasks…
However, that was the only way we could win.
“Then I’ll protect everyone with my life.”
After our first clash, I had realized that even Lanhardt couldn’t shatter the Dark Spiritualist’s Protective magic in a single strike.
Hence, it was now my role to support the team.
“As long as I remain standing on this ground, Lanhardt will never reach you.”
Even a single blow from Lanhardt, whose strikes were near-lethal, would be dangerous.
Especially for Findenai and Darius, who had to engage in close combat with him; just one mistake could cost them their lives.
The two vanguards understood my intent, nodding as they raised their weapons.
But the one to signal the start of the battle was—
Bang!
“Seems like our strategy meeting is over, right?”
Deia who fired the first shot.
Unsurprisingly, the magic-imbued bullet didn’t even leave a scratch on Lanhardt’s skin.
While Deia clicked her tongue in disappointment…
The moment Lanhardt’s golden eyes locked onto Deia, Darius charged forward.
“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING?!”
Lanhardt, who had grown enough in size to match that of Darius, the Giant of the North, reached out without hesitation and blocked the sword.
Clang!
Though Lanhardt caught the blade with his hand, it sounded like steel crashing against steel.
Without giving Lanhardt a chance to react to Darius, Findenai lunged in from the side, swinging Snow White with all her might.
Clang!
This time, Lanhardt blocked it with his other hand.
Though both his hands were occupied now, he smirked menacingly.
“I’ll crush your weapons.”
Creak!
Veins bulged along his arms as his grip tightened, trembling with the intent to snap Darius’ treasured sword and Findenai’s Snow White.
The two struggled to pull their weapons free but were powerless against Lanhardt’s monstrous strength.
However—
Click.
With his hands still preoccupied, a large barrel loomed over Lanhardt’s face and…
Bang!
Deia fired without hesitation. Lanhardt’s head snapped back, but his body remained unshaken.
“Stubborn rock-headed bastard!”
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Deia kept firing in rapid succession. While it didn’t seem to do much damage, it did at least disrupt his vision.
Tap.
My hand touched her shoulder and mana flowed naturally into the shotgun.
BOOM!
The longest and loudest gunshot yet rang out.
Lanhardt, who had arrogantly been taking the shots head-on, was launched into the air and pushed backward, letting go of the weapons in his grip, creating an opening for Findenai and Darius to charge forward again.
“Once we push him, we keep pushing! I’ll take the lead, so keep up with my tempo!”
It was unusual to see a maid issuing orders to a margrave, yet no one here voiced any complaints.
As the two rushed forward, Deia suddenly shivered, hugging herself tightly as if struck by an odd sensation.
“I… I felt like I was connected to you.”
“…You’re not wrong, but don’t use such phrases in front of Darius.”
“I-It felt like a jolt? Like a rush of pleasure or something?”
“Stay focused. We’ll probably have to do this a few more times.”
“It felt like my mana was violated.”
“…”
It seemed like Deia was left feeling bewildered by the sudden influx of mana. But given the power we’d just unleashed, it was likely we’d need to repeat the process. So I nudged her forward, and together we pressed on.
***
Boom!
[What’s going on?]
The loud, resonating sound of something tearing through the air echoed across the horizon. The Dark Spiritualist, who had flown here at full speed without any rest, tilted her head in confusion.
[Why are there so many souls?]
Countless souls covered the skies of Norseweden.
The Dark Spiritualist’s thoughts naturally drifted to Deus, and a fear crept in—had his plan failed?
From the direction of Norseweden’s downtown came the sound of battle, heavy clashes and billows of smoke rising into the air.
While the Dark Spiritualist, who had somehow made it here, was looking around the area, she caught sight of the familiar silhouette of the Saintess among the throng of souls.
[Stella!]
[Senior?]
Stella turned immediately at the sound of someone calling her name. The Dark Spiritualist rushed to her, brimming with urgency.
[What’s happening? Why are there so many souls here?]
The Dark Spiritualist’s question was met with a shake of Stella’s head.
[I’m still trying to figure that out as well. It really seems like he’s back, but something about this feels off.]
The Dark Spiritualist hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously.
[So… he’s really back, isn’t he?]
That was the question that mattered most to both of them. Stella nodded slightly, confirming their hopes.
[I believe so. Let’s head to Norseweden’s downtown and see for ourselves.]
With that, the two started moving toward the city, but—
[But I get to meet him first. Remember? You lost at rock-paper-scissors, didn’t you? So you should come after me.]
[…]
[Answer me, junior.]
[…Yes, ma’am.]
[And no pouting. I won fair and square, didn’t I?]
The Dark Spiritualist smirked triumphantly as Stella replied with a begrudging tone.
[But remember, no physical contact. I won the privilege to hug him first, after all.]
[Of course, do whatever you want.]
Although she said that, the Dark Spiritualist smiled inwardly.
After all, what did it matter? She could simply rush to him first, regardless.
Hiding her mischievous intent, the Dark Spiritualist headed toward Norseweden with Stella.
***
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