Chapter 208

Albert and Grasword's duel was steadily increasing its intensity. With the commanders of the armies being preoccupied, the line of command was severed and the armies were currently in a state of utter chaos. However, to each of the two skilled warriors, nothing could have brought them more amusement than facing such worthy opponent.

“Muhahaha! Remarkable techniques, I am satisfied. I am honoured to clash swords against an opponent, such as yourself with such impressive swordsmanship!”

“It is not my skills. Instead these armaments, bestowed upon I by my Lord Rimuru, are the true essence of my strength. Had I faced you with my previous tools I would be already defeated; the sheer power of your strikes would have overwhelmed me.”

Albert rejects Grasword's flattery with repose.

While his response holds truth, it is also fact that Albert himself held the ability to fully utilize the Godly armaments.

***I know that many people are used to Rimuru, among others being referred as Demon Lord. But魔王“maou” in reality means Magical King (Demon King) and I feel that this would help clarify the confusion regarding the distinction of the Overseers (Rimuru, Ruminas, Leon..etc,) and upper class Demons (Diablo and co.) who are similarly titled (Demonlord, Demonduke, arc demon..,etc)***

“Hah! You needn't humble yourself. Even amongst the Titans (Giants) only few can clash with myself. We initially planned to pincer Demon King Ruminas' army, with the Angels... but I suppose it can't be helped. For it is equally important to subdue a key figure amongst the enemy forces. A truly worthy opponent. However, it seems my little brother Fenn has drawn the short end of the stick. To finally get a chance to rampage, only to have a weakling spell-caster as his opponent. Indeed, knowledge is a splendid thing; And certainly he posses great talent... But we possess <Magic Nullification>, therefore a mere spell-caster has no means of opposing us.”

Grasword proclaimed, as he swung his great-sword.

It was a plan to disturb Albert emotionally; to make him worry about his master (Adalman). For even a minuscule moment of distraction would result in death. A fine method to defeat an opponent, had they not mastered their heart and emotions.

However Albert's expressions stayed unchanged.

“It appears that you are mistaken. It is indeed a fact that I am Adalman-sama's personal guard, thus I am certainly the vanguard. However, I pray you have not forgotten – as a proud member of Rimuru-sama's Twelve Guardians, Adalman-sama is definitely stronger than I! Surely, you must understand what I am trying to convey?”

Thus, Grasword's taunts were easily neutralized.

“Hoh?”

Grassword raises an eyebrow and mutters questioningly. However, without saying another word, he raise his sword in a stance.

(If the heart cannot be disturbed then I shall simply strike head-on)

That was Grasword's straight-forward decision as he quickly analyzes the situation.

“Huhuhu, is that so? Then Fenn would surely be able to enjoy himself after all. Well then. As for I, I believe it's time to fulfill my duty.”

And so their intense swordfight resumes. Their battle continues to heat up, and eventually the two completely ignore their surroundings to muster all of their focus only on their swords.

--

After being struck down to the ground, Adalman momentarily lost his consciousness. He more or less understand what has happened. He was struck just as he was activating his spell. Therefore he saw the enemy jumping in. A spell to turn the tide of the battle, a high-level spell was being chanted. Although he could invoke spells without chanting, it was only limited to spells he could visualize and were familiar to him. After this incidence, he realized that this high-level spell required a more efficient method of activation. Because he began the battle with a super high-level spell and subsequently continued to chain-cast spells, he required some time to recover his magical energy supply. Since he had the leisure, he believed that it would be more entertaining to chant the spells than to simply activating them. Avowedly, he had confidence in his physical damage resistance therefore...

The results prove that Adalman had been careless, and the enemy's capabilities far exceeded what he expected. Forthwith, with but a single strike, all his multi-layered barrier had been broken through in exception to one defensive measure. The one defensive measure that remained had barely activated, and surely without it followed a high probability of a fatal injury from that single strike. Well, it does sound ironically comical for me to receive a fatal injury when I'd already died previously though.

(What!? All of my magical barrers were pierced through as if they were nullified? Does that mean this fellow has the ability to “Nullify Magic”!?)

In an instant Adalman decisively arrives to the correct conclusion.

By luck, something that Gadra had suggested previously had been in the back of my mind. Preparing an alternate defensive measure other than magic had been a wise choice.

(Well, it's fine. Since I'll exhaust my magical energy after this spell. Therefore his “Magic Nullification” skill no longer has any use against me. It could be said that it's rather convenient for me in this circumstance.)

In any case, I'm not unhurt but everything seemed to have worked out; the high-level spell that he had been chanting had activated without and hitches.

The spell that had been cast was “Immortal Legion”. *不死者軍団創造 (Undead Army Troops Creation)*

A wide area effect spell – a spell among the Ultimate Spells. A spell symbolizing the Undead Corps; a forbidden spell that creates soldiers out of the dead. All those that have died on this battleground regardless of ally or foe, their bodies will be reconstructed to create undead soldiers.

Since the giants have high regeneration rates, they can't be killed very easily. If their injuries are non-lethal the they would regenerate; therefore it is imperative to attack them until they are completely dead. Hence time was needed for the accumulation of corpses... To wait with baited breath, observing the battlefield carefully, until the perfect moment to use this spell could be found. All the while he focused on the battlefield, he chanted this spell.

A great magic circle had covered the earth and the skies, and the scattered corpses of the giants have fused together and formed several lumps of bone and flesh. From those lumps grew out limbs, and giants that were approximately 4m in size were born from them. Twice the size of Death Knights, they were Death Giants. Their battle capacity far surpassed their living counterparts. For they had absorbed not only the flesh, but also the souls of their fallen comrades that contained enormous amount of magical energy. Normally regenerative abilities would be lost upon being resurrected as undead, but these undead giants managed to retain this power. Stronger than Death Knights, they were revived as rank A+ monsters. Due to the difficulty in decapitating the giants, many of their corpses were tattered and unusable; although only 1000 Death Giants could be created, it should prove to be more than enough. Now, the recently resurrected Death Giants were engaging their former ally giants.

Adalman lacked the magical energy to even cast Healing Rain, even so he stood up without a care in the world. After confirming that the Death Giants began their rampage with a quick glance, he turned his focus to Fenn impetuously trampling his troops.

“Wenti, are you alright?”

“Yes, I really got careless~”

Wenti swiftly switches to her humanoid form and responds to Adalman. In fact, she received severe damage but she completely recovered at the same time as she transformed. Although she could only do this once a day, she could activate super regeneration by transforming.

“No no, rather than being careless, that smaller sized giant was unnaturally strong. I'm glad that you are safe. From what I can see, that giant possessed an abnormal amount of energy densely packed in that body. Looking closely, he appears to be holy attribute and magic probably will likely have no effect. If we hadn't switched to holy attribute, we'd be purified now”

Adalman casually explains what he has analyzed. Like a Magician that he is, he looks at Fenn with eyes resembling of a researcher.

(Honeslty though, that giant is a tad bit too strong)

Speed, destructive power, and defence. No matter how you look at it, each of those stats are first-class, and if you only consider his energy levels he would rival that of the dragon kind. Even if we clash the Death Giants versus him, he'd easily crush all of them.

“Whew. Apparently it's time for the body that I have trained so hard to shine, I daresay.”

“What?”

With utter confusion towards Adalman's words, Wenti the Death Dragon, could not help but to question the man who she had sworn her loyalty towards. A trained body... Adalman doesn't have flesh. Simply put, there were only bones. As if to answer her doubts,

“I've forgotten to tell you haven't I? I was positioned as a grand priest but my real occupation was something else. Formerly, I was a Holy Fist Master, grand master of both Priest and Martial Artist. There simply was no need to utilize close-range combat when Albert served as such an excellent vanguard. Since you weren't humanoid when I faced you, I didn't believe my skills would be effective and never had a chance to show it dare I say.”

“Eh? No. But, uh... You aren't planning on fighting that giant with bare fists, right?”

“Hm, would that be a problem?”

“Um. Aren't there a lot of problems with that?” That's what Wenti thought, but she couldn't possibly tell him that. She's known Adalman for a long time, but she has never actually seen him train before. “No, would there be any point in training bones anyways?”, if he had replied with something like that then she really wouldn't know how to follow up after that.

“No, Not really...”

That's the only response Wenti could give him.

(Adalman-sama looks like an intellectual, but maybe deep inside he's really-)

Wenti stopped he train of thoughts and turned her focus towards the rampaging Fenn.

“Splendid. Now, let's change our strategy. Since magic has no effect on him let's hit him with physical attacks. This is our only choice. Even your breath attacks uses magical forces so it would most likely be treated as magic. Especially, since you and I don't have any means of attacking him we are at a severe disadvantage. Therefore I have a suggestion.”

Having said that, what Adalman had planned was outside of Wenti's wildest imaginations. But with complete trust in Adalman, Wenti agrees without a doubt.

“I shall leave it to you, Adalman-sama!”

She responded and released the tension from her body. Adalman's idea was for them to combine their strength through possession. Because Adalman was dead he had become very close to a spiritual life form. Because you would require an actual physical body to be able to interact in this world, his dead spirits possessing the remains of his bones were the manifestation of his current being. Because you would require an actual physical body to be able to interact in this world. Hence he can easily move into another body; if Wenti does not resist, he could possess her body without a doubt. The question, was whether he could separate from his current body.

“Don't worry. Even after possession your consciousness will not disappear. In the worst case scenario, we can ask Rimuru-sama to prepare a new body!”

Forthwith, Adalman possesses Wenti. With Death Dragon's high magical energy and tough body as a base, he integrates his magical energy to reinforce her stats. The posession was a success, and a black haired young man wearing a jet-black vestments of clergy stood in place of Wenti.

“Hmm, a success.”

(Amazing, Adalman-sama!)

The two had fused into one and the same. A highly durable body and massive magical energy, Ghenna Lord Adalman's youthful appearance, although his hair colour differed among a few minor differences, had appeared.

(Huhu, I haven't been excited like this in a while. In this state, perhaps I could be equally matched against Zegion-dono? Possibly equal to miss Ultima, I daresay.)

He remembers how hadn't been able to spar against his comrades with his own fist inside the skeletal body... Now, with a fearless smile on his face, he immediately flies towards the rampaging giant. Even now, he doesn't believe he could defeat that giant. However, he could at least buy some time for his allies. Fortunately, although that giant was an epitome of violence, he didn't appear to possess high combat skills like the one facing Albert. Although posessing energy akin to dragons, the giant appeared to be simply rampaging without any reason behind it. We can deduce that it attacked Adalman first, simply because it sensed his energy that was highest among his corps.

(If it's like that it might be possible to defeat it.)

(If it's Adalman-sama, it's definitely possible!)

Adalman was surprised to have received a reply from his inner thoughts but he responds with a sincere nod.

(Yeah, that's right! For I am among the strongest of Rimuru-sama's subsordinates.)

And with a cheerful laugh, they charge towards the rampaging giant.

After their intelligence gathering, the Seven Celestial Sages moved report to Demon King Ruminas, whence they headed towards the outer all where they giants were found. Then, they came across an unbelievable sight:

A knight was fighting on equal terms against Grasword, who was often considered as the strongest Sword King (swordmaster). Their master, Ruminas' attack having no effect against Demon King Draguel. And finally a youth fighting on equal terms against the rampaging giant, whose face appeared to be somewhat familiar.

It was a miracle that these three events were happening nearly simultaneously.

“What on earth. What is happening here!”

“Who is that knight fighting on equal terms against the Sword King?”

“No, No I say! At this rate Ruminas-sama will be defeated!”

“Oi, wait. That person could he be-”

“Adalman, is that not Adalman!!”

“Impossible!? Then that knight is Albert!!”

“But those two are merely subordinates of Demon King Rimuru!? What kind of a joke is this!?”

As the Seven Celestial Sages thought, and consequently exchanged the information they had gathered. Following their exchange of information, their minds were filled with awe.

In the past, both Adalman and Albert were well-known. Adalman, who was a true genius as a Holy Magic User, in addition to being a Grand Priest. While Albert was the strongest Holy Knight in history. Each of these two had the the qualifications to become heroes. However, for some unbeknownst reason, these two never ended up harbouring the Hero's Egg. They had capabilities of sages, and soon would have developed to become Saints. But if they could not become heroes they were of no use to the Seven Celestial Sages. But these two, they were simply too impossibly outstanding. Without being spiritually dominated by Ruminas, they had directly joined the Holy Church of Ingracia Kingdom without any influence from the Holy City. Therefore to the Seven Celestial Sages, they were a double edged sword. The two possessed ability to quickly develop into a threat to the sages, and if handled incorrectly, they would threaten the position of the sages. Though it appears they hadn't noticed the presence of Demon King Ruminas ruling the Holy City, it was certain they had a suspicion regarding the matter. Because they were a powerful entity and chose to not ally with us... The Seven Celestial sages via the power of the Pope, ordered a purification of a large-scale unleaded spirit disaster. It was an open subjugation request plotted against the two of them. The two of them carrying strong sense of justice unknowingly took the bait and accepted the request. Consequently they headed towards the Great Jura Forest. And they would clashed against the Dragon Zombie that the Seven Celestial Sages had prepared beforehand, and perished... or so it seemed.

“Incredible, so they survived...”

That was what each of the Seven Celestial Sages had thought.

“The question is, what do we do now?”

“It would be difficult to defeat Adalman and Albert now.”

“Besides, it would be counter-intuitive to bring up such trivial matters to disrupt our alliance in this dire situation”

“Indeed.”

“On top of that those two are facing the giants. If those two were to lose, we wouldn't come out of this unscathed.”

“No matter, all we need to do is to assist the princess.”

“That's right. Regarding those two, let's think about it after we survive this ordeal.”

The Seven Celestial Sages had decided their course of action. Now is not the time to rouse any conflicts in this dire situation. They will proceed as they originally intended and pay no heed to all else. Forthwith, they will assist their beloved Lord, Demon King Ruminas.