After a brief rest, Simon parted with Erzebet and descended into the Abyss assigned to Pier. There were no enemy attacks. Impressed by Pier’s clean work, he descended comfortably, letting gravity pull him down. Soon, the bottom came into view.

’Found him!’

Atop a mountain of countless destroyed undead, a tall skeleton stood majestically, a greatsword slung over its shoulder. It turned its skull with a creak.

[Kuhuhu! You’ve come, boy!]

"Pier!"

Pier caught the descending Simon and set him down safely.

"What about the Northern God?"

[He wasn’t here, but you’ve come at a good time!] Pier looked up at the gaping ceiling. [Their counterattack was just about to begin!]

With a deafening roar, one side of the wall burst open, and a giant worm undead shot out. It was a Death Worm, like the one his classmate Toto used, but this one was several times larger. Simon’s face tensed as he drew up his Jet-Black.

’Letting us reach the bottom before attacking. The same tactic as with Erze.’

The Death Worm retched, and a rain of smaller undead poured from its mouth.

[Wear me, boy!]

With a series of clicks and clacks, Pier’s body broke apart and began to attach itself to Simon. Simon smirked and raised his right arm.

"I didn’t interrupt, did I?"

The moment the bone gauntlet snapped into place on his arm, the Greatsword of Ruin was in his hand.

[Kuhuhu! Of course not! It’s impossible for me to use the power of the sword spirit on my own!] A low hum filled the air as the blade of the greatsword, white as a blank page, began to glow green. [The sword only acknowledges the Legion Commander! And against so many enemies, his power is perfect!]

"Here I go!" Simon stomped his right foot hard enough to dent the ground and swung the greatsword twice in succession.

He unleashed ’Kal Original: Venomous Yaksha’ followed by ’Kal Original: Venomous Crush’.

In an instant, the world was covered in green ink. The agonized undead melted down like porridge. The Death Worm that had carried them was also hit directly, its body dissolving as it let out a pained shriek.

[Kuhuhuhu! Indeed, magnificent! You’ve completely mastered the combination techniques now!]

"Let’s go!" Wearing Pier as armor, Simon ran along the wall. This was the power of a Legion Commander. His physical abilities were on a completely different level. Every time he kicked off the wall, the background rushed past him. He reached the top of the Abyss in a great rush of air.

As Simon was wondering where to go next, a black feather fluttered down.

[Reporting the battle situation, Young Master!]

It was Akemuth. He hovered in mid-air, a hand politely placed on his chest as he bowed.

"Go ahead."

[The legion has conquered six Abysses, including the one you and Pier just exited.]

Progress: 6/10. Four places left.

[One of them is being handled by Erzebet.] Akemuth pointed to an Abyss where a cursed feather floated like a beacon, a marker he had left to avoid confusion. [Another is being handled by Pluto of the 2nd Legion. He was the first among the commanders to conquer his Abyss and has already entered the next one.]

’As expected of the 2nd Legion! Was that explosion I saw earlier from the next Abyss?’ The strength of a Legion Commander was directly linked to the strength of their contracted Ancient Undead. For now, the Grand Duke’s Ancient Undead was stronger than the others in the 7th Legion.

[There are two Abysses left. Where would you like to go?]

If Simon, Pier, and Akemuth each took one, they would have entered all of them. And one of the four would undoubtedly encounter the real Northern God.

’This is tense.’ Simon turned his head. "Akemuth. Do you have enough strength to fight?"

Akemuth bowed politely.

[Of course. If it is your command, Young Master, I will fight with all my being.]

"Survival is the priority. Pier and I will go to the right. You take the left."

[Yes!] Akemuth spread his wings, kindly grabbed Simon’s shoulders, and deposited him on one side of the Abyss before flapping away to descend into another.

’The final battle. The Northern God might be down there.’ Throwing himself into the pitch-black tunnel, Simon gripped the hilt of the Greatsword of Ruin.

’Just you wait!’

In the darkness, countless eyes flashed, greeting the intruder.

---

Meanwhile, in Vilkenos.

The city was in ruins. The ’Fourth’, who lacked physical ability but wielded unconventional and powerful black magic, was more difficult to deal with than any of its brothers. Many residents were dead or injured, and some had fallen to its magic, rising as undead to attack their own people. The sky was red, the city was burning, and the once-vibrant night market was stained with blood.

With heavy thuds, the Fourth finally crossed the city walls. It spread a magic circle in the air, and with each activation, black flames indiscriminately incinerated the city. It kept walking, its destination the Grand Duke’s Castle in the center of Vilkenos. In its basement was a shelter where many Northerners were hiding. If the Fourth reached it, all would be lost.

"Hahk... Hahk..." A Northern man clutched a wound on his chest, gasping for breath. His young daughter hugged him tightly as his family huddled beside him, watching the Fourth with terrified eyes. A giant larger than a house, its face bloated like a balloon, came to a slow halt.

Its gaze fell directly on the family.

"We’ve been spotted—!"

A black fireball shot toward them. The man, sensing his end, moved to shield his wife and daughter, when a voice cut through the air.

"Run."

A vortex of crimson blood erupted to meet the black flame, nullifying it with a tremendous roar. The one who appeared, blocking the Fourth’s magic head-on, was a pretty girl with twin-tailed, light purple hair. She wore a black Kizen uniform and a cape of flowing blood. Her eyes were red, her fangs glinted, and she was panting, exhausted from the long battle.

’That’s the famous vampire of Vilkenos!’ the man thought. She had become a local legend.

But something was wrong. Her red pupils were fixed on the blood spattered on the man’s neck.

The world spun, centered on the blood. Her parched throat screamed with an intense thirst. She took a mesmerized step toward him.

"A-Are you okay?" his wife asked.

The girl snapped to her senses and clamped a hand over her mouth. She bent over, staying still for a moment, then said in a strained voice, "I’ll... move you."

She gestured, and a carpet of blood rose and carried the family to safety.

’I’m low on blood. I’m dizzy. My throat is burning.’ She had almost bitten an innocent person—a side effect of releasing Ursula’s power. Kamibarez turned to face the Fourth, who watched her warily, recognizing her as the strongest being in Vilkenos.

’I have to fight. For the people of the North. For Simon.’ She had trained relentlessly during the special class. She never imagined she would have to use this technique in a real battle so soon. ’I will fight!’

She opened her subspace, took out the last pack of blood, and drank it. As the blood coursed through her, her blurry vision cleared, and her reason returned. The Fourth, meanwhile, had finished preparing its attack. It lifted nearby houses with gravity magic and cast a spell on them. Rose thorns sprouted from a door, and plague-ridden mushrooms popped up on a wooden wall. With a flick of its finger, the contaminated structures rained down on Kamibarez.

She lowered her stance. ’Simon is also fighting somewhere in the North right now, right?’

Her blood cape fluttered as she dashed forward. ’Hang in there! I’ll do my best too!’

The contaminated debris flew at her, but she immediately countered with her own black magic. A tornado of blood rose and swept the projectiles away.

"I’ll return it!" she yelled, extending her arm. The tornado spun in the opposite direction, sending the debris flying back. As the two volleys collided, she slipped through the gap. She groaned from dizziness but didn’t stop, running at a terrifying speed.

"Don’t let Lady Kamibarez fight alone!"

"Advance!"

Northerners poured out from the alleys. It was a planned attack. They had all been waiting for the Fourth to cross the wall.

"Fire!" Arrows imbued with Jet-Black rained down from the roofs. The Fourth deployed a massive shield to block them and sent its undead minions toward the archers.

"Don’t make eye contact with the undead! Your mind will be clouded!" the butler Godric shouted from horseback, thrusting his one remaining hook hand. "Our target is the Fourth! Advance!"

The few remaining cavalrymen charged. In response, the Fourth drew a magic circle on its hand and touched the ground. The tiles turned pitch black and shot upward, sending the warhorses tumbling.

"Kuaaaah!" a young rider roared, leaping from rooftop to rooftop before raising his sword. "Don’t underestimate the North!"

The sword he swung became an arc of pure energy that slashed the Fourth’s leg. Blood spurted from the wound.

"Now! Vampire kid!"

"Yes!" Kamibarez, who had followed close behind, activated the magic circle she had deployed in the air.

’Great Hemorrhage: Overflow’.

A torrent of black blood gushed from the Fourth’s leg like a fountain. It grimaced and tried to stop the bleeding, but it was useless. Jet-Black poured out with the blood, and its leg began to wither as if necrotic.

"Alright! We got—!"

With a sickening slice, the Fourth cut off its own leg. The warriors were stunned; it had always been so protective of its body. The creature collapsed to the ground and deployed another magic circle.

"Be careful!" Kamibarez shouted, but she was too late. A whip of pure Jet-Black lashed out and struck the rider, sending him flying into a distant building.

The rider coughed, spitting blood.

"Rider!"

The man extended his arm.

"Don’t mind me! Keep going, Kami!"

Kamibarez gritted her teeth and threw herself forward. The Fourth once again hurled contaminated debris at her, and she deployed a blood barrier to withstand it. With a great ’whoosh’, the Fourth combined the debris into a massive tower and brought it crashing down. This time, Kamibarez couldn’t react, but—

Godric leaped up, grabbed her collar, and pulled her aside.

"C-Commander?"

"Go! Please, save the people!" he yelled. "I’m counting—!"

His body was struck by the pillar and vanished in an explosion of dust. A spark flashed in Kamibarez’s red eyes.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Leaping in a single bound, she soared above the Fourth’s head. She gathered all the blood from her body, including her cape, concentrating it into a single point.

’Kamibarez Original: Red Typhoon’.

She swung her arms down, and a massive, raging blood storm slammed into the Fourth with a ferocious roar. The creature spread its arms and deployed a defensive magic circle. As the two techniques collided, Vilkenos shook. But new magic circles began to connect to the Fourth’s defense. The effect of its magic changed, and Kamibarez’s tornado began to slow.

Her pupils trembled. ’He stole control of my magic!’

Her red tornado turned black and spun in the opposite direction. A grating sound came from the Fourth’s mouth as a magic circle appeared there.

[Father told me to restrain myself, but I’m just dying to say this!] it rasped. It raised its arms, and the stolen tornado grew larger, infused with its own Jet-Black. [Goodbye, humans! I’ll eliminate you all with the magic of the very vampire who protected you!]

Kamibarez, her strength exhausted, fell helplessly toward the ground.

"Catch, Kami!"

Something flew toward her with a sharp ’whoosh’. A strange light flickered in her eyes. Without looking back, she reached out and boldly caught it. It was a flag, thrown by the distant rider. Just before she hit the ground, she spun once in the air.

"Haaaaaaaaah!" Squeezing out her last bit of Jet-Black, she threw the flag.

The Fourth, occupied with controlling her magic, couldn’t block it. The flag struck its chest, painting a black target on its flesh before bouncing off and rolling to the ground.

[Heh.] A laugh escaped the Fourth’s mouth. [Hahahaha! It’s useless, you stupid humans! The Legion Commander who protected you is in the Frost Field! It’s all over—!]

A high-pitched whine filled the air.

[Huh?] The Fourth’s head snapped around.

The sky had turned black, as if bruised. The fallen Northerners all shot to their feet.

"That’s—!"

"Could it be?!"

The Fourth’s mouth fell open.

[Impossible! This is impossible! That human is definitely in the Frost Field—!]

A piercing shriek tore through the air.

The symbol of the North’s victory. A black arrow was flying from beyond the distant mountain range. It crossed the mountains in an instant—

—and struck the Fourth precisely in the center of its chest with a sickening crunch.