“I say again, calm down.”
In this silent space, only this voice filled with self-confidence and authority reverberated.
“Also, do not be afraid, warriors. Above all else, you must not disappoint the numerous ancestral spirits behind you.”
Shasuryu passed through the group of lizardmen which had retained their calm and were peacefully silent, and arrived by Zaryusu’s side.
“Younger brother, what action has the opponent taken?”
“Hmm, older brother, although they have begun to move… they do not appear to be preparing for battle.”
“Hmm…”
The five hundred skeletons which had begun to move formed into ten ranks.
“Just what are they planning to do?”
As if the skeleton army had been waiting for this question to be asked, they once again began to move.
Under perfect and precise commands, the legion parted to either side from the centre. What appeared from the gap of approximately twenty skeletons in width was… a figure.
That figure was not very large. Even if it was about two hundred and fifty meters away, it was possible to see that the figure was shorter than Zaryusu.
That person wore a pitch-black robe, and gave off a terrifying aura. He wore a similar attire to the powerful lich from yesterday’s battle, therefore likewise, this opponent should also be a magic caster.
However, there was a decisive difference between the two, that being their strength.
Seeing that figure, Zaryusu felt his back getting the shivers. His instinct was telling himself that if he were to compare this person who had just appeared to yesterday’s lich, the difference in their strength would be like that of a baby to a warrior.
Even if the distance between them was so large, it was still possible to be affected by that terrifying freezing aura emitted from that person’s entire body. Not only that, but the opponent’s equipment were also of a different class.
As if it was impossible to resist death— an absolutely dominating image.
“Is that… an Overlord of Death?”
Zaryusu could not resist speaking out the most appropriate description of this creature, and these words completely hit the point.
That person was an Overlord which dominated over death.
“… Oh, oh!”
What exactly was this Overlord of Death attempting to do?
The lizardmen which were nervously watching this Magic Caster let out a panicked sound altogether. At this moment, an enormous hemisphere-shaped magic array approximately ten metres in diameter expanded outwards with the magic caster at the centre.
A blue and white radiance floated on the surface of the magic array, with semi-translucent markings which looked like it could be words or symbols. Those semi-translucent markings were rapidly changing, and at any given moment none of the words were the same.
Being unable to understand what exactly it was, Zaryusu felt confused.
When a magic caster was casting magic, one would not project it into the air like he did with the magic array. The opponent’s current movements were already beyond Zaryusu’s area of knowledge, therefore he turned to the female lizardman here who was the most familiar with magic and asked:
“What exactly is that?”
“I–I don’t know. I cannot figure out what that is either—”
Crusch’s reply was a bit terrified. It looked like she was even more frightened because she possessed knowledge about magic yet was unable to understand that behaviour.
Just at the moment that Zaryusu was planning to comfort her…
Not knowing if the magic had successfully activated, the magic array broke apart, becoming numerous light particles flying towards the sky. In the next instant— like there had been an explosion in the sky, the particles spread out—
And the lake… completely froze.
Not a single person could understand what exactly had happened.
Shasuryu who was a tribe leader with outstanding qualifications; Crusch who had extraordinary druid powers; even Zaryusu the traveler who had seen much and had a wide breadth of knowledge. Even these individuals, who within lizardmen history could be considered to possess miraculous abilities, could not immediately comprehend the current situation.
No way of understanding why their own feet were inside ice.
Before long— after enough time had passed for the brain to accept the situation before their eyes— a crying rang out—
Every lizardmen— indeed, everybody let out a lamenting cry.
Even Zaryusu was the same. Crusch and Shasuryu, and even the most courageous Zenberu, were no exception. As if terror crept out from the depths of their souls, everybody could not help but scream.
This fact laid out before their eyes was simply too terrifying. The lake, which absolutely would never freeze over, which had never frozen over ever since the moment of their birth, was apparently frozen solid.
The lizardmen frantically lifted their feet. Luckily the layer of ice was not thick, and broke immediately, but the broken areas immediately froze up again. A chilling cold vapour came from underneath, making it painfully obvious that this sight was not an illusion.
After Zaryusu agitatedly clambered up the mud wall, he immediately surveyed the surroundings, then was stunned into silence by what he saw from his widened point of view.
Everything in his field of vision was completely frozen over.
Indeed, it was inconceivable to imagine that such an enormous lake would be entirely frozen solid. However, this radiating ice which covered everything in sight was also reality.
One corner of Zaryusu’s mind was also worried about the situation of his fish farm, but now was not the time to be worried about such things.
“That can’t be…”
Crusch, who had also climbed up, looked around and was lost for words just like Zaryusu. From her gaping mouth, she let out a despaired voice.
Like Zaryusu, she did not wish to believe that this scene she saw before her was real.
“Monster!”
She cursed loudly, whilst at the same time wishing that swearing and cursing would mitigate her internal fear.
“Get up here, quick!”
Older brother Shasuryu bellowed.
Several lizardmen had already toppled over. The remaining warriors who were still able to move cooperated together, helping to pull up their collapsed companions from the frozen ground.
Those lizardmen whom were being helped up had pale faces and were shivering constantly. The cold gas which wafted upwards probably had robbed them of their vitality.
“Older brother, I’ll go check on the others!”
Zaryusu who wielded Frost Pain could not be affected by this degree of influence from the cold air.
“No… Do not go!”
“Why, older brother?!”
“The enemy will probably start moving in a short moment. You are not permitted to leave! Grasp the overall situation, do not let any information slip! This is something which can only be entrusted to you who have wandered across the world and acquired various kinds of knowledge.”
Shasuryu’s eyesight moved away from Zaryusu and turned to speak to all of the surrounding warrior class lizardmen.
“Right now I will be casting some ice resistance magic upon you all, ‘Protection Energy Ice’. Quickly go and inform every single person in the village, and avoid coming into contact with the ice.”
“I will also assist with casting the magic.”
“Please do! Then, Crusch, let us act separately. If any individual is discovered to be in an emergency situation, immediately cast healing magic!”
Crusch and Shasuryu began to cast defensive magic on the unharmed lizardmen.
Zaryusu remained on top of the mud wall, and looked towards the enemy’s position with sharp eyes, making sure to grasp the opponent’s every single movement. It was imperative to carry out the task given to him by his brother with perfection.