Karnak, Monarch of Death-Chapter 83: The Demonic Sword’s Emergence (1)

Ten days ago, a mass slaughter occurred in Mareda, a small rural village in the Zetelba region. Not only were all the villagers killed, but even their livestock fell victim to the carnage. The most notable aspect was the state of the corpses. Humans and animals alike were drained of blood, leaving them shriveled and mummified.

Believing it to be the work of a vampire or a similar creature, the local temple initiated an investigation. However, the investigators, too, were later found dead, their bodies in the same drained state.

The mysterious massacres continued. Starting with Mareda, four villages were wiped off the map in just five days. With hundreds of casualties, the kingdom was thrown into chaos. Eventually, even Achenbart City, the largest in Zetelba, reported mass casualties. But even a monster couldn’t kill everyone it encountered in a large city. Thus, after a spree of killings, the creature fled, leaving behind many witnesses.

Only at this point did the churches of the seven goddesses confront the source of the carnage head-on. The perpetrator of the massacre was finally revealed. It was a small girl, no older than twelve or thirteen, wielding a bizarre dual-edged sword.

In the past, such a seemingly insignificant child committing such atrocities would have been incomprehensible. But times had changed. With the spread of the Shadow of Doom across the continent, necromancy was rampant.

The church assessed the situation with cold rationality and quickly identified the true cause: the demonic sword controlling the girl. Indeed, the weapon's overwhelming aura of malice and bloodlust was impossible to overlook.

Combining witness testimonies, traces left at the scene, and the ominous energy radiating from the locations, the church cross-referenced ancient texts and arrived at a precise conclusion.

“It appears to be a cursed blade, one that uses a human host to manifest its power.”

“It seems to belong to the Blood Eater lineage of demonic swords.”

Dispersing malevolent artifacts to sow chaos was one of the cultists' favorite tactics. Furthermore, the rapid succession of massacres and their widespread locations suggested an organized effort rather than the actions of a single individual. Naturally, the church suspected the Cult of the Black God.

If cultists were involved, the King’s Order was needed. Drunta was contacted, and the 5th Squad was dispatched to handle the mission.

***

“...And then came the report just two days ago. The entire 5th Squad was wiped out.”

Commander Erantel sighed deeply, shaking his head. Karnak and Varos exchanged grim nods.

“I had a feeling...”

“No wonder the whole base was in an uproar...”

They were in a special meeting room at the King’s Order headquarters. Alongside Commander Erantel were the key members of the 1st and 7th Squads. The annihilation of the 5th Squad was the worst disaster in the history of the King’s Order.

Such a calamity could not be ignored, which was why the most powerful division, the 1st, and the rising stars of the 7th had both been summoned. Present were Captain Ziken of the 1st Squad, as well as Triv and Harris, his lieutenants, along with Captain Karnak, Varos and Serati

Commander Erantel looked around and addressed them all. “Now, I trust everyone understands the situation.”

The tall, wiry man in his mid-forties, Ziken, wore a serious expression.

“Well, it far exceeds our expectations,” he remarked.

The church had estimated the demonic sword's power to be on par with a high-ranking red knight, based on the scale of the massacres.

Triv, a similarly aged knight, stroked his chin as he muttered, “The 5th Division wasn’t weak...”

The 1st Squad’s captain was a seventh-circle mage, and Triv was a blue-tier aura user. They were among the Eustil Kingdom’s elite warriors. Their presence underscored why the 1st Squad was considered the strongest in the King’s Order. But even they were astonished by the sword's sheer destructive power.

“A single wielder decimating the entire 5th Squad... Triv, could you manage that?” Ziken asked.

“Not a chance. But wiping out hundreds in a short span might be feasible under ideal circumstances, sure.”

Massacring ordinary civilians was more a matter of mobility and endurance than raw strength, so it wasn’t entirely impossible.

“Of course, that assumes an organized support system behind me. A person still needs food and rest, after all.”

But a demonic sword wielder, freed from such limitations, would have a significant advantage.

“But against the entire 5th Squad? Not a chance.”

Turning to Erantel, Triv asked, “What about you, commander? Would it be possible for you?”

Normally, Erantel would respond modestly. But this was no time for humility. Evaluating the enemy's strength required objectivity.

Erantel responded earnestly, "I believe I could manage it if I go all out. However, I can’t guarantee I’d come out unscathed."

According to reports, the girl wielding the demonic sword had emerged from her battles without so much as a scratch. The atmosphere in the meeting room grew heavier. Commander Erantel of the King’s Order was one of only two purple knights in the kingdom of Eustil. He was considered a monster even among the aura users.

And yet, a single sword had transformed an otherwise ordinary girl—neither a grown man nor a trained warrior—into such a monstrous force?

Ziken clicked his tongue. "The powers of darkness truly defy comprehension. I could’ve never imagined a demonic sword of such immense power could exist.”

Karnak and Varos exchanged private messages.

[This is making less and less sense, young master.]

[Agreed. From what they’re saying, its power should match or surpass blue-tier, perhaps even purple-tier...”

[Could such a powerful demonic sword really exist?]

[Absolutely not.]

[Right? So it’s not just me misunderstanding things here?]

Serati interjected, confused.

[Um, excuse me, how can you both say that so definitively?]

The world was vast. Even if Karnak had achieved mastery over necromancy, wasn’t it unreasonable to speak with such certainty? The explanation was unexpectedly straightforward.

[Because I don’t know about it.]

[That’s it?]

[If I don’t know about it, it doesn’t exist.]

As the Monarch of Death who once ruled the world, Karnak had scoured the entire continent, gathering every artifact of darkness. When it came to anything related to necromancy, nothing could have escaped his scrutiny.

[Then someone else could have created this demonic sword, right?]

[That’s impossible too.]

[Why not?] 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

[Because I can’t make one.]

[...That’s incredibly arrogant,] Serati muttered.

But Karnak had every right to be confident—at least when it came to necromancy.

[Granted, there have been a lot of strange new ways to wield necromancy recently, so I can’t be absolutely sure...]

Even if someone had discovered a method to fuse other energies with necromancy, the creation of such a powerful demonic sword was theoretically impossible.

[There are limits to what can be imbued into artifacts by external forces.]

Suppose someone had developed an entirely new method Karnak didn’t know about and created a demonic sword capable of such immense power, capable of rivaling a purple knight.

[Do you think a mere human could wield that without being obliterated? They would’ve exploded already.]

[Maybe there’s a way to make it bearable?] Serati suggested.

[If there were, do you think I would’ve discarded all my powers and gone back in time just to start over?]

Spoken by someone who had experimented extensively—and explosively—with human limits in his previous life, it was a well-grounded assumption.

[There’s something else at play here.]

***

The meeting concluded, and a plan of action was decided. Given the severity of the situation, Commander Erantel had initially planned to take charge personally. If the demonic sword’s power truly matched that of a purple knight, then it made sense for him to confront it directly. However, Ziken and Triv persuaded him otherwise.

“Commander, it would be too dangerous for you to leave your post.”

“There’s no telling what the cult might be plotting in the capital while you’re away.”

The kingdom of Eustil had only two purple-tier aura users. One was Sir Alond, commander of the royal knights, and the other was Erantel, commander of the King’s Order. In other words, these two individuals were the biggest obstacles for the cultists.

“Drawing you away from the capital could very well be part of their scheme, commander.”

“Even if it isn’t, the risk of you leaving Drunta at this critical juncture is too great.”

The recent death of Prince Alford at the hands of the cultists had already destabilized the kingdom. While the end of the royal family’s long-standing power struggle was a relief, it also left only Prince Lloyd as the sole heir to the throne. Should anything happen to him, the kingdom’s stability would be severely shaken.

“Leave this to us,” Ziken urged.

“We can handle it.”

“With the two of us combined, even you might have trouble against us. And we have Sir Karnak and the 7th Squad as well.”

Eventually, Erantel relented. “Very well. I’ll leave this to you.”

Thus, the 1st and 7th Squads were deployed for a joint operation. Ziken was appointed as the captain, with Karnak serving as his deputy.

As for the demonic sword, it was officially given a name. Such artifacts rarely came inscribed with their true names. But there was a need to give it a name. After all, without a proper title, it would be mentioned in reports like the demonic sword that appeared in the Year XX of the Royal Calendar, in the XX Region. It was impractical.

Just as hurricanes or earthquakes were given names, it had become customary to assign names to significant events or entities of interest.

“Mareda... the demonic sword.”

As they returned to their quarters, Karnak clicked his tongue in irritation.

“The world’s changed so much that even demonic swords are getting odd names now.”

In the past, such weapons naturally gained titles over time. But such names were usually liken to Sovereign of the Abyss or Summoner of Darkness. This demonic sword, however, was simply called Mareda. The name was derived from the village where it had first appeared and claimed its initial victims.

“Is this really okay? Feels like the victims would find it pretty unfair.”

A cherished village name, now forever tied to a demonic sword responsible for unspeakable atrocities.

“With this, they won’t even be able to rest in peace.”

Varos shrugged, replying nonchalantly. “It’s just a name the bureaucrats slapped together. That’s how they work.”

“Fair enough. It does have a certain bureaucratic feel to it.”

Serati, walking beside them, looked baffled as she chimed in. “You’re ignoring the living, but you care about the feelings of the dead?”

“Why? Is that strange?”

“...What’s strange is that you don’t find it strange.”

“Well, it feels normal to me?”

Serati’s expression turned even more peculiar. On reflection, it did make a certain kind of sense. Ignoring the living while concerning oneself with the dead? That was practically the essence of necromancy.

In any case, the three pressed forward with urgency. The demonic sword, Mareda, was undoubtedly continuing its spree of slaughter somewhere. They didn’t have much time to waste. By the end of the day, the 7th Squad needed to assemble in full, rendezvous with the 1st Squad, and set off for the Zetelba region.

Varos let out a sigh, his voice tinged with resignation. “The King’s Order never changes. We just got back from our vacation today.”