Shadow Battle

A few minutes later—the formation was decided without incident.

First, the major pieces in the back row.

From my perspective, from the back row left—

Rook――Dullahan, Overall Combat Power 7500.

Knight――Dark Horse, Overall Combat Power 3800.

Bishop――Windine, Overall Combat Power 10000.

The King needs no introduction――me, Sid Ranorus.

Next, the placement on the back row right side.

Queen――Vanargand, Overall Combat Power 50000.

Bishop――Goblin Lord, Overall Combat Power 5000.

Knight――Gryphon, Overall Combat Power 10000.

Rook――Minotaur, Overall Combat Power 10000.

The front row pawns are Orcs――Overall Combat Power 2000 × 8 bodies.

By the way, all of them have been enhanced two tiers by the Shadow Enhancement skill.

In terms of Overall Combat Power I’d like to use the Titan with 20,000, but the Titan’s massive body won’t fit into the dungeon’s main chamber we’re in, so I gave up on that.

‘Wait a minute! Why am I not included!? No matter how you look at it, the Queen should be me!?’

“(His goal is to drink Ekarraat’s blood and acquire a higher rank of Undead. There’s a possibility Ekarraat could be injured and have her blood taken during the duel.)”

‘Does he think I will fall behind?’

“(I can’t rule out the possibility. He has two creatures of the same rank as you, after all.)”

To be sure, I checked Sobra’s status with my eye that sees through the truth.

Even with a disabled body, perhaps because he can control Shadows and farm experience, the Level gap is quite large.

All the more reason I can’t let that guy have Ekarraat’s blood.

“Looks like both of our formations are ready.”

“Yeah, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Then—let’s begin the war (game).”

Sobra and I simultaneously deployed the Shadow Domain (Shadow Field).

The clash of Shadows—the curtain rises on the Shadow battle.

“Shadow――――Manifest!”
“Shadow――――Manifest!”

Sobra and I—the two Shadow Necromancers—both unfurled our Shadows at the same time.

The Shadows spread across the front half and the rear half of the main chamber collided along the central line, summoning their armies of Shadows.

“Gyaoooooon!!!!”
“Gyaoooooon!!!!”
“Gyaoooooon!!!!”
“Gyaoooooon!!!!”

“Gyaoooooon!!!!”
“Gyaoooooon!!!!”
“Gyaoooooon!!!!”
“Gyaoooooon!!!!”

As if announcing the start of battle, both sides’ Shadows let out war cries.

“(First, check the enemy’s forces.)”

My eye that sees through the truth can thoroughly check the status of other people’s Shadows as well.

From my viewpoint, starting at the leftmost――

A humanoid monster with horns, standing three meters tall, wielding dual greatswords in dual-wield――Ogre 【+3】, Overall Combat Power 12500.

A gigantic spider-type monster four meters long――Mad Mother Spider 【+3】, Overall Combat Power 12500.

A goat-headed humanoid monster that seems to use teleportation magic――Demon Priest Barom 【+3】, Overall Combat Power 5000.

A white great serpent about five meters in body length and with an overall length impossible to estimate by eye――the Birthing Kukulkan, Overall Combat Power 50000.

“(Is that the other of Sobra’s ‘Five Great Demon Lords’?—like my Vanargand, it has a physical form rather than being a Shadow.)”

Next, in the center sitting leisurely on the throne, the general (King)――Sobra.

A Spirit-type monster of a red orb with wings――Freya 【+3】, Overall Combat Power 5000.

A Ragiu Tribe girl with purple hair and brown skin, glaring at me with cold eyes filled with murderous intent――Ruru, Level 55.

“(He brought out Ruru instead of a Shadow…)”

A three-meter-tall humanoid monster with metallic skin――Metal Golem 【+3】, Overall Combat Power 12500.

――Those are the back row pieces.

The front row pawns are four-legged beast-type monsters with prominent canine teeth — Saber Panther 【+3】 × 8.

Their Overall Combat Power is 2500.

“(I can only enhance Shadows up to two tiers, but he has enhanced up to three――the disparity in force is overwhelmingly unfavorable)”

――Then the only tactic to take is a short, decisive battle.

“Vanargand!”

“Waooooooong!!”

Vanargand swallowed me whole with its massive jaws, then dove into the ground as if plunging into water.

Vanargand, having slipped into a dark-hued alternate space, connected a gate to the deepest part of the enemy formation――at Sobra’s feet.

Chess pieces move differently depending on the piece.

Vanargand is a cheat-like piece able to move to any location on the board.

I’ll finish it with this strike!

“Barom――Teleport.”

“Gyaah!”

Just before Vanargand could swallow Sobra and his throne whole—Barom, who stood beside Sobra, activated his magic.

Barom and Sobra vanished in an instant and teleported to the inner wall of the main chamber.

In chess the king’s starting position is the deepest square on the board—but in this Shadow battle (this game), you can retreat as far as the chamber’s space allows.

“(But that was expected!)”

Vanargand’s attack misses, but I, the King, leapt out of its mouth and closed in on the fleeing Sobra.

The weapon I raised was the stolen Hero sword Balmung—a holy blade that nullifies Undead attributes.

A blade that can even shatter Ekarraat’s Undead nature should also nullify the Undead property Sobra possesses.

“Dieeee!”

Barom shouldn’t be able to use teleport magic consecutively.

However――

――Kiiiin!!

“Ruru…!”

“……..”

Ruru’s dagger, standing in the way to protect Sobra, intercepted my Balmung.