Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 190

2. The Fierce Defense (1)

1

Having finalized his design for the super-large amplification magic circle, Luke used a long-range teleport gate to move to Brenden.

He immediately began production.

After selecting the area to install the super-large magic circle, he dispatched the necessary materials, manpower, and Gigantes there without delay.

The construction of the magic circle progressed rapidly, but problems that hadn’t been considered during the design phase emerged one after another.

“Your Majesty, the temple located in the area designated for the magic circle refuses to evacuate.”

“Inform them that His Holiness the Pope has granted permission. They should pack their sacred objects and seek refuge immediately. We cannot proceed with the work unless they vacate the premises, allowing us to place magic figures or hero-class Gigantes.”

“We have already informed them, but they insist that they serve the god Mars and cannot obey the orders of Your Majesty or the Elkasel Order.”

He had thought the priests had changed significantly from the past, but it seemed some remained resistant to change.

In fact, priests residing near cities or castles were generally more accepting and adapted to the changing times.

However, priests secluded in remote villages or rural areas, living ascetic lives, were more rigid in their beliefs.

The Mars Temple in question appeared to be one of those places.

Regardless, Luke, with no time to waste, immediately issued an order.

“Force them out and demolish the temple. Tell them it will be rebuilt later.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

No sooner had the king’s order been delivered via magic communication than the temple was demolished that very day.

The conservative priests cursed, calling them thunderstruck bastards.

Nevertheless, the god Mars seemed to be absent, and nothing happened.

‘Hmph, even if they are his priests, how could the god Mars listen to the prayers of those who don’t understand the importance of the situation?’

That was something no god, not even the god of war, would heed.

“How is the construction of the relay tower progressing?”

At Luke’s question, Meister Mute of the Katarina Magic Tower answered with a troubled expression.

“The relay tower to be built on the northern mountain peak is experiencing delays in material transport due to the rough terrain.”

“Can’t we use airships? I know there are airships left over from when we repelled the Grenada navy in the last war.”

“I will contact Marquis Volant, who is in charge of the navy.”

Mute immediately sent a magic communication to Marquis Volant.

Shortly after, the airships that had been gathering dust in the warehouse of Lamere City took to the skies again and began diligently transporting materials.

While Luke was overseeing the construction of the super-large magic circle, he also diligently monitored the war situation.

He received reports not only on the northwestern front of his own country, where the Gram brothers were stationed, but also on the situations of other countries.

“The Volga Republic is using the Ankara River as its final defense line and is evacuating all residents.”

At Prime Minister Hans’s report, Luke asked, as if he had just remembered.

“If it’s the Ankara River, isn’t that the largest river in western Volga?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is said that the current is very strong at this time of year, and they plan to use that to prevent the undead from crossing.”

The Navar Principality had taken refuge in the Veron Mountains, as Luke had advised.

The people who had not been able to escape to the underground city had crossed the border into the Volga Republic.

“The two million undead that have entered the Barok territory are being contained by the allied forces of the Holy Empire and the Kingdom of Castia in the Noirvan Forest.”

“Noirvan Forest… The Barok Imperial Family’s hunting ground has become an undead hunting ground.”

The Noirvan Forest was one of the largest forests in the empire.

Moreover, as it was the imperial hunting ground, the felling of trees was strictly prohibited.

The densely overgrown trees and vines served as an excellent natural barrier.

“And if necessary, they can use fire attacks…”

“Are you not pleased with the use of fire attacks, Your Majesty?” Hans asked, noticing a hint of bitterness in Luke’s tone.

“Because none of the undead that are coming now volunteered to become undead.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Undead disappear when burned.

No matter how powerful Reina’s divine power was, she had no ability to revive what had turned to ashes.

The opportunity to purify them and return them to humans would be lost forever.

“But realistically, it is difficult to avoid using fire attacks.”

“Yes, it can’t be helped if we want to prevent greater damage.”

For that reason, the Symphonia forces in Berangere Castle were also preparing fire attacks.

Of course, this was only for the purpose of slowing them down, not to completely annihilate them.

It was also realistically impossible to cause such a large-scale fire attack.

‘Anyway, I need to hurry and finish building the super-large magic circle.’

It was while Luke was thinking this that a messenger knight rushed in and reported.

“Urgent news! The first wave of enemy undead has crossed the Pamire Mountains!”

“Tch, already?”

He had thought it would take some time to cross the rugged mountains, but they were faster than expected.

He knew that the undead would march without eating or resting due to their nature.

However, he did not expect them to so easily pass through the mountain passes and traps that had been set up in various places.

“According to scouts, they bypassed the obstacles by filling the broken roads with their own bodies.”

“Just hearing about it is sickening.”

Luke, imagining the situation the messenger had described, frowned and said.

‘Anyway, a battle will begin soon. Although the preparations are not as complete as I would like, I hope they will do their best to hold out.’

Looking down at the map, Luke wished for the success of his allies in Berangere Castle.

Of course, he had no intention of just cheering or praying.

He planned to rush to Berangere as soon as the construction of the super-large magic circle was somewhat complete.

2

Boom! Boom!

Whoosh!

The explosions and flames that began at the entrance of the Pamire Mountains continued for three days, reaching the plains.

The undead that crossed the Pamire Mountains were shattered by the explosions or burned to black ashes.

The number burned in those four days alone was in the hundreds of thousands.

Nevertheless, the number of undead was overwhelming.

Eventually, when all the prepared fire attacks were exhausted, the undead began to cross the plains and attack the fortresses.

Boom! Bang! Bang!

“Hold them back! Don’t let the undead breach the walls!”

“What are the mages doing! Why aren’t you launching a large-scale attack on those gathered over there!”

“The defense wall in sector 52 is about to collapse! Send reinforcements quickly…!”

“Dispatch the reserve forces immediately!”

A battle erupted between the Symphonia Kingdom army, relying on the fortresses and newly constructed defense walls, and the undead that filled the plains.

At first, the Symphonia Kingdom army had the advantage.

This was because they had made some defensive preparations, focusing on the fortresses and defense walls. Moreover, the undead’s attacks were relatively simple.

However, as the saying goes, there is no match for numbers, and the Symphonia soldiers gradually began to tire from the continuous, day and night offensives that had lasted for several days.

This was because the number of troops was insufficient compared to the area that had to be defended.

“Damn it, I wish we could rotate the troops in shifts…”

Renold Gram punched the wall with his fist in frustration.

Trying to defend a total of 12 fortresses and a 15-kilometer defense line without any gaps, even 200,000 troops were not enough.

In the end, they had no choice but to use all available forces, including mages and Gigantes.

Among them, the most intense battle was taking place at Berangere Castle, where the undead were concentrated.

They had deliberately built the defense wall to lure them there, but the Gram brothers had no time to relax due to the relentless offensive.

“This won’t do. We have to intervene!”

At Renold’s words, his younger brother, Renard, as if he had been waiting for them, immediately boarded his Gigante, which was waiting on the wall.

Kiiiiiiing!

As he powerfully revved Orion’s core engine, the sound of engines responding echoed from all over the wall.

They were the Gigantes of the Ironheart Knights, who were directly under the Northern Army.

“Let’s give eternal rest to these undead who cannot die even when they die! Everyone, follow me!”

“Uwaaaah!”

Renard, with his impulsive personality, shouted and jumped down from the wall.

Then, dozens of riders from the Ironheart Knights shouted and followed him.

Thud! Thump! Thump thump thump!

The place where the undead’s offensive was most concentrated at Berangere Castle was the north wall.

The riders who jumped down from there began to sweep away the undead as they came.

They slashed with greatswords, trampled with their two legs, and crushed them with their huge bodies.

Among them, the most outstanding were the twin commanders, the Gram brothers.

As upper-level Sword Masters, the greatswords wielded by the two men’s Gigantes had almost 10 meters of gigantic aura, and each swing sliced through hundreds of undead. It was like an undead shredder.

In an instant, a large open space was created in front of the north wall.

However, the undead were relentless.

The dead, who did not fear death, surged back towards the north wall.

“Alright, you bastards! I’ll take you on as much as you want!”

Looking at the black mass of undead surging in through the site attached to the front of the cockpit, Renold gritted his teeth.

The battle began again.

No, it was almost a one-sided massacre.

The greatsword wrapped in gigantic aura cut down the undead as if harvesting them.

However, even this one-sided battle began to tire the Gram brothers after several hours.

The aura in their bodies was running out, and the Gigante’s controls began to overload.

Moreover, the countless remains of undead and black pools of blood on the ground were making the Gigante’s movements cumbersome.

‘By now, the soldiers should have rested a bit, right?’

Renold thought, glancing up at the wall.

The biggest reason why he, the commander-in-chief, had personally gone out was to give the soldiers, who had been fighting for three days and nights, a chance to rest.

While the Ironheart Knights were holding back the undead for a few hours, the soldiers should have rested and reorganized.

Nodding inwardly, he loudly ordered a retreat.

“Everyone, retreat! Exit through the north gate!”

At his command, the knights, who had reached their limit, quickly retreated.

Chiiik!

Renold opened Orion’s hatch and came out.

He left the reorganization of the knights to his younger brother and went up to the command tower.

“What is the situation?”

At his question, Count Kaper, who was commanding in place of the commander-in-chief, answered.

“There are no defense lines that have been breached yet.”

“That’s a relief. What about our casualties?”

“A total of 20,000 soldiers have been bitten by zombies and quarantined. About 30 Gigantes have also been damaged or broken due to battle fatigue and the undead’s sheer numbers and are being repaired.”

“Hmm, the soldiers’ casualties are greater than I thought. Is there any news of reinforcements coming?”

“As a matter of fact, His Majesty has dispatched special reinforcements…”

Drum! Drum! Drum!

Before Count Kaper could finish speaking, the sound of drums rang out loudly.

It was a signal that the undead were rushing towards the wall again.

“They’re really annoying.”

“I agree. It’s no wonder our ancestors were so terrified of black magic.”

Renold and Kaper sighed and went back down to the wall.

When they arrived, the undead were already crawling up the wall like ants.

That was no different from before, but something slightly different from before was happening.

Some of the undead were seen fighting with the undead around them, as if something had happened in the enemy’s rear.

As a result, the undead’s offensive was slightly slower than before.

‘What’s going on?’

While Renold was puzzled, an aide approached and handed him a note.

It was a message sent by magic communication from the royal capital, Brenden.

A smile spread across Renold’s face as he read the message.

“So, that’s what it was!”

“I think we should reinforce the vulnerable points in this gap.”

Renold nodded at the aide’s opinion, who had already seen the message.

“That’s right. Tell them to send the reserve Gigantes immediately to repair the collapsed defense walls.”

“Yes, sir!”

At his command, the reserve Gigantes and engineers who had been waiting in the rear began to move quickly.

3

Around the time the Symphonia Kingdom army began to reinforce the defense walls, the black mages of the Veritas Magic Tower, who were controlling the undead army from behind, were in a panic.

This was because the undead in the rear were attacking their own allies, as if they had suddenly gone mad.

Elder Jemerton, who had been ordered by Arsen to attack Symphonia, jumped up.

“What is going on!”

“W-we don’t know either.”

The subordinate mages answered with bewildered faces.

“Don’t say you don’t know, find the cause! The cause!”

The undead that had gone out of control numbered only a few thousand, or at most ten thousand.

Considering the force of 5 million, it was only a drop in the bucket.

However, the mad undead were using fire attacks.

They were running towards their fellow undead after spraying themselves with tar and setting themselves on fire. Just when they thought they had broken through the fire attacks, they had started again.

The damage was increasing because the wind direction was also favorable to them.

“I think the first priority is to put out the fire…”

“Alright, I understand. Put out the fire quickly. And find out the cause of the undead going mad!”

At Jemerton’s urging, the black mages scattered and began to deal with the situation.

However, there were those who were watching them with hawk eyes not far away.

“They’re coming out as expected. You rat-like Veritas bastards!”

A group of mages, protected by knights who were covered in blood and disguised as undead.

They were Yohas and the black mages of the Black Tower.

Luke had organized them as special reinforcements and dispatched them to the battlefield.

As black mages, they had extensive knowledge of the undead.

Naturally, from the moment they heard the news of the appearance of the undead army, they had discussed countermeasures with Luke via magic communication.

Their countermeasure was to intervene and control the undead themselves.

Of course, it was impossible for Yohas and the black mages of the Black Tower alone to control all 5 million undead.

What Yohas and his group aimed for was to control some of the undead with black magic to disrupt the undead army, and in the process, eliminate the remnants of the Veritas Magic Tower that would be revealed.

“Those guys have been weakened in the process of fighting me. I don’t think they have enough numbers to control 5 million undead at will,” Luke said to Yohas.

Yohas agreed with his assessment. The commands given to the undead were actually very simple: advance and annihilate any enemies blocking their path. If they were few in number, they would have been easily repelled. However, as their numbers increased exponentially, they became a force that could not be ignored, regardless of tactics. Of course, there were many gaps as well, which Yohas and the black mages of the Black Tower were able to exploit.

“From now on, we’ll eliminate the rats. Two people will take on one, and we’ll proceed as quickly and discreetly as possible,” Yohas instructed.

“Yes, Meister!” Yohas and his escorting knights began hunting down the remnants of the Veritas Magic Tower.

“Kuh-erk! W-who are you?” one of the Veritas mages stammered.

“Suspicious bastards… Keh-ek!” another gasped.

The Veritas black mages, who were trying to extinguish the fires spreading among the undead or return the rampaging undead to normal, fell one by one to the discreet attacks of Yohas and his group. Some had their hearts pierced by Dark Bullets, while others had their heads severed by the swords of the escorting knights as they tried to block magical attacks. The attacks were so sudden that the Veritas black mages couldn’t even raise an alarm.

However, Jemerton was by no means a fool. As time passed, the disturbances in the rear did not subside easily, and his disciples and subordinates who were sent to handle the situation neither returned nor contacted him. He realized that something was amiss.

‘Something’s up! Some bastards are definitely up to something!’ Jemerton thought. Having made that judgment, he deployed a detection black magic.

“Dark Detect!” The magic power that emanated from Jemerton’s dark circles spread far and wide. As he deployed the black magic, he scanned the undead legion with his eyes, the whites of which had turned black. Then, he detected a different magic power than that of his disciples and subordinates. Unlike the cold and eerie magic of the Veritas Magic Tower, this magic was mysterious like the starlight shining in the night sky and warm like a flame.

‘Could this be…? Hah!’ Jemerton hastily stopped Dark Detect and deployed a defensive magic.

Boom! Bang! Bang! Thanks to the quick deployment of his defensive magic, he was able to narrowly block the barrage of Black Spears that came flying like lightning. His heart pounding, he shouted towards one direction.

“Who goes there!”

“I have no name to reveal to trash like you,” Yohas appeared, coldly retorting. He had sensed Jemerton’s Dark Detect and immediately tracked him down.

“You’re high-grade trash for a piece of trash. It’ll be worth killing you,” Yohas added.

Jemerton, looking displeased at Yohas’s sarcasm, asked, “You, do you know who I am to speak so recklessly?”

The Black Spears from earlier had considerable power. However, he was the most powerful fighter among the five former elders who had reached the 8th circle with black magic, and he never thought he would lose.

“Who else could you be but a lackey of that bastard Arsen?” Yohas, grinding his teeth, gathered terrifying magic power in both hands. In the past, he had lost many elders and juniors to Arsen who had invaded the Dark Moon. Therefore, his grudge against the Veritas Magic Tower was hotter than lava and fiercer than a storm.

“I’ll crush you into powder while you’re still alive!” Yohas declared.

“Hmph! Do you think you can beat me with that skill!” Jemerton drew up the magic power within his body. He had pride in his skills. Although he could not follow in the footsteps of the founder, Arsen, and was not at the level to face Luke, who had emerged as his nemesis, he believed that there was no one else who could stand against him. But there was an opponent in front of him who was shaking that judgment.

‘I can’t allow it! Absolutely not!’ Jemerton thought. So, he would take him down. In response to Jemerton’s rage, magic power surged fiercely. Yohas also drew up more magic power to counter him. Two black mages who had devoted themselves to darkness but walked different paths. The battle between Yohas, burning with resentment, and Jemerton, asserting his pride, had begun.

4

Boom! Rumble—! All sorts of black magic attacks poured down relentlessly. The area where Yohas and Jemerton were fighting had turned into a near wasteland. The ground was pockmarked with craters as if meteorites had fallen, and the trees, which had instantly turned to charcoal, emitted intense heat. Whenever the whirlwind caused by black magic blew, ashes scattered like snow. The sight of the two fighting was like watching giant beasts locked in combat. Their terrifying momentum made even the undead hesitate to approach.

“Ugh, who the hell is that guy?” one of the black mages muttered.

“To be able to fight Jemerton, the former elder, on equal terms… !” another exclaimed.

The black mages on both sides, who were watching the fierce battle between Yohas and Jemerton, groaned. The Black Tower side was surprised by Jemerton’s skills, while the Veritas side was amazed by Yohas, who was not being pushed back by the former elder. They had realized that an unusual battle was taking place and had been gathering little by little since earlier. Forgetting that they were in the middle of a battle, they focused on watching the fight between the two and the powerful yet spectacular black magic they were unleashing. A battle between top-tier black mages was not an easy sight to behold.

Kwaaang—! Another explosion resounded, and then black lightning fell from the sky.

“Kuh-erk!” With a groan, the balance of the tense confrontation tilted. It was Jemerton who rolled across the desolate field, scattering ashes.

“Former Elder!” one of the Veritas mages cried out.

“Kuh! Damn it!” Jemerton spat out the black blood that had pooled in his mouth as he struggled to his feet. He had thought that his opponent was not ordinary, seeing the terrifying magic power he was emitting, but he never thought he would roll on the ground so pathetically.

‘And also… he’s using our magic tower’s black magic! Are they the remnants of Seimon that the founder mentioned?’ Jemerton wondered. The black magic of the Veritas Magic Tower originated from the legacy left by Seimon. Naturally, if the opponent was using the same black magic, there was a high probability that they were remnants of Seimon. However, what surprised Jemerton was not just that the opponent was using the same black magic as him. Even though it was the same black magic, the one the opponent was using was much more efficient and powerful. This, combined with the fact that the opponent’s magic skills were better than expected, made Jemerton struggle.

‘Damn it, then the only option left is…!’ Jemerton thought.

“Are you alright, Former Elder Jemerton… Hwee-ek!” A black mage approached, only to be caught by the Black Bind that Jemerton used. Without even having a chance to struggle, the black mage was instantly killed as all the magic power and life force in his body were sucked away. But Jemerton, not satisfied with that, extended his reach to his subordinates who were a little further away.

“Agh! Jemerton has gone mad!” one of the mages cried out.

“Hiiik! Please save me, Former Elder!” another pleaded.

Yohas was quietly watching Jemerton devour his underlings. He could have attacked at any time, but there were two reasons why he left him alone. First, there was no need to stop Jemerton from cutting his own flesh, and second, he was confident that he could defeat him no matter what he did.

“Are you done with your snack?” Yohas asked sarcastically. At Yohas’s sarcastic question, Jemerton gritted his teeth.

“The only one who has ever humiliated me by making me roll on the ground was the founder,” Jemerton said, his voice laced with anger.

“Well, this is nothing,” Yohas replied calmly. Jemerton’s eyes bulged at Yohas’s calm reply. He strongly felt that the man’s words and expression just now were looking down on him. As a former elder of the Veritas Magic Tower, when had he ever been subjected to such humiliation? His eyes rolling back, he unleashed the most powerful black magic he had learned and shouted.

“You! This is the last time you’ll be so cocky!” Whirr—! With the sound of a sharp gust of wind, magic power began to condense in Jemerton’s hands. And soon, black and white spheres were created respectively. Jemerton combined the two spheres into a chaotic sphere of black and white, and continued to inject magic power into it. Yohas’s gaze turned cold as he watched quietly.

“Chaos Strike, is it?” Yohas asked.

“Hehehe, that’s right. It’s an 8th circle attack black magic. If you know it, you’ll know its power well, right?” Jemerton replied. It was a black magic created by none other than Seimon. There was no way Yohas, who had inherited Seimon’s legacy, wouldn’t know it.

“Of course, I know it,” Yohas replied coldly. Unlike his cold reply, magic power erupted from Yohas’s body like a blazing inferno. That’s how angry he was.

“You filthy thieves! Not only did you frame and kill the founder, but you also stole and learned his magic… You really don’t know what shame is!” Yohas exclaimed.

“Who cares? Die! You arrogant bastard!” The chaotic sphere that left Jemerton’s hand flew towards Yohas like an arrow. Jemerton smiled triumphantly as he watched his opponent unable to move.

‘Hehehe! This is not the Chaos Strike you know. It’s the one I’ve improved!’ Jemerton thought. It was called the New Chaos Strike. Its power was slightly lower than the original, and the amount of magic power consumed to manifest it was also greater. Instead, its speed was two, no, three times faster than the original. The only one who could avoid or block this would be Arsen. The old man who had been so cocky in front of him was now about to have his heart pierced and be annihilated without a trace in a massive explosion. At that moment, when Jemerton was convinced of his victory and clenched his fist…

“Vanish Blade!” Magic power extended from Yohas’s hands in the shape of crescent moon-like blades. The magic blades instantly bisected the Chaos Strike that was flying towards him. Fizz! The Chaos Strike, which had been split powerlessly, evaporated in mid-air, and Jemerton’s eyes widened. So wide that it wouldn’t be strange if his eyeballs popped out.

“T-this!” Jemerton stammered.

“Did you think that improving a stolen black magic would be your trump card?” Yohas coldly retorted, approaching Jemerton. Then, Jemerton, flustered, took a step back without realizing it. All sorts of black magic attacks flashed through his mind. But since his trump card had been easily defeated, he was unsure of what to use.

“Kuh-ack! Die! Die!” In a situation where he was unsure, the black magic Jemerton used was Dark Bullet. He created Dark Bullets haphazardly and fired them at Yohas. But Yohas easily dodged the attacks with Blink magic.

‘Hmph, I thought he was stronger,’ Yohas scoffed at Jemerton’s pathetic appearance. He had been diligently training, hoping to face Arsen again someday. Every time Luke visited the Black Tower, he asked for guidance, and based on that guidance and experience, he honed his black magic combat skills and devised new black magic. The Vanish Blade was one of them. It had demonstrated sufficient power in actual combat, but Yohas was disappointed that he had not been able to use it against a stronger opponent.

‘It would have been nice if the Meister [Master] of the Veritas Magic Tower was my opponent, but I heard that the founder took care of him?’ Yohas thought. Alber, the Meister of the Veritas Magic Tower. He was one of the leading white and black mages of his time. He thought he would be a perfect opponent for him, but he was already dead. Moreover, unlike what Yohas knew, Alber was killed by Luke’s familiar, Belfar, not Luke. It was the former Meister, Nesta, who was killed by Luke, but the rumor had been somewhat distorted and was misinformed.

“Kuh-ack! Don’t come! Don’t come!” While Yohas was lost in thought for a moment, Jemerton, cornered, cried out in desperation. Yohas, looking at him with a pathetic gaze, did not approach any further. Instead, the Vanish Blade, which had extended far, pierced Jemerton’s chest.

“Kuh! Kuh-erk!” Jemerton gasped.

“Tsk tsk, I’m sorry. It seems I missed,” Yohas said. Yohas’s attack only destroyed Jemerton’s black circle and grazed his heart. Approaching Jemerton, who was writhing in pain, he took out a small bottle from his pocket.

“Kuh-uhk! Th-that’s… !” Jemerton stammered. It looked like a potion, but it was definitely not a potion. Jemerton’s face turned pale as he sensed the energy emanating from the bottle.

“Great Father, I send this sinful trash to you,” Yohas said.

“N-no!” Jemerton cried out. Yohas, who had made the sign of the cross on his chest, sprinkled the holy water in his hand on Jemerton’s wound. Chiiiik! The holy water, which had seeped in instantly, collided with the magic power remaining in Jemerton’s body, causing intense heat and flames.

“Kuh-ack! S-save me! Aaaagh!” Jemerton thrashed wildly, engulfed in flames. The flames caused by the holy water were not only burning his body but also his soul. But no matter how much he struggled, the purifying flames did not go out. In the end, Jemerton was reduced to ashes while still alive and collapsed.

Thud. Yohas coldly looked down at Jemerton’s corpse and opened his mouth.

“Wait for me in hell. I’ll send your lackeys and the founder you worship soon,” Yohas said. After saying that, he crushed Jemerton’s skull, which was barely holding its shape, and turned away. He had eliminated the leader who was controlling the undead legion, but there were still black mages of the Veritas Magic Tower who had not been dealt with. Unless they were completely eliminated, the advance of the undead legion could not be stopped.

“Hiccup!” one of the Veritas mages hiccuped.

“Aaaah…” another trembled. The remnants of the Veritas Magic Tower, who had received his murderous gaze, hiccuped or trembled. They wanted to run away, but they couldn’t move, like mice in front of a cat.