Chapter 448

Although I pointed my sword with a show of bravado, I wasn’t actually optimistic about the situation.

The fact that they set a trap for me means they must have at least some confidence in their ability to defeat me.

Unless, of course, they gathered here with the intention of committing suicide.

“Right. You’re correct. It would be difficult to deal with you using just two hundred priests.”

Indeed, Cardinal Rübitz was looking down at me with an utterly calm demeanor, not showing a hint of unease or fear despite facing my killing intent head-on.

It was as if he had already anticipated this level of intensity.

“Princess Ha-shal-leur Ai-shan Gi-or. The Empire’s strongest warrior, who surpassed the realm of mastery before even reaching twenty. A transcendent martial force embodied in physical form. The anti-demon blessing bestowed by Elpinel and an unknown fire sorcery of mysterious origin. Not to mention the twelve knights’ Jin’s Sword. It’s no exaggeration to say that you alone rival an entire legion.”

“Hmm. You know me too well. Should I call you a stalker?”

So, they’ve already gathered all the information about my abilities.

This wasn’t good. Especially considering that I knew little about their capabilities.

“I never hid my strength in the first place. Only the believers and non-believers are divided, but your fame is already renowned across the world.”

“…I guess I am a bit famous. Must be enviable for a backwater priest, huh? Your name, let’s see… was it Baldur? Never heard of it, so I can’t quite remember.”

I took a step toward him, Durandal resting on my shoulder, as if I were about to charge at him at any moment.

“Such a low-intelligence provocation. Just as I heard.”

“Yeah, yeah. Congrats on being so smart. Good for you.”

Rübitz, who had been grinning, clenched his right hand, which had been spread open.

The sacred symbols and ancient words that filled the air rapidly condensed, forming a brightly glowing magic circle.

I didn’t know what kind of magic it was.

But whatever it was, it had to be dangerous.

“Maybe if I carve out half your head, you’ll start to look like me!”

The next moment, I kicked off the ground and charged at Rübitz.

– Kwaang!

My body shot forward like a comet. The ground I stepped on shattered, leaving deep cracks.

In the blink of an eye, I was right in front of Rübitz!

“I’ll slice you in half!”

I gripped Durandal with both hands and swung it down from above.

The sword of reverse heaven.

A supersonic strike compressed in time aimed at Rübitz’s head—

『Dīvus gressus – Divine Footsteps』

A softly muttered ancient word.

With a flash of divine light, Rübitz’s body dispersed like a mirage.

‘Teleportation magic?!’

Durandal, a moment too late, only sliced through the remaining light trails in the air.

[Watch out!]

‘I know!’

I looked up at Rübitz, who was now floating in the air above.

It wasn’t illusion magic or high-speed movement.

The moment the divine light flashed, his presence had already shifted several meters upward.

Disappearing and reappearing elsewhere in an instant.

Undoubtedly, it was a short-range teleportation spell.

A spell so mana-inefficient that even Isabella didn’t use it, and he’s using it right from the start?

Does he have that much mana to spare?

Or is it more efficient when using holy power?

I don’t know.

There’s too little information.

“A slashing attack that accelerates rapidly without increasing power. Yes. That must be the technique that severed the Winter Wolf’s left arm. A bit plain for a hero’s technique, but if you didn’t know about it, you’d have no choice but to fall for it.”

“Stop talking like you’ve already won!”

I extended a tendril of martial energy from my back and lashed it toward Rübitz.

The crimson blade whip surged toward his limbs.

『Sapientiális claustra – Barrier of Wisdom』

– Kaga-gak!

The extended blade whip scraped against the magical barrier he had erected, sparking flashes of light.

If it had been a pure magical barrier, Durandal could have shattered it, but with just martial energy, I couldn’t break through.

Its form was fluid, but in terms of power, it was only at the level of a steel sword.

“An embodied force, also a blessing of the gods. But with this level of power…”

Rübitz shook his head and pointed his right arm at me, while the other priests simultaneously unleashed their magic.

A tidal wave of divine light and magical energy surged toward me.

My anti-magic resistance screamed, warning me to dodge immediately.

A meteor shower unfolded above the ground.

What followed was a spectacle of hundreds of spells.

My body, sensing the threat, erupted with heated rage, and my senses sharpened beyond human limits.

My hearing became so sensitive that I could hear the faintest breath.

My vision became so clear that I could see the flow of air.

Even my sixth sense became so acute that I could feel movements in all directions simultaneously.

It felt as if the world had expanded.

Amid the sensory overload, I responded to the magical bombardment with everything I had.

I never stopped moving, pulling out a dagger to intercept fireballs and swinging Durandal to cut down any spells that got too close.

Most of the spells were powered by holy energy rather than mana, so even Jin’s Sword couldn’t fully counter them.

– Pajijijik!

“Ugh…!”

A lightning spear I reflexively deflected flowed down the blade.

Its power had been greatly reduced, but it still dealt some damage.

A sharp pain shot through the nerves of my right arm.

– Kwaang! Kuuung! Kwarururu!

The underground prayer room was already turning into a battlefield of ruins.

Fireballs that missed their mark exploded on the ground, and wind blades carved deep claw marks into the walls.

Fire, lightning, light, and storms filled the air.

“Haa… haa…!”

The heated air made it hard to breathe.

The winter armor Asha had made for me, crafted by the king of beastmen, was holding up well, but the robe I wore had long since turned to ash.

“These crazy bastards, firing fireballs underground like this!”

If this keeps up, we’ll all be buried alive.

Shouting in anger, I pulled out a piece of the Grimnir statue and hurled it toward the railing of this floor.

“Futile effort!”

Despite the massive stone flying toward them, the priests showed no panic and simply fired spells to reduce the statue to dust.

I threw it, but that was your god’s statue, you know. Is it really okay to destroy it like that?

I took advantage of the moment their spells were focused on the statue and leaped toward the railing.

I had to deal with these guys before going after Rübitz. That bastard’s teleportation magic makes him hard to catch.

From the start, after firing that meteor shower, he hadn’t attacked again, just watching me while gathering holy and magical energy.

As if he wanted to properly gauge my strength.

“Princess Ai-shan Gi-or is coming!”

But killing the others wasn’t easy either.

If it were just simple attack spells, I could deflect or counter them, but these guys were using annoyingly tricky methods instead.

“Fall back!”

Chains of divine light wrapped around my legs, and my body slowed as if weighted down.

My vision darkened, likely from a blinding spell, but my anti-magic resistance kept flickering it back to normal.

Restraints, weakening, and even blindness.

Just as Lacey and I had feared, curse magic powered by holy energy was seeping through even my anti-magic resistance.

“Damn it!”

I gritted my teeth and charged forward, lashing my body with a whip of martial energy.

They were only strong in numbers; individually, they weren’t much. If I could just get close…!

– Thud.

My outstretched left hand reached the edge of the railing.

I grabbed the railing tightly and swung my body around, landing firmly.

“This is…!”

A young priest who met my eyes took a panicked step back.

Finally, I reached them.

“Die!”

My hand shot out like a bullet.

Before the priest could even raise a magical barrier, an ice blade imbued with killing intent pierced his face.

Or so it seemed.

The sensation at my fingertips wasn’t the feeling of flesh and bone being crushed.

It was more like… digging into a rock.

[Snap out of it!]

Hersela’s sharp voice.

My vision spun, and the scene before me changed.

My left arm wasn’t embedded in the priest’s skull but in the rock wall beside him!

This time, it was confusion magic…!

As I hastily pulled my arm free, Hersela’s martial energy spikes pierced the priest who had collapsed on the railing.

“Ugh…!”

The priest, skewered from butt to mouth by the crimson spike, convulsed and vomited blood.

Three minutes into the battle, I had finally killed one.

“Nicol is down! He’s up here!”

“Don’t panic. Grimnir’s magic is working! Bind his movements!”

As soon as I climbed up and killed one, I crushed another priest who was raising a magical barrier, barrier and all, but dozens of chains wrapped around my body.

“Kyaaaah!”

I roared and mustered all my strength to break free from the chains.

The binding magic shattered like glass, scattering fragments of divine light.

With that, I swung my arms and cut down five more.

– Kwajik!

One whose face was torn off by the ice blade’s claws.

– Bbeok!

Another whose head exploded like a bomb from the back of my hand.

“Keuh!”

“Kuaaaah!”

And those who were bisected by Durandal’s blade.

“Not enough!”

And again, the curse magic rained down.

My senses were twisted, and my body grew heavier.

I couldn’t even tell where I was swinging the longsword I held.

Damn it, fighting mages without anti-magic resistance is this troublesome…!

Truly, the Church of Mages.

The variety of curses was endless.

Like this one.

For a moment, my vision flashed, and then it completely changed.

I had been glaring at an enemy aiming a shadow spear at me, but the next moment, what I saw was myself, baring my teeth and glowing with rage.

Hah, using shared vision magic like this?

An unexpected application.

Half in awe and half in horror, I closed my eyes and relied on instinct to counter.

The moment I felt something sharp aiming for my lower abdomen, I twisted my body and swung my sword.

“Kuaak!”

The sensation of tearing through flesh and bone.

A spray of blood splashed onto my face.

Even without seeing, I could feel it.

The spear had only grazed me, but my sword had cleanly split his upper body.

With my vision restored, I leaped toward the next enemy.

“How about this!”

This curse was also a bit unexpected.

A divine light spread like fog.

The moment it touched me, my entire body grew hot.

My chest swelled slightly, and my lower body throbbed with heat.

The man before me looked so handsome, I wanted to embrace him right now—

Uweeeek.

A wave of nausea strong enough to turn my stomach hit me, and the magic invading my mind shattered instantly.

“Where do you think you’re using charm magic, you bastard!”

With more anger than ever, I swung my fist, crushing the upper body of the priest into powder.

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