Chapter 675

Dainsleif and Randalin. Both were divine artifacts I had never seen in the original work.

Given that they were emphasized as national treasures for the King of Dane, perhaps in the original work, they couldn’t be used by anyone who wasn’t of royal status.

In any case, both were quite formidable weapons.

Even with Rotholandus’s protection, it wouldn’t be able to block the curse embedded in the Blood Blade itself.

The fact that I possess Demon Resistance and can withstand ordinary blades with my bare body is already known.

Yet, seeing how confidently he wields it, it means that even I would inevitably get wounded if struck by that sword.

And that shield was also quite an annoying object.

Randalin, was it? Based on the skirmishes so far, it seemed that the shield had the power to perfectly absorb or nullify any impact directed at it.

Meaning, simple slashes or even powerful blows would be utterly meaningless.

“A national treasure for the king… It seems to live up to its name. Worth slaughtering my brother and nephews, huh? Isn’t it?”

“Such weapons are too much for Hestein.”

As expected, it seemed he had massacred his own kin to obtain that sword.

Typical of a scumbag.

Ragnar, with a triumphant smile, swung Dainsleif, now fully saturated with blood, through the air. The crimson blade, emanating from the sword, formed a crescent-shaped slash that surged toward me.

It wasn’t that the blade had extended, but rather that the blade itself was being fired like magic. Every time Ragnar swung his sword, blood-red crescents tore through the air, flying at lightning speed.

“This much is nothing!”

I infused Durandal with the Power of Feats and swung it to counter the incoming Blood Blade.

Vacuum Slash. The vacuum blade, shot through the sword, collided with the blood-red crescent, releasing a deafening roar. The slashes canceled each other out, and the air exploded, scattering blood like fireworks.

The ability to shoot slashes was nothing surprising at this point—just a common technique.

Seeing all his consecutive Blood Blades blocked, Ragnar furrowed his brows.

“An invisible long-range slash…? Did Durandal have such a function?”

He seemed to mistake my technique for Durandal’s ability. He probably never imagined that someone could slash through the air with pure martial energy.

Well, I’ve never seen another knight capable of this.

Sure, I’ve met plenty who could shoot slashes, but none of them could do it with pure Power of Feats.

They either shaped magical energy into blades or wielded weapons with the ability to shoot slashes, like Ragnar here.

I could understand why Ragnar mistook my Vacuum Slash for Durandal’s power.

“Who knows?”

Of course, it’s none of my business how he misunderstands.

Amid the rain of shattered slashes, I discarded my tattered robe and fully unleashed the two streams of Power of Feats within me.

The Life Force Technique surged like wildfire, forming twelve tentacle-like appendages that spread like wings, imbuing my body with superhuman strength that surpassed even heroes.

The skirmish ends here. By now, the non-combat personnel in the royal palace should have evacuated, so I can go all out without worrying about the surroundings. Probably.

“Truly, an unbelievable power. I can understand why the ‘Third’ is wary of you.”

It seemed Ragnar had also been testing the waters, as his expression hardened, and he began to reveal his true strength.

A grayish divine light enveloped his body. The blessing of the Bølberg Church Order enhanced his physique.

A miracle that boosts physical abilities and strengthens the spirit—the Warrior’s Soul.

A miracle that dulls pain while increasing reaction speed—the Storm of Passion.

And—

“His spear is the storm that declares war.”

With an incantation similar yet distinct from Knut’s, a gray vortex formed in the air. The Spear of War, a power representing the Bølberg Church Order.

Truly, an apostle. The Spear of War he manifested was on a completely different level from Knut’s. Like the gap between a newly ascended master and those who have reached the Realm of Heroes.

“Kyaaaah!”

I kicked off the ground and charged at him.

A full-powered charge, just like when I faced Or-han. The ground beneath me exploded like a bombed building, and the entire throne hall shook violently.

“Kenaz, Isa, Thurisaz!”

Ragnar swung the Blood Blade while simultaneously unleashing Rune Magic at me.

Like small volcanoes erupting, the ground around me exploded, and pillars of flame shot up.

A massive hand of ice flew toward me, fingers spread as if to grab me, while a crackling lightning bolt aimed straight for my heart.

“Ha, is this all?!”

I extended my left hand to block the lightning bolt rushing at me like a flash.

“Hagalaz!”

The rune engraved on my wrist glowed, imbuing my left hand with the Power of Ruin.

-Crackle!

The clash of ruin and lightning. Victory was mine. The destructive mana that turned everything to dust shattered the lightning into pieces.

This was the second technique I devised after my conversation with Knut—Magic Crush.

A defensive method that activates the Rune of Collapse the moment an enemy’s magic touches my left hand, destroying the magic itself.

If the timing were off even slightly, I’d be sacrificing my left hand to the enemy’s magic, but given my reaction speed, that was a meaningless concern.

After practicing with Knut, I found that unless the enemy’s magic moved at the speed of light or had an overwhelming output, I could crush most magical attacks.

After dispersing the lightning bolt, I immediately dodged the Blood Blade slashes and countered with Vacuum Slashes, canceling out the incoming attacks.

A couple of slashes slipped past the vacuum blades, but they were intercepted by Hersela’s Life Force Technique tentacles, shattering into droplets of blood before reaching me.

Next came the icy hand.

-Crunch!

The massive ice hand scraped against the melting and crumbling ceiling and floor as it surged toward me. I clenched my left fist and infused the Ice Blade with the Power of Ruin.

Crimson lightning enveloped my gauntlet. Thunderous Rend. The destructive lightning struck the massive hand like a nail.

The Life Force Technique’s lightning pierced through the ice, tearing it apart from within. With a deafening explosion, the massive hand shattered like glass hit by a hammer.

Shattered ice fragments scattered everywhere, melting as they landed.

I shook off the slight numbness in my left arm and smiled.

If I tried to stack Thunderous Rend on my forearm, my left arm would shatter from the strain, but a single layer was manageable.

The recoil was just a slight tingling in my muscles.

-Whoosh!

The pillar of flame wasn’t even a threat.

If I were still wearing leather armor, I’d have to be careful not to burn my clothes, but now I was clad in temporary steel armor.

A steel-plated armor woven with wire. While the inner clothing would burn, I didn’t have to worry about being left in a half-naked state like before.

The armor glowed red from the heat, but Ragnar’s runes didn’t have enough firepower to melt steel, so the wire held firm.

In any case, I closed the distance, deflecting all his attacks.

The lightning beams, Blood Blade slashes, and icy hand could only slow me down momentarily—they couldn’t harm me.

Of course, Ragnar didn’t seem to expect more than buying time, as he remained expressionless even as his magic was crushed, simply reciting another incantation.

“From one to nine. The endless cascade of golden gifts shall fill His treasury.”

As a ring of divine light formed around Ragnar’s wrist, the Spear of War swirling above him multiplied into nine.

Nine golden bracelets. The Eighth Apostle’s signature technique—a spell that multiplied projectiles ninefold.

Finally, his trump card.

The nine Spears of War flew toward me like divine wrath.

—

The nine Spears of War. They were nothing short of a natural disaster.

-Whoooosh!

The madly swirling vortex sucked in all the surrounding air, howling fiercely. The shattered and melted fragments of the throne hall were swept up in the vortex, colliding and exploding into sparks.

-Crunch!

The walls and ceiling touched by the vortex were torn apart, and the already ruined throne hall began to collapse.

The bodies of the Dane royal family lying around Ragnar were turned into unrecognizable chunks of meat, spinning in the vortex.

The tension moistened my lips. My senses, sharpened to the extreme, stimulated my brain, fueling my excitement. Even without activating Reversed Heaven, everything in my vision seemed to slow down.

“Now, this is more like it!”

I gripped Durandal with both hands and smirked. Perhaps I’ve grown too accustomed to this body. The sense of crisis felt almost welcoming.

The azure blade, brimming with immense Power of Feats, shone with a dazzling blue light.