Chapter 41: Shaken Faith
The start of the battle couldn't have been better. The Mountain Rabbits perford their assigned roles precisely, and the sa was true for Royce and Marik.
Kwaaaaak!
The flas that erupted from Commander Royce's blade severed the enemy's hideous forearm.
Falling Fire.
A technique that serves as the standard for advanced knights. Even though the Draug's body was half-composed of spiritual essence, he tore through space itself to deliver the blow.
Kadeudeuk! Pasak!
anwhile, Vice-Captain Marik also cut down the thorns made of blood. He was utilizing Wind's Scar in his own way. Even without his sword making contact, the tips of the thorns were severed, disrupting the flow of attack.
They repeatedly defended, found openings to slip through, then thrust forward.
The two moved in perfect synchronization as if they were one body. Although the Draug's flesh was constantly regenerating, they were physically overwhelming it nonetheless.
Priestess Ella's help was significant in this.
"O corrupted soul, rember God's rcy. O whispers of sin, fear judgnt. In the na of Kriya, I command... O sacred flas, devour the darkness!"
As divine power poured across the battlefield, the evil aura lost it and retreated. The blood writhing on the ground stopped moving, and the monsters in close proximity scread and collapsed with a thud.
[Kaarm thuun......!]
The Draug also let out a pained groan at the attacks inflicted on its main body.
"Now!"
Paaaaak!
Just as they were about to rush in without missing the opportunity, Royce hastily retreated and took a defensive stance.
Pagagagang!
Dozens of blood thorns erupted from the ground around the body.
He almost... Fell victim to an imdiate counterattack.
"Marik, the attack turn has shifted. This thing isn't just a simple monster. It knows how to use its head! Be careful!"
"Yes!"
However, that warning ca too late. More importantly, it was directed at the wrong target. The Draug had been watching only one person from before the battle even began.
'She was important.’
[Child of God, do you know?]
[Have you reached the truth?]
The Priestess, Ella, did not listen to the sinister whispers. The opponent was the culprit who had killed children and the elderly, even devouring their souls to prevent salvation. She recited prayers with only the single-minded determination to vanquish evil.
And at that very mont, space distorted, and the interior of the cave beca blurry.
"......?"
What appeared next were phantoms. The forms of dead children. Among them were real corpses mixed in, and they slowly walked toward her.
'Knight, I want to go out.'
'Mama, mama!'
'I want to go ho.'
But behind them was a human shadow with an adult's build.
"......Viscount Erchi!"
At her scream-like ending words, the Draug responded with a rough laugh.
[Correct, human. That one brought
human children. Only children? Elderly and won, those with disabled bodies, too. He brought all sorts of people to fill my belly.]
"Lies!"
Ella strongly retorted, but her actions were different. She looked at the victims. The children's corpses appeared intact, but souls were wailing beneath those faces.
To make matters worse, an eerie voice seeped into her ears.
[Who is the monster?]
"O Kriya... Please save these innocent ones."
[Correct. I killed the innocent. But is that wrong? Just as a wolf hunts deer, I, too, rely covet the souls of living beings. I simply live. Would you condemn a wolf for eating deer?]
"Defeat the demons that rise from the abyss, and with the light of faith..."
[Then what of humans? They call themselves children of God, yet they exploit life more cunningly than any being. For their own benefit, they pushed the weak into the wolf's den.]
"With the light of faith..."
Soon, the children's corpses began moving grotesquely. Arms twisted, heads snapped, they scread and laughed in agony.
'Why did we end up like this?'
'Were we sacrificed for God?'
'Will you pray for us?'
Ella took a step backward. Her breathing beca labored, her hands trembled. And more than that, her heart wavered.
Inevitably, her divine power also weakened, causing the Mountain Rabbits to hesitate. The divine magic, 'ntal Protection', was also losing strength.
[Child of God, I ask again. Who is the monster?]
"No... This is false. It's sothing evil has fabricated."
Once she showed weakness, the Draug also summoned images from the past, buried deep in mory.
'Naturally, royalty cos first.'
'But-'
'Ella, you don't understand. How many people does a single royal bear responsibility for? Life cannot be weighed by weight alone, but reality is different.'
The priests who had allied with the royal family and nobility preached the so-called 'sacrifice of the few for the many'. This was the reason Ella's faith was being tested—or rather, was still being tested.
Because she had failed to resist the wrong decisions.
'Aaaaah!'
'......I'm sorry, truly sorry.'
In the past, a child living in the outer castle had died before Ella's eyes, and the parents wailed. Simply because they weren't born noble, they couldn't receive tily treatnt.
And in that instant, the period was placed.
[The one thing that cannot be refused because it is singular. Do you still say so when truth approaches?]
"......"
[Behold. The truly evil one is here.]
Dagak, dagak.
Inside the cave. Amidst the clashing of monster claws and human weapons, the sound of hoofbeats rang out with absurd clarity.
"Heuuuu, so many sacrifices. So full..."
Raul Erchi de Valtram.
The one born human but who committed deeds worse than demons surveyed the inside of the cave with blood-red eyes. For a mont, his gaze t Ella's, but he soon turned his head toward other prey.
Pukwaak!
"Uh-"
The recruit who had been focused on the enemy before him touched the spear that had pierced through his chest.
"Devang!"
"Damn, what the hell is that bastard!"
"Knight, it's a knight!"
"Enemy!"
As the veteran rcenaries' angry shouts and the recruits' fearful voices echoed, Viscount Erchi closed his eyes gently as if listening to sweet music.
"Uhheehehehe."
Even having lost his reason, his expression was joyful.
"He, he was not tainted by evil... Why?"
And thus, the latch of faith was undone.
[El-la. I ask one last ti.]
"O Kriya..."
[Who is the monster?]
"......"
[Where is your God?]
After a long silence, as the power of faith lost its light, the Draug's power shook the interior of the cave.
***
In the place where divine power had disappeared.
Evil aura burrowed through the rcenaries' necks into their minds.
[ntal contamination rate increasing, '69%'...'72%'...'75%']
[External mana interference detected]
[Output reduction warning]
[Using mana for ntal defense, please be cautious]
"Nimiral..."
Zahira cursed as soon as she received a notification from the neural accelerator. Dealing with Viscount Erchi was already overwhelming enough.
Shaaaaak!
As output decreased and physical reactions slowed, injuries naturally increased. But compared to others, she was in better condition.
"Uhheehe, Calix... I'm a pathetic bastard. Pathetic bastard..."
"......"
Cases like Volga hitting his own head with his fists in self-harm were actually better. Most had collapsed like wooden dolls with paralyzed bodies, and so were even fighting each other.
Kwaak!
"Keu, keu...keulleok!"
Two recruits t death while stabbing each other's throats. It was an attack that abandoned defense. What made it even worse was the fact that Viscount Erchi's military power remained intact.
"People, we need people! Stick together!"
"This side... Isn't easy either! You know!"
"Stop bitching and stick together! We're all about to die!"
Indeed, the monsters summoned by the Draug weren't what mattered. In a short ti, over ten had died. Most were recruits, and without those who could do their part, over twenty would have perished.
One of them was Calix.
Kaang! Kadeudeudeuk!
Viscount Erchi's attacks were fierce. Even though he was soone you wouldn't want to associate with, his power was real, so Calix deflected the thrusting spear blade with his sword's back.
Hwiiik!
In an instant, the horse's torso turned, changing the angle, and hooves flew through the gap. It would have been dangerous if Zahira's short spear hadn't arrived in ti.
"Calix, are you okay?"
"I'm not particularly affected!"
"You're not bluffing, are you?"
"No!"
She double-checked whether he was adversely affected by the Draug's power, but this was an honest fact.
Just before, when the evil aura exploded. Calix's neural accelerator wouldn't tolerate any unnecessary interference.
[External mana intervention confird]
[Response plan complete, drawing mana from the heart]
[Mana composition change detected]
[...No abnormalities. Amplifying internal mana circulation speed]
[ntal contamination rate limit fixed at '70%']
[Stabilization system construction complete]
[No output abnormalities, user should focus on combat]
Had absorbing Ella's divine power previously been helpful?
The pondering was brief.
Calix looked at the window that appeared before his eyes.
[Hostile entity confird]
[Confird as 'Luminus Guardian', a degraded version of the Astria Kingdom's exclusive equipnt 'Luminus Seraphim']
[Output estimated between approximately '2.4' and '2.6']
[The hostile target's neural accelerator is exposed to explosive mana]
[Physical limit threshold is imminent]
The Viscount's condition was worse than when seen before. The silver lining was the part about 'physical limit threshold being imminent'. Just as he decided to direct the battle toward stalling for ti, a man with a stern impression suddenly blocked Viscount Erchi's path.
"......Vice-Captain? Why are you here?"
"Commander's orders. I'll block Viscount Erchi. Zahira, you assist , and the rest reorganize the battle formation first! Separate those incapable of combat, and those capable of combat-"
Zahira's question about why he wasn't dealing with the Draug was blocked by a sharp spear blade.
Kaang!
However, since Marik's neural accelerator was also deep blue, Viscount Erchi's thrust spear blade was perfectly blocked for the first ti.
"Heuuuu..."
"Noble sir, your appearance is quite unsightly."
"You vulgar thing, I am strong. I'm not soone you dare speak of!"
Good. With the Vice-Captain joining, they could block Viscount Erchi for the ti being. Of course, not all problems were solved.
The biggest problem was that the rcenaries' neural accelerator output was unstable. Not only the enemy, but Vice-Captain Marik and Zahira, and most importantly, the Commander's were as well.
Tiddik, hwaaaaak!
After Priestess Ella fell into confusion and even sent Marik for the mbers' sake. Royce was facing the monster called Draug with only his own strength.
Brilliant flas still blazed on his blade, but their size had clearly diminished.
Then what should Calix himself do?
Should he help fellow rcenaries deal with the subordinate monsters?
'It's aningless. As long as the main body remains, defeating a few monsters won't change the flow.'
Or should he mainly help the recruits? Or else, should he lend strength to subduing Viscount Erchi?
'Similarly, it can't change the war situation. Especially, Viscount Erchi isn't an opponent I could subdue imdiately even if I joined.'
None of the three.
To find a breakthrough, he had to identify the core of the battle.
'Ella.'
Currently, because her divine power had disappeared, the Mountain Rabbits' overall abilities had dropped vertically. Conversely, if she could recover, the combat power of the Commander and others would return.
Then the problem was how to persuade her.
Calix took a short deep breath and speculated about the cause of Ella's collapse. In that instant, nurous words ca to mind. But only one conclusion was clear.
'What I have to say is decided.'
If Ella doesn't recover like this, it's the end either way.
If he failed, everyone would die.
Therefore, just before rushing out, Calix first asked for understanding from the old rcenary beside him who was groaning.
"Uuuu... I hate small ones..."
"Gregor! Will you be okay alone for a mont?"
"Cook comrade? I'm fine. Do what you must do."
"......Just hold on a little longer."
Having made his decision, there was no hesitation in putting it into action. Calix quickly flew toward the deepest part of the cave interior.
In reality, forget about Falling Fire, he hadn't even mastered Wind's Scar, so he wouldn't be able to deal effective damage to the Draug's main body, but.
Suuuuu-
At so point, the mana that began writhing around his chest area was bringing about change.
Divine power is similar to mana yet different. Originally possessing properties that couldn't mix, but as the Draug's power struck from outside with strong pressure.
Pu-shwak!
Like different water droplets rging into one, the two masses that had been clumped together completely mixed and took on a brilliant hue. And by inevitable reaction, fragnts of mana stretched out throughout his body.
[Internal mana change detected]
[ntal contamination rate decreasing]
['64%'... '59%'... '51%'...]
[Estimated increase in mana purity]
[Detailed attribute added to bloodline trait 'Ranita's Heart/Source of Mana']
['Divinity' sprouts]
[Currently '4%']
[Physical limit threshold adjusted upward, combat facilitation value changed]
[Increased from existing '2.2' to '2.3']
This was definitely a different sensation from before.
New possibilities.
It felt as if the blood flowing through his veins had heated up hotly. Reflexively looking down at his hands, he could see fragnts of pure white sparkling light flowing under his skin.
Unlike existing mana, it spread from deeper places through blood vessels and nerves. His heart beat rapidly for a mont, then beca quiet as if it were a lie.
How should I put it... He was brimming with vitality.
His vision beca even clearer, the faint headache disappeared, and even the burden on his body completely vanished. The light flowing faintly from his entire body was completely driving away the Draug's evil aura.
[Vraak...thuun kaash...]
[Impure. This… Should not exist...]
The Draug also felt instinctive crisis and muttered to itself, but regrettably, no more ti was given to explore 'Divinity'.
"Damn!"
It was because dwarf Basim, who was protecting Ella, faced a precarious situation. Just as Calix had realized who would decide the direction of battle, the Draug also wanted to decisively determine victory.
Kwaaaaak-paang!
As he extended his hideous grasp, blood spurted up from the left and right floors to cover Ella. Basim embraced the human woman's waist and threw himself.
Fortunately, though he got a light wound on his ankle, he barely avoided it. Though his usual temperant was bad, Basim's skills also extended to the blue level.
"Basim!"
"Calix?! This damn brat! What do you think this place is... Keuryaap!"
The scolding was brief, as he swung his massive axe to deflect the 'blood awl' shot by the Draug's main body. He even swung the work hamr at his waist to shatter the thorns that sprouted from the floor. Truly skilled workmanship.
If the situation weren't deteriorating in real-ti, he would have scolded Calix again as if nothing had happened.
"Looks like you'll have to take care of the human woman! Her mind has completely gone... Anyway, that side is more important right now! Royce's strength is waning!"
"Is it possible?"
At the question without a subject, Basim understood imdiately and gritted his teeth. Calix's question ant whether he could use 'Wind's Scar'.
"Twice! No, three tis at most! More than that is difficult! Before we're finished, use that tricky head of yours to create variables!"
It was typical of Basim to spout such reckless words, but the given reality was rcilessly harsh.
Jjeeoooook!
As soon as he joined Royce, he split the Draug's shoulder blade, but the tattered upper body regenerated instantly.
To make matters worse, the attacks targeting Ella didn't stop in the anti.
Kureureu-reung, shwaaaaaa-
In an instant, the blood clots that had hardened on the floor lted and surged up to chest height. Royce, who was in close range, coughed up blood and staggered. The flas scattering from his blade also completely subsided.
Finally, he had reached his limit.
Nevertheless, it was natural that the wave of blood would also adversely affect Ella. Calix embraced her body and took the blow instead.
Though it was an action that anticipated his own injury, unexpectedly, no impact ca.
"Lady Ella!"
"O Kriya, I am... I am, my faith is..."
"Ella!"
"Why did you bestow power upon an unqualified ..."
This was truly a blessing in disguise.
The answer would be with the woman in his arms, but there was no ti to spare for conversation, let alone examining her condition.
Should he give her a bigger shock to make her co to her senses?
Should he trust in the attribute called 'Divinity' and jump in directly?
Either way was too big a risk to attempt carelessly. If only one more person could join to draw the Draug's attention.
At that mont, while raising his head, his gaze t soone's.
"......?"
It was an all-too-familiar face, but at the sa ti, an all-too-unfamiliar look in the eyes.
***
The Draug was a monster that devoured souls, and to succeed in hunting, it required the preliminary process of ntally breaking down its prey.
In Volga's case, it was stimulating 'inferiority complex toward accomplished friends', for Hadiya it was 'ruminating on past wandering life', and for Royce it was 'the death of family'.
Though the degree to which each person's heart wavered differed, there was one who had a peculiarity among them.
[Succumb to fear.]
"Uuu..."
Gregor was prostrated on the ground with his shield covering him like a lid. However, such behavior could never block out the evil whispers.
Since he was already losing his mories, how strong could his ntal strength be?
[O vanished one, what you grasp in your hands shall break and crumble.]
"Uuuu..."
[A re shield cannot block it.]
"Uuuuu... Begone, you evil thing!"
[What are you so afraid of?]
However, the old man had just one thing. An extre obsession and desire that even monsters couldn't understand. People called it a shield, and he-
"Plate, small plate..."
[......Plate?]
"I hate small plates..."
[Small plate, you say......?]
Plate.
Was there such a thing as 'plate' among what humans feared?
The soul-devouring monster, the Draug, felt perplexed by this object it was hearing about for the first ti, but soon dug into the core.
What mattered wasn't what that object was.
[All around... Small plates are full.]
"No! It can't be, you fiend!"
[Truly nail-sized... Plates.]
"Keuheuheuik, my bread! My soup! With this, I'll starve through all my als!"
[Correct. Even that is not yours, so submit!]
And the Draug's attack worked surprisingly well.
[O one who loses mories, answer!]
"......"
[Do you want to lose even the small plates!]
After his pride in large plates was shattered to pieces and his obsession with shields exceeded its limit, his 'complete self' suddenly awakened from within... It really worked that well.
Suuuuik, paak!
The old rcenary used his shield as support to raise his body. He slowly looked around, then gritted his teeth and spoke.
"It's not a plate."
[......?]
"This is a shield."
At the sa ti, he looked at the Draug's main body with burning eyes. Perhaps because he had regained his mory after so long, his eyes were very clear, but one additional emotion lingered there.
Extre sha.
[Mortal-]
"My na is Gregor."
Seureureu-reung.
He drew his sword, then scraped the shield's surface to remove the stuck blood. Where the filth was washed away, a refreshing silver glow swirled.
"As a mber of the Silver Shield Legion, I protect the Empire, guard the Emperor, and drive out enemies."
[......]
"Evil beings, be annihilated."
Hwaaaaak!
And soon, a second fla was scattered across the battlefield.
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