81st Chapter
“This way! Everyone, come this way!”
The situation at the entrance of the nest was urgent.
Saint Diphelia stayed back here, taking charge and protecting everyone. The team that had just entered the cave for the second time appeared.
Now, there were only two teams left, excluding the first one.
The students of the Academia followed the Saint’s orders without complaints, maintaining an efficient formation according to their abilities and combat styles, regardless of their class.
If anyone was injured, they were swiftly pulled back to receive healing magic from the emergency team.
Among the arriving members, one with a heavily bleeding arm was quickly treated.
Diphelia stood tall on a large tree, commanding the situation. The wooden wheelchair she usually occupied now acted as the tree supporting her legs.
【Creeeek!】
As Diphelia’s hands danced through the air, a massive tree trunk blocked the path of the priest-level Altife forces.
Soon, thorns erupted from all sides of the tree trunk, attacking them.
‘As long as it goes like this, we’re good.’
Diphelia’s words were accurate.
Though still fledglings, the formation at the nest’s entrance made up of first-year students from the Academia was sturdy, turning the charging priest-level foes into minced meat.
The problem wasn’t here; it was inside.
Specifically, it was where Vargan was leading everyone.
【Creeeek!】
Another member was running away from the distance, being followed by Altifes. Diphelia concentrated her mana and thought.
‘I’ll make sure to protect this place thoroughly. I won’t let a single one of them die. So, everyone over there…’
Come back safely.
The Saint prayed fervently.
*
The group that launched a surprise attack on the main altar consisted of five.
Ocell Bui Arterion.
Ocell Banteolo Leon.
Portlet Troa Erica.
Alicia.
And, Schugenharz Troa Vargan.
Formed by top-tier students from the entrance exam, this hastily assembled team worked together as if they had been doing so for ages.
They moved like their limbs, as if aware of each other’s techniques and levels.
That’s how Zagan, who had ruled over this space, ended up pinned against the wall, taking damage like that.
『Caw-caw-caw! This is fun. Really fun. Finally, some decent playthings are coming out.』
Zagan, who had disappeared in a whirlwind of dust, emerged from the inner wall, laughing heartily at the current situation.
However, her eyes did not reflect the joy that had been there moments ago.
From her horizontally slit pupils, hostility began to seep out. She was ready to face the current situation earnestly.
In Zagan’s slender hand was something thick that hadn’t been there just moments before. It seemed to have emerged from her own body.
It seemed to have crawled out from the depths of the liver.
“Oh! Is that the Judgment Weapon? It looks pretty unique!”
Leon exclaimed, as if amazed to actually see an object he had only heard about in books or legends. He showed no signs of fear, standing tall.
“Why are you so happy about it?”
“Isn’t it a great opportunity to properly check our current situation!”
It’s one thing to be excited about the appearance of a weapon, but to find joy in the fact that a strong opponent has bared its fangs leaves Erica puzzled about his attitude.
The name “Judgment Weapon” is given because it is used to judge heretics.
It is essentially an extension of the body, something only those of Archbishop rank in the Goddess Church possess, and can be drawn forth at any moment.
Aside from the left arm, which is recovering due to a red aura, all of Zagan’s body parts have fully healed.
A scythe much larger than her upper body hangs from her right arm.
The scythe is made of an indescribable combination of bones, its shape so bizarre that just looking at it is unsettling.
『You can be happy since you’re pulling out something that has been lying dormant. It’s a quality toy that you’ve found after such a long time—』
⎯Oh, you mean you won’t wait for me? Good, that’s fine.
Young heroes rush in from all directions.
In this fast-paced situation, Zagan reads the mood.
One man using red aura and a white-haired individual imbued with wind mana lead the front line.
Behind them are two presumed magicians and one knight.
That female magician used Warp Magic. It is very likely she will aim for the sides or rear again. In that case…
Kwagagagagak!
Zagan horizontally raised her scythe, blocking the swords of Arterion and Alicia simultaneously.
Even if they combined their strength, Zagan wielding the Judgment Weapon could withstand it.
And then.
As if they had made a promise, the spaces on either side of Zagan began to distort.
Just as expected.
Zagan chuckled brightly.
Two orbs formed above her.
A collection of mana glowing with a sinister purple light. The preparation process for the Magic Cannon, which can easily penetrate thick steel boards.
As human shapes began to emerge from the distorted space, they were preparing to launch the compressed mass in a straight line.
『…!』
A new orb of mana formed right next to her collided, scattering in mid-air. Without even exploding.
Another overpowering concentration of mana interfered with the Magic Cannon.
Who is that?
Zagan locked eyes with a man watching quietly from afar. That guy, just comfortably observing.
He interfered with the atmospheric mana, blocking the discharge of the Magic Cannon. The precision is remarkable. No, it’s not just remarkable; this is an approach beyond understanding…
That gap that had formed.
Someone was aiming for it.
⎯Zhiing.
Erica and Leon appeared from both sides of Zagan.
And in front of them, Arterion and Alicia.
In this critical situation, as things became quite interesting, Zagan grinned widely, her teeth fully exposed.
A small orb of the same purple mana as before formed in her mouth.
Though small, its density was even greater.
Before any attack could reach Zagan’s body.
Crunch.
The orb was bitten down on.
““…!””
Everyone except Zagan was directly hit by the shockwave, scattering in all directions like raindrops hitting the ground.
Even while being slammed against the wall, Leon shouted boisterously.
“Ha ha ha ha! Truly a monster!”
Zagan paid no attention to her surroundings.
Immediately, she pounced towards one man, sharp like a predator stalking its prey.
She extended her scythe, knowing that this one might cause some trouble later, so she should decapitate him in advance.
As she closed the distance like folding space itself.
Capturing the disrespectful look in his eyes, a red aura sparkled at the edge of her vision.
A red aura sparkles at the edge of the field of vision.
“Impressive.”
From Zagan’s peripheral vision, she can see that the red light is targeting her neck.
Zagan reads the space moving in a straight line as if time has stopped.
Golden Knight.
She thought she had fallen, but seeing the ice wall shattered behind her indicates that a magician woman must have blocked it.
They are fighting together, cooperating like a well-synchronized hero team.
“Fun, fun…!”
Chuwak⎯.
From the severed surface of Zagan’s arm, cells surge forth and quickly return to their original state.
It was a costly maneuver in terms of mana, but this time it seems okay to use it on these toys.
Zagan, stopping her movements as if she has rooted her legs into the ground.
Crack. She bends her body and catches Arterion’s red blade, which couldn’t be seen by the human eye, with an impossible movement for a mammal.
Zagan’s hand burns, but she uses it boldly as if it’s a disposable item.
After a brief joint effort with Arterion, she sends a shock into his sword. When the pain of a critical hit causes Arterion to hesitate.
Zagan leaves him and rushes toward Vargan.
First, she needs to take down that guy called Vargan. That way, it’ll be easier to catch them one after the other, like dominoes.
A scythe targeting Vargan’s neck.
Whether he doesn’t plan to dodge or it’s just impossible, he doesn’t move. Not even a blink irks Zagan.
However, as she approaches Vargan.
Kaang⎯!
She is halted and bounced back by a white-haired woman appearing like a storm, filled with intent to kill. It was because she couldn’t put her full strength into it.
“Interference…!”
The white-haired woman re-enters her vision.
For the first time, Zagan properly sees Alicia’s face.
As the battle continues, she narrows the gap between her eyes and meticulously observes the white-haired woman.
“Uh? You’re… not, right? No… but it seems like you are.”
It definitely seems like her.
But it also seems like it’s not, creating ambiguity.
While the appearance is somewhat similar, the atmosphere feels entirely different.
“Ah, I don’t know. I can check with the corpse later. It’s not that important.”
Even though the white-haired woman grabs her attention, that’s a problem for later.
As the battle continues, the postures become increasingly unmanageable, so Zagan decides she needs to create some distance to regroup.
After bizarrely dodging consecutive attacks.
She kicks off the ground and stands on the altar, saying:
“You’re well protected, huh?”
Though she didn’t explicitly spit out the word coward, this statement prods Vargan, provoking him to move, aiming to grasp the specific attributes of his occupation.
That guy reeks of the smell of someone who has killed at least one bishop.
An unknown human regarding what abilities he possesses.
Considering he wielded a mace, he seems to be melee-focused, but given the quality and quantity of his mana, he must certainly be from the magic user category.
And a ‘considerable level’ one at that.
He hasn’t activated “Liberation” yet, though he is in a waiting state, he has enough mana to control the archbishop’s magic cannon.
A warrior with this level of mana pressure is something I’ve seen only a handful of times in hundreds of years.
Everyone here could potentially be a threat to the Goddess Church, but that guy is particularly dangerous.
He needs to be killed before he grows any stronger.
It’s a pity to end the game, but it’s time to wrap things up.
The fun stops here.
Zagan’s small body quivers, preparing for a change in power. Every muscle twitches like a living insect, and her skeleton transforms.
This is one of the abilities held from the archbishop.
The original power that surpasses the Judgment Weapon.
“Liberation!”
Liberation
Up until now, Zagan was merely a suppressed form, an imperfect stage. With liberation, the perfected Zagan could easily crush everyone with the original power of the Archbishop.
This was also the source of his ability to maintain laughter and playfulness, no matter how dire the situation got.
As Zagan’s body began to change…
…Huh? What’s going on here?
Just as Zagan was about to release the sealed powers through liberation, he began to properly assess the current situation.
The liberation wasn’t happening. The flow of mana in his body felt awkward.
Awkward? No, he could clearly feel the flow of mana. He could definitely liberate it. It was a primal instinct.
However, it would take time. A minimum of 2 minutes and 30 seconds, up to 3 minutes at most.
…Does it really take that long?
It shouldn’t be.
As Zagan noticed something strange in his senses, the Black-haired Man flickered back into view. A smile lingered on his lips.
As if Zagan’s predicament was a joke.
“Oh… right. It was a curse type.”
From a distance, he wasn’t doing nothing. In fact, he was the busiest of them all.
Using his other comrades to create a chaotic scene, he began to place curses one by one.
A slithering human.
Thwooosh—!
Nearby, two swordsmen charged in with fierce wind pressure created by their swords.
The distance closed rapidly, and Zagan bared his elongated teeth, grinning.
This was enjoyable.
One moment, he was thoroughly annoyed.
That an Archbishop like him should find himself in this situation was absurd.
Thinking rationally, wielding only the Judgment Weapon without liberation, his strength was roughly on par with theirs.
Under normal circumstances, as time went on, he would be overflowing with mana, giving him the upper hand, but it seems there was someone over there also serving as a mana source…
Liberation would take up to 3 minutes.
Until then, he would deal with these toys and wait for an opportune moment.
Once he was liberated, he could consume them in an instant. When the time came, he could hunt them down easily.
Zagan licked his lips.
It seemed like he could finally enjoy a proper feast after a long time.
”Until then, let’s have some fun!”
Arterion and Alicia. Zagan, pulling out the violet mana. Just as the swords and Zagan’s scythe were about to clash.
Boom!
The ceiling collapses.
More precisely, a circular portion caved in, and the debris plummeted to the ground.
Among the piles, figures leapt agilely. One shot up like a bullet, quickly facing Zagan head-on.
Eyes gleaming with rage.
A body devoid of any excess fat from years of training.
“What the hell do you mean ‘fun,’ you monster?”
Bam—!
The one responsible for the massive explosion was Louisa, the professor in charge of Class 1.
”…Now it’s about to get organized.”
Bargan, hearing the explosion, thought.
If Zagan were in a liberated state, it would be different, but before that, he could never handle the current forces.
What Bargan wanted to do with the elite First-Year students was not to kill Zagan but to buy time. He was waiting for Louisa and her team to wrap up the incident.
…While it might not be a complete nest, he hadn’t expected them to break through the ceiling.
—!
A magical barrier radiated, pressing against his body.
It was a spell cast solely on Zagan, but its power was palpable even to those around him.
A specific quality of mana that differed from Bargan’s pure mana was at work. This was the mana famed for horrifically slaying opponents.
02:55
There were about 2 minutes and 55 seconds left until the curse Bargan had placed on Zagan would be lifted.
That much time was sufficient.
Amidst the dust, Louisa glaringly spoke.
“You’re dead.”
She ground her teeth like a beast.
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