Chapter 267
The state of the Academia is strange.
Clearly, according to plan, the Academia, with the Red Canopy lifted, should have been immediately resummoned.
“But instead of retreating, they launched an attack, and now that Gamigin has entered, they’ve reactivated the barrier, completely sealing off access…”
The overall commander of the Western Army. Spirit Summoner Ferangis, ranked 2 in the Hero Ranking.
With approximately 7,000 soldiers, she furrowed her brow at the sight of the Academia hovering above.
Wrinkles appeared on her otherwise youthful skin, and the news from the wind spirit deepened her worries.
—Ferangis, we’ve completed the power assessment of Gamigin.
—The confirmed key forces are Cardinal Gamigin, Archbishop Sabnak, Archbishop Salecius, and Archbishop Glashalabolas.
—There are 736 bishops, and 34,000 special entities.
—The regular priests… about 820,000.
A staggering power nearing 850,000.
If the soldiers opposing them are just 40,000 regular troops and not elite forces,
it’s clear that a horrific massacre is about to unfold—a thought too terrible to entertain.
Considering the duration of Gamigin’s inactivity and the damage sustained during that time, this was within the anticipated range,
but that didn’t guarantee that victory was assured.
Having heard the spirit’s conversation alone, Ferangis shared this information only with her executives and withheld it from the regular soldiers.
The morale, already sharply reduced due to Gamigin’s appearance,
would crumble entirely if news like this spread.
“Absolutely not. There can be no defeat in this war.”
When contemplating the enormous funds and manpower that went into this war, it’s easy to imagine the difficulty of recovery after a loss.
War is cold and precise.
Only the victors enjoy all the glory and benefits, while the losers vanish into the annals of history.
Therefore, Ferangis summoned the most symbolic spirit among the dozens with whom she had established contracts—
the King of Light.
Even though the spirit had no physical form, just its noble presence alone,
showed that it would fight alongside them.
That alone served as a great boost to their momentum.
Boom—!
Ferangis, leading the charge with the massive light spirit at the forefront,
and the soldiers galloping energetically behind her.
Their destination was the heart of the forest, where “Gamigin’s Nest” was presumed to be.
Gamigin’s Nest has been notoriously described as quite a “pain in the neck.”
Unexpectedly, with Gamigin having entered the Academia, the focus of her army was now directed toward the core of the nest.
Naturally, this led to a clash with Altife along the way,
as soldiers wielded swords and staffs, fighting back.
Swish—!
—Kreeeek!
“Do not fear the resistance of Altife, advance!”
“Our weapons carry the future of humanity!”
The two protagonists, Liam and Arterion, belonged to a squad within Ferangis’s military unit.
He belonged to one of the squads.
Liam swiftly swung his sword, generating a blue current, and decapitated the mindless Altifes.
‘…They just keep coming, don’t they?’
If he hadn’t wrapped his sword in aura, he would have been overwhelmed by now.
There were just too many enemies.
Even though he had rushed out, he still hadn’t reached the center.
‘I thought the Southern Army would reach the center quickly because of its speed and proximity. But with so many Altifes, it feels hopeless.’
Most of the Altifes had been cut down like leaves falling from a tree by the Spirit King and Ferangis.
Despite getting sliced apart, the sheer number of enemies was staggering enough for them to maintain their mass.
At this rate, it seemed impossible to support the airship squad that was already fighting in the center within the time limit.
Swoosh—!
While advancing and cleaving Altifes in half, Liam looked up at the airships floating in the sky.
The immense aura of Vargan that he had felt from over there disappeared.
Vargan must have warped with Erica to the original location of Academia, presumably with the help of another Hero.
However, with Academia refusing cooperation and Gamigin already present, warping was impossible.
He would surely return soon.
‘But… this is strange. Quite some time has passed, and he still hasn’t come back?’
Considering Vargan’s personality, who was known to value time absolutely, this was perplexing.
Could it be… something happened since it’s April 28th today?
The incurable illness that was Vargan’s weakness from the novel was becoming pronounced today.
Yet he had supplied an enormous amount of mana to Erica and had summoned 20,000 black Altifes using a Unique Spell.
It must have had a severe negative impact on his soul and body.
What is he scheming this time…?
“Liam. Your sword’s swing is losing its steadiness.”
That was a hint to get his head straight.
The voice that addressed Liam was calm and composed, even in this chaotic situation.
Unusually collected and clear.
‘Arterion?’
An unexpected person was speaking to him.
The Prince of the Ocel Kingdom.
Since joining Academia, he had never interacted with the original protagonist, so it was surprising that they had never even spoken once.
The only time they had crossed paths was during the election season when Vargan was out with Erica.
‘Arterion is speaking to me first.’
More than anything, it was surprising that he knew Liam’s name, but given the current situation, there was no time to dwell on such matters.
He tried to keep a calm expression despite his inner turmoil.
Swish—!
The red leaves trailing Arterion.
They became a sword that surrounded and devoured the Altifes, as well as a shield that blocked attacks; an aura that was both dazzling and commanding.
Arterion continued to speak without losing his imposing demeanor.
“I’ve been watching your swordsmanship all this time. Even the renowned swordsmanship master, Hayode, would be astonished by your swift blades accompanied by blue currents. …Your sword shouldn’t be just this much, right?”
“…….”
Arterion had recognized Liam for a long time.
It seemed that he even held a certain level of appreciation for him.
Liam felt a complicated emotion that was hard to put into words. Even if he tried not to give it too much significance, it was difficult to do so.
He focused and tightened his gaze, nodding his head.
“Sorry. I’ll pull myself together.”
“Target the five Priest-level Altifes ahead. I will cut down the two Special Entities on either side.”
Running alongside Liam, Arterion gave orders while eyeing the advancing Altifes.
Though it wasn’t explicitly stated, it was an invitation to combine their strengths.
Zzt—!
Just like the swiftly flowing electric current along a wire.
Liam quickly sliced down the five Priest-level Altifes.
He quickly sliced through the fruit.
Arterion severed a special entity that took the form of a minotaur, dividing it into two, one for each of them.
Despite it being their first time, their cooperation felt quite natural.
Above all, their speed was astonishingly fast.
“That’ll do.”
Arterion said with a sly smile.
Liam nodded in agreement and pressed forward even more.
Ferangis’ western army pierced through the enemy forces and charged toward the center.
*
Meanwhile, the main force was pushing up from the south.
The situation here was literally hellish.
A special unit had been prepared to break into Academia alongside Helion, but they couldn’t break free from the main force due to the defensive barrier of Academia, which was refusing even ally incursions.
Gulemashia, who had invited Gamigin without retreating as planned.
The manifestation of an unusual symbol on Paula’s body and the transfer of power.
Eventually, the heroes understood what the great magician was trying to do. Keeping that intention in their hearts, they bravely fought back.
Even if Gulemashia couldn’t drag Gamigin into the fray.
They had to prepare a stage so they could hunt down anything that came out after the barrier vanished.
At the same time, the current situation also presented an opportunity for the heroes to annihilate Altife.
With Cardinal Gamigin’s position now vacant, it was as if a powerful enemy protecting the bishops and archbishops had disappeared.
“Don’t panic under the enemy’s siege! Most of them are mindless entities anyway!”
“Isn’t it already assumed that we would be outnumbered! Just break through if we’re surrounded!”
“Pierce their hearts with the holy sword!”
The main force was overwhelmingly powerful.
Hero Ranking 3 Grayden.
Hero Ranking 6 Helion.
And although he had lost one arm and one eye, there was Hero Ranking 8 Kello.
Three heroes ranked in single digits.
Moreover, the eastern army’s Hero Ranking 7 Trisena’s unit was on its way to join here after clearing out Altife.
Though the absence of any archbishops made the eastern Altife force particularly vulnerable, this union was significant for the entire army.
“Kill them! We must kill those bastards to return to our families!”
““Waaah!””
Kerrrr—!
Creeeek—!!
As the heroes charged into the main force.
Gamigin’s forces had also deployed more Altifes than other areas.
Archbishop Sabnak.
Archbishop Glashalabolas.
Archbishop Salecius.
All three archbishops were here, and except for Glashalabolas, they had all completed their liberation.
『Krrk—.』
Glashalabolas, reminiscent of a chimera.
When it charged into the ranks of soldiers like a fierce dog, the stench of rotting corpses filled the air.
Even a slight touch would cause decay, leaving soldiers utterly powerless against him.
Unable to bear witnessing the monster have its fun, martial artist Grayden charged in like a black horse, using both hands to stop Glashalabolas.
“Hahaha! One damn freak is having a blast!”
Ironically, Grayden, the one saying that, seemed far more excited.
Faced with the archbishop for the first time in a long while, Grayden donned a thicker and sturdier protector than ever before, aiming to unleash all his pent-up frustration on Glashalabolas.
His aura couldn’t be pierced even by the power of decay.
Glashalabolas transformed its form, engaging with ‘physical force.’
“Have you bulked up on muscles! Let’s see what you’ve got!”
Boom—!
Boom, boom—!
It looked like one man and one Altife were fighting.
No, maybe it seemed like two monsters were in battle.
Grayden unleashed punches at an impossible speed for his size, while Glashalabolas retaliated even faster, not backing down, using its muscular tentacles divided into five to launch unyielding strikes.
The price didn’t budge.
Other soldiers and officers tried to intervene in their battle to help them out.
Grayden, however, snapped and told them to back off and get lost.
Zzuwaaaang—!
A short distance away.
Archbishop Salecius’ tremendous strike illuminated the world for a moment.
The person fighting Salecius was Helion and his teammates.
Alicia kept glancing over in that direction, but since it wasn’t her area of responsibility and she couldn’t move separately, she decided to focus on the enemies in front of her.
—Kieeek!
She swung Naias softly yet sharply, slicing through her foes.
From the outside, her skills were so refined and agile that she hardly looked like a student at all.
Alicia was part of the same squad as her friend and fellow archer, Serena, and they had collaborated multiple times both in the Academia and in real combat, so they could anticipate each other’s moves without needing to talk.
『I can’t die in a place like this! I am the revered Bishop of the Goddess Church Ka—!』
Swoosh—!
The red aura surrounding the blade of Naias pierced the bishop’s heart.
Unable to accept his impending death, the bishop stared at Alicia with dilated pupils.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Alicia expanded the range of the red aura and split him in half along with his core.
“……”
For just a moment, Alicia and her teammates caught their breath.
Alicia tried to wipe the blood off her face, but it didn’t come off easily and stung.
She had a long gash on her face with blood flowing, but soon it seemed to vanish as if nothing had happened.
—Kyuuk!
Transparent and hidden.
A small familiar was wandering around Alicia.
The white furball resembling a weasel continuously provided Alicia with a small amount of mana and knew how to use healing magic.
Typically, familiars took mana from their contractors in exchange for offering something, but this little one required food instead of mana.
While the healing magic wasn’t miraculous like the Saint’s, it came in handy during sustained battles or for shallow wounds.
“Bargan didn’t bring you along for no reason.”
A voice that resembled her master’s.
Rheincarven, the eldest son of the Schugenhartz Family, highly appreciated Alicia’s combat prowess.
He had been keeping an eye on her since the Academia, but seeing her again like this was astonishing all the same.
“…Ah.”
“That’s enough of a response. We don’t have the luxury for a conversation.”
Rheincarven cut Alicia off.
Immediately, a massive shockwave surged, beginning to alter the surroundings.
Krraaaaak—!
Alicia hastily planted Naias into the ground and braced against the strong winds.
Squinting her eyes, she looked ahead, and from the spot where the purple mana erupted, a forest approximately 100 meters in radius split open and fell like it had been sliced.
『Kill… Kill… All of them! Kihihik!』
In the center stood Archbishop Sabnak.
His entire body was a weapon. With razor-sharp arms, he was engaged in a fierce battle against two men, creating a furious spark.
The two men facing the archbishop were the one-digit hero Kello and Bram, the leader of the Madeleiro and a battle slave to Vargan.
Sabnak was spouting words and laughter that sounded crazier than other archbishops.
His eyes narrowed like a crescent moon as he said.
『One down. Kihihik!』
Swoosh—.
A man split apart sideways.
Once whole, his body revealed a horrific cross-section as it fell to the sides.
And that individual was
A one-digit hero playing an important role in the Church.
The swordsman Kello, ranked 8 in the Hero Ranking.
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