After eliminating the bodies of the hundreds of corrupted residents, I resurrected them once again.
Fortunately, it was possible because their souls remained intact aside from their bodies.
Paaaaah…!
The compassion of the saintess dwelled in my hands as hundreds of people wiggled their new bodies and stood up.
From the looks of them, their condition didn’t seem great, which meant the magic-induced erosion hadn’t fully healed yet.
‘But it definitely wasn’t like this before.’
The Dark Sorcerer and his subordinates on the 49th floor only wielded the power of darkness; they weren’t what you would call magic. They had a slightly alien and sinister power, but it was hard to regard it as a type of magic.
But right now, the power on the 65th floor was definitely magic.
[???]
[What’s this resurrection, LOL]
[Wow]
[That was instant]
[Big Lily]
[Wowee]
[Even without Saintess Lily, resurrection is so easy]
[? Demon?]
“…It’s similar to Lady Gabriel. It’s refined magic. In simpler terms, it’s made usable even by those who aren’t Celestial or Demon Races.”
Unlike Magic Lord Karia, who has the innate talent to handle magic, and Saintess Nea, who uses a light akin to holiness.
Gabriel, a user of the “Angel” guild, obtained the right to use refined holiness by having the job of a saintess.
Thanks to the “System,” the power was refined so that even humans could use it without harming their minds and souls.
Refined holiness doesn’t cause issues even if it’s wielded by an unqualified human.
Among the users, except for me and the Sword Saint, Gabriel was the only one like that, and later Aisha did obtain the power called “Impossible Being Gemelynus,” but it’s hard to consider it holy.
Arguably, it’s like a 50/50 mix of Karia and Nea, I guess?
I’ll have to check again later, but it’s certainly not complete holiness.
“But magic is still magic. We’ll need to examine it.”
The fact that the magic has been refined means there’s a source for that magic.
Since the refined holiness was granted by the former director manipulated by the “System,” it’s highly likely that the refined magic was also bestowed by someone the Dark Sorcerer serves.
“Perhaps.”
[Perhaps?]
[?]
“The Master of the Altar might be a demon.”
It’s still uncertain, but personally, I hope it’s not the case.
Whoosh!
Even if I have to destroy the altar, I must find and “address” it.
“Th-Thank you.”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
“You saved us…?”
Residents who had been staggering approached me one by one to express their gratitude.
Until a moment ago, they were out of it due to the erosion, but after receiving the healing of holiness, they recovered rapidly.
What they felt and saw was resurrection at the end of death.
And their perception of the light was that of a pure white existence.
Of course, they couldn’t help but notice that this miracle was caused by me.
As I received the gratitude of hundreds of people, I shook hands with them.
“Really… really thank you…”
“You’re so beautiful!”
“Is that someone who came down from the sky? Or a great sorcerer…?”
“Neither.”
“Oh, uh… anyway, thank you…”
As I continued to shake hands, even the people who had been hesitating nearby greeted me, and I accepted their handshakes.
I must have shaken hands with around 50 people.
Suddenly…
A man with a pale complexion grabbed my hand.
“Thank you… How could someone so amazing be here with us…”
“I can’t just sit back and watch people die.”
“Yes. Thank you very much.”
Something began to stir.
From the man’s hand that I was holding, magic flared up.
In an instant, the residents gasped and stepped back, and the man revealed his true nature.
Boom!
In one moment, the magic transferred from his hand to me, and the man grinned at the flinching townspeople.
The man’s true identity was one of the Dark Sorcerer’s henchmen.
With his refined magic, he was strong enough to resist some of the holy energy flowing around me.
Suddenly, a part of my arm turned black.
“Hahaha! You let your guard down!”
“……”
“Cough cough… The technique I used on you is ‘Mark of Darkness.’ It has the downside of requiring contact, but once it connects, even Pikyum can’t escape it.”
“……”
“Cat got your tongue? Angels aren’t anything special─”
Boom!!
The man went flying.
[?]
[LOL]
[Oh no, ‘that word’…]
[Ah!]
[How dare you do anything to Lily]
[Bye~]
[I also want to hold hands]
[Not an angel, Lily]
[Mark? Easy as pie!]
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The man hit by my specialized weapon flew through several mountains.
For someone with ordinary strength, the destructive power would have been lethal, but the opponent was someone infused with refined magic.
That much wouldn’t kill him.
“Graaaah!!!”
“Stop whining. I didn’t even use the holy energy.”
“Y-you… dog-like…”
Cough! Cough cough!
As I stood before him, the man, kneeling on both knees, coughed up a huge amount of blood infused with magic.
It was probably enough to fill several liters, yet he showed no signs of dying.
Magic grants its holder immense regenerative power.
‘It’s stuck to his soul.’
Unlike the residents addicted to magic, this guy had accepted it.
Since magic seeped into his soul, even if I killed and resurrected his body, I couldn’t erase the magic.
“How… how did the mark get placed on me…?”
“This?”
I raised the hand that bore the Mark of Darkness.
The magic that had been swirling around my hand just a moment ago vanished completely as I released another burst of holy energy.
“……”
[Wow]
[Instant cut]
[That’s an angel for you]
[To Lily]
[LOL]
[For real, haha]
[Oh no, that word is off-limits]
“This level of magic is nothing special.”
Just a low-level demon’s magic at most.
Low-level magic.
Of course, the one who granted the magic must be at least intermediate level, but all this man can handle is low-level.
‘At most, it’s probably not as good as Karia?’
If I hadn’t done the Fourth, I would have to exert quite a bit of effort, but not now.
“Ah…”
“Say one more word, and I don’t know what I’ll do.”
I scatter the holy energy and look down at the man.
The man tightens his lips and bows his head.
[Oops]
[LOL]
[‘That word’]
“What about your hideout?”
“…What hideout are you talking about?”
“The place where the dark sorcerer and you guys are. You must be active in several places right now.”
“I don’t know. We move while blocking all cognitive abilities from ‘that place.’ Even if I knew, would I tell you?”
The man chuckles as he looks up at me.
Is that so?
“I see?”
“Yes! No matter how strong that b*t… woman you are, you can’t kill me! I am endowed with the power of that person—”
Whoosh~
“…?!”
In an instant, the man floats into the air.
I lightly lifted him up and extinguished the saintess’s compassion, then unfurled two more wings.
The divine destruction amplifies in an instant.
With that divine power, I placed my hand on the man’s shoulder.
“That… uh…”
“It’ll sting a little.”
“…?!!!!!!!”
Gwaahhh…
■
“I found the angel… is that what you’re saying?”
“That’s right. The 7th apostle reported and took independent action.”
A space tainted by darkness.
Pikyum received the report inside a shield made of ‘that person’s’ magic.
This shield is powered by ‘that person’s’ ‘will’ and is further enhanced by the black magic of ‘Or,’ the newly appointed 2nd apostle.
Even if the angel uses all their power at that time, breaking through the shield is impossible.
“I see. It seems fitting for such an extraordinary being… that incredibly foolish movement is still the same.”
“I heard they are a race that only trusts in their power. That person’s evaluation is likely accurate.”
Whoooooo…
As Or completed the shield of black magic, he responded that way.
Now it’s possible to go from the inside out, but impossible to enter from the outside.
“By the way… is this really necessary?”
“Of course. While we have grown closer to that person, angels are an unimaginable threat. A direct confrontation is impossible.”
Divine power is the antithesis of magic.
The two powers are fundamentally hostile to each other and cannot coexist.
“That person said, ‘If you face an angel, you will certainly lose.’ So, we must avoid confronting that being.”
For that purpose, numerous apostles are scattering magic while immediately retreating.
To avoid as much fighting as possible.
To avoid discomfort.
“What happens if that woman comes here?”
“If she comes, that would be even better. Her coming here means there’s no one to block our plans, and our target will be closer.”
Since the opponent is a ‘Holy Angel’, it can never break through the shield.
“Hmm…”
“We just need to wait. In time, this shield itself will head towards the capital, becoming the catalyst for annihilation.”
“I see… hmm…”
“Is there something you’re worried about?”
“No. No problems… just…”
Or shook his head slightly.
Pikyum and that person’s plan is perfect.
“However.”
*
“Saaaa…”
“…Doesn’t it feel a bit cold?”
“Cold, yes. It does feel that way.”
At first, I didn’t notice, but now that I think about it, it does seem a bit chilly.
It’s as if the whole place has become a bit nippy…
“…!”
No, wait.
“It’s cold.”
It’s cold. Really cold.
Since my body was enhanced by magic, I’ve never worried about temperature.
I’m not the kind of body that gets bothered by the weather, hot or cold.
But now, even that enhanced body is trembling.
Or, with lips quivering, asked Pikyum.
“…Is the race of angels specialized in cold?”
“Th-That can’t be. Angels are specialized in heat! This energy is even more related to magic…”
*
Boom!!!
“…!”
“The shield…”
Boom!!!
The shield shakes.
Pikyum and Or, along with the numerous waiting angels, drew up the magic bestowed upon them.
If the opponent has holiness, gathering magic to counter it is the best option.
Saaaa…
“It’s c-cold!”
“Ahhh! My hand! My handdd!!!”
But they began to freeze even more.
The more they drew up the magic, the more their bodies froze, and they eventually let the magic go.
Boom!!!
“……”
“…Indeed, we can’t break it.”
Cough!
‘…Cough?’
“What is that beast sound…”
Crash!
Cracks appear on the shield.
The shield, imbued with that person’s will, is clawed at like paper, revealing purple claws.
What’s visible through the cracks is so cold it could freeze the soul…
“…A dragon?”
“Wow.”
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