Incheon Seogu’s urban center.
Having heard the news from Hainha, the Taegeukgi Maiden, Psycheless quickly flew in and gazed in disbelief at the scene of destruction in the city.
‘…There are way too many.’
No matter where she looked, she could see groups rampaging, exhibiting ferocious aggression.
Buildings like apartments, schools, and convenience stores were being torn apart by a crowd dressed in all kinds of outdated clothing, armed with various weapons.
Citizens, caught in chaos, scrambled to escape, only to be assaulted by monsters roaming alongside swarms of bats.
The smell of blood filled the air, and screams echoed in the pandemonium.
The peaceful city had instantly turned into a mess. Even though she had rushed over as soon as she received the call.
“Are you okay?”
Lilith, who had come with her, gently patted Psycheless on the shoulder.
The soft touch brought calm to her whirling mind. Thanks to that, she could think clearly about what to do.
“Lady Lilith, we need to take out their leader first. That way, we can suppress them.”
“…Won’t the lackeys make a mess while we do that? How do we handle them?”
“There’s no need to worry about that.”
Psycheless created wings with ‘malicious power’ and soared into the sky.
“There are people who won’t just sit idly by, you know?”
“……”
After a brief pause, Lilith followed her followers into the air, a bright smile on her face.
“True. Our Pope won’t just stand by, will he?”
In this land, there is a Pope who worships the sun, generous enough to accept even demons as members with a warm heart.
Eluke.
She would be on her way here soon. No way she would ignore such a large-scale riot.
“She is surely preparing to judge those who commit injustice right about now.”
Thus, they could focus on what needed to be done without a care. It was calmness only someone with a reliable ally could possess.
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s do it.”
With a brief smile exchanged, the Succubus and her follower dove towards the strongest figure amidst the chaos.
While doing so, they offered a light prayer.
“Um, please give us sunlight. That should work, right?”
“Demons are accepted too, right? Hehe… We’d appreciate your protection.”
It was the first time they prayed to a noble god, who deserved the title of Heavenly Level, so both found it awkward.
Yet, it didn’t feel bad.
After raising their prayers, they felt a wave of peace wash over them, and the last traces of tension evaporated without a trace.
Was this the power of faith?
“…Huh?”
At that moment, a pink light suddenly shone above their heads.
A dazzling and noble radiance filled with lofty intensity and will.
Psycheless and Lilith felt the shining light above them and smiled faintly. Before they knew it, immense vitality coursed through their bodies.
“I didn’t expect the prayer to be answered so quickly.”
“Exactly.”
The sun goddess was much more fiery than they had thought.
*
On the rooftop of a low-rise apartment.
“We have arrived.”
I grimaced at the dizziness caused by the spatial transportation magic activated by Hekatrith.
Indeed, the Young Dragon’s magic has way too many side effects. I felt like throwing up.
But there was no time for a break. The enemies were relentlessly rampaging through the city.
‘They’re really serious about this.’
The thunderous sounds of explosions reverberated constantly, while the smell of blood wafted from all directions.
The scale of the riot was such that I had no clue where to start.
No matter how I thought about it, this was definitely a surprise event prepared by the impersonator for me.
Could they possibly still be watching me? It was highly likely, so I decided to stop overthinking and act immediately.
“Ilju, Seongju.”
At my call, two named swords floated in the air.
I planned to send these two, who had great mobility, first.
“Eliminate all entities with murderous intent.”
– Yes, I will do that.
– Got it!
The obedient and good swords responded and sprang into action at once.
Seongju and Ilju cut through the wind, engaging in aerial swordsmanship.
Their graceful swordplay intensified, but the results weren’t so noble. Soon, the heads of those destroying buildings began to roll mercilessly.
“What the hell!”
“An ambush!”
“Form up!”
It seemed they weren’t just ordinary minions; the enemies started to confront the two swords with organized and systematic movements.
Their training was solid. They seemed to possess a decent level of skill.
But even so, it wasn’t enough to withstand the onslaught of the divine swords chosen by an immortal who had dominated the sword spirit novel world.
– Not quite easy, huh.
– Yaeek!
Soon, the flames and power emanating from the swords spread everywhere.
It was an attack that could instantly crush the lives and wills of the enemy.
‘This area should be safe now.’
Seongju and Ilju should be able to handle most foes.
However, relying solely on the swords wouldn’t be enough, given the sheer number of enemies.
According to Witness’s analysis, there was a large group numbering at least a thousand. With some superhumans mixed in, they were not to be taken lightly.
So, I needed to devise the best strategy without taking it lightly.
“Everyone.”
I surveyed the other church members who had come with me.
The top holy knight Yao, guardian dragon Hekatrith, and guardian beast White Tiger.
Although there was only one human among them, the presence of each was exceptionally reassuring. They were all formidable beings endowed with strong willpower and mysterious abilities.
On the other hand.
The other three looked quite uncertain.
Safety-Obsessed Patient Jo Ha-jin, an ordinary high school student Han Hee-jun, who was only special for his spatial isolation ability, and the uncooperative brat Rema.
None of them had formally become church members yet, so I couldn’t trust them blindly.
Especially the Great Demon. Even in a hurry, I felt burdened borrowing his strength because he held a grudge against me.
But for now, I had brought them all.
‘There’s no other choice.’
The powerful allies had all ventured into the Void. And I had left Kelaout behind to guard against possible cathedral ambushes.
So for now, this was my best option. They would at least fulfill the role of hidden trump cards, right?
I wore a wry smile and quickly issued commands.
“First, Yao, please conceal and disguise this apartment. Then look around and rescue people.”
“Understood.”
After Yao dashed off quickly, I noticed a small Void Monster.
“White Tiger, please hunt down the instigators of this violence. You can eat them if you want.”
“I understand.”
With a polite response, White Tiger soon melted into the shadows.
It was an ability gained from devouring shadow ninja demons in the Demon World.
While it wouldn’t perfectly hide its presence, it was optimized for stealthy movement. It would now roam the darkness, devouring rioters one by one.
“What should I do?”
The now-enthusiastic Young Dragon flapped its wings excitedly, eyeing the smoke and dust rising throughout the urban chaos.
I was glad to see such eagerness. There was much to assign to Hekatrith, the most competent and highest-ranking of the remaining church members.
“Guardian Dragon, please survey the entire urban area and rescue anyone in peril.”
“That should be easy.”
“And cast external shockproof magic on all buildings.”
“Hmm. That’s a hassle, but I can manage it.”
“Oh, and don’t forget to deal with those causing the riot.”
“…That too?”
“There’s more. Since new enemies may appear, you need to keep the detection magic activated.”
“…….”
Was it because too many duties were piling up on him?
The once cheerful Young Dragon suddenly looked downcast. It seemed the excitement that had surged was starting to drain away.
Of course, I had anticipated this reaction, so I had already thought of a reward to mention.
“If you perform successfully this time, I will lift all your bindings.”
“You underestimated me. To handle everything you’ve entrusted me with, that’s only natural…”
“And I’ll also provide monthly snack expenses worth two hundred thousand won.”
“Just trust in me!!”
Just moments ago, the Young Dragon had seemed sullen, but now its expression brightened quickly.
And its eyes began to burn with desire. Its tail was wagging vigorously.
Who knew this would have such an effect?
It really was an easy dragon to handle.
I smiled contentedly and patted Hekatrith’s head.
“Then, I will temporarily lift the seal.”
Now I was confident. Even if all its powers were unleashed, it wouldn’t revert back to being the vicious Evil Dragon it once was.
It wasn’t blind faith.
It was based on the history of taking care of Erina and Ibailla as the caregiver and Kelaout’s consistent character development during the month I was away.
Combining all that, I reached a conclusion.
It was time to showcase the ‘Church Guardian Dragon’ to the world.
“Hekatrith. It’s time to reveal your true strength.”
I softly uttered as I undid the binding sacred spell surrounding the area near the Young Dragon’s heart.
Immediately after, the black scales became enveloped in a dense concentration of sacred power.
Blessings, skin shimmering with sunlight.
This was a first-class blessing that drastically raised defensive capabilities, along with additional effects.
“Kwaaaah!!”
Soon, Hekatrith’s body, which had barely the size of a medium-sized dog, ballooned into an enormous form.
A grand and massive presence that sent chills down one’s spine.
The intensity radiating from it was more overwhelming than when we first met. Even those with weak hearts wouldn’t be able to withstand such a presence.
However, it was different from the vicious Evil Dragon it used to be.
The once pitch-black body scales now gleamed red like heated flames, radiantly shining. It was as though it had embraced the sun itself.
“Please showcase your true capabilities. If possible, we would like a performance that will amaze the spectators.”
As if in response to my words, Hekatrith took off into the sky with a fervor far beyond when it was small, flapping its wings fiercely.
Immediately after, countless magic circles appeared in the air.
A dazzling celestial river of mana, shining like stars in various colors. Hundreds of spells were being simultaneously cast, far too numerous to count.
I was awestruck, staring at the beautiful and magnificent spectacle, completely forgetting my tasks.
Suddenly shaking off my daze, I said.
“Witness, please turn on the broadcast.”
Since the impersonator threw down the gauntlet through iTube, I planned to respond live.
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