Chapter 251: Episode 251

The top floor of the Sky Castle.

The heads of the World Guilds stood facing off.

The situation was three against one.

Yusin, Marcello, and Marie Gold—

And opposite them stood Albert, the officially recognized Rank 1.

Yusin had Devastar activated, his body crouched low.

’A head-on fight will be tough. We have to make the most of our numbers.’

As expected, Yusin was the first to move. He stomped, activating Devastar, and shot forward.

VROOOOOM!

Leaving a trail of black smoke, Yusin slipped behind Albert and unleashed a kick that carved a chilling arc through the air.

THWACK!

Albert raised an arm to block. A violent shockwave burst out, rattling the objects around them as their gazes locked in midair.

He spread his wings just as Yusin pulled his leg back. At that exact moment, a charging cross of light slammed into Albert’s torso from the front.

<Judgment of God>

SKREEEEEECH!

Blocking with his wings, Albert skidded back, gouging a long scar into the floor.

Marie swung her arm, and the ghosts orbiting her shot forward, rushing Albert from behind.

Albert stomped hard on the floor. His body shot into the air as the cross, and the ghosts collided, annihilating each other.

’He’s fast!’

All three looked up. Albert had planted his feet on the ceiling and was twirling his finger.

THOOM!

They gasped.

In an instant, the world flipped.

Now Albert stood on the floor, while the three of them found themselves standing on the ceiling.

’He flipped the whole castle!’

As gravity took hold and they began to fall, Albert, standing on what had become the floor, spread his wings. With each step he took, feathers with power surpassing armor-piercing rounds ripped through the air toward them.

Marcello gripped his cross. A blast of pure white light shot out and collided with the feathers, neutralizing them.

Marie thrust both arms forward. Her Soul Aura shifted into the shape of a mirror. As the mana-laden feathers struck it, their power was stripped away and dispersed. Reduced to mere physical projectiles, the feathers passed harmlessly through her body.

Yusin raised his mana and deployed a shield.

Combo casting. As the shield formed, he layered a <Circle of Protection> over it for reinforcement.

The feather that struck his shield struggled against it instead of piercing straight through, giving Yusin just enough time to throw himself aside.

’It works.’

He had prepared for this attack after being hit by it before. He couldn’t block it as cleanly as the other two, but it was a far cry from the helpless beating he had taken last time.

FLAP!

Albert soared into the air, scattering feathers. At the same time, the castle flipped again, reversing gravity once more.

’This bastard’s tricks really make you want to swear out loud!’

While Marcello and Marie shifted back to defense, Yusin boldly activated Devastar’s boosters and shot toward the opposite wall.

Just then, a hand clamped around his face.

He choked.

Like an eagle snatching its prey, Albert had grabbed Yusin’s head in an instant and slammed him into the wall.

Yusin’s body turned to water and splashed to the floor. In the next moment, the real Yusin appeared behind Albert, swinging his leg.

<Devastar – Cutter>

SKREEEEEEEEEECH!

As the black, crescent-shaped blade closed in, Albert hastily folded his wings. Feathers scattered in all directions, and his expression hardened.

“Tch.”

Clicking his tongue, Yusin dropped back to the floor. The other two had also managed to block or evade the feathers unharmed.

CLANG!

Twisting his wings to deflect the Devastar Cutter, Albert grabbed his own neck and cracked it. The popping sound echoed through the castle.

“You use some strange techniques.”

“You’re one to talk.”

With the constant flipping and shifting, Yusin’s stomach was churning. On top of that, he had been firing off Devastar recklessly from the start and was already starting to flag.

’This is insane. He hasn’t shown anything especially fancy, so why is there nothing to exploit?’

He had never realized that simple, straightforward strength could be this terrifying.

Offense, defense, and speed—Albert was at the highest level in all three. For Yusin, who specialized in analyzing opponents and exploiting their weaknesses, this was the worst possible matchup.

“I can’t just leave everything to my junior.”

Marcello finally began drawing out his mana in earnest.

In a room where not a single breeze stirred, the hem of his holy vestments whipped about wildly as divine power poured endlessly from his body.

Marcello grabbed his cross and tore it from his neck, its contents spilling to the floor with a soft patter. He extended his left hand, the one holding the cross, like a gun.

<Coffin of Retribution>

A blinding flash erupted from the cross. The expanding light wove itself into pure white roots that spread to cover the entire top floor. Then, the roots all surged toward Albert at once, trying to seize him.

“Hm.”

Albert took to the air. A fierce aerial battle ensued as he flew at supersonic speed, the white tendrils chasing after him. The sonic booms alone made it clear both were moving at incredible speeds.

White lines traced through the air, tangling with the green trails left by Icarus’s flight, filling the space in a dizzying pattern.

Yusin let out a short, incredulous laugh.

’Top-class hunters really are on a different level.’

But Albert quickly devised a counter.

The feathers scattering in his wake shredded the tendrils of light. After cutting through several of them to buy himself some breathing room, Albert plucked feathers directly from his wings and threw them.

The casually tossed feathers accelerated mid-flight, and by the time they reached Marcello, they carried the kinetic force of ballistic missiles.

Marcello was forced back onto the defensive.

’Support.’

Yusin reached back and grabbed Specter’s hilt. His heightened focus perfectly calculated Albert’s trajectory.

SWISH!

Specter blinked into existence behind Albert. Reacting on pure instinct, Albert spread his wings wide to cover his back.

He was right. No rear attack could penetrate his Icarus, which was harder than any metal.

No matter how strong someone was, it was impossible to abandon confidence in ones own techniques. To have faith in your power and use it to the fullest—that was the basic mindset of the strong. A hunter doesn’t worry about the gun barrel exploding the moment they pull the trigger.

And that was why they all fell victim to this technique.

<Devastar – Chain Hole>

A small black hole opened on Specter’s blade and swallowed Albert, wings and all.

“Now, Marcello! Pour everything you have into it!”

Marcello nodded and opened his palm. Countless white tendrils streamed like lightning into the black hole.

The sphere then shrank before violently expanding, erupting in a grand, dark explosion.

RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE!

Among the debris flung away, they saw Albert’s form shoot toward the ceiling. He had once again wrapped his wings around himself, forming an egg-like shell.

’Damn it!’

“Not yet.”

The roots surged, converging on the cross at the center.

Marcello had already formed a massive bow of divine power and was taking aim.

Vmmm.

A pure white arrow leaped from the bowstring and, as if skipping the act of flying altogether, struck the egg, driving it straight into the ceiling.

A monstrous shriek tore through the air, loud enough to shred eardrums, and Yusin clapped his hands over his ears.

“My turn.”

Marie spread her arms wide. The swarming ghosts around her transformed into spears and shot toward the ceiling.

Following the black explosion and the divine arrow, the gray spears—impossible to guard against—pierced Albert, and a third explosion roared out.

The adamantium ceiling rattled, shedding debris.

“Ah…”

Then, Marie’s ghost spears hit Icarus, smoked, and vanished without a trace.

In other words, Albert had just negated an attack containing the full power of a Soul Aura.

And yet—

When he spread his wings and revealed himself, Albert looked utterly composed. His eyes swept over the three of them one by one.

“Not a single one of you is an easy opponent.”

“…This is impossible.” Marie’s body shook. “There’s no way you’re fine! Just how much mana do you have…?”

“Hmmm.” Marcello stroked his chin, his face grim. “I thought I had finally come close to the realm of an officially recognized Rank 1, but that was arrogance.”

“It truly is a waste,” Albert said, descending to the floor. “Each of you is young and has tremendous potential. In twenty years or so, one of you might have reached my level.”

They remained silent.

“I will give you one last chance. Withdraw. My enemies are not players.”

Yusin let out a breath. “But a hunter’s enemies are everything that threatens humanity.”

“I am merely taking up the scalpel for humanity’s sake. If you don’t cut away the rotten flesh, the whole body dies.”

“You’re determined not to listen, aren’t you?”

Albert spread his wings, readying his feathers.

“If you insist on fighting to the end, then so be it.”

He flicked his fingers—the signal to reverse the Sky Castle.

Albert looked confused.

“Sorry,” Yusin said with a grin, his hand pressed against the wall. “This castle belongs to me now.”

—Sky Castle integration complete. Hacking successful.

—Halting Sky Castle’s flight.

—Coordinates locked. The Dimension Keeper will attempt to transfer the Magic Tower.

Albert’s expression twisted into something terrifying.

“How did you…!”

“Everything that comes from another world is affected by mana. And…” Yusin’s lips curled. “Mana obeys my commands.”

—Tower Master. Dimensional transportation of the Magic Tower has begun.

Albert spread his wings and shot forward at a speed that surpassed Devastar. Marcello immediately leaped in front of Yusin, gripping his cross.

SKREEEEEEEEEECH!

A pure white shield blocked Albert as sparks flew in all directions.

“Move, Arch Bishop!”

“I’m afraid I cannot.” Marcello’s arms trembled, but he still smiled. “Because this man is our hope.”

CRACK! CRAAACK!

Albert increased the output of Icarus. Just as Marcello’s divine shield was about to shatter, a massive sword swung in from Albert’s side.

BOOM!

Albert was blasted sideways into the wall. Behind Marie, the gigantic upper body of a ghost loomed, gripping two swords. It was so huge that it made the vast space feel cramped.

“Die.”

As Marie swung her arms, the specter also swung its twin swords, hacking at Albert.

Meanwhile, Yusin focused his concentration, holding on to the Sky Castle’s controls.

—Tower Master! Transportation successful!

RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE!

A powerful tremor shook the world outside. Marie and Marcello braced themselves against the lurching floor.

Yusin expanded Deva’s Eye, looking through the wall at the scene beyond.

The Magic Tower had dropped squarely on top of the Sky Castle. Unable to withstand the weight, the castle was slowly beginning to fall.

“Tower Master…!”

Albert’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth ground together.

“Yes, this settles it.”

Yusin smiled pleasantly.

“The antidote, the infection warheads… everything’s been blocked. So what are you going to do now?”

* * *

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