Chapter 197: Advent

[Kyaaaak!]

The scream let out by the wounded Lilith resonated loudly throughout the entire plaza.

Before one knew it, her body was full of cuts and charred wounds here and there.

The holy sword sliced through the demon’s flesh, and the sacred brilliance burned the skin of evil.

However.

[……Kihihi!]

Lilith grinned grotesquely, tearing the corners of her mouth wide open.

Then, the wounds regenerated at a rapid speed, and the charred burn marks also became clean as if erased by an eraser.

[It’s useless no matter how hard you try. Hmm?]

I frowned.

I know.

That a demon’s body is different from a human’s.

Stamina, agility, strength, resilience, etc. A demon transcends a human in every aspect.

To become like them, one had to similarly transcend the human body through experiences of crossing the line between life and death, training, and enlightenment.

‘But…… I am not a Master.’

A thief who couldn’t even handle aura, let alone look at the realm of a Master.

That someone like me could oppose Lilith was thanks to the stats raised with sheer grit through leveling up and the artifacts plastered all over my body.

Meaning, I was somehow maintaining the balance purely on stats and gear.

Plus, relying on companions.

Raven’s blade, imbued with Professor Ilai’s blessing, tore through the black smoke.

Lilith, who was just about to use spirit transformation, dodged Raven, but she couldn’t dodge the brilliance dwelling on the blade and suffered burns.

[Hmm. It certainly is annoying.]

Normal weapons couldn’t inflict wounds on a demon’s body, but weapons imbued with divine power or holy swords were capable of damaging a demon.

[Still can’t catch a single female cleric. What the hell are you doing!?]

Eventually, Lilith spat out her irritation.

She also knew very well that the tide of battle would turn in her favor only if she killed Professor Ilai.

Since the very fact that all mental attacks were blocked made it a disadvantageous fight for her from the start.

[Anyway, you guys are useless except for panting with lust.]

In the end, unable to watch any longer, Lilith spread her two wings wide to step forward herself.

‘It’s coming!’

That was the preparatory stance for [Sweet Dream], which could be called Lilith’s ultimate skill.

The beginning of it was small flower seeds that looked like dandelion seeds.

Lilith, who glided high into the sky, blew the flower seeds blooming from her fingertips with a breath, and soon the seeds rode the wind and scattered here and there in the plaza.

I hurriedly looked toward Allen.

I had already received the report that the 2nd Raid Group had completed their mission, and I had even confirmed with my own eyes that Allen had woken up.

Just in time, Allen was looking at me too.

Glaring with a gaze that seemed ready to kill, he sends a voice.

[I heard the explanation of the situation, Skull Mask. It feels quite fucking shitty to have to help you like this, but I guess now is not the time to be nitpicking about that.]

Woooong.

The mana around him began to fluctuate.

[I will kill you after dealing with the demon first, so wait.]

At the same time, Allen slammed Silver Fang, which he was holding, onto the ground.

Then, a bright light flashed with him at the center, and a magic formula large enough to cover the entire plaza was engraved in the sky above.

And.

“…….”

All the airflow flowing around stopped at once.

A heavy pressure weighing down from all directions.

Through that, Allen’s firm voice resonated throughout the plaza.

“From this moment on, I will govern the space of this place.”

[Time of the Wind Mage].

The strongest technique of the 6th Circle Mage Allen Desico unfolded here now.

***

The Extreme Secret Vision, [Time of the Wind Mage], was an expanded version of the 5th Circle [Spatial Suppression].

It controls the wind existing within a wide range according to the caster’s will.

It can stop it, or move it.

‘And, it can make it rage strongly.’

Just like right now.

[……!]

Lilith’s expression stiffened.

It was only natural, as the flower seeds of [Sweet Dream] had already swelled in size to become flowers and were scattering the sleep powder of death from the sky.

But since the wind wasn’t blowing, the sleep powder, which should have spread like fog, couldn’t spread and was just falling straight down.

No.

It couldn’t even touch the ground due to the updraft that started out of nowhere.

[Such a trivial brat. Daring to betray me?]

Lilith, immediately realizing whose doing it was, made a murderous expression looking at Allen.

“What? Fuck, I am a brat?”

And Allen didn’t lose out either.

“Try handling the magic this brat wields.”

Allen instantly piled up air above Lilith’s head and pressed down with immense atmospheric pressure.

[Hmph.]

However, there was a fact Allen was gravely mistaken about: the existence of a demon cannot be caught by any magical attempt or device.

A principle similar to passing through Evil Earth.

One could inflict wounds, but to suppress that existence, one had to be an existence with a status equal to or higher than the demon.

Allen, who had zero knowledge about such demons, was flustered when his magic didn’t work on Lilith at all.

Not missing that gap, she flew in, terrifyingly compressing the distance, and he had to frantically use [Spatial Leap] against the indiscriminate barrage of claws.

“Damn it! Hey, Skull Mask, you bastard! Don’t just watch blankly and do something!”

Eventually, Allen asked me for help.

It was quite a sight to hear Allen’s scream-mixed shouts coming from here and there as he used [Spatial Leap].

Anyway, right.

We mobilized various methods to block all of Lilith’s authorities and attacks, but that didn’t mean there was a proper way to eliminate Lilith either.

Just as Lilith couldn’t subdue us, conversely, we couldn’t do anything to Lilith either.

To physically wound her, the Aura Blade of a transcendent Master or divine power was needed.

But since she regenerates even if wounded, a powerful single strike that could finish her perfectly was needed, but there was no way someone like me, who wasn’t a Master, would have such an ultimate skill.

‘As I said before, there is absolutely no way with magic.’

So originally, I intended to use Raven.

Using Raven’s [Power Seizure] to steal Chaser or Officer Baron’s ultimate swordsmanship.

I intended to use all of Professor Ilai’s buffs and my artifact buffs to cut off Lilith’s head in a single strike and end this battle.

However.

‘All plans changed when I met Roland.’

I looked at Roland’s sword held in my other hand.

Swords granted upon becoming a Paladin are all forged by the Cult, and they are all classified as holy swords containing divine power.

However, Roland’s holy sword was special even among them.

In this worldview, a sword named Demon Slayer existed.

Naturally, it is an artifact, and its grade is a whopping ‘Myth’.

Its owner was Paladin Kerdin, a companion of the great hero Aidan Frey.

He was a great hero who cut off the head of Oblin, the Demon of Pain, and liberated the world from pain.

The sword used there was the Demon Slayer, and Kerdin lost the Demon Slayer with that battle as his last.

Thus, the fragments of the Demon Slayer were passed down to later generations and kept in the Holy Kingdom.

Then, a hundred years later, those fragments were reforged by Pope Altamus III of the Holy Kingdom, and that is exactly this sword in my hand right now.

‘Devil Slayer.’

Its special ability is [Chains of Light].

A divine binding that a demon can absolutely never dodge or break.

‘A thief’s sword in one hand. A holy sword in the other.’

It’s an interesting combination.

[Dare. Dare the likes of you betray me?]

“Stop being obsessed and please just get lost, you devil bitch!”

[Kyaaaaaak!]

I raised my head.

It seemed she was properly pissed off that I not only betrayed her but also nullified [Sweet Dream], the ultimate skill that could have ended the current situation at once.

Lilith was attacking only Allen to death.

I raised the holy sword and pointed the tip at her.

[Chains of Light].

The space behind where Lilith was standing split open with a creak.

A dazzling cluster of light poured out. Along with it, chains of light shot out like an octopus snatching its prey and instantly wrapped tightly around her wings, arms, and legs.

[……!]

Lilith made a bewildered expression at the sudden situation.

Then she soon changed her expression and started glaring at me.

[You…… What is that sword?]

“Do you not know because it’s been too long since you saw it?”

I held up the holy sword so she could see it well.

“Look closely.”

Her face was stiff.

[Do, don’t tell me?]

“Yeah. It’s the sword that cuts off your brother’s head cleanly. Looks like you remember?”

[Ah. Aaaaaah……!]

Lilith, bound by chains, trembling pitifully.

It ends if I approach like this and cut off her head.

Lilith will be annihilated, and the battle will end with our victory.

‘But…….’

Rachel’s sister, Reina, will also die.

That. Was not the result everyone wanted.

“What are you doing! Kill her quickly! Kill her! Kill her!”

……Except for one beast called Allen Desico.

Anyway, I received the request and even received the advance payment.

So I had an obligation to fulfill that request first.

Suddenly, I felt an intense gaze from below.

Rachel, who had arrived at some point, was standing with her friends, looking up at Lilith bound in chains and me in front of her.

[Please. Succeed.]

Rachel, looking at me, was saying that.

……I turned my gaze.

Dayle, waiting to snipe from the top of the wall.

If Rachel tries to interfere with me, the muzzle of Dayle’s musket will spout fire.

[…….]

Dayle, meeting my eyes, nodded.

‘Let’s do it.’

I lifted Raven this time.

And when I tried to use the Vision I borrowed from Roland stored within it.

[Ki…… Kikiki!]

Reina, who was terrified just a moment ago, started laughing grotesquely.

[Right. I get it. You, you can’t kill me, right? Right?]

“…….”

[Because of this body. Hmm? How is it? I am right, aren’t I?]

When I stayed still without answering, Lilith seemed to have taken it as an affirmation.

She regained her composure in an instant and continued to babble the whispers of a devil out of her rotten snout.

[Right. I understand very well that you are quite an amazing guy for a human. But, even someone like you has no way to revive this body, right? So make a deal with me…… Wait. Wh, what are you trying to do right now?]

“Request.”

Answering briefly.

I used the Vision borrowed from Roland.

[Ascension].

Caaaw──!

The cry of the night raven attached to the sword handle vibrated the air.

At the same time.

The sky split open.

[……Uh. Ah. Ah.]

It felt as if all time stopped for this moment.

Not only Lilith but also those entranced by her and the cadets of the 890th Class.

And even the professors.

Especially Professor Ilai, stopping even the prayers that hadn’t ceased until now, was looking at the split sky with an expression full of deep emotion.

To be exact, at an existence descending from within the split rift.

[Ho…… How. You…….]

Lilith muttered in a voice full of astonishment.

[……Uriel.]

The angel, Uriel, looked around the audience once and soon fixed her gaze on me and asked.

[Indeed, it is you. Stranger.]

I opened my mouth.

No, I tried to open it, but it wouldn’t open.

[You do not need to vocalize. Transmission of intent is sufficient with just imagery.]

The blue eyes visible inside the flashing helmet seemed to pierce through my head and chest here and there.

Stranger.

Then, does that mean Uriel knows my true identity?

[Yes. I know. I have been watching you since you came.]

It felt like I was hit on the back of the head with a hammer.

As expected, was my coming here not a coincidence?

Also, am I borrowing Roland’s Vision and facing Uriel right now also her arrangement?

Did I play in the palm of the angel called Uriel?

There were many things I wanted to ask.

However.

[It is too early now. There is no time. I must do my job before they notice.]

They?

[What you need must be my power.]

Only then did I snap to my senses.

Right.

Solving the doubts is important, but right now, solving the matter in front of my eyes was more important.

The sight of Lilith trembling, suppressed by Uriel’s overwhelming spirit, came into my eyes.

[I will lend you power. Instead.]

I swallowed dryly.

What will she take from me?

Eyes like Roland?

Or, something else important?

Money? Jewels?

Or…… Life?

Eventually, her mouth opened.

[…….]

I accepted her demand.

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