I Told You Back Then. (2)
The sword pierced in, as dark and terrifying as it was swift and silent.
Tagmah twisted his body on instinct.
He had no time to properly draw up his energy to defend himself.
Paaaahk!
He didn't completely avoid it. The sight of blood gushing from his own body filled his vision with clarity.
Lahamod also twisted his body just before the sword could strike, trying to avoid a fatal wound.
He clearly felt it. The sword was aiming straight for his throat.
Even while dodging, Lahamod extended his right hand — to immediately launch a counterattack.
In that moment—
The sword's trajectory twisted bizarrely.
The sword curved its path with unnatural flexibility, as if it were alive and moving on its own.
Lahamod felt a cold, murderous aura brush past his left arm.
Thunk.
Kwaaaaang!
Ghislain, who had attempted the ambush, was thrown back by the force Lahamod unleashed.
Having succeeded in the counterattack, Lahamod slowly lowered his head.
His left arm — below the wrist — was gone. His severed hand was rolling across the ground.
Paaaahk!
Black smoke spewed from the cross-section of the severed wrist. His skin squirmed, and the wound began to heal.
"Y-You bastard…!"
Flames flared in Lahamod's eyes. His body, which didn't even get scratched by most attacks, had sustained such a serious wound from a single ambush. There was no greater humiliation.
Tagmah, at least, was in a slightly better state.
His chest had been slashed long and deep, but the wound wasn't life-threatening. The enemy's attack had focused more on Lahamod.
Chiiiiik!
Tagmah's wound also began to heal, emitting black smoke.
Lahamod drew up his energy once more.
He had focused all his power on killing Grondal and hadn't properly protected his own body. If he had used his energy correctly, he wouldn't have been cut so easily.
He ground his teeth.
"You bastard… Back then too, you pulled your little tricks with that annoying technique… And now, you've actually wounded me…"
He remembered how irritating that technique had been back then too.
He should've given up on Iraliel back then and just killed that bastard.
The decision to ignore him had ultimately led to this moment.
"Ugh…"
Ghislain slowly rose, clutching his side.
Even though he'd been braced for the impact, the pain was tremendous. He had used up a significant amount of mana as well.
But the price had been worth it.
Ghislain pointed his sword at Lahamod with a smirk.
"How's that? Bit different from last time, isn't it?"
"......"
Back when they met in the Forest of the Elves, Ghislain had nearly exhausted all his mana.
But not now. He had saved his mana, anticipating a fight with the Prophets.
With a flick of his sword, Ghislain continued,
"I told you back then."
"...…."
"Anyone who came at me is dead. For you… today's the day, I'd say."
"You bastard…!"
'This sword's really something though. Even better than I imagined.'
Honestly, when facing someone like Lahamod, it didn't matter whether it was a staff or a sword.
The performance of the weapon didn't mean much until both sides exhausted their energy.
But this Gramdir was a bit different.
Its performance was good enough to cause meaningful damage, even to someone like Lahamod.
Of course, that was only possible because of Ghislain's exceptional mana control and technique. If anyone else had used it, they wouldn't have been able to draw out the sword's full potential.
Ghislain took his stance. The sword resonated in tune with his will.
Lahamod stepped forward, his face twisted in a snarl.
"You alone wouldn't be able to handle even me. But right now, there's another Prophet here besides me. And knowing that, you still dare stand before us?"
Tagmah also radiated a terrifying aura. He was clearly thinking of tearing Ghislain apart in an instant.
Ghislain let out a short laugh.
"Who said I was alone?"
"Not alone? Even if your comrades are here, they can't handle us."
"With the Dwarf King by my side, I think it's worth a try."
"That guy is—"
Lahamod stopped mid-sentence and slowly turned his head. Tagmah did the same.
"G-Goddess!"
Deneb, her voice trembling, released divine power toward the fallen Grondal.
Her divine power was weak — barely enough to heal small wounds.
But when it came to the energy of the Salvation Church that had invaded his body…
There was no one better to expel it completely.
Paaaahk!
A dazzling light enveloped Grondal's body. It was far more divine power than she could ever produce alone.
She didn't even know where this divine energy was coming from.
Last time, she'd borrowed Lionel's divine power, but now, there was no one else around.
Even so, the light existed, and healing was happening.
It was a mysterious situation, but she didn't care. What mattered now was saving the Dwarf King.
"Ugh…"
With a short groan, Grondal sprang to his feet.
All his wounds had been healed, and the darkness that had burrowed into him and sapped his energy had vanished.
Of course, the energy he'd already expended hadn't returned, but being rid of the internal curse and having his injuries gone meant he could fight again.
Ghislain inwardly cheered at the sight.
As expected! Deneb really is the nemesis of the Salvation Church's energy.
It had been a bit of a gamble, but Ghislain believed Deneb would succeed again.
That was because Deneb approached the Salvation Church's power differently from ordinary priests. It was a kind of enlightenment.
And that belief had hit the mark perfectly. Deneb had wiped out the Salvation Church's energy inside Grondal in an instant.
Ghislain smiled and said,
"My faith has been rewarded."
Grondal, gripping his halberd once more, burst out laughing.
"Pwahahaha! The Goddess has granted us a miracle!"
He had thought he was dead for sure. That's how strong the two Prophets were.
But a priest had appeared out of nowhere, unleashed tremendous divine power, and healed him. If this wasn't divine grace, then what was?
And the man who showed up with that priest — he was incredible too.
Even if it had been a surprise attack, he'd managed to wound those powerful Prophets!
There was no need to ask who he was.
"Yulian Mercenaries! Are you Yulian?"
Ghislain shook his head.
"I'm part of the Yulian Mercenaries, but my name is Astion."
"Ah! Either way, you're amazing! Showed up right when we needed you! You've got excellent skill, and that weapon…"
Grondal paused for a moment, rubbing his eyes. He'd seen that sword before.
No matter how he looked, it was the greatest treasure of Valskrum. And the rightful owner of that weapon… was himself.
"Th-That's Gramdir! Why? Why is that in your hands?"
"I received it as fair payment."
"I never gave it to you."
Ghislain clicked his tongue softly.
"There must've been some complicated circumstances. But I don't really care to know."
"I do want to know, though?"
"Now's not the time to argue. Anyway, it's mine for the moment, so let's talk about this later."
"Y-Yeah. First, let's kill those bastards."
Grondal rolled his shoulders. It would've been tough alone, but things were different now. Together, they had a good shot.
Lahamod and Tagmah fell silent for a moment. Just before victory, obstacles had appeared.
But they weren't flustered. It was as if they'd anticipated something like this.
Tagmah stared at Ghislain and spoke.
"You were right. That guy—is he the 'mage'?"
"Yeah. He interfered last time too. He's a mage, but also highly skilled in combat."
"Seems so. Strong enough to get in our way."
Tagmah turned his head again. His gaze landed on Deneb.
"That priest… is she the 'miracle' you mentioned?"
"She is."
"I can't understand it. Her presence is so faint, I can barely sense any power. She's no better than an insect."
At those words, Deneb awkwardly scratched her cheek. She knew she was weak, but being compared to an insect still hurt.
Tagmah continued in a cold voice.
"Even so, to display such power… There's something strange about her."
Lahamod slowly nodded.
"For now, she's the most dangerous one here. We failed in the Forest of the Elves because of her, too."
The Salvation Church's energy was more like a curse — it consumed the target's energy and gnawed at their body.
That's why those afflicted by it grew weaker, just by having to resist it while fighting.
But that priest was healing it far too easily. No matter what priest came along, none could display such ability.
Deneb was far too dangerous a being for the Salvation Church.
Tagmah's gaze turned even colder.
"That priest must be killed. She's a being beyond our comprehension."
"I agree. But first, we need to get rid of these nuisances."
Lahamod glared at Ghislain.
Ghislain raised one corner of his mouth and smirked.
"Is your strategy meeting over?"
"…Arrogant bastard. You won't get lucky and survive like last time."
Kwaaaang!
Even before his sentence finished, Lahamod charged at Ghislain like a storm. At the same time, Tagmah lunged at Grondal.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
Tagmah and Grondal engaged in a slugfest just like before. Both were confident in their strength, and their fighting styles were similar.
But Ghislain's fight was completely different.
Pahk!
Ghislain's body scattered once again in the air and vanished.
Like a shadow, like mist, like the wind.
Lahamod scowled as he watched.
"This bastard again…"
It was the same as before.
Ambushes, sneak attacks, unorthodox movements aiming for the briefest opening.
A truly bothersome and annoying fighting style.
But Lahamod was still the stronger one. He immediately sensed the surrounding airflow and released his energy.
Paaaang!
The air surged, splitting open the space like an explosion. But Ghislain had already moved from that spot.
Lahamod quickly turned his head.
Skak!
The sleeve of his robe was sliced.
He reached out and released energy again, but Ghislain had already melted back into the space and disappeared.
Lahamod's expression twisted.
Something's different.
He knew Ghislain couldn't show his full power last time due to exhaustion.
But even considering that, this felt completely different from before.
This was like…
Skak!
Lahamod reflexively tilted his head back. The tip of the sword brushed his cheek, leaving a faint breeze.
There was no wound. With his body properly fortified with energy, it wouldn't be easy to inflict damage.
Still, Lahamod was shocked by the fact that he had allowed several attacks to get through.
Considering the power gap between them, it was supposed to be near impossible.
Is he reading my movements now?
It was a ridiculous thought.
Skills weren't something that could be read so easily. They were forged and built up over time.
Even if he lacked battle experience, he knew at least that much.
Yet, his opponent's sword flew at him as though predicting his every move.
Lahamod raised his tension. Whatever was going on, he couldn't afford to treat the enemy like he did before.
Kwaaaang!
Ghislain reappeared, and his sword clashed against Lahamod's hand.
Ghislain bared his teeth in a grin as Lahamod grimaced before him.
"Still not easy, I see."
"You bastard… how…"
"I actually prefer the overpowering style myself. It's a bit of a shame. But with this body, I don't think I can go head-to-head with you in pure strength."
"You dare say there's a way to defeat me without power?"
Ghislain chuckled slyly.
"If power were everything in battle, then there'd be no reason for technique to exist."
Ka-ga-ga-ga-kak!
Ghislain's sword moved strangely, slashing at various parts of Lahamod's body.
Lahamod's energy was so strong, it only made the sound of metal scraping — no actual wounds were inflicted.
But that alone had a meaningful effect. The more attacks Lahamod blocked, the more energy he consumed.
Ka-ga-gak!
Pahk!
Whenever Lahamod tried to counterattack, Ghislain would vanish again into hiding.
It was a thoroughly calculated and irritating fighting style.
The more they fought, the more Lahamod grew heated.
He was undoubtedly the stronger one. No one could deny that.
Yet he kept getting caught up in the opponent's flashy techniques.
I must stay calm.
No matter how skilled the technique, it was useless before overwhelming power. That's what he believed.
Lahamod calmed his rage and focused his mind.
In that moment, all his senses came together, and the texture of the world came into view. Within that, he sensed a faint dissonance.
Now.
Kwaaaang!
"Urgh!"
With a single blow, Ghislain vomited blood and was sent flying.
But Lahamod couldn't follow up. Before he could launch a second strike, Ghislain had already disappeared again.
Lahamod clenched his teeth, over and over.
He hadn't been able to catch him even when the man was weakened.
At this rate, who knew when the battle would end?
And every time he allowed a strike, his energy was being depleted more than expected.
Lahamod discreetly pulled up his energy and shot it into the sky.
It was a kind of signal.
Kwaaaang!
Ghislain appeared once again, and his sword clashed with Lahamod's hand.
This time, Lahamod didn't continue the attack and instead spoke.
"I expected you'd interfere."
"So?"
Ghislain already knew.
He had overheard Lahamod and Tagmah's conversation.
Lahamod twisted his lips into a crooked smile.
"It means we made preparations of our own."
Drdrdrdrdr!
Suddenly, the ground split as two streaks of darkness surged toward them.
Before anyone realized it, the shadows rose high and formed into human shapes.
One of them lunged at Ghislain from behind and shouted loudly.
"You rat bastard! I'll finally kill you today!"
The one who appeared was Munareff, Enforcer of the Salvation Church.
Having failed to kill Ghislain in the Forest of the Elves, Munareff's fury was sky-high.
Now that Munareff had joined the fight, there was no way Ghislain could hold out.
But Ghislain only smiled at Lahamod.
"Did you forget I'm from the Yulian Mercenaries?"
At that moment—
A man rushed in toward Munareff and swung his sword.
Kwaaaang!
With the sudden clash, Munareff's movement halted.
"You…!"
Munareff glared furiously, his eyes wide. Someone he hadn't even bothered to notice was now standing in his way.
The man — Yulian — slowly raised his sword and said,
"I'll be your opponent."
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