I Told You Back Then. (3)
Another high priest appeared at Grondal's side, dark energy swirling in his hand.
Just as the priest swung his hand toward Grondal—
Fwaaah!
A massive fire spirit erupted in flame, blocking his path.
The fierce blaze engulfed the priest, who summoned all his power to resist.
Before anyone realized, Erenes had appeared, summoning spirits with a chilly smile.
"You, fight me."
Soon after, Lionel arrived with his shield, standing tensely by her side.
Lahamod furrowed his brow deeply.
The high priests he had summoned were a reserve force, meant for emergencies—specifically, in case something interfered with Grondal's fight.
But to think the Yulian Mercenaries had prepared the same countermeasure.
'That bastard... seems to have a lot of combat experience.'
He had sensed it before, but that Astion fellow wasn't just a strong mage.
He felt like someone who had been through countless battlefields.
With the new arrivals, the battle paused briefly.
Lahamod took a step back and opened his mouth.
"So, you've made your preparations. But… do you really think you can hold out with that strength?"
The reinforced high priests of the Salvation Church were superhumans. In contrast, Yulian, Erenes, and Lionel had not yet reached the realm of superhumanity.
No matter how skilled one was, there was a line that couldn't be crossed. The gap in power was obvious.
Ghislain knew this better than anyone.
In truth, even just holding out would only be possible once Kyle arrived. But Kyle still hadn't made it to the scene.
Still, Ghislain had something to rely on.
"Things are going to change a bit now."
At the very rear, Deneb knelt down.
She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and began to pray slowly.
"…Breathe life into the dying, strength to the fallen, and shine your light upon those who fight."
Fwaaaaaaah!
A faint light rose from Deneb's body.
That light soon spread like waves, enveloping everyone.
Though Deneb bestowed her blessing, the light was truly faint. To some, it might appear as trivial holy power.
But Ghislain wasn't worried.
Deneb's holy power was, in fact, the nemesis of the Salvation Church.
Sure enough, Lahamod and Tagmah's expressions stiffened.
'That's… dangerous.'
A holy power that instantly erased their darkness. That power now rested upon those who fought.
The two realized that this battle had just become more difficult than expected.
Thud!
Grondal slammed his halberd into the ground and burst into loud laughter.
"Khahaha! Your expressions are priceless! You finally getting scared?"
Lahamod responded with a cold voice, laced with mockery.
"…Go all out and kill them."
KWAANG!
The newly reinforced priests charged toward Yulian, Erenes, and Lionel.
At the same time, Lahamod left Ghislain and lunged toward Deneb.
He intended to kill her first, so that holy power could no longer interfere.
But before he could reach her, Ghislain appeared and swung his sword.
KAAANG!
Chiiiiik!
Smoke poured from Lahamod's hand, which had blocked Ghislain's sword—it looked as if his flesh was burning.
"Grrgh…."
At last, Lahamod's pupils shook violently.
holy power might be the opposite of the Salvation Church's energy, but this was too much.
He had surpassed the level of a superhuman, and yet he was being harmed by such a faint holy power?
Lahamod clenched his teeth and struck at Ghislain.
KWAANG!
Though Ghislain blocked with his sword, he was pushed back, sliding across the ground. His insides churned, and pain wracked him, but he didn't get blown away like before.
There was only one reason.
Deneb's holy power.
That subtle blessing was dampening Lahamod's overwhelming aura.
Though Lahamod was immensely powerful and Ghislain took damage, what mattered was that he could endure it.
Ghislain wiped the blood from his lips and smiled.
"How about that? I told you things would change."
"...…"
Lahamod looked around.
KWANG! KWANG! KWAANG!
Tagmah was gradually being pushed back by Grondal, now covered in holy power.
Already tough to begin with, the Dwarf King's presence now roared like a mountain range.
It wasn't much different elsewhere.
The Yulian Mercenaries were holding their own against the superhuman priests.
Though still at a disadvantage, they weren't being overwhelmed. What mattered was that they were holding them in place.
Lahamod felt a sudden wave of fatigue.
'…Was this a mistake too?'
He had prioritized this location, believing it more important to deal with the dwarves. The Yulian Mercenaries had been entrusted to the other forces he had gathered.
He thought just slowing them down would be enough, and once the dwarves were dealt with, he could crush the mercenaries anytime.
But that was a miscalculation.
'I should've gone all out and killed them first.'
Lahamod glared at Deneb, who was still praying.
'As long as that woman is here, we can't win easily.'
She had to die, no matter what.
If this continued, the tide of battle would turn. And at the center of it all was a seemingly powerless low-ranking priestess.
Tagmah knew this too and kept targeting Deneb, but Grondal blocked him every time.
If Grondal defeated Tagmah, the battlefield would collapse beyond repair.
Grrrk.
Lahamod ground his teeth.
Once more, he gathered all his power and charged toward Deneb.
But Ghislain, too, gave his all to block him.
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!
In terms of strength, Lahamod still had the upper hand.
No matter how skilled Ghislain was, if he was focused on protecting Deneb, he'd have to let some attacks through.
'I can do this!'
Still, he could endure. Ghislain deflected lethal blows and absorbed what he could manage.
Chiiiiiiiiik!
Every time their sword and hand clashed, Lahamod's energy clashed with holy power and ignited.
That searing pain brought more than just wounds—it exhausted him.
Lahamod realized he was starting to crumble. His energy was draining faster and faster.
Munareff and another high priest also targeted Deneb. They knew her holy power was the core issue.
KWAANG!
Munareff forcefully shoved Yulian aside.
Barely holding on thanks to holy power, Yulian rolled across the ground.
"You worthless bastard…!"
Munareff wanted to crush his skull then and there, but he had more pressing matters.
Whoosh!
He immediately turned and charged at Deneb.
Yulian got up and gave chase, but he couldn't catch up to a superhuman like Munareff.
Instead, Ghislain, still fighting near Deneb, parried Lahamod's attack and quickly intercepted Munareff.
KWAANG!
"Urgh!"
Munareff grimaced and stepped back. The longer time passed, the more deeply holy power pierced into him.
He barely drove the holy power out by summoning his strength, but it was getting harder to even consider fighting.
Meanwhile, Yulian caught up and reengaged Munareff.
Another high priest fighting Erenes and Lionel also went after Deneb.
He slipped through their gap and, in the blink of an eye, reached her—
But Grondal's halberd struck him down.
KWAANG!
"Guhahk!"
One hit.
Just one blow sent him flying, tumbling across the earth.
While Ghislain and Grondal kept blocking the priests, Lahamod and Tagmah again targeted Deneb.
KWAANG!
"Guhk!"
Ghislain rushed to block Lahamod but coughed up blood and lost his footing. Lahamod thought he could finally break through this time.
But even as Ghislain stumbled, he swung his sword with uncanny precision.
KAGAGAK!
Chiiiiik!
"Grrraaaagh!"
Lahamod groaned in pain and staggered back.
From the long gash across his neck, thick black smoke spewed violently.
Kuuuuum!
Grondal, having taken a direct hit from Tagmah's strike, coughed up blood.
But he stood tall and endured, swinging his halberd without hesitation.
KWAANG!
"Urgh!"
Tagmah also staggered backward, his body scorched as if it had been seared by fire.
Seeing that, Grondal grinned, his teeth stained with blood.
"Krahahaha! Losing strength, are you? Looks like you bastards aren't so special after all! Even if your attacks land, your bodies are burning away from holy power—it must be driving you mad!"
"......"
Lahamod and Tagmah couldn't even respond.
With each attack, their energy drained faster, and the pain grew greater.
It was because their energy kept getting burned away by that pitifully faint holy power.
Only because they were powerful to begin with could they keep up the pressure like this—any lesser priest would've collapsed by now.
In fact, even the two who had reached superhumanity were barely holding their ground against non-superhuman opponents.
Lahamod looked at Deneb with weary eyes.
'…So far.'
In the chaos of battle, he had once again drifted too far from that woman.
It might've been "far" for normal people, but for someone like him, it was a distance he could close in the blink of an eye.
And yet… why did it feel so distant now?
"Haah..."
When he had left the holy land, he couldn't have imagined this outcome.
He had measured the enemy's power thoroughly and prepared with precision.
In truth, the elves and dwarves were weaker in objective military terms.
But one variable had upended everything.
The Yulian Mercenaries.
Just a mercenary group—yet they were shaking the very foundation of the Church's grand design.
Only a few options remained.
Retreat from here, even now...
Or, die while eliminating the source of the threat.
He didn't ponder long. For the Church's great plan, there was only one answer.
Lahamod spoke, voice low but firm.
"Prophet, Tagmah."
"I await your will."
"You know what we must do for the Church."
"I do. We are the ones who carry out the covenant."
"This, too, is the will of God."
"All will be fulfilled, as promised."
KWAANG!
As their energy exploded, their expressions twisted like demons. They had resolved to burn all their strength here.
Ghislain raised his sword with cautious eyes.
Their aura was different. They would have to risk their lives to stop them.
Grondal also stopped laughing, his expression growing savage. He gripped his halberd tightly and steadied his breath.
'O Goddess…'
Deneb's face had gone pale as she continued praying.
Her holy power had long since passed its limits.
Even so, the blessing did not fade.
As if saying it would remain as long as that demonic energy existed.
Yulian also panted heavily as he blocked Munareff.
His clothes were torn to shreds, his bloodied sword nearly slipping from his hand, but his eyes still burned brightly.
Erenes and Lionel, though ragged and battered, had not lost their will to fight.
The Salvation Church's priests, watching them, wore horrified expressions. But they, too, knew they could not retreat now.
As both sides breathed heavily and neared exhaustion—
KWAANG!
Without anyone signaling it, the battlefield exploded once again.
Deneb's holy power relentlessly scorched and devoured the Salvation priests' energy. With that aid, Ghislain's group clenched their teeth and held on.
The priests of the Salvation Church, too, ignored the pain of their bodies burning in divine fire, launching attack after attack.
Their goal was simple.
Just once.
If they could break through just once, they could kill that cursed woman with holy power.
So the Salvation priests ground their teeth and didn't let up.
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!
Their endless assault slowly wore down the defenders.
The only reason they had lasted so far was Deneb's holy power. In objective terms, they were clearly outmatched.
But as long as they could protect Deneb like this, if they could just hold out—
Victory would eventually be theirs.
The Salvation priests were steadily losing energy with every strike.
The others endured, fueled by that one hope.
But Ghislain knew the enemies had one last move left.
That look in their eyes.
He saw the unwavering resolve not to give up. And every time the Church's fanatics showed eyes like that, they always pulled out that technique.
Of course, that technique pushed even the caster to the brink of death. Its destructive power came at the cost of nearly all their strength.
Ghislain assessed the strength of those still standing.
We can endure.
If he and Grondal went all out to stop them, Deneb would survive.
Then victory would be theirs—by the slimmest of margins.
Ghislain calmly dodged and blocked Lahamod's attacks. He couldn't let his guard down—no telling when they'd use their final move.
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!
The two exchanged fierce blows again and again.
Just like before, Ghislain kept slipping into Lahamod's openings.
He couldn't do much damage until the enemy's energy ran out, but each of these attacks wore Lahamod down further.
Ghislain anticipated Lahamod's movement and thrust his sword at his abdomen.
And just as he prepared to follow up—
Pook!
With almost ridiculous ease, his blade pierced Lahamod's abdomen.
Ghislain's expression froze.
His instincts screamed at him.
This wasn't a successful hit because the enemy had weakened.
It's a trap.
Ghislain tried to retreat immediately.
But Lahamod's hand moved faster.
Grab!
Lahamod seized Ghislain's wrist with a crushing grip.
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