The Saint Shocked Twice #2
Adele felt a sharp, stabbing pain deep in her chest. The wave of magi rolling toward her was on an entirely different scale from the energy the axe-wielding monster had emitted when it charged her in a tank during her first moments on Earth. If such overwhelming power was leaking out before the creature had even fully appeared, she couldn’t begin to imagine how dangerous it would become once it manifested.
She glanced at Jihyeok, who was piloting the fighter jet with a grave expression. The moment he learned that three S-class monsters had emerged in separate locations, he had issued orders with lightning speed. As a result, Sehwa and Yuria had been sent to the United States, while Silvia and the Doctor headed for Canada.
Recalling the swift situational judgment and decisive action he had displayed back in the laboratory, Adele murmured under her breath.
Jihyeok glanced at her.
"Yes… It feels like Earth has been able to keep its peace because of you, Jihyeok."
The gentle tone of his voice gave her strength. Adele clasped both hands tightly and recited a silent prayer. Soon, the holy power she had cultivated day after day by reviewing the Rosario Church’s teachings bloomed from within her body and flowed out of the fighter jet. After erasing the surrounding magi with a brief prayer, she opened her eyes and clenched her fists.
The calm certainty in his voice steadied her. Adele renewed her determination, resolved to purify the monster quickly and then rush to support her comrades.
The fighter jet soon reached northern Germany. When Adele saw the colossal maw floating in the sky, her face twisted in disgust. It was an utterly grotesque portal, the very embodiment of malice. Tyrat truly had bizarre taste.
“Haa!”
After exhaling a short, heavy sigh, Adele asked Jihyeok, “Should I use the power of Aether now?”
Before he could finish, a deep rumble echoed. An overwhelming surge of magi poured from between the monster’s clenched teeth, and the maw cracked open just wide enough for a person to slip through. What stepped out was a monster with a crow’s head atop a human body.
Rather than recoil at its grotesque form, Adele immediately judged that she had to stop its magi from spreading. She pulled the Aether storage case from her pocket and shouted, “Open the door!”
Jihyeok nodded and pressed the green button beside the cockpit. With a heavy clunk, the jet door lifted upward. Fierce wind rushed in, whipping Adele’s bright golden hair wildly about her face. She swallowed hard and stepped to the opening.
Here I go!
It had been a long time since she last used Aether, but she had to remain composed. This was the first time she would officially display her power to Jihyeok. With that thought, Adele flashed a bright smile at his worried face and leaped out of the fighter jet without hesitation.
Omnipotent Lord, grant me the power to destroy evil…!
A resonant hum filled the air. The supreme holy power of Rosario—ruler of the heavenly realm and god of light—resonated with the mysterious energy of Aether, producing an eerie harmonic tone. Golden light as brilliant as the sun erupted from Adele’s falling body, instantly annihilating every trace of magi the monster had scattered across the area.
She felt every cell in her body awakening. Overwhelming strength. A crystal-clear mind. An irresistible urge to eradicate the colossal evil before her surged up from within.
BOOM!
She slammed into the ground with a thunderous roar, the power of Aether cushioning her landing. Adele scanned the deserted city center of Germany. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Jihyeok and the Doctor, infrastructure now covered the globe regardless of a nation’s development level. Evacuation broadcasts triggered the instant an Evilion gauge was detected, and the World Coalition even provided restoration support whenever Beast Slayers destroyed buildings during combat.
Incredible…!
Jihyeok and the Doctor truly were indispensable to Earth. Because of them, the Beast Slayers could fight without restraint. They needed one another. Adele vowed that today she would prove her worth and take her first true step as a Beast Slayer.
“@*!#&$(!@…”
The crow monster showed no intention of waiting politely. It muttered something, its beak clicking, then thrust one hand forward. The air around them shuddered violently. A jet of pitch-black energy exploded from its palm, streaking straight for Adele’s head.
The warning that screamed inside her skull snapped her to full alertness. She snapped her upper body backward at the last instant. The black energy screamed past, grazing the tip of her nose with a deafening sonic boom before punching cleanly through several buildings and detonating.
The explosion turned the surroundings into a smoking ruin. Adele narrowed her eyes and charged before the hideous creature could attack again.
“Hah!”
Her mind was still cluttered with the device-charging method she had learned before the monster appeared, but there was no time to dwell on it. For now she would fight without holy power. She would earn Jihyeok’s recognition using the close-combat techniques Silvia had taught her!
I watched the battle between Adele and Amon with leisurely eyes.
Crack! Craaack!
Every step Adele took split the ground as though an earthquake had struck. She swung her small fists in every direction.
“Yap! Yat!”
Whoosh! Whoooosh!
Despite her delicate, adorable battle cries, each punch carried terrifying force. The sonic booms reached all the way to my cockpit, raising goosebumps across my skin. It was hard to believe this was the same gentle Adele. Her stance was surprisingly solid too. Still, her inexperience left plenty of openings for Amon to dodge and counter. The lack of her signature hammer certainly didn’t help.
Amon remained relaxed the entire time. He never allowed a direct hit and occasionally countered with blasts of magi, yet he couldn’t land a single effective blow. A brilliant yellow radiance continuously poured from Adele’s body, nullifying every attack. It seemed her holy power automatically defended against magi.
What a scam.
She was fighting without weapons or even a proper suit—like playing chess after removing both rook and cannon—yet her near-invincible defense didn’t allow so much as a scratch. Adele already possessed impressive durability, but Rosario had given her a fucking broken ability.
Clicking my tongue, I glanced at the monitor feed shared from the Doctor’s fighter jet. At the snow-covered peak of the Canadian Rockies, red flashes were carving Gaap to pieces. Even accounting for the location suppressing his unique ability, Gaap was still an S-class monster with solid baseline physical stats. The fact that he was being pushed back this badly showed just how superior Silvia’s combat sense was to Adele’s—by dozens of moves at least.
Thud—!
While I was blankly watching Gaap get pummeled, a cheerful bell rang from below. I turned my gaze just in time to see Amon’s body sail through the air like a kite and slam into a building.
“What the…”
Curious, I scanned the scene and found Adele standing triumphantly, gripping a bent streetlamp with both hands. Apparently she had decided fists weren’t enough and ripped the lamp post out of the ground to use as a club. Very fitting for a power-type fighter.
-You bitch…!
Whether from carelessness or shock, Amon had taken an unexpected blow. He began radiating magi in thick waves, swelling his body larger and larger until he reached the height of a four-story building.
“Uwaah…! It’s huge…!”
Even in the middle of a clear crisis, Adele could only marvel. Amon brought his magi-covered fist down on her with unstoppable power and speed. Unable to dodge, she crossed her arms and raised them overhead.
Craaaaash—!
The tremendous impact drove his fist all the way into the ground. Anyone else might have feared Adele had been flattened like a pancake, but I never doubted she would be fine.
Just as I expected, with a grinding crunch, Adele slowly pushed the fist upward and crawled out of the asphalt. The golden energy radiating from her body had grown even more intense. It looked like she was finally ready to use holy power offensively.
I laced my fingers behind my head, leaned back in the cockpit seat, and continued enjoying the show.
I had assumed the fight would end quickly once Adele began using her holy power in earnest. That was a miscalculation on my part.
Even after more than six hours of combat, Amon was still holding on remarkably well. He couldn’t mount a proper counterattack, but he somehow sensed and evaded every purification attempt. Still, it was clearly his limit—his body looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Even so, he had done admirably. He had forced Adele to burn through an enormous amount of Aether energy. Feeling oddly moved, I popped a stick of gum into my mouth and checked the other battlefields.
Orbas will be finished soon too.
Gaap had died long ago. Orbas was currently struggling against Sehwa, Yuria, and Silvia in a joint assault that included the full military might of the United States. Without his legion of tens of thousands, he would have perished much earlier. What a stubborn life.
I turned my attention back to Amon. The creature was in ruins. One shoulder had been completely crushed, half his beak was shattered, and black blood poured from countless wounds. The massive aura of magi that had once cloaked him was nearly gone. The imposing figure from the start of the battle had vanished, leaving only a pitiful crow that looked as though it might start scavenging trash while nervously watching for humans.
Adele, by contrast, remained unscathed. Her expression, however, showed clear exhaustion.
“Heek… haa…”
After catching her breath with those adorable little pants, she glared at the devastated surroundings and reset her stance, anger flashing in her eyes.
Vwoong—!
A slightly weaker golden energy gathered around her fist.
“Yaaap!”
Crash!
With a powerful shout, Adele kicked off the ground and charged upward. This strike was different. Previously she had simply hammered the openings created when Amon dodged her purification energy. Now she approached with holy power fully wrapped around her fist, intending to purify the moment she landed a hit.
The speed was impressive, but the trajectory was simple enough to read. I was certain Amon would dodge.
But—
-Krr…
Was it dizziness from accumulated damage? Or had he been overwhelmed by the holy energy? Amon’s body staggered for a split second. The result was catastrophic.
Crunch!
-Grrrk…!
Adele’s fist punched straight through his chest. The sound of gurgling phlegm mixed with the sizzle of burning flesh. The faint remnants of magi vanished completely. When she saw the light leave Amon’s pitch-black eyes, Adele withdrew her fist and landed lightly on the ground.
Black blood poured from the gaping hole in his chest, only to sizzle and evaporate the moment it touched the lingering golden energy. Amon stared at his own wound with a dazed expression, then slowly dropped to his knees.
Thud!
His house-sized body shrank back to normal. After gazing at Adele for a moment longer, he toppled forward.
I stretched lazily in my seat.
He fought exceptionally well without hypnosis.
Considering the terrible conditions that prevented him from using his signature ability, he had exceeded my expectations. I decided to send him off nicely.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, magi began surging from Amon’s fallen body. I tilted my head. A final desperate act?
Sssssss…!
The magi flowed into the trembling body of a small kitten hiding among the rubble. Hypnotized by Amon, the kitten stepped into the middle of the street and stared fixedly at Adele.
Adele had been preparing to purify the magi with her holy power, but her eyes widened when unmistakably human words emerged from the cat’s mouth.
"You are being deceived by the detestable Tyrat."
It was Amon’s signature hoarse, rasping voice. With that final warning, his body crumbled completely into dust and scattered on the wind.
Amon—one of the five absolute strongest beings in the Magic Realm—met his end just like that.