Archdemon vs Saintess - Part 2
"Go ahead to the training grounds first. I'll give you about ten minutes to lightly warm up your body. I won't listen to any excuses like saying you're not ready."
Upon hearing Jae-hyun's words, Lucretia nodded her head.
"I understand."
Lucretia hurried toward the training grounds to prepare. Even though the Demon King's Castle was now her home, she still knew where the former official training ground was located within the castle.
Lucretia had never imagined that her divine power could be used as an offensive force in this way.
Having once again become a saint with overwhelming divine power, Lucretia ran lightly to the training grounds. Upon arriving, she wasted no time in the ten minutes and began contemplating battle methods against Irene.
Even losing all limbs below the neck was not a concern, as she knew they would regenerate instantly.
Her divine power was far more than mere projection. As demonstrated during the slaughter of civilians in Lampas City, it could also be wielded as raw offensive force.
Though weakened against ordinary humans, it remained a powerful attack. However, the sheer vastness of her divine power meant it could never achieve perfect 100% effectiveness against humans. The one target it could strike at full power was a demon.
And her opponent, Irene, was no longer human—she was now a Great Archdemon.
Recalling the demonic and dark energy aura radiating from Irene's body, Lucretia felt a surge of confidence.
Her divine power was the exact opposite of Irene's demonic and dark energy! Even if Irene was overwhelmingly strong, there was still hope!
If she had to fight Irene to the death, she would choose to die (assuming she could die at all). Her only winning condition was to inflict even the smallest wound on Irene and draw even one drop of blood.
The real problem was that Irene was the Flash Magic Swordsman.
They had not met for ten years, but during the ten years before that—from eleven years ago to one year ago—Lucretia had been Irene's comrade, roaming the battlefield together.
Back then, they had been so close that outsiders might have mistaken them for sisters.
Having witnessed Irene's battles countless times, Lucretia remembered the Flash Magic Swordsman's signature moves—attacks and movements as swift as lightning.
Unlike those who boasted overwhelming offensive or defensive power, Irene excelled in speed. Against her, Lucretia had no natural advantage, yet it was not entirely impossible.
"Astria, please, in your benevolence, bestow upon your servant all the blessings necessary for me to win this match."
As the start of the duel drew near, Lucretia quickly cast blessings over her entire body. The saint's blessing descended upon her own flesh, and countless protective seals settled on Lucretia's body, turning her previously fragile frame into a vessel of power.
She now possessed superhuman senses. Any attack aimed at her body would automatically trigger basic divine defense.
More than basic defense, her saintly resilience could block even an 8th-circle archmage's 8th-circle spell with ease. If she also actively defended, the barrier would grow even stronger.
Ten years ago she had been far weaker, yet even then she had been formidable enough to invade the Demon King's Castle with Jae-hyun. Now, surrounded by countless protective seals, she possessed heightened resistance that would make it even harder for Irene's mental magic to pierce her.
With all preparations complete, only minutes remained before Irene and Jae-hyun appeared at the training grounds. They, however, did not even glance at Lucretia.
"Do your best."
"Yes, Opba. Hehe~"
Irene flashed a mischievous smile, closed her eyes, and thrust out her beautiful lips. Jae-hyun immediately covered them with his own, sucking her lips with deliberate, noisy passion.
Lucretia deliberately clenched her fists, vowing to carve a wound into Irene's body so that blood would flow. Only then would she be able to claim victory.
After the kiss ended, Irene separated from Jae-hyun and laughed brightly.
"Opba, I'll go practice for a bit."
"Mhm."
Jae-hyun nodded lightly, then leaned against the wall in a corner of the training grounds, arms crossed, and watched with a faint smile.
"Hngh."
Irene, her long golden hair swaying, kept a safe two-meter distance from Lucretia and briefly surveyed the surroundings.
The training grounds were far more than a simple building. Countless defensive formations had been engraved to ensure that powerful attacks would not destroy the structure, granting powerful regeneration as well.
This was the same place where she had once trained with Jae-hyun and with her fellow traitors.
Yet she had never trained with Lucretia before.
"Come to think of it, this is our first duel together, isn't it, Lucretia?"
Irene asked while holding her sword.
"Yes."
Lucretia nodded as well. She had not realized it was their first time dueling either.
After all, as a saint she had specialized in supporting comrades rather than direct combat. She would create barriers to block incoming attacks, reinforce her subordinates, and lead the dark army into battle with enhanced power.
Although her pure combat ability was strong, comrades rarely requested training with her, for her true specialty was support and augmentation, not raw confrontation.
Griffith, Jason, William, and Kyle were all top-tier mages and swordsmen who pursued strength above all. They had repeatedly challenged Jae-hyun and Irene to duels out of jealousy. But Lucretia disliked dueling herself and had never pursued the path of strength, so no one had ever requested training with her.
"Then let's begin."
As soon as Irene spoke, demonic energy exploded from her entire body, and massive translucent black demon wings sprouted from her back.
Before Lucretia could even think, Irene's palm struck her buttocks with lightning speed.
Slap!
"Aah!"
Lucretia staggered from the pain, her superhuman senses useless against Irene's movements that transcended comprehension.
"How weak."
Irene, wielding no sword, glanced at Lucretia with disdain as she slapped her buttocks again.
If she had swung her blade in that moment, Lucretia would have been suppressed in an instant.
She realized Irene's strength far exceeded her imagination.
'But don't get complacent!'
Lucretia refused to give up. Irene was trusting in her own power, leaving herself open to exploitation. There was still hope.
To escape her horrific life, Lucretia had prepared for a single decisive strike.
Though she was merely a swordswoman and mage, Irene was the continent's unparalleled genius and the strongest in the current era—far beyond even the Hero Kim Jae-hyun.
She had to seize her opportunity.
"If I go too fast, you won't be able to react properly. This won't be a real duel. I'll hold back, so don't be afraid."
With that, Irene drew her sword and charged. But Lucretia, now sensing the movement, instantly created a barrier.
"Hah!"
She did not need to chant; she simply formed an image of the barrier in her mind.
Kwoong!
Irene's aura-blade slammed into Lucretia's shield and shattered against the countless overlapping barriers.
"As expected, your defense is outstanding."
Divine power specialized in defense and healing. As a saint, Lucretia possessed far greater divine power than the Hero himself, and her barriers were built on an entirely different level.
Irene retreated a meter or two, then unleashed three downward slashes with her sword: one from above, one diagonally from upper right to lower left, and one from upper left to lower right.
"Haaat!"
Lucretia reinforced her barrier like an impregnable fortress and blocked every strike.
Irene's aura-blade had turned black from demonic energy, yet it remained an aura-blade. Demonic energy, the opposite of divine power, specialized in destruction.
Yet it could not pierce Lucretia's defense. The saint grew even more confident.
Hope remained!
Lucretia, now filled with confidence, prepared her strongest attack while maintaining her solid defense.
"I hope your magic is powerful enough to block this."
She had deliberately provoked Irene's pride. Her final strike was ready.
Even though divine power was normally weak, against a being of darkness it would reach perfection. Lucretia believed in the might of her attack.
She would not wound Irene severely, but even a small injury would suffice for victory.
"Very well. Let's see if you can block it."
Irene, unfazed by the provocation, accepted the strike.
Swish—
Lucretia poured everything into the attack, ready to sever limbs if necessary. She focused all her power into her right arm.
Pain twisted her right arm as if it would tear apart.
Yet she thrust her hand forward.
"Haaaaap!"
From her palm erupted a massive pillar of divine power, spinning like a great spear, piercing with terrifying force as it rocketed toward Irene.
Swish—
Irene offered no defense. The divine spear passed straight through her without hindrance or damage and dissolved on its own.
"W-what?!"
Lucretia screamed in shock. Her attack had been perfect. It had even struck Irene's body. How could it have done nothing?
"Oh, I forgot to mention. Since I became a Great Archdemon, divine power has turned into its opposite. To protect me, Opba Jae-hyun placed me under the Holy Sword's guardianship. So divine power cannot inflict any damage on me."
Lucretia had been deceived by Jae-hyun and Irene from the very beginning. The duel itself had been structured so she could never win.