Chapter 63
Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Deadly Sin (6)
The person who taught me everything about Divine Power was Israfeel. Naturally, my fighting style had to heavily inherit her influence.
While I did have some original techniques unique to me, the one who shaped my overall framework from childhood was undeniably Israfeel...
"First up, one good hit."
[……!]
KABOOM!!
It was only natural that I became a paladin who relied mainly on fists and feet.
A red flash pierced the sky, and the black giant's torso was massively gouged through.
Wielding bare-handed combat based on overwhelming Divine Power that outshone others. It was utterly straightforward, but that very simplicity guaranteed its effectiveness.
Thud!
I let gravity pull me down before landing on the giant's hand with a step.
"Whoa there."
BAM! But another hand swung in immediately, forcing me to leap back into the air.
Even with a massive hole punched through its body, Behemoth showed no sign of concern.
If anything, it trusted its absurd regenerative power and charged in with pure offense. Its arms shot out like tentacles once more.
Shrieeek—! Pitch-black thorns hurtled toward me, slicing through the air with a vicious sound.
"...At least pretend it hurts, you unreasonable demon bastard."
I clicked my tongue but swiftly conjured a spear of holy light, gripping it to swat them away one by one. Slicing, slashing, deflecting.
But once, I was a beat too slow spotting an arm lunging from my blind spot.
Pffsh...!
"Cough."
Still manageable. It pierced my back, but missed any vitals. Not enough to kill me outright.
I grimaced, channeling Divine Power. The red aura instantly stanched the bleeding.
[Grk...?!]
Perhaps the sight of fresh flesh sprouting anew felt utterly alien to it. Behemoth let out a bizarre growl, and I openly sneered.
"What? Thought rapid regeneration was your exclusive trick?"
[Kyaaak...!]
"Kid, I can do it too."
Thwack! I kicked away another incoming tentacle and clenched my fist tight.
A red glow unlike any before cloaked my fist in flames of a different sort.
THOOOM──!!
I launched Holy Flame skyward. The strike blew off half of Behemoth's face, and countless arms were soon pierced by spears of holy light.
Of course... that didn't signal the end of its lifeline.
It only staggered it briefly; demonic energy soon bubbled furiously, promising regeneration.
'Gotta blow it away in one shot.'
I had a rough idea of its structure now. Unless I obliterated that massive body in a single go, the remaining demonic energy would just rebuild it.
Draining its demonic energy entirely might work too... but that felt unrealistic.
A demon archduke's reserves were near-infinite. Not quite on the Demon King's level—who could spawn more even after death—but close.
Better to aim for one powerful strike than pray for exhaustion.
And the one delivering that 'one shot' wasn't me.
"Now!"
At the timely voice, I dodged sideways through the air without hesitation.
My role was just buying time, after all. Mission accomplished, plain and simple.
[……!!]
Behemoth, having regenerated half its face, widened all six pairs of eyes.
It shifted its ferocious gaze from me to what lay beyond...
"Good work out there, Evan."
"..."
"Now it's my turn."
Isabel, having prepared a holy ritual during the time I bought, unleashed all her power at once.
ROOOAR──!!
A golden wave of such density even I couldn't fully replicate. The sacred liquid surged forth like a tide, binding the giant's feet.
If Israfeel specialized in raw violence, Isabel's forte was deploying advanced holy rituals like this.
Standing at the center of a geometric ritual circle, she gently closed her eyes.
The activated ritual successfully restrained Behemoth, but it wasn't enough to finish it. The decisive strike was just beginning.
"...Hoo."
Isabel silently clasped her hands. Her Divine Power soared into the heavens.
Rumble rumble rumble...!
The next instant, clouds parted above, revealing a massive gate.
Pure white, immaculate as if nothing had ever touched it—an arched portal.
[...Grk!]
Behemoth, frantically clawing at the golden waves binding its lower body, looked up. Its six pairs of eyes twitched in spasms.
It sensed something? Fitting for a demon archduke with keen detection.
But now that the gate had appeared, it was too late.
Isabel opened her eyes.
The heavenly gate yawned wide without warning.
...A pillar of light descended to earth.
ZZZOOOOONG──!!!
I grimaced and shielded my eyes from the blinding flash that whitened my vision. Staring too long risked blindness.
Even Behemoth, which had screeched endlessly before, fell into deep silence now.
Hardly surprising. No sound came from direct hits of that pillar.
Through my fingers, Behemoth's blurred form looked pathetically wretched—unbefitting a demon.
The black giant melted powerlessly in the white radiance, not even uttering a whimper.
For the second strongest in the demon realm after the Demon King, it was a pitiful end. Though it hadn't erased the true body beyond dimensions.
The glow faded slowly, vision normalizing. I blinked uncomfortably a few times before approaching Isabel.
"H-Hey, you okay?"
Having pushed her power after taking a hit from Behemoth, perhaps? Blood trickled from her pale lips.
She glanced at me with a complicated expression and wiped her mouth with effort.
"...I'm fine. A few days' rest and I'll be good as new."
"Rest is non-negotiable, then."
"Obviously. Look at me."
She gave a wry smile, but her pallid face didn't lighten easily.
Well, expecting her to emerge unscathed from that technique was wishful thinking.
Dubbed the Gates of Heaven. An ultimate holy ritual demanding supreme mastery and vast Divine Power.
From what I knew, fewer than three in the entire Sun Church could use it. Probably her, His Holiness the Pope, and the former Saint.
Even the former Saint had lost the realm after stepping down, leaving just Isabel and Adam Mayfield in practice.
And she'd used it in her bloodied state.
No way it wouldn't take a toll.
"...Whew, you really went all out, Isabel."
I sighed, placing a hand on her head. She stared up at me blankly.
"What's this about, Evan?"
"Perfect height for a head pat."
"...Are you indirectly calling me short right now?"
"Ah, no, that wasn't the intent."
"...Hoo."
After a brief exchange, we silently gazed at one spot. Where Behemoth's unmistakable corpse lay—not its true body, but still.
The site of Duke Rayhem's former manor was now a wasteland.
I'd hurled plenty of holy spears, but more than that, the ground itself was corrupted by demonic energy.
"...Rebuilding this city will take ages."
"Yeah, probably."
Citizens nearby had fled the moment Isabel's crescent moon blade fell from the sky. Minimal casualties, but the city center was obliterated.
The Sun Church could purify the demonic energy somehow... but with the lord dead, chaos wouldn't settle easily.
Tragic. I stared bitterly at the ruins; Isabel's face was grim too.
And not just from the city's uncertain future.
Isabel murmured quietly.
"Evan... we might face the Demon King in our lifetime."
I knew it, but didn't want to hear it now.
I recoiled in reply.
"Can't we skip the ominous talk?"
"But it's true. If an archduke is stepping up like this..."
"Ngh."
She wasn't wrong. An archduke intervening in the human realm wasn't a minor incident.
Still, fresh off battling Behemoth, I didn't want to dwell on it.
"...Let's rest first, Isabel. Whatever comes later can wait."
"Mm..."
I rubbed my pierced shoulder as I suggested. She didn't refuse.
With a conflicted look, she nodded meekly.
"Sure. We're both exhausted anyway."
"..."
Silence fell. Isabel tucked her golden hair behind her ear and looked down; I pursed my lips and scratched my head awkwardly.
Breaking the awkward quiet with a second proposal was Isabel.
"...Sh-Should we head back to the inn, then?"
"Ahem..."
I cleared my throat. Her face flushed as she fidgeted with her fingers.
Silence settled again, but I didn't reject her.
Destination set.
Merely to discuss cleaning up this city's aftermath, of course.