Chapter 275: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (68)
Chapter 275: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (68)
Before long, the main forces were gathering on the battlefield one by one.
Celine, who had charged out early, was locked in a bloody struggle with the flesh monsters, attempting to break through.
Every time an explosion rang out, flesh and blood scattered through the air, but unlike Ian, her progress was sluggish. The gap in their strength was clear.
Nevertheless, Celine’s face remained a mask of desperation.
Fortunately, since Ian had already cleared the path once, her life didn't seem to be in immediate danger. The remaining enemies were simply being persistent.
On the other hand, Elsie had no reason to travel such a long distance.
In fact, it was better for a mage to secure a wide field of vision. A mage’s primary role, after all, was to provide fire support from a distance.
This was no different for a combat mage specialized in high-speed chanting.
Until now, Elsie had been responding to the rapidly changing situation at close range. However, if given enough time, she was capable of casting much more powerful and wide-scale magic.
Though, she had no way of knowing how effective it would be against that 'Corpse Giant.'
Elsie bit her lip in anxiety, her fingers fumbling with the potion bottles in her pouch.
Even if it seemed impossible, she had to give it her all.
That was the resolve she had started this fight with.
And then there was a woman who had rushed out even before Elsie, yet was still unable to find her footing.
It was the Saintess.
Of course, this was entirely because someone was persistently trying to dissuade her.
Ever since the Saintess had bolted from her position, a man had been blocking and grabbing her repeatedly.
It was her guard knight, Yuren.
She wanted nothing more than to ignore someone like Yuren and leave, but the Saintess was a priestess, and Yuren was a swordsman. There was no way she could match him in physical ability.
Eventually, unable to contain herself any longer, the Saintess let her true nature slip.
"Yuren, get out of my way this instant! If something happens to Ian because of this, you're dead, and I'm dead—"
"Sister... please, just stop already."
But Yuren blocked her path until the very end.
His attitude made it clear he would never let her go.
It was only natural.
He was a guard knight, and his top priority was protecting the Saintess's safety.
He couldn't possibly send her into a battlefield that looked terrifying even from a distance.
Of course, divine power could be delivered from a slight distance.
This meant there was no need to be in close proximity to the target to provide combat support.
But healing was different.
Healing was a delicate task that required considering the exact location and state of the injuries. Doing so from a distance was impossible.
And right now, what the Saintess prioritized above all else was Ian's life.
The man she loved looked like he was about to draw his last breath; the Saintess did not have enough patience to stand idly in the rear.
In fact, she was on the verge of going mad.
"Yuren, that's an order. If you don't move right now, I will have you formally brought to trial later...!"
"Yes, yes, go ahead and bring me to trial... Sister, do you think I don't want to save Ian too?"
Yuren spoke with a look of frustration in his eyes.
Regardless, when the Saintess glanced around, looking for a way to slip past him, he began to persuade her in an even more desperate tone.
"But the weight of the responsibility we carry is different. It's one thing if others die, but what if you die, Sister?"
Only then did the Saintess flinch, showing a slight reaction.
Her pink eyes, filled with discontent, glared at Yuren.
Yuren had to swallow a hollow laugh.
To think that his haughty sister, who was cold about everything, could change this much.
He wasn't sure whether to feel respect or anger.
However, Yuren was simply being faithful to his duty.
"The political fallout from the death of a Saintess is beyond imagination. Naturally, the followers of the Heavenly God Religion will fall into great chaos... How many people will have to die and be injured in the meantime?"
"...And?"
"I'm saying that you, of all people, cannot act like this."
Yuren's words were logically sound.
Even the Saintess could only glare slightly, unable to say a word.
Yuren breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a sign that he was finally getting through to her. Without hesitation, he continued with his eloquent persuasion.
"Sister, distinguish between public and private matters... That was what you were always best at. Making political judgments by calculating gains and losses."
The Saintess fell silent for a moment and averted her gaze.
Her eyes turned toward the Corpse Giant standing in the distance.
There, her first love was still fighting a desperate battle.
The Saintess bit her lip in silence.
Fearing that she might shake him off and run away at any moment, Yuren braved the embarrassment and even brought up a story from the distant past.
"We promised, didn't we? To create a world where orphans like us don't have to suffer... Sister, I still believe in that promise. To achieve that dream, I'll do whatever it takes—"
"...Yuren."
The Saintess spoke in a low voice.
Hearing that voice, which hadn't lost a shred of its conviction, Yuren had an intuition.
Ah, this isn't going to work.
"What is the identity of that monster?"
"...A subordinate of the Evil God."
"And yet, while the Saintess of the Heavenly God Religion and her guard knight turn tail and run, a man who has absolutely nothing to do with the Church is fighting that monster?"
Yuren tried to come up with a rebuttal, but soon let out a deep sigh.
There was no longer any way to break the Saintess's stubbornness.
The Saintess delivered the final blow to the pained-looking Yuren.
"Practice obedience."
Because that was the mission bestowed by the Heavenly God.
Finally, Yuren raised both hands in surrender and muttered.
"...Immanuel."
"If you don't want to see me die, you'd better give it your all too."
With that, the Saintess hurriedly stepped forward.
Her anxiety had reached its peak, making it feel as if the blood vessels in her brain were becoming tangled.
How, just how could she save Ian?
She was someone who had crossed the threshold of life and death as if it were a daily routine.
Even though she still had her divine artifacts, she couldn't think of a way to overturn a battle where defeat seemed imminent.
It was then that Yuren grabbed the Saintess's shoulder one last time.
Just as the Saintess was about to glare at him with eyes that now held a hint of murderous intent.
"...Do you want to save Ian that badly? No matter the price?"
Yuren's voice as he asked was incredibly solemn.
The Saintess, momentarily flustered, had to keep her mouth shut.
Then, Yuren asked her again.
"Sister, every choice requires a price... If you want to save Ian, you must pay a corresponding price. I'm asking if you have that kind of resolve."
"...I do."
The answer was spat out without a moment's hesitation.
Yuren stared at her silently, but the Saintess's pink eyes did not waver.
Finally, he clicked his tongue and pulled something from his robe, tossing it to her.
The object the Saintess caught reflexively was a blood-red orb.
Realizing its identity, the Saintess let out a cry of shock.
"Blood Essence?! Yuren, if you had something like this, you should have told me sooner...!"
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to make that? And yet here you are, ready to use it immediately."
At Yuren's grumbling, the Saintess was momentarily speechless, but soon a smirk spread across her lips.
"...Of course."
They couldn't stop the Corpse Giant?
If she had a sacrifice like Blood Essence, the story was different.
She was the Heavenly God's most beloved virgin and one of the greatest priestesses, after all.
She could save Ian.
The relief made her feel as if she might collapse from exhaustion.
She didn't even notice Yuren grumbling beside her.
"Ah, this is really bad... My political standing is going to be at risk again at this rate..."
Boom! The sound of the ground shattering echoed.
Stepping onto the suddenly shaking earth, the Saintess's frantic gaze turned toward the center of the battlefield.
There, she saw Ian being blown away by a shockwave and rolling across the ground.
The Saintess immediately snapped back to her senses.
"...Ian!"
And as he watched the Saintess dash forward frantically, Yuren could only click his tongue.
She used to act like she was going to live as a celibate for the rest of her life.
They said a late first love was a terrifying thing, and it seemed they were right.
Yuren kicked off the ground, and as two flesh monsters turned their heads at the sound of the Saintess's scream, countless fine lines were carved into their bodies.
Then, flesh and blood erupted like an explosion.
It was a swift sword that seemed to flash like light.
Thus, another man began to carve a blood-red trajectory across the battlefield.
*
However, not everyone had grasped the situation.
From behind the Corpse Giant, it was difficult to see the details. Its massive body, rivaling a small mountain, blocked the view.
Because of this, the private soldiers of the Yurdina family couldn't properly understand what was happening.
It wasn't just a small procession; it was a march leading a thousand soldiers.
Even if they marched at a fast pace, it took time to secure a proper field of vision.
Furthermore, commanders like Seria or Alex couldn't just leave their posts.
If either Seria or Alex had rushed out first to assess the situation, Seria wouldn't have been this horrified.
The moment she laid eyes on the center of the battlefield, she froze.
As if she couldn't believe it, sounds that weren't quite words escaped Seria's mouth.
"Uh, ugh, ah... I-Ian Senior is..."
Seria's index finger, pointing toward the battlefield, was trembling violently.
On the other hand, Alex merely wore a smile, looking intrigued.
"He truly is a psycho young master. I, too, in my youth, never avoided even such impossible battles..."
"Ian Senior is on the verge of death!"
Of course, Alex's boisterous laughter did nothing to reassure Seria.
The moment she spotted the battered Ian, Seria immediately began biting her nails.
But that wasn't the only thing making Seria anxious.
Before long, strange signs of change were being detected in the sky as well.
Oooooooooooooo—!
The Corpse Giant let out a scream.
The mouths scattered across the monster's entire body opened simultaneously, emitting a grotesque shriek. The sight itself was hideous enough, but the result it brought was even more gruesome.
Staggering, the torn corpses began to rise.
Body parts that couldn't find their original forms twitched, repeatedly expressing a pitiful sense of self. Though, most of them were pounced upon and devoured by the flesh monsters.
Flesh monsters that grew beyond a certain size split in half with a scream.
The flesh monsters multiplied, and the corpses that were once neighbors began to walk with unsteady steps.
And then, they looked toward the sky and howled.
Kieeeeeeeeeek!
The Corpse Giant burst into laughter as if that howling were a symphony.
The core of the battlefield, surrounded by hundreds, no, thousands of enemies.
There, a single man was readjusting his grip on his sword.
His golden eyes proved that his fighting spirit had not been extinguished.
Seria felt as if she might faint right then and there.
The heat of the battle was finally flowing toward its climax.