The Saintess and Sloth [3]
Se Rena couldn't believe the heavy weight pressing down on her shoulder.
The Absolute Inviolable Blessing bestowed upon her by the goddess herself.
It was a transcendent miracle that, even in the Holy Kingdom's ancient history, only she had ever manifested—thanks to possessing the greatest holy power of any saintess before her.
A rain of arrows from tens of thousands of heretics scattered into dust before even reaching her sanctuary. The razor-sharp claws of demonic beasts couldn't even soil the hem of her robes.
Even the high-ranking demon legion commanders who drenched the continent in blood had to retreat from her sanctuary, roaring in hatred. No foul demonic energy, no cruel curse—not even fellow holy knights she'd shared her life with—could touch her body without permission. She was meant to shine alone and nobly in the heart of the battlefield, an untouchable domain of the divine.
It was the most sacred isolation granted by the goddess, proof of a holiness humanity could never reach.
But right now...
This man's hand—with its sleepy eyes—was pressing down on her shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
...How?
The holy power that repelled even demonic curses wasn't rejecting this man's touch. No, it wasn't that it couldn't reject it. The vast holy power surging within Se Rena's body was still blazing fiercely, thrashing to block any intrusion. But the man's hand pierced through all those sacred laws as if they didn't exist.
It was a cognitive dissonance that went beyond fear, as if the very foundations of the world had been upended.
"Saintess...!"
Lian's scream-like cry shattered the silence. The Three Swords had witnessed it too. That man's arm draped so rudely, so casually, over the saintess's shoulder—something no one should ever be able to touch.
"...Demon."
Gawayne gripped his sword hilt so tightly it felt like blood would seep out. The bizarre pressure crushing his entire body made his heart feel like it might burst, but his instincts as a knight forcibly shoved the fear aside.
Right before his eyes, the saintess was being defiled. It was an insult to the Holy Kingdom, a challenge to human common sense.
"Get your filthy hand off her, demon. How dare you touch the saintess...!"
"Filthy hand, huh."
The man's voice sliced through Gawayne's roar like a blade.
It was low, laced with a pernicious laziness. Yet it carried an overwhelming intimidation that crushed Gawayne's desperate shout in an instant.
Gawayne tried to speak again, but an invisible giant hand seemed to clamp his throat shut, forcing his mouth closed.
"..."
The man, arm still slung over her shoulder, idly wiggled his fingers and glanced down at the back of his hand. As if Gawayne's words were truly baffling.
"Does it look that way? Seems pretty clean to me."
The man's gaze slowly turned to Gawayne. His beast-like red vertical pupils flashed, scanning Gawayne from head to toe.
"You bastard...!"
"Hm. I see."
The man brushed off Gawayne's explosive killing intent like background noise. Instead, he peered down at the saintess's profile trapped in his arm, murmuring low with interest.
"You knew of my existence through a divine oracle? But... you have no clue what my power is or what my goal is. You just came rushing in because I'm here?"
Se Rena's eyes shook violently.
Her heart plummeted to her toes. The oracle the man had just uttered was the Holy Kingdom's utmost secret. Only the pope with access to the holy core, the council of cardinals, and the saintess herself—the oracle's recipient—knew its contents.
Not even the Three Swords, the holy capital's strongest force and final bastion, knew the details. Their only directive was one: Protect the saintess from the demon at any cost.
And yet...
...He read it?!
Se Rena's thoughts froze. A chill raced down her spine, freezing her from head to toe.
This wasn't just sharp intuition. This man was peering into the depths of her soul, into the secrets of the holy core etched with the goddess's voice, like it was his own living room. The mental sanctuary she'd built her entire life as saintess had been shredded like a holey rag by a single lazy glance. Shame and terror swallowed her whole.
As she gasped in shock, unable to even breathe properly, Gawayne's roar tore through the plaza.
"I said get your filthy hand off her, demonnnn—!!"
Gawayne had seen it. The saintess's face draining to paper-white. Her trembling like a soulless doll under the man's touch.
His pride as a knight, his duty as guardian, and the primal human fear—all tangled together as he crushed the sword hilt. He didn't care if the foe was an immortal calamity. If he couldn't knock that hand away now, the Holy Kingdom's heart—the saintess—would shatter.
"Everyone, release the true names of your holy swords!"
Golden light filled their vision as the plaza shuddered like it was screaming.
*
Hmm. So this is the Holy Kingdom's vaunted final bastion.
With my hand on the saintess's shoulder, I quietly eyed the three humans squeezing out their holy power before me—the Three Swords.
I'd already grasped their lives, their swordsmanship, their power levels from the memories of the woman beside me.
Gawayne, the leader wielding solid, textbook power. Kai, gripping his holy sword Ignis like it might erupt in flames any second, brimming with hot blood. And Lian, suppressing her presence, twisting Aster while aiming for my blind spot.
A spark of curiosity flickered. Could the pinnacle of this world's strength even graze my body?
Then, the body in my arm vibrated faintly. Her pale face twisted as she instinctively tried to summon her holy power in desperation. The divine energy, ready to explode, flowed into my palm.
I added the slightest pressure to my fingers on her shoulder and murmured low by her ear.
"Saintess. Don't do anything."
"...!"
"Save your holy power. You'll need it later for something else."
My near-command voice drilled into her eardrum, and the surging holy power quieted like magic. Whether from fear or the strange compulsion in my words, she froze like a doll, breath held.
Satisfied with the silence, I turned my gaze to the onslaught of light rushing toward me.
"Well... then."
...Show me what you've got. You who are called the Holy Kingdom's strongest.
I curled my lips in a predatory smile and drew up the tiniest thread of Sloth Force, letting it flow through my body.
[Body Reinforcement][Dynamic Vision Maximization]
Just a bit of oil for the engine. Then I spread a thin barrier around myself and this pitiful saintess lending me her shoulder.
[Clinging Barrier]
Not a massive wall—just one hugging our body contours perfectly.
I eyed Gawayne's charging greatsword, Estel, and murmured.
"Let's see your skills."
With Gawayne's roar, the silver-white greatsword Estel plummeted vertically. The sword aura, swollen meters long by devouring holy power, tore the plaza's air as it crashed down.
Kuuuung.
I didn't move. No need.
Through the pouring silver-white beams, Estel's cold steel blade traced a sluggish arc toward me. Like a fly's wingbeat swimming through honey—agonizingly slow.
Kwaaang—!
A thunderous boom cratered the plaza floor, dust clouds billowing.
Gawayne's greatsword Estel hammered down on my head with heavy impact.
A direct hit. But Gawayne's face, emerging from the dust, twisted in fury and bewilderment.
Disgust and shock at something beyond reason warped his thick features.
"..."
As the smoke cleared, the reason became clear.
The greatsword Estel, fueled by meters of holy power, was pinned midair—caught between my index and middle fingers.
A capture so light and indifferent, like snatching a buzzing fly by the wing with a flick.
Gawayne snapped to and yanked the hilt back, grinding his teeth.
His thick arm muscles bulged like they might burst, his grounded foot crumbling the stone. But the blade between my fingers didn't budge a millimeter.
Holy sword Estel merely quivered pathetically at its master's bewildered will.
"For a holy sword, it's... pretty..."
As I drawled lazily, red heat surged from my right blind spot.
"You monster bastard—!"
Kai's holy sword Ignis spewed explosive flames, charging my side.
A perfect link from a one-vs-many master, exploiting the moment my eyes were drawn to Gawayne.
But I didn't even turn my head. I just extended my left foot lightly backward to where my senses guided.
Thwuck—!
"Guhk?!"
Before the flames could burst, my toe struck Kai's wrist gripping Ignis's hilt dead-on.
His stance crumbled sloppily at the invisible-speed kick, the condensed flames scattering harmlessly into the air.
"The saintess is right here. Attacks like that won't work."
My voice—dry beyond lazy—echoed across the plaza.
That was when it came.
A chill grazed my nape from behind—no shadow, perfect blind spot.
Lian of the spear arts. As the saintess's memories said, she excelled at erasing her presence, silently thrusting Aster's three blades at my carotid.
Still gripping the saintess's shoulder, I rolled only my eyes back.
Hoo?
In that instant, I spun half a turn in place, saintess in my arms. Simple, concise motion. My shoe heel carried the spin into a brutal kick to Lian's chest.
Thbam—!!
"Kuh...!"
Lian's body flew back like paper, slamming into a stone pillar.
Gawayne tried to regrip Estel and summon holy power again, but I gave no opening. I tapped the ground with Sloth Force in my stepping foot.
[Shockwave]
Kuuung!
The vibration rippled through the ground, climbing Gawayne's ankle and forcibly twisting his holy power flow.
The light streaming into his holy sword flickered out like a dying bulb.
An eerie silence blanketed the plaza.
The Three Swords fell back, maintaining distance as they encircled me.
No lip movement, no voices—but their eyes darted, plotting some intricate strategy.
What is it? Hand signals?
I caught the faint mana pulses trembling beyond their pupils.
Curiously, their "conversation" reached not my ears, but my senses directly via air vibrations.
Kai's voice. Still venomous from the wrist strike. Then Lian's cool tone overlapped.
But their leader, Gawayne, differed. His heavy mental voice sliced through their hope.
Gawayne's gaze fell to my feet.
Oh, telepathy, huh?
I eavesdropped on their grim council with stray thoughts.
Didn't expect this world to have such handy comms. Felt oddly like shamelessly listening in on someone else's private call from right beside them. Signal's crystal clear, too.
I let out a low chuckle and opened my mouth.
"All done? Strategy meeting."
The Three Swords' faces hardened instantly.
Just realizing their "secret" channel was compromised was a death sentence to them.
Still gripping the saintess's shoulder, I added dryly toward them.
"That's enough. I just wanted to check your skills. If I'd meant to kill you, could you even be standing like that now?"
Gawayne's sword hand trembled at my words.
He wanted to deny it, but he knew. How many times I'd held their lifelines and released them during that exchange.
I lifted my gaze indifferently to the sky, where the sun dipped lazily.
"It's about time my kid wakes up, anyway. Let's call it."
A suffocating silence descended on the plaza.
"...Wh-what?!"
"Kid's waking up...?"
"Wait, more than that... a demon has a daughter?!"
The Three Swords exchanged baffled looks.
I ignored their dumbstruck faces and peered down at Se Rena, still rigid in my arm.
"Saintess."
Her shoulder twitched at my low call.
I continued in a tone softer than before—but still brooking no refusal.
"My kid's in a lot of pain. I patched her up temporarily for now, but I'm total trash at fine healing work."
Se Rena's eyes widened.
The words "healing" and "daughter" from a demon's mouth tangled in her head.
"I need that healing power of yours."
I flashed a light smirk at her dazed upward gaze.
Her terror-pale face needed a little soothing.
"Don't tense up so much. I'm a demon who knows rewards and punishments. Fix her well, and I'll reward you. Even if you try your best and it doesn't work out, no punishment."
Se Rena's eyes shook without anchor at my words.
Before she could respond to the bizarre mix of mercy and threat, I led the saintess onward into the darkening alley.
"Come on. Gotta wash her up and feed her. She'll throw a fit if she wakes without me."
My mind was already filled with my daughter's whiny wake-up face.
Time was ticking. A few steps down the alley, I glanced back at the Three Swords, still spaced out in the plaza.
"What're you doing? Come on."
At my casual prod—like calling a dawdling coworker after work—Gawayne, Kai, and Lian's faces twisted unflatteringly.
I didn't wait for replies and quickened my pace again.