The Defier of Heaven (5)
Grinning widely, Biorf answered with vigor.
He began to glare ahead as if he were about to cast a spell at any second.
I let out a sigh at his unstoppable enthusiasm and swept my gaze across the battlefield.
...The first phase is the battle against the Defier's minions.
Clack, clack.
Before long, even more living armors began pouring out of the darkness in succession.
Living Armor [Lv. 82]
Living Armor [Lv. 82]
Living Armor [Lv. 82]
"H-How many more of them are there?"
Selena's voice trembled.
I simply stared at the spectacle unfolding before me with a calm expression.
Living armors grow stronger in proportion to their master's magical prowess.
These monsters, created by breathing mana into lifeless suits of armor, become far more threatening the greater the summoner's capabilities.
In particular, living armors summoned by a transcendent being like the Defier of Heaven boasted a level of martial might that was in a completely different dimension.
However...
It doesn't matter.
Adelia, Selena, and Isaac Berylof. For now, these three alone were more than enough to handle the monsters.
"Adelia, take the front. Your top priority is protecting the mages."
"Yes, my lord."
Shring!
Adelia drew her sword and charged toward the enemy.
Rumble!
The first living armor rushed toward Adelia.
Despite being a lifeless shell, the black armor possessed incredible speed and power.
Clang!
Screeech!
Sparks flew as their blades clashed. The two swords locked in a contest of strength. Adelia's power held a slight advantage.
"Heretic! Cast your magic!"
"I was already preparing it!"
At Adelia's shout, Isaac Berylof cast his spell.
Having already coordinated their movements in the Sky Ocean Forest, the two worked in perfect harmony.
Crack!
Freezing magic instantly frosted over one of the living armor's arms.
[...!]
Of course, a 7th-circle spell could not completely neutralize a Level 82 monster. The living armor faltered only for a moment before violently shaking its frozen arm.
Shatter!
The chunks of ice binding its arm shattered into pieces.
But that brief distraction was enough. Adelia did not miss the momentary opening and swung her sword with all her might.
"Haaah!"
Whoosh!
Adelia's sword, glowing with a blue-green light, flew toward the opponent's neck.
Thanks to Reflection's Water Surface, the unique skill she had acquired in the Sky Ocean Forest, her swordsmanship had become far more refined.
Clang!
The living armor's head severed from its torso and clattered to the ground.
"Target down... Huh?"
Rattle!
However, the living armor was not dead.
The head that had fallen to the ground rose back up and began to move independently.
[Graaaah!]
The living armor roared and immediately swung its sword.
Clang!
Adelia calmly responded to the enemy's attack, her movements concise and without a single hint of disarray.
Having perfectly analyzed the combat in that brief span, she seemed to have completely grasped the living armor's unique movement patterns.
Selena shouted, "Be careful! The living armors will keep resurrecting unless the summoner's mana is completely depleted!"
Hummmm!
Of course, Selena did not just stand by and watch. A crimson light began to burn at the fingertips of the 9th-circle mage.
"...Flowing Fire!"
Along with Selena's incantation, crimson mana began to flow like water. The deep red flames wriggled like a living creature, gradually dominating more and more of the area.
The fire flowed fluidly like water, and a violent torrent surged toward the living armors.
Boom!
One of the living armors was swept away and knocked down by the tidal wave. Like an incoming tide, the crimson waves rose higher and higher, expanding their reach.
Yet, this was merely a temporary fix.
The scattered pieces of the shattered living armor vibrated faintly, then began to return to their original positions and reassemble one by one.
[Graaaah!]
Resurrecting in just a few seconds, the living armors raised their swords and assumed their combat stances once more, as if nothing had happened.
"Ughhh..."
"...?"
Just then, a groan echoed from beside me.
Turning to look, I saw that Professor Biorf's eyes were starting to become bloodshot.
Due to his bellicose nature, he could no longer stand by and watch this situation unfold.
"Is it time, Seeker? Is it finally my turn to step in? If we wait any longer, I won't even get a chance to fight!"
"Wait. There isn't much time left before..."
Shring!
I cut myself off and quickly drew the Feather Sword.
In the blink of an eye, a living armor targeting Professor Biorf slipped between us. Its black blade swung at a terrifying speed.
Clang!
Without even consciously thinking, my body moved first. The Feather Sword sliced through the air, sparks flying the moment the two blades collided.
Screeech!
The living armor's strength overwhelmed me. My sword slowly began to get pushed back.
Sweat poured down my back, and my knees gradually began to buckle.
If not for my Dragon Body trait, I would have lost the contest of strength long ago. And if that had happened, Ultimate Auto-parrying would have triggered automatically.
I can't let that happen.
At the very least, I absolutely had to save that skill for this raid.
"Sword Master!"
Startled, Biorf was about to interrupt the spell he was casting, but—
"Keep going. Don't stop."
"...!"
Biorf flinched, looking at me with an anxious expression. After a brief hesitation, he reluctantly nodded.
Screeech!
Even while locked in the clash of blades, I was able to closely observe the living armor's plating.
Frost coated its black surface, and its joints were slightly frozen.
Isaac's freezing spell is still active on it.
Thanks to that, its movements were somewhat sluggish. That was the only reason I could hold out even this much.
Crack!
Just then, the freezing magic took effect once more. The living armor's entire body glowed with a blue light as it froze over.
I couldn't miss this opportunity.
As I disengaged my sword and quickly stepped back, the living armor lost its balance, unable to support its own weight, and pitched forward.
Crash!
My wildly beating heart suddenly grew calm. My mind fell into a deep stillness. I couldn't even hear the sound of my own breathing.
The perfect point of impact, precise control of force, and the optimal angle.
All of it was calculated in an instant.
Thuck!
My Feather Sword pierced through the weakest part of the breastplate.
The living armor's body convulsed before suddenly going limp.
The dark energy that had been spreading through the cracked breastplate slowly faded. The fragmented pieces of armor collapsed heavily onto the floor with a dull thud.
"Don't let your guard down! It will rise again!" Selena shouted urgently, her eyes filled with intense wariness.
However, the living armor lay completely motionless on the floor. It remained still, with my sword still impaling it.
[...]
A brief silence ensued.
"W-What...? It should have resurrected by now..."
Selena's face contorted in utter confusion.
You have used the Authority Skill: Eternal Slayer Jin.
The effect of the sub-skill, Soul Kill, has been triggered.
Damage is amplified by 500%.
Immediately after, a notification window popped up in a corner of my vision.
It was a skill that drastically increased damage against ghosts, spirits, and undead monsters.
On top of that, it possessed the property to negate any form of regeneration.
Thanks to that ability, the living armor pierced by my sword could not resurrect and entered its eternal rest.
"...!"
For the first time, the Defier of Heaven standing before the altar showed signs of agitation. Was it just my imagination? An anxious look seemed to flicker across his face.
He must have sensed something was wrong upon seeing the living armor fail to resurrect.
Ignoring him, I quickly scanned our surroundings.
There were still fourteen living armors left.
Sweat beaded on Selena's forehead, and even Adelia was starting to look out of breath. Isaac Berylof's mana was nearly depleted.
Perfect.
I smiled inwardly.
All the living armors the Defier of Heaven could summon had now appeared.
The maximum number for the first phase was exactly fifteen. Since one had already been dealt with, only fourteen remained.
"Professor Biorf."
The traditional method to sever the link between a summon and its master was to sweep everything away with sheer, overwhelming mana.
"Now."
"...!"
Hearing those words, the look in Professor Biorf's eyes changed. Delight flooded his wrinkled face. Raising his staff high, he began to gather his mana.
Rumble!
Magic is the truest reflection of a mage's personality.
For instance, Isaac Berylof's ice magic stemmed from his cowardly nature and his tendency as a double agent to hide his true self.
A magic that shrank back like the cold and deceived others with the transparency of ice.
On the other hand, Selena's blood-red mana was decisive yet fluid.
The way her flames flowed like water represented her character as the Blood Empress, possessing both strength and flexibility.
Then what about Professor Biorf?
He was simply like fire.
Hot-tempered, explosive, and prone to severe mood swings.
Because of this, if nothing else, Professor Biorf's burst damage was the absolute best in the entire magic academy.
Straining with all his might, Biorf's face turned red and blue. An astronomical amount of mana began to overflow from his fingers and his staff.
And then...
"...Doomsday Sun!"
Blood began to stream from Professor Biorf's nose and eyes. He was drawing forth mana that far exceeded the limits of what his physical body could handle.
Roar!
The heavens and the earth seemed to howl. Soon after, a blinding light erupted.
A miniature sun, a tiny star... had bloomed in the subterranean abyss of the magic academy.
Kaboom!
The light banished the darkness.
A flash so intense that no one could keep their eyes open flared out.
With an explosion that sounded like the end of the world, the strike containing the 8th-circle mage's fury swallowed all the living armors whole.
...
When I opened my eyes again, the cavern had completely transformed.
The ground glowed red like boiling lava, and the walls were covered in deep fissures.
Countless melted fragments of black armor were scattered in every direction.
Professor Biorf had collapsed. Not a single trace of mana could be felt from his body anymore. It was the price of casting a spell that far surpassed his limits as an 8th-circle mage.
"Professor!"
Isaac Berylof rushed over in a panic.
Fortunately, he was still breathing, but he had completely lost consciousness.
What about Adelia and Selena Servich...?
I shifted my gaze to assess the situation.
Their conditions were just as critical. Both were exhausted from dealing with the fourteen living armors.
Adelia's armor was torn in places, and deep fatigue was written all over Selena's face.
"Ha."
Just then, the Defier of Heaven's laughter echoed through the empty abyss. He began to slowly descend the stairs.
"Fine. I will just deal with you myself."
At those words, Selena gasped in horror.
"T-That's impossible! You cannot harm us directly! According to the Laws of the Heavenly Realm..."
"The Laws of the Heavenly Realm?"
The Defier of Heaven smirked.
"What use do I have for such things? I have already decided to obtain a new body. I no longer have a status to maintain, nor any laws to follow."
A dark red mist rose from his body. He was forcibly lowering his own status to kill us directly.
"I will make your deaths painful. Especially you, Selena. I will make sure you pay dearly for betraying me."
"...!"
Selena sharply inhaled, catching her breath.
Seeing this, the Defier of Heaven approached us with a sinister smile.
Rumble!
The ground shook.
It was the start of the second phase.
I gripped the Feather Sword tightly and took a step forward.
...Now it's my turn to step up.
The plan I had prepared for this very moment was finally about to be set in motion.