Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Duel with the Traitor Archbishop
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“What can a mere wastrel whose spirits are slightly lifted possibly do? Do you think I haven’t heard reports of your skills?”
“Is that so?”
“I heard it from Luteon, whom you fought. He said you were barely half his level.”
Half his level.
Maybe that was true.
The power of the weapon one wielded had no choice but to factor into any measure of strength.
“Do I seem weaker than that brat to you?”
“You’re probably not.”
“Then why go so far when you know full well it means death?”
“Even if betrayal brings the full favor of Lactus upon you.”
Divine punishment was unavoidable.
‘Valterus isn’t some pushover.’
Did he know why the Sword God was trying so desperately to save a crumbling kingdom?
The God of Swords.
Among all gods, Valterus inflicted the most lethal divine punishments.
“Have you already cut off your right arm?”
“…….”
Alhamtra bit his lip hard.
The spear he gripped was held in his left hand alone.
His right hand was hidden beneath his robe, but Kallias could guess that spot was already empty.
Valterus’s divine punishment was necrosis.
Necrosis that progressively spread through the parts of the body most frequently used.
Left alone, it spread throughout the body and killed. The only option was to cut it off.
And he was a lifelong cleric who had trained his entire life.
Luteon, who had betrayed early on, probably only lost a finger or two to necrosis.
But for an orc warlord or archbishop to betray, they had to forfeit at least an arm.
For someone who had gripped a weapon their whole life, losing one arm was no different from losing everything.
Alhamtra had already lost his right arm.
‘More than worth a shot.’
He must have prepared in advance.
It wasn’t as if he’d decided to betray on a whim.
But he wouldn’t be able to bring out his full strength.
“Count, the archbishop is strong.”
“I know.”
The bastard was strong.
He hadn’t become archbishop for nothing.
Which meant this couldn’t drag on.
‘Pour everything from the start.’
Kallias immediately deflected the man’s spear and slashed diagonally with his sword.
Chaeng-!
But the man blocked it easily.
At the same time, Kallias spun his body, gripped a pure white sword in his other hand, and slashed horizontally.
Even that was blocked.
“With such skills… No?!”
The man’s remaining hand froze solid along with his spear. Startled, he shook it off with gathered holy power, and Kallias’s eyebrow twitched.
The purity of his holy power was impressive.
‘Purity-wise, between first and second grade.’
Impressively high for a master’s purity being first or second grade.
But Kallias knew it wasn’t purity purely built up.
The archbishop’s original holy power quality was probably second or third grade.
The boost likely came from his apostasy.
‘It hasn’t been long since he filled his emptied vessel with the new stuff.’
As expected of a former archbishop.
He lived up to his reputation.
‘I anticipated that much.’
Whirlic.
Kurrung kurung!
He hurled the Thunderclap Sword, which roared with thunder on its own and rained blue lightning in all directions.
The archbishop’s eyes widened as he leaped away, stepping on floating rocks to hover in the air.
Kwaaang!!
Lightning struck, and he deflected it with his True Demonic Spear before Kallias charged straight at him.
Silver Flower Sword Wave - Flower Breaking Path.
Petals dyed in pure white frost surged toward the archbishop.
Jjeojeojeok!
“Useless!”
He swiftly swung his spear, knocking away every petal.
Viscous dark red demonic energy aided him, rendering Flower Breaking Path meaningless.
But at that instant, pure white sword energy shot mercilessly from the ground.
Silver Flower Sword Wave - White Mist.
The archbishop grimaced, his spear scattering ominous demonic energy as if reluctant, then clamped it under his armpit and focused his power.
Soon, his holy power and muscles swelled.
“One Arc Thrust.”
He murmured lowly and thrust his spear.
Piuung! Ppeeeerrr!!
The single thrust point pierced space, encompassing the entire area.
Flower Breaking Path and White Mist staggered as if punched through the side, and a faint gleam of hope crossed the archbishop’s face.
But Kallias was nowhere to be seen.
That was when.
Sensing something ominous, the archbishop’s head snapped toward the ceiling.
Kallias’s sword immediately dropped from above.
“Kuh!”
Whoosh-!
Kallias plummeting while gripping Lament with both hands and striking down. Kwaang! With the sound, pale white frost spread everywhere.
In front of the archbishop, who barely blocked the strike.
Kallias raised his left hand overhead.
Chin.
The Thunderclap Sword he’d thrown into the sky.
It spat blue lightning once more.
Kwajijijik!!
He blocked the Thunderclap with the True Demonic Spear but couldn’t fend off Lament.
Twisting his body desperately, offering flesh as sacrifice.
But for an instant.
Kallias’s lip curled faintly. The archbishop’s face paled as he dodged, but Lament grazed his side.
A small scratch.
But its end was far from small.
Kwaang!
“Guhk!”
The slight cut suddenly burst with bizarre repulsive force.
The archbishop’s blood and flesh exploded into the air, forming flower-like shapes.
Kallias’s Blood Lotus Blossom.
“Damn it!”
Clutching his side, torn as if mauled by a beast, the archbishop sweated profusely.
“The price of betrayal is steep.”
Kallias tossed Lament at the archbishop.
He twisted away, and the sword embedded into the rock he stood on.
Wondering why Kallias threw his own sword, the archbishop realized the ground was freezing and leaped aside.
“Where do you think you’re going.”
But Kallias, not one to let him, rained lightning relentlessly.
Kwaaaaang-!
Amid scattering rock fragments, Kallias’s sword flew at him again.
“Crazy bastard!”
Another sword thrown.
Practically begging to be killed.
The archbishop smacked the Thunderclap Sword away with his spear tip, then spotted another sword gripped in Kallias’s charging hands.
‘When the hell did he draw a sword?’
But there was no time for questions.
It continued.
Relentless strikes without a moment to recover.
Block the lightning, and his body froze; shatter the ice, and lightning struck.
That wasn’t all.
“Kuh!”
Whenever a sword nicked him, his body grew heavy, and sometimes it felt like immense pressure pinned him in place.
And whenever he got hit then.
Peureng!
“Kwaaaak!”
The sword energy burst his body open.
“You’re tough. Wearing armor made of holy relics? Or did you train diligently?”
The archbishop didn’t answer.
Instead, he spat blood and shed his torn robe.
Along with the dangling right arm stump, he spread his legs into stance.
Suddenly, ominous demonic energy from the True Demonic Spear swept around him and clung to his right arm side.
Puhup!
Spitting more held-back blood, the archbishop paled.
But now he gripped the spear with both hands, something he hadn’t done until then.
The dark red right arm gripped the shaft, resonating red.
‘True Demonic Spear.’
To think he’d use it like that.
The worst weapon made from a fallen one’s soul and flesh.
The archbishop’s body was etched with long, thin dark red lines protruding like veins, as if tattooed all over.
“You who aim to exterminate demons wield the power of a true demon so well.”
“What do you know, spouting off like that? Do you think you could ever understand the feelings with which I seek to destroy Carpe?!”
He knew. That’s why.
“Not interested.”
He had to be killed anyway.
No other way.
“Using it like that will poison you with demonic energy and shave years off your life. Aren’t you scared?”
“If I feared that, I never would’ve picked up the spear to begin with.”
So he no longer cared about his own life.
Fine. To attempt something this insane, that much resolve was necessary.
Kallias raised the Tyrant Sword, aiming at Alhamtra.
“Impressive.”
Then he’d grant the death he sought.
* * *
The powerless queen could only watch the knights’ battle.
The guardian sword protecting the king and the empire’s noble spear.
Jerban’s Kallias, who appeared suddenly, and former archbishop Alhamtra.
The guardian sword and noble spear’s fight was utterly incomprehensible to her eyes.
Victor’s sword pointed down, then suddenly floated midair, and the noble spear thrust downward, only for multiple spears to emerge from another space upon snapping to.
Slash one side, and it came from the other.
Thrust the other, and it appeared from this one. A battle beyond the queen’s common sense, impossible to tell who held the advantage.
But the count and archbishop’s fight was discernible even at her level.
‘The count has a slight edge.’
Knowing the archbishop’s original skill, she’d thought the count disadvantaged, but it was unfounded worry.
He was a traitor.
Naturally, the spear felt unfamiliar compared to the sword he’d wielded lifelong.
‘And the divine punishment cost him his right arm—that’s huge!’
Missing one arm was critical. For spearwork more than swordplay, one arm was a massive hindrance.
The archbishop was taking the damage.
Watching sweatily, the count clearly held more advantage.
To think the count was that strong.
She’d heard he used the saintess’s swordsmanship, and indeed his style was flashy.
Wielding blue lightning, freezing everything around with frost.
Petal-like fragments swirled intermittently, shooting sword energy; seemingly shallow cuts suddenly erupted in blood.
Each time, the archbishop’s blood formed flower shapes—beautiful yet cruel swordsmanship.
On top of that, he pulled swords from somewhere, using all varieties, tormenting the archbishop.
She had no idea where the swords came from but guessed some artifact.
At this rate, victory seemed firmly with the count.
Unknowingly, the queen gripped the sword hilt at her waist tightly.
‘I want to help.’
No more cowering.
Just being protected forever made her teeth grind. Her sword hand crushed the hilt.
Yet her feet wouldn’t move.
Her lacking swordsmanship and precarious position bound her.
Helping would only hinder, and if she got hurt, the count and all knights’ efforts would be for naught.
So she had to endure.
Endure, endure. Endure again.
That was the throne.
“Please…….”
Win this one too.
* * *
The bastard, now wielding the sticky ominous demonic spear with a regenerated right hand, finally began showing his true skill.
Spinning and whirling the spear, knocking away all swords.
His hasty thrusts sharpened, his awkward swings chilled the skin plenty.
And more.
“Tch.”
Chwaak.
Dodging viscous liquid splattering the floor, Kallias clicked his tongue.
It changed shape like it was alive, bursting from the spear to attack him; its lack of pattern made rash close approaches impossible.
Moreover, spear wielders’ tactics inherently kept and maintained distance for attacks.
Kallias hadn’t fought many spear users, so facing proper two-handed spearwork made proper approach difficult.
“Don’t worry. Once I kill you, I’ll definitely turn you into a spear and use you.”
Noticing that, a smile crept onto Alhamtra’s face.
But Kallias coldly analyzed his full power.
‘Still awkward with the spear.’
Even using the spear’s innate ability didn’t seem fluent.
Then there was a chance for victory.
“Sorry.”
“What for?”
“I’ve no intention of turning you into a sword. Weak swords are useless.”
Time to end it.
Couldn’t drag it longer.
“Arrogant!”
Kaaang-!
Blade scraped spear tip, sparks flying spectacularly.
Simultaneously, Kallias’s left hand clenched midair, drawing the Tyrant Sword.
Kkwoong-!
A gravity field unfolded instantly.
Its range narrowed in a flash.
Flinch.
With his body heavier, Lament stabbed into the archbishop’s foot.
Puk!
“Kweuk!”
Pure white frost spread from his foot as the archbishop’s spear aimed for his head.
Whoosh-!
Severed hair flew as his cheek tore by a hair’s breadth.
Thud!
A forceful step twisted his body, drawing the Thunderclap Sword.
“Where!”
Keeeing!
Blue lightning screeched like tearing, but the True Demonic Spear’s tentacles targeted the Thunderclap.
Sseik.
With Kallias’s mocking smile, he released the Thunderclap and drew the Judgment Sword.
“What!”
Too late to pull back the spear.
The Judgment Sword was already closing in, laden with perilous sword energy.
“Rip apart and die.”
Chwaak-!
Along with the slashed chest, a small explosion trailed behind Kallias.
“Kraaak…!!”
Plop plop.
Falling blood and the archbishop’s collapsing body thudded dully.
The spear slipped from the kneeling archbishop’s hand.
As the heavy spear shaft rolled on the floor, the black tattoos on his body began fading. Drained of even a scrap of energy, his battle spirit gone, he instead burst into laughter.
“Kuhukuk.”
“What’s so funny.”
“I lost the duel. I admit it. But the battlefield is my victory.”
Whoooong-!
Violent aura swept the area like a sharp wind.
“……!!”
A massive heartbeat.
Killing intent like needles pricking skin.
“The Mad Prince will tear out your throat, Wolf of Jerban.”
Alarms blared through Kallias’s body.
Instinctive intuition moved him.
Flick.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!!
Earth-shaking roar, claw marks as if from a dragon raking the sanctuary.
Graaaaa.
Before Kallias now.
Carpe’s Mad Prince, tears of blood streaming down his face.
The mad crown prince held a sword.