Chapter 73
Chapter 73
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 073
Chapter Title: Archangel's Blessing
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"..."
"..."
The agents from the Investigation Bureau were so stunned by the sudden turn of events that they could only gape up at the sky above the mage tower, at a complete loss for words.
In the meantime, cracks began to spiderweb through the glacier that had risen like a massive leg—ujik-!—and it started crumbling bit by bit.
It had taken a direct hit from the bombardment, but more than that, its own weight had simply proven too much to bear.
Boom! Kwakwakwa-boom!!
The sight of the enormous ice crystals shattering against an invisible barrier was another spectacle in itself.
Every time they fell, the black mana forming the barrier flashed brightly.
At that moment, with a heavy thud—!, the Team 2 leader regained control of his body, which had been repelled by the anti-gravity device, and narrowed his eyes.
His gaze was fixed on the very top of the barrier, which already appeared to have been repaired and restored.
'What the hell was that just now...'
Not only had they used some unknown bait to draw their attention, but...
In truth, they'd fallen for it so easily because of their fixed assumption that entering the mage tower had to mean passing through the village entrance.
'But to think they'd slip inside the barrier like this.'
The completely unforeseen tactic left him utterly bewildered.
'I see. So the top was the barrier's weak point all along.'
They must have known that from the start and planned accordingly.
"Well, I'll be damned."
Team 2 Leader—Mammoth, his code name—let out an involuntary chuckle.
'...We've already lost the information war before the fight even began.'
And that was just the beginning.
'That sword and those flames just now...'
The shockwave from the sword's summoning had been enough to push him back even at maximum output on his anti-gravity controls.
'Incredible power.'
Enemy or not, he couldn't help but be genuinely impressed.
The next time they met, he'd want a proper fight.
'I had my doubts when they said the Immortal was dead, but...'
He stared at the collapsing ice bridge as he thought it over.
'Yeah. It tracks.'
Just then, the Special Forces Commander's voice crackled in his ear.
[Mammoth, respond! You didn't let him slip away, did you?!]
Mammoth clicked his tongue briefly and replied.
"Affirmative. The target breached the barrier and entered the lower village. Interception failed."
Hearing the report, Yakov slammed his fist into the armored vehicle beside him.
"Goddamn it...!"
It must have been the first time in his life he'd tasted such utter defeat.
His body trembled involuntarily as he ground his teeth.
"Just one guy...!"
Not content with wiping out Team 3, they'd mobilized every available tactical team from the Investigation Bureau, plus Special Forces Teams 2 and 4 to boot.
"And we still couldn't catch that one guy! This is...! This is...!!"
Bam! Bam! Bam! Yakov pounded the vehicle again and again, but his eyes suddenly drifted to the communicator in his hand.
"Son of a bitch...!"
Unable to contain his rage, his lips quivered.
The humiliation of having to report this disaster himself weighed heavily on him, and his grip tightened on the device.
Finally, he squeezed his eyes shut and brought it to his mouth.
Meanwhile, Rain from the counter-sniper team—who'd been laying down covering fire from hiding—wore an expression of pure disbelief.
"...Man, that guy's a real monster."
At first, he'd figured even reaching the lower village would be a nightmare.
But what was this?
The Investigation Bureau agents and Special Forces had been completely played by a single man's wits.
For the prideful Bureau agents especially, this was nothing short of mortifying.
Rain snickered, feeling thoroughly vindicated.
"If I were the Special Forces Commander, I'd be reeling right now."
Gazing at the utterly dumbfounded tactical teams, he added,
"This is Rain. Withdrawing as planned."
[Copy. Rendezvous at primary. No anomalies.]
Not far away, Lumia—who'd just finished casting her curse—coughed up a bit of blood with a hack!
Meat from the counter team freaked out at the sight.
"What the hell? What's your deal?"
"Cough, don't make such a fuss..."
Lumia wiped the blood from her mouth and explained.
"I just used a little life force, that's all."
"Life force?"
"It's nothing. Curses always come with a price."
It would take time, but as a dark elf, she'd recover in her mother's embrace of darkness.
Meat stared at her in disbelief.
'Wait, that was a curse?'
"Why not just use a decoy like we planned..."
Lumia shot him a fiery glare.
"And what if relying on that flimsy trick botched Mr. Clark's plan? You planning to atone with your life then?"
"Who said anything about my life...? Hey, why've you been talking down to me since earlier?"
"Hah, unbelievable. Then tell me—why should I show respect to a worthless human like you?"
Meat's jaw dropped involuntarily.
'What the...? Does this chick even realize she's a prisoner too?'
Lumia gazed at the crumbling ice crystals, her eyes sparkling once more as if nothing had happened.
"Ah... As expected of Mr. Clark...!"
Honestly, even she had been skeptical when she first heard the plan.
But as she'd suspected.
Truly the great proxy of Baal.
He'd pulled off something no ordinary person would even attempt.
And those foolish Investigation Bureau humans were left utterly stunned by the impossible outcome!
'I'm so ashamed of myself for ever doubting the proxy, even a little!'
Her faith solidified further as she clasped her hands demurely over her racing heart.
"He's so cool...!"
"...What the fuck is this?"
Meat gawked at the dark elf's polar-opposite demeanor from moments ago.
Meanwhile, at the Fleetwood Mansion.
A voice rang out amid the swirling holy mana, directed at Kyle.
"The... Mage of the Beginning?"
The mages still resisting the curse felt a stir deep in their chests.
"The Mage of the Beginning...?"
"For real...?"
"N-No way."
"But still...!"
Coiling around him was a sacred fire mana unlike any they'd ever seen.
And not only that.
From his other hand erupted lightning mana, right on cue.
"...!"
In an instant, he drew a spear of lightning from his hand, spun around, and obliterated even the fleeing minions.
Kwaaaaaang-!!
[Kieeeek!!]
[Aaaack!!]
As they gulped at the absurd display, a few sharp-eyed mages noticed the ancient winds swirling around him.
"Wait, that's—"
"Wind mana...?"
Fire, then lightning, and now wind.
There was only one conclusion.
"M-Multi-element...!"
The words sent ripples through the gathered mages.
"Wh-What?"
"Multi-element?!"
"No way?!"
"In this world..."
But as far as they knew, no one in the mage tower wielded multiple elements—aside from the Archmage.
Which meant he was an outsider.
But a non-mage tower native born with multi-elements? Impossible.
Someone muttered with trembling eyes.
"...There is one."
The one possibility for an outsider with multi-elements.
"The Mage of the Beginning, who left this tower long ago."
If he was a descendant...
"!!"
The listeners swallowed hard.
But it didn't end there.
"P-Plus, there's that legend about the Mage of the Beginning and divinity..."
In the chaotic era when heresies ravaged the land.
Standing against the evil that drenched the continent in blood was none other than the Mage of the Beginning.
That's why many had speculated.
That his mana must harbor divinity.
And curiously, the mana of the man before them seemed to wield the power to annihilate evil as well.
Otherwise, why would the minions vanish under his spells?
Not to mention his immunity to the demon's curse.
The mounting evidence made someone clap a hand over their mouth in horror.
"No...!"
"??"
Meanwhile, Kyle—feeling the weight of those intense stares while lowering his mask and approaching the barrier—frowned.
'What?'
He glanced up at the mansion's ceiling, now blown wide open.
'Well, yeah. Dropping in from the sky outta nowhere would freak anyone out.'
Upon hearing there might be survivors in Fleetwood's mansion, he'd punched through the demon barrier and dived straight here.
Direction change? Leave it to the ancient winds.
After that, he'd trusted his [Hyper Sense] to crash through the roof.
Now, amid the thud! of collapsing debris, Kyle scratched his head.
'...Fleetwood's gonna flip when he gets back.'
Still, it was collateral from rescuing the other mages. He'd understand, right?
Kyle glanced down at his holy sword, half-drained of its pre-charged holy flame.
'Man, it's burning through holy flame faster than I thought.'
He let out a small groan.
'Maybe it's a stroke of luck that my mana got the exorcism property.'
At this efficiency, using holy flame on every minion would deplete it in no time.
Sure, he could recharge, but even with [Holy Flame Ignition]'s buffs, it took time.
But if his mana itself had exorcism properties, problem solved.
Save the holy sword for big moments; handle small fry with regular spells.
'Maybe that's why Montena's holy knights fell.'
Stockpiling holy flame in swords might not hold against a demon horde's numbers.
"...Can I come in?"
Kyle pointed at the barrier. Rebecca, who'd been staring blankly, snapped to.
"Ah, y-yes!"
The barrier repelled only evil; any human could enter.
Stepping inside the holy relic's barrier, Kyle said,
"Looks like you really were here."
"What...?"
"Fleetwood told me. Said if anyone was resisting, they'd be at his mansion with the angel's relic."
"!!"
Rebecca's eyes widened.
"Is Marie safe?!"
"...For now."
She sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness. Really."
Kyle activated [Divine Eye] on the mages inside.
'...They haven't fully escaped the curse's influence.'
Their mana was still slowly draining toward the tower.
'But at least the relic keeps them from weakening further or falling into nightmares.'
That alone was a blessing.
No telling when nightmare victims might turn minion.
"Th-Then... um..."
"Kyle Clark."
"Ah, yes. Mr. Clark."
'Mr.?'
Kyle tilted his head at the honorific.
'Ridge too...'
Did mage tower folk always use honorifics like that?
"If Marie alerted them, does that mean help's coming from outside?"
"..."
Dozens of gazes turned to him at once.
Kyle inwardly clicked his tongue.
It didn't feel great to crush their hopes, but blunt honesty was best.
"No. No help's coming from outside."
"...!"
The mages swallowed hard.
"They're just planning to incinerate the whole tower."
"Wh-What?!"
"Dun City's abandoning us?!"
"Sapientia, with centuries of history?!"
No other reason for such an extreme measure.
Rebecca asked, pale-faced,
"Then... a demon descent ritual is underway in Sapientia right now."
Kyle nodded silently. The mages' faces darkened.
"Damn it..."
"A descent ritual."
"Who the hell... No, how in this place...!"
Amid the chaos, Rebecca took a deep breath.
"...Mr. Clark. How much time do we have left?"
"Until dawn."
"...!"
Less than three hours.
She squeezed her eyes shut, and Kyle spoke.
"But that doesn't mean we give in to despair."
Approaching the angel's relic shining atop the central dais, he continued,
"For one thing... I'm not handing this tower over to the demons without a fight."
He didn't know if his words comforted them.
But in this hopeless situation with no aid coming, he'd arrived—a lone savior.
Their last hope.
Before the glowing relic, his commanding presence stirred several mages' hearts. They clasped hands in prayer and whispered,
"Ahh...! O Mage of the Beginning...!"
Kyle shivered inexplicably.
'Keeps feeling eerie since earlier...'
He shook off thoughts of Lumia.
Not the time.
"...I'll recharge the barrier's mana first."
Setting down the Ludicium holy sword, he placed a hand on the angel's relic and poured in his mana.
The barrier repaired at a breakneck pace, as if mocking its earlier instability, flooded with endless mana.
"!!"
"N-No way."
The mages' jaws dropped at the impossible sight.
'Wh-What mana reserves...!'
Even weakened, it had taken over a dozen mages to maintain it.
And he'd covered it solo.
"Impossible..."
Rebecca covered her mouth with one hand, having witnessed the staggering mana pool.
'I hoped, but...'
Matching the legends perfectly, she murmured,
"For real...?"
That was when it happened.
"?!"
The plain white rod framed in gold began emanating an intense glow unlike any before.
Raphael's Blessing
Grants blessing to your faction members within a certain range.
Mana of the blessed gains temporary basic exorcism properties and strong resistance to demonic curses.
But it didn't stop there.
'Sapientia's Survivors' have joined as a temporary faction.
"...!!"
"...The connection with the minions raiding Fleetwood Mansion has been severed."
[What?]
The goat-headed minion scowled unpleasantly at Otto Reberk's words.
"At the same time, someone breached the barrier and entered the lower village."
[...!]
Otto let out a small groan.
"...Seems they knew the barrier's weak point well."
[Any ID on the bastard?]
Otto shook his head.
"Too sudden; couldn't peek through the minions' eyes. But..."
His eyes narrowed.
"It's obvious who."
[The Butcher, eh?]
Heh heh heh. The goat-head chuckled mockingly.
[True, heard he's a mage, and he repelled the minions—so he's come prepared, it seems.]
But he'd die at a mere graze all the same.
[Might actually be fun, though.]
Grinning with interest, he rose.
[Prepare the troops.]
At once, hellish monsters crawled from the black muck.
[Grrr...]
[Kek! Kueeek!]
Blessed by Demon Malphas, they bared fangs thirsting for blood.
[This body will personally claim the Butcher's flesh and offer it to great Lord Malphas.]
Among them, Kafra— the goat-head's favored—curled his lips.
[His soul shall shatter into pieces, not one fragment spared.]
Otto cautioned,
"Still, be careful. He's..."
[Worry about the sacrifices instead of needless fretting.]
Kafra drew his claws—harder than steel, sharper than any blade.
His serpentine eyes gleamed at the viscous poison seeping in.
[No human can withstand this otherworldly venom... None exist in this world.]