The Serpent Church (7)
The Serpent Church (7)
Radatok brought his sword down, but he couldn't break the monster's shell. The blade glanced off instead.
A shell far thicker than an ordinary monster's. On top of that, the strength behind its pincers was nothing to scoff at.
So it's a leader specimen. Radatok stoked his flames violently. He raised his firepower and wreathed his entire body in fire.
The age of swords and miracles. Radatok, the Iron-Blood Bear of the Sun God Church who had lived through that era, rampaged fiercely.
The age of religion was fading. Its influence weakened day by day. The role of the inquisitors diminished as well, and as wizards gained prominence, even the word “heretic” lost much of its former weight.
The inquisitors' standing had shrunk. As their work dwindled, the inquisitors had been forced to focus on something other than dealing with heretics.
Their new task was to spread the Sun God Church’s fame by hunting monsters that preyed on people.
Radatok the inquisitor had another nickname: Monster Slaughterer. His massive greatsword swept through the air, sending the head of a bipedal crayfish flying.
But the battle was not going well. There was more than one leader specimen. Radatok could bring them down without much trouble, but they were extremely difficult opponents for the lower-ranking paladins.
"What the hell?!"
"Why are they so damn hard?!"
"Raise your Sacred Power!"
"But if we do that, we might collapse from exhaustion later...!"
The battle was long.
The problem was that it was too long.
Raising firepower had the drawback of draining stamina quickly. It wasn't a problem for Radatok, but for the other paladins under his command, it loomed as a serious issue.
Once Sacred Power ran out, it took time to recharge. Some of the flames of the paladins who had raised their firepower began to go out. Starting with the inquisitors who couldn't keep up with the training, their flames weakened.
"Oh, shit...!"
A bipedal crawfish closed in on the face of the inquisitor who was about to spit out a curse. A blunt pincer flew in hard, aiming to crush a human skull.
Radatok flinched. His attention had been drawn to the shelled creatures in front of him, so his reaction was late.
No.
He's going to die...!
"Ah, shit."
A flame flashed.
"Focus, will you?"
The fiercely blazing flame devoured the pincer. A graceful sword drove into the weak point between the shell plates.
Fluids sprayed in every direction. The bipedal crawfish, severed in an instant, flopped onto the ground.
The inquisitor's swordsmanship.
The Sword of Judgment.
Even amid the chaotic battle, Radatok stopped in his tracks. He had been so focused on what he had to do that he'd only just noticed.
Since when had he...
Since when had he grown that much...?
Zahard.
The apprentice priest who had become a whistleblower.
At first, Radatok had simply thought of him as a polite apprentice priest. Seeing the boy try so hard to humor him had sometimes reminded Radatok of a son he had never had.
But he had been wrong. Radatok realized just how badly mistaken he had been.
The Sword of Judgment was difficult to learn. Being derived from Song of Fire, the paladins’ foundational swordsmanship, did not make it easy. If anything, it was several times harder just to get started with.
On top of that, the Sword of Judgment required deep faith. Without innate Sacred Power, it was impossible to even manifest it.
How is he already using that after only a few days?
Radatok felt a chill run down his spine. Even back when he'd been learning the sword, he hadn't been at that level.
Rapid comprehension. A wide field of vision. A brutal sword that sought out weaknesses and drove straight into them. Sacred Flame erupting exactly where it was needed.
Radatok could not help but voice his admiration.
"A blessed child...!"
Born to become an inquisitor!
But despite Radatok and Zahard’s efforts, the battlefield remained chaotic. There were too many bipedal crayfish mixed among the shelled creatures for just the two of them to cover.
Thick shells. There wasn't enough firepower to pierce through them. The shelled creatures had weak endurance, but piercing their shells required sharp cutting power.
Simple firepower wasn't enough...
"Bear."
Darkness flashed.
"Move aside."
Holes punched through the heads of the crawfish that had been charging in. Their bodies, stopped in an instant, crumpled limply to the ground.
Clean sword strikes. The priests of the Serpent Church began to move. They naturally joined the fight, seeking out their own enemies.
The shelled creatures with weak shells but sturdy endurance were blocked by the inquisitors of the Sun God Church.
The human-like crawfish with weak endurance but hard shells were blocked by the paladins of the Serpent Church.
"What the hell are you people?!"
"Are you insane?!"
"Why don't you back off right now?!"
The Serpent Church paladins punched holes through the crawfish's heads. Sharp penetrating power was their very strength.
"We're the ones who kill you."
"Where do you heretic bastards get off dying wherever you please?"
"We're repaying a debt. That's all."
The inquisitors naturally fell back-to-back with the Serpent Church paladins. Their battle lines blended into a formation that let both sides fight at maximum efficiency.
"Coordinating with you is a one-time thing! Scales!"
"That's my line! Heretic!"
Radatok blinked at the strange united front that had formed.
What in the world is this.
Isabella swung her sword. Her movements flowed as though she were painting a picture, slicing the crayfish to pieces.
"Did fear of dying freeze your feet, Bear?"
"...What nonsense."
Ra, guide me now.
Radatok steadied his breathing. He lowered his sword and sent a shelled creature flying as it charged at Isabella.
"With scales right in front of me, there's no way I'd kneel."
"Same here. Bear."
Isabella and Radatok pressed their backs together.
"Don't die before I kill you." "Don't die before I kill you."
. . .
The tenth night.
While everyone slept, the ground shook once again. The inquisitors had grown so used to it that they remained fast asleep.
I got up. I had slept around four hours—plenty. After roughly stretching out my stiff body, I slipped from my sleeping bag.
A strange atmosphere hung inside the ice cave. The line that had once divided the center had quietly disappeared, and some people had crossed well past the middle, sleeping wherever they pleased.
Compared to the first day, it was practically a miracle. This is why sharing a meal together matters.
It had worked out for the better. Better to remain full allies until we got out than keep baring our teeth and growling at each other. Absolutely.
I picked up my sword. The edge was completely chipped. It was closer to a lump of iron than a sword, but without even this I couldn't practice swordsmanship.
I can’t exactly pull Surtr out here, so...
I guess I have no choice but to be satisfied.
Rustle.
I heard a sound and stopped my sword. When I turned around, someone was watching me from the corner. I wiped the sweat from my body and spoke.
"Isabella, did you need something?"
"......"
Isabella stepped out of the shadows. She was a mess after days without a proper wash, but her beauty had not faded. She gave off the unmistakable air of a dangerous, tough woman.
But I knew she was actually warmhearted and a little scatterbrained. She was a pitiful leader who worked hard only to get pushed around by her subordinates.
"What swordsmanship are you practicing?"
"The Sword of Judgment. Pretty, isn't it?"
I swung the sword smoothly. Isabella snorted.
"Needlessly forceful. Strong, but lacking finesse. It would be useful for hunting monsters, I suppose."
"People die if you beat them too."
"...That's not something a priest of the Sun God Church should say."
Isabella stood in front of me. She corrected my posture here and there.
"Your sword lacks finesse. Force is fine, but flames cannot always burn through everything."
"Is it okay for a Serpent Church priest to teach me this?"
"Be quiet."
I swung the sword with the corrected posture. It was much more comfortable than before. It felt like fitting a small gear between large gears.
Hm.
The sword moves smoothly. It feels as though something has filled in the experience that skills alone couldn’t provide.
"Nice, Isabella."
"...Even though I’m the one teaching you, you accept it without the slightest hesitation."
"Why? Is that strange?"
"Aren't you a priest of the Sun God Church? Normally, you'd naturally reject the teachings of the Serpent Church..."
"What does it matter?"
I grinned.
"We’re hardly strangers anymore."
"...What?"
"We roll around on the same battlefield, crack shells together, so aren't we basically comrades?"
"Comrades... huh..."
Isabella stared at me blankly.
"You're different from ordinary priests."
"You too, Isabella."
"I'm not different. I hate you people to the marrow of my bones."
"Me too?"
"You... well, that is..."
I could see Isabella struggling. I swung my sword once more. The flame that rose at the tip of the sword was quite pleasing.
Isabella, high-ranking priest of the Serpent Church. Famous as a paladin, and one of the people who would become a true pillar of the Serpent Church.
I didn't know why she was in a place like this, but if I built a connection with her, it might help me later. Besides, we'd fought so hard together, so killing her out of nowhere would leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Isabella."
"What?"
"Want to drop the formal speech with me?"
"What?"
Isabella quickly shuffled backward.
"Are you really... in your right mind?"
"Why? We don't look that far apart in age."
"Saying you want to get along with the Serpent Church! That's something a heretic would say!"
"It's funny hearing that from you."
"Stop talking nonsense and swing your sword!"
"I'm serious."
I lowered my sword. I glanced back at her.
"I've been thinking it'd be nice to have an older sister."
"Wh-what?"
"I like just Isabella better than 'Priest' Isabella."
I’ve saved you several times already, so don’t pull away now.
If she's willing to teach me the sword, that means our affinity is pretty high, so I should definitely seal the deal now.
"Can I call you Big Sis Isabella?"
Change the form of address, and the relationship changes!
That's the motto of human relations!
"......."
Isabella looked down at me. With a sigh, she pointed at the sword.
"...Just pick up the sword."
Her tone had softened.
"I've never... seen a priest like you."
"I'm an apprentice priest."
"So you’ll change once you become an ordained priest?"
"No way."
I stuck my nose up.
"I'll just get stronger!"
"...You give me a headache."
"Take care of me, Big Sis."
"...Don't use that in front of others. It's bound to cause misunderstandings."
"Why, Big Sis?"
"Restrain yourself even in front of me. It's embarrassing."
"You don’t like being called Big Sis?"
"......."
Isabella averted her gaze.
"Just move your sword."
Good.
Connection established.
. . .
Two weeks passed. It was time to enter Vagueness itself for Stage 3, the stage immediately before the boss battle.
But something had gone wrong.
Why?
Why hadn’t we been eaten yet?
I frowned. The progression felt slow. As if Vagueness had eaten something before waking, it was enjoying its meal at a very leisurely pace.
At this rate, I had no idea how long it would take. To make matters worse, the food was running out too.
It felt like we had ended up on a bad route.
What the hell is going on?
"Brother. Food distribution."
The inquisitors were all gaunt. Radatok handed me the last cracker.
"There's nothing left to eat."
"......"
No.
There's still something.
I glanced over at the Serpent Church. They too had run out of food, sitting there with cobwebs practically forming on their starving mouths.
I hadn't wanted to go this far. Ha.
But we have to survive somehow to reach the boss battle...
I looked at the shelled creatures. Some of the corpses were still here. Thanks to the cold terrain, they hadn't spoiled.
"...Let's eat."
"Excuse me?"
"We have to eat to survive."
It's my first time eating this shit too, but there's no choice.
Survive first, worry later.
"Let's eat all of that."