Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: The End of Ambition (2)
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“S-Si, Sion……!”
Robel called my name, tears and snot streaming down his face at the same time.
“You’re supposed to tell someone when you’re stepping away, right?”
“You guys were all dancing…….”
“Never mind. Go to the bathroom or something.”
“It all went back in!”
“Is that even possible?”
It was a grubby conversation that didn’t suit the tense atmosphere.
“Anyway…….”
I gripped Xantia, which had returned to my hand, and glared at Erwin.
No—glared at the monster wearing Erwin’s skin.
“You’re not Erwin Aleyas.”
“Hmm.”
No longer bothering to hide it, a woman’s voice emanated from Erwin’s face.
“How did you notice and come rushing here?”
“Do I really need to explain that?”
I’d caught on ever since hearing that Avillon was sending reinforcements.
After that, I slipped out of the imperial palace and thoroughly inspected the knights Avillon had prepared, alongside Dietrich.
Most were fine, but a fake wearing the skin of a real knight was hiding among them.
And one of them…… was Erwin Aleyas, who had guided us to Romancia.
[As expected, that guy isn’t Erwin Aleyas.]
Igzard’s voice echoed inside me.
[He possesses 9th-circle mana. Not as good as last time’s Sapphire, but…… in terms of mana capacity, he outclasses you.]
9th-circle mana.
The fact that someone like that had slipped in wearing Erwin’s skin meant this wasn’t the work of some mere bishop or purification priest from the Dialogue Church infiltration unit.
Moreover, no mana could be sensed from the fake knights hiding among the reinforcements.
Yet they possessed bodies tougher than Bishop Collus’s drug soldiers.
‘A 9th-circle figure commanding powerful drug soldiers, infiltrating while wearing someone else’s skin…….’
It was obvious.
The fake Erwin Aleyas standing before me was someone I knew.
“Fuuu…….”
The moment I let out a sigh, Erwin’s face cracked.
The coverings over his face crumbled away in chunks, and the clothes he wore burned to ash.
What emerged from within…… was a woman with brown skin draped in translucent white cloth.
‘As I thought…… Archbishop Brishura.’
Seeing the snake-skin-like garment beneath the cloth confirmed it even more.
That was clothing made from the hide of a dragonkin hunted by another archbishop long ago.
“Nice to meet you like this, Sion Aleyas.”
“I’m not particularly pleased.”
“Aren’t you curious who I am?”
“Obviously.”
I replied coldly.
“You’re Archbishop Brishura of the Dialogue Church.”
“…….”
Brishura looked as if she’d been caught off guard.
“How did you know? The Holy Knight Order shouldn’t have much info on me.”
“I heard it from my aunt.”
“Helena Aleyas already had my intel? Impressive.”
Robel, standing beside me, wore a baffled expression.
But I ignored him and continued.
“You specialize in cultivating drug soldiers enhanced by drugs. The ones who ambushed us recently were probably your creations too. Right?”
“…….”
Brishura’s face hardened.
“You…… know quite a lot, Sion Aleyas.”
But she quickly smiled again.
“But aren’t you being a bit overconfident?”
At that moment.
Pitch-black shadows sprang up from the surrounding forest.
They were Brishura’s subordinates mixed in with the reinforcements from the Southern Branch.
“Attack!”
Whoosh!
They charged at me, slicing through the air.
[No mana detectable, as expected. They all seem to be drug soldiers!]
Soldiers whose physical abilities had been forcibly amplified through drugs.
But their movements differed from those who had ambushed us before.
‘Specially made soldiers that cost a fortune?’
Their motions were on par with 5th- or 6th-circle knights.
There were twelve in total. An 8th-circle knight could handle them alone, but the problem was that this wasn’t their full force.
“……!”
Boom!
I blocked a drug soldier’s swinging sword, then swung back for a counterattack.
But right after, a clicking sound came from the opponent’s mouth.
‘As expected……!’
Boom!
Our swords clashed, sending a shockwave through the surroundings.
The enemy’s blade was coated in energy similar to sword aura.
[They’re drawing out life energy beyond its limits? They must be suicidal!]
‘Is that a bad thing?’
[Of course! They’ll die in less than an hour!]
It seemed the drug that burst in the drug soldier’s mouth just now had a special effect, boosting their life energy.
I didn’t know how Brishura had developed such a drug, but it was clear their combat power had risen a notch.
[Power and speed have both improved! This won’t be easy!]
They were distinctly different from Bishop Collus’s drug soldiers.
It looked like she’d deployed an elite unit with new technology.
[Fewer in number, but more threatening!]
‘Bringing a large force all the way near Romancia, the heart of the Holy Empire, would’ve been tough. So she brought only a small elite group.’
Meanwhile, Brishura was showing signs of trying to slip away from here.
Was she planning to leave me to her minions and head to Atria?
“Sion.”
“……!”
Slash!
Liz’s sword aura struck from the darkness as she leaped in.
The drug soldiers hesitated upon seeing their comrade collapse, spurting blood.
“Why are you here? You should be by Her Highness’s side.”
“I thought coming here would be better.”
Liz replied in her usual curt tone.
“Was that the wrong call?”
“No, it’s fine.”
With Liz joining, I’d have some breathing room.
Now I could take on Brishura too.
“Sis, this is an archbishop from the Dialogue Church.”
“A big fish.”
“Handle the small fry with Brother Robel. I’ll deal with the archbishop.”
“Got it.”
I left the rest to Liz, who nodded immediately, and charged straight at Brishura.
“Block him!”
The drug soldiers rushed me at Brishura’s command.
But many were intercepted by Liz and Robel.
“No way.”
“Not happening……!”
The ones they couldn’t stop came at me, but I’d already unleashed Xantia.
“Urk……!”
Whoosh! Stab!
Xantia, controlled by my mana, flew around wildly, shredding them.
I leaped forward, slicing a blocking foe with Ashurai, and finally entered Brishura’s attack range.
“You’re…… beyond imagination!”
The white cloth wrapping Brishura’s body writhed.
[As expected, the Dialogue Church’s Demon Spirit Robe!]
The Demon Spirit Robe was a treasure of the Dialogue Church, like the Demon Spirit Swords.
Originally, it was ceremonial garb worn by archbishops at major events.
Each had special powers, and Brishura’s ‘Agrun’s White Cloth’ specialized in binding others.
[That’s not clothing—it’s essentially a weapon! Be careful!]
Agrun’s White Cloth unraveled from Brishura’s body, lunging at me.
The principle behind Brishura controlling the white cloth was the same as telekinetic swords.
Infusing mana to freely manipulate objects. Even Brishura, weaker in direct combat than other archbishops, wielded terrifying power with Agrun’s White Cloth.
“……!”
It targeted my face, just like when it had tried to suffocate Robel.
But I wasn’t as easy as Robel.
“Useless.”
“……!”
Flash!
I slashed Agrun’s White Cloth away with Ashurai wrapped in sword aura.
It could’ve wrapped my face if only a bit faster, but Brishura’s ability fell short.
‘Can’t even cut it completely.’
Despite unleashing sword aura with Ashurai, the cloth didn’t tear at all.
Ripping a Demon Spirit Robe with 8th-circle mana seemed difficult.
“Hmph!”
Brishura manipulated Agrun’s White Cloth again.
This time, not my face, but trying to wrap and steal Ashurai.
“I’ll take Archbishop Hauzel’s sword……!”
“Think it’ll be that easy?”
Just before Agrun’s White Cloth fully enveloped Ashurai, sword aura burst forth as a bullet.
The exploding sword bullet repelled the cloth with a bang, and Brishura’s attempt failed once more.
“Opening.”
“……!”
Stab!
Xantia, having finished off the other drug soldiers, struck Brishura from behind.
Piercing the dragonkin leather armor she wore was tough, so I targeted the exposed back of her knee.
“Ah, urk……!”
As she staggered, I swung Ashurai without hesitation.
Sword aura tore through the dragonkin leather, and dark red blood gushed out.
“Aaaah……!”
Brishura screamed and collapsed.
Robel, glancing our way, let out a cheer.
“Did you take down the archbishop?! Nice one, Sion!”
“Don’t celebrate too soon, Brother.”
Brishura was weaker in combat compared to other archbishops to begin with.
She’d risen to the position through achievements in research, not direct fighting.
But even if weaker, she was still an archbishop of the Dialogue Church.
It wouldn’t end like this.
“……!”
Whoosh!
My swung sword cleaved empty air.
Brishura had already lowered into a beast-like stance and launched herself away.
“I didn’t want it to come to this…….”
Brishura’s pupils gleamed with an eerie light.
Not only that, but the wounds from Xantia and Ashurai were healing on their own.
“You took the drug, Brishura.”
Green liquid dripped from between Brishura’s lips.
She’d chewed and swallowed a drug hidden in her mouth.
“Enhancement Drug No. 16 and Regeneration Drug No. 17 at the same time. The side effects are severe, though.”
In my memory, the last ‘Enhancement Drug’ and ‘Regeneration Drug’ were Nos. 3 and 4, so she’d improved them tremendously since then.
‘Shuhaien would’ve been interested if he were here.’
Brishura and Shuhaien were originally from the same school.
Both disciples of Archbishop Apilant, famous for human experiments.
From what I’d seen, they had some rivalry.
‘Or maybe he’d be disappointed.’
Brishura had originally been a slender beauty with brown skin.
But after taking the drug, her face had turned pitch-black, and bulging muscles protruded all over her body, making for a hideous sight.
“Is that the ideal you pursue, Archbishop Brishura?”
“Heh heh……!”
Brishura kicked off the ground and charged.
She flung Agrun’s White Cloth while reaching out with her hand.
Aiming to bind and tear me apart simultaneously.
“Sion Aleyas……!”
Roaring as she barreled toward me.
But neither Agrun’s White Cloth nor her enlarged hand could seize me.
Because I was already airborne, above Brishura’s head.
“For an archbishop, you’re awfully light, Brishura.”
“……!”
Slash!
Ashurai and Xantia in both hands carved deep gashes into Brishura’s back.
“You never had what it takes to be an archbishop to begin with.”
“W-What?”
“You got the position because they needed someone to fill Archbishop Apilant’s vacancy.”
“……!”
Brishura flinched at my quiet whisper.
“The Dialogue Church needed someone to push human experiments like Apilant. Of Apilant’s prized disciples, Shuhaien went under Archbishop Hauzel and stopped experiments, so you were the only one left.”
“H-How do you…….”
How do you know such intimate details?
Brishura stared at my face with eyes full of that question.
“In terms of skill as a researcher…… Shuhaien was closer to archbishop material.”
“……!”
Provoked, Brishura twisted her face and swung her arm wide.
“What nonsense is that?! What do you know……!”
“I know enough.”
I dodged Brishura’s attack while responding.
Even as we spoke, her wounds were regenerating, but I didn’t mind.
Keep using regeneration drugs, and she’d self-destruct from side effects eventually.
“You’re more suited to bishop than archbishop, Brishura.”
“Don’t insult me, Sion Aleyas!”
Brishura howled like a monster and lunged.