The Vow for the Princess (2)
The fierce battle raged inside the imperial family’s private villa when, at the same time, an equally brutal clash unfolded at the Branon family’s detached mansion, which the cultists had been using as a hideout.
Do not miss a single one. Wipe them out in one decisive strike. With that order in mind, the imperial forces stormed in from every direction, launching a surprise assault on the cultist faction.
“Filthy heretics of a wicked faith!”
“No prisoners! Execute every last one of them on the spot!!”
The once pitch-black space was instantly dyed crimson by countless torches. Imperial knights clad in sharp weapons and heavy armor burst into the mansion. They slaughtered every cultist in sight, as if to demonstrate exactly what merciless summary judgment looked like. It was a gruesome sight. The elegant, refined villa was defiled into a mountain of blood and corpses.
“Damn those imperial dogs…!”
“Fight back! Release the demonic beasts at once!!”
Knights wielding mana blades slowly pushed forward. If the cultists continued to be helplessly driven back like this, the battle would naturally end in a complete victory for the imperial knights. In response to their desperate situation, the cultists deployed their trump card.
-Grrrrr!!
-Gaaaaaaaah!!
The demonic beasts locked behind iron bars were released all at once. They had been tamed through sorcery and turned into weapons. The moment their restraints were lifted, their ferocity was amplified to the extreme. Massive demonic beasts charged forward like enraged bulls.
The knights who had been carving through the cultists spotted them and raised their mana blades without retreating. It seemed they intended to meet the charge head-on.
“You imperial vermin dare trample upon the sacred altar where we worship our god? I shall purify every last one of you!”
A warrior carrying a vicious iron mace blocked the path while commanding the demonic beasts. He was unmistakably a demonized human. The murky gray energy writhing across his entire body proved it. The gray-clad warrior swung his mace, smashing the knights to the ground. The mace, infused with monstrous strength pushed to its absolute limit, rivaled the siege weapons used in war. Every time the deafening crash of shattering metal rang out, the knights’ formation crumbled.
“A filthy demonized wretch. So this is the power gained by accepting a heretical god… how utterly repulsive.”
At this rate, the casualties would only continue to mount. They had to end the subjugation as quickly as possible. The knights, who had been repeatedly advancing and retreating, fell back at a signal. In their place, a new force stepped forward.
Guyton the Valiant. The commander of the Valtaria Empire’s Seven Pillars, who had been leading the subjugation, entered the fray. Upon witnessing his imposing dignity, the knights erupted in cheers, their confidence in victory becoming absolute.
A demonized human wielding the blessing of a heretical cult was like a terrible nightmare. However, the Seven Pillars of Valtaria, who represented the empire, were the very symbol of the heroism that slays nightmares. The knight, famed for being worth a hundred men, raised his sharp sword and faced off against the mace-wielding warrior.
“So you’re the so-called Seven Pillars that those bastards keep bragging about? Then you’ll make an excellent living sacrifice.”
“A living sacrifice, huh… As expected, you cultists really are barbaric.”
The gray-clad warrior bared his teeth. In response, Guyton deployed his mana blade. A vivid crimson. The mana blade burned like roaring flames. It was a mana blade infused with the blessing of the Red Dragon that protected the empire.
All members of the Valtaria Seven Pillars were vassals of Ludmilla, who had received the Red Dragon’s blessing. As such, they could wield a portion of that protective power.
“In the name of the Valtaria Empire and the Red Dragon, I shall eradicate this wicked evil.”
Guyton the Valiant charged at the demonized warrior, swinging his crimson mana blade.
The demonized human’s rampage, smashing through walls indiscriminately, resembled a tank devastating the battlefield. He was clearly targeting Elizabetta. Edanant, who had been urgently pursuing from behind, instantly saw through the creature’s intent.
He could not be allowed to reach her.
Although numerous elite guards were protecting the Platinum Princess, the monster encased in black-gray metal was an entity that far exceeded all normal standards. There was no telling what variables might arise. Edanant kicked hard off the ground, closing the distance to the monster.
I can’t drag this out any longer. I have to cut off his windpipe before his regeneration kicks back in…
The reason Meyros had been overwhelmingly dominated by Edanant until now was because he had suffered a near-fatal internal injury after being stabbed by Aldebaran’s blade. That was why, despite possessing an exceptional hardening ability, he had been unable to use it properly and had been steadily pushed back.
It wouldn’t be long before the creature recovered. Edanant raised his pistol and aimed at the knee joint of Meyros’s leg as the monster charged forward with all his strength.
-Kuhuuuugh!!
The tiny gap between the joint plates. Edanant did not miss the weakness that the black-gray iron failed to protect. With his knee joint torn apart, Meyros could not control his momentum and collapsed. He tried desperately to stand again, but Edanant had no intention of allowing it.
“Huff…! Haaah! Where the hell do you think you’re running off to….”
Edanant bent forward, gasping for breath. The cause was prolonged lack of exercise. Having spent so much time wrestling with paperwork, his stamina was practically nonexistent. Still, he had enough strength left to pull the trigger. He poured a barrage of bullets into the fallen monster to prevent any further escape, shredding its legs into a mangled mess. Each time, the creature let out a horrific scream, but Edanant paid it no mind.
“Lord Edanant!”
“We’ll assist as well!”
It was perfect timing. The Holy Kingdom’s paladins came running and joined the fight. Although Zebeline’s help had unfortunately been thwarted by the priests’ fierce opposition, the paladin order that had been escorting her instead participated in the subjugation. Since they were outstanding warriors armed with heavy weapons and holy power, their assistance was gladly accepted.
“Forget capturing him alive. Just cut off his windpipe. He’s a stubborn bastard who won’t say a word even if we torture him.”
The paladins deployed pure-white mana blades. It was sword energy manifested through holy power, permitted only to the Holy Kingdom’s paladins. True to their reputation for showing no mercy to cultists, they tore apart Meyros’s already mangled body without hesitation. A burning, acrid stench filled the air as the metal-covered flesh was roasted.
-Grrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaah!!!
It was over for him now. Surrounded by paladins, even a final desperate struggle would be impossible. Turn to ash and disappear. That was the only karmic retribution permitted to a demonized human.
Not all demonized humans were vulnerable to holy power. Only those who had repeatedly committed cruel human sacrifices and defiled their souls with evil deeds would suffer the judgment of holy power. In other words, a demonized human whose entire body was burning from holy power was a villain who deserved to die.
“O God! O God—!! Please watch over this lamb! I cannot burn to death like this! Not until we bring our god down upon this cursed world… Gaaaaaaaah!!”
Even the black-gray metal that had covered him like an exoskeleton was burned away. Meyros twisted his blood-soaked body and pulled something out. A strangely colored ore. It was identical to the gem in the earring that Elizabetta’s personal maid had received. However, unlike the earring whose power had been thoroughly sealed, the ore Meyros held radiated an overwhelming force. It scattered a precarious glow like a bomb on the verge of exploding.
Gooooooooooo.
The Essence of the Fallen Angel. It was a medium that could draw out the power of a god to an extreme degree.
A sickening sense of crisis slammed into his mind. Edanant quickly raised his pistol, intending to destroy the ore gripped in the monster’s hand. But the activation of the Fallen Angel’s Essence was faster than his bullet.
A massive torrent swirled like a vortex, swallowing everything around it. Upon witnessing the black-gray wave, Edanant swung Aldebaran to shield the paladins who had been caught in the surge.
Elizabetta, who had safely escaped the villa, moved together with Rue under the protection of the knights. Continuous roars echoed through the air. A bloody battle against the blood-soaked demonized human was undoubtedly underway. She wondered if Edanant would be all right. The image of the man raising the Holy Sword and facing the monster flashed through her mind.
She wanted to believe in his victory with all her heart, but his opponent was a demonized human infamous for countless atrocities. Because of that, Elizabetta’s face turned deathly pale, revealing her fear. If anything terrible happened to Edanant, she felt her heart would completely shatter.
“Your Highness, this way. Please hurry.”
“…Yes.”
Cecilia, who had been securing the path at the front, turned her head and spoke. Elizabetta answered and tightly squeezed Rue’s small, delicate hand.
“It’ll be fine, it’s Edan after all!”
Perhaps sensing the anxiety hidden in her heart, the girl with light green hair smiled brightly and offered comfort. It seemed the unease radiating from Elizabetta had reached the girl as well. Elizabetta forced a smile and accepted the consolation. No matter how much she worried and fretted, the situation wouldn’t change. So she decided to trust Edanant and wait, just like the bold little girl beside her.
“Protect Her Highness the Princess! Something’s coming!!”
Just as the princess tried to shake off her fear and embrace hope, the promised death arrived. It was a cruel malice intended to deliver a tragic end to the villainess Elizabetta. A horribly twisted monster blocked the path of the princess’s party as they moved toward the hideout, exhaling ragged breaths.
Where are you going, Princess Elizabetta? I shall bestow upon you the honor of sacrificing yourself to summon our god. In doing so, you will gain eternal, undying life as a vessel to contain divine power.
The monster encased in metal spoke in Dagileg Branon’s voice. The polite tone of a handsome young man flowing from such a hideous form made Elizabetta scream and stumble backward. The creature’s body was covered in black-gray metal, bristling with enormous spikes like thorns. And on its chest, the Essence of the Fallen Angel radiated a massive torrent of power.
“Do not retreat!”
“We will face it! Quickly escort Her Highness Elizabetta…!”
Meyros, who had activated the Fallen Angel’s Essence at death’s door, had been completely revived. Moreover, he had obtained an even greater blessing. Even though countless knights were aiming their mana blades at him, Meyros instead looked perfectly relaxed. He was confident that no sword energy could possibly cut through his hardened biological armor.
“How dare you wag your tongue so recklessly.”
A crimson mana blade struck the hand of Meyros as he reached for Elizabetta. Claaaaang—!! Sparks flew as metal was gouged away. Although it hadn’t been completely severed, it was enough to force Meyros back. He showed clear surprise, as if he had never expected his biological armor—hardened to the extreme—to be pierced.
Cecilia the Princess Knight. The empire’s female knight raised the tip of her blade and stood in the demonized human’s way. If she died in place of the noble princess, it would surely be recorded as an exemplary act of knighthood. Cecilia drew out the Red Dragon’s sword energy to its maximum, prepared to fight to the death.
Filthy bitch, you don’t know your place. You dare interfere with the descent of a god with that worthless body…! I will tear your limbs apart until your last breath leaves you.
The monster, exuding overwhelming pressure, leaped high into the air as if ignoring gravity. Unbreakable hardness. Weight heavier than any metal. Meyros mobilized all of it, intending to sweep away the knights blocking his path. He also planned to kill the little fairy who had been part of the sneaky ambush and then seize the beautiful Platinum Princess.
“Edan! Edan—!!”
The perfected malice empowered by the Fallen Angel’s Essence was closing in. They were all going to die. Or perhaps suffer pain worse than death. Elizabetta, being dragged along by the knights, cried out in terror. She instinctively realized that she would meet a miserable end at the hands of the hideous monster before her.
She froze. Her feet refused to move. It was as if fear had shackled her and terror had gagged her. In her place, the small fairy shouted in a fierce voice.
“Of course he will.”
The man tore through the darkness as he approached. Then he swung his foot with all his might, kicking the metal-encased Meyros square in the face.
Claaaaaaaaaaang!!!
A tremendous roar echoed. Although he failed to incapacitate the creature, he had succeeded brilliantly in seizing the initiative for victory. Meyros let out a cry of shock, clearly never having expected the persistent leech to catch up.
H-How?! You were swallowed by the Fallen Angel’s Essence—how are you completely fine?! Unless you’re the same kind…!!
“Because in this world, nothing is impossible.”
Edanant answered the demonized human’s question in a calm voice. He lowered Aldebaran and stepped in front of Elizabetta. Then he spoke a quiet vow. It was meant to soothe Elizabetta, who was facing an extreme state of panic.
“It will be all right. No matter what happens.”
His words were filled with a resolute will to protect her at all costs. He looked like the knight from a fairy tale, standing against an evil dragon to protect a beautiful princess. At those words, Elizabetta gave a small nod.
“Even if it is a tragic ending already decided by fate… I will never allow anyone to touch Her Highness. Because I am here.”
Defying a predetermined fate. That was called Defying Heaven.
Edanant had chosen to defy heaven in order to save the villainess who had been given a tragic fate. Even if that meant earning the wrath of the world’s will.
“I’ll believe you…. I’ll believe in you, Edanant…! So win! Win for me, Edanant! This is an order and a request from the princess!”
“Yes.”
Edanant’s eyes began to burn black like gunpowder. At the same time, the vivid amethyst blade of Aldebaran was dyed in a brilliant golden hue. The blessing that had not fully awakened until now opened its eyes. It wasn’t only Meyros who had been affected by the Fallen Angel’s Essence.