Chapter 148
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 148
As thousands of javelins conjured by Osel Lavitas rained down, the faces of the Baraha mages turned deathly pale.
It was a majestic yet terrifying spectacle.
Even a volley of javelins thrown by ordinary men would be devastating at such volume and speed; however, this was an onslaught launched by the head of a Great Family wielding the power of a Holy Relic. If they failed to defend, the entire Baraha army might have been annihilated in a single move.
Naturally, the Baraha forces did not simply stand by.
At the front of the army, a middle-aged man appearing to be in his forties raised the shield in his left hand with a solemn expression. To everyone's amazement, a translucent barrier manifested, enveloping the entire Baraha host of a thousand men and absorbing the storm of javelins.
Thud, thud, thud!
The sound of the javelins slamming into the barrier echoed like the thunderous hoofbeats of a celestial army descending from the heavens.
"Lord Family Head..."
"The Family Head is with us! Do not be afraid!"
It was the Head of the Baraha Family, Resion Baraha.
Turan, concealed by stealth magic, carefully observed the enemy leader he was facing in person for the first time. The first things that stood out were his golden hair, slightly longer than Solif’s, and his reddish-brown eyes. He wore silver metal armor that emitted a faint glow, holding a shield in one hand and a longsword in the other.
Judging by his appearance alone, he looked less like a noble of the Sun Bloodline and more like a warrior from a lineage specialized in physical combat.
"He came fully armed, I see."
Solif muttered quietly that every item the man carried was a Holy Relic passed down through the Baraha line. It made sense; it would be ridiculous for a Family Head to be stingy with his treasures when personally joining the fray.
"Osel—!"
With a sharp cry, the Baraha Family Head swung his longsword. The Judgment Light floating behind him wrapped around the blade and was discharged forward by the momentum of the swing.
Just as Osel was about to take a defensive stance against the flying golden flash, Solif stepped in front of him.
"Let’s see how this holds up."
The cloak draped over Solif’s back glowed brilliantly, intertwining with the Judgment Light as it transformed into a whip.
The magic tool, the Sun Cloak.
It could take the shape of any object its master desired to aid in physical combat, and as it was doing now, it could also amplify the power of the Sun Bloodline. When Solif’s massive golden whip collided with Resion’s slash, light and heat exploded across the plains, instantly charring the bluish weeds to ash.
In a single moment, the field that had been teeming with life turned into a scorched scene from the depths of hell.
Perhaps because of the shocking exchange of blows, the atmosphere grew heavy, a stark contrast to the aggressive momentum from moments before. Resion was the first to speak.
"Solif... my son, it is a pity we must meet like this."
"Son? Don't make me laugh. Since when was I your son?"
Since it was considered proper for rights to pass from parent to child rather than between strangers, there was a tradition where a successor who wasn't the Family Head's biological child would be formally adopted as a matter of etiquette. Therefore, as Solif was Resion’s adopted son, the title wasn't technically incorrect.
Of course, no one in the world would be foolish enough to view someone who tried to steal their body in such a light.
Resion gave a soft smile at the harsh reply.
"My, you’ve picked up some bad habits while you were away. I don't recall teaching you such manners."
His speech was archaic, his gestures elegant. The master of the Great House of Baraha was refined and noble in his demeanor, bearing no resemblance to the man who had launched a cowardly sneak attack. Solif had mentioned that during his time at the main estate, he had been trained to always maintain such an attitude. Apparently, it had been so contrary to his nature that it had caused him immense suffering.
"Regardless, I expected you to come alone, but it seems you’ve gathered an army from somewhere. How exactly did you manage that?"
Solif narrowed his eyes and glared at Resion. His attitude suggested he had known Solif was coming. There was no one within the Parsha Family who would have leaked the fact that he was coming as reinforcements, so the information must have leaked from the Lavitas side.
This explained Resion's triumphant attitude—he wasn't shaken by Solif's presence; rather, he looked as though he had seized an opportunity. They had anticipated his involvement and prepared accordingly.
As these thoughts raced through Solif's mind, Resion turned his gaze toward Osel.
"You’ve recovered, I see. It couldn't have been easy."
"It hurt quite a bit. I almost died. It looks like you’ve managed to recover somehow as well."
"Regrettably, I am not quite there yet. The wound in my side from that time hasn't fully healed."
As they spoke, Osel lightly brushed his hand over his stomach. The memory of the agonizingly white flames summoned by the man before him—flames that had relentlessly consumed his flesh—was still vivid.
"I don't think there's a need for further talk."
"Indeed. There's no point in keeping up pretenses when we already know everything there is to know. Why don't you dance for me until you die?"
The moment Osel threw the spear in his hand and Resion swung his sword, thousands of mages charged with a roar, clashing on the plains. Shouts, screams, and the explosions of magic filled the once-silent air.
The only way to guess the strength of the enemy before them was by their attire. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their comrades, they prayed that the enemy they faced was weaker than themselves as they activated their magic tools and fired the offensive spells they had mastered.
Sometimes they encountered someone weaker and killed them instantly; sometimes they met someone stronger and died. The lucky ones faced opponents of equal skill, locked in a prolonged struggle.
In contrast, the duels between the high-ranking mages were more elegant. They sought out opponents of appropriate status to continue their struggle, but surprisingly, the number of Baraha high nobles did not fall far behind those of Lavitas. This should have been impossible, considering Turan’s group had killed several high-ranking Baraha mages in the past.
Reinforcements?
The high nobles of Lavitas realized that some of their opponents were exceptionally skilled in physical combat—far beyond the norm. The identity of people with such abilities was obvious.
Nobles of the Ruban Family, a Great House that possessed both the Strength-bearer and Guardian bloodlines.
Somehow, Baraha had succeeded in mobilizing the forces of the Ruban Family. Had they promised to cede part of their territory? This was the move Resion had prepared. His calculation was that while the Baraha high nobles overwhelmed their counterparts, he could fight a defensive battle against Osel and Solif, eventually crushing them with superior numbers.
"You lot, from Ruban—!"
"Come at me!"
A Lavitas noble who failed to react in time was caught in a melee, quickly stabbed and beaten into a bloody mess. At the moment of crisis, he was barely rescued by two nearby comrades and quickly recovered from his injuries through healing magic.
This was the privilege of fighting on the battlefield of a Great House of healers. Even if their offensive and defensive power was lower than that of combat bloodlines, they could return to the front lines in an instant with the help of their allies as long as their mana remained intact.
Yet, even as the wounded returned one by one, the battle did not turn in Lavitas's favor. Because of the sheer number of reinforcements sent by Ruban, the number of mid-to-high-ranking nobles was nearly double.
"This is dangerous..."
"Just hold on a little longer! Once the Family Head suppresses their leader—"
The man trying to boost morale couldn't finish his sentence. One of the Ruban nobles, who had been in the middle of an attack, suddenly collapsed, blood spraying from his chest.
And it didn't stop there.
As if an invisible reaper were moving among them, nobles from both Baraha and Ruban began to fall helplessly, holes appearing in various parts of their bodies.
"Could it be...?"
Only then did they realize that Turan of the Zahar bloodline, the famous Head of the Parsha Family, had been missing for some time.
*
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, Solif’s whip and Resion’s longsword collided. The heat sparking between them scorched Solif's cheek with a sizzle, but the wound vanished almost as soon as it appeared. It was thanks to Osel, who was casting healing magic on Solif from right behind him.
Osel’s role didn't end there. He continued to use the Whale Hunter to fire javelins for suppression, while also using the Life Promotion magic that Meisa favored to sprout vines from the ground, constantly entangling Resion's legs.
Of course, even with the Family Head's power infused into them, they were still plants; they burned away instantly whenever the Judgment Light swept past. However, having his tempo interrupted even for a second was fatal in physical combat.
"Heh, two against one."
Did he feel he could still handle this?
The moment Resion shouted with confidence, Meisa, who had been hiding within the ranks, appeared directly above him and slammed down a bolt of lightning. And it wasn't just ordinary lightning. It was a Skill formed by the combination of the Storm Bloodline: Blue Lightning.
The surroundings were bleached white by the flash as a bolt of deep blue lightning struck Resion directly on the crown of his head.
"Guh!"
The armor Resion wore was a powerful Holy Relic capable of ignoring most lightning attacks, but it wasn't enough to completely block a Skill wielded by a noble as powerful as Meisa. Feeling his entire body tremble, Resion’s refined face contorted as he hurriedly raised his shield to block the follow-up attacks. His metal armor crackled with static electricity.
"You... how are you... here!"
He hadn't expected two of the three strongest to show up. Had Parsha gone mad? What would they do if Arabion invaded while they were all over here?
Resion had even gathered information quickly and secretly through Zahar not long ago. He was told that while Solif had disappeared recently, Turan and Meisa were staying quietly within their family estate.
But if Meisa was here...
Resion quickly healed himself with magic and turned his head to check his surroundings. He saw his high-ranking nobles, who should have been overwhelming the enemy, being slaughtered. There was no need to ask who the culprit was.
"Tu-ran—!"
Casting aside his previous elegance, Resion let out a roar and thrust his longsword toward the sky.
Flash!
The halo wrapped around his back transformed into a silver sun and soared upward, instantly illuminating the surrounding kilometers as if it were broad daylight. Turan, who had been slaughtering Baraha and Ruban nobles while cloaked in stealth, clicked his tongue lightly and deactivated his magic.
"Oops."
In his hand was the longsword he had used for the assassination recently. It was a magic tool specialized in penetrating all types of defensive abilities. When combined with Turan’s mana, it could easily pierce even a Guardian’s defense. Of course, he could have easily pierced most Guardian defenses with his sling as well, but he wouldn't have been able to kill them as secretly and one-sidedly as he just had. The more powerful the force used, the further its aftereffects would spread.
"The... the Parsha Family Head..."
"Since when!?"
Watching the few remaining high-ranking Baraha mages retreat in horror, Turan joined those confronting Resion. He judged that the tide of battle on that side had already clearly turned.
"Good work."
"It wasn't much. A shame, though. If I had a little more time, I could have killed them all."
Of course, the damage Turan had dealt so far was nothing short of catastrophic. Five mid-ranking, six high-ranking, and three top-tier nobles had lost their lives at his hands. Among those Turan had killed were four Possessed Vessels. They had been hell-bent on using their divine authority to wipe out mortals, only to lose their physical bodies in vain without even knowing why they were dying. They were likely all dreaming of resurrection somewhere in the Baraha or Ruban headquarters by now.
"Did you catch them?"
"No. The conditions weren't right. I'll settle for catching that guy for now."
Turan shook his head at the question of whether he had captured the souls. Even now, having trained quite deeply in soul magic, the weakness remained: his main body became defenseless while he was capturing a flying spirit. It was difficult to attempt in the middle of such a chaotic battle. Besides, once they won this war, he could track down their headquarters and round them all up anyway, so it didn't matter.
Resion, watching Turan’s group converse casually, asked with a look of utter bewilderment. It was hard to find any trace of his previous elegant demeanor on his face. It was as if his true self had finally been exposed.
"You... what exactly are you thinking?"
"About what?"
"How could you abandon your headquarters and come here! That bastard won't just sit still..."
"That's exactly why I'm worried and trying to get back quickly."
At Turan’s words, Solif and Meisa, recognizing the signal, immediately launched an attack. A golden whip made of the Sun Cloak and a striking bolt of lightning.
The moment Resion skillfully used his shield to parry both attacks, a metal ball flying with a whirring sound slammed into the air near his face and was deflected with a bang.
"So that's why you weren't wearing a helmet. You have some kind of defense system around your head too."
Turan clicked his tongue and focused his consciousness on Resion’s inner self. Just as it had been with Badal, four bloodlines were intertwined and interacting within him.
The first things that stood out were the glowing hands of the Illusion Bloodline and the round fireball of the Pyromaniac Bloodline. The fireball intertwined with the light on the hands, transforming into a silver holy flame. Beside them were a shield representing the Guardian and a staff entwined with two white snakes representing the Healer; the hands wrapped in holy flame held one of each.
According to the information gathered in the past, it matched the four symbols of the 'Silver Sun' exactly.
But for some reason, he hasn't been using any Skills at all since a moment ago...
Aside from the light magic he used upon noticing Turan’s presence, Resion had only used the abilities he possessed as the Head of Baraha. Just as Badal Arabion had done before.
As if reading Turan’s mind, Resion gritted his teeth and pointed his longsword at him.
"I will kill you, no matter what it takes."
"Give it a shot."
Turan threw himself to the side in shock as Resion charged with the speed of light. The longsword, imbued with a silver flash, instantly shredded all of Turan's defensive magic tools and tore a gash from his collarbone to his side. If he hadn't exploded his Soul of Fire to move his body, his upper torso would have been cleaved in two.
"Block him!"
With a desperate cry, Osel immediately aimed the Whale Hunter and fired javelins while approaching the retreating Turan. Combining his own healing magic with Turan's, the significant wound closed in an instant.
"Was that... a 'Skill' just now?"
"Yes. It seems he’s decided to show his true strength. Be careful."
During their brief exchange, Resion was rapidly overwhelming Solif and Meisa, who had rushed to block him. White flames erupting from the hand that had thrown the shield clung to the Heavenly Guardian protecting Meisa's upper body, while the longsword created dozens of illusions in an instant, slashing at Solif’s body.
"This... crazy..."
Solif, who had hurriedly changed the Sun Cloak into the shape of a shield, retreated in shock at the overwhelming power. Now that Resion was fully utilizing his Skills, his combat prowess was on an entirely different level than before. Even this was weak compared to Badal Arabion, whom they had fought previously, but it was worlds apart from the ordinary Family Head-level power he had shown moments ago.
Presumably, if he had used his Skills as freely as this when he attacked Osel, Lavitas would have fallen that very day. However, Turan, watching from behind, noticed that Resion’s complexion wasn't exactly bright despite his fierce fighting.
Just as I thought. For some reason, he can't use his full power freely, just like Badal.
In that case, all they had to do was buy time. Asking Osel to treat Solif, Turan gripped his longsword and charged straight at Resion.
Boom!
Pushed back a few steps by the collision, Resion stared at Turan with a shocked expression.
"You... could it be...?"
It was an amount of impact unbelievable for a noble of the Zahar bloodline. Judging by the amount of mana his opponent possessed, there was only one way he could show such prowess. Either he had pushed the power of the Berserker Bloodline to its limit, or—
"The power of Ruban is quite decent."
Turan, who had just replaced his Berserker Bloodline with the bloodline of one of the Ruban nobles he had killed, said with a smile. And that wasn't all he could do. Having awakened his Spiritual Awareness, Turan combined it with the Storm symbol, using acceleration magic on himself to dodge the orange beam of light that erupted from the hand of the enraged Resion. The beam passed through the spot where Turan had been, carving a long line into the earth for nearly a kilometer.
"Soul magic too?"
"I thought you’d know by now."
It had been known to the gods of Arabion and Zahar for a long time, but it seemed they hadn't properly shared that information with the Baraha side. In truth, the rumors surrounding Turan were so chaotic that it would be difficult to get accurate information without communicating with the gods.
Rumors ranged from the relatively close-to-truth story of him being a Zahar bastard, to the complete truth of him being a Zahar-Arabion half-blood, to claims that he was a Baraha half-blood and Solif’s half-brother, or even the child of the Lavitas Head and a Zahar. Oftentimes, having too much information was more troublesome than having none at all.
The ensuing battle naturally flowed one-sidedly in Turan’s favor. Turan projected firepower from the rear by throwing stones or pouring out Water of Death, and whenever Solif was injured, Turan switched to the Ruban bloodline to take the front line while Solif recovered.
Resion fought desperately, pouring out all sorts of Skills, but it wasn't enough to overcome a four-on-one disadvantage. Dragged along like a bull facing a matador, he finally cried out in a weary, desperate voice.
"Why... why do you resist like this!? We are your fathers! We created this world! If we hadn't come, you would still be nothing but livestock!"
"The masters just changed. Can you really say we aren't livestock now?"
To spout such nonsense when Solif, who had almost become a victim of that very fate, was standing right there. Was he lacking empathy, or was he just unintelligent? Perhaps he was just saying anything because his situation had become desperate.
Regardless, it would be better to have a more detailed conversation in a more private place. After all, only a few high-ranking members of Parsha and Lavitas knew the true identity of the gods.
As the wind blade from Meisa’s hand decapitated the neutralized Resion, Turan pulled a jewelry box from his robe, closed his eyes, and released his spirit from his body.
A massive silver radiance, rising from Resion’s body, greeted him.