“I apologize. This might hurt a little.”
Artorius swung his spear shaft toward the people charging at him and spoke calmly.
Soon, a loud collision echoed, and the person struck by the spear flew far away.
A person flying through the air is undoubtedly an extraordinary sight, something one would not encounter under normal circumstances, as humans cannot fly.
Yet Artorius, unfazed by such a rare occurrence, continued to swing his spear without so much as a glance at the spectacle.
Each time he swung, a thunderous sound resounded, and one by one, people were launched skyward.
“I’ll kill you… Aaaargh!”
Another person soared into the air.
Artorius shouted toward the back.
“Lady Agnes! Are you alright over there?”
“Everything’s fine here! Don’t worry about me!”
“And what about Lady Olivia?”
“Yes, I’m fine!”
Hearing the immediate responses of the two, Artorius resumed swinging his spear at the oncoming attackers.
The reason for his actions was simple.
He was protecting Bliss, who was praying at the rear.
The clashing of swords continued to ring from the front.
He presumed that it was the sound of the Hero and the Saint clashing against each other.
Though he wanted to rush to the Saint’s aid, he couldn’t afford to do so.
Besides, she had outright refused his help.
Saint Ruina was an enigmatic figure.
Unlike the Saints of Healing from previous generations who spent most of their lives within the confines of the Church, little was known about her.
Thus, no one could have anticipated that she wielded a sword.
During a previous subjugation, he had witnessed her swordsmanship.
To his great astonishment, her delicate appearance belied her formidable skill with the blade.
The image seared into his memory back then was both shocking and awe-inspiring.
For that reason, he let her face the Hero alone.
If she had shown no capability, he would have stopped her.
But her swordsmanship was astonishing, even to a Paladin like himself.
Her skill had inspired confidence.
She could endure. A swordsman of her caliber could hold off the Hero’s attacks on her own. That confidence prevented him from stopping her.
If she could hold her ground, they could ensure Bliss’s protection.
With Knight Agnes injured, the only remaining combat-ready forces were Olivia, the mage, and himself.
Bliss, defenseless while praying, had to be shielded by the rest of them.
If Artorius left, only the injured knight and the mage would be left to protect Bliss.
Thus, he had no choice but to stay.
If he remained, both the front and the rear would be secure.
“When will this end?”
Artorius thought as he sent another person flying.
As soon as Ruina began facing the Hero alone, a multitude of people had started attacking them.
Men, women, the elderly—an array of people came at them relentlessly.
Their sole commonality was that they were ordinary citizens.
Because of this, Artorius couldn’t respond with full force.
If they had been enemies, it would’ve been a different story. But they were civilians. Hurting them was out of the question.
All he could do was strike them with the blunt end of his spear and send them flying far away.
“Aaaargh!”
Another person was flung through the air.
Artorius didn’t even glance at them as he turned his attention to his next target.
Then, suddenly, he noticed something strange.
No one was around him.
The crowd of people that had surged like an ant swarm was now nowhere to be seen.
The people had retreated to the distance.
They seemed to be deliberately maintaining their distance from Artorius and the others.
“What’s going on?”
Artorius found the scene perplexing.
And at that moment.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of pages being turned reached his ears.
The sound of turning pages—utterly peculiar in a place filled with screams and cries.
Artorius turned his gaze toward the source of the sound.
At the end of his line of sight stood a person.
Seeing the figure, Artorius’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“Good evening, everyone. I hope you’re enjoying the festival.”
The man had brown hair and held a book.
Artorius recognized him.
Speaking with a sharp tone, Artorius asked, “Why are you here?”
“Well…” The man closed his book and smiled broadly.
“Because I’m the host of this festival.”
He spread his arms wide as he spoke.
“How dare you show your face before us.”
“Ah… You see, I didn’t want to get involved in this bothersome affair. But some woman kept pestering me. So, since the weather’s nice, I thought I’d stretch my legs and step out.”
Wolf sighed deeply, his voice laced with irritation as he responded to Artorius.
“Hmm… You all must be worried that I’ll interfere with what you’re doing. But don’t worry! I’m only here to cause a little disturbance. I’m not here to stop you!”
He turned to Bliss and continued, “So, Sister, please continue your prayers.
I’m genuinely curious to see if they can restore that Hero.”
With those words, he snapped his fingers.
At the sound of his snap, the book he had been holding vanished.
“And as for you, Paladin…” He dusted off his now-free hands and turned his gaze toward Artorius.
“Let’s have a duel.”
“What?”
“I’ve always been curious about how strong Paladins are. Today, I finally get to satisfy that curiosity.”
“Hah… This is ridiculous!”
Artorius began summoning his holy power.
Wolf might have claimed he wouldn’t interfere, but Artorius couldn’t trust that entirely.
It was better to eliminate him completely.
“And I still have to settle our past score.”
But Artorius was taken aback.
His holy power wouldn’t gather.
When he concentrated, it scattered like grains of sand slipping through his fingers.
“Ah, it’s better not to use your holy power,” Wolf remarked.
“What?”
“Wait, that’s not right. I misspoke. You can’t use your holy power from now on.”
Wolf grinned mischievously at Artorius’s bewilderment.
“And don’t worry! I can’t use any of my abilities either. Just like you can’t use your holy power! Oh, and the mage back there is in the same boat!”
Artorius began analyzing the cause.
Trying again, he attempted to gather his holy power, only for it to disperse once more.
After several attempts, he identified the cause.
Something was interfering, scattering his holy power whenever he tried to gather it.
It was a peculiar force.
It felt similar to magic but wasn’t magic.
It bore a repulsive resemblance to demonic energy but wasn’t that either. It had a hint of holy power but wasn’t that either.
It was a completely unfamiliar force.
Yet, strangely, it felt familiar.
It gave him an odd sensation.
A sense of meeting an old nemesis after a long time.
Artorius thought about why he felt this way.
Moments later, he realized the reason.
He had encountered this force before.
Just hours ago, in fact.
Because this was the same power that…
Please move aside, Artorius! I don’t want to hurt you!
…she had used in his dream.
“Where did you obtain this power?”
Artorius glared at Wolf with a murderous gaze.
“Oh, that’s a secret. If you really want to know, why don’t you find out for yourself?”
Wolf shrugged.
Artorius pointed his spear at him.
“Prepare yourself.”
His voice was colder and lower than before, carrying an icy chill.
“Oh… so you use a spear? There were a few spear users in my hometown as well. I miss them.
Not that you’d care, but I don’t use weapons. I practice martial arts instead.”
Wolf raised his fists after observing Artorius’s stance.
Artorius gripped his spear tightly, ready to thrust it at any moment.
Wolf tensed his entire body, preparing to move at a second’s notice.
Then, after a brief moment of silence.
“Alright, here I come!”
The two men charged at each other simultaneously.
Swords clashed.
The blade was raised.
A jarring impact hit the hand, forcing him to grit his teeth and endure.
Another strike came immediately after.
“Damn it!”
Blocking the Hero’s sword once again, I suppressed the curse that nearly escaped my lips.
Every second was too precious to waste on swearing.
It had been two minutes since I took on the role of defending against the Hero’s attacks.
In that time, I had blocked countless strikes.
So many that my hands were no longer just numb but actively aching.
His attacks were overwhelmingly powerful.
What made them even more terrifying was their unpredictability.
Humans, by nature, develop patterns and habits. In a fight, you can usually discern a person’s attack style to some extent.
But the one I’m facing now?
He had none. Each strike was entirely different, constantly shifting. Even now, his style continued to evolve.
I, too, adapt and vary my attacks during battle. But he was on another level.
While I might change tactics after noticing an opponent catching on, he varied every single strike, never repeating the same move.
He was, simply put, insane. There was no other explanation. I was even beginning to doubt whether he was human at all.
Because of this monstrous onslaught, I couldn’t block every attack perfectly.
My body bore several cuts, inflicted by the sword strikes I couldn’t evade in time.
Thankfully, none of the wounds were deep. They only bled a little, sparing me from severe injuries.
At a glance, the situation might seem hopeless. But it wasn’t entirely so.
Strangely, the Hero wasn’t using the power of the Holy Sword.
The Holy Sword, the Hero’s iconic weapon, was known for its extraordinary abilities.
Its function was simple: it somehow continuously generated holy power, as if it were a copier churning out an endless supply.
The sheer volume of holy power it produced was absurd. When wielded, even the most formidable demons would tremble, knowing they were as good as dead. A tidal wave of holy power would soon engulf them.
Despite its fearsome reputation, no holy power emanated from the Hero’s sword.
I didn’t know whether he couldn’t use it or whether the mind control he was under prevented him from accessing it.
Either way, it was a stroke of luck for me. It made him slightly easier to handle.
But on the flip side, it also meant that even without the Holy Sword’s powers, he possessed such monstrous strength.
“How did someone like him even come to exist?”
It was baffling.
Some are abandoned like unwanted children, left to fend for themselves in the most barren of lands.
Meanwhile, others are gilded with gold, bestowed with every conceivable advantage.
“How can anyone develop faith under such circumstances?”
I should be grateful that I haven’t completely fallen into corruption.
Wait, no—since I’ve become a demon, does that mean I have fallen?
…No, that’s a thought for later. For now, I need to focus on fending off his attacks.
First, I need to survive. Only then can I afford to think about such things.
“How much longer do I need to hold on?”
Blocking another strike from the Hero’s sword, I began counting the time.
Two minutes for the first exchange, and now another two minutes for this one.
“That leaves three minutes…”
Three minutes—the time it takes to cook a cup of instant ramen.
Though I’d forgotten its taste, I still remembered how fast that time felt.
I checked my condition.
Apart from minor cuts, there were no major injuries.
My body still moved well.
The attacks were manageable. While his strikes were hard to predict, I could still see and block them.
If things continued this way, I’d be able to hold out for the remaining time.
Deciding to focus solely on defense had been the best choice.
Had I opted to counterattack, I wouldn’t have been able to defend so effectively.
I allowed a faint smile to tug at the corner of my lips.
There was hope. I could do this. I could withstand his attacks.
If I kept this up, I’d make it through.
But then.
“Ah~! This is so boring! What’s the point? It’s no fun! Fight more intensely!”
From above, Kairen’s voice rang out, petulant like a bored child.
“That damn woman!”
Profanities bubbled up to my throat.
If it weren’t for the Hero before me, I’d have unleashed a torrent of curses at her already.
I forced myself to resist glancing in her direction.
She continued.
“So, this is what it’s like when fighting with penalties? Noted.”
“Penalties?”
Her words left me puzzled.
Wait, penalties? Did that mean the Hero had been fighting under restrictions all this time?
“Alright! No more advantages! That’s enough!”
At that moment, a chilling sensation crept down my spine.
Could it be that the Hero hadn’t been serious until now?
Had he been fighting with limitations in place?
Then.
As if in response to my unspoken question, Kairen’s voice echoed again.
“Hero, you may now use holy power.”
And with that, it happened.
A surge of immense holy power radiated from the Hero’s body, palpable enough to feel on my skin.
Staring at the sight, one thought overwhelmed my mind.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Goddamn it!