Chapter 69 : Square (5)

I can feel it. The holy power. So immense and overwhelming that it makes my skin tingle.

Sweat trickled down my face as I raised my sword, bracing for the attack that was sure to come.

My heart pounded furiously in my chest. If only it were out of excitement or love, but this pounding was pure, unrelenting anxiety.

The Hero, now wielding holy power, assumed a ready stance as if he might charge at any moment.

Would this be the first attack from the Hero enhanced by holy power?

I observed him closely.

Visually, not much had changed.

To be honest, aside from the holy power emanating from him, there didn’t seem to be any major differences.

I decided to calm my mind.

Sure, he’s using holy power now, but so what? How much can one change because of that?

I needed to stay calm. Panicking would only lead to mistakes.

If I remained composed and responded as I had earlier, I could hold out for the remaining time…

At that moment, the Hero lunged forward.

He closed the distance between us in an instant and brought his sword down.

It was the same kind of attack as before.

But there was one noticeable difference this time.

He was faster.

I quickly raised my sword to block the strike. Though I was slightly late in reacting, I managed to intercept the attack just in time.

Clang! A deafening sound rang out, and my hand absorbed a powerful shock.

It was stronger than before.

The Hero’s attack had gained not only speed but also power.

He swung his sword again.

It seemed to target the same spot as before. I raised my blade to block it once more.

Clang! Another resounding clash filled the air.

The situation was the same as the last, but this time I had to grit my teeth.

My wrist throbbed in pain. The first strike had already left a mark, and the consecutive impacts were making it worse.

My hands trembled—not from fear but from the sheer force I had endured.

I glanced at my shaking hand.

Sharp pain radiated from my wrist, and my hand trembled uncontrollably as if struggling to recover from the immense shocks.

Just two strikes. Only two strikes, yet I was already in this state.

If I had to block another…

My vivid imagination conjured a grim vision of what might come next.

The next attack could spell disaster.

“Damn it!”

I instinctively tried to create distance between myself and the Hero. My mind was screaming alarms.

My instincts told me that if I kept taking his attacks head-on, it would be the end.

But the Hero didn’t allow me to escape.

As I attempted to back away, he closed the gap instantly, raising his sword for another strike.

I quickly lifted my trembling hand.

Clang! Once again, our blades clashed with a thunderous sound.

“I have to redirect the force.”

Gritting my teeth, I twisted my wrist slightly, letting the holy sword slide off mine.

The Hero’s blade veered downward, sparing my wrist from further trauma.

However…

Focusing entirely on deflecting the sword, I failed to notice the fist heading straight for my stomach.

Had this been earlier, I might have caught it in time. But now, his speed had increased so much that I couldn’t react.

And the results were devastating.

The Hero’s fist drove into my abdomen with unrelenting force.

“Gah!”

The blow sent a violent shock through my body, forcing the air from my lungs.

The impact was so strong that I was lifted off the ground and hurled backward.

I tumbled across the dirt several times before coming to a stop.

“Oh my, it seems the Saint has taken quite the hit from the Hero!”

Kairen’s voice boomed gleefully from above.

I struggled to rise, planting my trembling hands on the ground.

My arms shook, and my breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps. My lower body felt paralyzed, as though all strength had been drained from me.

Somehow, I forced my quivering legs to support me, finally standing.

I raised my head and my sword, and before me stood…

The Hero, sword in hand, ready to attack again.

He swung his sword once more.

I lifted my shaky arms to block it, barely managing to intercept the strike. My arms bent backward from the sheer force.

Another swing came.

This time, I couldn’t block it entirely.

The blade sliced into my thigh.

Blood spattered as searing pain engulfed the wound, like being burned by fire.

And yet, another attack came.

I gritted my teeth and raised my sword again. I managed to block it, but this time…

I couldn’t stop the kick aimed at my abdomen.

The Hero’s foot connected squarely with my stomach, sending me flying once more.

I crashed to the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

I tried to rise immediately, but my body refused to cooperate. The pain and exhaustion rendered me immobile.

I turned my head—the only part of me I could still move—to assess the situation.

The Hero was slowly approaching, holy sword in hand. His demeanor resembled that of an executioner preparing for a beheading.

Lying there, I thought.

Thirty seconds. It had taken precisely thirty seconds for me to be brought down like this.

Damn it. All because he started using holy power.

“Is this all I can do without magic?”

Even though I hadn’t been enhanced by buffs, I hadn’t expected to be overwhelmed so easily. Then again, the Hero hadn’t been using his holy power earlier, which had kept the fight somewhat balanced.

But now that balance was shattered.

As I lay there, Kairen’s voice echoed in my ears.

“And now, we’re at a critical juncture! Is there no way for the Saint to turn this situation around? Of course there is! She has a way!”

“If Saint Ruina reveals her hidden identity, a path might open for her survival!”

“What is Saint Ruina hiding? Aren’t you all curious? What could the pure, chaste saint possibly be concealing?”

“So go ahead and reveal it! Show us who you really are! Take off your mask and reveal your true self, Ruina!”

Kairen’s voice rang with maniacal glee, as though she was utterly delighted by the chaos.

“That damned woman…”

Things had always been suspicious with her.

Kairen was one of the few here who knew my true identity.

And she was also one of the few capable of ruining me completely.

All she had to do was expose my secret to the Hero’s party, and they would immediately suspect me of being a demon.

They’d distrust me, and I’d eventually meet my demise.

But she hadn’t done that. On the contrary, she had even gone along with my alias, Ruina, elevating me as a saint.

I never understood why she acted that way before.

But now, her intentions were clear.

Kairen wanted me to expose myself.

By forcing me into a desperate fight with the Hero, unable to use magic, she sought to push me to the brink until I had no choice but to reveal my demonic powers to survive.

She wanted me to destroy everything I had built with my own hands.

Her cruelty knew no bounds.

I had worked so hard to get this far, and she wanted me to throw it all away.

I thought to myself.

“What should I do…?”

But really, there was nothing to think about.

If I didn’t act now, I would die.

Looking back, I had been overly cautious, afraid of being discovered. I had sealed away my powers, terrified of exposing my demonic nature.

While I had loosened those restraints recently, it was only in moments of absolute privacy, where no one could see me.

The situation now is different from back then.

Back then, I had the luxury of hiding. Now, I’m lying in plain view where anyone can see me.

Suddenly, memories of the past resurface—times when I was weak, unable to even catch a mere rat because I couldn’t use magic.

Back then, I lost everything because of my frailty.

But from that moment of despair, I was reborn.

I gained power. A strength that could break through any obstacle, seize what I desired, and allow me to act freely.

With that power, I achieved everything I wanted.

And yet, here I am now.

Covered in blood and wounds, sprawled on the ground, pathetically gasping for air.

Who, looking at me now, would believe I was once a ruler of a territory?

I ask myself why this happened.

Because I sealed away my power.

And why did I seal my power?

Because I was afraid of being exposed as a demon and killed.

Why?

Because of the stories I had heard. The Hero seemed invincible, and the thought of facing the rest of the Holy Knights terrified me. I didn’t want to fight them.

That was it.

I realized I had been afraid. Despite possessing immense power, I was scared.

Even though I wasn’t even on their radar, I had hidden myself, paralyzed by fear.

If only I had resolved to fight… What a strange thing. In the Demon Territory, I had fought desperately just to survive, but here I was, too frightened to fight.

I’ve often said I despised those who hid their strength.

But shamefully, I’ve done the same thing—twice.

The first time, I underestimated Kairen and paid the price.

The second time, I underestimated the Hero, and now look at me.

It’s shameful. Truly shameful.

So, now…

I no longer care.

With a sly smile, I muttered.

“[Healing].”

As soon as I finished the simple incantation, demonic energy surged forth, and the spell activated.

My body began to heal.

From now on, I will use everything at my disposal.

I no longer care if my demonic nature is exposed.

Those who come to kill me? I’ll crush them all and escape. I have the power to do it.

And that includes killing the Hero walking toward me right now.

With my body fully healed and reinvigorated, I stood up. The pain that had wracked me moments ago was gone, leaving me feeling as though I had been reborn.

The Hero was now right beside me.

I quickly cast buffs.

[Strength Enhancement]

[Speed Enhancement]

Why had I been so scared of dying before?

There hasn’t been a single moment in my life when I wasn’t under threat of death.

I drove my fist toward the Hero’s stomach, my movements now on an entirely different level.

I looked into the Hero’s eyes.

They were still unfocused, just as before, but…

For a brief moment, I thought I saw a flicker of surprise in his gaze.

Seeing that, I smiled and softly whispered.

“[Lightning Strike].”

Electricity surged from my fist and spread through the Hero’s body, delivering a powerful shock.

Boom!

With a loud crash, the Hero was sent flying.

He rolled across the ground several times before finally coming to a stop.

Was that how I had looked earlier?

I thought as I brushed off the dirt from my body, still somewhat covered in grime from the fight.

While I was cleaning myself off, the Hero stood up again.

“Back on your feet already?”

Noticing him rise, I conjured lightning in my hand and spoke.

“Alright, let’s even the score. Let’s see how it feels to take as much as you’ve given. Though if you want to take more, I don’t mind.”