Chapter 308: Skirmish (3) |
Whoosh—
The surrounding air currents shifted abruptly.
The Master of Heaven's Turn Society, who had been maintaining a calm demeanor, frowned.
Hahoe Mask, who had been enveloped in a dark aura, had retreated… but the Master couldn't focus on him anymore.
‘…When?’
In the space where he and Hahoe Mask had been fighting, excluding the now-vanished undead…
Clank— Clank—
“There you are, foul heretic.”
…An uninvited guest had appeared.
“I am Heinrich Saint Landguard, the first sword of the Main God.”
A golden light gleamed from his eyes, visible between the faceplate of his helmet and the radiant armor that scattered the surrounding light.
And within that imposing aura,
“Heretic, in the name of the great Main God—”
Swish—
“…I shall judge you.”
A beautiful sword, drawn from his hand, flashed through the air, emitting a brilliant light.
A blazing halo erupted from him, pushing back the surrounding death energy and repelling the otherworldly holy power that shouldn’t exist in this dimension.
“…A champion of Auterica’s Main God?”
The Master frowned.
He had expected the Church to intervene, but not this quickly.
‘And…’
That wasn't the only problem.
His gaze shifted to the side.
“Khahaha! This is electrifying!”
A muscular giant, radiating a presence no less imposing than the holy knight, let out a boisterous laugh.
His wide-open mouth revealed rows of sharp, jagged teeth, unlike any human.
“It’s my first time meeting an angel!”
Harley, the monstrous being, grinned, his gaze fixed on the Master, a strange hunger in his eyes.
“Hey, can I have a bite of those wings?”
His words weren’t a joke, as his gaping maw dripped with saliva, his body already transforming, preparing for battle.
“…Did I underestimate this dimension? To think they could react this quickly… And five of them… at this level…”
The Master chuckled softly.
And as he muttered, two more figures emerged from the shadows behind him.
“Hmm, you’ve already noticed us. That’s a shame.”
“The World Tree has spoken… Not even a single breath shall be granted to the invaders who defile this dimension.”
A vampire with blood-red eyes, emerging from the shadows, adjusting his black suit jacket, and a High Elf with golden hair and green eyes, standing on a tree branch, his voice heavy with conviction.
They joined the others, surrounding the Master, their auras rising in unison.
Goooo—
The air crackled with tension as diverse energies clashed and intertwined.
[“Kuhut— You seem popular.”]
“Hahoe Mask…”
Hans’s mocking voice echoed through the air, and the Master’s expression hardened.
The situation was clearly not normal.
‘This is too organized to be a coincidence. As if they were prepared…’
And the timing of their appearance, the way they had crossed space, their unified hostility… it all pointed towards a connection between them and Hahoe Mask.
An undead dark mage, a holy knight, a humanoid chimera, a fairy exuding the power of nature, and a vampire with an unsettling aura…
How could such powerful individuals, each at the pinnacle of their respective fields, join forces and appear here all at once?
What had Hahoe Mask done?
His brow furrowed in confusion.
[“Well, I’ll leave you to it. They’ll take care of you.”]
But he didn't have time to ponder the question.
Hans, stepping back, had given the signal.
The others, their battle preparations complete, unleashed their power.
“…So you’re just a coward, Hahoe Mask. Running away after all that talk…”
The Master, unwilling to let his opponent escape, opened his mouth to taunt him.
Kaboom—!
But his words were cut short as Harley, the impatient barbarian, charged forward.
“Khahaha—! Pay attention to me now, buddy!”
His body, covered in scales and bulging muscles, radiated a savage aura, a mixture of madness and bloodlust.
Crack—! Koooong—
His massive hand, several times larger than before, swiped through the air, its sharp claws creating a deep crater in the ground.
An ordinary person would have been torn to shreds in an instant, but his opponent wasn't so easily defeated.
Rumble—
As Harley’s attack missed,
His massive body, moving faster than sound, created a sonic boom and a powerful shockwave, shaking the earth.
But it was just a prelude to the true chaos that was about to unfold.
“Let the judgment begin.”
“I wonder what his blood tastes like. Interesting.”
“By the will of the World Tree…”
Heinrich, Heinz, and Harris joined the fray, following Harley’s lead.
[“Uninvited guest. Invader of a world that will never welcome you.”]
And Hans’s final message, echoing through the battlefield, as he prepared to leave,
[“Remember this.”]
A chilling voice, like a demon’s whisper from the depths of hell, resonating through the earth.
[“You don’t belong here.”]
It was a declaration, a promise to make sure of it.
___________________
Immortal King Hans vanished from the battlefield.
He had considered joining the fight, but it would have been inefficient.
After all, his aura didn't mesh well with the other avatars, especially Heinrich and Harris.
‘It would only weaken us, not create synergy.’
It was better to use them in rotation.
Having left the battlefield, Hans focused on recovering his energy and preparing for a potential second deployment.
‘Things are progressing smoothly on the other fronts. I don’t know how helpful this will be, but it’s always good to be prepared.’
He checked the status of his other avatars and their factions through 「Monarch’s Authority」 and nodded.
It was better to be overprepared than to underestimate the enemy and end up like Ganghwange.
‘Now then.’
And the situation on the battlefield, now a four-on-one… or rather, a series of one-on-one duels…
Kaboom—!
…continued to escalate.
____________________
The mountain, already ravaged by the battle between the Master and Hans, was now facing another disaster.
Several peaks had vanished, new valleys had been carved into the earth, the landscape transformed beyond recognition.
“Huu…”
Harris, the High Elf, sighed inwardly, his face grim.
He had played a part in the destruction, but it couldn't be helped.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his thoughts, and continued his swift and silent movement through the trees.
Having reached a suitable vantage point, he took out an arrow crafted from a World Tree branch and nocked it onto Themis, his bow.
Wooong—
The arrow shimmered with a myriad of colors, a rainbow of light.
「Gentle Eight Trigrams Secret Art (Modified)」 and other nature-affinity skills activated, drawing in the surrounding energy.
Even the natural energy of the forest converged towards the arrow, its flow visible to the naked eye.
‘Now.’
As the energy reached a critical point, he released the arrow with a soft hum.
And in the blink of an eye, it reached its target.
Rumble—
A deafening roar echoed through the air.
The attack, as before, was blocked by the massive wings that now shielded the Master’s front… but it had served its purpose.
It had disrupted his movements, creating an opening.
“Main God!”
“Just one bite! Please!”
Heinrich and Harley seized the opportunity, charging forward.
The Knight of Light, his body blazing with holy power, swung his five-meter-long holy blade, and the monstrous chimera, its massive form radiating a sinister aura, lunged forward, its gaping maw revealing rows of sharp teeth.
“Ugh, you pests.”
As they relentlessly attacked, Harley’s movements suddenly stopped.
He was trapped by an invisible barrier.
Crackle—!
Heinrich’s holy blade and the Master’s hand, imbued with divine power, clashed repeatedly in a flurry of blows.
Scratches appeared on Heinrich’s white armor, recently repaired after his battle with the Immortal King, and the surrounding trees and rocks shattered from the shockwaves.
“Kyaaa! Let me join the fun!”
Crackle—!
And then, as a red and green light erupted from Harley’s eyes, the barrier that had been restraining him shattered.
Having fully transformed into his monstrous form, Harley joined the fray, further disrupting the Master’s movements.
“Huu…”
But despite having the upper hand, the Master’s expression was grim.
He glanced down at his hand, the wounds from Heinrich’s holy blade slowly healing.
His body’s durability and regenerative abilities were decreasing.
The continuous battles after his fight with Hahoe Mask were taking their toll.
“…Troublesome.”
And Heinrich, though weaker than Hahoe Mask, had an elemental advantage.
It couldn’t be helped. This was the Master’s domain.
And there was another problem.
“You’re injured.”
A cold voice echoed from the side.
Koooong—!
And then, a massive explosion, a storm of energy, engulfed the area where they had been standing.
The sniper, exploiting the chaos, had launched another attack.
He countered with a holy blast, deflecting the attack, but the sniper continued to harass him, his attacks relentless and unpredictable, appearing and disappearing like a cockroach.
‘They’re all so… persistent.’
He regenerated his wounds, licking the white blood from his hand, and frowned as he saw the vampire vanish into thin air.
He could still sense his presence, but it was annoying. He couldn’t afford to be caught off guard.
And if he didn’t have his holy power advantage…
But he didn't have time to dwell on it.
Heinrich, having used 「Blessing: Leap」 to close the distance, was already upon him.
It was a carefully orchestrated strategy, a relentless cycle designed to wear him down.
___________________
Thump!
Crack—
“Tsk, tsk, I should hurry.”
Harley, who had been knocked down, brushed the dirt off his body and stood up, cracking his neck.
Only faint scars remained where he had been injured.
Crunch, crunch—
He stretched his limbs, and a few white feathers fell from his lips.
He had managed to bite off a chunk of the Master’s wing despite being thrown back.
“That’s a shame! I almost got a good bite.”
It was just feathers, not flesh and blood, so the effect wasn’t that great… but it was better than nothing.
And he would eventually succeed if he kept trying.
Persistence was one of Harley's strengths.
‘It won't be long now.’
Simply driving him out of this world wasn't enough.
This was just a skirmish, a prelude.
He had to acquire as much as he could before their true battle.
“Alright! Let’s go!”
The muscles in his legs bulged.
Kaboom—!
And then, with a burst of speed, he charged back into the fray.