Chapter 310: World's Enemy (2) |
A brilliant light, suppressing and constricting him.
The sunset-colored divine power that had enveloped the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society flickered and faded, his outstretched wings crumpling pathetically.
‘How?’
He hadn’t even had time to react.
As if they had known exactly when and where he would appear, the ritual was already complete the moment he arrived.
He struggled against the oppressive force, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.
They stared at him, their eyes filled with hostility, their voices chanting prayers.
-[Remember this. You don’t belong here.]
For some reason, Hahoe Mask’s parting words echoed in his mind.
His body, which had felt so light after breaking free from the abyss, was now weighed down by an even greater restriction, his movements sluggish and constrained, as if sinking into the depths of the ocean.
‘This isn’t good.’
Something was wrong.
But he didn't have time to think.
A sharp sense of danger jolted him, forcing him to react.
‘I’ll break free before the restraints tighten.’
He made a snap decision and acted instantly.
Despite the oppressive pressure, he quickly analyzed the structure of the holy formation, identifying the key points that served as its anchors.
And then, he unleashed his power.
Koooong—
A spatial distortion, different from the sunset-colored divine power he wielded, a power derived from his unique skill.
Gravity intensified at the targeted locations, the faces of those standing there paling.
The barrier protecting the participants of the ritual prevented them from being crushed… but even that had its limits.
Crack—
Spatial distortions, exploiting the weakened points in the barrier, seeped through.
And they reached the high-ranking priests at the core of the formation—.
Kaboom!
“Not so fast!”
“Main God!”
…But before they could reach their target, they were intercepted and neutralized by the paladins who had been waiting.
The Master’s brow twitched.
Even with the formation suppressing his power, it wasn’t easy to block an attack that directly manipulated space.
And he had put considerable effort into that attack.
His gaze shifted to the seven paladins who had blocked his attack.
They stepped forward, their bodies blazing with an aura that seemed to consume them.
“Be wary. The heretic’s power is greater than we anticipated.”
“To be able to wield such power even within the holy formation… We almost lost our heads.”
“As the Saint foretold.”
Paladin Tuskin of the Silver Wing Knights, who had brought Heinrich to the holy land, the Black Crescent Knights, specialized in hunting dark mages and demon worshippers, and the Commander of the Radiant Guardian Paladins, the protectors of the Roselia Temple…
The pinnacle of the Main God Church’s military might.
‘…This is troublesome.’
The Master’s expression hardened as he assessed their auras.
Individually, they weren't a threat.
Paladins were master-level warriors and high-ranking clerics, but to him, a near-divine being, they were just a minor nuisance.
But that was under normal circumstances.
In this situation, they were a formidable force.
Whoosh—!
The air grew heavy, the entire space filled with a brilliant, holy light.
The Main God Church, which had suffered a blow to its reputation due to the ‘insider’ incident, was still the largest and most influential religious organization in Auterica.
“Tsk, this is…”
The holy land, the center of the world.
Tens of thousands of devout followers, chanting prayers in unison.
High-ranking clerics conducting the ritual, paladins fueled by the surrounding energy, standing guard.
And the Cardinals, at the center of the formation, their gazes fixed on him.
‘This is bad.’
The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society quickly assessed the situation and made a decision.
‘I’ll retreat for now. They can’t maintain this level of defense indefinitely. I’ll wait for an opening…’
He couldn’t afford to be trapped here. If he pushed his luck, the Main God himself might intervene.
‘I’ve already wasted my down payment…’
It was a shame, but he had gained valuable information.
‘There’s a prophet in this world. A powerful one, capable of influencing the entire world.’
Hahoe Mask, appearing at his arrival point with a prepared army.
The timely arrival of the other transcendent beings and their allies.
And the massive holy formation, prepared in advance, as if they had anticipated his every move.
It was all impossible without a prophet’s guidance.
‘I have to eliminate him first.’
The revelation Liesta had received had only mentioned an ‘invader from another dimension’.
Unaware of the true nature of his opponents’ abilities, he couldn't help but reach that conclusion.
‘I’ll exploit the loopholes in the prophecy. And then…’
But before he could finish his thought,
Flash—
As he struggled against the formation’s restraints, pushing back the holy power that suppressed him,
“In the name of the Main God. You shall not set foot in this world, heretic.”
…He saw the holy knight, his sword blazing with light, appearing before him again.
But that was just the beginning.
“Where do you think you’re going? You’re not leaving until you give me those wings! Hahaha!”
“Hmm, this holy power… It’s burning my skin.”
“The forests here are… disappointingly small… Well, the Northern Mountains are an exception…”
As if they had been there all along, the other three appeared behind Heinrich, their presence overwhelming.
The Master’s face contorted in a grimace as he saw the persistent trio.
____________________
When he learned about the Master’s intrusion, he had already considered the potential targets.
‘I was lucky. I would have missed him if he had gone somewhere else.’
He had identified two likely candidates.
The holy land, the center of the Ion Continent, and the World Tree in the Enamel Continent.
And having anticipated that, he had made preparations…
[“This is Harris. The Apostle of the Foreign God is heading towards the holy land.”]
[“I see. That’s… fortunate.”]
[“I’m a bit disappointed! We prepared so thoroughly!”]
[“B-but it’s better this way! There would have been casualties, no matter how well we prepared. I hope the Church will be alright…”]
…Not only in the holy land, but also in Drasha, the capital of the Elven Kingdom, where a large-scale barrier, powered by the World Tree, was ready to be activated.
As soon as Harris gave the signal.
It had been a costly endeavor, but no one dared to question Harris, the strongest in the Elven Kingdom, blessed by the World Tree.
[“Just in case, please maintain your vigilance. I’ll contact you immediately if anything unexpected happens.”]
[“Understood, Harris-nim. Please be careful.”]
[“Don’t get hurt! And don’t push yourself too hard!”]
Harris ended the call with Cecily, who was in Drasha, and sighed softly.
Normally, even a High Elf would need to use the forest’s energy to communicate across such a long distance… but for him, a transcendent being, it was a trivial matter.
‘Now then…’
He nocked another arrow onto his bow, Themis.
And his eyes narrowed as he observed the distant battle.
Kaboom—!
Another shockwave.
But it was significantly weaker than the ones he had felt in the mountains.
It was mainly thanks to the Church’s holy barrier, which was absorbing the impact…
‘He’s definitely weakened. I contacted the imperial palace and the Republic’s council, just in case… but it seems unnecessary.’
He had sent warnings to all the important locations, just in case the Master escaped to another area.
And he had mobilized all his intelligence networks, including Banshee Queen Olivia, to track him down.
‘I’ll finish him off here.’
There was no need to worry about the other locations.
The Church’s preparations had been more effective than he had anticipated.
This was the perfect opportunity to eliminate him.
Clang!
“Ugh! You persistent pests! How did you even find me?!”
The Master, sensing the danger, roared in frustration, his previously cautious demeanor gone.
He had been forced to actively defend himself against their relentless attacks.
Heinrich, wielding his holy sword, ignored his opponent’s frustration.
“This is the will of this world! Begone, heretic!”
His holy blade, engulfed in 「Blessing: Holy Blade」, flashed through the air.
The invisible barrier that had been protecting the Master shattered, and the chaotic energy that surrounded him dispersed.
‘This is amazing.’
Heinrich tightened his grip on his sword, inwardly impressed.
Even an ordinary paladin could transcend their limits in this environment.
And he, the Hero, was practically a divine being, his body radiating a brilliant light.
Crack!
And thanks to that advantage,
“Khahaha! Here I come!”
“Ugh! You monster!”
…Harley finally achieved his goal.
The monstrous chimera lunged forward, grabbing the Master’s crumpled wing and tearing it off with a sickening crunch—.
Crackle—!
…Blood splattered as the wing was torn from its socket.
And before the Master could even react, Heinz the Second appeared, collecting the white blood that sprayed into the air and then driving a sharp, blood-red spike into the wound.
“You insignificant wretches…!”
The Master, now missing a wing, gritted his teeth in frustration, forced further into a defensive position by their relentless attacks.
It had been a wise decision to use 「Avatar Assembly」 repeatedly, even resorting to purchasing skill cooldown resets.
‘It doesn’t work on perks like “Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon” or “In the Hero’s Footsteps”, so I haven’t been using it much… but it’s quite useful in situations like this.’
‘It’s time to end this.’
Heinrich’s holy blade flashed, a piercing light, as he thrust it forward.
He didn't think this would be the end.
He had a feeling he would encounter the Master again. His instincts told him it was fate.
But what mattered now was…
…That he had finally stopped the monster that had been devouring the possibilities of countless worlds.
And that he had succeeded in protecting Auterica.
Thud—!
“Begone, heretic.”
Heinrich drove his holy sword into the Master’s chest, his gaze fixed on his distorted face, a low growl escaping his lips.
《The individual meets the conditions and grows. You have acquired the special skill “Grand Blessing: Wings of Radiance”.》
It seemed the Main God was also pleased.