Chapter 842 – Vajra Strategy -1-

000

When Cleon formed a party to attack the fortress, the first thing he thought about was to prioritize adding ‘people who have a reason to go to the fortress’ to the party.

Of course, skill is important, but the problem that must be solved in this decisive battle will not be just stopping Vajra’s invasion.

When thinking like that, the first person that came to Cleon’s mind was Aine, of course.

It must have been a great advantage for her to have infiltrated this fortress once, but she had someone who had to be rescued:

＂Aine.＂

＂Yes.＂

That’s why, right after Cleon’s strategy announcement, when Cleon called her name, Aine made eye contact with Cleon.

And with her unique agile movements, she slipped through the enemy lines like the wind or darkness, and escaped first from the warehouse where Cleon and his men were.

The members of the Exiled Church could only follow her movements with her eyes, and tried to chase her as she left the warehouse due to one late movement, but the entrance was suddenly filled with flames and light. It is blocked by a wall.

＂Where are you going?＂

“Your opponent is here.”

Lila, who suddenly drank a magic potion and recovered her magic, and Selena, who said she had prepared various things in advance for today.

The magic unleashed by the two archmages was more than enough to stop the exiled church.

It was a scary scene as some automata tried to ignore the flames and run away, but were blocked by a barrier of light and were unable to move forward before melting inside the flames.

In the center of the stranded exiled church, there was someone who jumped high and fell vertically, wrapped in flames. He was a ‘Drake’, a dragon knight, who did not look human when he was wearing dragon armor.

Coo! At the same time as it fell to the ground, flames spread around and swept over the exiled church.

＂Most minnows can be cleaned up with this… Huh?＂

As Diora confidently raised her body and swung her spear, most of the exiled church members standing around were shaken by the shock wave, but she defended herself against the flames with her own magic.

＂I guess it’s not just a minnow?＂

Since they all had different masks, robes, and different weapons, even Dio was looked down upon a little…

Nevertheless, I could tell that each person had a certain level of skill, whether they were members of a secret sect in name or name.

The church members who defended themselves from the flames would naturally run in with their weapons raised towards Diora, who was surrounded among them.

Of course, flames were only an auxiliary tool in Diora’s battles, and her power lay in the menacing spear she held in her hand.

Her spear, which was swung like lightning, struck down the weapons of the Exiled Church that were rushing towards her as if they were swatting away mayflies, or fell because they could not withstand the high heat.

Diora’s flashy movements naturally made the members of her exiled church care about her.

Thanks to this, those in charge of the attack were able to move freely.

＂Demis. Protect the back row.”

＂I understand, instructor.＂

Cleon asked Demis, another party member in charge of the guard, to block the three men in the back line, and he himself jumped into the group of enemies.

＂Die! Demon swordsman!”

And, even though they were preoccupied with dealing with Diora, when Cleon, the priority target for elimination, approached them, they naturally brandished her weapon.

A magic bullet fired from the automata’s hand, and a pure white spear aimed at Cleon’s head.

I’m a little concerned about what the spear is made of, but the U-shaped tip with a thorn on it makes me feel bad because it looks like a weapon made by the Inquisitors to capture and torture heretics.

Slowly, he dodges the spear by turning his head to the side, and at the same time sharpens the blade of Galatea he has drawn and cuts off the bullet that came at him.

＂Mana Shock.＂

Pajik! When he thought that a black spark had sprung up, he placed his free hand on the body of the Exiled Church member next to him and the magic was activated, burning out the man’s magical organs.

＂Kwaaaaak!＂

The body of the exiled church member who falls to the ground screaming is in a state of being cooked from the inside out.

You can finish it as is, but the burnt magic engine will not be able to be used unless it recovers over a long period of time.

There will be no problem even if you think it has been neutralized.

For now, rather than focusing on finishing off the fallen side, it would be better to focus on dealing with the living and moving enemies in front of you.

Cleon was accustomed to dealing with large numbers of enemies, but the members of the Exiled Church clearly had different movements.

The enemies surrounding Diora quickly realized her lich and were trying not to get within that distance, and those with their backs were using magic to keep their gaze in check.

If the armor she was wearing on her body had been ordinary armor, it would have been a menacing spell that would have been easily pierced.

The same was true for the cult members dealing with Cleon, who seemed to have learned that simply swinging a weapon would quickly evade the attack and leave an opening.

As it was, the fire net was spread out focusing on long-distance attacks to block Cleon’s approach.

＇You are well-trained.’

Cleon feels that way about the enemy’s response.

With this level of power and numbers, if we collide with regular soldiers from the kingdom or an eastern country, this side will win due to the clear difference in skill.

However, is it that they are aiming to move behind the scenes of history, or do they think they still lack the power? Either way, there must be some reason why they are not taking action right now.

─Besides.

‘The reason you can’t see the executives-level guys… I guess it’s not because of my mood.’

First, Dharma is not visible.

Since they are targeting Bourbon, they may be on the ground, but they may be hiding somewhere, looking for an opportunity.

Cleon looked behind him, thinking that hiding the cards from the defending side would be a huge advantage.

Cleon makes eye contact with Selene and Laila.

They made eye contact with Cleon and nodded.

Immediately afterward, the two people raise their staffs and wands and begin chanting.

＂What causes the heat wave─＂

＂You, sitting in heaven, giving off brilliance─＂

When magical power begins to gather around them, a magic circle unfolds.

Red and white light.

Even if you try not to be noticed, it attracts the attention of those around you so much that you can’t.

＂The wizards have started chanting! Attack first!”

When such an order is issued among the soldiers of the Exiled Church, Diora and Cleon raise their weapons towards the two wizards, except for the soldiers surrounding them to prevent them from interfering.

A spell was placed to interrupt the magic chant, and when the automata rushed in with their swords raised, the vibrating blades were swung at the two men’s necks.

It-

＂Udalgeun!(Right side)＂

Paang! And when I thought that the palm of Demis wearing the gauntlet had blocked the blade of the oncoming automata, a clear striking sound rang out, different from the sound of metal colliding as expected.

To be precise, it could be said that it was a collision sound made when the automata’s blade and Demise’s palm were blocked by some invisible force before they collided.

Demis’ specialty is a technique that converts life force into magical energy and expels it out of the body.

And, if you do it from a very close position, it is possible to create a strike that generates much more intense tension than a normal strike.

What the automata’s blade collided with was the layer of magical power that spread out on Demise’s palm.

And, immediately, the blade shattered into powder and scattered.

The shock to the automata did not stop at the blade, but continued from there to the arm and shoulder, where it disintegrated and fell.

The time it takes for the result to come from the starting point of the action is only a moment.

Demis, whose movements were so fast that they were virtually invisible, used his body as a shield to block the continued pouring magic of the Exiled Church and the blades of the automata.

Fire, ice, wind, lightning.

Various attributes swirled around, aiming at Lila and Selena, and between them, the sharp strike of the automata penetrated.

It would have been impossible for any human to nullify and block them all.

Demis also knew that, but he struck them away with his fists, kicked them away, and if that wasn’t enough, avoided critical points and caught them with his body so that no harm was done to the two wizards.

Because that was what Cleon asked him to do.

Of course, the human body also has limitations, so if damage was accumulated in the body in that way, it was bound to collapse.

However, seeing the wounds on his body recovering naturally, the members of the Exile Church could not help but glare at him with wide eyes.

＂What is that guy…＂

“Do you have the ability to regenerate?”

Otherwise, it would have been inexplicable, but it would not have been visible to their eyes.

Standing behind Demis, the beautiful blue-haired woman, along with Lila and Selena, seemed to be protected.

By stabbing Demis in the back at a speed that is truly invisible to the eye, his body is healing.

Riomes, like Demis, is also skilled in the art of converting his life force into magical power.

A little bit of her medical knowledge from Quartz, and the part that controls various energies passing through the human body, which she learned by using Demis’ body as an experiment.

And, when her skills were combined, she learned a recovery method that injected life force into the human body and maximized the body’s regenerative ability.

It can be seen as a type of healing magic, but the difference is that it consumes almost no magic power and the recovery speed is significant.

If there is a downside… It is that the pain during recovery is considerable.

It’s like the bones are being forcibly aligned and the body’s natural healing is fast-forwarded, so you feel the pain that your body should feel at that time.

A masochist like Demis… Hmm, unless you are a human accustomed to pain, it would be impossible to endure the pain of rebirth.

When Cleon selected Riomes as a party member to take on the role of healing, he brought Demis with him not only because of Demis’ skills, but also because he was one of the few humans who could withstand Riomes’ healing.

In any case, thanks to Riomes, Demis was able to protect the two people without any problems, which means that the two archmages were able to secure all the time necessary to chant together.

Kiiing! And when the fierce expansion of magical power that seemed to split one’s ears was transmitted even as a sound, those targeting the wizards gave up trying to interfere with attacks and immediately switched to a defensive posture.

They will generate their own magic power and create a magic barrier to protect their bodies.

They must be thinking this now.

In a situation where Diora and Cleon are mixed in with a group of enemies, they will not use magic that destroys things on a large scale.

At best, magic that hinders their movement or temporarily incapacitates them will be their limit.

In fact, that thought would have been the right decision both strategically and realistically.

Their goal was not to annihilate the enemies in front of them right now, even while entangling Cleon and Diora.

Cleon’s companions had their own plans.

＂Right on time…! Red Domination!”

＂Of course it comes! Fiat Lux!”

A wave of instantly released magic power sweeps the entire room.

It was heat.

A fever so high that it feels like the temperature of the entire room has suddenly risen by dozens of degrees in an instant.

Of course, there is an appropriate temperature for human activity, and if it exceeds that temperature, abnormalities occur in the body.

And, it was the same for non-living machines as well.

[Emergency. Emergency. The temperature within the area is rising rapidly. An error occurred in the control device.]

The automata also fall, one by one, with sparks flying from their bodies.

Each person in the exiled church must have made a painful voice due to the high fever and suffocation.

Of course, Cleon and the others had prepared for Lila’s magic in advance and had placed an amulet somewhere on their bodies that prevented them from being affected by temperature, so they were able to avoid being harmed by the magic.

And what immediately followed was an intense flash of light.

Anyone who realized that it started from Selena’s hand would have been blinded on the spot.

There would be no need to say that those who scream are the victims.

It would have been easy to finish them off as they were deprived of their sight and unable to move their bodies freely.

Just when Diora was about to move to finish off the enemies, until someone’s voice rang out.

＂Absorb Magic!＂

As soon as the girl’s voice rang out, the magic of the two people covering the room was lifted and disappeared at the same time.

Not only that, but the barrier of flame and light that had been covering the entrance also disappeared.

＂…!＂

“Wait a minute, who are you? Using such ridiculous magic…!”

As Lyla raised her voice in her protest, what appeared beyond her door was a robe like the other members of her exiled cult, but with a monkey mask on her face.

Moreover, the purple pigtails flowing out from under her mask and the sparkling red eyes beyond her eyes created a strange atmosphere surrounding her.

“That guy… I said it would be over while I was sleeping. “Nothing like that happened at all, right?”

She is shorter than Lila, and holds a huge cane in her hand that seems to be twice her own height. She taps the top of her mask, towards her mouth, as if she is yawning. He was walking into the warehouse.

＂Me, Mair…＂

When one of the exiled members said that, she sighed and pointed the tip of her staff at the member who had spoken to her.

Then-

Flame and light poured out from her staff, melting the members of her church who spoke to her on the spot.

＂Could this incompetent guy not even understand people’s feelings? I’m so incompetent that I’m almost in tears.”

As she executed her own subordinate without any hesitation, Cleon’s group could only look on without saying anything for a moment.

But, of all of them, the thing that made me the most angry was.

＂… Just that magic.＂

“They absorbed and used our magical power.”

Lila and Selena talk while frowning.

＂Aha. That’s the correct answer, sisters ♡ The sisters’ useless magic was canceled by Mea consuming all of her magic power. Just be thankful that you put the remaining magic power to good use!”

A girl who talks in a provocative voice that seems to rip out a person’s insides and laughs while covering her mouth.

Lila and Selena felt her stomach turn in anger and at the same time extended their wands at her.

“You know that if you treat someone like a fool, you get punished, right?”

＂Haa~? To me with that kind of skill?”

She laughed, twisting her voice even more as if Laila’s words were funny.

And then she stomps down on the ground with her own staff and speaks.

“One person escaped from here earlier, right? You guys chase after him. I’ll take care of these minnows here~”

When she gave that order, the members of her exiled church left the room and went to look for her.

＂Where!＂

Diora tried to run towards her door to stop them ─

“Be careful Diora!”

When Selena raised her voice, she thought something with an eerie presence flew out from behind her.

Then─

Suddenly!

While making a sound, something with black magic was swung horizontally.

The place where Diora was and even the upper body of the exiled church members around it were cut off without any resistance and fell to the ground.

＂Ah~ah~. I should have avoided it well. What do you do if you just avoid the enemy?”

Dio breaks out in a cold sweat as he realizes that this was also done by the girl who lifted the spell between Lila and Selena.

“You… Your subordinates…!”

“Burden? They’re just expendables ♡ I don’t want to become a ‘seeker’… But at least you have to be able to escape the apprentice class to be treated as a human being.”

The girl responds to Laila’s words like that, and Laila raises a fireball in her hand as if she can’t hold back any longer.

And as she threw it at her, the girl let out a sigh and conjured up a sphere of water that hit her ball of fire.

＂Ugh…! Water magic…!”

An attribute that boasts extreme compatibility with Lila.

“Oh, is this difficult? So what about this?”

The next moment, the girl waved her wand-

Spheres of wind, fire, and earth appeared around her.

＂Ha!?＂

Lila must have raised her voice in embarrassment.

＂Khuhu~! Inferior students who can only use one attribute must have a hard time~♡＂

As she covered her mouth and smiled with great pride, Selena broke into a cold sweat and said the name of the wizard, who only existed in theory.

＂… Mighty Litter [Almighty Attribute]…? ＂

＂Correct answer~ Unlike my sisters who are foolishly limited to one attribute magic or, at most, two attributes~♡ I can handle magic of all elements~!♡＂

“─That is impossible with the human body…!”

Lila raised her voice like that, but Mea sighed as if it was boring.

“What can you do by denying the reality that is right in front of you? Because no one can get out of here, including my sisters. … Huh?”

As she said that, she looked around and noticed that there was no one else.

The ‘Dark Demon Swordsman’ is definitely someone to watch out for.

＂… Uh, huh? “Where did that guy disappear to?”

＂…＂

Diora did not answer her question, but lifted the spear she was holding in her hand.

＂Dae, answer me! “Where did you go!”

“There is no reason to tell you that!”

＂..? These bastards~!!!＂

When she raises her magical power, as if she was very angry at Selena’s words, the magic she had created a moment ago comes upon her.

Once again, Demis blocks it with his body and Riomes heals him.

Meanwhile, Diora was aiming at her and stabbing her with his spear.

Then, she freely swung her staff, which was much taller than her own height, and blocked Diora’s spear.

It’s a staff that blocks a spear of flame, but the principle behind it is unknown.

＂Kuh… Hehe… Well, okay. After I kill all of you, I will be able to find him slowly.”

She regained her composure and spoke with her eyes shining beneath her mask.

＂Mea will plunge you all into a nightmare! These scum!”