Chapter 866 – Battle of Vajra -19-

000

The attitude of the man, Sigmund, who seemed to be unaware of the clearly existing character named Attis, did not seem to Leila as if he was lying.

Therefore, the situation may have been heading towards further uncertainty, but there were many possibilities to imagine.

First, the fact that his body, with about half of it replaced by machines, is affecting his memories.

In fact, it was a fact proven by Quartz that the cult had the technology to brainwash humans and manipulate their memories.

So, is Sigmund like that too?

Feeling that his mind was becoming dizzy, Laila put her hand on her forehead and her expression wrinkled, and then Rio Mes’ hand came to rest on Laila’s shoulder.

“Lila. Whether or not he really is Professor Artis’ father, you don’t have to think about it now. The truth is, if you meet him with Professor Artis, you will be able to find out to some extent. Above all-＂

And Rio Mes is talking while looking at the mea he was carrying on his shoulder.

“She seems to know something.”

At Riomes’s words, Mea flinched, trembled, and then turned her head and broke into a cold sweat.

“… Ha. That’s right. Sorry. I was a little excited too. As Riomes said, now is not the time to worry about that. If you don’t get the materials quickly…”

When Lila regains her composure at Riomes’ words and says that, Diora nods her head and says, ‘Yes, yes,’ and then looks around her and says.

“So, what kind of data do you need?”

＂I wonder if we need any information related to the exiled church. But of course, what we need most now is…”

Lila tapped her forehead with her index finger, trying to erase the distracting thoughts from her mind and extract only the necessary information.

Then, recalling the story she had heard from Cleon before, what she needed to find was, of course, ‘that’.

＂Ritual of selection sword. Of course, we need the full picture of that ceremony.”

＂…!＂

One of the ultimate goals of the church that Adam is planning.

I needed at least a little more information about the ceremony that would take place in the royal capital.

What is the scale of the ceremony? And what exactly is the result?

What is it that Adam is trying to attain by creating that consciousness?

Lila tried to gather as much information about the ritual as possible, but there were no books about it anywhere.

Since it happened in the original world, I thought it could be possible.

After entering this room, I felt a slightly different possibility.

Perhaps, even if there is some remaining information, all of it is being controlled under Adam’s command.

It was natural to think that there was a place where so many clearly stolen books were stored.

“It must be here somewhere. There is no way Adam doesn’t share his vision with his subordinates.”

As Lila spoke like that, she first told the group to spread out and look for related books together.

But then, Mea, who had been quiet, opened her mouth.

“You, you. Even if you find a book related to that ritual, you must never read it in front of me!”

Mea speaks once again with a very frightened expression.

Then, Lila looks at her as if she is saying something stupid, but then Sigmund, who was lying at her feet, also opens his mouth.

＂It’s just as she said… The information related to the ritual… Other than the ‘name’ and the ‘place’, is forbidden knowledge to us ‘seekers’. Therefore. Make sure we don’t hear it even by mistake…”

He wasn’t as good as Mea, but she was asking with a slightly trembling voice, and Selena, who heard those words, answered them with an expression on her face that made her understand.

“Something strange is coming. Even if they don’t usually go so far as to say that they want to know, isn’t there a problem with listening? Besides, now he might be arrested and put on trial, but he’s still so obsessed with the church’s rules. I don’t understand.”

“You can say that because you don’t know anything… Doing what your father has forbidden means ultimately betraying him. And we… Have already given everything to our Father. If you betray him…”

Mea’s face turned pale as she said that.

I know very well that something more frightening than they could imagine is happening to those two people.

It seemed as if Lila, who was in charge of some dangerous ideas within her, was whispering, ‘Would you like to hear it?’, But she shook her head, thinking that going that far would be no different from the Expulsion Church.

Then he put his hand on her waist and spoke as if he had no choice.

“What. Because these two people are the witnesses needed to announce the existence of the Exiled Church. Wouldn’t it be difficult if I died here now…”

“In that case, it would be better to cover your ears.”

＂Or faint it.＂

Riomes and Diora talk, respectively.

＂Either way is fine.＂

When Lila spoke as if she didn’t really care, Riomes placed her hand on the forehead of Mea, who was carrying her, and let her energy flow to her.

＂What, what? “What are you doing?”

＂It doesn’t hurt, so don’t worry~ I just made it in a state where you couldn’t hear it, just as you wanted.＂

Riomes’ mouth moves like that, but Mea feels that no sound is being heard.

All I could see was her mouth moving.

“So, can’t you hear me!? Could it be that you made me deaf this time!? No! Give me back my hearing!”

Mea struggled as if she had misunderstood something, but Riomes spoke with a troubled expression.

“Ah. Before I do this, I need to say that it is temporary. Mistake, mistake…”

Meanwhile, Diora makes a circle with her thumb and middle finger and approaches Sigmund, who is lying on the ground.

＂No way.＂

When Sigmund lifted her head and saw the shape of Diora’s fingers, her face turned pale as she broke into a cold sweat.

“Oh, I don’t know how to use smart methods like that one.”

“For a moment! In that case, at least the wizard over there…”

Taaak!

As a sound is heard, her middle finger is freed from Diora’s thumb.

When a fairly cheerful sound rang in Sigmund’s head, Sigmund would be shaken by the shock and his head would tilt back as if his neck was bent, and then he would suddenly droop down in a helpless manner.

Looking at him who had stopped moving, Diora sighed and wiped her forehead.

“Lord, you’re not dead, right?”

When Selena spoke as if she was worried, Diora took her fingers and examined Sigmund’s neck.

＂…＂

When Diora was silent for a moment, an anxious aura was present in her.

＂Oh my.＂

＂Diora!?＂

When Diora said that with an expression that made a mistake, Selena hurriedly ran over and checked Sigmund’s breathing.

Then, after confirming that she was breathing properly, Diora stuck out her tongue, shrugged her shoulders, and placed her palms near her shoulders.

He was not making eye contact and had an annoyed expression just by looking at him.

＂Huh!＂

The next moment, the wand pulled out from Selena’s waist struck Diora’s temple.

The wand had a sharp point, and that was exactly where it hit her on the head.

Diora, who was caught off guard and unable to react, was struck, and her eyes turned white, and she collapsed on the spot.

She seemed to have lost consciousness on the spot, just like Sigmund, whom she had knocked unconscious.

“Whew… Then, let’s quickly look for data related to consciousness. And if possible, also about the stronghold of the exiled church in the kingdom.”

＂Ah, uh, yes.＂

Lila, who was looking at that scene, glanced down at Diora, who had fallen to the ground after Selena’s accurate blow, and then turned her gaze between her books.

001

The man in the owl mask avoids the magic sword swung by Cleon by simply leaning back.

His evasion ability was so amazing that he couldn’t help but feel as if his sword’s trajectory was being read.

Even if the swords collided and entered into a struggle of strength, it would have been possible to block Cleon’s sword in a way that was advantageous to him as before, but it seemed like he was intentionally not doing so.

Is it to show that there is a clear difference in power between himself and Cleon?

In the end, when Cleon’s sword missed, the man quickly took a step and swung his sword towards Cleon’s empty side.

＂Kuh…!＂

Even if Cleon could follow his movements with his eyes, he couldn’t follow him with his body, so rather than blocking the sword, he had to dodge and minimize his damage.

However, regaining the balance of the body leaning forward and avoiding the attack was impossible with normal movements.

Deflection is also a skill that consumes a lot of magic power. I can’t use it that much, so I thought I should do something with the minimum amount of magic power first-

Magical energy explodes from under the soles of his feet, and the impact blows his body to the side.

Kagagak! When the sound was heard, it was the sound of his holy sword passing by Cleon’s side before he even widened the distance.

Adamantite armor made by Bourbon.

If it hadn’t been for that, he would have already been cut by that holy sword several times and would have passed out with blood and internal organs spilling out.

Boom!

After Cleon’s body flew due to the momentum generated by itself and hit the wall with his shoulder first, the man in the owl mask looked at Cleon and spoke.

“With that skill, you’ve managed to survive this far and hinder us. Magic swordsman. ─No, is it because he is a magic swordsman? In the end, you are all clumsy guys who never become the best in any one field.”

＂…＂

A completely disdainful attitude.

Cleon thought he had overcome quite a few battlefields, but his opponent’s experience level was likely greater than that.

It is said that a fortress was used when dealing with the Demon King, but it would have been impossible to obtain this fortress unless the individual had a certain level of military power, so it was natural.

[Are you okay, Cleon?]

When Galatea, who was holding his hand, asked Cleon as if checking his condition, Cleon nodded his head quietly.

[Ah. But… It’s just as he says. In terms of pure sword skills, this one is one step below.]

[In that case, let’s deal with magic. There’s no need to be a fool and match his pace. I can take out Lila’s magic, Kuon’s magic, and even the little magic that can be used by the women you have engraved on.]

It is just as Galatea says.

It was clearly an indelible fact that this side was at a disadvantage by swinging the sword in a head-on fight.

However, what is problematic is the power source in the back that he is standing guard over.

The huge crystal had been emitting magic pressure earlier, interfering with Cleon’s use of magic.

In comparison, the other person’s total amount of magical power did not seem to be decreasing since before, as if he was gaining strength by resonating with the power source.

The opponent’s holy sword certainly had the function of generating magical power, but—

＂… No…＂

Rather, is the amount of magical power increasing?

Indeed, was that the reason why he was deliberately welcomed into the power room even though there was a risk of the power source being destroyed?

At first, Cleon thought so when he saw that his magic power was increasing, even though he must have consumed a lot of magic power thanks to the huge wave of magic power fired from beyond the door.

In that case, he also kept in mind the fact that what he had to destroy first was not that man, but the power source of the fortress he was guarding behind.

[Using magic will come a little later. Galatea, from now on, prepare the magic I am talking about.]

When Cleon said that and told her something, a slightly surprised response came from Galatea.

[Are you serious? But that magic…]

[Ah. It would be possible now.]

And, while secretly looking at his hands, Cleon reassured Galatea.

[─Okay. If Cleon is confident. It would be an ideal partner to assist!]

As Galatea began to accumulate the magic power of her sword, the man in the owl mask spoke while looking at him furtively.

“Do you still think there is a way to win?”

At his attitude as if telling him to give up, Cleon kept quiet for a moment and then—

He bursts into laughter as if he can’t hold back.

＂… What’s funny?＂

“No, sorry. That line is not something a warrior would say. Rather, it’s a line from the devil’s side, right?”

Cleon gave it back to him, and upon hearing those words, the owl mask also said nothing, but took a stance while holding the sword.

“I have already buried myself as a hero in the past.”

“Ah. So does that mean you are on the devil’s side?”

Is there any word that can more appropriately compare Adam’s actions than the word devil?

As Cleon thinks so, he takes his stance in response.

The strategy was drawn in my head.

All that’s left is to hope that it comes with the will and ability to make it happen…

He was determined to cut down the fallen hero, and this time it was his and Galatea’s role.