T/N:
I cut this chapter down to one part by skipping some pointless rambling and information about irrelevant side battles. This is something you’ll encounter me doing more often from now on because I’m getting damn tired of this author’s long-winded way of yapping about completely unrelated stuff, getting an orgasm from describing how beautiful a woman is for the umpteenth time, running his flap about trivia no one needs or cares about, or telling us how the MC or his friends fight some nameless one-chapter smallfries in all detail and glory.
In my eyes all of this is word padding as it adds nothing to the story. If you dislike my decision, you’re free to read the raw and make your brain suffer from countless repetitions and overflow of useless info.
Only Solck’s eyebrow moved faintly, but he himself didn’t go along with my invitation. His Demonic Eyes lit up and at the same time, the Sanskrit characters on his forehead started glowing as well.
Those characters look different from the symbol on the chest of the other priests. Maybe they form a magic symbol signifying War God Vice?
As I pondered about that, he tilted the magic spear in one hand, changing its angle and causing the metallic chains connected to the spear to clatter. Meanwhile, he held up the other hand like a Buddhist monk who was about to pray.
Is he planning to chant sutras?
Suddenly he started to slightly move his lips as if praying for real.
“Spear Heaven is Back, Sword Back is Heaven…Heaven is War God.”
Immediately following, yellow auras billowed up from his lower arms, flickering like the corona of the sun. Those two auras took the shapes of arms.
『Two arms made out of mana…with a divine aura…』
『Are spirits gathering around them?』
『A lot of fire and earth spirits. But, I feel a divine power from those arms』
Divine, huh? Are they a representation of the war god’s arms? Maybe some secret skill, word magic, or possession technique?
With a slight delay, the glowing of the Sanskrit characters on his forehead intensified. His Demonic Eyes, which emitted a wild mania, also changed. A flame started to dwell deep inside them. That flame looked like a brick of seething hot iron that was glowing crimson as it had been just taken out of the furnace. His eyes looked like spirits may dwell in them as well, but Helme didn’t mention anything about that.
I felt a special power from his eyes, and I could also tell that those eyes had seen many battlefields and fights. Solck clearly exuded the aura of a martial artist.
While staring at me, he shifted his body sideways and slowly walked leftwards. He let his wander scan the vicinity while rotating the spear in his hand.
Then his eyes got fixed on the even battle between his subordinate Delgug and Kisara.
Both of us circled around each other like two beasts ready to pounce at any moment. The area was filled by a breathtaking, dangerous atmosphere. But, my opponent seemed to have his attention drawn by the fight between his subordinate and Kisara as he kept looking there.
I didn’t really feel like getting lured into it, but took a peek anyway.
Kisara and Delgug were having a fierce battle with neither of them giving the other any room. Yet it was a mostly even fight.
At some point, their fight reached a breaking point, and Delgug asked as he caught his breath, “…Those heads surfacing on that bloody spearhead and the ogre-like faces depicted as patterns on your black attire…that’s Demonic Ogre Princess of Dark Plays Mephalla, isn’t it?”
“…That’s true, but what about it?”
“As I thought. So does that make you a Spirit World Knight of Mephalla?” He further asked.
“…No. I’m Kisara, one of the Four Heavenly Witches of the Black Witch Church and the 【Witch of Damon’Anun】 who used to believe in Mephalla-sama, Kyulha-sama, and Lulodis-sama.”
“Used to? Are you saying it’s different now?”
“Yes. Nowadays I believe in Shuuya-sama, the great Bringer of Light and Darkness and the man who was kind and loving to me,” Kisara smiled after casting a glance in my direction.
“Light and Darkness? What an abomination of nature.”
“For you to mock the savior of the Black Witch Church…”
“That organization again? Hmm? …Wait, now I remember that ancient martyr group. They were a weird bunch who worshiped gods of the divine domain and Spirit World at the same time. But, I also heard they were heretics who performed ceremonies where they buried pagans in cemeteries. Supposedly they continue to wander the lands as if to run away while causing such incidents all over the place…”
Kisara’s disturbance was clear from her eyes’ trembling, “…I didn’t know that. Where are they wandering right now?”
“Who knows…you can find their black-clothed groups in any bigger city.”
“I heard from Shuuya-sama that he witnessed such a group in the religious district of Pelneet, but…”
That group, huh? Anyway, I guess it means Kisara’s friends are wandering the lands to this day. I’m sure she wants to meet them. But well, that’s just a hypothetical story, assuming it’s them.
“Why are you pretending to be disturbed by this piece of news? Are you actually a Kushanan who pretended to be a Spirit World Knight?” Delgug provoked Kisara.
After looking at me and regaining her composure, Kisara answered with a powerful glare, “…Priest of the War God Faith, today will be the day you die. I will rip apart and crush that mouth of yours, which mocked Shuuya-sama just moments ago, into a blood pulp before I kill you…He is one who pierces through evil and divine alike without paying heed to the blessing of the gods…and even though he was defeated by a monster of divine power, she still tried to pierce through Sela as well…Damon’Anun is thirsting for blood as well.”
“…Pierce through the divine, you say? What nonsense by some random demon. …Still, the power seeping out of your spear appears to be genuine. I guess I’ll introduce myself. My name is Delgug. My fatherly master calls me Violent Monk Delgug.”
“I see. But even if you tell me your name, I will judge you regardless of your affiliation. Ready yourself…”
Kisara activated the abilities she had used during our mock battle, and her fierce clash with Delgug continued as it entered a new stage.
Soon I turned my eyes away from there and looked at Solck, and so did he.
“…For you to possesses a subordinate capable of toying around with Delgug…are you also a kin or apostle of Mephalla who’s operating under some sort of order?”
“No, I’m no Spirit World Knight, nor a vampire. But you won’t believe me anyway, so I won’t bother to explain.”
As I talked to Solck I could see only one response to my words in his Demonic Eyes: Doubt, or rather, a lump of seething bloodlust.
“…You denying it makes it all the more suspicious. You’re saying you got nothing to do with a Vampire God sect or the Valmask family despite sucking blood like you did earlier?”
“You can test it out by launching light magic at me. Then again, you saw my own light magic, didn’t you…? In the first place, I’ve never heard of some vampire god sect or similar. And we’re enemies of the Valmask family as well, you know?”
Hearing my words, Solck’s eyebrow twitched as if he was about to ask whether that’s really true. Maybe there’s still some room left for negotiations?
But, the hatred in his eyes hasn’t vanished. A hatred directed at anyone related to the Spirit World, huh?
“…Huh, what nonsense…the spell earlier was something you unleashed through a magic tool… Anyway, before our fight, I guess I’ll take a look at my friends who obtained their abilities through rigorous training at the Martial Arts God’s temple,” he answered before averting his eyes from me.
A Martial Arts God’s temple, eh? Must be the one in Tandarl. It’s a place famous for being a gathering spot of many strong and masterly martial artists in all kinds of styles.
Following Solck’s eyes, he was looking at Shuhelia. She was having such a fierce exchange of blows with another monk that crack-like traces remained on the ground from their swords and spear’s slashes.
Solck stopped watching and commented, “Both are strong, huh? Very well, let us fight then.”
While saying so, he was checking out my defensive equipment. He stared at my shoulder dragon, the item box on my wrist, the ruby loop ring, and Dark Hellbone Knights.
“By the way, the protective clothing I wear is Mythological, so you won’t be able to hurt my body unless you come at me with a fairly powerful attack, you know?” I boasted while tapping my neck with the side of my hand.
“You’re telling me you want me to take your head? Then I shall humor you with a technique of the War God Style! <War God’s…”
It seemed to be a continuation of his sutra-like magic. He unleashed the magic, grabbed the cloth string tied around his waist with one hand, and pulled it off.
I heard Helme crying out telepathically, but ignored it. Still, does that old dude plan to take off his pants and flaunt his dick?!
That’s sickening…
Right now and here I felt today’s strongest shiver traveling down my spine, but luckily it wasn’t anything like that since he was wearing proper chain mail below with a pocket-like protrusion around his nether region.
Anyway, is he the same as Delgug? Is he going to transform his clothing into some sort of shield?
But, I was wrong on that account. The clothing turned into a cluster of metal as they gathered between his back and shoulders. And then Solck’s four arms got wrapped up by mana flames, but those yellow flames were connected to the cluster of metal bulging above his shoulders.
That cluster squirmed and moved with smacking sounds, before transforming into hilts of silver longswords.
“…So you’re not just using spears, huh?”
The instant I asked so, his two yellow mana hands grabbed those hilts and drew the swords.
“One unaware of War God Vice, die while regretting thine own ignorance――”
With swords drawn, Solck charged at me. At the same time, he stabbed out his snake spear with both hands. His spear’s aim was my chest while the two swords were approaching me from the sides while drawing silver traces in the air.
The speed of his swords was abnormally high. Maybe because they’re held by those mana hands of his. Even so, I can deal with all of it.
I carried out a <Water Wheel Slash>, countering both approaching blades with Murasame. My soft sword movements succeeded in flicking off one sword upwards and the other downwards. A little moment later, I swung down Murasame, running its blade into the spearhead of his snake spear. And despite Murasame being a beam saber, I couldn’t melt any of the blades, making it clear that all three were very sturdy weapons.
“Softness within hardness! So you can also handle a sword――” Solck shouted after seeing his initial attack fail, and shifted to the side.
Afterwards, he unleashed another flurry of attacks with all three weapons while I answered in kind. In-between, during an instantaneous opening, I focused on <Call of the Water Goddess>.
At once something similar to misty water vapor sprang up, covering La Doola in no time. At the same time, I activated my sage art while focusing on the Ring of Mist Mirage. Thanks to the ability of that unique item, my surroundings were immediately engulfed in a heavy fog.
From Solck’s point of view, it should look as though I suddenly vanished inside the fog.
And then I stabbed La Doola into the ground, and kicked off it. I heard something like thunder and saw sparks scatter as if La Doola was whining, but I didn’t care.
As I was up in the air, I put Murasame away, and passed underneath three attacks unleashed by Solck.
Alright, the fog matches with the effect of my sage art. He probably can’t tell my magic source response apart anymore either.
Logically, I created several mist clones of myself in the air. Solck cried out his shock at that, but I disregarded him. I entangled <Chain> around La Doola, which was still clad by water vapor, and had Catiza’s third arm hold the spear. Then I summoned Ganghis in my left hand, and Baldok in my free, right hand.
Concentrating on my various Magic Combat Style-based skills, I accelerated the mana net spanning across muscles and nerves in my whole body in one swoop. I experienced a sensation of my body sucking the mana out of the atmosphere around it, something that went completely opposite to sage art which was based on releasing your inner mana to try assimilate it with the atmosphere’s mana, but this was yet another effect of my grown sage art. It’s probably a side effect of <Sage Art – Understanding of the Yellow Water Ribbon>.
And then, in addition to the mist clones and the blood-bolstered acceleration, I activated <Powerful Slash>.
“What’s with this numbeeeeeer――”
The countless, three-armed versions of me flooded Solck.
Having said that, only one was a true body. And that one used a triple-spear-style that tore through the fog.
Ganghis’s spearhead destroyed the two swords which Solck had crossed in front of him, and even went on to annihilate the mana arms that held them. As Ganghis’s trajectory veered off to the side after destroying the blades and mana arms, it only pierced Solck’s ear lobe.
On the other hand, Baldok clashed with Solck’s snake spear. Its spearhead got stuck in Baldok’s twisted spearhead, allowing me to repel Solck’s magic spear upwards.
At once Solck let go of his spear and quickly rotated his body, trying to evade Baldok’s spearhead, butBaldok still managed to make contact with his left shoulder and gouged out a good chunk of it. The instant his shoulder bones got crushed and his meat flew through the air, a small head of the Evil Dragon King with a tiny crest magic square as background, a small illusion of Evil Beast Segilogun, and a small phantom of Steertop appeared on Baldok’s rotating, crimson spearhead.
Those illusions tore through Solck’s shoulder wound as if to devour him all the way down to his chest.
Moreover, La Doola, which I had swung down with a <Powerful Slash>, also experienced a change.I had assumed it’d only cut shallowly as it was a short spear, but lightning that looked like dancing water surged out of its yellow stake blade, drew curves, and easily ripped through Solck’s right chest armor. It almost looked as if he got hit by a Water Cutter. Did the sage art fog and <Call of the Water Goddess> resonate in some way? Maybe La Doola got a good affinity with the Water Goddess and sage art.
I made Ganghis and Baldok disappear from my hands.
※Piiing※ <Powerful Lightning Water Slash> ※ Skill acquired ※
※Piiing※ <Mad Demonic Roar Slash> ※ Skill acquired ※
Oooh, two at once!
“――Guuuuoooooaaahhh!”
As Solck naturally fell towards the ground while screaming in pain, I closed the distance to him. My third arm swung La Doola upwards as if performing a golf swing.
Solck, who was still breathing, attempted to avoid La Doola by twisting his body, but his response was too late. He had apparently blacked out in the middle of dodging.
The instant I thought La Doola’s stake struck his jaw, I suddenly felt a strong, ominous gust of wind.
“Guuuaaahhh――”
That wasn’t Solck’s scream.
The one covering for him instead was a grandpa I didn’t see before. He had the same characters on his forehead as Solck and the others, and a bushy, long beard adorned his jaw.
『Just who is this old man…? I sensed his magic elements for but a moment』
『Yeah, I wonder who he might be』
『Still, the appearance of Thunder Spirit Bodwyin-chan and Lorelei-chan dancing while beating the drums was groovy!』
It sounds like Helme was able to watch some spirits dance.