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Meanwhile, Nun Knight Sophia, who had just cleared the undead swarming the area with a single sword strike, let out a deep sigh.

“Phew, that was close. I almost arrived too late.”

It wasn’t uncommon for those entangled with demons or witches to show signs of mental instability. As a Nun Knight, Sophia had seen and heard such things often enough that they no longer struck her as particularly unusual.

However, when intervening with a clear purpose like this, even a moment’s delay could have been disastrous. The crucial clue needed to achieve her goal had nearly slipped away by a hair’s breadth. It was impossible not to feel uneasy about it.

Sophia had hurried as much as she could, but even for her, covering the long distance from Seitendorf through Mödling to the southern part of the empire in one go was no easy feat. The western region of Vienna was filled with hills and forests, making the journey even more challenging.

Though she had attained the enlightenment of “Mind-In-Action” and could share this understanding with her horse through a unique equestrian technique from her past life, the dense forests and hilly terrain limited her vision and senses, making it difficult to fully unleash her abilities.

Fortunately, her beloved horse, Jangbaljang, inherited the bloodline of a forest horse from its grandfather, allowing it to navigate the endless hills and forests with ease. This meant Sophia could focus less on the terrain and more on her “Mind-In-Action” technique.

Thanks to this, what would have taken an ordinary horse and rider three days of non-stop travel was covered in less than half a day.

With the immediate threat of sorcery neutralized by the Immovable King Wisdom Technique and the undead dealt with by her sword, Sophia could finally relax a little. She slowly guided her horse toward the group that had just been battling the undead.

As she approached, the people flinched and began to show signs of wariness. After witnessing her overwhelming display of power, it was only natural for them to feel fear. Sophia, secretly smirking, decided to introduce herself first.

“I am Nun Knight Sophia de Chazel of the Church Order. I came upon you being attacked by the undead. I hope I wasn’t too late?”

“Ah, a member of the Church Order! That divine light could never come from this world. I am Hermann Lingeck, a vassal of the Archduke of Österreich and a Manor Knight of Niederlandeck. It’s an honor to meet such a renowned Paladin.”

“Renowned? That’s just an exaggeration.”

The knight who stepped forward to greet her, Hermann Lingeck, seemed to be a senior knight commanding the escort, judging by the insignia on his shoulder. To Sophia, he appeared to have matured his ethereal muscles to the point where he was preparing for the next stage of the Reverse Muscle Technique.

Hermann, with a dreamy expression, gazed at Sophia—or more precisely, at the natural sword aura emanating from her. As one walks the path of the sword, there comes a moment when they can glimpse the essence of their opponent’s sword aura. It seemed Hermann was not only reaching for the realm of Reverse Muscle Technique but also aspiring to master the art of the rising sword.

Seeing the knight’s eager expression, Sophia smirked and subtly shifted her sword aura, showing him an “Invisible Sword Path.” While invisible to ordinary eyes, a man of his caliber would surely gain something from this display.

Sure enough, the knight’s expression changed, and he became entranced, frantically following the traces of the sword path. Moments later, he snapped out of it, looking as if he had just awakened from a dream. Sophia, noticing his realization, smiled and said:

“Congratulations on your achievement.”

“Ah, thank you… Oh, how rude of me to act like this in front of my savior!”

Still looking half-asleep, Hermann quickly composed himself upon realizing his state. Sophia chuckled.

“Haha, how could I not understand the heart of a warrior? Don’t worry about it.”

She meant it sincerely. Just as a painter pours their soul into their brush or a potter dedicates themselves to a handful of clay, a warrior wielding a sword must devote their heart to the strokes and the interplay of offense and defense. While there might be exceptions, most sword masters she knew were no different.

“If it still bothers you, I hope you continue to strive. The day will come when your sword will be of great use.”

The time of the great human-demon war was approaching once more. Sophia clearly remembered the Great Demon’s declaration in Agnon. The demon had spoken of returning to this world, the so-called “Old Continent,” to conquer it.

Though it was unclear when or how the demon would return, the signs were already appearing across the continent. Sophia recalled the dark omens she had encountered on her journey—from Agnon to Rotaringia, Hiberia, Franquia, Caledonia, and finally to this empire.

Even before the full-scale invasion began, the mere signs of the demon clan’s approach had already caused significant turmoil in human society. If a full-blown war were to break out, humanity would need many more strong warriors.

That’s why Sophia had no qualms about showing Hermann the “Invisible Sword Path.” Though her main expertise lay in internal martial arts rather than sword techniques based on Reverse Muscle Technique, someone of her caliber could effortlessly infuse the essence of rising mastery into her swordplay.

Judging by Hermann’s reaction, it seemed her attempt had succeeded.

“Truly, your words are like gold and jade. I will keep them close to my heart.”

“Gold and jade? Think of it as just my meddling.”

“I couldn’t possibly… Oh, my manners. Let me introduce my companions to you, my savior.”

“Please do. But before that…”

As Hermann, now fully recovered from his earlier trance, prepared to introduce his group, Sophia gestured for him to wait and suddenly reached out toward a distant hilltop.

The group, puzzled by her actions, soon noticed a dark figure being pulled through the air, struggling as it was dragged toward them.

{Kuaaak, —____―!!!}

The dark figure let out an incomprehensible scream. However, for some reason, the sound only reached the group as a muffled roar.

Only the spellcaster, specializing in runes, could visualize the flow of magical energy. He involuntarily stepped back, forcing a stiff smile.

“That guy… he’s spewing curses like crazy.”

To the spellcaster’s eyes, the dark figure was vomiting a stream of vile, sinister magical energy. The curses were precise and horrifying, befitting the one who had just unleashed such a terrifying spell.

Dealing with demons and their followers was always dangerous. Even in death, they left behind negative traces and filth. One had to be fully prepared, both mentally and physically, to face them. They were not foes to be taken lightly.

Yet, the spellcaster could only shake his head and chuckle. The curses, though vile, were trapped in an invisible barrier, swirling harmlessly and even rebounding onto the caster. It was hard to feel threatened by such a spectacle.

Sophia, the one orchestrating all this, watched the dark figure with an indifferent gaze.

“Do you think I’d let a pest like you disturb the human world?”

To Sophia, whether it was a demon or its follower, they were all fools who couldn’t stand on their own and sought to achieve their goals through others’ power. The fact that they sacrificed the human world for their ambitions made them even more despicable.

Thus, Sophia had no qualms about suppressing the figure with her Void Manipulation.

*Crunch, crunch.* The sound of something being crushed echoed within the void. Normally, Sophia controlled her Void Manipulation as naturally as breathing, but this time, the force crushing the dark figure was unusually strong.

Of course, this was to break the desperate resistance of the sorcerer trapped within.

{―――___-!!!}

The sorcerer’s malice was indeed formidable. Even as his body was shaken by the disruption of his spells, he tried to control his magical energy, attempting to break free from what he thought was a spell binding him.

But Void Manipulation, a technique born of profound mastery over energy manipulation, couldn’t be countered by mere spell disruption. Instead, the sorcerer’s attempts only caused his own spells to collapse, further damaging him.

And as this happened, his time was running out.

*Crack.*

{Ggeuk! G-gik――.}

In an instant, the sorcerer’s neck was seized with an iron grip, and he swallowed his scream. The hand gripping his neck, though delicate and fair, exerted an unimaginable force. The sorcerer had no time to ponder this.

{Ggik, giiii――!}

Beings like him, ascended through the blessings of malevolent gods from another realm, didn’t need to breathe or consume sustenance. Their life force was sustained by their corrupted magical energy.

But now, for the first time, the sorcerer—or rather, the high-ranking demon Crampus—felt what it meant to have his breath cut off. The moment Sophia’s right hand gripped his neck, all his powers and tricks vanished as if they had never existed.

{Ggruk……, y-you monster!}

Terrified, Crampus looked up at the Nun Knight holding him. His vision, once clear even in darkness, was now blurred. Sophia’s figure, shrouded in a blinding halo, was almost impossible to make out.

Crampus likely didn’t know that Sophia’s right hand, in her past life on Earth, was said to carry the legacy of a holy being. In the Tree of Sephiroth, it corresponded to the sephira of Geburah, blessed by the archangels Camael and Seraphim.

The power to subdue all evil with a single hand was now being unleashed across worlds.

 

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