Chapter 470
Chapter 470: That’s Your Limit. (2)
Parniel turned her head to look at Maurice and asked,
“Who are you?”
Maurice felt deflated looking at the larger Parniel. No, it would be more accurate to say he felt diminished by the overwhelming power that had just sent a superhuman flying.
“I, I am Marquis Maurice McQuarry, Commander-in-Chief of the Ruthania Kingdom Army.”
Parniel’s eyes widened slightly. The other party’s status was higher than she had anticipated.
Though the saint transcends worldly status, she understood the importance of manners.
Parniel bowed her head slightly and said,
“It seems I wasn’t supposed to meet someone of your stature here. Let’s dispose of that wicked being first, then we can talk.”
“A-Understood.”
Kwaaaaaaa!
Beacon of Light, who had been flung away, suddenly jumped up and shouted,
“Kraaaah! Who are you?!”
He was already significantly fatigued. Being struck with such an attack that could crush his arms made him retch and cough up blood.
Moreover, the infiltration of divine power drained a considerable amount of energy before he could expel it.
GoooOOOOoooo…
The black energy he spewed surrounded his wounds and swirled.
‘Ugh, what is this? Did the Four Great Sects send reinforcements?’
All the priests in the Kingdom Army had been killed by the Delphine Army. Since those priests lacked combat ability, they couldn’t escape effectively.
However, the woman who appeared now seemed very accustomed to battle. Not just accustomed, she was a combat weapon-level expert.
‘Did she say her name is Parniel? No way… Parniel!’
Goosebumps spread all over Beacon of Light. A massive, strong woman named Parniel was a rare occurrence in the world.
“The Saint of War!”
She was the saint of the Moriana Sect who had been secretly fighting them for years.
As the world grew tougher, saints and holy figures started to appear everywhere, and people looked up to them and spread rumors.
But Parniel was not a common existence. She was a true saint acknowledged by the entire sect.
“Kuhuhuh… So the one destined to be caught and killed has come here on her own.”
From the perspective of the Salvation Society, the Saint of War was a troublesome enemy. Supported by the power of her sect, confronting her directly was difficult.
Moreover, the Saint of War had countless Temple Knights and priests protecting her. Hence, even attempting an assassination felt impossible.
Yet now, she was alone. Surely there must be those chasing after the saint nearby, but if I kill her before they arrive, it would be fine.
“You possess divine power, making you incredibly strong, huh? But that won’t be enough to defeat me.”
Although he too was quite fatigued and in a tough spot, he couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.
He had heard that thanks to divine power, one could exert combat abilities close to those of a top-tier knight. With assistance from priests, they could even reach superhuman strength.
Thus, she had to die while alone.
Kwaaaaaang!
Beacon of Light lunged forward, growing wings and claws of black energy.
He intended to exert all his strength to kill Parniel.
‘Kuhuh! I’m finally going to achieve a great feat!’
In an instant, Beacon of Light rushed right up to Parniel, a joyful smile on his face.
The one who kills the saint, the representative of the goddess, will surely live forever in paradise.
“Die!”
Kwaaaaaaa!
His claws, filled with immense power, swooped down like a blade through space.
Parniel twitched her lips and raised her arm. Her muscle-filled arm emitted a white light.
“You fool! Did you think you could block this with your bare body?!”
Beacon of Light was convinced that her arm would be severed. He had poured immense energy into this attack.
Kwaaaaaaa!
“Eh?”
But his confidently delivered strike couldn’t cut Parniel’s arm. Instead, Beacon of Light felt the impact as if he had struck a robust shield.
Beacon of Light couldn’t comprehend it.
‘Did she… block a superhuman’s attack with her bare body?’
She wasn’t entirely unscathed; a red line marred her arm.
In other words, she had been nicked a little.
“Is that all?”
Beacon of Light raised his head, dazed. A mace larger than a human body loomed over him, blocking out the sun.
“Wait a minute!”
Kwaaaaaaa!
Crack!
Faced with a punch to the face, Beacon of Light was sent flying backward. The side he had been hit on was completely distorted, and his eyes burst, narrowing his vision.
“Ughhh!”
As divine power penetrated him, excruciating pain flooded his senses. The black energy attempted to drive it out, but divine power would not vanish easily.
It was significantly more divine power than before.
“Gaaargh! You… you…”
Beacon of Light held his ruined face and wailed in agony. The antithesis energy, divine power, inflicted unimaginable pain upon him.
He couldn’t accept it. How could he, with such great strength, be beaten like this?
No matter how exhausted and abnormal his body was, it was humiliating.
“I’ll kill you!”
Beacon of Light soared high. Spreading his wings wide and summoning all his strength, the black energy stirred.
After days of fighting, he too was quite fatigued. Using this technique would leave him completely drained.
He wouldn’t be able to move for a while, but even so, he had to ensure he killed the saint and Maurice here.
GoooOOOOOOOOoooo…
His remaining eye turned a deep violet. Strong energy surged from every part of his body, distorting the surrounding space.
He lacked enough energy to use this technique, so he drew upon some of his life force.
He desired to kill those in front of him to that extent.
Fwoosh!
Thousands of strands of black energy erupted from Beacon of Light’s body in all directions.
“Heh, hehehe! Try and stop it if you can!”
The saint might survive, but everyone else around her would die.
Parniel observed and murmured,
“Cursed light, lament of the abyss.”
In the old wars, the technique used by the Salvation Society’s priests was referred to as such.
Gazing at the black light that filled the sky, Parniel spoke.
“Behold, I shall protect this land with grace. I now manifest the sacred will; may the wicked hands vanish into darkness, and faith become immortal.”
Zap!
A brilliant light radiated from her body.
It spread wide like a massive protective barrier, creating a vast realm of light.
People’s eyes widened at such miraculous power.
The cascading rain of dark energy collided with the illuminated space.
Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! Kwah!
The black energy relentlessly surged into the light space.
The impact was so powerful that the ground shook, and explosions echoed like thunder.
Though the duration of the attack wasn’t long, for the others, that brief moment felt like an eternity. Beacon of Light’s last technique was formidable and terrifying.
Yet, the realm of light seemed on the verge of shattering but ultimately held firm.
“W-What… is this…?”
Beacon of Light’s expression turned to one of horror. He had poured out all his strength and even drawn upon his life force. This was an attack no top-tier knight could block.
Still, the saint had managed to withstand it alone.
Having underestimated her due to her hordes, he had thought she merely had strong divine power and needed protection.
But it wasn’t like that. The saint herself was a monster.
“Ptooey.”
Parniel spat out blood.
Indeed, the attack from a high priest wielding all their power was rather fierce. It made her feel a bit nauseous and caused her to spit blood.
Still, that was the end of it. This was not enough to inflict significant damage on her.
Thud!
Gripping her mace tightly, Parniel stepped forward again, her muscles quivering with power.
“Ugh, ugh…”
Beacon of Light had already fallen to the ground, having exhausted all his energy. He lacked the strength to maintain his wings and claws.
Draining his own life force had rendered him weaker than a typical knight.
“D-Damn it!”
He turned to flee immediately. However, he could not shake off Parniel.
In an instant, Parniel approached and swung her mace at Beacon of Light’s back.
Kwah!
“Graaah!”
His waist twisted and shattered as Beacon of Light collapsed to the ground. Yet, true to the prowess of a Salvation Society priest, he did not die immediately.
Looking at him like a tenacious cockroach, Parniel raised her mace high.
“Your corruption ends here. The holy light shall consume you.”
With her remaining hand, Parniel made the sign of the cross and mercilessly brought down her mace.
Kwah!
“Gggggh!”
Beacon of Light, struck by the massive mace again, coughed up blood. His body had already become flat against the ground.
Nevertheless, Parniel did not cease.
Kwah! Kwah! Kwah!
Like squashing a cockroach, Parniel relentlessly slammed her mace down.
After a lengthy barrage, only when Beacon of Light’s corpse had been reduced to pulp did she stop her onslaught.
“Phew… O Goddess, have you sent another one today?”
“……”
Those watching, Maurice and the fleeing soldiers, could say nothing.
Despite their fatigue, to see a superhuman overwhelmed so utterly was beyond their imagination.
This would someday be known as the power of the seven greats of the continent, yet they could not comprehend it.
They weren’t the only ones startled.
“W-Who is that?”
The pursuing troops, who had arrived by now, could only watch from a distance, unable to approach any closer.
Their faces were filled with terror. It was only natural after witnessing their greatest weapon, a superhuman, being beaten to death.
With a haughty expression, Parniel raised her head and said,
“I no longer wish to kill today, so retreat.”
Even those allied with the Salvation Society preferred to avoid killing if possible, believing they could capture and convert everyone.
Deep down, she only wanted to slay the priests of the Salvation Society.
However, that didn’t mean she would let them go unchallenged.
“If you come at me, I will send you all to the goddess right here!”
“Ugh, ugh…”
The commander of the pursuing troops was at a loss. He had to capture Maurice, yet the situation had completely gone awry.
Fearful of Parniel, he had no choice but to retreat with his forces.
Once the situation calmed, Parniel approached Maurice.
“My apologies for the delayed introduction due to the urgency of the situation. I am Parniel, servant of the Goddess of War.”
“T-Thank you. I-I will surely repay this favor when I return.”
“It’s quite alright. Fighting against the Salvation Society is my mission.”
“Is that so? That’s good to hear.”
Maurice mumbled awkwardly. He had no idea how to address this suddenly appeared, indistinct figure.
However, seeing her defeat the priests of the Salvation Society clearly indicated she was in an antagonistic relationship with them.
“W-Where do you hail from?”
“I come from the Paenos Church-State.”
The Paenos Church-State operates its governance somewhat differently from other kingdoms. It hosts the headquarters of the four major sects, with each sect’s archbishop residing there, taking turns to rule the nation.
Though not militarily strong, its religious power is formidable, preventing any kingdom from touching it.
Maurice was shocked and asked,
“The Church-State is quite far, isn’t it? What brings you all the way to Ruthania?”
“I came because I wanted to.”
“U-Oh?”
Parniel tilted her head slightly, pondering how to explain before continuing.
“I heard that the Ruthania Kingdom is fiercely engaged in battle with the Salvation Society. Upon hearing this news, my desire to come and fight here surged strongly. It must be the goddess guiding me.”
“Ah… Yes…”
Living solely on faith and words is what being a priest entails. They are the people who will go along with anything labeled divine. Logic is not to be sought. There are no counterarguments.
Maurice enjoyed such things, so he quickly understood.
“Hahaha, the fortune-telling old woman said you would meet a noble figure, and perhaps you might be…”
Before he could finish his words, Hubert jabbed him in the side.
Parniel’s expression turned cold. Mentioning a fraudulent fortune teller in front of a priest from the four great sects was a declaration of war.
Feeling an immediate threat to his life, Maurice cleared his throat.
“Ahem, a joke. Just a joke.”
“It was a dull joke. I nearly found myself before the Inquisition.”
“Y-Yes…”
The priests of the kingdom feigned ignorance due to Maurice’s authority, but Parniel had the strength and qualifications to ignore such things.
Feeling embarrassed, Maurice cleared his throat a few times before speaking.
“If you have no place to stay, then let’s go together. Since we will be fighting the same enemy, it’s best to join forces, right?”
“Thank you. Then I will impose on you for the time being.”
“Oh, not at all. We are the ones being indebted to you.”
Once Maurice regained his composure, he wore a pleasant smile. The war had become immensely difficult due to the high priests of the Salvation Society.
Yet, the arrival of a new superhuman was definitely a mood booster.
“Now, let’s go.”
“Just a moment. I have companions.”
“Companions?”
As Maurice was puzzled and waited a moment, a group was running toward him from the direction Parniel had come.
Over a hundred people dressed in priest robes and white armor. They were Parniel’s escort priests and Temple Knights.
The one at the front shouted loudly,
“Saint! Why did you recklessly act alone in a dangerous situation?”
Upon hearing this, Maurice’s eyes widened.
“A saint? Are you really the saint?!”
Parniel nodded nonchalantly.
“Yes, I am the saint chosen by the Goddess of War.”
“……”
She was certainly nothing like the image that popped into one’s mind when hearing about a saint… but as she was chosen by the Goddess of War, it seemed somewhat fitting.
In any case, if she were a saint, she deserved an even higher level of respect than a superhuman. That name was not to be taken lightly.
Such was the nature of a saint.
Maurice lowered his head deeply once again. Given that the other party was a saint, the mere notion of fighting alongside her felt ludicrous.
“Thank you again for promising to assist the Ruthania Kingdom.”
“No need for thanks. This too is a guiding of the goddess.”
Parniel gave a slight nod again. Such treatment was not foreign to her.
Thus, Maurice and the fleeing soldiers, having joined forces with the saint, withdrew with great majesty.
*
“Beacon of Light is dead?”
“Yes.”
“Ha…”
Count Fogren’s expression turned incredulous upon receiving the report from the pursuit troops.
Though they had been aggressive for a few days, he still couldn’t believe a superhuman had been killed by an unforeseen intruder while pursuing the fleeing soldiers.
“Who the hell was that?”
“I don’t know. Just an extraordinarily large woman. Given she was in the robes of the Moriana Sect, I suspect she might be a battle priest.”
“A battle priest killed a superhuman? Which sect in this kingdom has such a priest?”
Count Fogren shouted. If such a priest existed, rumors would have spread long ago. At least the Duke’s information network would have detected it.
The Salvation Society had no reason to widely inform others about the Saint of War who was fighting against them. Therefore, the information had not reached Count Fogren.
He grew agitated, unable to find a way to learn about the situation.
What drove him even more insane was that they had let the Kingdom Army Commander slip right through their fingers.
“Huh…”
Sighing, he called his aides.
“Let’s rest for two days and march straight to the capital. After defeating the lords’ armies once or twice, there will be no forces left to stop us.”
“Two days is too short, isn’t it? The soldiers have accumulated significant fatigue.”
Having fought through considerable hardships to seize this place, recovering properly could not be achieved in just two days.
Count Fogren shook his head against his aides’ objections.
“Some allied forces have yet to arrive. When they do, it will only grow more tiresome. We lost a judge; hence, moving quickly to wipe out the remaining foes is better.”
It seemed they had one superhuman opponent join their enemy forces, but it wasn’t a major problem.
The remaining forces on that side were meager. Even if he hastily gathered the armies of the lords defending this region, they wouldn’t reach ten thousand.
While they themselves had lost half, still, they had thirty thousand elite troops remaining. Additionally, their magician forces were intact.
With this strength, they could easily kill off at least one superhuman.
“The Northern Army will be pushed back by the 2nd Corps. Even if the Northern Army wins, they won’t be able to move fast enough to stop us.”
Count Fogren declared confidently. His aides nodded in agreement.
However, there was one fact they were oblivious to.
While they rested and rearranged, a crow circled above them.
– Master, it seems the army will begin to move soon.
The moment they resumed their movement coincided with Ghislaine receiving the news and setting out.
Receiving the situation through Dark, Ghislaine unfolded a map while atop his horse.
“Fortunately, we can make it in time.”
A force of thirty thousand, no matter how quickly they walked, couldn’t move fast. That was especially true for an army worn from days of battle.
In contrast, the Penris Mobile Army boasted the kingdom’s highest mobility. Neither morale nor stamina was lacking.
After roughly calculating the speeds of both sides, Ghislaine pointed to a spot on the map.
“We’ll catch them here.”
It seemed the duke had yet to truly grasp the mobility of the Penris Army. He was too focused on the fact that Ghislaine was a superhuman.
Or perhaps he assumed that the inflated Northern Army would move all at once. He might even think the Northern Army had been crushed while he was away.
“That’s your limit.”
Ghislaine smirked coldly.
He planned to seize this opportunity to undoubtedly demonstrate what he was capable of.
