The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 373

236. The Final Battle (4)

“Yula’s scapegoat.”

While pinned under Carryl, Rael chanted the incantation. Carryl held her mouth shut to prevent her from speaking, but her voice echoed in her mind, not from her lips.

“Expiate that sin!!”

KWAHHHHH—!!!!

Light erupted from Rael’s entire body, and Carryl was swept away in a whirlwind of light.

As Carryl finally lost his grip, Rael, still wearing the bishop’s robe, swung the staff with a large holy orb at its end from top to bottom, then swept it upwards from her waist in a triangular motion, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Atonement!!”

The holy orb at the end of Rael’s staff glowed, and sharp lightning struck towards Carryl.

KWAGAGAGANG……! KWAGAGANG!!

KWAGANG……!!!

The ceiling of the Sun Hall collapsed, and the pouring light contained immense magical power, incomparable to the flames Kadin Luer had unleashed moments before.

PAH-!!

Carryl hurriedly raised his sword, slashing above his head. The moment Rakna touched the light created by Rael, a dull sound echoed as if striking a heavy iron pillar.

His body, which hadn’t moved an inch even under the special-grade priests’ binding magic, staggered.

“Fight! Yula’s warriors! Light to our path! Annihilation to the heretics!!”

Rael’s clear voice filled the hall. It was a stark contrast to her emotionless, doll-like appearance when they met inside the White Gold Dragon’s lair.

KOOKANG!!! KWAHHHH—!!!

As her cry ended, a massive rectangular shield fell between the priests confronting Aln.

[Kuh?!]

Aln screamed in pain as the opaque wall enveloping the entire hall narrowed in on him.

Saint Barrier.

Carryl knew exactly what it was. He had fought against corruption and war using that power more than anyone else.

Among the Order’s unique buff magic, it was the highest-level spell that only bishops could use.

The shield of light pushed back enemies and blessed allies who passed through it. The priests who touched the Saint Barrier felt an unknown sense of elation and power surging within them.

“Ooooooh……!!”

“It is truly a blessing!”

“Victory in Yula’s faith!!”

The combat priests, as if the fear they had felt from Aln had vanished, raised their weapons and shouted.

Despite receiving the blessing, Yurin Hugartman still couldn’t move his body.

It was puzzling to others that the best combat priest in the Order was standing still, but Aln simply smirked at the sight.

The shattered barrier of Olivon had become even more compressed, forming a sphere as if to protect him.

KWANG!!!

Carryl struck the sphere surrounding Olivon with all his might. But a solid sound, different from when he cut through the barrier, echoed.

“…….”

It might be possible to break it by concentrating his magic power, but Carryl chose a faster and more certain method.

PAH-!!

He turned his eyes away from Olivon and ran towards Rael, who had created the barrier.

“Stop him!!”

“Yula’s judgment!!!”

The elated combat priests rushed towards Carryl. As Carryl sprinted, he slammed his right foot down on the floor with all his might, and fragments of the marble floor shattered around him, soaring upwards.

KOOKANG-!! TADADADADADA—!!

Carryl gathered his magic power and pushed the floating marble fragments with his palm, and the debris flew towards the priests at an incredible speed, like a barrage of bullets.

“Ugh!!”

“Cough!! Keuh-uck!!”

The fragments pierced through the priests’ armor and embedded themselves in their bodies. It was the power that had pierced even the protection magic of a 7-class archmage. There was no way mere armor could stop his attack.

Carryl lifted a broken pillar from the ceiling of the Sun Hall and threw it at them with all his might. The long pillar spun like a windmill as it flew, engulfing them.

“Ughhh!!!”

The elation from moments ago had vanished without a trace, and only the screams of the combat priests filled the hall.

[Even if a minnow thrashes, it’s still just a minnow.]

To make matters worse, the dark mist that Aln spread covered the priests who had fallen under the pillar, and they began to writhe in the agony of being burned.

[Kekekek…….]

Leaving Aln’s laughter behind, Carryl swung his sword towards Rael.

Annihilation Strike (殲擊) – First Flash (第一殲).

As she reached out her hand to block Carryl’s attack, the rings on her fingers began to emit colorful lights.

KWAKWAKWANG—!!!

With a deafening roar, the spot where Rael had been standing was deeply cratered by the impact, and the five fingers that had blocked the attack were completely broken and twisted in all directions.

“Keuh…… Keuek……!!”

She clutched her hand with a faint groan and slumped down.

Perhaps due to the shock,

The blood vessels in her eyes, as she looked at Carryl, burst, turning them blood red.

“You’ve become even more pathetic than before. It’s disgusting to even listen to you. Isn’t it ridiculous for you to utter the name of a god with your mouth? I know very well who you serve.”

Thud- Thud- Thud-

Carryl slowly approached her.

“Tuh.”

As if looking at something dirty, he spat roughly, as if disgusted.

“Brothers!!”

But she, undeterred, continued to shout, maintaining her composure as a bishop until the end.

“Did you only learn trash from the White Gold Dragon? Everything you do is a lie. If you’re going to act, do it properly. Do you even have the right to invoke a god?”

Carryl sneered at her.

“Exordiar!!!”

At that moment,

The area around the Sun Hall was enveloped in darkness.

His vision blurred, and Carryl realized that he had fallen into a space of perfect darkness.

“…….”

Nothing could be seen around him.

All that could be felt was the sensation of falling continuously and the darkness, the distance of which could not be estimated.

* * *

Rael looked at Carryl, who was standing still, and sighed softly.

[You bitch……!! What have you done!]

Aln looked at Carryl, who was frozen like a statue, and shouted in a hurried voice.

“What do you mean, what have I done? It’s a sacred act to punish a heretic.”

But she picked up the mace that had fallen on the floor with a bitter smile.

[Impossible!!]

“Yula’s scapegoat.”

The moment Aln tried to rush towards her to stop her, beams of light poured out from behind her, piercing through his body.

[Kuaaaaack……!!]

Aln screamed in agony as burning smoke rose from the spot where the light had pierced him.

“It should have been like this from the beginning.”

She said coldly, looking at the writhing Aln.

Clang-!!

The moment Rael tried to swing the mace that had fallen on the floor towards Carryl’s head,

“Master……!!”

Ziggurat broke through the window in the ceiling of the Sun Hall and landed on the floor.

KWAAANG!!

His entire body was covered in red blood, but it was certain that at least it wasn’t his own.

It was impossible to know how many people he had cut down or how brutal a battle he had fought to reach this place, but it certainly hadn’t been an easy path.

“Hee-eup!!”

He inhaled sharply and struck Rael’s wrist, which was gripping the mace, with all his might.

Wooddeudeuk……!

Her wrist twisted in an abnormal trajectory, staggering and shaking.

“Kyak!!”

She hurriedly swung the mace towards Ziggurat, but he had already lifted Carryl’s body and retreated.

“These lowly things……!!”

Rael shouted in a voice that growled as if she would devour them at any moment.

“……What happened?”

[I don’t know. Suddenly, she started chanting a spell and he froze. It seems like she cast some kind of magic…… It’s impossible to know from the outside.]

“Can’t you undo it?”

[It’s not magic, but a priest’s incantation, so the system is completely different. It’s impossible for me to do it either.]

Aln frowned and answered. Then, he uttered the last words he had been holding back.

[……The operation has failed. We must retreat.]

Ziggurat also gritted his teeth at his words. It was absurd to have to turn back from a distance where he felt he could take the Emperor’s head if he just reached out his arm.

‘If that’s the situation…….’

Ziggurat stood up, guarding Rael with his sword in hand. The murderous intent emanating from his eyes made it clear what he was thinking.

[If you’re thinking of dying together (同歸於盡) [committing suicide together], don’t. Do you really think the master you serve would want that?]

Aln said, stepping in front of him.

“…….”

At his words, Ziggurat stared ahead with a hardened expression.

“It would be best not to have unnecessary thoughts. The trials of God are not something ordinary humans can handle. Once inside, you won’t be able to escape.”

[What kind of trick did she use?]

“As a priest of the Order, I have simply carried out the power of God. We are those who act for the will of God.”

Rael swept back her disheveled hair, and the priests behind her hurriedly cast recovery magic on her broken fingers.

[You’re talking nonsense. You’re saying you trapped Carryl with the power of God? Hmph……. A barrier that ordinary humans can’t break? Do you really think that while looking at that guy?]

“I’m not talking about combat ability. It’s a separate issue from human strength. This is a prison of mental strength. Aln Zaberius. I have a message for you.”

[What nonsense are you going to spout?]

Aln continued the conversation with her, even though it was a word that wasn’t worth listening to. It was to buy time.

“The power of darkness you possess is dangerous, but your knowledge is too precious to easily discard. Join us. I hope you will once again become a force for that person.”

Aln scoffed at Rael’s words.

[I see now. There weren’t one, but two. White Gold Dragon. That bastard didn’t just use humans to gain Rasis’s power? Truly, that bastard’s greed is endless.]

Rael’s face hardened at his words.

[You are also just a tool. One is a tool to obtain the spirit king of light, and the other is a tool to obtain the power of God. White Gold Dragon was trying to have the power of both. There are really only crazy bastards around me…….]

He slowly straightened his back and continued to speak.

[But if everyone is crazy anyway, I should side with the craziest bastard. Because that’s fun.]

“……Pardon?”

[Trying to obtain the power of God is just chasing after God’s tail. I’m not satisfied with being behind someone else. If possible, wouldn’t the guy who’s trying to kill God be the craziest bastard in this area?]

Aln said to Carryl, who was standing still.

[I don’t know what trick White Gold Dragon used to make you a priest of the Order, but how long have you been building faith? Divine power varies depending on the depth of faith. As Carryl said, I don’t think you’re a faithful priest who’s doing such a lousy act, right?]

“What are you talking about…….”

[Carryl knows more about God than you do. You’re trapping him with the power of God? Don’t talk nonsense. Isn’t that right?]

It was then.

KWAAAAAAAANG—!!1

With a loud explosion, the floor of the Sun Hall vibrated, and Ziggurat couldn’t help but be startled by the dust that soared from his side.

“Keuh……!! Keokeok……!!”

At that moment, Rael’s scream was heard behind the dust. She clutched her face, and her eyes trembled as if she couldn’t believe the appearance of Carryl, who was pressing down on her.

“……Master!!”

Ziggurat shouted, looking at Carryl’s back, who had shot out with a speed that even he, who had been standing still, couldn’t react to.

“H-How……. How can you move?!”

Lying on the floor, with one cheek pressed down by Carryl’s hand, Rael asked as if she couldn’t understand the situation, rather than feeling pain.

“That’s right. Aln, you’re right. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way. Trials? I certainly know better than you.”

Carryl answered with a cold smile, clutching Rael’s face.

“Don’t pretend to know if you’ve never experienced it.”

[Kekekek…….]

Aln chuckled softly at his words.

From the given oracle to the countless hours of climbing Parell to go back in time. All of that was a trial given by God to him.

“Oop…… Oop……!”

But Rael, who had no way of knowing that past, could only look at him with questioning eyes.